"But they said…"
"I'm sure they did. They got you to betray your government with promises of youth and beauty, and even made it seem patriotic by fabricating some lies."
"They said I'd be like Admiral Jenetta Carver, young and beautiful for almost my whole lifetime."
"And it appears they meant it. You'd look young and beautiful, as you spent the rest of your life as a mindless sex slave. That was what they'd intended for the Admiral. Doesn't sound like a very good deal to me."
"They never mentioned the slavery part. Or the mindless part."
"I wouldn't expect them to mention that. Would you?"
"Um, no. How do I know you're not lying to me also?"
"You heard the phone call."
"That could be faked."
"You'll have to decide that for yourself. Now, do you cooperate, or do we help you make your flight?"
"Uh, I'll take the flight."
"Suit yourself. Pete, see she makes her flight. If she goes, fine. If she tries to miss it, take her to lockdown and I'll begin processing the charges for treason."
"Uh, wait," Palmer said, holding up her hand as the agent named Pete approached her. I just wanted to see if you'd really let me go. I really do want to cooperate."
"Okay," the first agent said, holding up his hand towards Pete, who retreated silently back to his standing position by the wall. "Start at the beginning and tell us everything you can remember. Describe everyone you've had contact with and everything that was said, exactly as said, as best you can remember.
"Six months ago I was notified I had been selected to receive a free weekend at The Gardens of Venus Spa in Cuba. I hadn't entered any contest so I was skeptical, but I was told I was automatically entered when I bought some facial products at a store here in Boston. I'd heard it was a fantastic place and the weekend was all-expense paid, so I…"
* * *
Chapter Seventeen
~ March 1st, 2285 ~
During the final months, scout-destroyers made weekly trips to check on the progress of the Uthlaro fleet. The Uthlaro were probably not even aware of the Space Command vessels as they flashed by at Light-9375 on the edge of sensor range, but the Space Command vessels charted the position of every ship, their speed, and course. During the time they were monitored, the readings rarely varied. They were far too spread out for a WOLaR torpedo to take out more than one ship. The Uthlaro had learned their lesson.
The projected date of the Uthlaro arrival had originally been based on the earliest possible arrival time after the ships still able to move under their own power left the RP that Jenetta had named the Graveyard. The actual arrival date was considerably later and Jenetta speculated that the decimated fleet had been forced to stop somewhere to make repairs. The additional time had allowed Space Command to provide a far better array of warships than originally projected. As the Uthlaro fleet neared the base, the complement of Dakinium-Sheathed ships stood at nine battleships, three cruisers, two frigates, five destroyers, and seventy scout-destroyers. Each arrival of a DS ship bolstered Jenetta's confidence they could minimize the death toll of Space Command personnel. The eighty-nine DS ships, when combined with the M-designate ships and the older Mars-built ships swelled the Second Fleet to one hundred sixty-three.
Purely as a precaution, the underground bunkers were readied for use and all base personnel were assigned quarters in the underground chambers. They were required to study the layout to the point they could find their way in darkened tunnels using only emergency lighting to find shafts that led to the surface. The food stores were checked and all equipment was certified to be working at one hundred percent. When the Uthlaro arrived in the vicinity, Jenetta would order all non-ship personnel down into the bunkers. She wasn't taking any unnecessary chances. Holo-domes on the surface would hide the base completely. From space, it would appear as a large grassy area. Special images had been prepared for the areas where the Milori had left partially completed buildings. If the Uthlaro managed to reach the planet, they would only see what existed when the Milori ceased construction of a base here. Since roadways were already grass and buildings were always coated in special thermal protection materials, there would be no unusual heat signatures to betray building locations in an infrared scan.
With all the plans and preparations made, there was nothing to do except wait while conducting normal everyday business.
* * *
Strauss glanced slowly around the orotund table at his fellow council members as the group completed the 'old business' portion of the meeting. The powerful reach of these people, all members of the Lower Council, extended down to the lowlifes and riffraff that actually performed many of the nefarious deeds throughout the known galaxy.
Since the very first day the council began conducting meetings here, no one had ever been able to eavesdrop on conversations, celebrations, or tirades. Today would be no different. Sheathed in the best sound-deadening building materials available and protected by state-of-the-art electronic equipment, the room and building were as secure as the most protected government meeting centers in the galaxy. Just breaking through the security of the legitimate industrial conglomerate housing the spacious elliptical chamber was next to impossible. It would be easier to win a battle in unarmed combat with a Taurentlus-Thur Jumaka, than to get into this building. Many corporate spies, unaware of the real business conducted here, had tried and died. Those taken alive were never heard from again as they spent the remainder of their years in slave labor camps in distant solar systems. If they had known the building was home to the Raider Lower Council, they would have immediately chosen other targets.
Chairman Arthur Strauss had nodded his approval following the long presentation by new Councilman Neil Soroman, then shifted his body slightly to get more comfortable in the executive chair at the head of the table.
"Earlier, you and I briefly discussed the important matter you wish to present to the Council, Ahil," Strauss said as he looked towards Councilman Ahil Fazid. "You have the floor."
"Yes, Arthur," Fazid replied as he stood up at his seat. "As everyone here knows, for some time we've spared no expense trying to obtain the manufacturing formula for a material being produced under license by one Space Command contractor. The Tsgardi mercenaries we hired to retrieve the cloning equipment on Mawcett were never able gain access to the underground lab where the equipment was stored because the entrance door was made of this material, now known as Dakinium. During a month-long effort, where they used every technology, weapon, and explosive in their possession, they weren't able to break into the lab. In fact, they did nothing more than bend the entrance door sufficiently to pass a microprobe through the crack.
"If I had known about the almost-indestructible material, I would have ordered them to forget about the cloning equipment and bring us a piece of Dakinium instead. However, only Space Command was able to get the material, and it is now being used to sheath all their new spacecraft. Their ships were powerful before— now they're almost unbeatable. If we ever wish to restore the smuggling operation to its former profitability, we must have Dakinium-sheathed ships that can withstand an attack by a Space Command warship and escape unscathed."
"Ahil," Councilwoman Erika Overgaard asked, "are you suggesting we attempt a takeover of Galactic Alliance space as former Council Chairman Gagarin attempted to do?"
"No," Fazid said. "That was sheer folly. Even if he had accomplished the takeover of Higgins, we couldn't have held it. Space Command would have marshaled its forces and driven us out. We never had a chance. All Gagarin succeeded in doing was wiping out a good part of our warship fleet. He also instilled a fierce determination by Space Command personnel to eradicate us once and for all. With one failed major operation after another, we barely survived those years. When the Milori Emperor decided to invade GA Space, it gave us a respite from Space Command's attention and we've been able to return to profitability in most of our operational areas. The loss of our Platinum and
Palladium mining operation on Scruscotto was a setback and I don't suppose we'll ever find out what compelled Maxxiloth to attack our base like that. We were doing everything possible to support his fight against Space Command."
"Psychotics make very bad business partners," Councilman Bentley Blosworth said. "They often act irrationally and waste valuable resources with their irresponsible behavior."
"Yes," Fazid said in agreement. "But back to our main topic. Mikel Arneu has succeeded in acquiring a piece of Dakinium."
"Wonderful," Councilman Frederick Kelleher said. "What did it cost us? I believe the appropriation was five billion credits."
"The final cost was under a hundred thousand, not counting the loss of the meeting place we were renting. When SCI burst in, a security alarm was triggered. The technicians working in the lab collapsed the tunnel to their location and escaped through the restaurant above. SCI only collared a bodyguard, who knew nothing about the operation or even that there was a company connection. He was only there as a doorman."
"But what use is it now?" Overgaard asked. "Space Command has defeated both the Tsgardi and the Uthlaro, and annexed their territory. We have no one to build those 'indestructible' ships."
"I've begun negotiations with the Uthlaro. It's true they surrendered and ceded their territory to the Galactic Alliance, but they are still hopeful their fleet can defeat Carver at Quesann. If it does, they'll deny their surrender and we can resume operations as before. We have a sample of the material now, but our scientists still have to reverse-engineer it and develop a manufacturing process to produce it. Space Command did it, so I'm confident we can also."
"Where is the sample now?" Blosworth asked.
"It's on its way to Raider Fourteen. Mikel Arneu is also headed for the base from Raider Nine. As soon as he arrives, he'll begin setting up a new lab. He says it'll be ready to begin operations as soon as the sample arrives. The bad news is that it will take almost three years for the ship carrying the sample to arrive. And it's being conveyed on our fastest ship."
"Three years?" Kelleher questioned.
"Raider Fourteen is in that area of space between the former outer border of the Galactic Alliance and the pre-war border of the Milori Empire. We'd hoped we finally built a base that would be safe from Space Command interference, but we again find ourselves in their space. However, it's part of Region Two and so remote it might be decades before they begin patrols there. Presently, there's not an SC base within a thousand light years."
"This is definitely a long-term project," Strauss said, "but it will pay huge dividends in the future. I'm not proposing we take on Space Command in the future, but knowing our ships will be impervious to laser fire will not only assist our crews in evading capture, but will help us sign crews who haven't trusted the Tsgardi ships in the past. Good work, Ahil. Keep us posted on any progress. Any other new business?
* * *
"Morning, Jen," Admiral Kanes said as he entered her office. He walked to the beverage dispenser and prepared a cup of coffee before planting himself in a chair in front of her desk. Although he only wore a single star to her four, their working relationship had progressed to a point where military protocol only intruded when in the presence of others.
"Hi Keith," she said. "What's so urgent you needed to see me right away?"
Kanes sighed. "I've received distressing news in the form of a briefing message from Admiral Bradlee. It seems the Raiders have acquired a sample of Dakinium from an employee at JFW."
Jen tilted her chair back and stared up at the ceiling, saying nothing for a minute. "Well, we knew we couldn't keep it from them forever. Do we know how large a sample?"
"The inspectors at JFW are charged with accounting for every milligram. When the tally came up light one night, the line was shut down and a full investigation began. From the weight, they knew it was fairly small. All completed parts were accounted for, so it had to be from the scrap. Nothing is removed from the site until the accounting process is completed each night, so they were able to perform a detailed analysis of the waste products and identify the missing piece. It's cylindrical in shape, seven-point-eight-eight centimeters long by three-point-one-four centimeters in diameter. The size allowed someone to hide it in a body cavity, which is the only way someone could have snuck a piece out given the procedures they've been following. They've changed the operation so that all tiny pieces are held in a special scrap pile and must be accounted for before a shift is allowed to leave the floor."
"A little late for that."
"It'll prevent such thefts in the future."
"Have we learned who the traitor is?"
"Yes, we have her. You'll never guess why she did it."
"Then you'd better just tell me," Jenetta said smiling.
"She wanted to be like you."
"Me? By sharing our secrets with our enemies?"
"She didn't want to be a military leader; she wanted to be young and beautiful again. The Raiders convinced her that by getting them a piece of Dakinium, she would get her wish and also be performing a valuable public service."
"I'm waiting for the punch line."
"They told her Delcorado Engineering was behind the acquisition. Allegedly, they needed the sample to win new supply contracts. They convinced the woman that Delcorado was going to have to close all its plants if they could no longer compete. Tens of thousands would lose their jobs. Of course, it was all a lie. I think she was so blinded by her desire to be young again that she would have fallen for any line that sounded reasonable and allowed her to temporarily ignore her moral code."
"The Raider process didn't restore youth-- it only changed one's appearance. Mikel Arneu still looked his age when the process was performed on him. I saw vids taken of him on Scruscotto before Raider Ten was destroyed. He looked the same as he had on Raider One. If a youth-restoration process existed, he would have been the first one in line after it was proven. I only look this way because I was essentially twenty-one when they performed the process on me."
"I suppose the real question is how much of an impact this will have on this war," Kanes said.
"None. I'm not sure they can reverse-engineer the process from a sample. Our people have said no. They claim they wouldn't have been able to do it without the computer files I recovered on Dakistee. However, the Raiders can hire the best and the brightest. They might find a way. Even if they do, it will take years before they can produce any ships that use it as a covering. Then there's the matter of the new drive system required to establish the double envelope. No, the theft won't affect the outcome of the upcoming battle, but we'll have to solidify our control of this region before the Raiders can get ships into production or they might be tempted to try carving a section off for themselves. I don't want to fight another war over this territory."
"Amen," Kanes said. "Two has been enough."
* * *
"I still don't understand why we're being sent to Region Two," Byers said. "We don't know nothing about the Milori, except they're ugly as all get out."
"You're talking about a fellow Galactic Alliance race," Nelligen said.
"That don't make them any prettier."
"They'll probably feel the same way about you."
"What? I don't have tentacles that shoot out and crush you to death."
"Some of the food you serve up is almost as dangerous."
"Me? You're the one that likes molten lava chili."
"They wouldn't eat your food anyway. If it ain't still wiggling, they won't eat it."
"That's disgusting."
"Don't you eat raw clams?"
"Well, yeah. But they don't wiggle."
"They're still alive when you eat them though."
"That's different."
"How?"
"Uh— it just is."
Vyx entered the quarters where Byers and Nelligen had been playing cards for several hours and said, "Brenda, Kathryn, and I are headed down to the mess hall. You guys want to go?"
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"Yeah, I think I can tear myself away," Nelligen said. "My stomach started grumbling a while ago."
"Your stomach is always grumbling. And I don't blame it with what you eat. I'd grumble also."
"You're just jealous because if you eat anything hot, you spend all night running to the head."
"I just go to the head to get some quiet. I don't know how you sleep through all the burping and belching you do in your sleep."
"If you're coming, let's go," Vyx said, before turning and walking out of the room.
Byers and Nelligen tossed their cards to the table and hurried out to join the other three SCI agents who were already a dozen paces ahead.
From that point on, there would be only small talk until they were again in a secure area.
* * *
"We're heading for Region Two because that's where the action is," Vyx said later when they were back at their quarters. "Admiral Carver requested we be assigned to her command. Our mission has nothing to do with the Milori. We're to head into the former Uthlaro Dominion, which is now part of Region Two, and begin working our way into the criminal circles there. The Scorpion is Uthlaro built, so that should give us an edge."
"I'll never figure out how they got the Scorpion into the hold of this ship," Byers said. "The hatches are one tenth the size. They must have taken it apart and put it back together."
Vyx grinned before saying, "This is the largest, single-hulled Quartermaster transport ever built in GA space. For really large loads, they can open the bottom part of the hull for a length of ten frame sections. After the load is stored and locked down, the hull is closed and sealed. Even so, it was so tight they were considering removing the side-mounted engine nacelles. Luckily, they didn't have to do that. Once we reach our destination, the Scorpion will be launched and we'll be on our way. If not for this ship, we would have spent a decade getting to our assignment area. I heard the yard at Mars is currently planning even larger transports. The front sections will swing out of the way and a battleship, two heavy cruisers, three frigates, or five destroyers can be loaded inside."
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