by J Palliser
Sonya steadied herself, and found her strength returning quickly. "What did you do to me?" "A transport neutralization field. Still in the experimental stages, but used to incapacitate a target during transport. The effect seems to be enhanced by the holoprojectors. Not sure why yet." Black spoke casually, as though all of this was a mundane part of everyday life.
"That's a great recruitment tool," Sonya grunted. "Oh, we aren't recruiting you. After all, you can't join us. We don't exist." "You know what?" she barked, turning to face him. Her strength was returning quickly now. "I wasn't all that patient before I got pregnant. Get to the point."
"Very well," he shrugged. "From time to time, we require the assistance of certain individuals in order do what must be done to safeguard the Reich. We would like for you to be one of those individuals."
"I'm touched." "You should be," Black said with sincerity. "Very few people even know about us, much less assist us. We only take the best. And we think you are one of the best."
"Who's we?" He opened his mouth, but Sonya didn't let him speak. "And don't give me some bullshit about not existing or whatever." The man hesitated, but answered.
"We are known, at least to the extent that we are known at all, as Black Sun."
"Black Sun?" Sonya was unimpressed. "An unofficial name, to be sure," he shrugged. "It comes from our ancestors of the Third Reich. Black Sun is a secret Order that combats those who threaten the Reich. "I'm not a historian."
"Then I'll spare you the full academic history," Black shot back, irritation evident in his voice. "Not that any mainstream historian would know about it anyway. It is a secret order, allowing the Reich, as well as the Kriegsmarine to... circumvent certain restrictions in times of crisis. Black Sun is the unit responsible for taking such measures."
"In other words, the Reich Ministry realized that not everyone plays by their rules, and proceeded to wet themselves." "It means that the Reich Ministry realized the harsh realities of life," Black barked. Finally, Sonya thought, hanging around Cass is paying off. "The Trassians have the Eternal Order. The Centauri have the Tal'Shar. Even the Dracs have assassins and saboteurs, though they'd never admit it."
"What? No Wraith spy rings or Saurian infiltrators?"
"Don't be so naïve!" Black yelled, taking a step towards her. "Naïve?!" Sonya laughed at him. "I suppose that's true. After all, the only way to survive is to be more ruthless than your enemy. Why, I'll bet you could out-ethnic cleanse anyone in the quadrant!"
"You arrogant fool!" he shouted. "Do you think we take pleasure out of torture, like the Trassians? Or that we use assassination like you use a transporter, like the Tal'Shar? We do what has to be done!"
"To keep your secrets!" Sonya shouted back. "To save the Fifth Reich, from its enemies, and from itself!" He took another step. It was a step too far. Sonya lunged forward and grabbed him by the lapels. She caught him off guard, turning and hurling him over the bio-bed. He scrambled to get to his feet, but Sonya slipped around the bed and landed a kick in his ribs. Black rolled over onto his back and gasped for air. Sonya grabbed him again, pulling him up and onto his feet. She slammed him into the biobed again. Dazed and bleeding, Black slumped down to the ground, his back against the bed. Sonya knelt beside him.
"You'll destroy the Reich," she said quietly.
"How did you..." "Didn't you read my file? Top of my class in hand-tohand combat. Plus, I've been experiencing some aggressive impulses lately."
"You stupid little girl," he sneered up at her and spit a tooth out onto the floor. "We're all there is between the Reich and its enemies."
"No," she shook her head, and reached for his shoulder. Sonya ripped the Kriegsmarine patch off his shirt and held it in front of his face. "This is. I am a Kriegsmarine Officer. Do you know what that means?" She should have been angry, she knew, but she wasn't. In fact, she was as calm as she had been in long time. "It means that I stand for something more than myself. It means that I stand for an idea, the idea that we can be better tomorrow than what we were yesterday, and that I will lay my life down to protect that tomorrow. It means that I will not compromise the integrity of my uniform for any reason. Not for love, not for hate, and not for safety."
"We do what has to be done..." he repeated. "You're a disease," Sonya told him. "You've stained this," she went on, waving the patch again. "You've defiled it, shamed it, corrupted it like a cancer, and I wouldn't be able to look my daughter in eye if I didn't do everything I could to cut you out and burn you."
"I think..." Black coughed.
"It's about time," she sneered. "I think..." he repeated. "I think your escort is here." Sonya glanced around. She was surrounded by nearly a dozen men and women, each of them armed. "I think you'll come around, soon enough." He smiled a bloody smile. "We'll still have use for you."
Sonya stood and turned to leave, but stopped and look back at Black. "I'm coming for you," she said.
***
Cardiff, 0303 hours Kara, Casana, and Dejah were still debating the best way to get to Sonya when she materialized in the room with them, so startling Casana that she nearly shot Sonya. It took a few moments for everyone to grasp what had happened, except for Dejah, who understood immediately and greeted Sonya with a respectful "Welcome back, Lieutenant Commander."
"You are not going to believe what just happened!" Sonya blurted out when her mouth remembered how to speak. "Let me guess," Kara replied. "You were abducted by a clandestine branch of Reich Ministry Intelligence known as Black Sun, who attempted to recruit you as an agent for their extremely illegal activities?"
"God dammit, why don't I get to surprise anyone?"
"I am reasonably confident that you surprised Lieutenant Shen," Dejah assured her.
"How did you know?" Sonya asked Kara, ignoring Dejah.
"Cass told us," Kara answered. "Wait, how did youknow?" All eyes turned to Casana.
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," she grinned nervously.
"Spill," Sonya said, glaring at her.
"I..." Casana hesitated. She stared at her three closest friends, and relented. "My second host."
"What about him?" Sonya asked.
"Or her?" Kara added. "Him. And his name was Tao." She stared at the floor, as if embarrassed. "Tao was an intelligence agent, first for the Arcadian government, then Reich Ministry Intelligence. After about three years with the Reich Ministry, he was transferred to Outpost 426, on the Centauri border. I remember when Tao was first told," she remembered with a smile. "He was baffled. Tao was an analyst who spent his career behind a desk, decrypting intercepted Trassian transmissions. He had no experience with Centauri, and virtually no field experience. There was no reason to send him to the Centauri Neutral Zone."
"They recruited him, didn't they?" Kara asked.
"Yes. An agent of Black Sun contacted him when he arrived."
"And he agreed?" Sonya scowled. "He didn't know what he was getting into," Casana answered defensively. "They just wanted him to look at some messages they couldn't decrypt. They said they were worried about a Centauri attack, so Tao went along with it."
"Why would that warrant Black Sun's interest?" Dejah asked. "Reich Ministry Intelligence makes no secret of the fact that it intercepts transmissions from foreign powers, especially those who have shown hostile tendencies."
"It was all bullshit, that's why," Casana hissed. "They'd decrypted the transmissions months before Tao arrived at the Neutral Zone. Every time I gave them a deciphered message, he'd nod thoughtfully as he pretended to read something he'd already memorized. They didn't even always give him real messages. Some of them were just made up."
"Why?" Kara asked.
"To test him," Sonya said quietly.
"How do you know?"
"Take a guess," she hissed bitterly. "She's right," Casana continued. "Tao had a reputation for... unconventional thinking, and Black Sun wanted to see if he could figure out what they weren't telling him."
"Which was?" Sonya asked impatiently.
"That the Centauri weren't just interested in testing the Reich's resolve. They were rethinking their basic approach to other governments. The Reich, the Dracs, the Saurians, the Brens, everyone. They were coming out of isolation, and Black Sun wanted to know why and, more importantly, if they could use this change in policy to infiltrate the Centauri Empire."
"What happened to Tao?" Kara asked. "What did you... he do when he figured it out?"
"He didn't. Not all at once, at least. He learned about Black Sun's activities piece by piece."
***
Munich, 2130 hours, July 21, 2305 Sonya was exhausted, but still awake. The sun was setting over the countryside, setting the sky ablaze in yellows and oranges. It was a beautiful sight, reminiscent of a sunrise she had seen years ago on some nameless planet light years away, but she paid no attention to it. Kara was asleep in the chair next to her hospital bed. She had been with Sonya for the last 36 hours, and hadn't slept in 48. Sonya hadn't slept in nearly as long, but none of that mattered.
The only thing that did matter was in her arms. She was sleeping now, but had spent most of the afternoon staring up at whoever was holding her. She was born crying, and only stopped when Casana somehow sneaked into the room disguised as a nurse and intercepted the newborn between doctors. The girl hushed suddenly when she saw Casana's spots, and in the sudden silence the Arcadian's transgression was forgotten.
Prenatal genetic testing had revealed a spontaneous mutation resulting in cystic fibrosis, but a simple gene-therapy treatment had corrected the issue. Aside from that minor complication, the child was in perfect health. Now those green eyes were closed, and the center of Kara and Sonya world slept peacefully in her mother's arms.
Hanging on a coat rack in the corner was Sonya's new uniform, and on the desk next to it were orders to return to the Bismarck. The color of her new uniform's undershirt had changed to command white, and the orders told Sonya to report as the Bismarck's First Officer, as well as flight commander of Bismarck's new Luftwaffe flight wing, but that didn't matter either. Only one thing did.
Her name was Erica Kara Mueller.
35
Thirty-Four
Slavers... Pirates have been attacking trading ships out of Makov IV and enslaving crew members. Aka'i So, Chief of Staff to General Ha'atu of the Makovian Army, believes that a Pirate named Chai'bat is behind the attacks. She has asked her friends, Sonya Mueller and Casana Olan, to investigate the matter... with the approval of Admiral Raeder...
Praxis III - 2122 hours - 2310
"Why do I have to wear a collar?" Sonya complained.
"I told you, it's to protect you from being choked," Casana replied. Sonya recalled her recent bad experience with a collar. While visiting their mutual friend Aka'i on Markov IV, had been tricked into wearing a collar that caused intense pain when the wearer struggled. That wasn't necessarily the problem.
Due to her brainwashing and torture when she was a child captive of the Wraiths, Casana had secretly developed a love of pain, but not to the degree that the collar produced. Wraith traitors had used the collar to briefly capture her. Even with her incredible resistance to pain, Casana was barely able to save herself and Sonya, ending the attempted coup.
The collar that Casana wanted her to wear had no devious surprises like the Wraith one. It was about 5cm wide, with a double row of 3cm spikes completely around the outside. Sonya was wearing one just like it. Sonya meekly let her lock the collar on her neck.
"So what about the cuffs?" Sonya asked, holding up the matching spiked cuff that was on one of her wrists. "Those are so no one can put stun cuffs on you." She glanced at the controls for a moment then continued, "Plus, they just go with the collar."
Sonya started to ask another question, but Casana cut her off. "And before you ask about the jumpsuit, if you're gonna be my partner, you have to dress the part." Sonya was taken aback by her speech.
While Sonya considered this, Casana was busy landing the ship in Chai'bat's spaceport on Praxis III. Just before they emerged from the ship, Casana whispered to her, "Just follow my lead." Sonya was instantly apprehensive about the just follow my lead ambush, but it was too late to discuss it.
Waiting for them at the foot of the ramp was Chai'bat's Major, a fat Devaro named Lutt with a long jagged scar down the right side of his neck. Accompanying him were eight guards. Sonya spotted another dozen or so of various species concealed farther back. Several of the nearer thugs were openly and lustfully staring at the two women.
There was quite a bit to stare at, Sonya had to admit. Both Casana and herself were wearing skin-tight black jumpsuits that were open down to their navels. On their feet were black mid-heeled boots that came up to just below the knee. Casana had to spend some time convincing Sonya to wear the boots, which were just painful enough to cause a bit of pleasure for Casana. The only color in the outfits were the chrome spiked collar, wrist-cuffs, and magnetic belts. Sonya perceived a tingle of pleasure from Casana from all the attention.
"Greetings. I am the Great Chai'bat's Major, Lutt. Welcome to Praxis III." Before he could continue, Casana strolled seductively down the ramp, and right up next to the Devaro. She wrapped an arm around his waist and put the other hand on his chest. "Thank you soooo much. Me and Sonya really need to speak with Chai-bat. We'll just be a minute. We promise." She turned to Sonya. "Isn't that right, Sonya?" she said while nodding at her.
Sonya was momentarily dumbfounded by Casana's seductive act. She quickly recovered and said, "Oh yeah. Just a couple of minutes. We'll be out before you know it."
Casana ran a finger down Lutt's chest. He tore his attention away from her and back to Sonya. "Um, the, uh, Great Chai'bat is uh, indisposed at the moment. Perhaps if you would like to tell me why you need to see him, I can deliver a message," he stammered out, while looking back and forth between the two women.
Sonya sensed that he was just fishing for information. Chai'bat was waiting for them. Lutt had been instructed to take them to him.
Casana leaned in closer to him. "I can't do that, but if you take me too him, I'll personally reward you for your effort." She was practically in his pocket by this point.
"Fi... Fine, but I need you to leave your weapons on your ship," he told them as he groped Casana's ass. She and Sonya exchanged a quick glance. Chai'bat hadn't ordered him to say that. It was his own idea. "We can't do that, sweety," Casana cooed into his ear. "It's like a part of us. We promise we won't cut anything off anybody."
"She's right. We won't even pull them out," Sonya quickly agreed, adding her own mental coercion to Casana's.
"Well, alright, if you give your word not to use them."
The two girls nodded their consent. Casana stayed glued to Lutt while Sonya secured the ship. The eight guards formed a loose circle around the two women and the Major and escorted them to the Chai'bat's throne room.
Sonya stayed alert for danger, and could sense that, in spite of the slutty act, Casana was on guard as well. After walking for about five minutes, Sonya felt her danger sense heighten. She slowed her pace to gain some separation from Casana, and saw Casana's hand drop down near her Katana. The danger was not coming from their guard escort. They were somewhat alert, but no more than they had been all along. Sonya let her senses expand beyond the hallways and rooms they were being led through.
They entered a long hall and Sonya still could not get a sense of the direction of the danger. The guards still weren't anticipating anything in particular. Suddenly, the floor split down the middle and dropped out from under them.
Just below the floor level, Sonya was shocked by her senses going blank. Completely blank. Like someone had turned her mind off.
Shit! Sonya thought with dread, just before she hit the new floor several meters below. Sonya tried to land with a combat roll, but from so high and without senses to aid her it didn't turn out so well. She managed to hang on to her Katana, and palmed it as she jumped to her feet, only for her left ankle to almost give way. So
nya winced in pain but stayed on her feet.
With a glance, Sonya checked on Casana. She was amazed to discover that Casana was still holding on to Lutt. Sonya saw blood running down his neck and heard him gasping for breath.
Casana's left arm was around his throat so tight that the spikes on her wrist cuff were sticking into him. He was over a decimeter taller than her, so she had to pull him down to her level. The hilt of her Katana was jammed into his side.
"Freeze!" several voices yelled from above them. Sonya looked up to see two armor clad Wraiths on a ledge, pointing pulse rifles at them. Another half-dozen or so guards were spread out to either side. Movement behind her revealed two more Wraiths and more guards.
"Drop the blades!" one of the Wraiths ordered them from behind. Sonya turned halfway around so neither group would have a clear shot at her back. Casana was doing the same. The Major was still struggling for breath and trying to pull her arm down. Sonya looked into Casana's eyes and saw a dark coldness in them that was chilling.
"I said drop 'em, NOW!" A Wraith guard yelled. Sonya thought about trying to grab one of the original guards' pulse pistols, but the nearest ones were all scrambling away.
Before Sonya could come up with another idea, Casana suddenly released her iron hold on the Major and dropped her Katana to the ground. The Devaro fell to the floor, clutching his throat. Casana gave a brief nod to Sonya and raised her hands over her head. Her left wrist cuff was still bloody.
Regretfully, Sonya dropped her Katana, and held up her hands.
Four more guards came from each end of the hallway. Two of each group had a spreader-bar in a frame on their backs. The four guards that approached Sonya all had stun batons. The blades were each quickly tossed up to a Wraith on the ledge. One of the guards started removing the yoke frame from his partner's back. Sonya was confused until they started strapping it onto her neck.