Belinea

by Andrew Mack

  Devanoe just looked at his Captain and nodded and then whispered, “Oh shit….”

  Kimmel immediately started barking. “Lieutenant Wilcox, you have the Conn. Take this Battle Cruiser back to Braccus, drop off the cargo to Captain Vincella, and await further instruction.”

  Kimmel taped Devanoe on the shoulder and continued, “We are taking the other T-141 back to Torsalli to find out what happened.”

  As they began walking to the elevator, Kimmel continued, “And if need be, find a faster ship.”

  Belinea 5.6

  On the Way to Malor

  The T-141 was still traveling at best speed for a planet Tunsall and Trujillo had never been to. The banging, however, coming from the back of the ship, did not stop. Trujillo turned to Tunsall and said, “They are not going to stop banging.”

  Tunsall then turned to Trujillo and said, “You know what Willits said.”

  Trujillo deliberated that for a second. He heard another beating on the door. He got out of his chair and said, “Fuck-it.”

  Tunsall then yelled, “Trujillo!”

  Trujillo countered, “Where are they going to go, Tunsall? They shouldn’t be incarcerated.”

  Tunsall stared at him for a second. Then unbuckled his safety belt to climb out of the chair. He set the ship for auto-pilot and walked to the back with Trujillo. When they got to the back door, Trujillo unlocked it and opened it slowly.

  Alexis came storming out. First missing with her right arm, the swipe with her left connected across Trujillo’s head. She then connected with a kick to the leg when Trujillo kept his hands up in self-defense. When he grabbed his leg, Alexis punched him right in the mouth. She screamed, “What the fuck are you two doing?!!”

  Trujillo, incomplete self-defense mode, took another step back, this time with arms back up. Alexis smacked him again on the side, as he could feel the blood coming off his lip. “Alexis, calm down!”

  Ambassador Bird walked out the door with a steak knife in his hand. Alexis tried another punch, this time Trujillo grabbed her wrist to stop it. He looked at her, now with a bloody lip, and said, “Will you stop?”

  Tunsall looked at Ambassador Bird and said, “We are the only ones on board, so unless you know how to fly this thing, you need us. Let us explain.”

  Alexis had momentarily stopped. Ambassador Bird cautiously stopped moving forward, but still had the steak knife in his hand. Alexis pushed the hair out from the front of her face, and said, “Explain why you left us locked up back there like prisoners?”

  Trujillo refused to let go of Alexis’ wrist. Tunsall softly said, “Nobody is a prisoner. It was Commander Willits’s idea to keep you safe.”

  Trujillo let go of Alexis’ wrist while keeping his other hand upright as to make sure to protect himself. Ambassador Bird now asked, “Where are Willits and Jones?”

  Trujillo answered, “We do not know.”

  Alexis countered that answer as if Trujillo was lying. “What do you mean you do not know? Where are we?”

  Tunsall began to explain. “We are on the T-141 that we used on Braccus. Willits gave you a sedative in your wine, and it knocked you out for over 24 hours.”

  Bird, very confused, asked, “Where is my Ambassador Transport ship?”

  Trujillo calmly said, “Probably on Torsalli now. You never got back on it. We snuck you out of Braccus.”

  Alexis was a little calmer now. “Why?”

  Tunsall answered, “It was Commander Willits’s idea that the best way to hide you was for no one to know where you are.”

  Trujillo added, “So he put four bodies in the back of the Ambassador’s C-62T, two AuFa soldiers and the two prostitutes from Vandabri. He told us he would take them to Torsalli and that he would meet up with us on Molar.”

  Alexis questioned, “Molar?”

  Tunsall answered, “Yes, that is where we are heading now.”

  Bird was practically fuming. “This is outrageous, treating us like this. Does Commander Willits have any idea who he is dealing with? I need to send a message to Director Kimakawa at once.”

  Trujillo answered, “I am afraid that is just not possible, sir.”

  Bird, still pissed, said, “Excuse me? I do not take orders from you.”

  Tunsall calmly said, “Ambassador, Commander Willits ordered us not to allow either of you any communication outside the ship. It is for your safety that no one can know where we are.”

  Trujillo added, “And even if we didn’t, sir, there is nothing powerful enough on this ship to get a message to Earth. It would be a struggle just to connect to Torsalli.”

  The Ambassador was still livid as he put down the steak knife. “Safety or not, this is unacceptable. Drugging an Ambassador? I will see to it these soldiers are court-martialed. We should be on a Battle Cruiser right now, in the comforts of my Ambassador Transport, heading to Belinea instead of Molta.”

  Tunsall said, “It’s Molar, sir.”

  Bird yelled, “Whatever. Nothing about this trip has been acceptable since we left Earth!”

  Alexis turned and looked at him somewhat calmly and said, “Except that you are alive.”

  Tunsall and Trujillo were in a bit of disbelief. It seemed that they had gotten through to Alexis, who was beginning to see the rationale. She continued. “The methods and manners are certainly less than desirable, but the results cannot be argued with. Ambassador, Taz, or someone working with him, is trying to kill you. And like it or not, Commander’s Willits and Jones have kept you alive.”

  Ambassador Bird took a breath before letting out, “Is it possible to protect me without all the theatrics?”

  Tunsall then explained, “Sir, with all due respect, there is no manual for this. If we had left Earth when we were supposed to, that attack likely would have left us dead. There is an excellent chance the attack on Braccus was a diversion to attack you again, but we were conveniently hiding on Vandabri.”

  Trujillo added, “Hopefully, nothing happens on Torsalli, but I feel better knowing no one knows where we are.”

  There was an awkward silence. Bird finally said, “I will think about it. But I want to talk to Willits and Jones.”

  Tunsall said under his breath, “So do I….”

  Bird walked back into the cabin they were in, asking Tunsall if they could turn on the lights and power. Trujillo wiped the blood from his mouth, which was beginning to swell up. Alexis looked at him, then walked over to the medical portion of the T-141. She quickly took out a rag and some antiseptic spray and walked back over to Trujillo. She said, “Let me see.”

  Trujillo looked away, putting his hand on his mouth again and said, “I am fine.”

  Alexis replied, “Sit down and let me see it, tough guy.”

  Trujillo sat in a chair and said, “It’s not the first time I have been punched.”

  Alexis tilted his head back to see the wound better. She whispered, “Or the last…”

  Trujillo rolled his eyes as she cleaned up the wound a little bit, then sprayed the antiseptic on it, which made Trujillo grimace for a second.

  Trujillo muttered under his breath, “That’s a mean right cross you got.”

  Alexis, not missing a beat, said, “You should see the left uppercut.”

  Trujillo gave a minuscule smirk. Alexis held the rag on his lip and very softly said, “Sorry I hit you.”

  Trujillo’s smirk disappeared. He softly said back, “No, you’re not, but you oughta be.”

  That made Alexis give a half-smile. Still keeping one hand on the rag, she cleaned the wound again with the other hand. Then put the rag back on it. She whispered back, “This is gonna leave a scar until you get a professional to look at it.”

  Trujillo responded, “I will live. Besides, I have heard some women like scars.”

  Alexis pulled the rag off and looked at him. She then said, �
��Who told you that?”

  Trujillo added, “Not all. Just what I have heard.”

  Alexis put the rag back on and said, “It works for some guys.”

  Trujillo gave a small smile. Alexis gently tapped Trujillo’s face with her other hand and whispered, “You will live pretty boy.”

  Alexis took Trujillo’s free hand, grabbed it, and placed it on the rag. She began to walk away, but Trujillo, now holding the rag on his face, said, “Alexis….”

  She stopped and turned. Trujillo said, “Thanks for having our back with the Ambassador.”

  She paused, looked at him intently, and said, “You don’t. But someone is trying to kill him, which means I am in danger of being killed as well. My list of trust is dwindling by the second, starting with Willits and Jones. Which means I don’t trust you or Tunsall either.”

  Trujillo half-smiled, “I trust you.”

  Alexis said softly, “I know….but you shouldn’t.”

  Alexis turned around and walked away, leaving Trujillo holding the rag on his face. He could then here the Ambassador yelling at Tunsall, “How the hell do you turn this thing back on?”

  Kimakawa said softly, “I could have been an intruder?”

  Annella was solemn. “I saw your ship land, and a short man walking from it. Unless it was someone from your office trying to kill me, I ventured an educated guess that it was you.”

  Kimakawa half smiled “What if I came to kill you?”

  Annella answered, “You could’ve done that a very long time ago if that was your true intention.”

  Kimakawa walked over, standing next to her and said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”

  Annella looked up at him and gave a small snort. “There is tea and scotch on the table.”

  Kimakawa walked over and poured himself some tea. “Thank you for the tea. It is too early for scotch.”

  Annella took a sip of her tea, which had a little whiskey in it. “It is never too early for scotch. Especially when you have had the morning I had.”

  Kimakawa softly said, “Really?”

  Annella said, “A setback from the lab regarding pandemic questions. An area we thought we had a cure for is testing negative.”

  Kimakawa replied, “The progress you have made is not a setback.”

  Annella responded, “We cannot move forward unless we have figured out all of the potential conditions and outcomes. But that is not why you are here.”

  Kimakawa sat across from Annella and took a sip of tea. “I have good news and bad news. When was the last time you spoke to your daughter?”

  Annella said, “I have not spoken to Alexis since she left, why?”

  Kimakawa then questioned, “You would not be lying to me, Annella, would you?”

  Annella, in annoyance, responded, “I find lying counterproductive and annoying. If I do not want you to know something, I will just not answer the question.”

  Kimakawa then said, “Well, some people believe you have. Namely, my two DAG officers who are on her detail.”

  Annella responded, “The two you do not trust?”

  Kimakawa said, “The two that I suspect...”

  Annella said, “You would not be here if you did.”

  Kimakawa thought about that for a moment. He then said. “I received a message from them saying the Ambassador and your daughter are alive and well. That message came immediately after a message from the BRG saying an explosion at the Torsalli Space Port killed them. My DAG officer now believes that your daughter is a spy.”

  Annella looked serious before responding. “There was another attack?”

  Kimakawa said, “They are alive and well, Annella.”

  Annella suddenly looked angry. “I told you to stop playing games, Taichi.”

  Kimakawa answered quickly, “I am not playing games.”

  Annella raised her voice, “But you are allowing my daughter to be exposed to explosions and assassinations while you put your grand scheme in action?”

  Kimakawa raised his voice “We have to be on the same page. If you are giving her information without telling me, maybe that is the cause….”

  Annella cut him off by raising her voice. “Do not tell me how to talk to my daughter!”

  Kimakawa snapped back and said, “And do not tell me what to do with my spies!”

  The two paused, letting the dust settle for a moment. After a moment, Kimakawa got up and went over to the table. He saw the bottle of Lagavulin 16-year-old scotch and poured two glasses neat. He returned to the spot he was sitting in, handing over one of the neat pours to Annella, who took it.

  He sat down and stared at Annella for a few seconds longer. Both took a sip of the scotch before Kimakawa quietly said, “Why does the DAG team think that Alexis has a hidden agenda?”

  Annella responded in an equally calm voice, “I do not know Taichi. Maybe they are just smart. I swear I have not spoken to her.”

  “Alright.”

  Annella was confused. “Alright, what?”

  Kimakawa softly said, “Process of elimination. You will let me know if she contacts you.”

  Annella looked at him and responded, “Can you promise me that you can keep her safe?”

  Kimakawa stood up. “No, I cannot anymore. But I promise I will try.”

  Annella then said, “Do you even know if she is safe now?”

  Kimakawa then said, “No.”

  Annella rolled her eyes a little bit and took another sip of scotch. “Taichi, do you even know who your friends and enemies are anymore?”

  Kimakawa stared at her, took another gulp of scotch to finish it off, and replied, “I would not be here if I did not.”

  The two stared at each other for a moment before Kimakawa walked off, leaving Annella to stare at the cliffs and the ocean with her dog.

  Belinea 5.8

  Torsalli Space Port

  Commander Nick Devanoe piloted the T-141 to a perfect dock on the military side. Nick and Captain Kimmel unbuckled out of their chairs and walked out of the cockpit area. They proceeded out of the ship and down the docking tunnel. When they got to the end, they were met by an AuFa security soldier. He saluted as Captain Kimmel asked, “Which way to your Commanding Dock Officer on Duty?”

  The soldier pointed. “Up those escalators, sir, take the tunnel to the bridge.”

  Devanoe and Kimmel began walking at a quick pace. Kimmel turned to Devanoe and said, “So you never laid eye-balls on The Ambassador, your sister, or the two cadets?”

  Devanoe nodded as they made their way up the escalator. Nick answered, “Affirmative, sir. Like I said before, Willits was acting strange about it.”

  Kimmel then asked, “He was deceptive?”

  Devanoe then responded, “More like a ‘stop asking so many questions, I got this’ kind of way. I could be wrong, but it would not surprise me if Alexis and the rest of them were somewhere else when that ship exploded.”

  Devanoe and Kimmel made their way across the bridge, before taking a second set of escalators to the Tower Bridge. The scene was far more chaotic there as officers were running around everywhere. In the distance out the window, they could still see the crews working on the spot that the C-62T had exploded. As they walked further up the bridge, Devanoe saw a security monitor replaying the explosion on a loop, repeatedly. Devanoe looked at it once, before tapping Kimmel on the shoulder to join him. They looked at it a few times before Devanoe said, “The explosion was from within.”

  Kimmel commented, “Which means someone boarded the ship and planted an explosive or it was planted by someone already on the inside.”

  An officer walked by, and Kimmel asked, “Lieutenant, who is the Commanding Officer here?”

  The Lieutenant paused, not knowing what to say. Ever so cautiously, he turned in the direction of a 3-D table that
had five officers around it, a mere five meters away from Kimmel and Devanoe. As the officers parted the board, it was clear the man in the black robes with the scars on his face was in charge. Lord Malovex glanced up at Kimmel before he turned back to the board and said, “Captain Kimmel. Should you not be on your Battle Cruiser back to Braccus?”

  Kimmel and Devanoe walked up to the board and said, “Lord Malovex, we thought we could assist here. We have some information.”

  Malovex kept looking down at his board. “Really, Captain, what is it?”

  Devanoe interrupted with, “The explosion was from within.”

  Malovex was annoyed now. Kimmel wanted to smack Devanoe for interrupting. Malovex continued, “Something we have known for quite some time. Any other useless information you would like to offer, or can the BRG continue doing their job?”

  Kimmel scowled at Devanoe, as to say with his eyes, ‘Keep your mouth shut.’

  Devanoe doubled down, though. “Lord Malovex, I spoke with the two DAG officers, Willits and Jones, before they left for the Space Port.”

  Malovex then stood up and slowly turned around. Looking at Devanoe now, he said, “Who are you?”

  Kimmel changed his expression. “Lord Malovex, this is my first officer, Commander Devanoe. A moment please?”

  Malovex paused for a few seconds before looking at his BRG officers and then back at Kimmel and Devanoe. He then gestured with his hand for them to approach.

  Kimmel and Devanoe walked up to the table next to Malovex. Once the area had cleared a little from the BRG officers, Devanoe continued. “Lord Malovex, when I asked the DAG Commander Willits if I could see the Ambassador and his assistant, he said they were asleep, and he was acting strange. I had previously given the assistant a tracker watch, the ones the BRG use, in an emergency. When we were on board the Battle Cruiser on Pyliss, the tracker watch was activated. It only was active for less than a minute, but we feel it went out of range because of the distance. If the assistant was still with the Ambassador, it is possible they were never on that ship that exploded out there.”