“Well alright then just don’t forget you said that,” I snickered.
“Now you’re starting to worry me,” she said an edge entering her voice, “why don’t you stop beating around the bushes looking for small game and speak, my-Jason.”
“My Jason eh?” I chuckled and then turned serious, “well in this case I have some bad news.”
Her face instantly turned serious. The irritation and playfulness of before instantly melting away.
There was a pregnant pause as I tried to think up the best way to sugar coat it before giving up.
“There’s another mutiny afoot. At least that’s what it looks like right now,” I said grimly.
Akantha started to draw back and then stopped. The hand clenching mine tightened. Then she shot me a cold look.
“I don’t care who they are. Even if they’re my mother’s people I’ll help you kill them,” she said in a harsh voice, “if there are any that call themselves mine they’ll die slowly over several days time.”
“Whoa!” I said taken by surprise at her sudden viciousness.
“No I’ve fought too hard and too long for this things between us to let a pack of fools from my world spoil things now,” she said with icy fury.
I started to raise both hands, realized she was still holding onto one of them, and hard enough to hurt at that, and left that one down as the other started waving in the air to emphasize my points.
“Wait-wait-wait. Look as far as we know, so far,” I said making sure to stress the last two words, “no one from Tracto appears to be involved.”
“Starborn only then?” she asked with surprise, “why would they turn on you now? Haven’t you given them victory after victory and each time only come out stronger for it.”
“It looks like an anti-machine conspiracy,” I explained and then quickly gave her the same run down Spalding had given me, “and thank you for the vote of confidence but I’ve lost my share of battles. 2nd and 3rd Reclamation were both tough battles and I definitely lost our second battle, while the 3rd was only a win because we held the field after they retreated. I still don’t know why they didn’t press their advantage home.”
“They must have had their own considerations that made taking the field that day impossible or so expensive it wasn’t worth the price,” she said.
“Well it’s still a mystery to me, even today,” I said not knowing why I hadn’t died that day under enemy guns like a splinter under my skin that I just couldn’t seem to dig out.
“But none of that is what you came in here to talk about. We can re-fight yesterday’s battles another time. Did you just come to inform me or is there something you need me to do, Jason?” she asked me looking down into my eyes.
I repressed a sigh at the fact that my wife was so much taller than me and nodded.
“I mean to crush this conspiracy before it can poison the rest of the fleet with its bigoted anti-machine rhetoric, Akantha, and I could use your help doing it,” I said.
“I want you to talk to your people, have them get ready,” I said.
“Just tell me what you need me to say to them and we will crush this rebellion together,” she agreed.
Then I hesitated before reminding myself what was at stake and the iron entered my soul.
“There’s also a chance that this little conspiracy isn’t just a spontaneous uprising,” I said.
“Enemy agents work against us?” she asked eyes narrowing.
“It’s possible. Which is why I’d like two of your maids,” I said.
“My maids?” she asked with surprise.
“There’s a chance if there are agents involved that they’re after the children,” I said and her eyes turned into pools of arctic fury. I felt a chill. There's the angry pit viper I married, I thought as she glared down at me.
“I am no stranger to palace intrigue,” she reminded me, “go on.”
“While I would never endanger one of the children, the maids are a different business,” I said.
“How can they serve in finding out these people. None of them are overly familiar with the Starborn except some of your officers,” she said.
“I would never risk the children,” I repeated and then bared my teeth in a tight smile, “but if these maids were to take two bundles that ‘looked like’ the children down in strollers to the ship’s hydroponics bay for a daily stroll at a predictable time. I’ll use several trusted members of the crew to spread the word. If and when the mutineers hear word that our children are at risk… potentially within their grasp,” I shrugged, “well then we might just see what these rebel scum are made of and just how far they’ll go.”
“How many others know of this plan?” she asked.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the old jamming device that Lisa Steiner had originally used during our first cover meeting and which I had later requested and kept on my person or locked within the safe in my quarters ever since.
“The jamming field has been active since I stepped into this room and,” this time I gave a mischievous grin as I eyed her figure up and down, “I’ve taken to activating it during certain… personal activities,” I said wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.
Akantha flushed and then glared at me.
“Good. Although you and I will have much to talk about later,” she said shortly.
“I am eager for that discussion, my lady,” I winked.
She shot me a look that wives around the galaxy have been giving their husbands since time immemorial.
I coughed.
“Well anyway just you and me,” I said salvaging the situation or rather my future plans by diverting the subject.
“This plan can work then. Although I will switch my maids with Isis and one of her cohorts,” she said after a moment, “one maid looks much like another and there’s no need to risk the trained help without cause.”
I shrugged. As far as I was concerned we had cause to risk the maids. But on the other hand they hadn’t actually signed up for assassination attempts, at least not in the form of being used as active bait, so she was right that this was certainly the more moral course and while this could definitely help unmask the conspirators. It wasn’t a certainty. And I didn’t want to become so cold and uncaring that I needlessly risked the lives of others for my own ‘potential’ gain.
“Alright,” I agreed, “we’ll do it that way. Just make sure you have the team guarding ready for trouble.”
“They will be ready and no one the wiser,” she assured me, “in truth I am eager to lay hands on anyone who thinks that children are an acceptable target of warfare.”
We shared a look of mutual understanding and then having nothing better to do I asked if she’d seen the latest holo-vid from my home world.
She hadn’t and one thing led to another and I didn’t end up leaving the room for a good two hours.
Chapter 46: The Conspirators Start Moving
“Boss I’ve got news,” Bee Bee said, stepping into the break room.
The man known to the quietly growing anti-machine conspiracy as Malcolm Sagittarius frowned and then jerked his head toward the door.
Looking back to make sure he hadn’t been followed he lead Bee Bee and his ever present shadow into a maintenance closet that was swept daily for bugs.
“What have you got, Bee Bee?” asked the leader of the anti-machine movement.
“Ernie’s the one that heard it first, Boss,” Bert Bricks, the man known as Bee Bee to his workmates nudged the smaller, more slender spacer who was currently studying for the next round of officer exams forward, “tell him Ern.”
“Yes, Mr. Seasons, what exactly have you heard that’s important enough to make me miss my lunch break?” asked Malcolm Sagittarius.
“You said to keep our ears to the ground and let you know if we heard anything about the Admiral or anyone from the command deck, Chief,” said Ernie.
Malcolm nodded.
“Well I don’t know if this is important or
not, it’s just a couple of people down in the mess talking about it,” Ernie said obviously losing his confidence now that he was here before his crew chief.
“Just tell me, I’ll be the judge of whether its important or not, Mr. Seasons,” Malcolm said reassuringly.
“Right well a couple of the boys from another section were talking and they mentioned that for the past couple of days the Lady’s maids from the command deck have been coming down to take the small ones for a walk through hydroponics is all. I know it’s not important or anything but Bee Bee said you wanted us to tell you all and ‘anything’ we heard about the command deck. I told him that this isn’t what you’re interested in. I mean how can a couple of nannies taking a walk through the park have anything to do with serious business like getting rid of the droids but he insisted,” Ernie Seasons laughed.
But Malcolm Sagittarius didn’t laugh with him and he finally fell silent with a weak and sickened grin plastered on his face.
“Good work the both of you,” Malcolm made sure to include both of them and give Ernie Seasons an extra reassuring clap on the shoulder, “nannies and babies have nothing to do with getting rid of the droids of course but you followed orders exactly like you should have. Keep your ears open and report anything else you hear, even if it’s just more idle chatter about hydroponics walks you hear. One day instead of hydroponics they may actually start talking about the things we need to hear and who knows,” he flashed a grin, “maybe a walk in the equivalent of the ship’s park will actually have some value some day, who knows?” he said with a shrug, “now get back and finish your meal if you haven’t already you lubbers!” he finished with a laugh.
Bee Bee and Ernie smiled happily and hurried back out of the room back to the mess hall.
As soon as they were out of the room he locked the door and reached up to open the air vent. Pulling out a com-link with a larger scrambler attached to it he activated the link and then waited.
Several minutes later he heard a beep.
“What is it?” a terse voice asked.
“I’ll need to verify things first but I think I’ve just found our way onto the command deck,” said Sagittarius.
There was a pause.
“Good. Will you be able to carry out your mission with currently available resources,” asked the scrambled voice on the other end of the line.
“I’m going to need two women who can pass for Tracto-ans and two quads with active power armor,” Malcolm said seriously.
“Are you sure? We have to get the biological agent as close to the target as possible, preferably administered directly to the target if possible to ensure death before any kind of treatment can be administered,” said the voice.
“I’m sure,” Sagittarius said firmly.
“Remember that the command deck immediately isolates itself onboard these old Dreadnaught class Battleships immediately after sensors detect a biological agent. It has isolated systems for power, air and control of the ship in a compromised status,” warned the voice, “be advised control doesn’t want to risk premature exposure until we can be sure of reaching the target.”
“Like I said before; I’m sure. We have the potential to access a tertiary target with direct and routine contact with both the primary and secondary targets. If I can assemble the strike team we have a better than fifty percent chance of penetrating the command deck, reaching the main target and directly administering the agent,” said Malcolm Sagittarius.
There was a tense silence.
“I understand you’ve lost contact with one of your lower level teams,” the voice said after a long moment.
Malcolm nodded even though this was a voice only channel and he knew that no one would be able to see him.
“That’s correct. However no one in that group was aware of the identity of anyone in the inner circle and their mid-level contact has since been taken out of play. Ultimately he may need to be liquidated but we’ll have to see how that plays out.”
“So while forensic computer investigation may eventually be able to turn up something in mid to longer term, in the short term that situation has been contained,” he said with certainty, “but this potential exposure only indicates to me that if we have an opportunity now is the time to move on it because we may not have the chance later.”
“Very well. Determine if this lead is valid and in the meantime I will prepare the assets for the insertion,” said the voice on the com-link, “please remember the risk of exposure increases greatly.”
“I am well aware of that fact,” Malcolm Sagittarius said, “which is why I believe we need to maximize our chances of success. I intend to mobilize the rank and file.”
“That may prove difficult without a clear target,” said the voice.
“We don’t need them all, just enough to allow our team to slip in during the confusion and who knows, something may turn up in the meantime,” Sagittarius said confidently.
“Then you may proceed,” said the voice and the link was cut from the other end.
Malcolm Sagittarius nodded, deactivated his jammer and headed out of the maintenance closet. First he needed to make absolutely sure that his bolt hole was prepared and then he could prepare the series of events that would shake the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet to its core without any distractions.
Humming a little ditty under his breath, the man posing as an MSP crew chief headed back out to round up his work crew and if he had time finish the last few bites of his sandwich.
Chapter 47: Operation: Deception
Every six out of seven days for two weeks, two maids accompanied by a team of bodyguards walked around the Flagship’s hydroponics bay with two bundles of joy securely placed inside their strollers.
Occasionally, the sound of babies cooing, giggling, or crying could be heard coming from the strollers, and the maids would lean over and adjust or play with the two loud little bundles inside. However, no one except the maids and the body guards were allowed closer than eight feet to the temporary roll-down-armor-plated baby strollers.
It was during one of the times one of the ‘maids’ was fussing with the cooing little bundle in her stroller that the sound of duralloy boots on the metal walkway interrupted her actions.
The quad of Lancers protecting the strollers turned to look at the intruders.
“Halt!” instructed the first Lancer stepping forward one hand on his vibro-blade and the other hand's palm thrust haltingly toward the new arrivals.
“We are taking part in the inter-ship war games, Corporal,” stated the leader of the new quad, which was equipped with the same style of power armor as the rest of the Lancer division on the Flagship. “Our assignment is to defend hydroponics from an attack by a mock boarding team.”
The maid in front of the stroller stilled before leaning over once again and reaching deep inside the stroller.
“This area is temporarily off-limits,” the Lancer said sternly in a heavily-accented Tracto-an voice, “leave by the authority of Warlord Montagne!”
The leader of the bodyguard quad escorting the Admiral’s strollers drew his vibro-sword and, keeping it low and pointed toward the ground alongside his leg, he glared at the other man.
“Hey, I’m just doing what they told me man,” the leader of the newly-arrived quad spoke raising his hands and taking a step back to defuse the situation, “must be a big mix-up somewhere. No need to get violent here! Honestly, it’s no skin off my nose if my quad sits this evolution out…of course,” he added, looking over the Tracto-an quad leader’s shoulder as another quad of power-armored Lancers arrived on the other side of the hydroponics bay, “you’ll need to tell that to those guys too.”
The leader of the quad assigned to ‘defend’ hydroponics looked at the Corporal of the bodyguard quad promptingly, and once again gestured toward the mock boarding group.
The leader of the bodyguard quad’s mouth twisted and he raised his vibro-weapon to eye level, pointing it at the other quad leader.
&nb
sp; “Traitorous scum! You’re under arrest,” he snapped, “lay down your weapons, kneel down, and place your hands behind your helmets.”
“What?!” the defender quad said, looking genuinely surprised.
“Every officer involved with the combat training have been given orders not to involve the hydroponics bay in the evolutions because of potential damage to the ship’s food supply from stun-grenades damaging the equipment. Now on your knees,” the quad leader said, stepping forward to within striking range.
The new arrival’s mouth rose up in a sneer. “Time to die, droid-lover!” he shouted, swinging down his blaster rifle and leveling it at the body guard group with one smooth well practiced movement. “For all of humanity!” he roared opening fire.
The leader of the bodyguard quad sidestepped the bolts quick as lightening and lunged.
“Stop the child-slayers!” roared the bodyguard quad leader, vibro-blade cutting into a shoulder actuator, “for the Banner of our lord!”
“For humanity,” raged the anti-machinist hit-squad in the front, leveling their weapons and opening fire.
Then the anti-machinist squad positioned behind the bodyguard group tossed stun-grenades and lifted rifles to catch the bodyguard detail in a crossfire. “Death to the droids!” they shouted.
“For the children!” cried Isis, her maid outfit swirling as she stood and pulled a snub-nosed plasma pistol out of the stroller with one hand and a flash-shotgun with the other. Pivoting into a crouch, she opened fire on the quad behind them. “We protect the Hold Heirs with our dying breath—” she shouted as the stun-grenades knocked her off her feet and sent her sprawling to the ground.
Briefly lying on her side, she simultaneously shot both weapons. Plasma bolts scarred armor and the flash shotgun shorted out a knee servo, causing the enemy to train their weapons on the Tracto-an woman in the maid’s outfit.
An enemy Lancer jumped over a stack of vegetables nine rows high and trained his weapon on Isis and the carriages.
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