Espero (The Silver Ships Book 6)

by Jucha, S. H.

  “What’s going on with those three young women?” Billings asked Terese. The biochemists and their families were seated with Terese at an extended table.

  “Oh, those three are the young Harakens who were kidnapped for investigating an illegal club in Espero, peddling that one’s drugs,” Terese said, pointing a utensil at Stratford, who glared at Billings because he had brought up a subject that further embarrassed him. “They were transported to Toyo’s domes but later moved to Kadmir’s before they were recovered.”

  “The crew seems particularly pleased to see them,” Janine, Billings’ wife, noted.

  “Harakens would treat any lost one, who we managed to recover, in this fashion. It’s our way. But perhaps it pleases our people that much more to have recovered Alex Racine’s sister.” The sound of Stratford choking on his water gave Terese a small amount of pleasure.

  Billings and Janine eyed Stratford. As the ugly ramifications of inventing the illegal drug mounted, Stratford’s defense of his pursuit of pure science dwindled away. Recriminations were all that was left.

  -35-

  Alex and company waited at Udrides for the TSF, who arrived aboard their own traveler. The Harakens then led teams of troopers to collect Toyo’s body, hand over custody of Toyo’s people, and assist in transporting the dead to the domes’ coolers.

  The TSF captain was in shock, having never run into something as egregious as the mass murder of New Terran citizens, and was extremely grateful to discover Tatia Tachenko was at the center of the fracas. Her reputation as a hard-nosed TSF major proved invaluable to him, as she directed him in the vid coverage of the damaged dome and the dead, collection of the extensive evidence, and the interview of Kadmir’s people and Harakens as witnesses.

  It was the early morning hours the day following the TSF’s arrival at Udrides before Alex and his people were released to board their traveler and return to the Tanaka. Exhausted, Alex, Renée, Tatia, and the twins headed for cabins to refresh and sleep.

  Julien took the opportunity to link with Cordelia to exchange data and spend time in each other’s virtual company.

  * * *

  On Jolares, Ellie was left holding the proverbial bag. Miranda’s traveler had no sooner cleared the moon’s space when Willem announced to her, “Company, Commander,” and the TSF traveler, under the command of Captain Elman Ripard, landed in the bay.

  Ellie squared her shoulders and went to greet the TSF captain, as he entered the corridor leading to the main dome. Knowing she was tasked by the New Terran president to preserve the domes’ evidence, which Miranda just took with her, left her in an exceedingly awkward position.

  An astute man, the captain recognized the deference paid the slender Méridien woman by the three individuals in Haraken blue standing slightly behind her. “Captain Elman Ripard,” the TSF leader said, saluting Ellie.

  “Wing Commander Ellie Thompson,” Ellie replied. “Glad to have you here, Captain. I’m authorized to extend you any help you need before departing for my ship stationed above.”

  “Much appreciated, Commander. What’s the status?” Ripard asked.

  “Still to be determined, Captain,” Ellie replied, trying to figure how best to deal with the requests she knew were coming. We have an enormous supply of drug-making compound under guard in a storage area. It’s more product volume than can be lifted out in your traveler.”

  Ripard whistled in amazement. “I thought this was some sort of little operation tucked away in a suite.”

  “Oh, no, captain. With this volume, it’s surely a dome operation, meaning its run under the auspices of Peto Toyo.”

  “Do you have him in custody?”

  “No. To the best of our knowledge, he’s not here,” Ellie replied, careful not to divulge everything she knew.

  “What’s the issue, Commander?” Ripard asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “Have you been here before, Captain?” Ellie asked politely, but her eyes were challenging.

  “Um … no TSF have been here before, Commander,” Ripard replied. He was privy to the knowledge that undercover agents were sent into the domes, but those who had returned brought little information.

  “Not all is as it seems in these domes, Captain. We’ve learned there are four domes here, not three as we were told by Minister Jaya. The lifts are security controlled, accessible only by Toyo’s people and special patrons. Security personnel have a chip secreted on their person and service personnel and patrons have ID cards that allow them access to the lower domes. We’ve discovered no maps or layouts of the lower domes … your guess is as good as mine as to what you’ll find down there.”

  Ellie sent a Haraken to lead a small squad of Ripard’s TSF troopers to relieve her people at the storage location. The message she sent to her trooper ordered the Harakens to board the traveler when relieved. Ellie intended to collect her people as events unfolded, in case she was required to lift at a moment’s notice.

  Ripard tasked his lieutenants and sergeants to locate Toyo’s senior security personnel, and Ellie was thankful to be able to stay out of the way. Eventually the captain found his way below and was shocked by the nature of the entertainment rooms in the lower domes. His people documented them, but even Ripard admitted that base as the pursuits were, they didn’t constitute a violation of the company’s charter.

  When Ripard located the lab, he found it cleaned out, except for a small quantity of chemicals in neatly organized sealed, clear containers sitting on a single table — no equipment in sight. Lab chemists and techs sat meekly waiting for him. In Ripard’s mind, it was a surreal moment. His people took possession of the lab’s chemicals, and the subsequent interviews with lab workers revealed the existence of their kidnapped families. One by one, his troopers led the chemist or tech to their family’s lodging to collect them.

  The conundrum for Ripard was whether to arrest them or take them into protective custody. Every one of them admitted to working in the lab making the addictive hallucinogenic compound but under duress. When the captain asked after the lab equipment and the senior chemists, he received only shrugs and confused looks.

  What the captain didn’t know was that the lab personnel were more concerned about the righteous anger of the Harakens than prosecution by their own government. In discussions before the TSF arrived, it was agreed among them that the incarceration of their families by Toyo was a good defense for their counselors to argue in court. There would be no one to argue for them if the Harakens decided that justice was required for the damage done to the children of Espero.

  Ripard returned to the main dome. He was suspicious of the Haraken commander, but he had no proof of any wrongdoing. “Would you accommodate me by allowing a search of your shuttle,” Ripard asked Ellie.

  “Certainly, Captain,” Ellie replied. “May I ask what you hope to find?”

  “Just being careful, Commander. When I give you clearance to lift, I can say without doubt that you carried nothing evidentiary away with you.”

  “Well, we can’t have you without a clear conscience, can we, Captain?” Ellie replied with a charming smile.

  Ellie sent, knowing the SADE could reach the traveler from his location.

  Several moments later, Willem sent back,

 

 

  Ripard and two troopers searched the Haraken traveler, finding nothing incriminating. He descended the hatch steps to face Ellie. “Something odd is going on here, Commander. I’m not sure what it is, but I hope the higher-ups are prepared to handle the confusing mess that I’ve uncovered and that includes the lack of evidence in the underground lab.”

  “That sounds accusatory, Captain,” Ellie said, dropping the friendly attitu
de and bracing herself in front of Ripard.

  “Call it what you want, Commander, but if I had my way, I would arrest you and your people.”

  “On what charges, Captain?” Ellie challenged. “We came in support of our people, who were being attacked by Toyo’s security forces, and we lost one of our own in their defense.”

  “And where are those of your people who you rescued, Commander?” Ripard riposted. Had the captain been savvy enough about Harakens, he would have spotted Willem’s avatar design, during his investigation, and made him for a SADE. His next insightful move would have been to request Willem project the Harakens’ implant memories, and he would have received proof of their culpability. As it was, Ripard felt stymied.

  Willem sent.

  Ellie replied, trying to keep the surprise off her face as Captain Ripard and she eyed each other.

 

  Ellie was trying to absorb what Willem said, when something occurred to her.

 

 

 

  Ellie sent, but mirth danced through her thoughts. It was a shame that Ellie couldn’t see the smile that formed on Willem’s face.

 

 

 

 

  Ripard was watching Ellie closely and noticed the moments of inattention to him. Implant communication was one aspect of the Harakens he knew well. “Do you have something for me, Commander?” he asked, when Ellie’s stern expression softened.

  “Perhaps, Captain,” Ellie said. “On a completely different subject, but one that still applies to Jolares. Were you aware of the killings that took place on Udrides?”

  “I’ve heard reports, but nothing specific, why?”

  “I’ve just been informed that murders were committed by Toyo’s people, and they were wielding hand guns that delivered a lethal charge. Nothing like that was used against us here on Jolares … just standard stun guns … and a knife in the back.”

  Ripard winced at the mention of the Haraken the commander lost, and his anger at what he perceived as an obfuscation of justice lessened. “So you think that somewhere in these domes is a storehouse of more of these weapons.”

  “I think if you lean on a senior security person, like Toyo’s head of security, who I’ve been told is Dillon Jameson, that he could lead you to these weapons. Now, if you were to report to your superiors that after learning of the deaths on Udrides that you suspected a cache of these illegal weapons might exist here and tracked it down, wouldn’t your superiors cast an admiring eye on you, Captain?”

  “You’re a devious woman, Commander,” Ripard said, grinning. He motioned to his men to follow him, and Ellie could hear him on his ear comm asking his troopers for the whereabouts of Dillon Jameson.

  “Captain,” Ellie called out, before Ripard disappeared from sight. “If Jameson appears uncooperative, you might mention that he’s a possible accessory to the murder of nearly seventy New Terran citizens.”

  Ripard tipped a couple of fingers to the brim of his cap to her and jogged out of the bay. Hours later, the captain had his cache of illegal weapons, Jameson being induced to cooperate, and, immediately afterwards, Ellie received her clearance from Ripard to lift.

  Later, Ellie watched the Tanaka appear on her helmet’s screen via the traveler’s telemetry and breathed a sigh of relief.

  * * *

  Well before morning meal, Drake, accompanied by Jaya, pounded on Alex’s cabin door, having been directed there by a crew member, who immediately signaled Tatia, Julien, and the twins of the anger apparent on the president’s face.

  Alex and Renée, who had a mere five hours of sleep, struggled to wake and discern the source of the pounding. When Alex headed for the sleeping quarters door, Renée sent, Alex retreated momentarily to grab a robe, run into the salon, and trigger the cabin door.

  “What kind of games are you playing?” Drake demanded hotly, as he charged into the salon. Jaya held his hands out to Drake, attempting to get his president to lower his voice, but Drake was having none of it.

  “Greetings, President Drake. A little early in the morning to start an argument, isn’t it?” Alex replied good-naturedly.

  Suddenly, Julien, Tatia, and the twins surged into the room, and Alex signaled them for calm. The group lined the salon’s inner wall and waited.

  “I’ve just heard from General Oppert that the evidence from Jolares is missing,” Drake said, angrily. “The senior scientists, their families, and the drug-lab equipment are all missing. Tell me you didn’t have something to do with this. Tell me that you’re not impeding an official New Terran investigation,” Drake demanded, pointing a finger in Alex’s face.

  “We have an entire wing of young people, who will remain in comatose conditions until we can create a compound to counteract the addictive nature of this nasty hallucinogenic. Unfortunately, we’re out of our depth. Terese has no idea how to begin. We urgently need the biochemists to develop this compound for us, and they need their equipment and material.”

  “So you admit you took them and the lab evidence,” Drake accused Alex.

  “Yes, everything you listed is aboard the Rêveur.”

  “Well, nice to hear you can still be forthright to some degree,” Drake declared, backing away from Alex. He started to pace, but decided against it and turned to face Alex. “I will give you three hours to gather the Jolares people, the lab equipment, and the evidence. A TSF traveler will rendezvous with your ship and take possession of everything.”

  Alex and Drake stared at each other, neither side giving way. Finally, Alex said quietly, “I can’t do that, Will. When we’re finished with the chemists, we will hand everything over to you.”

  “You do realize that you are unlawfully detaining New Terran citizens, who might be charged with criminal acts, and you’re in our system … a place where Harakens have no jurisdiction.”

  “Will,” Renée said, beseeching the president.

  “No,” Drake declared angrily, putting a finger in Renée’s face to halt her words.

  Drake’s motions drove the twins to respond. Alain slid in front of Renée, sweeping aside Drake’s offending hand. Étienne moved in front of Alex and faced him, sending.

  Alex took in both twins, Étienne with his earnest expression and Alain stepping Drake away from Renée, and he relented.

  “You people and your arrogance,” Drake said in disgust, putting some distance between the Harakens and him.

  “You people?” repeated Alex, his anger evident. “We saved your planet when a UE battleship threatened your entire system.”

  “And who fomented the trouble in the first place?” Drake retorted.

  “If you had been at Sol, Ser, instead of huddling inside Government House and hoping you were safe, you would have known it w
as only a matter of time before we were all subsumed by the UE,” said Alex, his voice stronger and louder.

  “That’s your opinion, and coincidentally it’s typical of your arrogance,” Drake said, yelling. Suddenly, he looked to his right, shocked by the sight of flames surrounding Julien’s head. “Fire,” Drake screamed, appalled to find the anathema of spacers rearing its ugly head. He spun around, grabbed a water carafe, and threw its contents at Julien’s head.

  The SADE calmly sidestepped the deluge. Despite not a drop of water touching Julien, his flames were smothered, turning to steam and wisps of smoke, which sputtered out, leaving his hair sodden and burnt.

  “What?” Drake managed to sputter. Confused, he looked to Jaya, who was holding his hand over his face and hiding his desire to laugh out loud.

  “I thought your prestigious selves required a moment of levity, Sers. It was becoming unconscionably warm in here,” Julien announced.

  Drake had the good grace to chuckle. He found a chair and sat down heavily, tired from his tirade.

  Alex laughed lightly and reached to stroke his friend’s damaged-appearing hair, but Julien turned off the holo-vid image before the illusion could be breached.

  “May I suggest a compromise, Sers?” Julien asked.

  When neither Alex nor Will said a word, Renée quipped, “It appears New Terran men are ill-equipped to apologize to each other. Well, Julien, I, for one, would love to hear your thoughts.”

  “Kind of you, Ser,” Julien said with great deference, but he shifted tone and stance as he addressed President Drake. “You, Ser, are quite aware Harakens possess the superior technology. Terese is coercing the chemist responsible for creating the original drug to produce an antidote, if you will … a compound to neutralize its addictive nature. We hope to permanently free our young people of any craving for this insidious hallucinogen.”

  “I’m not arguing your capabilities, Julien —” Drake started to say.