Supreme Constellations - Book Three

Warrior's Valor

Prologue


“If this doesn’t work, you must avenge my demise, Desmond.” Hox M’Ekar, the former Onotharian ambassador, glowered at his manservant.
“Don’t worry, Your Excellence. Kyakh, who sold me the device, assured me it’s foolproof.”
“Let’s not waste any time then. No matter how infallible this procedure is, it’ll still alert the SC law enforcers. The chip emits signals on a regular basis, and if it’s shut off…they’ll appear like hawks from the sky.”
“We’ll be gone from Jasin long before then.” Desmond looked convinced, but given the man’s youth, M’Ekar wasn’t inclined to take his optimistic statement at face value. “Kyakh owns a nearly brand-new Legacy-class vessel, the Viper, perfect for escaping SC space. Once we’ve captured that Jacelon woman, Kyakh will fly us across the border to intergalactic space in less than three days. Her crew is fearless and successful. The SC has never intercepted them.”
“I hope you’re correct, young man.” M’Ekar rose and rubbed his neck, a habit he had begun the day that damn SC doctor injected the lethal microchip into his spinal cord. If he strayed outside the designated area where he resided on this godforsaken, mosquito-infested planet, the microchip would receive a signal that released a minuscule injection of a highly lethal substance. It would render him unconscious, then kill him within a few hours, unless any of the law-enforcement forces that carried the antidote found him.
“I would never trick you, Your Excellence.”
When M’Ekar had promised Desmond a glorious career as one of his closest aides, the young man had quickly capitulated. M’Ekar’s guardian-turned-accomplice wouldn’t join him in his escape, however. It almost saddened him to think of Desmond’s early death. It is a necessary sacrifice for me to reach the greatness I was born to enjoy. “Excellent,” he said with a nod. “How long?”
“Forty-eight hours for Kyakh and the Viper to reach orbit.”
M’Ekar stood, motioning Desmond closer. “Then I suppose we should prepare.” He chuckled. “Not that I have much to pack.”
Desmond looked suddenly nervous. M’Ekar knew that a lot depended on his manservant, who was probably realizing what he was undertaking. It was important to reassure him. If Desmond turned on him, M’Ekar wouldn’t know how to get in touch with this Kyakh. He placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. “What would I do without you, son?” M’Ekar grinned broadly. “You have proved that you’ll make a fine aide de camp.”
Desmond looked more self-confident. “Thank you, Your Excellence. I look forward to serving with you.”
M’Ekar wondered if the sting he felt was one of remorse at the hopeful and admiring expression on Desmond’s face, but shrugged it off. People were useful for a moment, and when they weren’t—they were expendable.

Chapter One


“You have to recognize the severity of this threat, Your Honor.”
“I don’t have to do anything, Ms. Izontro.” Supreme Constellations Judge Amereena Beqq regarded Dwyn haughtily from behind her desk in the luxurious hotel suite. Outside the window, the Cormanian capital, Corma Neo, glimmered like an enormous jewel in the darkness. “It’s late in the evening, and I’m tired after my journey. You managed to bypass the proper channels and see me directly only because I’m visiting Corma unofficially.”
Dwyn knew the esteemed judge was peeved, but butting heads with authorities around the SC for more than fifteen years had toughened her. “I know, and I’m grateful,” she said, and wasn’t entirely lying. She was grateful that Beqq had agreed to see her. She had half expected the judge to close the door in her face.
“Judge Beqq, the importance of what I have to say makes up for my audacity. The Disi-Disi forest is one of the few untouched territories within the Supreme Constellations, and the Cormanian government has always protected it and its natives from any interference. It sustains the indigenous people who are living as they have for thousands of years, but it also keeps this planet stable. I work for the Aequitas group, a pro bono activist organization that attempts to save the environment and supports other worthy causes.”
“‘Justice,’ in Latin. Appropriate.”
Dwyn couldn’t tell if Beqq’s words were cynical. Instead she continued. “Aequitas has received credible intel that the Cormanian government already is cutting parts of the forest.”
“That would go against the SC decree regarding such measures.”
“No offense, Judge, but you of all people should know how greed and the hunger for power make men and women regard a law as merely a suggestion.”
“True enough.”
“Corma is overpopulated, like so many other worlds within the SC. We know that lobbyists are pressuring certain Cormanian politicians to pass a bill that allows prospectors to purchase real estate that will diminish Disi-Disi territory. If our intel is correct, the Disians, the natives of the forest, will suffer greatly when their natural habitat shrinks. We risk losing a society that is entirely unique, but the destruction of the forest will also alter Corma’s climate and cause tornadoes, hurricanes, inland storms, and plasma cyclones—disasters beyond anything the Cormanians have ever experienced.”
Dwyn swallowed her impatience because she knew this woman could best help her deal with this mess. “Lives will be lost, Your Honor, and Corma will experience an uncertain fate. New deserts will form where the land is now lush and green. Glaciers will appear all the way down past the northern hemisphere.” Dwyn leaned forward to emphasize the severity of her words as she rattled her facts. This senior judge of the Supreme Constellations had to understand.
“I know the SC Council has discussed this topic extensively.” Beqq spoke quietly and as if she considered every word that passed her lips. “Possibly someone has offered the Cormanian rulers substantial sums of money to allow various prospectors access to the protected area. Officially, the Cormanians have declined, but if your group is correct…” Beqq looked resolute as she twirled the obsidian-embedded titanium ring on her left index finger. “From what I remember, you’ve been right a lot lately. We in the court system have also questioned some of your methods.”
“Serving the greater good is worth any possible risk.”
Judge Beqq blinked. “Really. Well, Ms. Izontro, I’ll investigate the situation. I’m not as well connected on Corma as I used to be, but I still have a few strings to pull. Will you be satisfied if you get to see the forest for yourself?”
Dwyn frowned and shook her head. “Depends on what I find, ma’am.”
“All right. Contact me tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully by then I’ll know if it’s possible to grant you permission.” Beqq laced her fingers loosely and rested her chin on her joined hands. “I sympathize with your concern for this planet, Ms. Izontro. But since you approached me, you probably did your homework well enough to realize that I do things by the book or not at all.”
“I know. Guess it comes with the territory of being a judge, right?” Dwyn smiled slightly.
“It comes with the territory of doing what’s right.”

#

“You must be joking, sir?” Emeron D’Artansis dropped her back-strap security carrier on the floor next to her computer console and turned to her superior officer. “Isn’t my unit over-qualified to babysit some SC hotshot?”
“You misunderstand, Commander,” Captain Zeger said gravely. “I wouldn’t assign this delicate matter to anyone but my best unit. Report for briefing tomorrow morning at 0600 hours. You and your team need to be geared up and ready to move out an hour later.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” Emeron would have huffed, but she respected Captain Zeger too much. And she never let her personal feelings show when she received an order. Still she muttered to herself “This is crazy” as she sat down and began to read the messages on her computer.
Most of them were work related, but several from her mother were blinking in bright red. Not willing to deal with Vestine D’Artansis right now, when she was trying to come to terms with the babysitting assignment, she marked the messages as “can wait.” Emeron had little patience with her snobby family even during normal circumstances. She wished Zeger had informed her of her assignment before she had gone to the gym. Then she could have worked off her frustration there instead of sitting here with it simmering below the surface.
She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her forehead. Her patience wore thinner every day. Even her next in command had said so to her face after a few drinks at their favorite bar a month ago. Emeron had tried to laugh his words off, but Mogghy hadn’t smiled. “I’ve known you too long, ma’am,” he’d said, shaking his head. “Something’s eating at you and it’s driving you crazy, not to mention the rest of the unit. The troops aren’t sure what to think.”
“What do you mean?” she’d asked, annoyed, but also embarrassed. She’d never expected to have this talk with anyone, least of all one of her subordinates.
“I wouldn’t say anything if we weren’t such good friends outside the force.” Mogghy finally smiled. “I have your back, Commander, and I hope you know that.”
“I do.” His disturbing observation was hard to swallow, and Emeron focused on it for a few seconds before he continued.
“I don’t know, Commander…you seem angry, or perhaps frustrated. I could be way off base here, but that’s how I see it.”
Mogghy wasn’t far from the truth. So many things gnawed at Emeron these days. As long as she kept working, she could ignore them, or so she’d thought until now. Her temper, which she’d struggled with since she was a child, was now even more volatile. She had to resort to the many different relaxation techniques she’d learned during her years as a member of the law-enforcement service to keep from resorting to violence. I’m always angry.
She sighed. “I’m sorry if my temper has given the unit any reason to doubt my professionalism. And thanks for letting me know before the speculations go any further. I’ll deal with my problem and you won’t have to mention it again.” Emeron knew she sounded stiff, but she felt uncomfortable. She also realized that Mogghy had saved her a lot of professional grief by not going through the proper channels. “Appreciate it, Mogghy.”
“Anything for you and the team, Commander. Always.”
They hadn’t mentioned this conversation again, and Emeron had consistently performed her duties and assignments flawlessly. Still a cold knot at her core persisted, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to suppress her anger much longer. On those occasions when she’d had to quickly back off in order not to let the beast within her show, yet act as if nothing were amiss, she had caught Mogghy’s worried glances She found that working out was the best way to remain focused and also was in the best shape ever.
“Here you are, Commander. For your eyes only.” Captain Zeger placed a handheld computer on Emeron’s work console. “This will give you a preview of tomorrow’s briefing.”
“Thank you, sir.” Emeron punched in her security clearance code and pressed her thumb on the small pad below the screen.
She began to read and soon realized that her assignment had gone from boring to hellish. Babysitting an environmental activist. She could think of few things worse than catering to some saintly woman, who was probably more interested in her own goodness than actually achieving something worthwhile. A picture of a blond woman with finely chiseled features and pale gray eyes appeared, and Emeron read the name underneath. Dwyn Izontro. An Iminestrian name, but Izontro’s face belonged to a human. Izontro was thirty-four, but looked younger. She worked for one of those shady businesses that labeled themselves pro bono, but rarely was. They were lobbyists of the worst kind. In Emeron’s opinion they’d cause havoc and lobby for any “just cause” in the universe, for a fee.
She scrolled down to other pictures that showed Izontro in action. The woman had targeted several different installations and was clearly fearless in her efforts to draw attention to her agenda. Emeron sighed. Izontro was obviously a hardened troublemaker. She browsed through more pictures but stopped and frowned as she viewed one of Izontro lying face down on the floor of a police hovercraft. A bulky officer had his large boot placed firmly in the small of her back, and the man’s smirk made Emeron cringe. She wondered what the small woman could have done to warrant the officer’s brutal behavior.
Emeron read the whole file before she flicked the computer off with her thumb on the fingerprint pad. After rising, she walked over to the latrine. She needed cold water on her face to calm her down. She scanned her own reflection in the metal-mirror above the hand-sanitizer unit and wasn’t surprised to see a dark fire burning in her eyes. Her skin was stretched taut over her high cheekbones, which she recognized as a sign of irritation. She tapped the sensor for the aqua faucet and scooped a cupped handful of water to her face. Drying herself with a recyc-towel, she didn’t have to look into the mirror again to know what subdued annoyance looked like; she had seen it in her mothers’ face too many times.

#

Judge Beqq’s dramatic red hair and curvaceous figure attracted the attention of both men and women in the restaurant. Seemingly unaware of this fact, she drove her fork through a double-tailed shrimp and chewed it slowly before she spoke. “I’m glad you could join me for dinner, Ms. Izontro—”
“Dwyn. Please.” Dwyn wasn’t accustomed to such formalities. Her parents called everyone by their first name, and so did everyone Dwyn worked with in the Aequitas group.
Beqq seemed unaffected. “I need to talk to you more, Dwyn, before you set out.” She placed a small item on the table.
“A scrambler?” Dwyn frowned.
“Yes. We cannot afford to be overheard.”
“All I need is my permit. I’m used to being on my own in the strangest of environments.”
“Well, this time, you won’t be.” Beqq spoke with conviction.
A small flicker of dissatisfaction moved beneath Dwyn’s ribs, barely noticeable. “I can take care of myself.”
Beqq laid an elegant, well-manicured hand over Dwyn’s and squeezed. “I know all that. I’ve studied your files. But this is different. You’re going against a potentially very greedy adversary, and if your group’s intel is correct, you’ll need protection.”
“As in bodyguards or something?”
“As in a team of Cormanian law-enforcers. They will accompany you every step of the way. Don’t argue.” Beqq squeezed Dwyn’s hand again. “It took me all afternoon, and I had to use all my accumulated goodwill with the Cormanian Minister of Domestic Affairs to pull this off. The Cormanians wanted to delay any investigation, which in itself is bothersome. But they had to relent when I told them that the SC Council leader was paying this matter special attention.”
“You did? I mean, he is?” Dwyn had actually met Marco Thorosac once. He had visited her university, which was apparently his alma mater, when he had been re-elected Councilman for a new decade.
“He is now. I also did my own bit of research, and you’re right about the long-term consequences of the loss of this ancient forest. I’ve deployed the court ship Dalathea, and it will arrive in orbit shortly. I don’t have to tell you that with the war effort, everything else is secondary.”
“I know.” Dwyn realized this better than most. “It used to be much easier to motivate the SC public. Now it’s nearly impossible to raise funds for any cause not directly related to the conflict with the Onotharians.”
“A lot is at stake for certain Cormanians if you prove the intel true.” Beqq frowned. “If you fall into the hands of the ones who will gain from silencing you—”
“All right, Judge.” Dwyn nodded slowly. “I see your point.”
“Good. Here’s the address where you will meet your team at noon tomorrow. A Commander D’Artansis will head up your escort.”
“Very well. I hope they’re all used to hiking. The undergrowth makes it nearly impossible to cross this kind of terrain, and when it comes to the Disi-Disi forest, with all its prohibitions and laws to abide by, you can’t cut your way forward with a plasma-pulse weapon. And you can’t travel with anything but small hovercraft. It’s all part of the Thousand Years Pact.”
“I studied some of that last night,” Beqq said. “The rights bestowed upon the Disians were extensive. No loopholes that I could find.”
“And yet the Cormanians are going back on their ancestors’ word and their honor,” Dwyn said. “I’m eager to get out there.”
“Use your head and your gut feeling, Dwyn. I don’t want this to be our last meeting.”
“Fair enough. I’ll be careful, Judge.”
“Excellent.”
They ate in silence and Dwyn began to relax, if only marginally. In her mind and heart she was already on her way to the Disi-Disi forest.

Chapter Two

Dwyn pressed the sensor that released the tension in the shoulder straps of her back-strap security carrier and slid it off. The black wire-mesh canvas held everything she needed to document the Cormanian government’s potential crimes in the protected forest. Placing the security carrier on the floor next to her chair, she gazed around the mission room. Three women and four men sat in the chairs closest to the podium and had obviously chosen to ignore her.
A tall woman stood by the podium, next to an older man, browsing a handheld computer. Jet black hair framed her strong features, and intense black eyes, very typical of some Cormanians, seemed to analyze and dismiss her in less than a second. Dwyn was used to others perceiving her as an annoyance, at best, or even regarding her with disgust, but something in the woman’s eyes made Dwyn clench her jaws. The man looked up and nodded solemnly.
“Captain Zeger, I believe,” Dwyn said pointedly with her sweetest voice. The faint coloring of the Cormanian officer’s neck proved that her gentle needling found its mark.
“Ms. Izontro, this is the officer in charge of your safety while in the Disi-Disi forest, Commander Emeron D’Artansis.” Captain Zeger indicated the woman next to him.
Dwyn had to admit D’Artansis was impressive. At a closer range, D’Artansis’s black eyes made an even greater impact. Deeply set, they seemed to reflect no light at all, like deep wells where sunlight could never reach. Stark, strong features added to D’Artansis’s austere expression.
“Commander,” Dwyn greeted her politely. “Shall we start?”
A faint look of surprise flickered across D’Artansis’s features. “By all means. The sooner the better.”
Dwyn didn’t think D’Artansis was eager to go on this mission. In fact, she was almost certain the commander regarded this mission as a waste of her precious time.
“Heads up, people,” D’Artansis began, and immediately had her team’s total attention. “As you’ve gathered by now, we’re going into the Disi-Disi forest. We don’t have to worry about the Disians. They’ll stay out of our way if we don’t bother them, but plenty of other things can go awry if we don’t stay sharp. Captain Zeger has briefed me this morning on our objectives, and I’m certain this team will act with its usual distinction.”
Commander D’Artansis glanced at Dwyn. “Ms. Izontro, who is under the protection of prominent politicians and law enforcers, plans to observe a certain situation. The Disi-Disi forest is beautiful, but also treacherous unless you know what you’re doing. Once we’re in the forest, it is up to us to keep her, and each other, safe. Yes, Oches?” D’Artansis indicated a bald young man in the first row.
“What’s Ms. Izontro’s mission in the forest, ma’am?”
“That’s up to her to share, or not.” D’Artansis raised an eyebrow in Dwyn’s direction.
“I’m on a humanitarian and ecological mission to appraise the keeping of the Thousand Year Pact.” Dwyn spoke clearly, enunciating every word so no one could mistake how important this mission was, no matter what their preconception was. “I will document any potential trespassing, cutting of protected plants or trees, and other signs of wrongdoing.”
“And if you find anything like that going on, ma’am?” Oches asked, a faint frown on his forehead. “What then?”
“I will try to secure evidence of the perpetrator’s identity.” Dwyn smiled, pleasantly surprised at the young man’s interested tone.
“Sounds like you could use some help. Or are any other members of your team joining us?” Oches asked.
“I need all the assistance I can get,” Dwyn said. “I will be collecting samples, and—”
“Excuse me, Ms. Izontro, but such details can wait,” D’Artansis interrupted. “We need to finish the briefing before we head out to the Maireesian fields.”
Dwyn had never been to Corma before, let alone to the Maireesian fields, but she knew they served as a kind of no-man’s-land between the urban expanses of Corma and the Disi-Disi forest. As on most of the SC planets, agricultural areas were few and strictly monitored. Many people preferred the synthetic alternative to traditional produce and regarded the latter with suspicion. Even some people in the Aequitas group thought they could become sick from eating a vegetable grown in the dirt, rather than the pure synthetic version created in a factory’s sterile environment. Still, others, usually the rich and famous, ate nothing but traditional food, cooked at expensive restaurants.
Dwyn sat down next to Oches as D’Artansis held a straight-forward, detail-packed briefing for her staff. When she paused, Dwyn thought she was done, but instead D’Artansis turned to her. “And you, Ms. Izontro, need to know only a few things. Stay close to me, never go anywhere alone, and don’t try to be a hero if anything goes down.”
Furious at the patronizing way D’Artansis handed out “orders,” Dwyn leaned back in her chair as she slowly raked her eyes over the commander. “Understood. Now, is this when I make my requests?”
D’Artansis blinked and for a second Dwyn thought she’d ignore her. Instead, D’Artansis shrugged and motioned for Dwyn to speak. “Certainly.” She strode to the back of the room and leaned against the wall.
Dwyn rose and gazed around her. “I won’t enumerate the many reasons my mission is so important. But if my intel is correct, your planet’s future is at stake. I’m doing this for you, the people of Corma, to mitigate, as much as possible, any repercussions of a potential environmental crime. I was unaware that I needed protection of this magnitude, but…it should tell you something. So, let’s get going. The faster we get out there, the sooner you can be back fighting, eh…crime, or whatever you normally do.”
Dwyn thought she saw an appreciative gleam in two of the young men’s eyes, but perhaps they simply liked blondes. More than once, a man had told her that she looked pretty or cute, and she hated such comments with a passion. If anyone thought she would be interested in a little fondling behind the habitats, they were sorely mistaken. Hopefully they were merely relating to what she’d just said.
“Very well.” D’Artansis pushed herself off the wall. “That’s what we need to know for now. Gear up, people, and pull up the hovercraft.”
D’Artansis’s team scrambled to their feet, except a man who looked older than the rest. As he walked up to Dwyn, he extended a hand in the typical Earth greeting. “Welcome to Corma, Ms. Izontro. I’m Lieutenant Mogghy.”
Dwyn returned the handshake. “Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.”
“Just Mogghy, please.”
“Then call me Dwyn.” It was a relief to be on a first-name basis with someone.
D’Artansis joined them. “Mogghy is my next in command. If, for some reason, I’m not available during this mission, this is the face you look for. Got all your gear, Ms. Izontro?”
“One bag outside in the corridor. These are my instruments and documents.” Dwyn grabbed her security carrier. “I’m ready.”
“Good. Mogghy will take you to the hovercraft and make sure you’re assigned a seat behind me.”
Clearly, D’Artansis was going to keep her close and thus avoid trouble with the brass, Dwyn thought. “See you there,” she said and followed Mogghy.
As they stepped out into the corridor Mogghy said, “The commander is the best law enforcer in the capital. You’re lucky to have her in charge of your safety.”
“You don’t have to reassure me.” Dwyn hoisted her trunk onto her shoulder. “In fact, most of the time when I’m on a mission, I work alone, or with a local guide or two. I’m used to taking care of myself.”
“Apparently someone thinks the situation here on Corma is a little different, Dwyn. And it’s wise to be careful. You can’t make a difference in the world if you’re dead.”
“Touché.” Dwyn grinned at the amicable man. “How long have you worked with Commander D’Artansis?”
“Oh, the commander and I go back a long way. She graduated from the academy my first year there. After I graduated and got a chance to join her team—she was the XO then—I took it. Haven’t regretted it for a moment. We’ve been through quite a bit together.”
“Must be interesting. Do you work planet-side only?”
“No, some of our missions have been in the Cormanian jurisdiction of the SC space.”
They stepped outside, and Dwyn saw three small hovercraft pulled up below the stairs. With sleek lines, they sparkled in the sunlight. Each vehicle contained a driver’s seat with a double seat behind it and one additional single seat in the back. The storage hatches were still open, and Mogghy showed Dwyn where she could stow her things.
“You’ll ride in the lead vehicle with the commander. Ensign Oches will drive the second craft, and I’ll bring up the rear in the third.”
Dwyn wanted to shake her head in disbelief at this large operation on her behalf. “All right, Mogghy. See you when we reach our first stop.”
“Safe journey.” Mogghy saluted her with two fingers. “Here’s the commander now.”
“Saddle up, people.” D’Artansis walked up to them. “I want you right behind me. You’ll sit next to Ensign Noor.”
Dwyn climbed into the seat next to one of the women on the team. “Hello. I’m Dwyn.”
“Ensign Noor,” came the frosty response. The look on the black-haired woman’s face was standoffish at best.
Ah, no handshakes there. Dwyn didn’t respond to the hostile introduction, but focused on the belt. Snapping it closed, she felt a vague humming sensation as the straps squeezed her gently against the backrest. The seat was body shaped and quickly adjusted itself to her slight frame.
“D’Artansis to Oches and Mogghy. What’s your status?”
Two voices answered over the communicator that they were ready to go.
“All right. We’re off. D’Artansis out.”
A vague whining sound reverberated through the craft and soon they hovered at traffic level above the ground. D’Artansis expertly maneuvered the craft into the busy traffic paths and kept elevating the agile craft until they sped past the tall buildings of the Cormanian capital.
Containing buildings up to 12,000 meters tall, both commercial and residential, the city was literally bulging, and it was impossible to distinguish the border of the neighboring cities. The Cormanian government had installed oxygen-producing technology at several levels among the structures, which Dwyn’s organization considered almost like re-terraformation. Corma was almost without any agricultural areas, and before long this planet, once among the most wondrously beautiful ones within the Supreme Constellations, might consist only of urban neighborhoods and industries, Dwyn feared.
The craft veered off toward the faint skyline north of the city. Suddenly feeling jittery and alert, Dwyn lifted her chin and watched them approach the Disi-Disi forest. She had studied almost everything written about this place, and to her it held its own magic, its own amazing wonder.
“What a view,” Ensign Noor murmured, sounding reluctantly impressed.
“Don’t let that fool you, Ensign,” D’Artansis said with obvious disdain. “It’s actually a glorified swamp.”
Dwyn studied the rigid back in front of her. D’Artansis obviously wasn’t all that keen on the forest, but something in her voice had been close to hostile. “I can’t wait to experience it for myself,” Dwyn said.
“Good for you. As long as you experience it quickly.” D’Artansis didn’t turn around, but she didn’t have to.
Dwyn could easily interpret the other woman’s voice and posture. She loathed the protected forest. For some reason, Dwyn was as eager to solve this mystery as to pursue her current task.

Chapter Three

Emeron punched in the commands for a routine flight to the Disi-Disi border, where one of the forest rangers would scrutinize them. Zeger had provided all the necessary credentials and permits, but Emeron knew how bureaucracy worked on Corma—slowly, and if you tried to force anything, even slower.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw Ensign Noor sitting with closed eyes, no doubt following the unwritten rule of the law-enforcement teams: if you have a chance for a nap, take advantage of it, because you never know when you’ll get another opportunity to sleep.
Dwyn Izontro sat behind her, apparently deep in thought, and Emeron acknowledged that something about the woman annoyed her more than was justified. Granted, she frowned upon this mission because the assignment took her back to the Disi-Disi forest, a place she’d rather avoid.
“Beautiful, isn’t it, Commander D’Artansis?” Izontro said softly, interrupting her thoughts. “Look at the mist hanging over the treetops. Some of them are more than forty-five meters high.”
“I know.” She wasn’t in the mood to chat, but couldn’t very well ignore Izontro.
“They grow slowly. It takes them two hundred years to reach that height.”
“I see.”
“Have you ever been here?” Izontro leaned forward, her voice now closer and her breath tickling Emeron’s neck.
“Yes.”
“I can’t wait to experience this place for myself. I can’t remember ever wanting to be dead wrong as I do now.”
“What do you mean?” Intrigued despite her best intentions, Emeron glanced at Izontro.
“I want to believe that the Cormanian government and the free-market players, the conglomerates of vanguard business, have honored the Thousand Year Pact. I hope they haven’t touched so much as a square meter of this area, but I’m almost sure they have.” Dwyn sounded sad and a bit forlorn.
“If they have, you’ll find traces of it.” Emeron made a wry face at her lame attempt to sound encouraging.
“Yes. I will.” There was no doubt in Izontro’s tone. “I always do.”
The outpost area, a small fort at the border of the Maireesian fields, appeared and Emeron began the descent. Very few vehicles were in their traffic corridor and Emeron touched down just outside the gate. A guard approached, her weapon slung casually over her shoulder.
“This area is off-limits.” She sounded bored and obviously didn’t look closely at Emeron’s uniform.
“Ensign,” Emeron said, “I have permission to enter, but if I had been here on unlawful errands, greeting me with your weapon in such a position could have been the last thing you ever did.”
Snapping to attention and shifting the weapon to the correct position, the woman paled. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry ‘bout that, ma’am.”
“You better be. Here are my permits and credentials.” Emeron produced a handheld computer.
“I’ll see to this right away, Commander.” The guard hurried toward a booth by the gate. Emeron noticed two figures moving inside and impatiently drummed her fingers on the console before her.
A moment later, the ensign came back and returned the computer. “Everything checks out, ma’am. You are allowed a thirty-day stay within the Disi-Disi forest’s boundaries. We added a document listing the rules and prohibitions for the area. You need to familiarize yourself with the five basic ones before you cross the Maireesian fields.”
Emeron nodded briskly and placed the computer inside her uniform. “Thank you.” She brought the hovercraft up to the lowest ground level of traffic. Out of earshot of the ensign, Emeron pressed the sensor to her communicator. “Mogghy. Oches. Stay sharp while addressing the locals.”
“Aye, ma’am.” Mogghy and Oches sounded calm, but Emeron knew they had understood.
She kept her eyes on the view screen that revealed what was going on behind her and relaxed marginally when Oches’s and Mogghy’s hovercraft lined up behind hers. “We’re going to cross the Maireesian fields now and then we’ll enter the perimeter of the forest,” she informed Izontro and her two subordinates. “Expect a bumpy ride, since the fields are outfitted with sensor-jamming technology and other sensory equipment to alert the units in charge of protecting the forest.”
“How long before we reach the site where I’ll gather the samples for my base values?” Izontro asked.
“Approximately ninety minutes.”
“Good.”
Izontro seemed calm yet intense. Emeron had encountered do-gooders like Izontro before, always caring about the bleeding masses, but with a personal agenda. Nobody did anything for the greater good without making sure the greater good gave something back. Fame of the heroic kind usually motivated types like her. Corruption, from one or more players, sometimes motivated others. Emeron wondered what Izontro’s currency was, though she bet the woman probably aspired to sainthood and heroism.
The Maireesian fields billowed beneath them, stretching as far as Emeron could see. Even she admitted that the green with splashes of purple, red, and golden where the flowers grew in groups created a spectacular sight.
“Have you seen this before, Ensign Noor?” Emeron heard Izontro ask.
“No, ma’am.”
“Please, call me Dwyn.”
Silence.
“It’s a fantastic view and a completely unique flora and fauna. These fields were originally created by the government a thousand years ago. At that time, of course, Berenias, the Emperor of Corma, led your government.”
“Really.” Noor didn’t seem very interested in the history lesson.
“Yes,” Izontro continued, clearly undaunted. “Berenias was a great man, according to the chronicles, far ahead of his time. He considered all men and women equal and was the first to realize how quickly the Disi-Disi forest could be exploited and destroyed unless someone established safeguards to protect it. He and Chief Troboday, the leader of the Disians at the time, signed the Thousand Year Pact, a treaty that would ensure the Disians’ right to their forest and prevent deforestation and intrusion. It has been nearly a thousand years now, and the Cormanian government, as well as the open market, apparently thinks they can gnaw at the edges of the Pact.”
“And why not?” Ensign Noor asked, sounding mildly exasperated. “We need the space. The Disians are…how many? Sixty thousand?”
“Not that it should matter, but approximately two hundred thousand individuals exist. However, the point is—”
“And they should be entitled to nearly a quarter of the southern hemisphere?” Noor raised her voice and Emeron knew she would have to intervene or the hotheaded ensign might insult the woman they were there to protect. She opened her mouth, but was forestalled by Izontro.
“You should be glad that the forest covers a fourth of this hemisphere,” Izontro said.
Noor’s total silence confirmed that the change from enthusiasm to forged steel in Izontro’s voice had taken her aback.
“It gives you the oxygen you breathe and stabilizes this planet’s ecosystem. Without it, Corma would suffer one natural catastrophe after another, not to mention how the buildup of toxic gases would poison this planet. If you don’t care about the Disians, look at it from a selfish point of view. If you want to breathe clean air and drink clear water, pray that Aequitas is wrong. Pray that your government hasn’t allowed greed to override the law.”
“Ah. Well. Never thought of it that way.” Noor cleared her throat. “Actually, I’ve never even been to the forest.”
“It’s hard to get a permit to enter,” Emeron added. “Not many regular people ever go there.”
“Perhaps that needs to change. It might help open people’s eyes.” Izontro’s voice mellowed. “The seclusion of the Disians is part of the problem.”
“The mystique and romance surrounding this race are overrated,” Emeron said without thinking. She realized too late that her contempt shone through and wished she had had the sense to shut up.
“What do you mean? The Disians are one of the very few original people within the SC.” Izontro sounded bemused. “They live the old-fashioned way, with shamans, with no modern technology, not even electricity.”
“And you find that admirable.” It wasn’t a question, more of an accusation. When it concerned a population who refused to evolve, Izontro was as starry-eyed as most of her kind.
“I do. It’s easy to adopt the view of everyone else. Staying true to your beliefs and honoring old traditions—”
“Traditions?” Emeron had to laugh and wondered if Izontro detected her bitter undertone. “Tradition is just another word for stagnation, and it also stands for nostalgia.”
“And you have no use for nostalgia.” Izontro’s voice turned annoyingly mild. “Makes me wonder what you have against these people, Commander. It sounds personal.”
“I don’t have anything against any individual. But every person should evolve, not hang on to tradition and use it as an excuse for not growing or being ambitious.” Emeron punched in new commands and flew the hovercraft in an elegant curve, following the outline of tall, dark trees. “We’ve reached the forest. We will reach our coordinates for the landing site in half an hour.” Emeron hoped her tone would ensure that the subject was closed.

#

Ambassador M’Ekar walked onboard the matt black spaceship. A smaller vessel had taken him off-planet and delivered him safely in high orbit. He now admitted this part of the escape had made him nervous. This was a critical moment during his escape. He automatically felt the side of his neck where Desmond had used the instrument provided by Weiss Kyakh to configure and remove the insidious implant. The only trace of the chip that would have administered the lethal poison into his carotid artery was a small ridge of scar tissue. He shuddered involuntarily, then immediately straightened up and stared inquiringly at the woman before him.
“I am M’Ekar. And you are?”
“M’Ekar. Strange, I somehow pictured you younger.” The tall woman stood inside the docking port and regarded him with a crooked smile. Dark brown hair, kept in a short, tight ponytail, emphasized her sharp features. Her deeply set, frost green eyes clearly appraised him, and the fact that she seemed to find him lacking infuriated M’Ekar.
“You have yet to identify yourself,” M’Ekar hissed. “Where’s Kyakh?”
“You’re looking at her.”
M’Ekar blinked. “I thought you were older. And male.”
“We were both wrong.” Weiss Kyakh shrugged and smiled maliciously. “But we don’t have time to stand around debating our flawed perceptions of each other. The sensor scramblers can hold off the authorities for a limited time, but let’s not push our luck. Come on. I’ll show you to your quarters.”
M’Ekar sighed at the sight of the miniscule cabin. The term “quarters” was entirely an exaggeration; this was little more than a bunk bed with walls. “Hm. Thank you.” He tried not to let his exasperation show. Couldn’t Desmond have arranged for something a little more in his league?
“I hope you don’t mind sharing.” Weiss Kyakh motioned to the young man behind M’Ekar. “Quarters are cramped in such a small and insignificant ship, so we have to bunk where we can and share when we must.”
“Share?” This was too much. M’Ekar had to object. “Not only am I traveling under deplorable circumstances, but must I share quarters with a servant?”
Desmond’s eyes darkened. “I am not your servant, not anymore, Your Excellence,” he said, sounding both hurt and angry. “I have risked everything to help you escape and I, if anybody, deserve to stand by your side.”
“Now, now, boys,” Weiss Kyakh said slowly. “No fighting. Ambassador, cut the “I’m-entitled” act. You’re not traveling anywhere. You’re a fugitive, running for your life, and you have no say in anything that goes on here. I’m the captain and ultimately everybody’s boss until we reach your home world and I get paid. Onboard this vessel, my word is law. The ship’s name is the Viper, and trust me, the name fits. So, you share quarters, Ambassador. End of discussion.” Weiss Kyakh left them and M’Ekar saw her shaking her head as she disappeared down the narrow corridor.
Desmond was obviously sulking. M’Ekar knew he might need more favors from the resourceful, and unscrupulous, young man. “Forgive me, Desmond,” he managed. “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. It’s been nerve-wracking recently.”
Desmond seemed eager to get back on good terms with his former prisoner. “It’s all right, sir. This ship is fast, and I’m confident Kyakh will deliver us safely to Onotharat. I will be proud to stand by your side when you regain your title and office.”
You fool. “Of course, dear boy. You’ve been most helpful.” M’Ekar had to keep all possible doors open, so he wouldn’t be caught off guard. He never knew when he might have to sacrifice someone else for his own greater good.
The faint buzz under his feet told him the Viper was leaving the planet Jasin’s high orbit. He sat down on the narrow bed, ducking so he wouldn’t bump his head against the top bunk. This journey couldn’t go fast enough.
 

Want to read more? "Warrior's Valor" will be available for purchase from Bold Strokes Books in July, 2008, or from your favorite bookstore.