A Stellar Affair (4 page)

“What do you have?” Jack asked.

“Intel carriers,” Walter announced with satisfaction. “We intercepted them in transit early this morning. As you know, we’ve been keeping an eye on Algoron ever since their recent buildup of ships on the surface and in orbit. The Tetch are mobilizing for another attack, and word is they’re waiting to receive the coordinates for one of our major bases. Those coordinates are being delivered by human carrier—likely more than one, although we don’t know how many. There’s no stopping the transfer of intel, but we can find out where the Tetch plan to strike in time to evacuate the targeted base. I don’t need to tell you that even a few hours can save lives.”

No, he didn’t. Although a planet-wide evacuation took far more than a few hours, Jack knew the outcome at Bok-10 might have been different if they’d had more warning. Roimiran operatives always got the word out as soon as they became aware of an assault, but by then escape was difficult, let alone a decent counterattack. Walter was right. If they could intercept the coordinates, they could save countless lives.

“The Tetch politicians are always trying to outmaneuver one another to gain more power,” Walter continued. “More than one is trying to get his greedy hands on the coordinates so he can grab the credit. Our operatives have been monitoring ships bound for Algoron for any sign of the carriers. We got a tip about a small transport ship that left Nintu V. We hacked the computer navigation system on the
Oberon
and programmed an unscheduled detour. As soon as the vessel flew a safe distance outside of Tetch space, we boarded it and took control of the passengers, along with some unexpected cargo supplies. They’ll be here within the hour.”

Walter stopped and looked him in the eye.

“Jack, I need you to work on this one. All our other precepts have been tied up since the last campaign, and this is too important to wait. This might be the single most important piece of information we’ve captured yet.”

“You think one of the
Oberon’s
passengers is carrying the coordinates for the next major assault?” Jack’s amazement must have shown on his face. “How many people are we talking about?”

He hoped he didn’t have to deal with a full ship. The Tetch were crafty when it came to their intel, and it wasn’t easy to extract information without the original program scenario. Occasionally, the enemy confused things by using dummy carriers or dividing the information among multiple individuals. It was always a battle of the wits and a race against the clock.

Walter was obviously pleased that he understood what was at stake. “Four were scheduled to board and leave from Simos, but we won’t know for certain until we get a look at the manifest.”

Jack rubbed his forehead. “And we don’t know which one is the carrier.”

“That’s what I need you to find out. It could be all of them, or it could be only one. You’re going to have to figure it out and get those coordinates for us before the Tetch realize they’ve lost their people. Best we can tell, we’ve captured the frontrunner, but the other carriers with this intel can’t be far behind. Although we’ll intercept them if we can, once the Tetch realize we’re on to their plan, they’ll guard those carriers more carefully and rush their delivery. The fact that they’re trying not to draw too much attention is the only thing slowing them down as it is—that and the slow wheels of bureaucracy.”

“I understand.” Jack couldn’t afford to fail. “How soon will the Tetch realize the
Oberon
is missing?”

“The ship won’t be missing,” Walter told him. “Our men stripped the inside clean of anything useful and then programmed it to continue along its scheduled course. There are no guarantees, but at least there’s no indication of checkpoints prior to the ship reaching Algoron. That’s about a four-month trip from Simos, and the ship only left the space station a week ago.”

So if all went well, Jack had a deadline of fifteen weeks—the point at which the
Oberon
would reach Algoron and the Tetch would discover it was empty. He couldn’t count on any leeway after that without knowing when the backup carriers would reach Algoron. Although fifteen weeks sounded like a good chunk of time, he knew it would be a challenge to deal with four carriers during that span.

“Let me know when they get here and give me someone to help with research,” he told Walter. “We’ll have to dig up some background information on these people.”

His superintendent scowled. Jack knew Walter hated that he wasn’t more deferential, but the man also appreciated his skills.

“You’ll have all the resources I can spare,” Walter assured him. “Just get us that intel.”

Less than an hour passed before the man followed through. Falk Ebilson, one of the compound’s security guards, tapped on Jack’s door.

“The carriers are here,” Falk announced after Jack let him in. The guard pulled a list from his pocket. “We’ve got two males and one female. There’s an old man calling himself Mr. Slade, a teenage soldier who is Private Tarrin Thales, serial number blah, blah, blah, and a young woman who says her name is Miss Rosemary Warner. No confirmation on their identities yet.”

“Three passengers, not four,” Jack said. “And two of them are civilians?”

The guard shrugged. “Looks like it. They’re not in uniform, and they weren’t on a military transport.”

“Damn.”

The Tetch used legal military carriers to transfer information regarding everything from weapons inventory to attack plans. But there were civilians in this mix, and that smacked of the black-market trade. Illegal dealers employed hackers or bribed officials to access sensitive information and then sold it to the highest bidder. They didn’t care who their carriers were, much less if the people were willing.

“It could be a cover,” Jack said, though he didn’t really hold out hope. “Just because they’re in plain clothes doesn’t mean they’re not military.”

Falk shrugged. “That’s for you to figure out. Slade looks too old to me, though, and the woman doesn’t give off that vibe. If it’s a cover, it’s a good one. Superintendent Rigel told me to ask you what to do with them. You want them all in a holding cell together or what?”

“No. Keep them apart. They probably don’t know each other very well anyway, and I don’t want them sharing information. It’ll be easier to work with them separately.”

The guard nodded. “Which one do you want first?”

Jack scratched his chin. He really wanted to get to all of them today, but there wasn’t enough time. At best, he might be able to squeeze in an introductory session with two of them and then pick up the third late the next morning.

“Bring me Private Thales first,” he said. “The military has probably prepared him for all sorts of horrifying scenarios. I’d like to dispense with those as soon as possible. When I’m done with him, give me Mr. Slade. I’ll get to Miss Warner tomorrow. She’s going to have an awful night, but I’m hoping she’ll see that no one is going to molest her. Make sure you tell her she won’t be coming here until tomorrow. She might see it as a stay of execution.”

Falk left to do as he was told.

It was time for the interrogations to begin.

Chapter Four

Jack’s initial meeting with the captives proved exhausting. Although the young soldier was easy to put under, it was hard to direct Tarrin’s mind where Jack wanted it to go. He had to lead the boy through a smooth progression of thoughts. He couldn’t just jump to the memories he wanted.

Mr. Slade was almost as difficult. He didn’t offer much resistance, but it was hard to feel for memory tampering in a man of his advanced years. The old fellow became agitated very easily, and Jack was afraid the strain might be too much for him. He would have to work carefully.

Today, he was preparing to meet Rosemary Warner. He was curious to see what she looked like—the only female in this motley assortment of Tetch citizens. His mind was always sharper when he was rested, and he hoped the open windows and sunshine would have a calming effect on her. Wanting to keep things friendly and nonthreatening, he went to the kitchen to fix some iced tea. He was still stirring in the sugar crystals when Falk knocked on his door and brought the woman inside.

The moment Jack spotted her, he caught his breath. Her eyes were an unusual shade of blue with whispers of green, and she had dark blonde hair with a hint of a wave. She seemed slightly exotic somehow, although the effect was subtle. The instant attraction he felt, on the other hand, was anything but mild. She was beautiful.

She was also scared. He could feel it coming off her in waves, and he could see it in her pretty eyes. There was confusion there as well. When he touched her thoughts, he gathered she had expected some kind of evil precept torture chamber. His cozy house with its hardwood floors and open windows surprised her.

“I’ll be waiting out front when you’re done,” Falk told him.

The guard released the metal bonds on her wrists and let go of her arm.

“Thanks.” Jack never took his attention off the woman. He held out his hand. “How are you? My name is Jackson Deimos, but you can call me Jack.”

Ardra stared at his open palm.
This
was a precept? The guy looked like an ordinary man, not a monster or mutant. In fact, he was handsome and friendly looking. He couldn’t have been older than his early thirties. His hair was a fine light brown, and he had striking hazel eyes, which were now fixed on her. Under different circumstances, she might have attributed her fluttering pulse to something other than nerves. When she shook his hand, his fingers felt warm and soft and made her shiver.

“Rosemary Warner.” She offered the false name again.

After they had been captured, she and the other passengers had been questioned and pressured into giving information. Tarrin had recited his name, rank, and serial number, but she wasn’t a soldier. Figuring the less the Roimirans and their precept knew, the better, she had done some fast thinking and blurted out the only other name she could think of—that of her brief traveling companion back on the space station. Now that she was here, she was very glad she had done so.

Jack studied her for a moment before he motioned toward one of the tall, round chairs at the island counter. “Please sit down.”

She settled into the seat and looked around. Behind her, there was a couch, a cocktail table and some overstuffed chairs in the living room, and a covered patio opened off the back of the house. She could see a bit of yard and wild fields rolling away toward a small forest. The kitchen was open, and she had the impression that a bedroom sprouted off somewhere down the hallway to her left.

“I’m making some iced tea,” Jack said. “Would you like some?”

He turned his back on her to get something out of the cabinet and then returned with two glasses. Although she hadn’t answered, he tilted the pitcher and set a full drink in front of her. So far, she had refused everything her captors had tried to offer her, so she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since the previous morning. She was thirsty, but she stared suspiciously at the glass. Wasn’t there some rule about not accepting the first thing the enemy offered you? She didn’t know, but she decided to play it safe.

“I hope you like tea,” he said. “Some people think it’s too mundane now that they’ve invented all those new fusion concoctions, but I like to keep things simple. How about you?”

“Sure.” She played along, though she wondered what kind of interrogation this was.

Jack sat across from her. “The temperature seemed right for it. If it needs more sugar, let me know, although I tend to make it sweet.”

He was acting sweetly too. Was that the plan? Was he going to be nice to her until she let down her guard, or was he some kind of strange Roimiran welcoming party? She felt off-balance.

“Can you believe this wonderful weather we’re having?” he asked. “You can really feel that summer is around the corner. I like the warmer months, don’t you, Rosemary?”

Ardra nodded absently, but she was distracted by a familiar tinkling noise on the patio.

Jack followed her gaze. “Those are my wind chimes. Do you like them?”

“Yes,” she said. “My mother’s house used to be filled with the sound of them.”

“That’s interesting. Where was that?” He asked the question casually, but she wasn’t fooled.

She frowned, but the suspicious look she gave him didn’t seem to bother him. Instead, his expression turned sympathetic.

“You look tired,” he told her. “I hope you didn’t have a bad night.”

Ardra rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. After she and the other passengers of the
Oberon
had been taken aboard the Roimiran ship, they had been transported down to this planet and separated. She assumed the guards had thrown Tarrin and Slade into a holding room too, but she had no way to be sure. Then last night, the guard who had escorted her here had told her she would be taken to the precept for interrogation in the morning. Although she had nothing to hide, that announcement hadn’t helped her get to sleep. It had been a long night.

Jack took a big sip of his iced tea, and she gulped in envy as she watched. The next thing she knew, she was lifting her own glass and allowing the cool liquid to flow into her mouth. He smiled at her.

Maybe the tea would perk her up. She had to fight the dozing sensation that came over her.

“Are you really a precept?” she asked, still thrown off by how normal Jack seemed.

He looked a little surprised by the question. “Yes, I am. Not what you expected, huh?”

She shook her head. God, why was she so lethargic all of a sudden?

“I know,” he said. “Precepts are getting a reputation as the bogeymen of the galaxy, aren’t we? I promise you I’m not that bad.”

“And you work here?” she asked.

He laughed, and the sound was as pleasant as the tinkling of the wind chimes. “I’m a homebody. I live here, and I work out of the house. It’s convenient.”

“And where is here? What planet is this?”

She didn’t think he would answer, but he must have figured there was no harm in sharing.

“You’re on Ryso,” he told her. “It’s one of our better kept secrets, a temperate planet not far outside of Tetch space.”

She took another sip of her drink. Her hand shook so badly she nearly spilled. For some reason, it had become difficult to concentrate, but the more she fought it, the more her adrenaline surged. She felt like something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Jack sensed she was feeling threatened again. So far, he was happy with the way this was going, but he wanted her more relaxed before he pushed. Although she was talking to him and he was learning quite a bit from what she didn’t say too, she required a delicate touch. He tried to put her under a little deeper.

“Rosemary,” he said, using his most soothing voice, “what would help you relax? If a loved one were trying to comfort you, what would you want them to do?”

He waited for her response and was surprised when she didn’t answer him. Perhaps she didn’t understand?

“If you’re frightened or upset, what helps? Do you like to be petted or have your hand held or your back stroked? Did your parents used to hug you as a child?” This was usually important to know if he was going to interpose himself into her personal memories later on.

Once again, she remained silent, and he realized she was fighting against his influence. He reminded himself that this woman wasn’t a voluntary patient seeking his help. She was a captive—something he shouldn’t have forgotten for even a second. She looked so vulnerable right now that he wanted to jump in and make it all better, but he controlled himself.

She was a member of the Tetch who could be carrying vital and potentially dangerous information. That was his primary concern. He’d be damned if he would let another Bok-10 massacre occur just because she had a pretty face.

He released his hold on her psyche and tried the direct approach. “I think it’s only fair to offer you a choice from the outset. I’ll let you make the decision. Will you cooperate with me and give me free access to your mind? We need to know where the Tetch are going to attack next or anything else you know.”

Ardra shook her head. “I’m a civilian. I don’t know any military secrets or anything that would be of value to you.”

She was probably telling the truth as far as she knew, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a carrier.

“The Tetch would have taken great measures to suppress your memories of any information you’re carrying,” he explained. “Will you work with me to see if this is the case?”

She hesitated a moment. “I’m not a traitor.”

“If you really have no information,” he pointed out, “then what could you betray to me?”

She stared at him and remained stubbornly silent.

Jack skimmed her surface thoughts, but he didn’t make any more progress. It was noon by the time he concluded their first session. Nash dropped by about an hour later. Apparently, he was the spare resource Walter was giving Jack as a research assistant.

“So you’re the one who’s stuck with me on this, huh?” Jack teased him.

Nash smiled. “I’d hardly say
stuck
. Do you know how big this is? This could really turn the war.”

“Pace yourself, young patriot. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” He motioned toward one of the living room chairs. “Sit down.”

His friend accepted the seat and already had a tablet out so he could take notes. “So what do you have so far?”

Jack gathered his thoughts. “Private Tarrin Thales is exactly who he says he is. As far as he knows, two weeks ago, he received orders to report to Algoron. His travel papers were done up for him, and he followed them to the letter without question. He boarded the
Oberon
on Nintu V and had never met the other passengers before.”

He paused to make certain Nash had gotten all that before he continued.

“Mr. Slade is definitely Mr. Basner Slade. He was on his way to visit an old friend on Algoron, having received an invitation around the same time that Thales was issued his orders. He also boarded the vessel on Nintu V and was a stranger to the others on board. Apparently, the
Oberon
was not a comfortable ship. The bed gave the old man more than a few aches and pains.”

“All right, go on,” Nash said. “What about the woman, Rosemary Warner?”

Jack grinned. “That isn’t her real name. I was convinced from the get-go that she was using an alias. That name didn’t feel familiar enough to her to be her own, but I don’t think she invented it out of thin air. It’s probably a friend or an acquaintance’s name, maybe even an enemy’s. I don’t know much about her yet, other than the fact that her mother’s house had wind chimes, which is sort of odd for the Tetch. Through the others, I can conclude that she boarded at Nintu V and had never seen or heard of her fellow passengers before. I could find out her name from the other two, though she may have used the same alias with them. Wait a minute. Do we have the ship’s passenger manifest?”

Nash shook his head. “The guys from the
Alcor
gave me everything they had, but it wasn’t much. The
Oberon’s
passengers really did a number on that ship. The navigation computer was wiped clean before our guys boarded, although it doesn’t matter since we had already hacked into it to bring the ship to us. There were dozens of little shards scattered around one of the rooms—presumably our mystery woman’s identifying documents. One of the prisoners also destroyed the manifest before we could get a look at it.”

“You can’t run a memory trace and recover the data?” Jack asked.

“No, it wasn’t erased. It was trashed—literally destroyed. Somebody beat up the manifest.”

“I suspect I know which passenger did that,” Jack said. “Can you get the list from elsewhere? This woman isn’t who she says she is, and I need something to go on. I want background information on all of them.”

Nash stood up. “I’m on it. It will take some time, but I’ll get that for you as soon as possible.”

“Thanks.”

He looked at the vacant room after Nash left and thought about the pretty young captive. “Who are you really?” he wondered aloud.

Despite his self-warnings, Jack had more than one reason for wanting to know.