Knight of the Empire
Chapter 15

I yawned and stretched and opened my eyes seeing another unfamiliar ceiling. Again I wished I were somewhere else. The bed was very comfortable and yet I felt like an unwanted guest. My mind ran through yesterday’s events. The party had been for me I guess they knew how I would react so they had kept the fact that I was the guest of honour from me. When Admiral Komana had pointed to me I had embarrassed myself by shouting. I felt such an idiot and not for the first time in so many days. Again I had been thrust into the centre of politics gaining another title as Duchess of Aurelis Prime although I wasn’t certain how the government of the planet would react to that. Aurelis Prime was an independent world. It may had been part of the Confederacy but it had the rights to make it own laws as long as they didn’t interfere with Confederacy ones and as far as I knew it was a democracy and not a kingdom as Nthus was. Not only that I had been promoted to colonel with Spec Ops. Although I suspected both the title and the promotion had been to level the field with the Terran Empire. All it did was to worsen my headache. Now I was truly straddling both the Empire and the Confederacy. After the revelation and the prince’s reassurances I had expected to go back to the hospital or at the least the Havok. I would have preferred the Havok I would have had to put up with only one Valkyrie. The prince had other ideas and I was currently residing in the palace guest apartments. The room I was in had been decorated for humans the colours on the walls were darker hues than the pastel shades so loved by the T’Arni. The bed was a large four-poster with dark blue velvet drapes. The colours continued to the plush couch and chairs. The chairs and tables had been gilded and were in a rococo style. Ellie had pointed the style to me on one of her trips so I knew what to look for. Whether they were genuine or copies I couldn’t tell that was as far as my knowledge went on furniture. There were paintings on the wall someone had gone a lot of trouble to make it look old world Terran. If it hadn’t been for the large oval window overlooking the city I could have imagined I was on Earth.

Slipping out of bed I pulled on a flowery silk dressing gown another gift from the prince and walked over to the bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t all that different from the rest of the apartment. The style was typically Terran with a bath, separate shower and all the usual washroom facilities. The shower was invigorating and after the trials of the last couple of weeks a welcome change. Feeling relaxed after my shower I walked back into the bedroom and froze. A T’Arni woman with dark hair down to her waist and in palace colours was standing next to my bed. I knew I hadn’t made it when I had got up but not only had it been made, a set of plastic boxes had been laid out on top of it.

“Your highness.” She did a passable Terran curtsey to me. “His highness waits for you in the early room.”

My mind translated the words to Terran the servant meant breakfast room. “Thank you I’ll be there as soon as I have dressed.” Not like I’d have a choice in the matter I was here in the palace at his request.

“His highness had your clothes brought up.” The servant waved to the bed. “I’ll be outside if you need anything?”

“Yes, thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say. I was dreading what the prince had decided I should wear.

I waited until she had gone before investigating the contents of the boxes. Inside was a Confederacy dress uniform crisp and stiff with its newness. It wasn’t the same as the Valkyrie one I had worn yesterday this was more a human style. On the high collar were two eagles in gold. I missed my maple leaves, one of which was a miniature microphone. These were plain eagles. Another box contained underwear more to my liking in a pale blue and made from silk. I dressed in the uniform, which fitted, like it had been made for me. Which I strongly suspected was the case. A third box contained new shoes and strip of blue and silver cloth. I ignored the cloth and put on the shoes. Like the rest of the uniform they seemed to have been made for me. Looking at my hair I decided to wear it brushed straight it may have been over regulation length but I refused to plait it up Valkyrie style. Despite what Sigrunn said I was no Valkyrie. Finally ready I exited the bedroom only to be stopped by the servant.

“Your highness you’ve forgotten your sash!” She gasped making it sound like I had committed a fashion crime. “Please wait here while I fetch it.”

I just wanted to see the prince and be on my way. I doubted I was going to replace my way there on my own so I let her fuss about. The sash turned out to be the strip of cloth from the shoebox. The woman wrapped it around my waist with two tasselled strips that hung down on my right hand side reaching the tops of my thighs.

“That better?” I asked I hadn’t wanted to be snappy but it came out that way.

“Yes your highness, now this way.”

I followed the servant to a room only a floor below the one I had been on.

The breakfast room was light and airy with a huge picture window on one side leading to a balcony that overlooked the city. The room itself was in pastel shades of greens and blues with a table and chairs set in the centre. Contrary to what I had expected it contained a kitchen and dressers that could have been found in any Confederacy dwelling. It was small and intimate where I had expected a far larger room. The prince and Sheila sat at the only table in the room remains of a meal in front of them. A third place had been laid out.

“Come on in Sandra.” The prince waved me in indicating the third place setting. “Please sit.”

I sat at the table not knowing what to say. I did notice the lack of servants and relaxed a little. “If this is about last night all I can say is sorry,” I said to the prince, my apology was genuine.

“Think nothing of it Sandra and you can call me Lento.” He smiled and clasped Sheila’s hand.

She smiled back but her face was pale. I glanced at her a worried look on my face. Before I could say anything she darted from the table her hand over her mouth. Several things clicked into place. Yesterday at the party she had only drunk water and hardly eaten. I felt sorry for her it would have to be now with the Rhosani on the way back. Not if I had any say in it I silently vowed. It wasn’t long before she returned her face had a greenish tint.

“How far along?” I had to ask the question my mind of the events at the senate building I would never forgive myself if she miscarried because of it. I couldn’t remember where she had been at the time. I had been too busy trying not to get strangled by a Rhosani.

“A couple of months,” she replied putting her hand on Lento’s.

Lento smiled back as if nothing was wrong and got up. He went across to a warming unit on the kitchen counter and pulled out a plate. I had been expecting nuts and berries and that thick yellow cream the T’Arni so loved but what I got was a total surprise. I stared at the plate he laid in front of me despite my shock at the prince serving me what I could see on the plate was more of a shock than that. T’Arni never ate meat at their first meal of the day. Yet on the plate was the T’Arni equivalent of bacon and scrambled eggs. I felt guilty eating in front of the two of them especially Sheila who was still looking pale.

“Please eat,” she said seeming to sense my unease. “It’s all I can stomach at the moment. Lento still has his berries and cream in the morning it’s that what sets me off not this.”

I emptied my plate and was even more surprised when Lento took it off me.

“Let me do this. It’s the only private time we have before the day’s schedule pulls us apart.”

“I’m sorry I seem to be intruding.”

“Nonsense,” Sheila snorted she was looking better. “It’s at times like these when we can be truly who we are.”

Lento sat back down taking her hand in his. “I can only echo what Sheila says,” he paused with a nod to her. “One thing that will make your day, your companion Gena, we moved into the palace.”

“Gena’s here!” I stopped myself before I made a mess of things. That had been my intention on reaching Athanasios but my kidnapping and the confronting the Rhosani in the senate had pushed it to the back of my mind. I owed her too much to abandon her now. She was my responsibility and my shame I had let her down badly. “I must go see her.”

A servant appeared I’m not sure how they were summoned and bowed to the prince.

“Your highness?” the servant addressed the prince.

“Her highness wishes to see her companion she’s in the medical station. Please show her the way.”

“Yes your highness,” the servant replied and turned to me. “Please follow me your highness.”

“Thank you,” I said to the prince. “Your highnesses?”

“It’s we that should be thanking you,” the prince replied. “From the both of us.”

The servant led me through the corridors to another part of the palace. I had to admit I would have got lost if I had tried to do it myself. A door slid open to reveal a corridor with another door at the end guarded by two Valkyrie.

“Your companion is in the room at the end.” With that he departed.

I entered the corridor and regarded the two Valkyrie standing there. Both were wearing security vests considered light armour by the GF and were in skinnies that clung to their bodies like a second skin. You could see every contour of their muscles. I wasn’t here to fight them I knew I would lose against two of them. They had an AR 32 strapped to their chests and their plaited hair was wrapped on top of their heads, as mine had been when I woke up in the Valkyrie hospital. One had a red and gold sash on her hip while the other’s was purple and silver. Even with all the Valkyrie we had in the GF they had been closed mouthed about their clans. I knew enough to know that it wasn’t something you asked them about. Well you could as long as you didn’t want to keep you teeth. With a nod to them I slipped past them into the room. Gena was sitting up in bed and awake when I entered the room. I felt relieved on seeing her awake. Her gloomy expression lit up when she saw me although she frowned puzzled. I suspected that she was wondering about my hair and eyes.

“My lady you’re here!”

“Gena,” I replied pulling up a chair beside her bed. “Looking better.”

“You saved me, you saved everyone from the Rhosani.”

I was at a loss for words, I had let her down badly thinking that I should have left her on board the Jakarta and all of this guilt would not be darkening my heart.

“I only did what I had to.”

A T’Arni doctor entered the room saving me from saying anything further. I was relieved in one way. With the Valkyrie on the door I had expected another Valkyrie doctor. She was a T’Arni in a doctor’s tunic a scanning glove on her hand.

“Doctor?” I asked glad for the disruption. “How is Gena doing?”

“Well and on the mend.”

“Sorry for being ill my lady?” Gena told me.

“What?” I asked Gena sounding confused. The doctor was frantically trying to get my attention I ignored her.

“For getting sick I can’t remember much.”

The doctor grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away. Angrily I shook her off. “Gena you weren’t ill, you were poisoned.”

“Poisoned?”

“Your highness!” the doctor tried to interrupt talking in Galactic she must have understood Terran to hear what I was trying to tell Gena. “ We don’t talk about that!”

I gave the doctor my most annoyed expression. “I have to be truthful she deserves that at least!” I replied in Galactic and then spoke to Gena in Terran. “You were poisoned with a neurotoxin meant for me.” I explained everything that had happened since she had been poisoned. I didn’t leave anything out.

Gena listened without comment only speaking once I had finished. “I knew about the Rhosani it’s all everyone is talking about I didn’t know about the other until now.” She lay back with her head on the pillow her eyes closed.

“I’m sorry Gena I’ve let you down.”

“No my lady you haven’t what you do is important. I’m just glad we have you.” She didn’t open her eyes and her voice sounded stained.

“Please your highness let Gena have her rest,” the doctor said to me.

I took the hint. I could see the effort of speaking had taxed Gena. “I’ll will be back later Gena if I can?” I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing. I didn’t want to get any deeper in to politics but I had a bad feeling that was what would happen.

“Go my lady stomp those Rhosani into the dust.” Gena said and waved me away.

I took that as my cue to leave.

I stepped through the door of the medical room straight into a confrontation. Two Marines in full armour stood toe to toe with the two Valkyrie guarding the door. I noted from their height that these Marines were T’Arni. Both the Valkyrie and the Marines had their hands on their weapons. It was what the Terrans would call a Mexican standoff although I was confused by the expression. Then again many odd Terran expressions confused me, since no one here was a Mexican and I wasn’t sure if it was even the correct expression to use on this occasion but it seemed to fit what was going on. Both the Marines saluted on seeing me. There was no insignia on their pauldrons.

“Ma’am!” one of the Marines said.

I recognised the voice. “Bacare?” which meant the other Marine was Kriaeusus.

“Yes ma’am.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Escort duty ma’am.” Bacare replied respectfully. I think that was more for the benefit of the two Valkyrie rather than for my ego.

“Admiral Katares compliments ma’am,” Kriaeusus said.

“Ok.” I waved the two Valkyrie back. “These are part of my squad,” I told them but I was no longer sure if that was correct. I seemed to be in limbo here. “To where?”

“Admiral Prmi at Com Ops he needs to talk strategies with you,” Bacare replied.

“Prince Lento gave his blessing and sent us.” Kriaeusus said. “He thought you should be with those you know on trust.”

“Thank you,” I replied glad of the distraction it was better than worrying about politics. This was something more in my field.

I followed Bacare and Kriaeusus through the corridors of the palace I wasn’t looking forward to a three hundred kilometre trek in the back of a MRECV. They led me upwards and not down finally we stepped out onto a landing pad near the pinnacle of the tower.

“Sandra,” I heard a voice call out.

I turned to see Sheila standing in the shade of awning that lined one side of the landing pad opposite was a ledge. The floor of the pad had been scorched with the under jets of shuttles. Currently there was only one shuttle on the pad sporting the prince’s personal insignia.

“Your highness,” I replied formally.

“Why so formal Sandra aren’t we friends.”

“Sorry,” I apologised.

“No need for that. Lento would have wished to be here but he’s been called away. I just wanted to assure you that you will be welcome here and we’re expecting you back for the evening meal.”

“Thank you,” I replied feeling uncomfortable.

“Be careful Sandra,” she said looking pale.

“Not in my nature.” Was my automatic reply.

“Yes so everybody keeps telling me.”

I opened my mouth to respond to that but Sheila had already hurried away I suspected her belly was churning up here. Shuttle pads never smelt good with a mix of acrid fumes and the stench of burnt ceramics. I felt sorry for her it was one condition I wasn’t going to put myself into. I climbed aboard the shuttle and sat down. Bacare and Kriaeusus sat opposite and removed their helmets both men looked uneasy.

The door to pilot compartment slid open. I stared at the familiar figure standing there.

“Flight Lieutenant Ross reporting for duty.”

“Ross?” I was surprised to see him. “The prince let you fly his shuttle?”

“Yes ma’am he told me you’d want no one else.”

I was certainly relieved to see someone I trusted at the controls. “Ok Ross.”

He paused and winked at me. “We’re not going to do an Anoxi drop again?”

“Not unless we have to I’d rather keep my breakfast inside my belly this time.”

“That’s a shame ma’am it was fun.” With that he went inside the cockpit and the door slid shut behind him. “Buckle up folks!” His voice floated out of the intercom.

I buckled on my harness noting the decor within the shuttle. It was almost as plush as Camelia’s had been before I spilled my blood all over it floor. I felt a rumble as the shuttle lifted and a slight jerk as Ross adjusted his flight path and we headed off. I worried about Bacare and Kriaeusus silence I was determined when I had the time to ask them what was wrong for now I wanted to concentrate on what the admiral deemed so important. Half an hour later the engine throttled down and we came into landing.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as we exited the shuttle onto the Com Ops shuttle pad. It hurt me to see the wrecked hulks of destroyed shuttles littering the ground beyond the pad. I had heard that the fighting was fierce but to see the aftermath was not something I could imagine in my wildest dreams nor would I want to. The Com Ops building was step pyramid another thing I learned off Ellie she had shown me images of pyramids and Com Ops looked like one of those from ancient Egypt. It had the same colour. Com Ops was also like the Terran palace in that most of the building was underground. We made our way past empty MAR turrets and dried blood stains. We walked past a blasted duracrete blockhouse and dozens of GF and Marines to the entrance. The guards on the massive blast doors let us through without comment. We moved slowly in the bowls of the structure taking the elevator down. Admiral Prmi’s office was at the base of the building deep underground. The office was through several corridors. Two guards stood outside a short corridor, which lead to a reception area. A T’Arni woman sat at a desk watched over by another two guards we hardly had time to breathe when the woman ushered us into Admiral Prmi’s office. The room was basic to say the least. I could see dozens of shelves behind the desk all empty. It felt too clean and sterile I remembered a Terran phrase ‘a new broom sweeps clean’. I’d always keep thinking about these Terran expressions I guess some of Ellie’s teachings were rubbing off on me. There were four men in the room I marched to the desk and stood to attention in front of Admiral Prmi.

He was seated behind his desk with General Pitney and Admiral Katares flanking him. I recognised the Ezaran colonel but the forth man was unfamiliar but looked uncomfortable in his uniform.

I saluted. “Colonel Locke reporting as ordered.”

Admiral Prmi glanced to the forth man. “Well?” he asked.

“I can’t read a thing?” the man said to the admiral.

I guessed he was a tepe understandable in the present circumstances.

“At ease Colonel Locke,” General Pitney told me.

Admiral Prmi leaned forward looking directly at me. “First of all I want to apologise.”

“Apologise for what sir?”

“My doubting your suitability for the Anwa Padak mission. I looked at your records and only saw the worst. I ignored what the computers were telling me and thought you’d fail. Which was why I hadn’t wanted you on that mission.”

“You were entitled to your opinion sir.” I had got that impression the last time he had talked to me.

“I didn’t base it on fact you’ve always done what you been asked. You’ve exceeded all expectations. You stopped the war.”

“That was Constantina and Camelia. All I did was destroy a Rhosani,” I replied using Ellie’s official name.

“As with the senate. You may not have been the one to stop the war but your actions allowed it to happen.”

“They were my orders.” I remembered well that my orders were to get Ellie and Camelia to palace.

“We aren’t going to order you. It’s far past that but we still need your help?” Admiral Prmi asked me directly.

“The Rhosani have shown us to be the devious bastards that they are,” Admiral Katares added. “Then there’s that wormhole near Theadon.”

“Which would have been where we headed before we got diverted to Nthus.”

“That was a mistake,” General Pitney admitted he had been silent through the exchange. “We now know the Rhosani manoeuvred us into that when their first plan failed. They planned to use the ATL to take over the government. You stopped them.”

“You can do this for us. We think it’s how they are getting past our defences?” Admiral Prmi asked.

“Of course I’ll investigate.” I wasn’t sure what I could do but it was better than standing around doing nothing. Although I wasn’t sure what they thought I could do. Only Ellie and Camelia had any control over a wormhole and then it was through their amulets. “I’ll need a ship?”

“Any ship in the system is available,” Admiral Katares said. I’m sure he winked across to General Pitney.

“The Havok,” I said without even thinking.

“The Havok?” Admiral Prmi seemed disappointed. “Not something larger like the Geraki?”

“I know the captain and I trust the crew.”

“The Havok then.” Now the admiral sounded disappointed.

I knew enough to know the Geraki was the biggest ship in the T’Arni fleet. A source of pride for all T’Arni. I glanced to Admiral Katares and General Pitney they tried to look stern faced but were failing miserably.

“If that’s all sir. I’ll grab my gear and head aboard?” I saluted smartly.

“Yes colonel you have my permission,” Admiral Prmi told me.

“One thing before you go,” the Ezaran colonel spoke up.

“Colonel?” I replied.

“Take a look at this?” He handed me an AR 32.

It was a Terran AR 32.

“You know this is Terran?”

“The ATL had crates full of them.”

The thought had me worried. “Constantina would have never given them weapons they are as bad as the Night Guard and just a xenophobic. Besides anyone can see this is Terran made?”

“I was wondering if you could tell us more?”

I examined the weapon wondering what further I could tell them beyond what they probably already knew. As I took a closer look at the weapon I realised what was wrong. It didn’t have a serial number on it and from the looks of it someone had erased it. Quickly I stripped down the weapon looking where the numbers were normally stamped. “This has no B.I.N.” I said.

“Bin?” several voices asked.

“B.I.N, Base Identifying Number. All Terran weapons have a B.I.N etched onto the frame and major parts.”

“So you can trace it?” the Ezaran Colonel said thoughtfully. “So these have been erased so it can’t be traced?”

“Bacare do you still have your knife?”

“Sure ma’am.”

“Can I borrow it for a minute?”

“Here.” He pulled his combat knife from the sheath in his boot and tossed it to me.

I caught it without hesitation. “You don’t want this for anything important. I’m about to break it?” I said to the Ezaran.

“No go ahead this should be educational?”

There was a circuit board stuck to the side of the coil housing. Breaking it would render the weapon useless. I jammed Bacare’s blade between the coil housing and the board and applied pressure. There was a sharp crack as the board broke apart splitting the regulator chip. Underneath was a set of three letters and string of numbers.

“All weapons have a B.I.N printed here as this component is a major part of the weapon. Breaking it makes the weapon useless. So anyone who wants to erase all the numbers can’t and still use the weapon, as each board is unique to that weapon. It is a major flaw but one that plays to our advantage.” I said professionally.

“Amazing I certainly didn’t know about that?” the Ezaran said examining the weapon, “I knew that if the board got damaged it had to go back to the factory for re-calibration.” He sighed. “We have a number but are no nearer to where it came from?”

“I know someone who could help?” I turned to Admiral Prmi. “Do I have your permission to contact Earth?”

“Sure go ahead,” Admiral Prmi replied indicating a screen on the wall.

It took a few moments to connect to Earth. There was a slight lag I wasn’t a tech so any explanation about how it worked was well beyond me. Yet we had near instantaneous communication with a planet of the far side of the galaxy while ships crawled the distance taking months. It blinked and the connection was made.

A plain-faced woman with short-cropped hair appeared on the screen. “Can I help you?” one of Eel’s Janes if I guessed it correctly.

“Lady Sandra Camelia Locke.” I used my title although I had little love for it. “I need to speak to Eel?”

“Just a minute your highness,” the woman said as the screen went blank.

When it came back on I could see Eel. Even with all this the distance between us I felt my hackles raise.

“I take it this is important your highness?” he said but without the snarky grin he often used on me.

I quickly explained the situation about the weapons. I wasn’t sure what he was up to calling me ‘your highness’ I kept my suspicions to myself.

“You have a B.I.N?” he asked me.

I gave him the number I had found.

“Ceres arsenal,” he said without even looking up the reference.

“Oh really just like that, that off the top of your head?” I hadn’t meant to be sarcastic but he seemed to bring it out of me.

“We were already investigating the base commander he had links to the Night Guard we thought the weapons had been shipped to dissident groups on Earth. Clearly we were looking in the wrong direction.”

“The Night guard and the ATL would never work together,” I stated.

“That’s the understatement of the year!” Eel replied.

Something else occurred to me. “Do you suspect Rhosani influence?”

“I do now. Clearly the events on Nthus and Ceres are linked. I can see this as part of a larger plan to destabilise the galaxy.”

“There are three powers in our galaxy the Confederacy, the Empire and the Commonwealth. Do you think the Rhosani are trying this within the Commonwealth?” I hated the thought of what we would face if the Rhosani took over the Orsini.

“It’s possible,” Eel said thoughtfully. “It won’t be on a large scale. The Orsini lack a centralised government. There are simply too many clans. A handful of clans I’d say yes to but nothing larger. Orsini like fighting each other more than they like fighting outsiders.”

That I knew to be true.

“We’ll send anything we replace straight to Com Ops we need to be together on this. The Rhosani are starting to get on my nerves.” I was surprised by his tone every time I had a run in with him he had seemed to cool and in charge.

“Is her majesty ok?” I always worried about Ellie. This might my only chance to talk to her.

“Her majesty is dealing with an upsurge in Night Guard activity?”

“If this is related we need to get on top on it.” If I hadn’t been so far away I would have taken that burden from her. She had enough on her plate again my loyalties were split.

“It’s in hand. I’ll pass on your regards to her majesty.”

“Ok send us your details?” I winced at that I wasn’t my job. I shouldn’t have usurped Admiral Prmi he was the head of Com Ops but where Ellie was concerned it was my duty to do the utmost to protect her. Blood was blood and she was the only one standing between chaos and order in the Empire.

“Your highness, Admiral Prmi we’ll co-operate to our fullest ability.”

The screen went blank. The Ezaran Colonel spoke up before I had a chance to apologise to Admiral Prmi.

“Admiral I’ll dig deeper into this and share our replaceings with Terran Intelligence.”

“Take what resources you need.” Admiral Prmi hesitated. “Within reason colonel and I want a full report.” Prmi turned his attention to me. “Haven’t you got a ship to prep?”

“Yes sir!” I saluted and exited quickly.

Halfway back to the shuttle a thought occurred to me. “Bacare can you comm the palace looks like I’ll be late for dinner.” I didn’t want to go back nor did I have a comms unit. I vowed to get one as soon as possible.

“Yes ma’am,” Bacare responded.

I remembered his uneasiness earlier. “Is there a problem Bacare?”

He halted mid stride and looked around his voice lowering. “I felt so afraid when we attacked the Rhosani in the Senate. Nothing we did had any effect. I never felt so helpless. At least with the Orsini you could kill them.”

“You were the only one that could do it and we couldn’t even get him off you.” Kriaeusus added.

“Even the Valkyrie and their superior strength wouldn’t even effect him.”

“So who killed him in the end?” I had to ask I wasn’t in a position to do it my shuriken was lying on the floor out of reach.

“Sigrunn must have heard you she stabbed him with that thing you made?” Bacare gave a shudder. “ It was like bursting a balloon he just vaporised before my eyes all that was left was his clothes and dust. We thought you we dead but Sigrunn picked you up and rushed away only later we heard she had taken you to one of their hospitals.”

Kriaeusus chuckled breaking the gloom. “I didn’t know how obsessive about appearances they were. I hope that hair and those eyes can be reversed?”

“The eyes will take a week but the hair will have to grow out.” I was still annoyed over what had been done to me. I wished they could have at least given me the option to say no. Not that mattered to the Valkyrie they would do what they wanted anyway.

Ross was waiting on the shuttle pad when we reached it. I was annoyed with Kriaeusus he had been laughing all the way back still it broke us out of the gloomy depths we had descended to after what we had found out in Com Ops.

“Ross where’s the Havok?”

“Docked at orbital the station.”

“Get on the comms and locate the captain I need to speak to her face to face.”

“Yes ma’am.”

We climbed aboard the shuttle and it lifted. I was glad to be away from the planet and back into action. I was determined to finish my mission and destroy the Rhosani. For once I felt peace even if it was only a brief moment.