(Confederate Intelligence Service HQ, Somewhere on Dimiya)
Alok Paxisys was busy. Regardless of what certain Senators thought, he had more responsibilities than simply overseeing their political games against the Black Star Company. There were many potential threats to the Confederation, both from without and within. Finding those threats and ending them before they became a problem was the job of the Confederate Intelligence Service.
Currently, he was going over the forensic report on the events of Jagloth. The planet had been burned to a crisp almost two years ago now, but a proper review of the intelligence apparatus took time, and the task was not made easier by the large number of resources that had been destroyed when the legion was eliminated. But that was fine. This was not a report for the Senate or anyone on the ‘outside’. This was an in-house report, to try and find out if there was anything that the CIS could have done to prevent the disaster, short of having psychics who could flawlessly predict the future, or completely shredding the rights of citizens.
Unfortunately, due to the speed of the Legion takeover, and the way it spread, traditional intelligence techniques would not help, once someone had gotten a sample of the nanites and begun replication. And according to sources in the Nomad community, the Nomad who had been responsible had apparently altered the nanite coding himself, so there would have been no warning there. No, the only place where they could have done better was in interdicting the ‘Hundeherstellar’ nanites or better tracking who the nanites went to when they had gotten into the underworld of Jagloth. Thankfully, the syndicates had been most helpful in eliminating the smugglers who brought in the nanites, and his sources told him that the word was out that anyone bringing the nanites into Confederate space would find themselves on the wrong side of an airlock if the syndicates found out about it. Situations like Jagloth were bad for business, after all.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Looking up, he saw his aide. “Ah, Alred. What is it?”
The aide looked flustered. “Captain Mollen has sent a response to our request to meet. He just sent a response saying that he was back on Dimiya, and will be happy to meet with us, but suggests tomorrow, as he will be attending a meeting with a certain Senator tonight.”
Paxisys blinked, stunned. “He said WHAT?”
(Origin Club, Thelorious, Dimiya)
“Perhaps they just know me better than you do, hmm?”
Senator Adynore’s head snapped up, looking to the source of that foreboding sentence. Sitting at the other end of the table from her was Rina Virstina, one of the junior Senators for Dimiya, and a rising star in the Shining Path faction. Glowering at the younger woman, Adynore said, “Explain yourself.”
Virstina smiled, and stood, so that the entire room could see her clearly. And then her face began to shift, as though melting! Several people gasped in horror, and pushed back from the table, but Adynore stood transfixed, unable to turn away from the sight of the other woman’s features warping to change into that of the human they had been talking about, though still on Virstina’s body. When ‘she’ spoke again, it was with the deeper voice that one associated with the leader of the Black Star Company.
“It is as I said. Perhaps the intelligence groups simply know me better than you do.” ‘She’ smiled, and looked around the room. “Oh, dear, I guess some introductions are in order? You see, my name is Mirikon Mollen, Captain of the Starlight Raven, Owner of the Black Star Company, and Commodore of the Black Star Navy. Though I expect they’ll be insisting on me being an admiral if we get many more ships.”
He held up a hand as some people were starting to come out of shock, and were about to interject, “Now, some of you may be wondering how I am here, looking like this? Well, let us just say that there is proprietary technology that we have not released to the public, and leave it at that. Not everything Black Star does is suitable for the open market, but it does have its uses.”
Adynore growled, now that her target was right in front of her. “What did you do with Senator Virstina?”
“Ah, Rina? I’m afraid that she is very tired after the thorough workout I gave her while persuading her that she should stop supporting a losing cause. You see, she was always just using you people in the Shining Path to further her career, but she represents the region around Shvehona City, you know? And I am very popular there, enough that she really couldn’t refuse to meet me. From there, I seduced her, and took great care to pump her long and hard… for information, of course. By the time I was done, she was shouting your secrets so loudly that the whole building would have heard her if not for the soundproofed walls. When she told me of this lovely meeting, I decided that I simply must attend in her place, since she was sleeping off our exertions.”
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Adynore bristled with rage. That WHORE! She sold out the party? Her people’s destiny? Everything? And for what, some man who was rumored to have slept with half of Nuevo Edo already? The whore was going to be ruined when Adynore got out of here. There would be no place on this planet – no, the entire Confederacy! – that she would be able to hide from her shame!
The… thing that had masqueraded as Virstina chuckled wickedly and turned ‘her’ attention to Kamata. “Now, Kamata, I believe you were warned about what would happen if you tried to move against Black Star. In fact, I know you were, because I was personally informed that all the syndicates on Dimiya had been informed of the consequences of that. And after listening to your conversation, I have decided that you are too stupid to be a syndicate leader. Fortunately, a disagreement between me and you does not need to become a disagreement between Black Star and the Jade Serpents. See, when I am done here I will go to your second, and have a discussion with him. If that doesn’t prove fruitful, I will continue having discussions as I elevate people from within your organization due to vacancies at the top.”
The Yakuza leader bristled at the way he was being talked down to, like a child, and snapped. “What, you would threaten to kill me, in front of all these witnesses? You would be ruined! You may be able to get to one of us, but by then we would have called every police officer on this planet to come and arrest you, and there would be no escape for you then.”
“Ah, foolish, foolish Kamata-chan. You see, I am not worried in the slightest about any of the people in this room. After all, each and every one of you are dead men and women, you just haven’t figured it out yet.”
‘She’ turned her attention to Miravaris, who was trying to reach someone, anyone on her commlink. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, Miss Miravaris, but I am afraid this room is quite excellently shielded to prevent any communications from coming in or out. After all, the Origin Club prides itself on discretion, and this meeting was to be of the utmost discretion. Senator Virstina saw to it personally, though the funds came from a Shining Path account. Yes, I am afraid all of you are completely cut off from the outside.”
Adynore growled, and said, “Enough of this nonsense!” She slapped the ‘call’ button to summon the Club staff so they would come and open the doors, which would break the secure comms protocols on the room, at least long enough for an emergency message to get out.
‘Virstina’ simply smiled, and said, “Oh, no, I’m afraid it hasn’t been nearly enough yet, Senator. You see, my people have already taken control of the building’s computer systems, and have quietly isolated this room, to ensure that we will be completely undisturbed. I did not go to all the trouble of crashing this party to allow you all to run away like frightened rats.”
Lukian looked fearful. “You cannot do this! We’re some of the most powerful people in the Confederacy! You will become a pariah! You will be hunted throughout the galaxy!”
“Ah, Lukian. Are you talking about your little ‘insurance policy’? Having a fund of a million credits ready to go should you die of unnatural causes to be paid out when your executor is presented with the head of the ones responsible for your untimely death is inspired, truly. Unfortunately, it is a trick I have seen before, and I’ve already made preparations.”
‘Virstina’ chuckled at Lukian’s look of shock. “Oh yes, I have. You see, a well known assassin is on Dimiya as we speak. When we conclude our conversation, he will receive a packet of information detailing the nature of your contract, as well as the evidence pointing to one of Senator Adynore’s rivals within the Shining Path, and their concerns that she was gaining too much influence in the movement. That evidence will be released publicly just before the assassin takes out the target, and I’m sure they’ll thank you for your quick payment on services rendered.”
Adynore rose from her chair. She couldn’t let this Nomad continue to control the flow of the conversation. She needed to reassert her dominance, and move it into an arena where she could outmaneuver him, or at least make it so that she could survive this. She would strike back when he least expected it. That in mind, she glared at the man that was somehow wearing a woman’s body, and said, “What is it that you want? You’ve made your point, now, what deal do you want to make it as if this never happened? I assume that Virstina is your fall woman that will be executed to answer Lukian’s bounty?”
“Oh my, no. It will be the Senator from Vidara, Daniels. You really have been more and more virulent in your anti-human rhetoric lately, and it was disturbing him greatly, since he planned to oust you before the next elections. Taking out your supporters was simply an added benefit.”
“As for Rina, she has the perfect alibi, if a bit scandalous. She was seen in the company of a dashing young man last night at one of Thelorious’s trendiest clubs, where many people caught the two of them on video. The two of them went to a nearby hotel, where they were both seen entering the hotel, and going up to a penthouse suite. Their neighbors made a noise complaint because of how loud they were in their lovemaking. Since then, she has canceled her appearances for today, which weren’t many since it is the weekend, and enjoyed a day in bed, and room service has confirmed delivery multiple times to the room. In the meantime, a prosthetic disguise with her face will be found next to these discarded clothes by the police, confirming that someone posing as her infiltrated the club, where checking identification is not done, to keep from leaving records of who comes in or out of the club. When she checks out of the hotel with the man tomorrow morning, she will have a very valid alibi, I assure you.”
Miraveris looked up at ‘Virstina’, and said, “You said we were already dead. What did you mean?”
“Ah, you poor thing. You never checked your food and drink for poison. Well, not a poison, in this case, but nanites. They’ve been placed in each one of your meals, and by now have spread throughout your body, simply waiting for a signal. What will these nanites do, you’re probably wondering? Well, simply put, they will induce cardiac arrest in your hearts, killing you all quickly and cleanly, with no evidence as to who killed you. Honestly, I have some wonderful people working for me.”
Then ‘she’ pressed a button on her bracer, and Adynore felt a stabbing pain in her chest, before things went dark.