This log was the result of a collaboration, co-written with CMDR Bluecrash of The Order of Twelve. Links are embedded in the text. Thanks and good tidings to CMDR Bluecrash.
After a short trip to the Artificers Clan dredger, I checked over to my exterior panel to lock onto Forester’s Choice and saw that Cadence was making her way over to Upaniklis. I’d spent the past few days getting in facetime with some engineers and upgrading my modules. With everything going on, I can’t deny that I felt a little bit safer with my shields and plasma accelerators beefed up, but seeing N.O.S. jumping into the system left me a little nervous.
I’ve stopped in a few times since I tied up Cadence and haven’t said a word to the crew or to anyone else, spending most of my nights in Division going over any of the various briefings. I’m currently sitting on a 52,900 credit fine levied on me by the Prismatic Imperium after dumping load after load onto Medupe City to make sure the little propaganda ministers of the Empire knew what I thought about Cadence and her precious little Aisling.
Orion was waiting in the hangar for me when I arrived. I’d avoided his holofac requests and comm logs and waved off the crew, without so much as a look, when they’d pass along his requests for a chat. I could roll frozen dairy desserts with the look on his face. I met his energy and stopped in front of him, licking the back of my teeth, and he turned his head to the side and bent his arm at the elbow toward the briefing room.
Cadence and dad were already standing in front of a blackened holofac screen when I entered, Orion a cold draft following me in. They both looked over, dad trying poorly to contain a gut-laugh and Cadence looking at me like a hungry ghost. I ignored them both, walking straight to the holofac screen and pushing the receive indicator.
A face appeared that I’ve never seen and Orion gave her a nod.
“It is a high honor to make your acquaintance, Senator. I’m sure you’re familiar with Cadence,” Orion raised his arm to his waist with his fingers pointing toward Cadence, who did little other than look away briefly, “and the lovely lady here is Coral.”
I clenched my jaw and dad began,
“Pardon’s, Senator, but I’d rather forgo the pleasantries. We appreciate your understanding, when it comes to our work in Cubeo, and we understand the inconvenience it’s caused in light of our connection to those responsible for The Emperor’s captivity. I’ve been made to understand that you had certain expectations, regarding our appreciation for having taken the time to look over our request to depart from HR 32 after our operation. I hope you’ll still forgive the discretion we exercise with regard to our operations.”
The face on the holofac screen remained still. She looked at each of us, a few seconds at a time, her deadened eye making me far more uncomfortable than her blinded eye. Her tribal tattoos and pallor gave her the appearance of a person nearer death than the person of immense power her title would indicate. The scar that cut across her face was almost as deep as the abyss I felt when our eyes locked.
“The Empire pays the best, and expects the best of its employees. There is a certain stench that I have only come to associate with those nomadic space-wooks of a Dredger Clan and I hope it hasn’t gotten the best of you there in Forester’s Choice. I suspect they may be replacing or eating residents, after their daily visits to the Golconda. Wallglass Investigations was looking into a new drug that made people a little more hungry. The fact that the Federation sealed this community after it left the Golconda makes them easy to eat or become sustenance, having no ID in the Pilots Federation computers makes one a ghost. Not our problem. Forester’s Choice inhabitants are not under Empire rule, nor do we want them.”
I looked toward Orion, seeing him cringe after hearing the word “employee”. The sound of her voice came with a cold sonority that resonated with N.O.S’. bulkheads. As she spoke, the holofac image deteriorated into RGB light shows at odd intervals. She seemed to show no signs of recognizing the signal disturbance, continuing with her deadened tones.
“With regard to Novos Ordo Siderum, I’ve been made to understand that you’re appreciative of my assistance in securing your liberties in the ruling passed at the conclusion of the Milky Way Investigations, the decision handed down on February 10, 3308. Having questioned the group known as the Lords of Restoration, as you can see from this image, we took actions that left them looking like the Darkwater and Imperial Senators we once knew, if a little shorter.”
I jerked my head to the side, to hide a laugh, at the mention of The Lords of Restoration, having to turn away to avoid belching in the Senator’s face after seeing the image she flashed across the screen, bending over at the waist and pretending to adjust my magboots to hide my guffaw. I couldn’t help but wonder if we were getting ourselves back into another situation with Imperial authorities that would end up boomeranging back to another Senator Nerva. We’d just barely cleared ourselves of any involvement with the Emperor’s captivity and I haven’t heard anything about Cadence’s Imperial Diplomat since he relieved Cadence of her duties in Achenar and Facece. Yet, there we were sending her on an attack run against a Prismatic Imperium controlled prison.
“The IISS and ACT were not helpful on this matter, but took most of the credit. I was unknown in the Milky Way, until this event, having only worked as a Xeno-archeologist and at the Fringe Lab with Order of Twelve Corporation. The 1000 person Imperial Senate had some openings, and by ‘royal decree’ the Emperor added me into the Imperial senate. Perhaps you caught some of the Holo-Me articles? Or the Li-Dynasty Club investigations prior?”
I hadn’t the slightest idea what she was talking about. I’d been wondering what it was we’d been waiting on from Orion’s superiors and, as the Senator continued, I grew increasingly uncomfortable. N.O.S. had been in HR 32 for almost a month and I’d still yet gotten an explanation from Orion that made any sense of our tasking Cadence with the reformatory attack to support the asset extraction.
The Senator looked back and forth to each of us as she continued, with one eye trailing the other, creating momentary increases in tension as the second drifted toward each of us. Orion began as I felt the immensity of the Senator’s gaze slowly settle on me,
“Senator, we are most humbly appreciative of the concern you’ve shown us in the past year and we believe that it could be in our mutual interest to secure our relationship as you continue with your career in the Senate.”
“I am all ears and one eye into this mutual interest you speak of.”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, we have agents working in a multitude of Imperial systems, many of whom would like to continue to do so. However, for the time being, my superiors have tasked us with our organization’s investigation of Zachary Rackham. Our Coral, here, had initially brought the Artificers Clan to our attention, under what we can only now assume to be mistaken conclusions, as a possible future asset. We will be departing for HIP 58832, in short order, to look into matters closer to what we believe may be his ultimate intent. Would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you, yourself, may have had sources embedded in Mr. Rackham’s celebration to collect information?”
“Yes, the Empire has had Rackham’s estate under full surveillance since he was Calico Jack. I have made the file public for you to review. In the media he became a player in the Federal system having One-trillion credits in the Bank of Zaonce. However, he is 79 trillion and counting credits in debt. His creditors are finding it harder and harder to collect due to their shortened health spans.”
I scanned the Senator’s file on Rackham, taking note of the lists of his crimes. The Calico Jack rumors had been cycling near non-stop since he made his galactic presence so recently felt, but I hadn’t expected the Senator to be so nonchalant about any truth behind them.
“Rackham is a notable citizen of the Federation and owes most of his wealth to them. Our interest in him is purely over his Kavanagh Spaceframes LTD purchase. My capital ship was sent there for the same modifications they make for Brewer Orbitals. Almost immediately after, Rackham purchased the company, and my Majestic-Class-Interdictor was never delivered.
Dad responded,
“We’d equally been taking an interest in his investment into Kavanagh Spaceframes LTD. We’d been focusing most of our interest in the company’s relationship with the Kumo Crew. We’d looked very little into their contracts with private individuals, but we have been watching the recent attempted usurpation of Kumo Crew leadership closely. There’s some suspicion within our own organization that Mr. Rackham may be building relationships with outside forces in an effort to advance his Presidential aspirations,” Orion’s head jerked to toward dad with a glare that raised the temperature in the room, “and any sources with information that might allow us to glean his intentions would be extremely helpful.”
“Kumo Crew… yes Streya Jormagdnir will kill their leader, taking his place through time-honored-combat soon. Streya is Elder One, of the Order of Twelve. We plan on replacing many of the current Powers. I have set my sights on replacing Li Yong-Rui. The discount on items in his systems is nice, but not really worth all the child traffik he is involved with while parading as a doctor and Sirius corporation owner. Sirius corporation will be absorbed. The heads will be replaced… literally. And once sitting at Li Yong-Rui’s desk, I will order the Club sandwich. His dynasty is in decline, as all the Holo-Me articles indicated. Bank of Zaonce is heavily involved in laundering his credits.”
Cadence looked toward me on the mention of Li Yong-Rui. I continued to ignore her. As the Senator continued, Orion began to shift on his feet, uncomfortably. Dad tried to redirect the conversation,
“But with regard to the Kumo Crew’s relationship to Mr. Rackham, would we be beyond your reach to determine whether or not such a relationship may have been the intent with the purchase of Kavanagh Spaceframes LTD.
“We believe Kavanagh Spaceframes LTD, are Guardian owned. Always have been. There is no other record besides Jaques Station, jumping over 20,000ly in a single jump after their alterations to his Orbis drives. ”
Orion and dad looked toward one another at the mention of the Guardians, each man keeping their thoughts to themselves. Cadence began to fidget and Orion piped up,
“Forgive my interruption, Senator, but we’re currently en route to Mr. Rackham’s vacation resort and we may lose the signal. With regard to our current work, would our continued look into Mr. Rackham’s possible connections to the Federation’s political milieu be potentially of service? We can ensure that you are informed of our findings through our agents in Imperial space if that meets your needs.
“I’m sure I’ll be kept abreast of your findings. Thank you for taking time for this fleshkind meeting. Everything is so impersonal with holo-me conferences. Keep up the good work.”
The holofac went blank and the three of us were left in total silence. Captain Green entered in civilian attire and waved at dad before thanking Cadence for the opportunity to captain her vessel, letting her know that she would be departing as soon as N.O.S’. new captain came aboard. Dad quickly turned to Cadence, his eyes opening in shock, before turning to Captain Green, who ran her fingers through her hair tucking them behind her ear with a look back in his direction.
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