Victoria's Challenge

  “Was someone speaking to you…” Lucas shoots a disgusted look at the Private.

  “Sir, I am Private First Class, Gad Stannic. My father is Assemblyman Rogue Stannic from the House of Knowledge.”

  Lucas turns his back on him, continuing his conversation with Dodge and Lorre.

  “The Arrow is being sent from Carina. It will be here in less than forty-eight hours, it has Royal security attached to it. Is that understood?”

  “Yes Major!” Both respond, understanding the significance of the order.

  “There’s no such ship.” Gad interjects. Lucas continues to ignore him.

  “Make it so.” Lucas orders, heading for his office.

  “Major!” Gad calls after him, arrogantly. “Major, stop!” The flight deck stills at the gall of the private.

  Lucas slowly turns, he can see Gad thinks it’s because of his command.

  “Did you just give me an order, Private Stannic?” Lucas’ tone is deceptively quiet but the entire flight deck hears him. Stannic’s compatriots shrink back.

  “That’s Private First Class, Major, and I’m trying to help you.” Gad thinks he’s in command. “You’ve been given some bad information. There’s no ship that can travel that fast. I would know about it. I know about all Coalition ships.”

  “Really? And why would a Private First Class know about all the fleet’s ships?”

  “Because my father is Assemblyman Rogue Stannic from the House of Knowledge.” The self-important grin on Gad’s face rubs everyone wrong.

  “So?” Lucas challenges.

  “So?” Gad is astounded. “My father makes sure I have all pertinent Intel.”

  “You’re saying your father, an Assemblyman, is giving you, a Private First Class with no clearance, classified Intel on Coalition ships?” Gad suddenly realizes what he’s implied.

  “No! It’s not like that! He knows I’d never compromise the Coalition!”

  “But you just did!” Lucas walks up until he’s nose to nose with the Stannic, never breaking eye contact. “Rico!”

  “Yes Major!” The guard trot’s up to him.

  “I want Private Stannic escorted to the brig.” His eyes shoot to the other three. “I want all of them there. The charge is the disbursement of classified Intel to unauthorized personnel.”

  “Yes Major.”

  “You can’t do this!” Gad sputters. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

  “Shut up, Gad!” One of the three hisses at him. “I’m not going down because you’re an idiot!”

  “Fuck you, Vagi! I’ll make sure your commission is revoked! Fucking little dust sucker, you’ll never be more than a calcite miner like your loser father!”

  “Rico.”

  “Yes Major.”

  “All but that one.” Lucas points to Vagi. “I want him in my office.”

  “Yes Major.”

  “And Rico, if you feel the need to gag Stannic, I’ll sign off on it.”

  “Yes sir!” Rico smiles as he salutes Lucas. The significance isn’t missed. Lucas never expects his people to salute him.

  Vagi knows he is screwed. Why the fuck, had he spoken? He should have just let Gad dig his own grave, but he couldn’t…. he just couldn’t. He watches as the Major sits behind his desk. He knows who the man is, even if Gad doesn’t. He also knows why Zafar had singled out Gad.

  “So… Vagi...your father, he’s a miner on Nuga.” Of all the things he could have started with, that was the last thing Vagi had considered.

  “What of it!” he says defensively.

  “Is he or isn’t he?” Lucas challenges.

  “He is.”

  “Never let anyone make you ashamed of him, Vagi. Ever! Only those strong in mind and body can mine calcite. He does it to give you a better life! You will not disgrace him!”

  “I…. Major…”

  “How long have you been part of Stannic’s group?”

  “I….”

  “It won’t go any further, private. There will be no repercussions for what you say.”

  “Since my fourth cycle in the academy, sir.”

  “Why?”

  “What?”

  “Why? From what I’ve read of your record, you’ve been exemplary. Good grades. Good recommendations. Why would you hookup with Stannic? Prestige?

  “The ancestors no!” Vagi can’t help but say.

  “Then why?” Lucas sees the conflict in the young man’s eyes but he knows he can’t cut him any slack, the boy has to come clean.

  “He discovered I’d taken on work outside the barracks,” Vagi finally admits.

  “What?” Of everything, he could have confessed too, Lucas never would have guessed this.

  "During my third cycle, my father became ill. He couldn’t make the tuition payments. I had to sneak out to work at nights. Stannic found out and threatened to report me unless I helped him with his studies. He was failing strategy. The instructor was House of Protection and his father couldn’t influence him.”

  “Fuck Vagi, why didn’t you go to your advisor?”

  “I did, Advisor Oschofield.” It’s then that Lucas realizes the position Vagi had been in. Oschofield had been the Assemblyman who protested the marriage of Cassandra to his father, demanding it be dissolved before she was allowed to be Queen. He’d lost the support of the people because of it and therefore his seat in the Assembly. Lucas knew he and Stannic were related through their wives. He also knew it was forbidden for cadets to work outside the barracks. They were supposed to be dedicating themselves to their studies. It was grounds for immediate dismissal.

  “He advised you to help Gad.”

  Vagi says nothing, confirming Lucas’ fears. Shit, the kid had been in a tough spot. A kid from the outer reaches, on his own at the Academy, and the one that should have helped him had a personal agenda. It pisses Lucas off. He looks back at Vagi’s record, gathering his thoughts when a handwritten notation catches his eye. A notation made by Professor Naifeh, one of Lucas’ favorite and toughest teachers.

  “It says here that you’re a genius with mechanicals.”

  “Sir?”

  “Professor Naifeh personally wrote in your record that in his opinion, any assignment you’re given that doesn’t involve the maintenance and repair of mechanicals is a waste of your talents.”

  “Sir?” He can see Vagi’s confusion.

  “You didn’t know this?”

  “No sir. When assignments were given, I was assigned to the Conviction with Gad.”

  “So are you?”

  “Am I what, sir?” Vagi is totally confused.

  “A genius with mechanicals?”

  “There’s nothing I can’t fix, given the time. Sir,” he hastily tags on. Lucas raises an eyebrow and walks to the hatch.

  “Lorre!” Returning to his desk, Lucas waits.

  “What’s up, Hawk?” Lorre walks up to them.

  “Lorre, I want you to put Vagi here on one of the Blades. Give him the list of repairs needed and cut him loose. Once he’s finished, I want you, personally to inspect his work. Is that understood?”

  “Yes sir.” Lorre is stunned.

  “Can you handle that, Vagi?”

  “Yes sir! Just show me the tools and parts and it’ll be fixed.”

  Lucas nods.

  “Dismissed!”

  In the brig, Gad steams. Just who the fuck does this Major think he is? Sending him to the brig! Wait until his father finds out. He’ll run him out of the Coalition. He’ll demand it for this insult, and Vagi, that foabhor! Telling him to shut up! He’s gone too. Gad’s friends say nothing. Just watch him pace. All three turn as the cell door opens.

  “I demand to talk to the Admiral!” Ignoring him, the guards escort them into an interrogation room. Entering, they find Lucas already there. Sitting across the table from him is a man and three empty chairs.

  “Anything else you need, Major?” The guard asks.

  “No. Thank you, Sergeant.” Lucas leans b
ack in his chair and waits as Consul introduces himself to the three.

  “What’s going on Gad?” One of his stooges finally finds the nerve to speak.

  “This is ridiculous!” Gad’s disdain is easily heard.

  “This is a preliminary inquiry into Intel that Private First Class Stannic seems to have acquired and his disbursement of that Intel. Counsel Waage is here to make sure the accused rights are not violated.”

  “I demand to speak to Admiral Tar!” Gad is beside himself.

  “The Admiral doesn’t bother himself with preliminary inquiries, Private. It’d be in your best interest that he isn’t contacted at all,” Lucas tells him.

  “Trying to cover your ass, are you Major? Don’t want the Admiral to know you screwed up? My father will ruin you!” Gad threatens.

  Waage looks at his client in shock then suddenly realizes that this self-important little foabhor has no idea who he’s dealing with. “I’d advise you to be quiet, Private Stannic,” Waage tells him.

  “Oh shut the fuck up! This fucking Major’s just pissed that I know more than he does! He’s trying to make himself more important than he is.”

  “Again, I advise you to be quiet. The charges Major Zafar has brought against you, if found to be true, carry severe consequences.”

  Gad pales when he realizes just who is sitting across from him. Who he's been insulting. “Zafar…” Gad’s voice goes up three octaves and his friends slide their chairs away from him.

  “So you’re never involved in preliminary interviews,” Barek asks Quinn in the observation room. Quinn just grins at him, but he loses it as he turns back to the interview.

  “This kid is a foabhor. How the fuck did he get on my ship?” Barek looks at his own file.

  “Seems his old man pulled some strings to move them up on the transfer list and with the casualties from this last attack, they were moved here. I’m sure LaBahn was happy to get him off the Conviction.”

  “Sending me unqualified crew! What the fuck was he thinking?” Barek knew he didn’t want to be LaBahn once the Admiral was done with him.

  “On record, they look qualified but I talked to some people on the Conviction off the record. They stated that these three never did much, the fourth one...” Barek looks at his notes. “A Private Vagi has skills, seems he did all the work for the others.”

  “Where’s he at?”

  “Lucas has him working on a Blade.”

  “What? Why isn’t he in with these three?”

  “I don’t know, Admiral, I was only able to speak briefly with Lucas, but knowing him there’s a reason.”

  “Yes, there would be. What else do I need to know?” Quinn turns when Barek hesitates.

  “Colonel?” Saying nothing Barek flips through his file. Finding what he’s looking for he hands it to Quinn and waits. The eyes that meet him are full of rage.

  “He attacked her? He’s on my ship and he attacked Victoria?”

  “Yes.”

  “Lucas knows this?” The Admiral looks back into the interrogation room.

  “Yes. Do you want me to step in?”

  “Not yet, I want to see how he handles this but one way or another, he’s off my ship Barek.”

  “Understood Admiral.”

  “Yes.” Lucas acknowledges his name. "So now, tell me Private First Class Stannic, what knowledge do you have of the Fleet’s ships? How you came by it and who have you told?”

  “I have no more knowledge than any other Carinian, Major.” Gad is backpedaling fast.

  “That is not what you inferred on the flight deck, Private.”

  “Sir… I was just….”

  “Just what, Private?”

  “Sir, I was just trying to get your attention.”

  “My attention?”

  “Yes sir, you’re considered the best pilot in the fleet, it's a great honor to serve under you.”

  “You didn’t even know who I was, so stop with the Goryn fog. Answer the question.” Lucas can see Gad isn’t used to anyone calling him on his shit as he snaps his mouth shut.

  “I have nothing else to say, Major.”

  “So what do you have to say, Private…” Lucas looks at one of the files. “Kee.”

  Kee pales under Lucas’ gaze.

  “Sir?”

  “Tell me what you know about the fleet’s ships.”

  “Sir, I know only what Gad’s told me sir.”

  “Shut up Kee!” Gad hisses at him.

  “Be quiet Stannic or I’ll have you removed,” Lucas orders.

  “Can he do that?” Gad turns to Waage.

  “Yes.”

  “Now Kee, what has Private First Class Stannic told you?”

  Kee looks to Waage who nods.

  “Sir, Gad told us, me and Laiza, that the new cyclotron propulsion system was up and running and would be used in the Guardian. That with it, the Guardian would be able to do Warp 10 and that it’s warp signature in undetectable unless you use a turminan filter.” Kee continues spewing and to Lucas’ growing horror, he realizes just how large of a leak they really have. When he’d first come down on Stannic, it was because of what he’d done to Victoria but now…. now it’s all about fleet security.

  “How did Stannic tell you he came by this information, Private?”

  “I’ll kill you, Kee!” Stannic lunges for his friend.

  “Guards!” Lucas hollers. Springing from his chair, Lucas pulls Gad off Kee, shoving him face first into a wall. “Put him in a cell by himself.” Lucas orders as the guards put restraints on Gad. "No contact.”

  “Yes sir, Major.”

  “If you two say anything you’re finished! Do you hear me! Dead!” Gad screams as he’s pulled from the room.

  “Do you want me to take over the interview?” Barek turns to the Admiral.

  “No. Let him finish.” Quinn’s eyes are cold.

  “Are you okay, Private Kee?” Lucas asks as he rights his chair and sits.

  “Yes sir.” The boy is pale and sweating, they both are.

  “Do I need to repeat the question, Private?”

  “I… sir… he…”

  “Kee!” Laiza interrupts him.

  “Private Laiza, do I need to remove you from the room too?”

  “Sir?”

  “You are attempting to influence testimony in interview. It is a punishable act, do you wish to continue?”

  Laiza looks at Waage.

  “He’s correct, Private.

  “No sir, but you have to understand….” Laiza pauses.

  “Understand what, Private?” Lucas asks.

  “Gad’s father sir….”

  “What about him?” Lucas demands.

  Laiza takes a deep breath.

  “Sir, he’s an Assemblyman. He can have us stationed at Turon. Make sure we stay there, if we go against Gad. My younger brother is in the Academy, he can get him dismissed.”

  “Who told you that? Gad?”

  “No sir.”

  “Assemblyman Stannic threatened you and your families. Personally?” Lucas’ voice is hard.

  “He didn’t exactly put it that way, sir.” Kee speaks up. “He said it would be a shame if something ever happened to his son because his friends had no loyalty. That it’s a stigma on a family if a child is dismissed from the Academy. That it could cause other family members to be dismissed or not accepted at all. All because of a brother’s lack of loyalty.”

  “When did he say this to you?”

  “At a dinner sir, when we were third cycles. Right after….” Kee trails off the two look at each other.

  “Right after?” Lucas suddenly realizes when.

  “Right after he assaulted the Queen’s niece,” Laiza finally speaks up.

  “Victoria Chamberlain?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “You were there?”

  “No! No sir!” They deny together.

  “We knew he had a thing for her, everyone did.” Laiza nods as Kee speaks. “But we never thought
he’d go after her that way. Especially with his attitude towards her, his, and his father’s”

  “What attitude is that?” Lucas’ tone is deceptively calm. These two foabhors obviously don't know Victoria is his life mate.

  “The Stannic’s are quite vocal about their feelings for the ‘new queen’ and the ‘little alien’ as they call her privately. Assemblyman Stannic was behind the group trying to ban Victoria from Montreux but he couldn’t. When Gad attacked her, he was enraged. He told Laiza and me that we were to report that we were there, and that she invited all of us there but then the visual evidence was revealed, thank the ancestors.”

  “He told you to perjure yourselves?”

  “If we wanted to stay in the Academy, yes.”

  “Why would you agree to such a thing?”

  “Major… he’s an Assemblyman!”

  “And you were third-cycles.” Both lower their heads in shame.

  “Who else has Gad told about the Guardian?” Lucas gets back to the more pressing issue, although he really wants to sweep the floor with these two. Then have some time alone with Gad, okay make that lots of time alone with him.

  “I don’t know, Major. Truly! I know he said that Professor Oschofield was at the meal when he learned about the Guardian. He made sure to tell us that. That they still talked to Oschofield.”

  “What about Vagi?”

  “Vagi?” They look at each other. “He wouldn’t tell Vagi anything. He calls him his tool. He’s only there to do the actual work so Gad looks good.”

  “Why? Why does Vagi do it?”

  “We don’t know, Major, honest!” Laiza speaks up. “He wouldn’t tell us and we tried to get him too. He likes to torture Vagi and he’s really a good guy. Vagi that is. It pisses Gad off that someone raised on Nuga is better at everything than he is, so he uses him.”

  “And you never reported this?”

  “To who? Who would believe us?”

  “I would have. Professor Naifeh would have.”

  “And what about our younger brothers and sisters?” It’s the first time Lucas sees true anger out of Kee. “Who’s going to help them, protect them? From Assemblyman Stannic and Professor Oschofield?”

  “Consul Waage, you’ll represent Private Kee and Private Laiza?”