Archives of the Frontier Universe: An Assassin's Assignment (3 page)

Rose took a step up to the table and then put both her hands out to the building. Pulling them back again, she enlarged the side of the building with the windows. Now that she could see it in greater detail, her best escape was obvious. “Right here, I think,” she voiced almost aimlessly. Then she looked to the captain. “If all goes to plan, I’ll be able to take possession of the spike and avoid the Court.”

Meyer approached her side of the table. The confusion in his eyes betrayed him, and Rose knew, even before he asked, what concerned him. Making his way to her angle, he shook his head.

“Are you planning a pickup of your own? Like from a ship?”

“Yes, but not there. I’m going to assume the street would be much too narrow for a passenger ship.” She pointed at a section of the window. “Do you see this part? I should be able to open it and escape. And if not, I’ll simply break it and escape.”

The captain continued staring, obviously scrutinizing over her next move once outside the building. “But there’s not any sort of connecting architecture to another building near there. And don’t tell me you’re thinking of climbing down. They’ll have the place surrounded for sure.”

Rose smiled and turned to the man. Lifting her arm, she addressed his puzzlement. “That’s what these are for.” Calling on her right harpoon blade, she rapidly extended the glass shard. The device jabbed out several inches over her knuckles until locking into place with a reassuring CLICK!

“Wow!” said the man, his eyebrows rising. “Impressive . . . I think . . .”

“This is a weapon used by some of the ancient posteritors. They’re harpoon blades and they are very useful for delicate situations such as this; though, most posteritors don’t engineer them anymore. Not since the Court War, in fact.” She tossed her head. “For some reason, many of these older weapons—not to mention arts—are no longer remembered. I blame the grandmasters. Particularly the Supreme Grandmaster: Leiyvr Meirthealy. I’m not sure why she’d limit her subordinates by not sharing this knowledge.”

The man watched as Rose lifted then dropped her arm, until she finally retracted the blade. “Interesting. I suppose, though, that most of our own don’t even use these. I’ve never met another one who did. Everyone forges their own arkanverre at least.” He shrugged and looked back at the rotating building. “So, you’ll be able to escape the area on rooftop then?”

“Rooftop or by swinging through the alleys, yes,” she affirmed. “I’ll give you coordinates for a pickup once I’ve cleared the area.”

The man nodded and walked around the table again. He reached for the controls but then hesitated. “Are you done with this?” he asked.

“Yes. I suppose this would be a good time to contact Boss R. We’ll need to fill him in and make sure he doesn’t have any more orders.”

“Right,” agreed the captain. He worked the controls, and the memory spikes and building disappeared. A few seconds passed by, but her master finally connected. However, the fire did not display him.

“Yes,” the man’s voice grumbled.

“Sir, it’s Captain Meyer. I’m here with Posteritor Byruhme. Are you at liberty to discuss the mission?”

“I am for now. Go ahead and provide the details. But give me the short version.”

Rose moved first to speak. “Captain Meyer has filled me in on the mission’s details. I’m going to be departing soon for the meeting area. This way, I can gain firsthand knowledge on everyone’s intentions. Once the Court’s people give us the memory spike, I’ll contact Captain Meyer and he’ll do his part . . .” she ended cryptically, passively referring to his secret assignment. “After everything is said and done, I’ll return here with the memory spike.”

Meyer took a step forward. “We’ve implemented your ‘specific wishes’ pertaining to the delicacy of the meeting. Posteritor Byruhme is aware of how important the data is and will be extracted immediately.”

“Very good,” said her master. “Rose, inform me the moment you hand the device off.”

“Certainly,” agreed Rose.

“I must go, now. I await your call.”

A notification beep sounded from the table, and he was gone.

Rose turned to Meyer. “Alright, bring the transport. Everything seems to be in order, so I’ll be leaving soon.”

The man nodded. “Alright.”

A couple of hours later, Rose was approaching the Pirate’s secret ‘shipping’ installation near one of Forcurrier’s political districts. The sun had finally set behind a forest of teeming skyscrapers, and the city was alive with lights. Interestingly, though, despite being one of the largest cities in Court Space, Forcurrier City did not bathe its own every inch in harsh light. There prevailed a certain calmness in the city’s glow, which Rose felt was the result of the interstitial patches of vegetation and wilderness. Because trees and tall gardens blocked the shine from many angles, plenty of districts were separated (and so were their lights). In addition, some of the nocturnal blooms were luminous themselves, contributing their own serene glow.

Rose walked under two columns of rustling trees, headed straight for the nearest entrance. Behind her, the transport (piloted by the same inquisitive grunt) took back off into the night. Besides some of the LZ’s crew, no one else was around (and no one spoke to her, though many took keen notice of her dual swords). Reaching her objective did not require an escort anyways, so Rose gladly saw herself in. She reached the sturdy double doors of the installation, pulled them open with telekinesis, and walked in with purpose. Judging by the reflections on the adjacent walls, her display drew many rearward eyes. She shut the doors promptly, entering a quiet hall of stone and marble.

“Alright, I’ve arrived,” she mumbled.

“Good,” replied Captain Meyer via a comm. “They should have an escort or some sort of greeter.”

“I’m inside already. They didn’t have either; though, being magnetically attractive as I am, plenty of their crew saw me.” She flicked her head, pleased with her ostentatious entrance.

The captain grunted. “You might be attractive, but I think they were more scared than seduced.”

Rose snorted. “Promoting fear, Captain, is a method of seduction,” she proclaimed proudly. “Which is something that could be useful here. It should help to keep unwanted eyes and ears away.”

“Well, you’re the expert,” insisted the man. “Keep moving. You should be nearing—”

“Ah! You must be the posteritor Command sent!” a welcoming voice interrupted.

Rose looked up at once, seeing a man standing on an overlook above her. With his hands on the railing, he peered down but with no indication he had heard her conversation. Captain Meyer went silent, clearly listening for trouble.

“It’s Ms. . . . ?” he began, tilting his head.

“Byruhme,” Rose specified. “Roszephnye Byruhme.” She stopped in the middle of the open hall and gave a little bow. “I must admit, I was expecting a greeting party.” She held out her hand in a questioning motion. “And you are . . . ?”

“It’s Captain Kyte,” said the man. “And my apologies.” He removed his hands from the railing and bowed a little. “I was not aware you would be here before the meeting. The representatives have still not arrived, though they should be here very soon. We’re preparing the meeting room now. I just got word that you were on the way.”

“Command requested me to oversee the meeting . . . to ensure the safety of the objective.” Rose stood in place, waiting for the man to join her or invite her up.

“Yes, I was contacted about a quarter hour ago. They told me you’d be en route soon. They’ve also apparently grown paranoid about the entire operation.”

Rose took a step up and pointed her eyebrows. “How so?”

Captain Kyte waved his hand towards himself. “Please. Join me. I’ll explain it to you as we walk to the meeting room.”

Rose nodded and ascended a series of grand steps. For a secret installation, the place seemed very well kept—in her mind, an actually well thought out hideout. Even a fine rug covered the solid marble steps, leading her to the Captain. When she reached him, she noticed he was dressed in much of the same way Captain Meyer and his associates were: like an official of the Court. He also carried a sword on one hip and a pistol on the other. However, he did not appear to carry the bearing of a posteritor like herself. The man welcomed her with a nod, turned, and led the way.

“So,
how
, exactly has Command grown more paranoid?” she repeated from earlier.

Captain Kyte shook his head in a mystified manner and opened his hands. “I’m not exactly sure. There was always a risk, from the very beginning.” He snorted. “And they pick
now
to get worried about it.”

“
It’s a story Boss R worked up!
” hissed Meyer in her ear. “
He wanted the installation already on edge a little. That way, if anything were to ‘happen,’ they’d already be expecting the reps. of treachery.
”

Rose looked down as if considering Kyte’s information. But then she returned her eyes to him. “Yes, that’s why I’m here. They’ve told me there was a danger, but didn’t provide any specifics. So, have they found out anything new? Or do you believe it’s just paranoia like you said?”

Turning a corner, Kyte sort of sighed. “Nothing too new. It’s pretty much the same as before. They think there’s a good chance that the representatives will sell us out.”

“
Just play along
,” advised Meyer. “
They don’t know anything important.
”

“I suppose there is, so this is why I’ve come. To ensure the protection of the objective,” she repeated. “However, from what they’ve told me, and from what Captain Meyer’s installation has provided, these officials are sick of the Court’s internal pugnacity. They seem to have plenty of motive to cooperate with us.”

Captain Kyte shrugged. “You know, this is what
I
was trying to tell Command. But they didn’t listen to me—”

“Indeed!” Rose interjected. “Honestly, I’m none too pleased of being sent on this babysitting mission.” She looked at him closely as they pressed on, and (despite being quite a bit broader than her) he shied away briefly.

“I . . . apologize for any inconvenience,” pleaded the man. “It wasn’t my choice. They shouldn’t have bothered with sending anyone . . . not for additional security. We’ve already negotiated with these officials a few times. I really think everything will go as planned.”

Rose turned away from him, acting unimpressed with the situation. “Everything
will
go as planned,” she affirmed. “Otherwise, I have orders to start executing people. I’ve no doubt in my mind they’ll cooperate. It all depends under what terms they wish to do so.” The captain glanced at her quickly, opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Rose turned to him. “Is there a problem, Captain?”

“Well . . . we don’t want to frighten the Court defectors. Every one of them gained strengthens our influence here . . . and on the other worlds.”

“I understand that,” said Rose with a smile. “But make no mistake; I’m not here to play games. Command considers this operation, or rather the object they will provide, to be of value. The ones presenting it, not so much.”

“
Easy, now,
” whispered Meyer. “
Don’t intimidate Kyte. We don’t want him to think you’re some sort of loose cannon.
”

Rose paused for a brief moment and let out a sigh of consideration. “Please, Captain,” she began calmly. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’ll gladly allow your people to handle the meeting themselves. However, Command was adamant. We cannot allow, even potential allies, too much access to our facilities without gain. They MUST hand over this device and keep their word. Or they shall become a liability.”

The man nodded with difficult understanding. He took another turn and they entered a small elevator. Once Rose followed him in, he reached and picked a floor. The door shut. “No, I believe you,” he said finally. “It is a lasting concern; they could bring our entire operation down.” He gave a frail smile. “I understand that this is just ‘one’ of many across this world. But we’ve been in negotiations with them even weeks before the invasion of Atlantis started. I think their intentions are genuine . . . Furthermore, it’s pretty clear what their punishment for crossing us would be.”

“
He makes a good point
,” commented Meyer. “
This is why Boss R had to devise a story. They don’t seem to have any great motive for betraying us.
”

“Well, we’ll see soon, won’t we?” she asked.

“Yes, very soon. In fact, they should be arriving any minute now.”

The elevator slowed and then stopped with a little shake. The door then opened, revealing another fine hall of marble. Stepping out first, Captain Kyte led the way again. “The room should be prepped. It’s a few halls down.”

They passed by many stretching walls of stone. A Pirate officer passed by on occasion, each gesturing respectfully towards Kyte, before continuing on their way. Trying to get a good look at every possible inch of the building, Rose turned her head left and right, keeping pace with the captain. Finally, he took another turn. The next hall featured a long wall of wide windows.
This is the section I saw in the display earlier
, the woman thought. She examined the building just outside, already calculating the escape.
Yes, this should be no problem at all.

“
If I’m reading your position correctly
,” said Meyer,
“
that large series of windows you showed me should be right in front of you.
”

“This is nice hall,” Rose commented aloud. “Stretching windows, marble floors, expensive furniture . . . This building is far nicer than most of our installations.”

Captain Meyer let out a nasally laugh. “
Nice way to confirm your location.
”

“Yeah, that’s the one good thing about working out of Forcurrier City,” began Kyte. “We get to use their facilities, which
are
quite nice.” He led them down another hall, away from the windows. Stopping just outside a door, he peeked into the room. Rose simply stood by, acting as if she owned the place. Kyte waved someone over from inside.

A woman walked out. “Yes, sir, the room is set.” She then took a cautious peek at Rose.

“Good,” said the captain. “Have they arrived yet?”

The woman looked back to him. “Yes. In fact, their shuttle is touching down as we speak.”

“Excellent. Make sure that they receive a proper escort.”

“At once.” The woman bowed and left for a computer terminal.

Captain Kyte turned to Rose. “Alright. Showtime. Let me take you to your seat.”

***

Not long after sitting down next to Captain Kyte, Rose noticed the rest of the man’s associates taking their own seats. Like that of most of the Pirate personnel she had encountered, the four of them (all men) appeared to be natives of Forcurrier. This did not strike her as unusual, though, as most detachments of Pirates were comprised of the sentient life indigenous to the world they worked on. The Court representatives, however, proved more diversified.

After Captain Kyte’s associates were settled, the woman from the door earlier led in the representatives. Two were obviously Eiltheen from the world Florenial, one was a native of Forcurrier itself, and the final two (a dark broad man and equally formidable looking white woman) were Vicese. Judging from their hairstyles, Rose guessed the final two hailed from Kyetlund, part of the Vycavykk Empire. They also represented the first oddity among the representatives; for as far as she knew, no part of the Vycavykk Empire had gained official representation within the Court.   

Amidst a nod acknowledging their presence, Rose concentrated her power on the glass slate in her pocket. Secretly, she powered it on and began typing a message for Meyer.

“Very good!” announced Captain Kyte finally. He gave a little laugh, presumably to loosen the mood. “Yes, you all wouldn’t believe how many of our partners lack your punctuality.”

An Eiltheen man sitting in the very center of their group nodded. “Yes, well, our credibility is on the line, isn’t it now? Also, I see no sense in wasting time. The sooner we all can exchange intelligence, the sooner we can proceed with our duties.” The man smiled (probably to show good faith), but then glanced at Rose. “This group seems to have been enhanced since the last we spoke,” he added. At that point they all looked at her. Rose stared back resolutely, taking her attention off her device, but the Eiltheen continued. “May I ask who this Loene is?”

“She is just an agent Command sent,” replied Kyte. “They desire a more . . . personal touch in our activities. To streamline communications.”

“
Play it cool
,” advised Meyer. “
Your presence is an irregularity, so they’re rightfully suspicious. Just don’t do anything rash.
”

Rose gave the group a loose smile. The Vicese man and the Forcurrian man were the only two to return the gesture . . . and even they seemed reluctant.

The center Eiltheen (whom Rose regarded as their leader now) looked back to the captain. “Very well. We understand all too well how demanding superiors can be. Let’s get to business.”

Rose quickly entered the rest of her message to Meyer with her mind and sent it. It took a minute for him to respond, in which time Captain Kyte took the floor.