Never Surrender (The Empire's Corps Book 10) (39 page)

“The bugs are linked into the household network,” Hannalore said, slowly.  “I have the signals forwarded to this system, whereupon the computer scans the recordings for keywords and displays the results to me.  I compile reports based upon the recordings and send them onwards.”

“To Gaston,” Kitty said.  She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with that connection, given Gaston’s clear instability.  Perhaps they could arrange an accident ... no, that would break the chain between Hannalore and Wolfbane.  They’d have to monitor Gaston and prepare themselves to intervene, if he snapped completely.  “How do you decide what to send?”

“I just send anything that looks interesting,” Hannalore said.  “Much of the recordings are simply nonsense.  Or useless.”

She tapped a switch.  A deep male voice echoed through the room.

“I want to fuck you,” he breathed.  There was a hint that someone else was there, the sound of light female breathing.  “I want to fuck you so bad.”

Kitty had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.  “He sounds like a bad actor from a porno flick,” she said.

“Councillor Thompson,” Hannalore said, darkly.  “He’s having an affair with one of my regular maids.  I think he learned to make love from porno flicks.”

“I feel sorry for the maid,” Kitty said, honestly.  Councillor Thompson didn't sound loving; he sounded rather more than just a little creepy.  “I hope you pay her through the nose.”

Hannalore nodded.  “They are all paid very well,” she said.  “But I still have quite a high turnover.”

“I’m not surprised,” Kitty muttered.  She cleared her throat.  “Why do you encourage it?”

“People need somewhere to relax,” Hannalore said.  “And they need to relax in different ways.”

Kitty frowned.  “Maybe,” she said, doubtfully.  “What other recordings do you have?”

“Thousands,” Hannalore said.

She looked down at the terminal, then tapped a switch.  Another voice echoed through the room, talking about the importance of bidding collectively for the latest set of government contracts.  Kitty listened, silently tagging names to voices, as the recording slowly came to an end.  The Governor hadn't been exaggerating when he said his parties helped boost the economy, despite the expense.  A collective bid for the latest set of contracts would help ensure that more and more money was flushed into the local economy. 

“I see,” Kitty said, finally.  She glanced at her watch.  “My team will be here in an hour, I think.  You can give your servants the rest of the day off, as you are going to be having the building cleaned from top to bottom.”

Hannalore blinked.  “I am?”

“That’s the excuse you’re going to give,” Kitty said, feeling an odd flicker of irritation.  “The team will inspect the house, examine the bugs, and then arrange for them to be closely monitored.  Tomorrow evening, after your party, you will be told what to send to Wolfbane, through your contacts.  I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if you try to trick us.”

Hannalore shifted, uncomfortably.  “No,” she said, clearly.  “You don’t.”

Kitty rose to her feet.  “You’re sure the bugs don’t transmit anything outside your network?”

“I don’t think so,” Hannalore said.  She eyed the terminal for a long moment.  “They would have set off all kinds of alerts if they had, wouldn't they?”

“Probably,” Kitty said.  She smiled, coldly.  It had struck her that Hannalore, for all her political savvy, wasn't very confident with technology.  There had always been someone there to do it for her.  “Show me the rest of the mansion.”

She had never really understood, even after her first visit, just how much was crammed into the mansion.  The lower floors were for the staff, the middle floors were for entertainment and hosting guests; the upper floors were intended to serve as the centre of colonial government.  Now, most of the offices were dark and empty, while the Governor’s office was gathering dust.  There was literally nothing for him to do, now that power had passed to the planetary council.  And yet, there was something odd about the offices ...

“You never stripped them bare,” she said, slowly.  The offices still
looked
ready for use, even if they hadn't been touched for years.  Everything from computer terminals to fancy chairs had been left untouched.  There had to be thousands of credits worth of junk in the office.  “Why didn't you try to sell the furnishings?”

“Brent used to say they weren't
our
furnishings,” Hannalore said.  “They belonged to the Empire, not to us personally.  Besides, I always had a feeling we would be using the mansion for its original purpose, one day.”

“You planned to rule from here,” Kitty said.  She quirked an eyebrow as they walked back down to the lower levels.  Hannalore could have sold the terminals to fund the first few parties and no one would have raised an eyebrow.  “You do realise Wolfbane probably wouldn't have kept their word?”

Hannalore sighed.  “I did what I considered necessary,” she said.  “And they would have needed me in the future ...”

“I doubt it,” Kitty said.  There were businesspeople and military officers who might be useful to Wolfbane, if the Commonwealth surrendered, but Hannalore wouldn't be worth so much to them.  “They would simply have killed both of you and dumped your bodies in the gutter.”

She shrugged.  “But it doesn't matter,” she added.  “You will do as you’re told, or die.  I don’t mind which, really.”

Hannalore swallowed.  “I understand,” she said.  “I won’t let you down.” 

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Were they to echo the Empire’s ruthless treatment of POWs - or work to come up with a more stable system?  Unfortunately, perhaps, Wolfbane chose the former - and Avalon chose the latter. 

- Professor Leo Caesius. 
The Empire and its Prisoners of War.

Avalon, Year 5 (PE)

“Jasmine Yamane, as I live and breathe,” Command Sergeant Gwendolyn Patterson said, as Jasmine and Stewart were shown into her office.  “What kept you?”

Jasmine smiled.  She'd looked up to Gwendolyn Patterson ever since she’d joined the company; hell, if Gary found
her
intimidating he would have hated to meet the Command Sergeant.  No one in their right mind would ever have talked back to her, let alone started a fight.  Rumour had it she’d once walked into a bar and flattened every man inside, along with a small army of Shore Patrolmen.

“We ran into some small problems on our way home,” Jasmine said.  “But we overcame them all and made it back safely.  The others?”

“They got back two months ago,” Gwendolyn said.  “The Colonel was delighted to hear the news.”

Jasmine winced.  She wasn't looking forward to
that
interview.  Indeed, she was surprised the Colonel hadn't ordered her to report to his office so he could rip her head off personally.  But then, everyone on the
Passing Water
was being held until they could be inserted back into normal society - or go onwards to the Trade Federation, in some cases.  She had a feeling Gary and Kailee would probably go that way too.

“I’m sure he was,” she said.  “I was expecting to see him ...”

“The Colonel is currently occupied with plans for a future offensive,” Gwendolyn said.  “Or at least that’s the official story.  In reality, he’s giving you a day or two to decompress before he meets you, formally.  I suggest you take advantage of it.”

Jasmine winced.  It was tradition - and tradition was
important
to the Marine Corps - to have a returning officer met by his or her superior officer.  For Colonel Stalker, a man who practically embodied the traditions, to choose to put one aside ... it didn't bode well for her future.  He probably wanted to give her a day or two before he unceremoniously informed her she was sacked.

“You need the downtime,” Gwendolyn added.  She had little tolerance for bullshit.  “I read your report, while you were flying here.  You did very well.”

“Thank you,” Jasmine said.  “But ...”

She shook her head.  “I need to see to Gary and Kailee,” she said, instead.  “And then I can find a place to rest.”

“I took the liberty of arranging a room at the inn for you,” Gwendolyn said.  “You’ll have at least two days, I think, before you meet the Colonel.  Make use of them.”

Jasmine nodded.  The inn wasn't her ideal shore leave, but it was a good place for Marines - and Avalon Knights - to decompress between deployments and returning to civilian life.  She could relax there and feel lazy, if only for an hour or two.  And then she would probably start champing at the bit to do something - anything - with her time.

“I’ll see to Gary and Kailee, then go there,” Jasmine said.  “Where are they going to stay?”

“They will need to be debriefed,” Gwendolyn said.  “I believe Colonel Stevenson will take them in hand, but you may as well escort them there.  I’ve already assigned an aircar to you.”

She passed Jasmine the keycard, then paused.  “And Jasmine?”

Jasmine met her eyes.  “Sergeant?”

“You did well out there,” Gwendolyn said.  “Don’t worry about a thing.”

Jasmine shrugged, then saluted and walked out of the office.  She had a feeling Gwendolyn found the building no more comfortable than she would, but there was a real shortage of trained marines.  If nothing else, the Colonel was likely to be angry at her for sacrificing Carl Watson, even if he
had
survived the battle on Wolfbane.  One more marine dead or missing in action ... how many were left, of the eighty-seven that had landed on Avalon?  Fifty? 

Outside, Gary and Kailee were sitting on a bench, waiting for her.  They both looked tired and worn; Gary had taken weeks to get over his funk, then plunged back into exercise with a new grim determination.  Beside him, Kailee looked pretty ... but there was a hard edge to her face that told Jasmine she was growing up.  She would probably not make it as a combat medic, Jasmine suspected, yet she had potential.  A civilian nursing job might be just what she needed.

“You’re both going to be debriefed,” she said, as they rose to their feet.  She wondered, absently, if they knew how rare it was for civilians to set foot on Castle Rock, then reminded herself it probably wouldn't mean anything to either of them.  “After that ... where do you want to go?”

“I wish I knew,” Gary said.  He looked stronger now, after weeks of hard exercise, but his face still seemed brittle.  “Do you think the Trade Federation would welcome us?”

“I think so,” Jasmine said.  She led them towards the landing pad, where the aircar was waiting.  A glance at the keycard told her it was the right one.  “But then, Avalon would welcome you too.”

She sucked in her breath as she opened the vehicle, then sat down in the driver’s seat and waited for them to sit down behind her.  The autopilot had been removed, she noted, but she didn’t really mind.  She could fly the craft herself, if necessary, and use it as a distraction from her own thoughts.  Inserting the keycard into the slot, she powered up the drive and lifted the aircar into the sky.  Castle Rock lay below her, home of the remaining marines and training ground for the Knights.  How long had it been, she asked herself, since she’d thought of anywhere else as
home
?

“Wow,” Gary said, as Camelot came into view.  “It’s better than Sabre.”

“But still far smaller than a single CityBlock,” Jasmine commented.  Camelot seemed to have grown yet again, in the months she’d been away.  There were new apartment blocks on the edge of the city, while the industrial estates had grown larger.  “They’re trying to spread out the city as much as possible.”

“I see,” Gary said.

Kailee leaned forward.  “Is it safe here?”

“It’s the safest place on Avalon, outside a military base,” Jasmine said.  “The bandits were driven out years ago.  I’d advise getting a firearm anyway, just to be sure.  Everyone owns a gun here too.”

“Oh,” Kailee said.  “Why ...?”

“Because sometimes they need to defend themselves,” Jasmine said.  “And sometimes, just being able to defend yourself has a deterrent effect in its own right.”

She sighed inwardly, feeling an unaccustomed pit in her stomach, as she steered the aircar towards the landing facility at the edge of the city.  It didn't really
look
like a military base, not from overhead, but it served as both an intelligence centre and a place for newcomers to recover, once they arrived on Avalon.  Gary and Kailee would be well cared for, she knew, and she would see them as often as possible.  She made a mental note to call Emmanuel and see if he could give them both a tour of Camelot.  They’d probably find him less intimidating than a military officer.

The aircar touched down neatly, just outside the building.  A red-haired officer - it took Jasmine a moment to recognise her as Kitty Stevenson - strode out of the door and waved at them, then waited for Jasmine to climb out of the aircar.  Behind her, Gary and Kailee hesitated before joining them.  Jasmine gave them both a concerned look, then exchanged salutes with Kitty.  In hindsight, maybe she should have asked the intelligence officer not to wear her uniform. 

“Gary, Kailee, this is Kitty,” she said.  She carefully didn't mention any ranks.  “She will take care of you, then arrange your debriefing.  And then she will organise your passage to wherever you want to go.”

“Thank you,” Kitty said.  She gave Jasmine a wink.  “I have someone with me, just inside, who you might want to meet.”

Jasmine frowned - she disliked surprises - but allowed Kitty to lead the way into the building and through a pair of security doors.  Inside, Emmanuel was sitting on a sofa, reading a datapad.  He glanced up when he saw them, stared in surprise and then jumped to his feet and ran to her.  Jasmine held out her arms and embraced him tightly.

“Boyfriend,” Kailee muttered to Gary.  “He must be.”

Jasmine laughed.  She hadn't realised just how much she’d missed Emmanuel until she’d met him again, after months apart.  Kitty politely averted her eyes as they kissed - part of her mind noted that both Gary and Kailee stared - and then cleared her throat.

“You have a room at the inn,” she said, gently.  “I suggest you both go there.”

“We will,” Jasmine said.  She kissed Emmanuel again, feeling almost like a giddy schoolgirl, then caught herself.  “Take care of them both, all right?”

“I will,” Kitty promised.  “And I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

***

“So,” Kailee said, that evening.  “What do you make of Avalon?”

Gary smiled.  “It’s better than Meridian,” he said.  “And much better than Earth.”

Kailee nodded.  The room they’d been given was surprisingly luxurious, by Meridian’s standards; there was a shower, a large bath, a window and - best of all - a large and comfortable bed.  A small computer terminal sat in the far corner, linked - they’d been told - to the planetary datanet.  Kitty had shown them the room personally, dropped a handful of papers on the bed, then told them to get some rest.

“But we've only seen a little of it,” he added, after a moment.  “And ...”

He shuddered.  No matter what Jasmine said, no matter how tightly Kailee held him, he could never wash the blood off his hands.  He’d given in to nightmarish impulses and hundreds of people had paid the price.  There were times when he still wanted to kill himself - he'd known it was possible, even though Jasmine had kept a close eye on him - and times when he tried to convince himself it didn't matter, that everyone he’d killed had deserved to die.  He honestly didn't understand how Jasmine managed to keep herself sane, not when she’d killed far more people.  Did it make a difference when it was up close and personal?

Kailee walked over and sat next to him, then picked up one of the pieces of paper.  “You could work here,” she said.  “They’re offering computer apprenticeships ...”

Gary snorted, rudely.  He’d looked into them on Earth, but the Computer Guilds kept everyone out unless they had very good connections or absolutely brilliant skills.  It wasn’t something he could do, not unless he got very lucky.  Life on Earth was designed to prevent newcomers from entering a long-established field, just to keep jobs for those with family histories of such work.

“You don’t need connections,” Kailee added, after a moment.  “You’d just go in and prove yourself.”

“I doubt it,” Gary said.  He took the piece of paper and skimmed it, carefully.  Kailee was right; there were tests, unsurprisingly, but no demands for formal qualifications.  Maybe it
was
something he could do.  “We could try.”

Kailee beamed at him.  “And I could try to actually study nursing,” she said.  “Gary, we could
live
here.”

“I hope you’re right,” Gary said.

Kailee elbowed him, sharply.  “I think I
am
right,” she said.  “And we could be safe here, as safe as we could be anywhere.  And isn't that the important thing?”

Gary shrugged.  Kailee elbowed him again, then rose to her feet.  “They do room service here,” she said, checking the instruction booklet they’d found on the desk.  “You want to eat something?”

“I could eat you,” Gary said.  He regretted it almost at once.  After what he’d done, part of him no longer felt as if he
deserved
to touch Kailee.  He knew she was not innocent, he knew she’d killed Barry after he’d raped her, but he still thought of her as untouched.  Why would she want a monster like him?  “I ...”