Operation Prism Part 1
31 Dec 2016Jellicoe
"Incoming coms request. Priority one." The computers voice dragged me slowly towards consciousness. "Incoming coms request. Priority one." The synthesised voice repeated as unconcernedly as ever as I woke and rubbed my eyes. "Incoming coms req...""Alright sweet chips, who is it?" I glanced at the clock and cursed, only three hours sleep.
"Unknown, maximum encryption." That meant either Admiral Craddock or the Children of Raxxla.
"Okay put it through." As soon as I had spoken the hologram of a flight suited woman appeared apparently seated on my cabins sofa.
"Juliet Echo Echo, my apologies for waking you." She said with a wry smile as I quickly pulled my blanket up.
"Zulu Echo Hotel." I replied with a bad grace. "Can I assume that this is urgent?"
"You could say that. We've just had word that Salomé has been transferred to Prism for trial, she arrived on Chione two hours ago. Patreus himself will be presiding."
"I thought we were going to try and intercept her en route?"
"That was the hope but it was maximum secrecy, none of our sources had any idea until it was too late."
"So a rescue's out of the question?" I asked with a sinking feeling in my stomach
"Probably but we don't even know where she's being held so we're ruling nothing out."
"Do we go in shooting? Be hard for the buggers to run their damned show trial if the whole system's in chaos." I asked.
"No!" The woman said firmly. "We stirred up more than enough trouble in Cemiess with nothing to show for it so we're not doing the same here, plus the system's run by Loren's Legion and they certainly don't want to see the last of the Loren lineage executed anymore than we do so they're working with us, unofficially of course."
"Alright, what do you want me to do?"
"Get yourself over there, have a good look around and see what you can find out, in particular any leads on where they're holding her and what evidence they have against her. We've been warned by Alessia to watch for Patrons Zyair and Gerrun so see if you can get anything out of them. There's a grand ball in Patreus' honour tomorrow night and we've got you on the guest list, you'll need a plus one and for God's sake behave yourself."
"Of course." I smiled and the link cut.
"This isn't in the job description." Mira Hyde regarded me coolly, her eyebrow slightly raised. "I'm a fighter pilot not a godamned model." I had hoped for a more positive response to my request that she pose as my guest at that nights grand ball.
"I can't say that an evening with a bunch of preening Imperial chinless wonders has much appeal for me either but that's the mission."
"I don't dance. Period."
"So don't dance then."
"At a ball?"
"We're there to gain intelligence not have a jolly."
"I want danger money."
"You're not going to be in danger." I replied wearily.
"For not killing any blue blood who puts his hands where he shouldn't."
"Two thousand?" I asked.
"Five."
"Alright." I sighed, "but first we have to get you appropriately dressed for the occasion." I took a small measure of amusement from the look of disgust that flicked across Mira's tanned face.
"Rear Admiral Jellicoe and Miss Mira Hyde." We were announced into the ballroom of the Imperial palace on Chione. How typical of Patreus I thought, to insist on a ball in his honour be held in what had been the home of the woman he had arrived to stitch up. Mira had scrubbed up remarkably well, I had feared we would only be able to get hold of an off the peg ball gown which, in this company, would have stuck out like a sore thumb, but some pampered duchess had taken a late dislike to the colour of her nearly finished dress which was close enough to Mira's size to be adjusted in time. Her hair and makeup had been expensively done aboard the ship, much to her obvious and very amusing displeasure, and she had had a crash course on how to stand and walk like an Imperial lady which had clearly been forgotten as she swaggered into the room like a pub brawler.
The ballroom was magnificent, marble columns rising to meet a spectacular vaulted ceiling from which was suspended an enormous chandelier. Around the dance floor stood a glittering array of Imperial high society in a sea of silk, precious stones and gold braid. We had missed Admiral Patreus himself who had retired early, indecently early many locals felt but many of his retinue were still present, in particular his young officers of sufficiently high birth.
"So what now?" Mira asked as we stood sipping the very finest Champagne.
"We keep our eyes and ears open and our mouths closed. I'm particularly interested in two men called Gerrun and Zyair, I'd very much like a word with them."
"Roger that Commander." Mira replied and I had to admire her, she didn't want to be here, hated the clothes she was got up in and loathed the people she was with but now that she was here her focus was completely on the job.
"I'm going to see what I can get out of the local merchants, do you want to try the ladies of the court?" I asked.
"From the looks I'm getting I figure I might get more from those blue bloods over there."
"If you think, just be careful."
"I can handle myself Commander."
"It isn't you I'm worried about. Just remember we don't want any trouble." I said with a smile and set off for a chubby looking man with the look of a merchant.
A completely unproductive hour later I saw Mira very deliberately loitering behind the man who was boring me to tears on the subject of his tantalum trading empire.
"Would you excuse me please Client Huffer, I've been ignoring my fiancée for quite long enough." I said inwardly smiling at the flash of Mira's eyes at the word 'fiancée.'
"Patron Gerrun just went for a walk in the gardens with some young girl, grand exit on the other side of the dance floor." Mira reported
"Okay, give me five minutes then follow and cover my back." I was halfway around the dance floor when a very drunken and rather corpulent young officer in a splendidly ostentatious uniform half stepped, half fell backwards into me, he steadied himself, turned and gave me a withering look of pure contempt.
"Apologise damn you." He slurred angrily.
"For what exactly?" I replied
"When you barge into a gentleman you apologise you dashed ruffian."
"I believe it was you who barged into me." I said icily, I had no time for this.
"How dare you call me a liar." He slurred while swaying heavily. "If you don't damned well apologise I shall thrash you here and now."
"I think you should sit down sonny before you do something silly."
"How dare you speak to a nobleman like that." He all but yelled before throwing a punch I saw coming a mile off. I slipped inside it and threw my own straight left to the young mans nose followed by a solid right to his guts. He collapsed to the floor and I turned, anxious I would have lost Gerrun in the vast palace gardens to find my path blocked by three more young officers all very much the worse for ware.
"Alright which of you chinless twats is next?" I growled aware that Mira was next to me, her fists raised and her skirts hoiked up in a most unladylike manner.
"Enough." came a powerful, authoritative voice behind me and I turned to see an older man sporting a magnificent moustache and a uniform covered in more gold braid than most presidential parades. "This is not seemly here, do you demand satisfaction Count Bohun?" He asked the young man on the floor.
"Oh yes." He said with an unpleasant smile. "Tomorrow at dawn, Jagersar will second me."
"Do you have anyone to act as second?" He asked me in a voice dripping with distaste.
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"You struck a gentleman sir, he has the right to satisfaction, and be glad for your own sake that he chose to take it. Tomorrow morning at dawn, with swords, you will stay here tonight do you have a second or shall I provide you with one?"
"If your lad wants cutting up I'll happily oblige him. Mira get Vik, if I have to go through with this farce he can do the honours."
Mira smiled and raised an eyebrow. "We don't want any trouble right? Real slick Commander."