Chasing a Shadow: Entry 1
18 Dec 2024Lukus Criitu
Twenty-two year old Brent Edwards squinted at the holographic display, trying to compare the old family photo with the pixelated image taken from a bar photo. He took a careful sip of the steaming black coffee he’d just made, leaned in, and traced an outline of the left photo with his finger. It was hard to tell, but this commander did bear a striking resemblance to his uncle.Even on her deathbed, Brent’s mother, Anna, had insisted that her brother was alive. Officially, the Alliance denied the reports. Lieutenant Lukus Criitu had died in a crash. The commander now bearing his name had stolen the name of the Alliance Navy pilot he bore uncanny resemblance to, nothing more. Anna had refused to believe it.
The sound of the old Star Trek episode cut out, interrupted by the chirp of an incoming call. Brent rolled his chair across the dark room. He’d picked up a love of this ancient classic entertainment data from his mother. The science was laughably inaccurate, but it was fun all the same. He tapped the button floating over Geordi La Forge’s face to accept the call.
“Brent Edwards?” crackled the voice on the other end.
“This is he.” Brent regretted leaving his coffee on the other side of the room. “Who is this?”
“I’m Elias South, one of the administrative assistants to Senator Nakato Kaine. I understand you’re looking for records on a deceased Navy pilot.”
Kaine? Brent had heard that this Senator had begun making waves in the Alliance, but what did she want with him and his family inquiry? “Yes, that’s right. Lukus Criitu.”
“Are you alone?”
A chill ran down Brent’s spine. “Yes, sir.”
“Stand by for a secure transmission.” A rapid series of tones blipped over the line, followed by a woman’s voice. “Hello, Mr. Edwards. This is Senator Kaine. You were looking for information about your late uncle, Lieutenant Lukus Criitu?”
Brent nearly fell out of his chair. “Ms. Senator, ma’am, it’s an honor. Yes, I am.”
“Nevermind the formalities, young man. I don’t have long. I’m transmitting a highly classified file to you now. I’ve found some rather disturbing details around this incident. Lieutenant Criitu is anything but dead. Our last official contact with him was in the Rhea system, but your uncle is something of a shadow.” The senator cleared her throat. “Mind you, there are several high ranking officials who would happily have you eliminated just for knowing that, so keep it to yourself, especially until you’re out of Alliance territory. Copy?”
“Out of Alliance territory?” Brent rubbed the back of his neck. “Do I need to leave?”
“Your father died six years ago, and your mother last month – my condolences, by the way – meaning you have no living family besides Criitu. I imagine you’re going to want to find him, or else you would not have started poking around in the dark corners of the Alliance to disprove his death. Do I guess correctly?”
Brent had hoped for something simpler, like radio contact, but that was sounding unlikely. “I suppose so. Rhea, you say? That’s Federation territory.”
“Yes, it is, but that’s only a starting position for your search. I have other sources that assure me he’s long gone from Federation systems, although he’s been known to show up in unexpected places.”
This was starting to sound far more cloak-and-dagger than Brent liked. “What sources...if I can ask, I mean.”
“You can ask, but I won’t tell you. Actually, I don’t know much more myself. There are forces at work in this galaxy well beyond the powers you hear about on GalNet.” Senator Kaine sighed. “Look, can I give you some unsolicited personal advice?”
“Of course, ma’am.”
“If I were you, I’d drop this entire thing. Let your uncle stay a memory and move on. If you follow this lead, I don’t know that you’re going to like what you find.”
Brent hugged himself. “I have no family left. I’ve never actually met my uncle, but my mother, his sister, adored him.”
“I understand better than you know, but you may not find family in the sense you want. Criitu’s existence has been denied for some very good reasons. But…” another sigh. “It’s ultimately up to you.”
“I appreciate the advice in any case, Senator Kaine. And the information. I recognize the risk this poses to you, and I swear I won’t tell anyone.”
“See that you don’t, for your own sake. I have my own means of safety. Now, did you get the records I transmitted?”
Brent checked the screen. “Yes, ma’am. They’re here, all five of them.”
“Excellent. Store those on an encrypted device, and if you’re going to follow this up, get out of Alliance territory as soon as you can. I see you recently received your license from the Pilots Federation, so that should be no problem for you.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you again.”
“One more thing. If you find Criitu, please provide a copy of those records to him. It’s time some loose ends were tied up. Good luck, Commander Edwards.” The line clicked, and Star Trek resumed.
Brent stood, retrieved his coffee, and crossed to the framed photo of him and his parents on the wall. “I’ll find him, Mom. I promise.”