The Plunge
06 Sep 2020Kodeyne
Before they had departed from that lonely, knurled iceball, Monfort had said, ruefully, "All this time, we've been meandering along...now I think we need to go into high gear. I will set the wheels in motion When the time is right, you will, of course, have to fetch Miss Keenan from wherever you've stashed her." As Devil's Daydream blasted upwards, Ophelia had a premonition that it wasn't going to be that as simple as that.He travelled directly to Eta Casseiopia. If they were following him, well, it wouldn't matter now. He neatly slotted Sungrazer through the docking port of Morgue's Mortuary, and was at the comms unit almost before the engines had shut down. He took a particular datastick from his library and slotted it into the comms system. An obscure message was sent to an encrypted Galmail address:
To the Judge Advocate General;
Something to test her -
From meeting with a scion
Of the sixth Earl of Leicester!
Two days later, a Federal Navy Ensign ushered him through an unmarked door set back from the main promenade. Up a flight of stairs and into an unexpected room, all stained glass and delicate lighting. There were a dozen tables, set with cruets and cutlery. Only one was occupied. Cornelius walked slowly across the floor and stopped in front of that table. He gave a short bow.
"I never know if that's the thing to do, or salute, Vice-Admiral."
The woman opposite him was a lot older, her face striking but lined with age. Grey hair tied back in a ponytail. Her dark blue naval uniform was immaculate.
"I don't think it matters - but I think a curtsy is probably not required."
He grinned as she stood and extended a hand. He shook it. "It's been a long time, Cornelius," she said warmly, "have a seat. Cuppa? "
"Thank you."
A pot on the table yielded hot green tea. Their paths had first crossed a long time ago, when he had still been in the Federal Security Service, and she a rising star in the Navy, on the trail of an insurgent who had bombed a Naval installation. Then again, after he had been working for himself for a while, needing access to his clandestine information network, to foil a blackmail case against another senior officer. They had maintained a discreet contact, out of mutual respect and necessity.
After some small talk, Monfort produced his datapad and passed over.
"Recognise this fellow?"
She glanced at him. "Yes. Estri. CBO, Dobie-Bachmann. Been around a while. The subject of more than a few accusations of corruption, which always seem to get quietly swept under the carpet. That kind of thing always gets muttered about when honorable lawyers get together..."
"And corruption is why I've come to you, Vice-Admiral. I don't know who can be trusted in the FSS or civilian courts."
"I'm flattered. But I don't think I would have any more luck trying to make charges of financial wrongdoings stick than anyone else."
"How about multiple counts of rape?" he said quietly. She swallowed and put the pad down.
"That's a pretty serious charge, Cornelius. I know you wouldn't bring something like this to me if you weren't sure."
He sipped tea and carefully explained the Keenan case from the beginning. Mertens listened intently, brow furrowed with concentration.
Eventually, she said, "And if your suspicions about the length of his reach are correct...we will need to hit the ground running."
"Quite. Vice-Admiral...obviously I cannot make you take this case. I can only ask. But you are the only person in the whole damn Federation I can trust with this."
She tapped a finger on the table. "You've come this far with it; I could not walk away, both as a lawyer...and a woman. I'm on board, old friend."