The Phoenix Rising Page 18

  “Would you like to have a drink sometime?” she asked.

  “I don’t drink,” he said automatically.

  “Doesn’t have to be alcohol...”

  He looked at her and met her startlingly sincere eyes. “Sure...” he said. Not really sure if he had any interest in her or not. After his most recent experience with Summers, he really hoped not to let his guard down again romantically. But a drink wouldn’t hurt...

  “Great.” Rain smiled.

  “But it may have to wait,” said Calvin, returning to his seat. “Now’s not the best time. There is a lot going on.”

  “I understand. Just let me know.”

  At that moment Summers entered the mess hall. She moved to the food containers, picked up a meal-ready-to-eat and a water, and took a seat alone at a vacant table. Not giving Calvin or Rain so much as a glance.

  Calvin watched her with scrutiny. He’d become increasingly worried by her self-imposed isolation. It troubled him that she had chosen to become so reserved. Perhaps this is an ideal opportunity to talk with her and get her to open up a little.

  Calvin looked back at Rain, excused himself, and then took the seat across from Summers. Her golden hair, sharp green eyes, and perfect skin were so beautiful, even in the poorly lit mess hall. Calvin couldn’t help but trace the flawless contours of her face with his eyes, and feel some of the same stirring emotions he’d felt that night on the observation deck. Though the attraction was tainted by bitterness. She’d deceived and betrayed him, and manipulated him so easily, it was shameful. Even after her apology, he still couldn’t find it in himself to forgive her completely. But that didn’t remove the attraction he felt toward her. And he couldn’t help but wonder how much of the real Summers Presley she’d revealed to him that night—the flawed, emotional, human side of her. The person that was usually kept deeply hidden under many thousands of layers of duty and determination.

  “Yes?” asked Summers impatiently. Her eyes met his. “May I help you?”

  Calvin heard the whoosh of the door sliding open. He looked up to see Rain leaving, looking a little unhappy. He wondered if he’d offended her somehow.

  “I’m waiting,” said Summers.

  Calvin looked back at her. “I’m just wondering how you’re doing,” he said.

  “I’m doing fine.”

  He nodded, again scrutinizing her. Wondering if, behind all her siren beauty, she could possibly be the mole that had warned Intel Wing about their plan to go to Echo Three. The one who’d nearly cost them everything...

  “Is there something else on your mind?” she asked.

  She’d worked against him before. All the way to Abia she’d fought him tooth and nail for control of the Nighthawk, nearly prevailing. She’d exposed his darkest secret to the public and had his command stripped away by the Fleet. She hated Raidan with a fiery passion. Could Calvin really trust her now? Was she the same person?

  “Yes,” said Calvin. “Tell me... are you happy with the decision to go to Tybur?”

  “Happy? Interesting choice of word,” her lips tightened. “Not happy, but satisfied. The isotome weapons—if they’re real—are the most serious threat the Empire has ever seen. If going to Tybur leads us to the Arcane Storm, and the Arcane Storm leads us to those weapons, and we destroy them, then yes, I believe that is the right thing to do.” Even though she spoke the words with a coldness that seemed entirely genuine, he couldn’t help getting the feeling that Summers’ thoughts were more complex than that. And that she was deeply conflicted about something.

  “I appreciate your support,” said Calvin. Deciding once again that Summers was not the mole. Even though she’d proven willing to antagonize him in the past, he would never forget the crushed look on her face when she’d seen the Fifth Fleet destroy itself at Abia. Her perfectly ordered universe had been thrown upside down and now Summers was forced to cope with it. It was all she could do. Additionally, Summers couldn’t know the Intel Wing channels which the mole had used. And Summers would have reached out to the Fleet, not Intel Wing. Therefore she wasn’t the mole. Calvin could trust her.

  “Anything else?” asked Summers.

  “Did you tell anyone that we were going to the QH-212 star system?”

  She looked at him incredulously, perhaps even annoyed by the question. “No.”

  He nodded. “Do you have any suspicions about who might have warned Intel Wing that we were going there?”

  “Tristan. Pellew. The Rotham. Could have been any of them. I have no reason to suspect one over any of the others. Perhaps they’re all involved together.”

  Her heart was not in this discussion, Calvin could tell. And he wished he knew the right thing to say to poke through her armor and connect with her. Make her trust him. She clearly trusted him more than she trusted just about anyone else, that’s why she’d chosen to stick around, but that still didn’t amount to much. Between her experience with Raidan, and what had happened to the Fifth Fleet, she seemed to believe the entire universe was corrupt and deceitful. And almost nothing could be trusted. Perhaps she was right…

  “It might be best,” said Summers, now looking him in the eyes earnestly, “if you transferred me to the Red Shift.”

  Calvin’s gut reaction was to deny the request immediately, but he wasn’t sure why. Was it a trust issue? Did he have residual suspicions of Summers? Did he need to keep her where he could always have an eye on her? Or was it something else? Perhaps he feared letting her have the transfer was an admission that he could never work things out with her.

  “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Calvin after giving the issue some thought. He wasn’t sure what had motivated her to ask for the transfer, perhaps she wanted to get away from him, but he still believed he could reach her. Get her to trust him completely.

  Summers looked annoyed.

  “I need you,” he said, looking almost pleadingly into her eyes. Hoping his body language would convince her to trust him since he couldn’t find the words. “We’re in this together now. We have to see it through. Side by side.”

  She masked her reaction, seeming neither pleased nor displeased by his words. After a moment, she spoke. “Very well. But promise me you will not lose sight of our goal. Purging the Empire of the toxic element that has corrupted it and restoring order.”

  “I promise.”

  Chapter 16

  After a lot of work, and more time than Nimoux would’ve liked, the Nighthawk’s jump destination had been narrowed down to three likely candidates: Io Major, Tybur, and TR 307.

  All three destinations were less than two clicks apart and belonged to the same political faction. A group of disenfranchised humans known as “The Allied Colonies of Tyburium”—but more commonly as “The Alliance.” They were humans who’d split from the original human colonies back before the creation of the Empire, and had refused to join it ever since. The only human colonies that had managed to survive without joining the Empire. Io Major was the older and larger colony, Tybur was the smaller but more relevant colony that acted as the capital, and TR 307 was a star system in between them whose uninhabited planets and moons were some of the most mineral-rich in the entire known galaxy.

  Nimoux couldn’t fathom why Calvin was heading there, into that lion’s den, but that was a question he could ask Calvin in person once he captured the renegade.

  “Set course for Alliance space. Eighty-five percent potential and engage the stealth system,” he gave the order. “And send word to the Rhea to do the same. The Stormfront is to proceed to the secondary rendezvous and remain out of sight.” The latter wasn’t a stealth ship and its sighting inside the DMZ risked war with both the Alliance and the Rotham Republic, and neither conflict was in the Empire’s best interest.

  “Aye, sir.”

  Nimoux proceeded to relay his latest orders to Director Edwards, who forwarded his requests personally to the relevant starship commanders. His taskforce had been formed. The net of warships was conv
erging on Calvin. And Intel Wing spies on the Alliance colonies had been alerted.

  Calvin’s time was running out.

  ***

  It had been just over twenty hours since they’d jumped from the Vulture Nebula, and Calvin was again in his office with the door locked. He waited. Passing the time by reviewing some of the files they had on Tybur and the Alliance. In addition to combing over some of his personnel files, trying to narrow down who the mole might be.

  His console beeped. He checked the time. Right on schedule. He tapped the button and accepted the call. “Have you got anything new?”

  Rafael’s face appeared on the other side of the screen. He looked tired and disheveled. “Yes, some,” he said.

  Calvin knew Rafael’s window of time was limited, so he decided to remain silent and just listen.

  “People have been asking questions...” said Rafael, looking deeply troubled. “Investigating me and the others from the Nighthawk. I need to be extremely careful; I only hope they haven’t found me out already.”

  “Do what you have to do,” said Calvin. “Go dark. Disappear.” He didn’t want to lose Rafael as an asset, but he also didn’t want him to be taken prisoner or killed.

  “I can’t do that, my mission isn’t complete,” said Rafael. “I have begun to find things out about your mysterious Phoenix Ring.”

  Calvin was all ears.

  “I don’t have any of their identities determined yet, and am perhaps a long way from that. But I know that a group of very wealthy, very influential people has been behind a series of odd decisions recently passed in the Assembly.”

  “My understanding was that the Phoenix Ring was more involved in the military than the civilian government,” said Calvin.

  “They have their dirty hands in both places. A lot of strange things are happening in the Fleet right now. Unusual deployments, some re-shuffling of the top leadership, and so forth. But the Phoenix Ring is just as involved in the civilian government.”

  That was a chilling thought, but not terribly surprising. More of a worst case scenario.

  “Tracking the registered lobbyists hasn’t proven extremely useful, at least not yet, but based on a lot of the decisions that several Assembly-members have made, I believe there are many under the table bribes and deals being made.”

  “Is there any evidence that the Phoenix Ring has infiltrated the monarchy?”

  “No,” said Rafael. “Though it may be too early to tell. Other than the bizarre attack on Renora by the Black Swan—which may or may not have been orchestrated by the Phoenix Ring—no one associated with the Akiran administration has seemed to behave out of character, or support any of the strange initiatives being pushed through the Assembly. However, there is a growing anti-Akiran sentiment in the Assembly and, if things continue as they are, it is possible that one of the rival houses will challenge King Akira directly for the throne. That house may well be in the pocket of the Phoenix Ring. But I can’t be sure. Right now I’m trying to sort out which of these corporations—who have ties to the Assembly members and military elites—are real, and which are fictitious. The military angle is especially difficult to investigate without giving myself away.”

  “Use due diligence and caution,” said Calvin.

  “I assure you, I will,” said Rafael. “And I’m getting close. I just need time.”

  “Thanks for the warning about Nimoux’s ambush, by the way,” said Calvin. “Have you got any new information on him? Was he able to trace our exit signature from the Vulture Nebula?”

  “I don’t have that information,” said Rafael. “I think Nimoux must have figured out that someone leaked intelligence to you, so now his communications with the Fleet and Intel Wing are more secure and limited. My guess is that I won’t be able to get you any more information regarding his whereabouts and plans. I hate to say it but... you’re on your own.”

  Calvin nodded, feeling lucky that he’d been able to get as much as he had. “I understand.”

  “I’m almost out of time,” said Rafael. “But know this, there are big things happening here on Capital World. Huge amounts of money are changing hands—mostly in the dark, the military is re-organizing, and the Assembly is considering challenging Akira openly. And all eyes are on Renora. Everyone wants to see how the king chooses to handle it, and everyone has a different opinion on what he should do. It looks like a no win scenario for the king.”

  “Has the Assembly held a vote and made its official recommendation?”

  “Yes. The Assembly voted not to send troops, even though the violence and chaos on Renora has reached an all-time high. They claim it would be too aggressive and heavy handed an action, but meanwhile a few activist organizations and a coalition of citizens with family and friends on Renora have publicly condemned the Assembly’s recommendation. They urge the king to take action, despite the consequences.”

  “Has the king hinted about what he will choose to do?”

  “No. If the king has made his decision already, his administration has kept it hushed.”

  Calvin scratched his chin. The developing situation was very intriguing, but also tragic. Not only because countless people were dying and suffering, but also because it seemed like a calculated, manufactured crisis. Designed specifically to discredit the king no matter how he handled it. Calvin respected the king, and the Akira House had controlled the Empire since its inception. If there was a change in power at such a high level, it would only create opportunities for the Phoenix Ring and foreign operatives to gain a stronger foothold, and might spell doom for the Empire.

  “I have to go,” said Rafael.

  “Thank you. And be careful!”

  “I will. I’ll contact you again in twenty-four hours.”

  ***

  An hour after speaking with Rafael, Calvin called Summers, Alex, Tristan, and Pellew together for an intel meeting in his office. They started by reviewing their collective intelligence regarding Tybur and the Alliance, but as they spoke in turn, Calvin used it as a chance to assess the likelihood that any one of them was the mole working for Intel Wing.

  He’d already ruled out Summers. That left Pellew, Alex, and Tristan.

  Pellew was the likeliest to know the secure frequencies associated with Intel Wing, though he would have had to go out of his way to figure them out. He also seemed the least committed to Calvin’s cause; he’d been very forthcoming about the fact that he was being paid by the Organization. However, since he had physically fought against special forces, Intel Wing, and the Fleet’s orders by helping Calvin’s mutiny, it was unlikely that Pellew was still in the good graces of Intel Wing. It was equally unlikely that Intel Wing would be paying Pellew for information, so he really had no motive to betray Calvin. Additionally, his sister was a ranking member of the Organization and, if he had any loyalty to her, working against Calvin would make no sense.

  Calvin was a little suspicious of Tristan. Firstly because he was a Remorii, and Calvin knew better than to trust any Remorii, regardless of type. Secondly, Tristan had led them right into bad intelligence and had seemed extremely interested in having them enter the Vulture Nebula; if he’d had his way they would have charged right into the trap. However, Tristan had saved Calvin’s life in the past, and Tristan was probably Raidan’s most trusted subordinate. And Raidan, obviously, had an interest in keeping Calvin free. Especially if the missing Arcane Storm—and its association with the isotome weapons—was a priority for the Organization. Tristan had seemed furiously interested in catching the Arcane Storm and, Calvin supposed, the Remorii probably did trust his chieftain and was simply, out of loyalty, refusing to believe his clan leader had betrayed him. Ultimately, Calvin doubted Tristan was the mole. And could think of no way Tristan could have possibly deduced what the Intel Wing frequencies were.

  That left Alex. Calvin knew him the least, having only met him in Abia. Alex was Rotham himself—a species that had proven crafty, manipulative, and deceptive in past dealings. Alex shou
ldn’t know the Intel Wing frequencies, but, as a member of the Advent, he was probably clever enough to figure out what they were. So Calvin couldn’t put anything past him. But, despite all of those factors weighing against Alex, what acquitted him in Calvin’s mind was the lack of motive. If Alex was working against Calvin and his crew, why had he been a prisoner on a Rotham ship that was clearly in league with the Phoenix Ring? Additionally, why would he choose to leak information to Intel Wing when he could more easily leak it to the Rotham Republic, especially the Advent itself?

  No one seemed guilty. Perhaps one of them had accidentally leaked knowledge of their destination to someone else on the ship? The whole frustrating situation gave him a headache the more he pondered it, and made him more tired than he would have admitted openly. There was one thing that could make everything feel better—at least for awhile—but he was finished with that path…

  He felt strong cravings for much more than the scaled-back amount of equarius he’d been prescribed by Rain. His desire for it burned with a ferocity he didn’t expect, and would be embarrassed to admit. It made him feel a little weak and light-headed. He tried not to show any sign of his vulnerability.

  “No that will never work,” said Alex. “Even under the cover of a false flag, the Alliance will know that the Nighthawk is not consistent with any of the designs of their ships. They’ll see through the ruse immediately.”

  Summers had suggested they dock with the primary station on Tybur claiming to be legitimate members of the Alliance. “Then what do you suggest?” She folded her arms. “It’s not like we can dock with the station while under cover of stealth. And the Nighthawk, like any starship, can’t exactly fly down onto the planet.”

  “We’ll need to dock with the station using an Alliance ship,” said Alex.

  “And where do you suggest we get one of those?” asked Summers.