Chronicles of Athena Lee 6 Imperial Subversion (2 page)

Legation Station was officially assigned one Navy squadron of the newest space fighters. None of the Militia pilots had the advanced skills to pilot one. We did have a remote control module, that when installed made the fighters unpiloted drones. The Militia had recruited a group of hot shot speed demon air car and taxi drivers to pilot those ships. Using computer interfaces they would ‘pilot’ from the relatively safe confines of the station. My own personal opinion was that if Wilson my AI could pilot all of them by himself, then these ‘kids’ would be OK. The conversation that Wilson and I had following his admission to the practical joke he had played with the fighters was not pretty. I am not sure if he truly believes the threats that I have made to him, but he has been on his best behavior lately. He apologized to the ‘Twins” or the Double D’s as he calls them. He laughed when he called them that. There is a joke there somewhere but my knowledge of the 20th century is lacking.

In addition to the Navy fighters, we had Minerva’s former squadron quartered on the Station. The Silver Valkyries were made up of surplus Sky Sharks. Although not in command of the squadron anymore, Minerva kept her personal Starfury Mark IV on the station. The Militia had been very lucky to acquire the Sky sharks.The planets other squadron, made up of Fuglies, had returned to patrols on the far side of the planet. One of the tasks laid before Chief Engineer Tad was to build the Militia more fighters. In this corner of the galaxy, new fighters were a rarity, planets had to rely on Fuglies or armed freighters for defense. Pirate attacks were very common out here. Our intelligence group had uncovered information that proved that the pirate attacks were not random, but planned by an organization called the Cabal. This and other bits of information had helped to further the resolve of our planet’s leaders. This planet would no longer stand with the Empire. We would dissolve our relationship and go it alone, sort of.

The Revolution that I helped to start on Hong Kong, had spread to many of our surrounding systems. Several agricultural planets like ours, were suffering under the yoke of corrupt and criminal Sector Governors. Our former Governor Norton had locked down all of the communication satellites after the massacre, but my buddy Wilson had been able to spread the news reports far and wide, at near light speeds. The pleas of our planetary government for help were heard by many planets. The Imperial news reports tried to paint our revolution in a dark light, but the video evidence of the massacre was already out. Our planet’s Governor Roy Stoner, sent ambassadors to our neighbors. He invited them to a congress to come to a resolution about the Empire. Many of our people hoped it would result in a revival of he Pan-Pacific League.

Chapter 3

Julius exited the armored car in front of an imposing building on the edge of the industrial sector of the Capital City. A discreet sign proclaimed this The Beckett-Crowne League for the Terminally Ill. The building was of a classical design with a Greek Column portico and heavy wood covered steel doors at the entrance. The front doors opened on a lavish entryway with wood paneled walls and antique furniture, all with discreet donation plates from famous or celebrity donors. The fanciful waiting room featured, in the center of the room, a statue of the League’s founders standing before a downtrodden child. The walls of the room were tastefully covered with framed posters of charity events or concerts. Pamphlet stands were filled with flyers and other propaganda touting the good works that the League performed for the terminally ill. Everything from helping patients with hospital bills, to providing housing for families of the terminally ill. The League was known galaxy wide as the charity to support. Many local governments provided tax breaks to those who affiliated their businesses with them. Hidden behind the facade of good works, charity and giving was the Cabal’s heart of corruption,deceit, and power. This was their public face. Public figures and celebrities could come and go to the offices without impunity. Why would visiting a charity organization be unusual?

The now visibly disturbed Senatorial Aide nodded to the receptionist and ‘aide’ workers. He had been here before many times, but never with this kind of news before. Julius approached the elevators next to the magnificent marble stairwell. On either side of the doors were large paintings of the founders. Beckett, who’s law firm fought for human rights of the dying. And Crowne, the famous industrialist whose company had dominated both the personal transport industry and the Mortgage and loan business. Both were men of stature, prestige and power. They were also two of the founding members of the Cabal’s inner circle.

Pressing the elevator button, he watched as the doors opened before him. Then Julius inserted a special key into the control panel. The elevator shook a little bit as it went down, instead of up. The edifice above had been built solely to hide the inner workings of the Cabal.

The elevator doors opened onto a dark tunnel lined with valuable artworks and framed documents. Many of Old Earth’s ‘lost masterworks’ were here, works by famous painters such as Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet, and Rembrandt. Framed documents lined the walls. The American Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta, and the writing of Thomas Payne, were here and not lost as historians assumed. As Julius walked, recessed wall sconces came to life. The electrified flames casting flickering shadows across the walls. The hallway ended at a large ornate iron gate. On either side was a human figure dressed in a cloak that hid their features and gender. These were the Wardens of the Gate, the protectors of the inner secrets. They were also the Cabal’s assassin’s and cover-up specialists. Julius stopped in the center of the room. He spoke to both of them at once. “I have a report.”

Neither figure looked toward Julius. A sonorous voice came from speakers hidden in the walls. “Report.”

As Julius gave his report to the best of his knowledge. It might be his imagination but he would almost swear that the room became darker and more menacing, as if a presence were filling the air. There were rumors among the initiates that the Wardens were all former convicted killers. These people scared him half to death. Sounds of doors opening made him jump. He looked around frantically, not seeing anything but darkness.

“Uh, is there a problem with my report?” Silence greeted him. He heard what sounded like cloth rustling. The two Wardens in front of him had moved while he was looking around. They now stood less than a pace from him blocking his way forward. Hearing a voice behind him he spun around. Peering into the gloom he saw that two more Wardens now stood together, blocking the hallway exit. Looking back, over his shoulder, he saw the other two move even closer to him.

The original two spoke as they stepped forward. “There is always a price for failure. It was your recommendation that Cole Whittier be hired by the Cabal. You used friendship as a hiring point, against the rules I might add. What did he have over you that you would jeopardize your own life and that of your family to recommend him?”

“We…we were in the same college social organizations together. His family had always been on the ‘edge’ of Cabal influence. His father knew of our existence somehow but was not a member. I ran into trouble with local law enforcement over a worthless girl in school. Her parents were going to prosecute me. My family would not help me. I was desperate for help.”

“Why did you not come to the Cabal with this problem?”

“I had only just begun to work and train as an initiate. All of the rumors among the others said that it was a death sentence to cause problems or to ‘stick out.’ I thought to fix things on my own. To show initiative. That was when Cole’s family stepped in.”

“Perhaps we need to clarify the rules for initiates. We exist to solve the problems of our members. Why would we waste time and credits to kill you for something that you yourself told us about? Hmmm. Finish the story please.”

Julius was really scared now. He was revealing things that might just get him killed. “As I said…Uh, Cole’s father pulled some strings and got me released by Law enforcement and paid off the family. The case itself did not go away. All the evidence and documentation went into Cole’s fathers hands. There is NO statute of limitations for Rape on my colony.”

“Stupid child! The very moment that someone, anyone, attempts to blackmail a Cabal member is to brought to the Wardens! This happened when? How many years ago?”

“Ten years or so ago.” Julius was shaking now. He had just admitted to committing treason to the Freaking Wardens! “Cole’s father, Robert, told me he would make everything go away if only I helped his son.”

“I swear, swear, to you and to the inner circle. When he told me this I thought he meant in school, Cole was failing in all his classes. I had zero idea that he knew anything of my involvement with the Cabal. After graduation I intended to move on to the jobs that I had been trained for. Robert contacted me and for a meeting. He showed me all the files that the police had on me. Including other cases that never were reported. I was scared to death! It was then that he told me he wanted me to use my influence to recommend Cole for the Cabal.”

“You should have not let it get that far! Any mention of the Cabal by an outsider, MUST be reported. What. Did. You. Say. To. Him?”

“I played dumb, at first. Somehow he had pictures and documents of me meeting with acolytes. He knew details that only an insider would know. He had me by the balls and he knew it, too. It was then that I realized the whole thing had been a set up to begin with.”

“Which is why you should have come to us with it early on. We could have prevented everything.” One of the cloaked figures in front of him was shaking her/him/it’s head. “Continue please.”

“The girl and her family worked for the Whittier family businesses. They used me as a ‘cat’s paw’ to get into our organization. I gave Cole, not his father, but Cole information on how to access the hiring group. It was my thought that as poor a student as he was he would not be able to pass all of the tests.”

“But he got in anyway.”

“Yes, he got in anyway. He told me later, that his father had brought in tutors and had prepared him for the tests. Robert even knew the tests and the answers for them, all he had lacked was the location of the test center. Once he was in, I cut off all contact with that family. I even relocated off planet to avoid them.” Julius now hung his head in shame. He had betrayed a trust.

“Did they try and contact you again?”

“Only once. Cole married some planetary bigwigs daughter and I was invited to the wedding. I was with the Senator by then and declined the invitation.”

The sound of a door slamming shut somewhere made Julius jump. Yet another cloaked figure walked out of the dark edge of the room and handed a tablet to the speaker.

The speaker studied the tablet then turned back to Julius. “You should have come clean and told all. This Cole Whittier used his knowledge to admit others into our organization as well. We show over two dozen applicants where he used the influence he got through you, to help get them admitted. It is very troubling that, that many people can infiltrate us.”

“Our information is that Cole has already discussed the existence of the Cabal with the our Enemies. You, I believe are aware of the rules? Friends, acquaintances, and family are the price you pay for your betrayal.”

Julius did not feel the blades until they pierced his body. He lay on floor bleeding out his life wondering how they knew…

“Let the Senator know that he needs a new aide. Stupid idiot. I had considered letting him live. But after reading that report…Never bring your friend’s in to the Cabal. That is rule two. Call in the auxiliary teams we have a lot of cleanup work to do this evening. Send a abbreviated version of this conversation to the training groups. They should be aware of intrusions such as this one.”

The four figures removed their cloaks. The two women and two men comprised strike team one. They were the point of the spear when it came to eliminating enemies of the group. Several other teams were hard at work already. In a few short hours Julius Schaub would cease to exist. He would be a half remembered ghost from the past. All records linking his name to Senator Colman or any existing members of the Cabal would be deleted. This was one of the beauties of the digital age. Schuab’s friends and family would disappear along with him, never to be seen again. Distant acquaintances were sent messages telling of Job relocations or the need for a sudden move due to financial or political reasons. Senator Colman had been careful to distance himself from his aide. He knew the rules.

Acolyte’s and initiates in the Cabal were supposed to follow a few simple rules:

1. Never tell anyone about the Cabal

2. Do not involve friend’s and family in the Cabal

3. Assume that the Cabal knows everything

If the Cabal wished for your family to know, they would tell them.

Members of the strike teams used colors as names. Agent Black was the leader of team one. She studied the bleeding form of the once prominent Senatorial aide. “What a waste. What do we know about Governor Norton and his aide?”