Chương 69: Two Meetings

Academy Hill, Vidako Imperium Stellarum February 10, 2848 Cassie was racking her brain for what she might have done to get into trouble right up until she stepped into Commandant Marlowe's office and saw that Lieutenant Commander Libby was there, as well. Rather than having been seated on the same side of the desk as the commandant, he was in the left-most of two chairs, the other of which had been left empty for her.

He'd moved his off to the side, to form a sort of abbreviated triangle, likely in an effort to make it seem like he wasn't being grouped with a cadet. She couldn't help but smile when she paused just inside the door to come to attention.

"Reporting as ordered, Commandant."

"Come have a seat, cadet," Marlowe said, and then leaned back in her desk chair. Cassie did as she was asked, but sat with her back straight. She might have relaxed a bit with only the commandant in the room, but at the moment Lieutenant Commander Libby was—well, if not precisely an enemy, certainly an obstacle in her path.

"I'm told that you've now defeated fourteen of your fellow cadets in impromptu duels using the simulator pods," Marlowe said, her voice even and unbothered.

"Followed by, if I understand correctly, spending the rest of the session coaching them. A few have seen significant improvement; Ana Va'ai actually made an appointment with me to make a request that you be awarded merits for how much you helped her."

"That's nice to hear, sir," Cassie said, and she couldn't help but grin.

"I never expected that, but it was very nice of Ana to do it."

"No, I don't suppose you have much need of academy issued genetic retroviruses, do you," Marlowe mused.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind getting some of the g-force modifications," Cassie corrected her.

"That wasn't something my parents thought valuable enough to see done at birth. It might be a bit tricky to balance with everything else that's been done, though." Libby stirred in his chair.

"We all know that isn't why you're doing this, cadet," he said, his voice sharp.

"You're attempting to undermine the chain of command and make a superior officer look foolish."

"That isn't how I would characterize this at all, sir," Cassie said, wiping anything resembling a smile from her face. She had to be very careful, here.

"How would you describe this situation, then?" Commandant Marlowe asked.

"You obviously have a reason for what you're doing. A duel with a different classmate every day—I assume your intention is to work your way through the entire class of '51. Why?"

"Have you examined the schedule for Tyro qualifications testing, sir?" Cassie asked.

"That's something I usually leave up to our piloting instructor," Marlowe admitted.

"One moment." She reached out to the right-most of her two screens, swiped and tapped a few times, and then obviously spent a moment reading. Cassie actually saw it—the moment the older woman's brow furrowed, and she actually leaned forward to scroll further down the list. Then, she sat back in her chair again, glanced to Cassie, and then turned to Lieutenant Commander Libby.

"What methodology was used to draw up this schedule?" Marlowe asked.

"It isn't alphabetical, and it's clearly not based on first semester grades in your course." Libby cleared his throat, and actually fidgeted in his seat.

"There are a few different considerations that went into scheduling the list," he admitted.

"One was competency, of course, but I've also given preference to cadets who've been requested to join patrols out into the jungle, so that we could get those squads up to strength as quickly as possible. Various other factors."

"Various other factors." Marlowe tapped her fingers against the polished surface of her desk.

"Which factor went into the decision to place Cadet Sabran-Solaris dead last on your schedule? If I recall correctly, she had the highest grade in the course last semester." Lieutenant Commander Libby opened his mouth, hesitated, and then began again.

"That is a discussion I would prefer to have with the commandant in private," he said.

"Would you." Marlowe allowed the silence to stretch while she locked eyes with her subordinate.

"You may recall, Lieutenant Commander, that prior to Her Imperial Highness's arrival I addressed the faculty to make it clear that there would be no special treatment at this institution."

"Yes, sir." Libby said.

"Perhaps you understood that to apply exclusively to favors granted, or in other words, benefits," Marlowe went on.

"But I am just as determined that this cadet shall not be penalized for the mere fact of her birth—something which is, as I'm certain you realize, entirely beyond her control."

"Permission to speak freely, sir," Libby said. Cassie noticed that he studiously kept his eyes from even glancing in her direction. Marlowe sighed, and made a spinning motion with her right hand, as if to say, 'go on.' Or perhaps to give him enough metaphorical rope to hang himself.

"Proceed, Lieutenant Commander."

"I am not comfortable permitting the cadet to join a squad for patrol duties," Libby stated.

"There are several reasons for this. The most obvious, of course, is the risk to the imperial succession if she is killed in the jungle, and the potential consequences for this institution should she be seriously wounded, or even lost. But her presence could have an adverse impact on the safety of her squad-mates, and even their future careers." Rather than open her mouth, Cassie clenched her fists—but nothing seemed likely to slip past Marlowe during this conversation.

"Go on, cadet," the commandant said.

"This directly affects you, and I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't permit you to speak on the issue. Try to keep it respectful, however."

"Thank you, sir," Cassie said.

"Am I to understand, Lieutenant Commander, that you deliberately placed me in the absolute last spot on the schedule so as to prevent me from going out on patrols?"

"Based upon my judgement that your presence in an active combat zone would unnecessarily endanger other cadets, yes," Libby said.

"I'm not certain you've considered how your rank would impact others, cadet. Do you think that if you were in danger, your squad leader would prioritize their mission and the good of their squad, or the safety of a princess imperial? Have you considered how the need to include your bodyguard would complicate the task of any upper-classmen who decides to take you into a squad?

If you disagree with the orders given to you, how many of those cadets would be willing to hold their ground against someone who might one day be their empress?"

"I have no interest in succeeding my father," Cassie shot back.

"That's enough, cadet," Marlowe said.

"I believe that the rest of this conversation is more appropriately held between Lieutenant Commander Libby and myself. I am taking the liberty of amending the proposed testing schedule. Your new qualification date is this Saturday, the fifteenth."

"We don't normally test on Saturdays, sir," Libby protested. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

"You will this once," Marlowe told him, her voice firm.

"Any other adjustment would require bumping the rest of the cadets in her year, and that isn't acceptable. I'll see to the traffic arrangements and scheduling a Saker for oversight myself. Cadet Sabran-Solaris, you are dismissed." Cassie rose from her chair, stood to attention, and snapped a salute.

"Thank you, sir!" Then, she spun on her heel, walked to the door, and opened it. There was only the slightest moment of temptation to pause there and try to overhear what came next, but she crushed the urge and made her way out past the secretary and into the corridor, and from there through Montalban Hall. I held the notification while you were in your meeting with the commandant, Lyra told her. But Jessica Morrow sent you a message.

She said that she needs to speak to you, and asked you to meet her in the war room at Tycho Hall. Cassie frowned as she hurried down the steps and out into the campus, veering right around a group of older students to get herself onto the path which would lead her to the dormitories.

"She isn't here?" she whispered to her AI. That was unusual. Normally, Jessica would be lurking right outside Marlowe's office, or at least waiting when she left the building. Apparently something has come up that required her personal attention, Lyra said. As she walked, Cassie pulled up the original message from Jessica, but it was exactly what the AI had already described: simply a request to meet, as soon as she was out of the commandant's office.

She sent a reply letting her bodyguard know that she was on her way, and hurried along. The walk gave her time to think about Arc, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. With both he and Pika gone at the same time, meals in the dining hall felt empty. Cassie knew that they'd have to get used to it: in the second and third years at the academy, especially, they'd all be out on patrols at different times.

She just hoped that her boyfriend had gotten all the trouble out of his system during his first patrol, and this one would be the most boring, routine couple of days it was possible to have in the jungle. Once inside Tycho Hall, she headed straight for the study room that Karisa Lynstan-Hanigata had assigned to their use for the rest of the semester. Lyra keyed her into the electronic door lock from two meters away, and the little light had turned green by the time Cassie reached for the handle.

She pushed the door open, walked inside, and stopped. Two women were facing each other across the table which housed the holo-projectors, and Cassie only recognized one of them. Jessica Morrow was wearing her cadet uniform, though she'd set her cap aside on top of the table, next to the portable scanner she regularly used to check the room for surveillance devices.

The second woman gave the impression of being older than both Cassie and her bodyguard—though of course Jessica had been chosen because she had something of a baby-face, and could pass for younger than she was. The stranger wore a skirt-suit, wire-frame glasses, and heels. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and she didn't turn away from Jessica when she spoke.

"Please close the door behind you, Your Imperial Highness."

"Jessica," Cassie said, doing nothing of the sort, "who is this?" The imperial guard frowned, and then let out a sigh.

"Shut the door first. I expect everything said in this room is going to be classified." Cassie let go of the door, and listened until the lock clicked closed behind her back. At that, the woman in the spectacles turned to face her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Imperial Highness. Monica Yarborough, senior analyst, Imperial Intelligence under Director Void Skimmer."

"I've verified her identity," Jessica said, though she clearly wasn't happy about it. Cassie knew that the imperial guard and the intelligence service didn't always see eye-to-eye.

"Wik sent you?" Cassie felt her eyebrows rise. That didn't entirely relax her, but it was enough that she made her way to the head of the table, pulled out the chair that Arc normally sat in, and settled herself into it.

"Why?" At that, Yarborough took a seat as well, though Jessica remained standing.

"I've been sent here at the emperor's request, regarding Arcturus Sandhurst's upcoming duel against Fletcher Radecki." Cassie winced.

"How angry are they?"

"I'm not going to speak to the personal feelings of your parents," Yarborough said.

"That would be presumptuous and irresponsible of me. What I can tell you is this—eighteen days ago, Senator Tarquin Radecki made an offer to the emperor and the empress. Specifically, that he would force his son to call off the duel in exchange for a seat on the appropriations committee for Amélie Lipień, the junior senator from Proxima."

"That son of a bitch!" Cassie exclaimed, before she could think better of it.

"There were other conditions, as well," Yarborough said.

"That you would break off your relationship, of course, and that Sandhurst would offer a public apology. But it was the blatant corruption implied by the first request that caused the director to send me here on a courier-ship to speak with you."

"I'm not abandoning my boyfriend for a jackass like Fletcher Radecki, or his toad of a father," Cassie declared.

"And you're not being asked to." Yarborough leaned forward across the table.

"Your parents would have preferred there not be a duel, of course—I was told that specifically—but they aren't going to take a public stand against it."

"Why are you here, then?" Jessica demanded.

"What is she being asked to do." The spymaster removed her glasses, set them on the table, and took a small square of cloth from inside the pocket of her jacket. With careful, practiced movements, she began cleaning the lenses.

"It is our belief that at his next available opportunity, Cadet Radecki will make another offer, this time to you personally," she explained.

"The appropriations seat again, certainly. Amélie Lipień is Tarquin's protege, and we don't anticipate he will give that up easily. But likely the price will go up. It will be their final offer, and they probably hope that your concern for the young man in question will cause you to crumble, to take the deal."

"It would have to be after we go up to Chel, then," Cassie said, thinking things through.

"That's where he's stationed right now, and it's where the duel is going to be. There won't be a very big window between when we go up the elevator and catch a ride into lunar orbit, and when the duel actually happens."

"Regardless, we believe he will manufacture a chance to get you alone, somehow," Yarborough said, replacing her glasses on her elegant nose. Then, she tucked away the cloth she'd used to clean the lenses.

"There's simply too much to be gained from taking advantage of you in this case. We know that his father is sending instructions, but any message is likely a day or two behind me. Regardless, we want your AI to record the entire conversation. I will provide you instructions to access a dead drop, where you will upload the recording. From there, imperial intelligence will take responsibility for getting it to Director Void Skimmer."

"They're going to impeach him," Cassie guessed.

"You're collecting evidence." Yarborough shrugged.

"Senator Tarquin Radecki appears to have gotten somewhat overconfident in his own importance. He is about to learn a very hard lesson in what happens when someone crosses the emperor."

"And that's it?" Cassie asked.

"All you want from me is a recording?"

"Turn him down, of course," Yarborough said.

"Whatever his offer and whatever threat he makes. It would also be rather convenient for the imperium if your lover actually won this duel. Do you think he has a chance?"" Yes," Cassie snarled.

"Good." The spy nodded.

"He needs to win convincingly, while leaving the senator's son alive. That puts the imperial family in the optimum position to handle this." She stood up, and extended her hand to Cassie. Cassie glared at her for a moment, then rose from her own chair and took the hand.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Imperial Highness," Yarborough said, flashing a pleasant smile as if they hadn't just been discussing Arc's life—or death.

"I look forward to working with you in the future, as the needs of the imperium dictate."

"That's it?" Jessica asked.

"You came all the way here for a single conversation, and now you're headed back to Terra?"

"No." Yarborough shook her head.

"No, I'll be staying around for a short while. I want to meet with Cadet Sandhurst, as well, once he's back from this jungle patrol."

"I want to be in the room for that meeting," Cassie demanded.

"Of course. Director Void Skimmer anticipated you would make that request. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see to my accommodations in the city." Monica Yarborough crossed the room without another word, pulled the door open, and stepped out into the corridor, leaving Cassie and Jessica alone.

"You think you can find where she's staying in San Teodoro?" Cassie asked. Jessica let out a bitter laugh.

"I didn't even know she was on-planet until she sent me a coded message demanding I meet her at the academy gates," she said.

"No. She'll be under an assumed identity, probably in a safe-house that Imperial Intelligence has had prepped for years. These people are like ghosts when they want to be. Ask Lyra what she remembers about that conversation." Cassie frowned.

"Lyra?" It's very odd, the AI observed. I know there was someone in this room with you. I know that you had a conversation with that person. But I can't access a single word they said, or an image. I don't even know their name. That made Cassie shiver, as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped five degrees.

"You see?" Jessica asked.

"I don't know if it's an implant, or something they carry around, or what. But when they don't want to be recorded, nothing, and I mean nothing, manufactured or programmed in the imperium will pick them up. I'd have better luck finding a particular grain of sand down on the beach than tracking her. Sorry, Your Imperial Highness." Cassie waved the apology away.

"It isn't your fault. Your job is to keep me safe, and you've done that. I guess we just have to wait for Arc to come back out of the jungle, and see what she says to him." And hopefully, it wouldn't be too much longer.