“I am glad it was one of ours then,”
Jag said.
“So am I. But that means whoever was
behind it is here. Maybe even on this planet,” Remus said.
“We should go to the police,” Jag said.
“Jag, weren’t you a detective with the
Nestor Police Department before joining the Nestorian Republican Guard?” Remus
asked.
“For eleven years I was a detective and
a good one too,” Jag said, “I still have many sharp detective friends. That is
why we should go to the police.”
“No, I would like you to investigate
this for me, personally and discretely,” Remus said.
“I will do it, but please tell me why?”
Jag asked.
“Whoever sent the assassin doesn’t know
that he died during the attempt,” Remus, “When they realize that I have
returned, they won’t know what happened. If I play it calm and pretend my trip
was placid they will suspect that their man took the money and disappeared.”
“Brilliant thinking,” Jag said,
“Foolish of me as a detective not to think of it.”
“You were overwhelmed with the news,”
Remus said.
“Yes, momentarily, now I am thinking
clear again,” Jag said, “We need the culprits to remain in the dark and keep
their guard down. If you go to the police and it gets in the news then they
could go underground or maybe leave the country altogether and escape into deep
space.”
“That is why you must do it,” Remus
said, “As vice-chancellor I will give you the authorization codes to access any
state databases and as a capitan in the republican guard you already have the
jurisdiction to investigate crimes.”
As they were talking their airship
arrived in front of a large, enclosed metallic dome that was the headquarters
of battleship command. Jag signaled the code for vice-chancellor and this
opened a door near the top of the dome. He flew the airship inside and hovered
down to the ground. It was a circular port large enough to accommodate half a
dozen similar sized airships. Soldiers stood at the entrance of the single
corridor in this section.
“Where do you intend to start first?”
Remus asked.
“I will need to think this through,”
Jag said, “But the first step is to get a list of all the persons who knew
about your trip. Get me those authorization codes.”
“Will do,” Remus said and opened the
door. He walked out of the airship and approached the corridor and handed his
metallic identification card to the soldiers who saluted him and stood aside.
Jag raised his ship in the air and exited the dome.
Chapter 7: Speech
“How was the trip?” General Bakus greeted
Vice-Chancellor Remus in the central command room.
“Uneventful,” Remus replied, “listen
general, I need to talk to you in private. Do you have a quiet room?”
“Many,” Bakus said, “But let’s put that
off for now?”
“Why?”
“You made it back just in time to hear
the speech of our good friend Senator Solus Varus. His followers are holding a
large protest outside the senate and he is about to go on the podium with the
live image being broadcast to all sixty planets of the republic.”
“What is he going to rant about now?”
Remus asked.
“Your trip. Or rather the purpose of
it,” Bakus said, “Didn’t you hear, the news has leaked.”
“How?” Remus froze on the spot.
“If I find out who there is going to be
my boot stamp on the leaker’s chest,” Bakus said, “But let’s see what the
‘peoples senator’ Mr. Varus has to stay.”
Remus walked over to Bakus who was
looking at the big screen on top of the spherical wall that was beaming a live
picture from the vast grounds outside the senate. The podium was set up but
empty and Solus wasn’t yet in sight. Remus looked around the command room. It
was a large spherical room that could have easily been divided into five
floors.
Jag said.
“So am I. But that means whoever was
behind it is here. Maybe even on this planet,” Remus said.
“We should go to the police,” Jag said.
“Jag, weren’t you a detective with the
Nestor Police Department before joining the Nestorian Republican Guard?” Remus
asked.
“For eleven years I was a detective and
a good one too,” Jag said, “I still have many sharp detective friends. That is
why we should go to the police.”
“No, I would like you to investigate
this for me, personally and discretely,” Remus said.
“I will do it, but please tell me why?”
Jag asked.
“Whoever sent the assassin doesn’t know
that he died during the attempt,” Remus, “When they realize that I have
returned, they won’t know what happened. If I play it calm and pretend my trip
was placid they will suspect that their man took the money and disappeared.”
“Brilliant thinking,” Jag said,
“Foolish of me as a detective not to think of it.”
“You were overwhelmed with the news,”
Remus said.
“Yes, momentarily, now I am thinking
clear again,” Jag said, “We need the culprits to remain in the dark and keep
their guard down. If you go to the police and it gets in the news then they
could go underground or maybe leave the country altogether and escape into deep
space.”
“That is why you must do it,” Remus
said, “As vice-chancellor I will give you the authorization codes to access any
state databases and as a capitan in the republican guard you already have the
jurisdiction to investigate crimes.”
As they were talking their airship
arrived in front of a large, enclosed metallic dome that was the headquarters
of battleship command. Jag signaled the code for vice-chancellor and this
opened a door near the top of the dome. He flew the airship inside and hovered
down to the ground. It was a circular port large enough to accommodate half a
dozen similar sized airships. Soldiers stood at the entrance of the single
corridor in this section.
“Where do you intend to start first?”
Remus asked.
“I will need to think this through,”
Jag said, “But the first step is to get a list of all the persons who knew
about your trip. Get me those authorization codes.”
“Will do,” Remus said and opened the
door. He walked out of the airship and approached the corridor and handed his
metallic identification card to the soldiers who saluted him and stood aside.
Jag raised his ship in the air and exited the dome.
Chapter 7: Speech
“How was the trip?” General Bakus greeted
Vice-Chancellor Remus in the central command room.
“Uneventful,” Remus replied, “listen
general, I need to talk to you in private. Do you have a quiet room?”
“Many,” Bakus said, “But let’s put that
off for now?”
“Why?”
“You made it back just in time to hear
the speech of our good friend Senator Solus Varus. His followers are holding a
large protest outside the senate and he is about to go on the podium with the
live image being broadcast to all sixty planets of the republic.”
“What is he going to rant about now?”
Remus asked.
“Your trip. Or rather the purpose of
it,” Bakus said, “Didn’t you hear, the news has leaked.”
“How?” Remus froze on the spot.
“If I find out who there is going to be
my boot stamp on the leaker’s chest,” Bakus said, “But let’s see what the
‘peoples senator’ Mr. Varus has to stay.”
Remus walked over to Bakus who was
looking at the big screen on top of the spherical wall that was beaming a live
picture from the vast grounds outside the senate. The podium was set up but
empty and Solus wasn’t yet in sight. Remus looked around the command room. It
was a large spherical room that could have easily been divided into five
floors.
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