"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE ELEVEN: "POSSESSIVE NECESSITIES"
(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
* * *
<<ACT THREE>
Near Heiljamar enclave -- July 15th, 2267.
For centuries, she knew only too well, her kind has been obsessed with the idea of stealth technology. From the now-obsolete military airbreathers built near the end of the 20th century, through the black project platforms of the 21st and 22nd centuries... the Shadowtech destroyers of the past five years... to this.
Julia smiled, as the *Shard*'s covert atmospheric transport descended into the rarified air over their target -- the Minbari stealthtech protected this vessel as it protected her own command, many miles above -- but the question was, how well would they fare once they stepped out of the Shadows, and attempted to rescue the Ranger they'd come here for?
"So tell us again where we're going." Fenric inquired, as he brought the transport in among the shark's teeth of the Rakshaa mountain range. "I hope and pray it will not be the city."
"Doesn't look like it." Dechene replied, her eyes intent upon the landscape below. "According to our contacts, Alidiae's mother is holding some sort of 'celebration feast' at her mountain redoubt in honour of her daughter's return to the fold. It's a fair distance outside of Heiljamar proper, up in the Rakshaa -- which is going to make *our* job just a little bit easier, hopefully."
"Indeed this-ss is so." Moreil agreed, his eyes glowing dimly within the shaded interior of the transport. "While as-sss you may be aware, Z'shailyl have never been to this-ss place -- actions we take here will surprise our opponents, if all goes as-ss planned."
"Let's hope you're right." Sheynell muttered, as Fenric skillfully skimmed the flyer lower and lower looking for... there, that was what the covert reports sent up to the 'Shard' had described -- a hanging glacial valley set in the side of the broader valley that descended out of the Rakshaa mountains towards Heiljamar. "But first, we have to get there."
"I'm afraid so." Dechene agreed. "Our latest intel suggests that it should be safe to set down about four miles up the valley from this little fortress of theirs -- luckily, of course, we've got the night to hide our approach."
"Hmm, yes." Fenric pondered, "But do remember, Anla'shok Dechene, that the Brakiri sleep in their planetary morning rather then at night, like we do -- even though we make this approach in the night, they will be more alert then we would be under similar circumstances."
"That is-ss where I come in." Moreil said. "The Dark One-ss allowed us to develop armor which can hide my form from plain view -- and I also have... certain talents I have not yet revealed to you and yours."
"I sure hope you're right about him." Dechene muttered, as Fenric gently set the transport down in a tree-fringed clearing.
"I am." Julia replied, her expression calm. "You'll see."
"In that case -- I suppose we should get going."
"Everyone remember where we parked." Sheynell suddenly said, as the Rangers moved to leave the still thoroughly stealthed landing craft.
"What?"
The telepath smiled. "A line from a *really* old fiction-drama Nicholas was telling me about -- but the phrase applies to our situation, as well."
"How so?"
"Well in this drama, there's this starship with a **cloaking** device, if you can believe it, that lands in the middle of a park in San Fransisco..."
* * *
Klairika remembered this place -- remembered the long approach up the road of pressure-treated vi-tel crystal, the descent into the tunnel -- an underground progression that wound up in a tight spiral until it suddenly emerged in the parking area of the redoubt. She remembered looking out into the night from these windows set into the mountainside -- from the room that used to be hers.
From the redoubt, with the help of several good friends... had she run away from this place to become Anla'shok?...and now she stood before those windows again, the glowing embers of blackrock behind her on the hearth -- the traditional la-shelynial laid out on the bed behind her... what humans would call a 'dress', she supposed. How long had it been since she'd worn one? Klairika shook her head, trying to clear it -- experiencing again the shimmer of duality that had plagued her since... the event. She couldn't remember...
"Klairika." She turned, to see Berane standing in the doorway of her room -- his expression watchful... and speculative. "You have not yet changed, I see."
"And I must, of course." she replied, her tone bitter, as she sat down on the bed and took the dress into her hands. "Mother's guests will be arriving soon?"
"Soon, yes -- but there is yet a little time for contemplation -- for you to remember what was -- and embrace what lays ahead."
"That is... what she expects of me."
"It is." the na raen-shahn agreed. "My family has served yours for many generations, Klairika zei-lina... and what you did when the spirit deceived you, when you left us to become Anla'shok... this hurt your mother terribly. Now that you have been returned to us, however -- you must show her what you are capable of. You must remember who it is you serve..."
She blinked, and then cried out, as a flash of light suddenly filled her mind, and a vision emerged from that light -- of a man in black, his face grave. <Who do you serve?> the man asked her. <And who do you trust?>
The vision faded -- and Berane was there, his face full of concern, his hand on her shoulder. "You were far away for a moment, zei-leina... are you well?"
She straightened, and rose to her feet, the la-shelynial in hand. "I will be, yes."
* * *
The underground portal that Brakiri ground vehicles used to enter the Alidiae redoubt was not the only entrance to the underground mansion -- there were a number of secondary entrances on higher levels that exited out onto the trail network used by the raen-shahn and militia loyal to the Alidiae syndicate. This night, the patrols around the redoubt were no lighter and no heavier then was usual, for Sionaya Alidiae had chosen not to believe the Anla'shok would come in search of their stolen member so quickly -- and of course, how could *Rangers* steal down to the surface of Brakos unseen? Their White Stars, while powerful, were far from invisible!
A standard form of guards exited one such entrance high up on the rock face, and proceeded down the trail into the tree-lined ravine below to begin their standard patrol of the redoubt perimeter. They did not see the shimmery darkness that moved down the rock face behind them -- or the dimly glowing set of eyes that moved within that shimmer. Moreil, of course, found this all highly amusing -- while the Brakiri were capable of seeing much more detail in darkness then humans or Centauri, in comparison with *his* people, they were still as blind as all the rest. They had not seen him -- and even if he had not been wearing the armor developed by the Z'shailyl warriors and elders with the assistance of the banished Masters, long ago, they still would not have seen him.
For now, however, there was no time to consider this -- he had to focus on the task at hand... the Huntleader would not be pleased if this plan failed. Moreil moved along the trail as a whisper of wind would upon the rock, and finally he came to the portal the guards had emerged from -- a portal guarded by two Brakiri. Moreil moved forward, and slipped behind them -- and then he turned... and struck at one from behind with his zei'taku pike. The Brakiri in question had not even time to cry out as he sagged to the ground -- and even as his astonished companion turned and ran towards the shimmer of light and darkness which had struck down his comrade, four black-clad forms swung down the rock face behind him -- and a warrior pike forged when Valen walked among the Minbari flashed open. A moment later, it was all over.
"Now," Julia whispered, as Sheynell and Fenric dragged the two guards off into the trees, "We're running on a timer."
"Damn straight, we are." Dechene muttered, as she plugged a code-breaker into the portal's digital lock. "My contacts have assured me that the guards in this place go out on about two standard hour patrols before returning -- we've got that long to find Alidiae, hack into the syndicate network and delete her interrogation files, and then get the hell out of here."
"Hopefully without half of her mother's private army in pursuit, you mean?" Sheynell inquired.
"Even if it does come down to that," Julia replied, as the door finally cracked open and Moreil slipped inside, "I've got a surprise or two in store for said army."
"You don't mean..." Dechene managed.
"She does." Fenric replied. "You must realize by now that our captain likes to show off once in a while?"
"Give me a break!" Dechene hissed, as the infiltration party silently padded down the passage beyond the portal. "As if there's anything *she* can do that can top that intra-atmospheric jump out in the gas giant..."
Julia turned to face the intelligence Ranger, and smiled. "You don't know me nearly as well as you think you do, then, Anla'shok Dechene -- or, for that matter, my chief engineer. But I'm going to use that plan as a last resort, of course."
"Oh, of *course*. Now why don't we do less talking and try to get the job done?"
"After you."
* * *
Some miles up valley, the covert transport that Julia and her team had used to descend to the surface of Brakos silently left the surface, and began to slowly spiral up out of the atmosphere towards the waiting *Shard of Night*. "So let me see if I've got this straight..." Nicholas grumbled, as Larieken reclined in the captain's chair and waited for the engineer's latest rant to burn itself out. "What we're going to do is what she thinks of as..."
"Plan A."
"While what she told that Dechene woman was?..."
"Plan B. As well you know, the transport can be sent back down to them as soon as they tell us the mission objectives have all been achieved without flaw -- this is the 'plan B' scenario."
"Ah hah." After a moment, Nicholas began to chuckle. "That devious little... well, Hell, I suppose with our track record so far, it only makes sense to plan for the worst, right?"
Larieken nodded. "Bingo."
"Bingo?" Dawson's chuckle became an outright laugh. "I suppose *she* taught you what that meant?"
The Minbari nodded again. "It's a fascinating word, isn't it? I believe we were on Babylon 5 when the 'lesson' in question occured..."
* * *
It was not an easy task -- but eventually the Rangers were able to slip up out of the lower levels to an unused conference area where Dechene began the job of hacking into the planetary computer network. This also did not go as smoothly as the intelligence Ranger had originally hoped -- and since the idea was not to alert the planetary/syndicate authorities, going quickly was not an option in any case... but after a fair amount of whispered curses, the data she was looking for finally emerged into plain view. Things went downhill from there.
"Well I will be *damned*." Dechene muttered, as the other Rangers looked over her shoulder. "It looks as if the forces loyal to Alidiae's mother were more interested in breaking her then they were in actually interrogating her -- but this tech they've invented... it's dangerous, Tikopai -- we, and more specifically *I*, have to do something about this before we leave."
"Why?"
"Why?" Dechene all but exploded. "Look closely -- this researcher guy, Bahkmein I guess his name is, has hypothesized that this virtual environment/drug combination they've come up with will have similar effect on a number of other races in the Interstellar Alliance -- and if the rogue elements in those societies, *ours* included, are given access to this tech, it's going to make the job of the intel agencies a whole lot harder."
"Remember that we came here to rescue my first officer!" Julia suddenly flared. "And while I understand this is a serious concern for you, we can't do everything in one night. If we were to stay here long enough to try and elliminate this technology, what do you think would happen?"
"They'd probably find us." Dechene finally, ruefully, admitted. "Damnit! All right, I see your point -- first things first. We can always send some sort of strike team back in later before the production of these things *really* gets underway -- for now, I guess I'll have to be content with trying to insert some sort of virus into their system to damage the research data..."
"Fine!" Julia hissed. "For right now, though, can you tell us where she is?"
Dechene sent a couple of commands into the redoubt network, and then frowned. "She's at... dinner?"
Julia grinned an evil grin -- and Sheynell sighed. "Oh lovely." the telepath muttered. "She's got that 'it's time for a diversion' look on her face again."
* * *
The nearer she got to the assembly of Brakiri, the greater Sheynell's concentration became. She knew what she had to do, even as her captain knew what *she* had to do, and while Dechene had made it clear she didn't approve... Sheynell also knew that beside Moreil, she was the *only* member of the team who could do what needed to be done -- who could, in a matter of speaking, make herself 'invisible'.
In his time, Alfred Bester had taught her this was possible -- and while the mental 'feel' of the Brakiri mind was quite a bit different to that of the many humans and Minbari she'd dealt with in the last few years... the initial exposure to Klairika's mind some months before had prepared her for this act.
She took a deep breath -- and then stepped out of the shadows behind the pair of servants who were carrying several trays of food to the feast already in progress in the redoubt dining hall. Their movement smooth, the doors ahead of the servants swung open, revealing that hall beyond... brilliantly lit by four long, tapered crystal chandeliers, the walls emerald fringed with black (evidently, this was the Alidiae syndicate colours?) while almost the entire right-hand side of the hall was window -- the chamber being almost at the top of the buttress the underground mansion had been carved out of, years before. Her paces slow and steady, she slowly moved past the congregation -- and for a moment, she looked at Klairika's mother -- cast her spider's web across the surface of that mind... and flinched.
<ruthlesspower -- this is the end all, be all, she is mine again, let them see that no one can challenge me...>
No! She would not look there -- *could* not look there. After a moment, she found who she was looking for, and flinched again. Klairika was dressed more elegantly then she had ever seen her dress -- but beneath that elegance her friend's mind felt like glass which had been shattered and then reformed. She concentrated -- and then relaxed... there was... a *kernel* of her original personality still buried inside that the drug and the torture had not reached -- a kernel crying out to be released from the viewpoint of her honed P12 telepathic senses. This, of course, was exactly what Sheynell had been hoping for -- and as she came to a stop about three feet behind Klairika's chair, she turned towards the portal, and activated the tightbeam transmitter on her uniform collar. "In place." she whispered, even as she continued to convince the room-at-large that she... wasn't... there. "Target acquired -- it's time for the diversion."
"Roger that, Tactical." Julia's voice whispered out of the tiny remote in her ear. "Here come the partycrashers."
Several sharp thumps became audible beyond the hall doors at that point, and the Brakiri at table began to mutter amongst themselves and cast daggered looks in the direction of their host. Sionaya Alidiae rose to her feet, and cast her own glance in the direction of... what was his name? -- Sheynell concentrated... Mezhik zum Berane -- and a moment later, the black-clad hunter nodded and moved towards the door.
A movement that became unnecessary as those doors violently sprang open, revealing three figures in black beyond, all holding Minbari warrior pikes. And even as *every* Brakiri in the room sprang to his or her feet, Sheynell watched her dark-haired captain lock eyes with the disbelieving, furious matriarch at the end of the table. "Nei-leidrei Sionaya Alidiae -- you have stolen something from us that does not belong to you -- you will return her to us, or suffer the consequences."
There was a long pause -- and then the Alidiae matriarch began to laugh. "I think *not*. Berane!"
The hunter barked out a command -- and all of a sudden, two sections of wall behind his syndicate head slid aside to reveal tunnels beyond, and two troops of raen-shahn emerged -- and rushed straight at the Rangers standing in the door... who promptly turned on their heels and ran down the corridor. This, of course, was the cue for the dinner guests to begin a stampede of their own out of the dining hall -- which allowed *her*, of course, to step forward that all-important three feet, grab hold of Klairika (and more importantly, her mind) and *yank*.
The confused young Brakiri, already paralyzed by the sudden appearance of Julia and her Rangers, had not even time to cry out as Sheynell cast a dagger-line of thought into her brain and ran from the hall herself, dragging her friend along behind her like a balloon on a string.
* * *
How it had happened, she would never know... but even as her dinner guests finished their exodus from the hall, Sionaya turned to face her daughter... and froze, simply unable to believe what she was seeing. Klairika was gone -- had simply *vanished* from plain view! What had, who had... "Berane."
"Nei-leidrei." the hunter whispered, his face gone pale.
"Find her... at once!"
* * *
Heiljamar. VR interrogation lab facilities.
It was, Bahkmein ruefully considered, apparently going to be another long work session -- the sun, no doubt, would be well up in the sky before he called it 'a day'. And even then, he would not sleep long or deeply -- there was simply too much to *do* -- and now that the Nei-lahl, curse her for her upstart smugness, had removed the second machine to the Alidiae fortress lair, he was going to have to *insist* that his researchers be more careful with the original prototype...
The world suddenly convulsed -- and Bahkmein was thrown through the air from his seat as the lab doors exploded outwards behind him -- throwing pieces of equipment in all directions and even on top of some of his people. The astounded scientist turned towards the disturbance just in time to take numerous slivers of metal in his face -- and with a cry, he sagged down to the floor and reached a hand up to touch his battered features... a hand that came away a moment later covered in blood. But that was only the beginning of his torment, as a swarm of gray-armored soldiers rushed into the room... followed a moment later by a battered group of researchers, all those who had left the facility for the day -- and finally, a small group of... Chadi? Bahkmein felt himself begin to shake -- the nei-leidrei had assured him this would not happen, had assured...
A hand reached out, and closed around his throat, and Bahkmein looked up into a face covered in black tattoos. The expression in those eyes was terrifying, and if he could have, he would have looked away... but Bahkmein was not given that option.
"Who are you?" he croaked. He did not ask why they were doing this... that much was obvious.
"Who am I?" the crime lord spat, as he lifted Bahkmein to his feet and smashed him into the glass seperating the scientist's work area from the main lab floor beyond. "I am your worst nightmare -- and I am your executioner, tu`rahk that you are! But to be more specific -- my *name* is Cho-nori."
"Executioner, you say -- what gives you that right?"
"What gives me the right?" Cho-nori roared. "I will explain your crimes to you before you die," the Chadi continued, his voice now back to normal. "You *dared* to design a machine that would give the syndicates the ability to reprogram the minds of our brothers -- you would break their wills, and spit upon the vows they have made. You made a mistake when you agreed to reprogram the Anla'shok -- the instant *she* agreed to begin production, was the instant we had to act. And now, Bahkmein," Cho-nori concluded, "You and your researchers will die, and this place will be destroyed, while our network infiltrators send viruses into the system to hunt down any files connected to this... project. In short, it is time to end this threat, the only way we know how."
Bahkmein laughed. "Do you... really think it will be that easy... Chadi? The Alidiaes have removed the second prototype of the machine to their mountain fortress -- and from there, others can continue the project. Kill me if you wish, and destroy this place... but the work *will* go on. You... you will never win."
The face of the crime lord grew dark -- his fury at this news, Bahkmein concluded, would soon overcome all reason. "Victory *is* assured." Cho-nori replied after a moment, as he laid the barrel of his Nagean plasma rifle against the scientist's forehead. "But not yours, Bahkmein.
Not today."
Bahkmein clenched his eyes shut -- and a moment later, Cho-nori pulled the trigger.
* * *
"We were *fools* to believe it would be this easy!" Cho-nori growled to his equals a few moments later, as the flames announcing the destruction of the Alidiae syndicate lab lit the skyline of Heiljamar behind him. "If the tu`rahk spoke truthfully, another of these *machines* exists in the belly of their mountain fortress."
"You choose to attack the redoubt, then, do you?" another crime lord asked. "Many of our brothers would die in such an assault."
"And if the machines are still built, from the secondary prototype?" Cho-nori spat. "All that we have done in this place will be for nought -- we have drawn a line in fire and blood that the Krona cannot be allowed to cross -- we must end this threat, we *must* attack the redoubt -- we have *no* other choice!"
A great deal more arguing occured after that -- but in the end, the decision *was* made... the commands issued. And the Chadi of Heiljamar rode forth to meet their destiny.
* * *
It hadn't been what she had in mind earlier, of course -- but sometimes the enemy didn't give you exactly what you wanted. Now many levels below the dining hall where the pursuit had begun, Julia paused for a moment in a poorly lit corridor junction to catch her breath -- and then advanced down the corridor in front of her, her pike retracted for the time being. The raen-shahn Sionaya Alidiae had sent after her and the others had eventually caught up with them, and Azhahk, Dechene and herself had found it necessary to engage them closely. During the battle they'd been separated -- and to throw salt into the wounds, a stray blow had damaged her comm unit. This place... this redoubt built by Klairika's family -- it was simply *huge*...
Only at the last moment did she hear the slither of a footfall upon the stone floor behind her, and she smiled before turning, her hand going to pike as the *blonde* haired Brakiri girl rushed at her, her own weapon in hand. And for the first time in a *very* long time, she found her reflexes bettered by an opponent -- the club caught her on the left temple -- and she fell.
Time passed -- and eventually, awareness returned. "You have done well, Kareina." a now familiar, now hated voice allowed. "You see? -- these Rangers, they are not invincible -- they *can* be defeated.
On your feet, human!" Sionaya Alidiae barked, and a moment later, two syndicate guards grabbed her roughly from behind and pulled her upright. Despite her best intentions, Julia cried out at the pain in her head -- and was rewarded by a laugh from her enemy. "What is this, then? Surely you are not the 'mistress' of this Ranger vessel my daughter served upon before she was returned to us?"
"I am." she defiantly replied. "I am a Ranger -- I serve when and where I must -- I do what must be done, to save my kind... in the name of the One."
"You are well spoken, for one so young..." Sionaya Alidiae allowed, "But ultimately, that is your final flaw. Your *President* is more desperate then I thought, if he is willing to crew a ship of the line with *children*... but enough. We have you, and now that Nei-lahl Kariena here has arranged for a re-education machine to be installed in the basement of this facility... perhaps we will see what effect it has on a human."
Julia raised her chin high. "My friends will rescue me before you can do anything to me!"
The Alidiae matriarch laughed. "You deceive yourself, child -- we have captured them, as we have now captured *you*."
"Impossible." she retorted.
"Impossible or not, it is the truth. And now, childling, you shall service *us*.
Take her away."
* * *
Some moments passed -- moments in which the raen-shahn dragged Julia away down the corridor, and the two Alidiaes departed as well. Moments of quiet -- and then a hiss of breath was heard, and Moreil shimmered into being as he deactivated his chameleon armor. "The Huntleader is-sss *mad*..." the Z'shailyl muttered, as he moved off in pursuit. "But obey her, we mus-ss-t."
* * *
She had long ago ceased to struggle, and for this Sheynell was grateful, as she cast her probes ever deeper into the confused landscape of Klairika's mind. Confused by the drugs the scientists had injected into her blood -- damaged by the virtual torment they'd put her through. But from the beginning, she'd known what she was capable of -- sometimes what she could do frightened her, an emotion that the Corps had discouraged in its officers. The past, however, was *not* the present -- and in the here and now, what needed to be done...
Was -- a probe deeper then any she'd attempted with any other Ranger. <Klairika -- wake up.>
A flutter of eyelids. <I... hurt. Sheynell?>
<I'm here. You *knew* we would come, didn't you?>
<Julia...>
<Is also here -- but she walks apart from us for a time.>
<It's... over?>
Image -- a booth of electric fire, not real, not real.... <It wasn't real, Klairika -- you were right, and *they* were wrong. They will be made to pay for what they have done to you... I swear it.>
<Not real? It's...>
"Over." Klairika whispered, her body shaking as she let out several long sobs. "They... oh, Sheynell, it was horrible. I had to hide from it, the only way I knew how, the way they taught us how to in Tuzanor..."
"It's all right!" Sheynell insisted. "It's over, now -- you're going to be all right."
"That part of the mission might be over..." Dechene's voice ruthlessly cut in, "But *this* isn't over yet."
"Who's... this?"
"I'll explain later." the telepath replied, as she turned to face Dechene. "What's happened?"
"Julia's been captured by the forces loyal to *her* mother." Dechene brusquely explained, "And if I'm reading this right, they've taken down to this place's dungeon."
Oh *no*. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Looks like Bahkmein built two prototypes -- and the second one's..."
"In the dungeon." Sheynell wearily finished for her. "And where's Moreil?"
Dechene shrugged. "Your alien buddy's nowhere to be seen."
"If he's disappeared, it's for a reason."
"Oh really? And what would that be?"
"Enough!" Klairika suddenly interrupted, her voice still shaky, but getting stronger -- the tone of command already half-returned. "I know how to get around here -- remember that I used to live here!"
"You know how to get to where this machine's installed?"
"I have a good idea where that may be, yes."
"Then let's get going." Dechene suggested. "Before time runs out for us *all*."
* * *
To be continued!
* * *
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