Pax Galactica - A Space Opera

Chapter 24 - The Dead Zone

<I'm back,> the Suit informed Decker.

<Good,> thought Decker, <give me everything but the helmet.>

Decker's suit leisurely unrolled down his body before settling into its usual form.

Aranarth was already in his own suit, helmet and all. This made his voice sound just a little bit mechanical. Decker was pretty sure he wouldn't have noticed before his hearing upgrades.

The mostly empty starport was now something of a staging grounds.

Huayi/Eeeek and two other members of the Planetary Security Directorate who Decker didn't know had arrived by repulsorcraft about fifteen standard minutes ago. They were all huddled around a zoomed-in holoprojection of the planet with Aranarth, deciding which potential warp gate locations were most likely to bear fruit. Decker tried to watch over Aranarth's shoulder without getting yelled at.

"The Command and Control Pyramid is the obvious first choice," said Aranarth. "Even based on the analysis of troop movements during the final battle it still seems like the most likely option. However I also like the looks of this strongpoint here, in the Dead Zone."

Aranarth pointed at the hologram and the place where his finger touched zoomed in further and sharpened.

"It is very well situated to reinforce several key bases near Cluster Prime. It fits the troop patterns. I think these are the two we need to go with."

"If we brought in more of our own people, we could search every site at once," said one of the two new Directorate representatives.

"We want to keep this as secret as we can for the time being," said Aranarth. "We don't know where the Long Shadow is getting their information. Somehow they knew I was going to be visiting the prison. We can't afford another leak."

"What are you implying?" asked the Director.

"That opsec is important," said Aranarth. "Nobody standing here should feel like their honor is being insulted. Just being present for this meeting shows that you're trusted."

"You are very presumptuous. Why should we trust you?" asked the other Director.

"Eyeye/Eeeek!" shouted Jeeke/Gyeee. "Show respect!"

"No, she has a point," said Aranarth. "That's why we're going in teams of two. One of us, one of you. If anyone finds anything you call the other team in and the four of us deal with it together."

"And if you find what you're looking for, what then?" asked Eyeye/Eeeek. "We'll still be left with our Long Shadow problem."

"This will draw them out, and we can deal with them at that time," said Aranarth. "Or else once we acquire the evidence it will put the cell back to sleep. Either way in the short term it's going to fix your Long Shadow problem."

"What of the long term?"

"In the long term it's a policing issue," said Aranarth. "Not my jurisdiction."

"So you have not come to help us at all, merely to take what benefits humanity and leave us to pick up the pieces," sneered Eyeye/Eeeek.

"Eyeye/Eeeek, that is enough," said Jeeke/Gyeee. "When our enemy had orbital supremacy over our world A.R.C. liberated us and asked nothing in return. That is in context of the help given to us by their mother civilization. You shame us all with your ingratitude."

"I am chosen to represent the security interests of our people, and that is what I will do no matter the circumstances," insisted Eyeye/Eeeek.

"Our security interests are served by our friendship with A.R.C.," said Jeeke/Gyeee. "Your position has been taken note of but we are going forward with this operation."