Solbidyum Wars Saga 7: Hunt for the Reduviids (7 page)

“Keep searching until every nook and cranny in the place has been examined.  She may have had a decoy make the escape and so she could remain hidden someplace inside to carry out other nefarious intents after the search was abandoned.  Let me know if you find anything else.  Oh, one thing more – see if you can provide me with a close-up image of Sisopan.  There should be some images available from cameras in the celebration hall.  I’ll be making a statement in a news conference with Leaders Tonclin and Leader Pheosa in about two hours and I’d like to plaster her image on the screen when I announce her as the Federations most wanted criminal.  If she’s still in hiding on Megelleon, I’d like to make her life as miserable as possible.  Furthermore, if there is any way to do so, I want all ships leaving the planet to undergo a thorough search before departing.  However, it’s possible she may have already gone, so gather all available information on ships that have left the planet since the attack took place.  I want that doesee caught.”

“We’re already on it, Tibby.  We’re capturing several images of Sisopan from the vids as we speak.  I'll forward them to you as soon as we end our conversation.”

“Do we have any information regarding casualties?” I asked.

“Surprisingly, there are very few.  Only four people, other than the bombers, were killed by the final series of explosions and only one of those was a senator.  My last report indicates 127 injuries, of which about ten are critical.  It’s believed they will all recover fully and those who lost limbs will be fully restored in a few months after cloning is complete.  Fortunately for the people in attendance, the bombers appeared to have been programmed to fixate on you and the Leaders.  When the action started and the subjects rushed toward your table, people began fleeing the other way; so most of them managed to put enough distance between themselves and the explosions to avoid serious injury.”

“What about the guy taken into custody?  Were they able to get anything from him before he exploded?”

“He didn’t explode.  The isolation box blocks radio waves, so even if Sisopan tried at some point to detonate his body bomb, the signal never reached him.  My men have transferred him in the chamber via Cantolla Gate to the L-1 prison facility where the signal won’t reach him.  Arrangements are underway to first perform a surgery to remove the device and then begin an interrogation.”

“Good work.  Let me know if he says anything worthwhile.”

As soon as I finished talking to Wabussie, I headed to my suite.  It was now early morning.  Since joining the ranks of fatherhood eight years earlier, I knew better than to expect anything resembling a normal greeting when I entered the room. 

As soon as I walked in the door, I could hear the twins talking to Kala in the next room.  I found them huddled together on the floor in front of the vid screen, looking at the carnage in the hall at the Capitol.  As soon Lunnie saw me, she blurted out, “Daddy!  Did you get hit when the people exploded and went to pieces?”

“Went to pieces!” Reide howled as he rolled around on the floor in laughter.  “They went to pieces!” 

“That’s not funny,” Lunnie said sternly as she loomed over Reidecor with her fists on her hips.  “People were killed.  It’s not funny.”

“They went to pieces!” Reide roared.

“Seriously, Tib,” Kala said, “I wonder sometimes about this boy and his sense of humor.”

“Daddy, make Reide stop laughing!  It’s not funny!” Lunnie fumed.

“Don’t go all to pieces, Lunnie,” Reidecor goaded, as he laughed even harder.  Lunnie glared at him.  Then from the next room we heard Mimic say in a perfect imitation of Reide’s voice,
Don’t go all to pieces
, and the whole lot of us couldn’t help but laugh –  all except Lunnie, who stomped off into her room, where she began to berate Mimic as he kept repeating,
Don’t go all to pieces – Don’t go all to pieces.

The moment of comic relief was interrupted by a call from Kerabac.

“Tibby, we're receiving a call from the news center on Megelleon about the upcoming news conference.  They’re requesting that a reporter be allowed to participate in the broadcast in person, in order to ask questions of you directly.  What are your wishes on the matter?”

This caught me off guard.  My first reaction was to say no, for reasons of security and secrecy; but then I realized that the visual impact of including a live interview with a reporter would provide an added sense of security to the citizens and quell any doubts or conspiracy theories as to whether the attack or the conference were faked for some reason.  The word of the reporter as a first-hand witness to the welfare and condition of the Leaders would add further support to the validity of the incident.

“I’m willing to allow one reporter, but a stringent security check and screening must be conducted beforehand.  I want that reporter to be scrutinized down to every detail and accompanied by heavy guard for the duration of the visit.  No equipment will be allowed passage; our camera crews and cameras are in place and our com systems already tie into the Federation news links.  If these terms are met in time for the scheduled broadcast, we’ll do it.  Contact Marranalis and ask him to facilitate an expedited security screening and transfer through the main gates.  No temporary or private gates are to be used.”

“Understood, Admiral.  I’ll see to it right away.”

At the appointed time Leaders Tonclin and Pheosa joined me in the broadcast center.  The official Federation insignia plaque was mounted on the wall above the dais where we would make the address.  As we readied ourselves behind the podium, a slightly disheveled and out-of-breath Cleainsta was ushered into the room by four troopers.

Cleainsta was a well-established news media journalist known throughout the Federation territories.  She was one of the principal reporters assigned to follow the hijacking of the
DUSTEN
shortly after I arrived from Earth.  Until now I had only seen her in vid broadcasts; and meeting her in person proved to be a bit of a letdown.  She was much shorter than I had imagined – maybe 1.6 meters at the most.  She also looked older than I had anticipated; though, to be honest, it had probably been years since I last watched her in a vid program.  I suspected that she’d had some cosmetic surgeries, but the fine lines around her eyes and lips were still a clear tell that she wasn’t a young woman.

“First Citizen, it’s an honor to meet you,” she panted, while smoothing her jacket and inspecting her hairdo with both hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Cleainsta,” I replied.  “But please, call me Tibby.”

“How much longer before the broadcast?” she asked anxiously.  “I fear I’ve lost track of time in all the rush to get here.”

“You have about five minutes,” I said.

“By the stars, I barely have time to get ready,” she exclaimed, as she pulled a makeup kit from an amenities bag provided to her by our ships security team

“The plan is to open with a brief address by Leader Tonclin about the events of last evening, after which you can ask questions of any of us concerning the attack,” I said.  By now, Cleainsta had produced a mirror from the kit and was primping and applying make-up with manic speed.

“Good, good.  That will buy me a few minutes to outline some questions.  Tell me, are there multiple cameras in this room?”

“Yes, and we’ve confirmed a secure link to transmit live feeds back to the media station on Megelleon, where your staff will be able to select the camera shots they wish to use during the broadcast.”

“Good.  Excellent.  Where do you want to seat me?” she asked.

“A table and desk space have been prepared for you over there, where you may sit and make notes while Tonclin speaks.  When he finishes, you can step forward to join us at the podium to conduct your interview.  Keep in mind, we are in the middle of a critical and ongoing investigation, so please prioritize your questions accordingly.”

As I finished these instructions, one of my crew indicated it was time for me to join Tonclin and Pheosa.

I took my place before Federation insignia next to the two Leaders as the media crew leader announced, “We’re live in three, two, one….”

“Greetings, citizens of the Federation,” Tonclin said in his high-pitched voice.  “I am certain that by now you are aware of the terrorist attack that took place several hours ago at the inaugural dinner for Leader Pheosa.  We wish to first assure you that both Leader Pheosa and I have sustained no injuries and that our continued welfare is secure.  Likewise, the Federation continues to govern smoothly and no interruptions to routine functions are anticipated.  By my last report, which I received moments ago, the attack resulted in 142 wounded, most of whom sustained only minor injuries.  Seven people are in critical condition but are expected to survive and recover fully.  Regretfully, I must also report that one senator was killed, when a body bomber grabbed hold of him as he tried to flee.  That victim is Senator Modane of Wildish, whose wisdom, kindness, and exemplary service to the Federation and to the citizens of Wildish will be greatly missed.  Our condolences to his loved ones cannot be overstated, and his contribution to the advancement of the Federation will never be forgotten.

“Last night’s inaugural dinner was planned as the final event of its sort to be held on Megelleon.  As you know, the new and more secure orbiting Capitol space station will be the site of future events hosted by the Senate and Leaders and will henceforth replace the Capitol complex as the seat of most or all Federation governmental functions.  The Capitol Station facility is fortified with enhanced screening protocols and superior security systems, including a protective RMFF shield, which will provide the government seat and its administrators with the most advanced defenses ever employed against terrorist attacks or other catastrophes.

“And now, Leader Pheosa, Admiral Tibby and I will do our best to answer questions from Senior News Media Representative Cleainsta.”

“Leader Tonclin,” Cleainsta began, “when did you first identify that a threat was present in the auditorium?”

“If you don’t mind,” said Tonclin, “I’ll let Admiral Tibby answer that question.  He’s better prepared and informed on that issue than I.”

I stepped forward to reply.  “It was the by the keen observations of First Citizen Kalana, who recognized a suspicious situation shortly after commencement of the celebration, that Leaders Tonclin and Pheosa and I were alerted to the potential danger,” I answered.

“And what was it exactly that she observed?” Cleainsta asked.

“I’m not at liberty to provide those details, as the information may be pertinent to future security and safety.”

“What actions were taken, once First Citizen Kalana raised the alarm concerning her observations?”

“We separated and isolated the Leaders so there was less likelihood of both being injured or killed in a single attack,” I answered.  I left out the bit where we had sent the women off first and hadn’t thought about the Leaders at all – that part would not have gone over well.

“Why didn’t you all get up and leave?”

“We had deduced that at least one individual was likely in control of the detonations by way of remote mechanism and that this individual was staged somewhere within the hall in view of the movements on the main level.  A mass exit from the dining table as dinner was just being served would have been a clear indicator to that controller that the plot was compromised.  Under these circumstances, the controller would have detonated all of the bombs immediately and simultaneously – without any advance warning to the attending senators and other guests.  This scenario would have resulted in far greater casualties.  Ultimately, we chose a course of action that would, under the circumstances, minimize the danger as much as possible.”

“Was any attempt made to notify others at the event of the danger?”

“There was no time to sound any warnings.  Only a few minutes had elapsed between the moment we became aware of the problem and the onset of the explosions.  Our first priority was to see to the safety of the Leaders; and we barely achieved that.”

“On the recordings that were captured of the event during the live broadcast it appears that a serving cart was brought to your table and left there shortly before the violence erupted.  Was it used to deliver weapons and armored jackets to you and the Leaders?"

“Yes; however, we were left with a dilemma once these items were in reach.  There was no way for Leader Pheosa and his bondmate to don the protective gear without revealing that we were aware of the threat.”

“Why wasn’t Leader Pheosa’s bondmate removed to safety?”

“She was; but she bravely chose to put herself at risk by returning to the room, in order to reinforce the appearance of normal dining and social activity at our table.  This bought us additional time to assess the situation and determine our next movements.”

“On the vid, it looks as though she throws herself across Leader Pheosa when the attack begins.  Did she do that on purpose?”

“Yes.  She risked her own life to save and protect him.  She was most heroic in her deeds and actions,” I replied.  I turned and glanced at Pheosa, who had a tear running down his cheek.

“Do we have any information about those who took part in this attack?” Cleainsta asked.

“We believe this operation was executed by a group called the Reduviids, a branch of Brotherhood terrorists under the command of an agent named Sisopan.”  As I spoke, the media crew brought up her image up on the vid screen.  “We have been aware of her role within the Brotherhood organization for some time and have been trying to capture her.  Anyone possessing information about this criminal or clues to her whereabouts is asked to contact either the FSO or the FOI immediately.  Sisopan is extremely dangerous and should not be approached or confronted by private citizens.  The capture of this criminal is among the highest priorities of Federation forces and efforts to achieve this objective will not relent.”