The Phoenix Crisis (12 page)

He cleared his throat and tried to organize
his thoughts. “Tell me, princess, how did you acquire such
high-level Polarian documents?” He knew he had to focus if he was
to keep a clear head. Somehow Kalila was just so intoxicating…

“
I have some Polarian agents
of my own,” she replied. Calvin remembered their first meeting on
Tau Outpost, when he’d caught sight of blue skin hidden behind the
hooded disguise of one of Kalila’s bodyguards. He’d suspected then
that Kalila had at least one Polarian operative. Perhaps these
documents meant she had dozens.

“
Those must be hard to
acquire.”

“
Some of them were sought
out by my family, in an effort to improve relations and remain
informed. Some of our friendships and connections have existed
since the Great War, when there was for a time a common enemy, and
some of my connections are ones I have sought out myself. But the
truly valuable ones…” she paused and turned her head. Her soft
raven hair brushed his cheek and he liked how it felt. She looked
at him, their eyes very close—he’d never seen such richness and
darkness in a person’s eyes before; they could cast spells!—and she
spoke. “The most truly valuable have been the Polarian agents who
have put themselves, and in their minds their immortal souls, at
risk to give us information, and warnings, because they fear
another Great War is coming. These are noble Polarians who love
their people, and their families, even above their sacred
duty—which is technically blasphemy in their culture—and are
willing to give up everything, including eternal bliss, to do all
they can to prevent a second bloodbath from occurring. The Great
War was not kind to them. And if there is to be a second
one…”

“
It would be far worse,”
Calvin agreed.

Kaila didn’t move away and Calvin stared
into her eyes. Something about her completely pulled him in. He
felt a weakness inside him, a tingling…

The door opened and Summers stepped inside,
followed by Cassidy. “I’m ready to analyze the data, sir,” she
said. “Commander Presley has given me full instructions.”

Kalila pulled herself away from Calvin and
stood up. She then walked to the side to make room for Cassidy and
Summers next to the terminal.    Calvin got out of
his seat and gestured for Cassidy to take his place. “You have
every resource at your disposal; this is to take top priority.”

“
It will not take long,”
said Kalila. “I assure you, you will find the data to be sound and
true.”

“
I’m sure you’re right,”
said Calvin. He looked at Summers. “What is our ETA to Ursa
Leo?”

“
Twenty-six hours at present
jump depth.”

“
That should be ample time,”
said Calvin. “Summers, you have the deck. Princess,” he turned back
to Kalila. “If you’ll follow me I’ll be glad to show you to your
quarters.”

Chapter 8

“
What is it? This had better
be important,” said Zane. He’d been forced to walk out on a meeting
with some wealthy potential investors who were sympathetic to the
cause. And while it was true that the Phoenix Ring had wealth
enough—especially Zane—there was no such thing as too much wealth
or too much power, particularly when the fate of the galaxy was
being decided.

“
I’m sorry, sir,” said
Celeste Ortega-Gasset. She was a pretty little thing, even when
broadcast over the computer screen and its poor lighting there was
something sensual about her. Her fair hair and semi-dark skin—an
unusual combination but one Zane found pleasing—worked well with
her dark, almost black eyes. If she weren’t so far beneath his
station, and such a useful tool besides, she was one Zane would
actually consider taking as a mistress. At least until he grew
bored of her.   

“
You will now explain why
this call is so important,” he said. He kept his tone even, free of
harshness of emotion, but those who’d worked with Zane for any
amount of time knew that he always meant business, and they’d be
wise not to waste his time.

“
It’s about the Remus
Incident,” she said.

Zane felt his frustration with her evaporate
and his mind quicken. There were a lot of question marks
surrounding the strange set of circumstances that had come into
play during the failed Remus Nine operation. Some things had been
discovered—such as the fact that the Phoenix Ring operative had
vanished without a trace and no one had made contact with him
since—but most of the mystery remained, such as why their operative
had stopped contacting them. Zane hoped that the operative had
died, or even that he’d been taken captive by Calvin Cross,
anything was better than the alternative. Unfortunately it was that
alternative he believed most likely, and it had grave
implications…“Go on.”

“
The replicant, X’li Prime,
may have defected to the Rahajiim.”

Zane felt his heart stop for a moment. That
was what he and the others most feared. “What? Explain.”

“
There have been whispers
that the Enclave figured out that X’li disappeared, and that X’li
Prime, posing as X’li on Remus Nine, was in fact not the true X’li.
If true, they may have gotten to X’li Prime before he got into
position on Remus Nine. Or else X’li Prime had always intended to
betray us and he sought out the Enclave himself. One informer—while
intoxicated—claimed the Enclave cut a deal with X’li Prime. And
that the Enclave decided to double-back on their deal with us and
instead make good on their promises to the Rahajiim.”

It had been a bold move of Zane and the
Phoenix Ring to try to recruit the Enclave out from under the
Rahajiim. The Phoenix Ring worked with the Rahajiim to promote a
common interest, but their good feelings for each other ended
there. In the end, both organizations, while smiling at each
other’s faces, knew that when the dust cleared, either the humans
or the Rotham would be standing at the top of everything.
Eventually the two groups would be at odds, and that meant it was
critical to make preparations for that inevitable conflict now.
They were friends with their arms around each other and knives
pressed against each other’s backs. And the clock was ticking. And
at the end of a very delicious tether was the Enclave—and, much
more importantly, the most deadly weapons in the galaxy.

The isotome weapons were the key, and Zane
had urged the others to sweeten the pot for the Enclave so the
Phoenix Ring would be the ones holding the isotome when all was
said and done. Even though, according to their arrangement with the
Rahajiim, the Phoenix Ring was only supposed to be involved in
helping to develop the weapons. The weapons themselves belonged to
the Enclave, who—according to the agreement—belonged to the
Rahajiim. But that deal had unacceptable implications. So Zane and
the Phoenix Ring had double-crossed the Rahajiim. Zane had then
used the Phoenix Ring’s private relationship with the Enclave to
arrange for a key member of the Enclave to be replaced, so that
when the time came there were certain assurances... They had
double-crossed the Enclave and now, it seemed, the Enclave had
double-crossed them right back.

“
If those rumors are true,
then the isotome weapons on the surface of Remus Nine are now in
the possession of the Rahajiim.”  

Zane knew that was bad, but the worst part
wasn’t that the Rahajiim had the weapons they were always supposed
to have according to the agreed upon plans, it was that the
Rahajiim knew the Phoenix Ring had double-crossed them. That meant
they had X’li Prime, the Enclave, half the weapons, and another
reason to accelerate whatever plans they had to act against the
Phoenix Ring. “At least we have the rest of the stockpile,” said
Zane.

Celeste didn’t say anything.

“
Right?” pressed Zane. If it
turned out they’d lost the other half of the isotome weapons he was
sure he’d have a heart attack.

“
I don’t know, we may,” said
Celeste. “I haven’t gotten that confirmed yet.”

“
You mean they’re just
sitting there for anyone to grab? What if the Rahajiim fleet
followed the Arcane Storm and found them?”

“
That shouldn’t be possible,
based on the information I have from Edwards Prime… not even the
Desert Eagle was able to pick up the Arcane Storm’s jump signature.
And the Rahajiim fleet arrived at Remus long after the Desert Eagle
did. So the trail would be even colder.”

“
Drop
everything
and make sure those weapons
are safely where they’re supposed to be.” Zane narrowed his eyes.
If there was anything that would protect the Phoenix Ring from the
Rahajiim when the time came, it would be the deterrence of the
isotome weapons. They each had a gun to the others’ head. If the
Phoenix Ring didn’t have one, on the other hand, and the Rahajiim
did, that did not bode well. “Well, what are you waiting
for?
Go
.”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
And don’t tell any of the
others this news.” Zane did not want to be wasting his time trying
to reassure some of the more flighty members of the Phoenix
Ring.

“
Too late, sir,” said
Celeste. And her face disappeared. The call was over.

“
Damn,” Zane slapped an
angry hand flat on the console.

He left the private room in his estate and
headed out to his limousine. His personal escort followed and he
ordered his driver to take him to the other side of the capital
city. During the drive he received a call on his mobile from a
secure line—a call he’d been expecting, and dreading, since
speaking with Celeste.

“
We have to get out of
here,” said the frantic voice of Rita Donovan. “We have to get
the
hell
off this
rock and go, while we still can.”

“
And go where?” he asked.
Rita had heard the upsetting news that their replicant X’li
Prime
might
have
defected to the Rahajiim. And she was already jumping to all sorts
of panicked conclusions.

“
Anywhere that isn’t here,”
she said. “They’ll be coming for us. You mark my words. They’ll be
coming!”

“
First of all, there’s
nowhere in the galaxy safer than Capital World. And secondly, no
they won’t. You and the others stay calm. The situation is under
control.”

“
And just how is it under
control? Do you have a hundred warships ready to defend us? Are you
prepared to give battle to the Rahajiim?”

Zane nearly rolled his eyes. Rita was right
to be fearful of the long reach of the Rahajiim, and the group’s
merciless brutality, but she hadn’t the slightest sense of what an
attack by the Rahajiim would look like. At least one against the
Phoenix Ring. “Everything is under control,” Zane repeated.

“
This will be our heads. I
just know it!”

“
Stay here, stay calm, and
stay down,” he said slowly and clearly. “I’ll contact you when I
know more.” He hung up without giving Rita another chance to speak.
The last thing he wanted was for her to lead a panic that resulted
in the Phoenix Ring’s members fleeing the system in all different
directions, pulling out their money and their support. Especially
when everything they had ever aspired for was literally within
their reach for the first time.

The Rahajiim were incredibly powerful, and
there was no doubt they would be a serious threat to the Phoenix
Ring eventually, but the much more immediate danger—the one that
threatened to ruin all of their plans before they could come to
fruition, was the Organization. And Zane would prefer the Phoenix
Ring keep its resources and attention fixed on them for the time
being.

When his car arrived in the discrete
underground parking garage, he and his escort entered the building
through one of the underground “back doors.” Zane left his
bodyguard and proceeded through several security checkpoints. This
was one of many structures quietly operating under the flag of
Intel Wing. Technically Zane did not have clearance to be here—no
civilian did—but he and the Phoenix Ring had made considerable
inroads inside Intel Wing, and now the premiere intelligence
gathering network in the galaxy was more or less at his disposal.
He still had to be careful, and keep his head down at times, but
those agents he’d managed to recruit—or replace—were slowly taking
over everything.

“
Hello again, Mister
Martel,” said one of the guards. He was in full combat fatigues and
very heavily armed. He was the gate keeper to the inner sanctum of
the facility. Not only did he look ready for some serious urban
warfare—carrying weapons and explosives enough to fend off a small
army—he stood over a button that would summon an army of marines to
swoop down on the facility and lock everything down within minutes.
 

“
Hello,” said
Zane.

“
Here to see Director
Edwards again?” the guard asked.

“
That’s correct.” Of course
the guard, like most people here, had no idea that the person who
sat in Director Edwards chair now, and who wore his same face, was
in fact Edwards Prime. And that the real Director hadn’t been seen
for… quite a while.

The guard buzzed him through and Zane
continued his journey, which wound into the inner sanctum of the
facility. He made it to the Director’s office where again he was
buzzed in.

So much security and all of
it useless,
he thought as he remembered how
easily they’d managed to abduct the real Director Edwards from his
personal home.