Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 24 (a)

Goroshenko shook his head as if not quite believing what he'd heard. Strasser and Nguyen also looked at each in deep concern.

"Tell me that again," said Goroshenko.

Nguyen took a breath and repeated what she said."The ship that had a malfunction and burned up in the atmosphere had no passengers. It was unmanned."

"How do you know?" Goroshenko demanded, open mouthed. He was in shock.

"Because we were in the space elevator several kilometers away," said Strasser. I scanned the ship from nose to tail and back  and it was empty; a drone."

"There was no one aboard," said Nguyen. "I burned out part of the engine and the ship broke apart and then fell back into the atmosphere."

"But why?" asked Goroshenko. "Who ordered it?"

"Gaulle did," answered Strasser. "We were told that the ship needed to be dealt with for all our sakes. He said there was increasing danger to people with our powers from some in government. He said no one would be hurt and that it would give us breathing room to leave Earth."

"And you did this remotely from the space elevator?"

"Yes," replied Strasser. "We were on our way up. It was well within my range and once done, we departed for Arcturus where we stayed."

"Until we boarded this ship," said Nguyen completing Strasser's story. "We were told to wait as all of us would leaving for our own safety."

Goroshenko paced back and forth. "I don't think you have any idea know what this caused back on Earth. It was reported that the children died on that ship with three crew. I believed that was true and until this moment never doubted it."

"To be honest, once we left Earth we never looked back," said Strasser.

"I think we were all naïve," stated Nguyen.

Strasser stood up with a look of deep consternation on her face. "Do you think that Orion Ruskovich knows the ship was empty?"

This stopped Goroshenko in his tracks. "How could she know? I thought her motivation for being here on the ship was in response to the children dying."

"To exact some revenge?" questioned Strasser. "You did say she was deeply vested in the children."

"Perhaps that isn't her motive at all," interjected Nguyen."What if she was able to find out that the ship was empty. Then - wouldn't it make sense she would want to know where the children were if not there?"

Goroshenko and Strasser looked at each other. This raised certain questions which still were in need of answers.

"She has confronted two who could have had the answer," said Strasser.

"And they're both dead," was Goroshenko's blunt response.

"Do we know everyone aboard the ship who is part of the group," asked Nguyen. "I mean Sofia and I are outsiders really. We were always kept apart aside from rare exceptions."

"That's true," said Goroshenko. He tapped at his chin with his fingers. "I always figured there were more of us. Just wasn't sure if they were on the ship."

"You were more concerned with going to casino than thinking about it," said Strasser pointedly.

"I was as happy as you were to get away from Earth," Goroshenko said defensively. "Thought we were away from our old lives."

Strasser sighed. She knew he was right. They didn't ask questions about the departure and flight to the fringes of the Commonwealth. They had accepted the explanations as given by Gaulle. It had been enough. They'd all grasped at it as a lifeline.

"It would seem that Petr is correct that there's more going on that we first thought." Nguyen was still curled up on the sofa like a thoughtful cat. She was not one to pace. "We don't have all the answers but it would appear the big questions we need to ask are: What happened to the children? Are there any more people with psi powers aboard the ship? And one last important one –"

"And that is?" Goroshenko asked.

"Who will Orion Ruskovich go after next in search of answers?"

Both Goroshenko and Strasser nodded at Nguyen's last important question.