Triplicity

Chapter 17 - VALERIE

THE NEXT DAY

"Good evening, Chancellors."

I stood in my quarters, my hands folded in front of me. Two life-size, holographic projections of the Jarkian and Theldish Chancellors faced me.

Chancellor Farin frowned. "I hope you are not wasting our time, Chancellor Chan."

Despite my hate for him, I managed a polite smile. "Don't worry, Chancellor Farin. I have some information which I believe may be of interest."

"Which is?"

"My secretary has just sent you coordinates to what we believe are the rebel bases outside of Jarkia and Theld."

Both men looked at something to one side.

"Where did you get this information?" Chancellor Hatwar asked.

"I have my ways." I tried not to think too much about the tracker I'd placed on Isaac's uniform. "I trust you have been attempting to find these bases?"

Chancellor Hatwar nodded. "These coordinates match a location we've been meaning to check out."

Chancellor Farin grunts. "So do mine."

"Excellent." I pulled up a calendar to the left of the projections for reference. "I believe that we should attack these bases on the same day."

"Agreed," Chancellor Farin said, a little reluctantly. "We can be ready in two weeks."

Chancellor Hatwar spread his hands. "We're ready whenever you're are."

"Alright." I peered at my calendar. "November 21st. How does that sound?"

Chancellor Hatwar smiles—a charming expression, but I know better than to believe it's genuine. "Of course."

"That will work," Chancellor Farin agreed. "We are...grateful for this information."

"Yes." Chancellor Hatwar still wore his charismatic grin, but I could tell he was struggling to keep it up. "The sooner the rebels are gone from this planet, the better."

The next day, I found myself once again at the head of the conference table, with twenty-five faces waiting expectantly. Isaac, of course, was among them. His expression was the same as always—mild interest, but otherwise blank. I wondered if it would change soon.

I took a deep breath. "Good morning, officers."

There were a few seconds of mumbled greetings.

"We've gathered some new information about the rebels. Please, take a look."

I reached forward and activated the holographic projector on the table. A map of the Triangle sprang to life, with three blinking red dots outside of the cities. I pointed at them. "We've acquired some intelligence about the locations of the rebel bases, and we believe we've found them all. The Chancellors of Jarkia and Theld agree with me."

Everyone remained quiet. Isaac's expression didn't change, but his face looked just a shade paler.

I moved my finger away from the map. "We've changed the schedule. We'll attack these bases on the twenty-first."

An officer raised her hand. "All at once?"

I nodded. "With any luck, they won't be expecting us."

Isaac's hand went up. I looked at him, not knowing what to expect. He cleared his throat. "Will we be ready? It's a week ahead of our original plan. Do we need more time to prepare?"

Thankfully, I knew how to answer this. "No. We'll be ready."

I tapped the map to zoom in on Apex. "I'll be making a speech shortly about the attack. We're going to send the armed forces out three days prior so that the rebels can't escape. What you need to do is make sure no one gets in or out of Apex. The guards will be training for the attack. You'll be posted all around the dome."

I closed the map. "You'll be given your post location shortly. In addition, you'll be looking for crime near the border. Arrest anyone who isn't doing what they're supposed to be doing. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded assent.

"Alright. Thank you for your time."

The officers left quickly, leaving me completely alone in the conference room. I sighed and pulled up Isaac's report. It was, as always, excellent.

Of course, the officers were trained in combat as well as their normal government duties. No doubt Isaac could fight guards off on his own, especially with a gun. I'd have to take him by surprise.

I sat in my chair, thinking...

***

"Secretary Dane?"

Back in my quarters, there was a ping as the secretary accepted the call. "Yes, Chancellor?"

"Get me the location of Officer Wilborn."

"Will do." There were a few moments of silence. "He's still at his post."

"Send out a team to arrest him." I ended the call. I watched the sun set for a while, then went to get a drink. Of course, the star that E-2106 orbited around wasn't the old sun, but I've heard the sunsets were just as beautiful.

Sipping from a glass of water (I hated alcohol), I waited for the secretary's call. I swept my eyes around the room. I used less and less of it now. I really didn't need all that space, but I'd inherited it.

My gaze fell on an old holographic table. I'd shut it off and moved it to make space for a large decorative vase. I reached forward and turned it on. The image flickered to life: two children, laughing. Completely happy together...

A ping announced the secretary's call. I hurriedly shut off the table and pressed a button to accept it. "Put him in one of the cells below the Center."

"He escaped."

I frowned. "What?"

Secretary Dane sounded a little nervous. "He shot the guards. He's gone."