The Icarus operative - 2. Two

Covenant Fleet Starship Malitzin

Traveling from Planet Isten Baba –in the Tau Ceti System- to Planet Nergal -in the Corian II System in the Galactic Bar-

Covenant Year 329

SIXTY DAYS BEFORE THE ARREST

Covenant Vice Admiral Martin E. Preston was in route to planet Nergal on board the Covenant Fleet Starship Malitzin. He’d seen photos of the planet in several documents and he did agree with scholars in that Nergal looked very much like Utopia, though the continental shapes were different. But he’d never been to Nergal himself; and he’d been around for quite a while. He had left Isten Baba twenty-four hours before in order to attend a summoning from Covenant Intelligence. He’d felt surprised at the urgency of the call, but the communiqué had clearly stated he would be expected the following day at ‘The Derriot Building’, the name given to The Covenant’s Army Headquarters on Planet Nergal.

Army Headquarters had been moved from Utopia to Nergal not two decades ago, so The Covenant could be able to have a better reach of galactic systems and continue with the expansion of its rule, given the tactical location of the Corian II system in the galactic center.

Viceadmiral Preston did not like being called this far from Isten Baba, in the Tau Ceti System, where he’d been posted for the last decade; he could still remember when he’d taken over the Cetian fleet like it was yesterday. It hadn’t been that many years, and still it felt like a lifetime ago. He’d been given the Cetian fleet as a reward for his many years of committed service. Upon his arrival, he’d think of Isten baba as a rather exuberant place; a humid paradise of exotic and abundant plantlife. He’d fallen in love with the planet almost instantly, and he felt more Babian than Utopian in reality. Isten baba was his home, where he had his family, his military career and the friends he’d made over the years.

Being summoned to Shi’nar, the Capital City of The Covenant could only mean a long and dangerous mission, plus his removal from the Cetian Fleet. It was no secret the situation on Halan II was escalating into a major conflict and he did believe he was going to be called into action to the Rivulan System. He was almost certain of it and he did not like how things were looking, for he was very content leading the life he had been leading since he’d been assigned to Isten Baba.

Once, he could very well remember, he had been a young Covenant officer full of ambition and willingness to move up in his career as fast as possible. He had managed to do so and had also earned a reputation. For some people, Preston was still the living legend who had helped in the colonization of several Covenant systems. Years had passed, however, and Viceadmiral Preston was now a devoted family man who had two kids and a wife to look after, back in Isten Baba; besides, he was almost sixty years old and knew he wasn’t getting any younger.

Even while age was starting to take its toll on him, Preston was still in good shape and was still a handsome man; short dark hair, straight nose, hazel eyes and a salt and pepper goattee. He was wearing his navy blue Covenant uniform, all his medals showing on the left side of his chest.

“Captain Danizeed to Vice Admiral Preston.” Preston heard from the Inter Communication Device –ICD- in the quarters he’d been assigned on board the Malitzin.

“Go ahead, Captain.” Preston responded tapping the communication button on the ICD console of his quarters.

“Thank you, Admiral,” Captain Marh Danizeed continued, “we’ll be arriving in Launchhole UI in around thirty five minutes.”

“Acknowledged, Captain,” Preston replied, “I’ll be in my quarters. Let me know when we are launched into the Corian II System.”

“Yes, sir. Danizeed out.”

Preston tapped the button of the ICD console. He walked towards the black leather armchair with which his quarters had been provided. He picked up the novel he’d been reading and opened it. But he could not fool himself, he was not in the mood for reading.

The only thing he could think about right now was this summon. He kept on hoping with all his guts this wouldn’t be a long mission, as he did not want to be away from his family. But something inside him told him his hopes were about to spectacularly fall to pieces.

Right now, he could only send a subby to Isten Baba. He wanted to talk to Anii, his wife, even though he’d just talked to her twenty-four hours ago, when he’d come on board the Malitzin. He’d promise he’d be back soon.

“Don’t fool yourself, Martin,” Anii had told him, “and don’t you dare try to fool me. I deserve better. We both now being summoned to Shi’nar can only mean a long deployment. So don’t go around pretending this is gonna be a little nothing.”

He’d tried very hard to convince her otherwise, but he could not have fooled her even if he did manage to fool himself. Last time he’d been summoned to ‘The Derriot Building’ he’d been send to a colonization enterprise in the Galactic Bar; the Erjnak homeworld. He’d been ambassador to The Covenant and helped in the alignment of the Erjnak. It had not been an easy task, for the Erjnak were a non anthropomorphic race, and they did not perceive life the same way as Utopians.

His diplomatic work, however, had resulted in Erjnak's alignment and, even when the Erjnak were so different from all Covenant races, they’d joined The Covenant and had now become a very important race in Covenant Economy. The deed, however, had taken approximately two years.

*****************************

Preston felt restless. They would arrive on Planet Nergal any moment now, and he had finally come to terms with the possibility of taking a long leave from his family. It had not been an easy task, for he loved his wife and kids more than anything in the universe; but he’d always been a man of duty and honor. He’d taken an oath when he’d graduated from the Covenant Army Academy, almost forty years now; an oath to serve The Covenant to the best of his abilities.

And so he would.

He had already collected all his personal effects, and was finishing packing a couple of books when the ICD console of his quarters came alive. It was, once again, the Captain of the Malitzin.

“Captain Danizeed to Vice Admiral Preston.”

“Go ahead, Captain,” the admiral replied.

“We’re in orbit around Nergal now, Vice Admiral. The CFS Maa’ra will rendevouz with us in about ten minutes to transport you to the Capital City.”

“Very well, Captain,” Preston added, “I’m on my way to the Bridge.”

“Yes, sir. An escort will be expecting you in order to take you to Hangar 23, where you will board the Maa’ra.”

“Acknowledged.”

Preston placed his books inside the suitcase and came out of his room. He couldn’t help thinking about his last call home, where Anii had been both distant and distracted, as if she didn’t care about anything regarding her husband anymore.

“If it’s gonna be a long mission, I’m fine with it,” she’d said over the subnet, “I just hope the kids are as understanding with this new assignment as I am.”

Preston knew she had put in the kids to make him feel guilty, in that particular form of emotional blackmail she was so good at, and she had perfected over the years. Oh, he really knew she’d done it to make sure he knew how she disapproved of this possible assignment; after all, Anii had never liked Martin’s job and had suggested that he retire on more than one occasion over the past five years or so.

For the first time, Preston wondered why he hadn’t paid any attention to the suggestion; if he had retired, this wouldn’t be happening right now and he’d be at home playing with the kids or having a cup of Cetian rhubarb tea, his favorite drink, with his wife. Back in Isten Baba he’d had the happiest days of his life along his beloved wife and his two kids, and he’d served The Covenant as well in Covenant Outpost III, set in Isten Baba.

He sighed. It was no good thinking about what could’ve been different if he’d retired when Anii had suggested so. It was not like he could change the present by thinking about how he could’ve changed the past. He was now in orbit around Nergal, in the Galactic Bar, and soon he’d be on board the Ma’ara on his way to Shi’nar, the Capital City of The Covenant. Once in Shi’nar, he’d be met by Covenant Intelligence before the end of the day.

And that was it.

*****************************

By the time he arrived in ‘The Derriot Building’, the CFS Maa’ra had already left Shi’nar. He’d been assigned quarters at the Covenant Lodge where he’d made a short stop to leave his personal belongings. When in the room, he let himself ruminate a bit more about his present family situation, but knowing there was nothing he could do to please his wife, except for, maybe, refusing this new assignment, he left his accommodations as soon as he’d deposited all of his personal effects.

When he came out of his room, a couple of low grade Covenant officers greeted him and asked him to follow them. They walked through the maze of duranium corridors that was “The Derriot building”.

Preston was brought into a meeting room, where seven Covenant Intelligence officers were already waiting for him, sitting around a large crystal table. They all had similar padnics in their hands. All seven officers stood up and smiled as Preston came into the room. The meeting was presided over by none other than Rivulan Admiral Heg’born La’nostem, the very head of the Covenant Intelligence Bureau.

“Vice Admiral Preston,” Heg’born La’nostem was the first officer to speak, coming towards him so as to greet him, his strong Rivulan accent showing in his words, “Always a pleasure to see a living legend.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” he told La’nostem, “the feeling is mutual.”

He then turned towards the others and bowed in respect, “Ladies. Intergenders. Gentlemen.”

The other Covenant Officers bowed back and smiled, while Lanostem took his place and gestured for Preston to take the only empty seat, right across from him. Once settled, Lanostem gestured Preston to take the padnic that had been placed before his seat.

“As you well may be aware, Vice Admiral Preston, there’s been a lot of unrest in several systems as of late.” Lanostem said.

“Yes, sir. I´ve heard things here and there. And I’ve also come across official reports ….”

“Several Covenant Colonies are in disagreement with Covenant ruling, bursting in rebellions, voicing open threats towards The Covenant…”

“Is the situation really that delicate?” Preston asked Lanostem, “I have not seen any Official Comuniqué regarding such things; and the Network has pointed out ….”

“The Network is a Covenant machine, Vice Admiral,” said Admiral Otiyar Harall, an old yet very attractive Hyadenese woman, “you can understand it shows what we…The Covenant considers appropriate for it to show. There’s no reason to bring public alarm and cause Covenant citizens to panic because of a few riots and domestic disturbances.”

“And Covenant officers aren’t told more than they really need to know…as you might have guessed. That’s our job...” said Miterrand.

“If you’ll turn on your padnic,” La’nostem said interrupting Mitterand, “you’ll see estimates and predictions of riots which could possibly escalate into rebellions. If they happen to do so, The Covenant could be, for the first time in its entire history, facing civil war. Halan II is the most urgent of these cases…”

“Well, from where I see it,” Preston interrupted La’nostem, “a System is hardly strong on its own to talk about civil war. Assuming Halan II rebells against Covenant rule, the government…”

“It might just be so, Vice Admiral,” Harall said interrupting him rudely, “but what you’re not adding to the equation, is a strong element of discontent in other systems as well. If Halan II goes against us, other colonies might follow…”

Preston looked at the information in the padnic he’d been provided while he listened to the head of the CIB.

“Genesis,” La’nostem continued, “one of its two moons, has been a conflict zone for the past several months, with riots taking place almost every fortnight.”

“How about the other moon? Eden?” Preston asked.

“It’s still under control, but Gimmer Ebenweiss, with his ridiculous nobility pretensions is not helping the situation at all, and our strategists suggest riots could happen any moment now.”

“I see.”

“If both Eden and Genesis march against the Government of Halan II, the entire Rivulak System might be compromised. We cannot allow that to happen.”

“As you can imagine,” Admiral Harall added, “losing the Rivulak System to rioters would be a low hit against The Covenant, for the Rivulan was one of the two founding races.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, Gentlemen, but where is it I figure in all of this?” Preston asked the group of Covenant officers placing the padnic aside.

The group exchanged glances and La’nostem nodded at Commander Kembdrazno. The chubby-looking Danaaren cleared his throat and produced a different padnic, one he handed to Viceadmiral Preston as he spoke.

“We have confirmed intelligence from Covenant operatives which talk about a plan to overthrow the local government in Halan II.”

“A revolution?” Preston asked looking at the officers.

“Precisely.” Harall said, “According to Rivulan History, some members of the Rivulan Jem’dorah Clan, that is, the Rivulan Dynasty in power over Halan I and Halan II before the Rivulan Revolution, fled the Rivulak System and were never heard of again.”

“Yes, I believe we all read about it in Covenant Army Academy.”

“Our sources suggest those members of the Jem’dorah Clan have kept their line of succession alive and unpolluted, interbreeding with only members of the same clan, waiting for the moment when they could come back to power.”

“This sounds a little bit farfetched if you ask me...” Preston said. He could not believe high members of Covenant Intelligence could possibly be paying attention to such rumors.

“Oh, it does!” La’nostem interrupted, “However, Amiral, believe me when I say our sources of intelligence are nothing if not reliable.”

“A very ancient Rivulan cult called ‘Ebbabar’,” Kembradzno continued, “which could be translated into official Covenant tongue as ‘House of the Rising Sun’, has reached a certain degree of popularity during the last couple of years, though citizens in the Rivulak System seem to have been practicing it for centuries, since even before the Rivulan Revolution. This cult, as many others through the galaxy, speaks of a Messiah…”

“A Messiah?” Preston asked with a strong air of incredulity in his tone.

“Indeed. A chosen one who will come to free the Rivulan from their enslavers. Apparently, the Jem’dorah, whoever they are, wherever they are, are planning to bring the last descendant of the old Jem’dorah Ruler into power…as the foretold Messiah.”

Preston looked from the padnic to the officers to the padnic repeatedly. He found the whole situation hard to believe, but if things were escalating in that direction, anybody claiming to be the Jem’dorah descendant could definitely handle the masses and overthrow Covenant Government in the Rivulak System. And as Hallar had pointed out, other systems might rise against The Covenant.

“So, my mission will be…”

It was Admiral Mebarak, a Utopian seventy-year-old woman, who spoke this time.

“To locate this so called Messiah, this Jem’dorah descendant, and bring him into Covenant custody.”

Preston measured the pros and cons of such an action in silence. He was not very sure they were heading in the direction he feared they were.

“Admirals,” he said trying not to sound antagonistic, but making sure he sounded firm, “I appreciate your faith in my abilities. However, I’m afraid I’m not sure this might be the wisest course of action.”

“Viceadmiral?” La’nostem looked at Preston askance.

“Permission to speak with candor, Admiral.”

“Always, Preston.” La’nostem agreed.

“This Jem’dorah descendant, Admiral, has been elevated to the stature of a religious figure, a Messiah, a sacred ruler. If we were to abduct him and bring him into Covenant custody, the political repercussions could bring all the inhabitants of the Rivulak System to rise against The Covenant, which is precisely what you’re trying to avoid at the moment. This Messiah would become a martyr and we would be the villains behind the act. I needn’t tell you, admirals, a martyr is a much more powerful political figure than a Messiah. And I’m not even considering the fact that we’d be going against The Covenant’s policy of political independence.”

All the admirals looked at each other, as if weighing Preston’s words, but it was Harall who spoke this time.

“Political Independence does not apply in this case, Vice Admiral, Halan I and II have been Covenant rule since the foundation of The Covenant.”

“Isn’t that convenient, Admiral?”

“I beg your pardon?” asked Harall, a look of indignation in her face.

“They weren’t Covenant rule before the foundation. I do believe I’d have to disagree with your conception of Covenant Politics, Admiral Harall.” Preston retorted.

“Regarding your assessment, Preston,” La’nostem said ignoring Preston’s last remark and directing the conversation in his direction, “We agree we cannot risk turning this Jem’dorah descendant into a martyr. That is why the whole mission has to be conducted with absolute... let’s say… discretion.”

“So,” Preston said, surprised at La’nostem’s suggestion, “my mission would basically be to abduct this Jem’dorah descendant, whoever he is, and bring him into your custody.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

Vice Admiral Preston decided he’d heard enough. Or more than enough for that matter. Yes, he’d made an oath to serve The Covenant to the best of his abilities, but what these Intelligence officers wanted to do was far beyond his personal ethics and the ethics of The Covenant itself. It was the mandate of The Covenant that all species joined out of free will and lived in accord to their own philosophical, political and religious views; their alignment to The Covenant was to be a link between brothers. What these officers wanted to do was not to protect The Covenant… What they wanted to do sounded more and more like a dictatorship.

He stood up from the seat he’d been assigned and looked at the admirals he’d been talking to; some of them he’d known for a long time, like La’nostem and Miterrand. But he could not compromise his own beliefs…what they were asking of him was far beyond his reach.

“I’m sorry, Gentlemen,” he said with an air of solemnity in his voice, “but I believe I’m not the operative you’re looking for.”

“I beg your pardon?” Harall asked once again, rising from her seat, as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

“Vice Admiral? Would you care to elaborate?” La’nostem asked without losing composure.

“What you ask of me, admirals, I cannot do, even if I wanted to.”

“Explain yourself, Preston.” Harall demanded, fire erupting from her eyes.

“When our Rivulan and Utopian ancestors founded The Covenant, almost three hundred thirty years ago, they did it with the one intention of bringing people together to live in harmony and peace.”

“Spare us the history lesson, Preston.” Harall proffered, and La’nostem threw a dissaproving glance in her direction.

“Where are you going with this, Vice Admiral?” La’nostem asked.

“The Covenant was founded upon the principle of brotherhood; it was founded to be a system in which all races who so chose it could become one of its members. It was meant for all its members to rule side by side as one system. Not for one system to rule over all.”

He paused to let his words sink in the minds of those officers who were sitting facing him. He looked each in the eye, one at a time, and stopped at La’nostem.

“What you are asking me to do is abduct someone who might by all means be the rightful ruler of a Planet and a system. And such system should be free to choose its own government, as The Covenant policy states as its most basic principle… See, what you are asking me to do is go against the very Institution I swore to serve: The Covenant.”

Harall seemed furious. La’nostem was serious, but his gesture was mostly unreadable. The remaining officers were looking at their padnics, as if they were ashamed to look him in the eye and recognize Preston was voicing what everybody else was thinking but did not have the guts to express.

“So, you see,” Preston continued, “I will not destroy what I have been devoted to all my life and what I swore to protect when I graduated in the first place. As I said before, gentlemen, I am not the operative you’re looking for.”

La’nostem intertwined the fingers of both his hands and rested his elbows on the table, bringing his face to rest on his hands.

“I appreciate your candor, Vice Admiral. And I’m pretty sure things look that way from where you’re standing. However, this directive is not open for debate. You are ordered to locate the Jem’dorah descendant and bring him into Covenant custody.”

Preston imagined this is how things would turn out and felt sad. Not at himself, but at these people who were betraying the very thing they’d sworn to serve. And he felt angry as well, for he did not know when it had been that The Covenant had taken a wrong turn and lost the way to transform into…this.

He looked at the Intelligence officers and smiled, but his smile was one of both disillusion and contempt.

“Well, then,” he said looking at La’nostem, “I’m afraid I have no other choice but to hereby present mi resignation from The Covenant Army.”

“You cannot quit on this! You cannot quit on us!” Harall said, now losing total control.

“It is my prerogative, Admiral Harall. I will not serve this caricature of a Covenant that is nothing like the one our ancestors founded so many generations ago. If you’ll excuse me. Ladies. Intergenders. Gentlemen.”

Saying so, former Covenant Vice Admiral Preston, moved from his chair and started walking towards the exit of the meeting room. He was disappointed, but he also knew he’d done what was morally right.

“Martin,” Vice Admiral Jean Paul Miterrand said, standing, and speaking for the first time, “it’s only a system… and it’s for the greater good.”

Miterrand and Preston had been classmates at the Covenant Army Academy. When they were young they would party together and study together. Miterrand had been a good friend during his academy days. But time had done its thing and they’d grown apart as time passed by; now, they were nothing but strangers. All Preston could see now in Miterrand was just that: a stranger.

“It’s only a system, indeed.” Preston said, “A system which you fear might influence other systems. Then there will be two systems, eventually three. Then The Covenant will go against them, against its own brothers stepping over the very backbone of its establishment.” He paused for a moment and then looked at Miterrand, “What are you going to do, Jean Paul, when The Covenant crushes all these systems under its boot as if they were roaches and not its citizens?”

“Martin…”

“Do not even try.” Preston said.

“You’re leaving an exemplary career for nothing, Vice Admiral.” Mebarak said.

“It’s not for nothing, Admiral. Read your history.”

“How dare you…” Mebarak started, but La’nostem made a hand gesture indicating him to shut up.

“The day will come when you regret this course of action, Preston.” Harall said eyes throwing daggers.

“I certainly hope that is not a threat, Admiral. Were it a threat…” Vice Admiral Preston replied.

“It is not, Vice Admiral.” La’nostem said looking back at Harall as if he’d wanted to vaporize her with his eyes, “You’re dismissed.”

Preston walked towards the door and then turned to face Miterrand as he spoke.

“You know I’m right, Jean Paul,” Preston said.

He looked at all of the officers in the room, “You all know I am. And it would do you good to rethink your priorities in life. I know it’s only a small system, but being so does not make this right, and you know it. And so do I. And so I walk. Good evening, Gentlemen.”