Harlan remembered. Timmy Moreno. His father's friend. A man of honor
and strength. Harlan had looked up to him. And he had played with
-Timmy's son. Ned.
+Timmy's son. Jake.
-"Ned." he said. "I thought you died with your dad."
+"Jake." he said. "I thought you died with your dad."
+
+==== Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative====
+
+Jake looked down at the carpet under his feet. "No. He protected me
+with his body. I lived because he took the force of the blast." His
+eyes roamed up the wall, seeing a time years ago and miles away. "When
+the Guard came around to see if everyone was dead, I unfocused my eyes
+like you taught me. Remember? And lay limp. I had enough blood on me
+to look realistic."
+
+"Someone poked me in the side with a gun. It hurt, but I managed to
+stay limp. They went on."
+
+His gaze met Harlan's. "I lay there for a long time." His eyes
+sparkled with unshed tears. "My dad and me - we didn't get along well.
+Part of it was the Resistance. He believed. I thought it was
+bullshit."
+
+Running his hand through his hair, he said "We argued, sometimes to
+the point of throwing punches. I couldn't sway him. And I was too
+stubborn to open my eyes."
+
+He chuckled, a laugh with no humor in it. "Boy, did I ever have my
+eyes yanked open that night." Looking at Harlan, he said "If I had
+twitched, they would have shot me dead. Even though I was supposedly
+on their side."
+
+He hung his head down and shook it. "Shit! I was dumb."
+
+"I think I lay there, between the cold floor and the cooling body of
+my father, for at least an hour. At one point I started crying. Crying
+like I had no tomorrow. And I didn't. I had no idea what to do, where
+to go."
+
+Still with his head hanging, he said "The reason I survived had
+nothing to do with my skill or knowledge. The Resistance came. I was
+crawling out from under Dad at that point and was trying to get to my
+feet." He smiled grimly. "I was as stiff as Dad was becoming."
+
+"Three men suddenly appeared - like out of thin air. One was
+Santorini. I didn't know the other two." He sighed. "They obviously
+knew me. One spoke up. He wanted to kill me. Santorini looked at me,
+covered in my father's blood, tears streaking down my face, one leg
+still stuck under the corpse. He shook his head and had them bring me
+along."
+
+"For days, I slept or lay staring at the ceiling. I didn't eat much. I
+didn't think much. Thinking was far too painful. I just lay on the bed
+in a fog."
+
+He smiled then, a genuine smile. "Finally Santorini's daughter, Jade,
+came into the room. I wasn't dead, so I noticed her. Brilliant green
+hair and eyes and a smile that would light up the world. She kicked me
+out of bed, forced me to dress, and dragged me back to the land of the
+living."
+
+Harlan smiled. "I think I've met her."
+
+"At the Big House?"
+
+Harlan nodded.
+
+"Yeah. She's been undercover there for a couple of years." He leaned
+back. "I don't like it. Hell. I hate it. But Jade's a big girl and can
+do what she wants. I'm just her husband."
+
+"You're married to that witch?"
+
+"Yeah. Ain't she great?"
+
+Harlan grinned. "Hell, yeah."
+
+Harlan and Jake began to laugh. Mellie stared at them. "What's so
+funny?"
+
+Harlan managed to say. "You'll have to meet her."
+
+When he had controlled his laughter, Harlan said "You'll have to
+forgive me if I don't trust you implicitly yet, Jake. I'll let
+Santorini okay you."
+
+Keeping their phasers centered on Jake's back, Harlan and Mellie
+herded him out the door and into the garage, boarding a two seater
+AirScooter. Mellie sat on Harlan's lap and guided the machine. Fifteen
+minutes of discomfort and crowding later, they arrived at the Green
+Palace.
+
+Santorini met them at the front door. He didn't even look at Harlan or
+Mellie. He went straight to Jake and hugged him, holding the younger
+man tightly for a moment. When the Boss stepped back, Harlan could see
+tears in the eyes of both men.
+
+Harlan shrugged and put his phaser away. Looking at Mellie, he saw
+that she was smiling and had already holstered her weapon.
+
+Santorini brought Jake over to them. He started to introduce Jake, but
+they all interrupted, saying that they had indeed met.
+
+The Boss said "Oh, yeah. That's right. Thank you for not killing or
+maiming him. Jade would kill all of us."
+
+Mellie looked at Santorini and asked "You got any more daughters,
+Boss?"
+
+"Yeah. Two more. Why?"
+
+Mellie shook her head. "Nevermind."
+
+Jake carried a message from Cassidy. Cassidy could see what was about
+to happen on his world and he wanted to be on the winning side. By his
+calculations, the Resistance would win. He would be throwing all the
+resources of the Syndicate behind the rebels.
+
+There were stipulations, of course, including a full pardon for every
+man or woman who fought for freedom.
+
+Cassidy wanted that pardon. He had set up a legitimate business
+several years ago, importing fashionable clothes from New Dessel where
+they were made with cheap labor. To his credit, he had insisted that
+all of his workers be paid at least a good wage by New Dessel
+standards. He also managed to get them good health care coverage and
+even two weeks vacation. They were basically indentured servants so he
+forgave fifty percent of their debt and released them when the rest
+was paid off. He even rehired them at a significant increase in wages.
+All of this could be done on New Dessel and still save him money.
+
+He wanted to move to New Dessel and continue his reforms, but he
+needed to be free of his past. Going straight was complicated.
+
+Cassidy also foresaw the need for their armories to be updated. He had
+done that for the Syndicate. He offered the Resistance the same
+advances - at a discount, of course. Cassidy was giving them a good
+deal. If they could trust him.
+
+Jake thought Cassidy was sincere. He wanted to be a hero for a change.
+And to make money at it. Jake said he could almost hear the cheering
+of the crowds when Cassidy talked about his dreams.
+
+The Boss agreed to meet with the would-be hero. Each would bring their
+most trusted associate and no one else. They would all be armed. That
+was understood. Trust only stretches so far.
==== Santorini: Boss of the Resistance ====
Cassidy and his associate looked at the thief and at the Boss, then at
each other. Santorini reached out and hugged the helmeted associate.
-The helmet came off.
-
-"Daddy." said Emerald. "You're such a spoilsport."
+The helmet came off and brilliant green hair spilled out. "Daddy."
+said Jade. "You're such a spoilsport."
-The four sat down and talked. Emerald had ordered sandwiches and
-salads from the kitchen and a couple of bottles of wine. It took two
-hours, but they hammered out an agreement that would allow for amnesty
-for freedom fighters and their families.
+The four sat down and talked. Jade had ordered sandwiches and salads
+from the kitchen and a couple of bottles of wine. It took two hours,
+but they hammered out an agreement that would allow for amnesty for
+freedom fighters and their families.
They also discussed a land agreement. Everyone who fought for the
Resistance would be eligible to buy land on the planet. Good land at a
opposition from the factory owners on New Dessel. They liked the
status quo.
-They were packing up to go home when Emerald spoke softly to her
-father. "I'll be going with him when he leaves for New Dessel, Daddy."
+They were packing up to go home when Jade spoke softly to her father.
+"I'll be going with him when he leaves for New Dessel, Daddy."
Santorini went very still for a moment. Then he looked at her. "I
know. But relations should improve between the planets, both
She nodded and headed out the door. She needed to see Santorini.
-
==== Mellie: Detective, Resistance Operative ====
Mellie Kaminsky was feeling pretty cocky after successfully taking
Mellie was the only one to notice that, while everyone recognized
Harlan, no one made any attempt to restrain him. He was a thief, but
he was also a legend. And Agalder had few legends. Its people tended
-to treat those legends with respect.
\ No newline at end of file
+to treat those legends with respect.
+
+==== Santorini: Boss of the Resistance ====
+
+Another of those legends watched the lights of the emergency vehicle
+disappear into the traffic lanes in the night sky. Santorini had put
+his head in his hands and cried when he saw that Mellie was alive. Now
+a couple of the detectives were eyeing him. They looked to Lt. Marks
+who shook his head. No messing with the legends tonight.
+
+Santorini kept his gaze on the sky, but he didn't miss the exchange.
+He smiled as he climbed back into his AirSedan and headed back to the
+Green Palace. Watching the lights of the traffic and the city, he was
+going over the plans for the next day. He needed to check with Behan
+to see when his partner intended to initiate the take-over of the
+police headquarters. His very last thought was how much he was looking
+forward to peace and prosperity for his planet.
+
+The missile hit his sedan just to the rear of the passenger door and
+exploded. Wreckage fell over a four square kilometer area.
+
+Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative
+
+The fractures in Mellie's arm were multiple and involved both the
+forearm and the wrist. So Harlan was sitting outside the surgical
+suite when Jurgeson, one of Santorini's aides, came running up to him.
+
+He bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air. "They
+need...you. At the...Green Palace. Now."
+
+Harlan had stood up. Now he leaned closer to the runner. "Why? What's
+going on?"
+
+The man straightened up, putting a hand on the wall. Harlan saw that
+his eyes were red and swollen and tears were running down his cheeks.
+"Santorini's dead." he said, face screwing up like a little kid's.
+"Somebody brought him down with a missile."
+
+Harlan's gut felt like someone had hit him in the gut. He sat down,
+staring at nothing. Then he jumped up again. "Wait. No. I just saw
+him. He was fine."
+
+The other man nodded. "They got him when he was leaving the scene of
+Mellie's crash. Behan's car blew up, too, but he wasn't in it. It was
+still on the ground. They don't know yet whether it was another
+missile or a bomb."
+
+He took Harlan's arm, trying to drag him away. "Look. You've got to
+go. Now. I'll stay here with Mellie. I won't leave her side until you
+get back." He pushed Harlan toward the exit. "Now go!"
+
+"But why? Why do they need me so much?"
+
+The other man smiled sadly. "Because you're now the Boss of the
+Resistance."
+
+"Me?!"
+
+"Yeah. You. Santorini told us last week. With things coming to a head,
+he wanted the order of succession clear in everyone's mind. He even
+printed it out and signed it."
+
+Harlan shook his head. "But why me?" he asked.
+
+"Probably because you would ask that question. He said you'd feel
+unworthy of the position. You're not cocky." He hesitated and smiled
+slightly. "At least not most of the time."
+
+Harlan turned to stare at the door of the OR for a moment. Then he
+laid his hand on Jurgeson's shoulder. "You take care of her. They may
+come after her again. I'll send backup. Make arrangements to move her
+to the Palace as soon as possible."
+
+The Green Palace looked like a bee's hive that someone had just
+kicked. He walked in and saw all the red, weepy eyes and snotty noses.
+They were all talking at once. The noise was unbearable.
+
+He put two fingers in his mouth gave a piercing whistle. Everybody
+shut up and stared at him. "All right. We've lost the Boss. There will
+never be another like him. And nobody ever call me Boss." He looked
+down at his boots for a moment. "But I want to know what's going on
+now. Is anyone missing? Who's looking for the killers? And I want them
+brought in alive. Understand? Come on people. This is too important to
+stand around and cry. We've got work to do. Get me a sit-rep."
+
+He set up his office in an auditorium. A desk was placed in the middle
+and someone remembered to bring a chair. Computers and vid-screens
+covered 180 degrees of the walls. There were desks all around,
+climbing up to a viewing section at the top. Most of the desks were
+occupied with people speaking to faces on screens and to each other. A
+line formed in front of Harlan's desk. Most people had simple
+questions or suggestions, some of which were important.
+
+John Behan came up behind him and leaned down. He said "Mellie's doing
+fine. Drowsy and in no pain at the moment. Jurgeson and three others
+that I trust are with her."
+
+Harlan looked up. "How did she take the news about the Boss?"
+
+Behan shrugged. "She was so sleepy that I didn't tell her. I'll drop
+back later when she's awake. The staff knows to call me."
+
+He straightened up. "I'll be at APD Headquarters. It sounds like
+they're getting restive over there." Smiling slightly, he patted
+Harlan on the shoulder and left.
+
+It was several hours before Harlan could break away long enough to see
+Mellie. Behan was there, holding Mellie in his arms while she cried.
+Harlan felt a vast relief that he didn't have to tell her.
+
+She saw him and gave Behan a hug then held out her good arm to Harlan.
+Sitting on the bed, he put his arm around her carefully. His other
+hand reached out for Behan. Harlan looked at the older man and saw
+infinite weariness and sorrow in his eyes. Behan squeezed his hand and
+left and Harlan finally let his tears flow into Mellie's hair.
+
+==== Silver Santorini: Resistance Operative ====
+
+Murphy's surgeons had not let him out from under their gimlet eyes. So
+Silver treated him as if he were made of spun telucium and likely to
+break at any time. She made him stay in the hospital area. She knew
+exactly what would happen if she brought him home. He was just going
+to have to wait until the doctors were certain that he was healed.
+
+She was singing as she started out for her parents' suite. They all
+lived in the Green Palace. It was the safest and most defensible place
+outside of APD Headquarters. She wanted to talk to her father. When
+she got there, they told her that she would never be able to talk to
+her father again.
+
+Jade, Emerald, Silver, and Garnet were devastated. But they had to
+comfort their little sisters, Topaz and Golden. Their mother was in
+shock. She sat in a chair and stared at a hologram of her husband.
+
+When Harlan finally was able to visit them, he went to Santorini's
+wife, Lavender, and knelt beside her. Silver watched from across the
+room as her father's successor spoke in low tones to her mother. At
+first, nothing happened. Lavender remained almost catatonic. But
+Harlan kept talking and Lavender's head slowly turned to look at the
+young man. Once she even smiled. Then she began to weep, silently,
+covering her face with her hands. The daughters gathered, pushing
+Harlan out of the way. When they finally thought to look for him, he
+had left.
+
+==== Harlan: Leader of the Resistance ====
+
+After leaving the Santorini suite, Harlan returned to the auditorium,
+now dubbed the "War Room". He called for attention and stood by his
+desk, looking up at the rows of desks and those crowded into the
+viewing area.
+
+"The time is now." he said. "Now we go out and fight." He swept his
+arm around the huge room. "We all have assignments. We know what to
+do. Some of us will succeed. Some of us will fail. Some of us will die
+tonight. But the Resistance will win through. We will have freedom.
+Now go - go for Agalder! And may all the gods there are bless you and
+watch over you."
+
+He raised his fist. "Agalder!"
+
+The word came back at him with a thousand voices "AGALDER!!!!"
+
+He stood for a minute, watching his forces file out, then turned to
+leave. He ran into the Santorini sisters. Jade, Emerald, Silver, and
+Garnet stood between him and the door.
+
+Silver said "We're coming with you.". It was a quiet statement of fact
+that boded no argument.
+
+Harlan opened his mouth to protest but remembered when he had
+patronized Mellie and her reaction to his chauvinistic attitude. He
+shuddered.
+
+Looking into their eyes, he saw the fiery rage. But it was a cold,
+calculating fire and he nodded.
+
+"Thank you." he said.
+
+They climbed into two AirSedans. Three more sedans followed them.
+Harlan led the way to the Big House. He had to bring the thieves and
+assassins under the control of the Resistance. He had to find Cassidy.
+
+The neighborhood around the Big House was deserted. Houses stood
+empty, doors hanging open. Some windows were open. Some broken. A dog
+came running up to them, whining, lost. Jade grabbed her and put her
+in one of the sedans where she'd be safe and warm.
+
+The Big House was lit up like a small city. Lights were on everywhere.
+The Resistance group could hear shots and explosions. Windows were
+missing in places. Doors were on the ground or hanging askew.
+
+The group surged forward, but Harlan called out "Stop!"
+
+People stopped and looked at him.
+
+"We have to find Cassidy and his forces. If we go in there now, we
+won't be able to tell friend from foe." He looked at the house. "I
+know that place. I can find my way around."
+
+Looking back at the group, he said "You wait here. I'll find Cassidy
+and come back."
+
+Jade, Emerald, and Silver moved to stand with him. "You don't know
+that house as well as we do." Said Emerald. "We'll come with you and
+act as your runners."
+
+Harlan had to swallow his reaction. He nodded and they moved off into
+the night. They were all wearing black and they faded into the shadows
+within a few meters.
+
+Emerald led them to a door that was hanging ajar. The lock had been
+blown off. The door opened into a kitchen the size of a warehouse. The
+ceilings were at least five to six meters high. Moving quickly, but
+silently, they ran, crouching between huge machines and long tables.
+There was some fighting going on at one end of the room. Emerald led
+them in that direction.
+
+Huddling in the shelter of a freezer, they tried to make sense of what
+they were seeing. The brilliant flashes from phasers lit up the scene
+at intervals, but they could not identify the combatants.
+
+Jade suggested that they withdraw and try another exit from the
+kitchen. They turned to go to the other end and heard the sound of
+running footsteps coming closer. A young man ran up to them,
+completely ignoring the phasers that were pointed at him.
+
+He glanced at them and said "Come on. Cassidy wants you in the
+ballroom - now."
+Then he turned and ran back the way he had come. Harlan and the
+Santorini sisters stared after his departing form.
+
+The man turned and saw them standing still and ran back. "Are you
+coming? Hurry up." And off he went again.
+
+The four of them looked at each other, gave simultaneous shrugs, and
+ran after him.
+
+Their guide led them thru a maze of hallways and up and down
+stairwells. The sounds of gunfire and distant explosions grew louder
+and faded and grew louder again. Finally they ran up to a huge, ornate
+door that stood open with guards on either side. They burst into a
+room even larger than the kitchen. The ceiling was three stories up
+with mezzanines running around at the second and third floors. Floor
+to ceiling windows looked out on the lawn.
+
+Groups of people were scattered around the room, most leaning over
+tables, looking at holograms, some talking. Emerald spotted Cassidy
+across the room and they headed for him.
+
+Harlan reached the new Chief's side, but Cassidy ignored him and took
+Emerald into his arms. He spoke in her ear for a moment and then
+reached out and brought Jade and Silver into his embrace. The four of
+them stood, heads together, for what seemed like an hour to Harlan but
+was probably only a minute or two.
+
+An explosion sounded as if the battle was getting up-close and
+personal, but no one in the room even looked up.
+
+Cassidy finally turned his attention to Harlan. He nodded toward the
+door. "Yes. They are getting closer." He grinned. "Would you believe
+me if I said it was all part of my plan?"
+
+Harlan didn't smile. "No."
+
+"Then you'd be wrong. They are moving into this section." He pointed
+to a wing of the building that extended out into a wooded area. "Here,
+here, and here." He pointed to three sections of outside wall. "These
+are hidden doors. Our forces are just outside and when these thugs
+enter through here" he pointed again "we will attack from three
+sides."
+
+Then he smiled and added "If everything goes according to plan."
+Shaking his head, Cassidy said "And we all know how likely that is."
\ No newline at end of file
projects / universe.git / blobdiff