Deception: Chapter 34: A Broken Mirror

Chapter 34: A Broken Mirror

June 11th, 3239, 2000 hours

Castle Acorn, The Wardroom

Mobius

"Sergeant, I must ask you not to smoke your cigar within here." Maximilian said, arms on the table supporting his head. His eyes had bags under them, and he had not slept for two days. Horatio had suggested that he take sedatives, but they didn't help. Ever since his power had been reduced to regency, he had been acting differently. Alicia had tried to help, but it was clear that this was something that was not going to go away. Max had consulted specialists and had gone to every major psychiatrist in the Kingdom and beyond. Three days ago, he had brought in Dr. Vitaly Taganiv, a Human doctor from Wolf 359, a Human star system. After a lengthy conversation, he determined what all the other doctors did. Max was suffering from acute unipolar depression and rapid onset somatic reactions. Max took those reactions to heart, but kept on taking the pills.

Now, he was a man with barely even a title. Over a thousand years of royal tradition and ruling with a loving hand over his subjects destroyed in the blink of an eye. And he signed the damned order. What more did he have left? Did he even have his daughter anymore? He already lost his son...

None of these thoughts made their way to the surface of course. He still had to present some level of professionalism. It wasn't like a politician to buckle under pressure, and like it or not, he was still a politician.

Johnson sat opposite of him along with other members of OMEGA. Miles Prower sat at his left, Ryan Percy on his right, and pacing behind them was Jolee Bindo, the man away from his home. Johnson held the smoking cigar in his right hand, but stopped his drag at the King's request...

...at the Regent's request.

"Sorry, sir." the Sergeant said. "Figured since there was already a musky smell in here that it was something of a smoking area."

Max smiled. A memory surfaced. "That would be my father's pipe. If you'll indulge me a bit of a story it'd make me feel a lot better. My father was something of a smoker, and his wife the queen was not fond of his habit, but he kept on with it anyway. He loved to smoke cigars, but he had this amazing calabash pipe. It must have been the size of your closed fist, like that." he clenched his hand to give them the example. "He smoked it every day in this room where my mother-in-law would have never found it. Ever since then, there has been a smoky ceder smell in this room. So don't take my request as hostility towards your smoking, but it's so I can preserve the scent of my father's pipe. It comforts me, and especially in this time, I need all the comfort I can get.

"Do you still have the calabash, Highness?" Ryan asked.

"I do." he smiled with fond memory. "But I never smoke it you understand. But, we have strayed too far off topic. Miles, please speak on your findings."

Tails cleared his throat to gain attention. "You're aware that we found a cloaked ship that was located within the Great Forest. You're also aware that based on additional information that was gathered we believe that the presence of the ship and the kidnap of Sonic, Sally, and Bunnie coincided with one another.

"Are you saying that the UNSC kidnapped my daughter?" Max said, ire rising. "Please don't give me that possibility, Miles."

Tails face contorted as he thought. "Given what we've heard about the rest of our team, especially with the incident regarding the Captain the night that this whole thing started, I'm more willing to point at ONI."

"Naval Intelligence." the former king said, shaking his head. "And if we're correct, Marshall is behind this."

"You're certain of this, your majesty." Jolee said. "I think we're both old enough to know that making these sort of accusations is not something that should be taken lightly." He crossed his arms and looked intently at him.

"Are you saying I'm wrong, Master Jedi?"

"No, not at all." Bindo said, hands up in defense. "But consider it from not a personal, but a political perspective. You are absolutely certain of something, and we know that you are correct on this. The Force may not touch me in this world like it does back home, but there are certain things you pick up and you never forget. Highness, I urge you to approach this carefully. If you go forward and accuse Marshall if what you believe, the backlash could be enormous."

"They'll want proof that you don't have." Johnson said.

"But this ship is proof that there is an illegal occupation in the Kingdom's area!"

"An area that now falls within the jurisdiction of the UEG." Jolee added.

Max raised a finger to try and fight it, but he realized that he was beat on that front and collapsed back into his chair, taxed and burdened by this whole ordeal. "So... any suggestions, gentlemen?" he spoke after a long time of silence.

"We wait." Bindo suggested. "We know that the Captain managed to escape."

"And he could have been caught for all we know!"

There was a knock at the door. Max rose to his feet and smoothed his suit jacket. "Please enter." he said in a calm voice. The element of OMEGA looked at one another in curiosity and concern.

The door opened and a member of the Secret Service member walked in. The others thought he was a polecat or something like that.

"Ah, Geoffrey." the Regent said, shaking the man's hand. "Please, come in, come in. Would you like anything to drink?"

Geoffrey St. John spoke in what sounded like an Australian accent, but Miles could easily place it as Downundan. "No thank you, sire. I've actually got to get moving again, but I just wanted to give you a status report on our spy network's progress on researching what's happening on the other side."

"Yes, please."

"We've been in contact with... erm..." he looked around. "Is... uh, this room secure, sire?"

He motioned the agent to come inside. He also nodded at the guard outside who returned it. Once St. John was inside the room, Max touched a control on the wall.

"What happened?" Johnson asked.

"Faraday cage just activated." Tails smiled. "Pays to have the newest toys." He rocked in his chair with the gleeful childish smile on his face. "No messages in or out. We're fine now."

St. John, apparently satisfied, looked at Max with now comforted eyes. "Alright sire. Like I was saying, we've been in contact with some of our agents on Earth. They've been hearing a few things that may be of interest. Word on the ONI channels is that there's been a breakout at the Tokyo administrative facility."

"So how does that help us?"

"Now this was a bit tougher to obtain since there's a hefty security tag going along with this, but it is believed, and I have no way to confirm this, that a number of high value prisoners managed to walk right out of the facility. Once again, I stress that I have no way to confirm this..."

"Go on, Geoffrey!" Max said with baited breath.

"Our agents report that your daughter was one of the prisoners that was able to escape."

Max had fallen into his chair before St. John had even finished that sentence. He prayed to Aurora a line of relief. Things maybe weren't as bad as he thought they were. "I believe that Sonic was among them too?"

"Possibly, sire. No further details on the prisoners."

"Did they say where they went?" Johnson asked.

"That's a bit of a stumper, Sarge." the agent said, informally addressing Johnson. He would chew the boy out, but right now, there were bigger fish to fry, presidential style. "ONI has no clue where the fugitives are. They do have word that the inmates escaped on the transport ship Alameda, but they lost contact with it over the Atlantic Ocean. To this hour they have still not been able to find it."

"Probably swapped ID signatures with other ships." Miles suggested. "Would be a simple thing."

"And that's probably what happened." Geoffrey said in agreement. "But a planet's a big thing. It'll take some time for Marshall's men to find them."

"So what do you think, we go and find them?" Johnson suggested.

"No." Max said. "If we... if I do anything, I'll be seen as acting against the UEG by supporting so-called criminals. They'll remove me from whatever power I'll have left, and that will be that, my friends."

"So you're suggesting that we just sit and wait?" Tails asked.

"Yes." Max decided. "I don't know what's going on at Earth, and I think it'll be better that way." he paused at one end of the table. "All the same though, Geoffrey, how deep do our connections go?"

"Deep enough to keep a few ears open." St. John nodded.

"Keep me updated. Does ONI suspect that the Alameda disappeared anywhere notable?"

"Right now they think San Francisco on the Western American Seaboard."

"Very good, Geoffrey. Dismissed." Max tapped the wall controls and the electronic barrier dropped around the Wardroom. Electrical signals could not be send in and out.

"Sire." St. John nodded respectfully and left the room.

When the Secret Sevice agent left the area, the Regent turned to Jolee. "Master Jedi, I've heard of your exploits from those that returned from your world. Have you seen anything like this before?"

Bindo nodded. "Sure. Plenty of times. I've been cruising around the galaxy... well, my galaxy anyway to see wars erupt, governments overthrown, and kings assassinated. Erm, sorry about that last one."

Max looked at the floor nervously.

"But nevermind that." Jolee. "There was this one Twi'lek government that tried to set up shop and overthrow the semi-sovereign state of Rinkast. The military dictatorship that took over was cruel and harsh."

Max wasn't sure what to make of Bindo's story.

"Go on." he said regardless.

"So, people were naturally unhappy as one can imagine. You know what they did?"

"What?" the Regent asked.

"They kept their mouth shut and went on with their lives."

"But Master Jedi, how can one live in such tyranny? How can people go on with their lives if hey have an oppressive government?"

The old man held up a finger. "Ah, but see, some people didn't. Some people thought it would be good to overthrow the Rinkastian military government. However, they made one mistake: they spoke about it. Spies heard of the rebellion and it was crushed the night of it's formation. The Rinkastian dictatorship continues legally, perhaps to this day. Can't really tell to be sure."

Miles, Ryan, and Avery were listening intently to the Jedi's wisdom.

"So, my King, if you will have my counsel, I have one piece of wisdom that I hope you will consider."

Max nodded. "Speak."

"Do as the citizens did. Wait. Strike too early and too loudly, and we all lose. Take beatings if need be, but in the end, the opposition may become cocky, and will let their guard down. Only then can you strike. And that is what the Rinkastians will do if they have any sense."

Those were not the words that Max wanted to hear. He didn't want ramblings or talking about examples. He needed to take action and fight for his crown if he felt that it was indeed his and not a criminal like Marshall's. He wanted to get up and tell the old man that he was wrong and that it was through will and purity of heart that he would stand, fight, and maybe even die for his country and world. That's what he said when he took the scepter on the day of his coronation. But he felt his heart tear in two when he realized that Jolee was right. If Geoffrey was correct, Sally was still alive, and Max had enough faith in his daughter to know that she would do whatever it took herself to stop Marshall before his grip on Mobius was too tight to let go. If she could succeed, legal rule to the Kingdom could return. Max was also aware that his counterparts all over the planet could have been faced with similar problems.

However, there was still one thing that he could not place. Something that was on the tip of his chin looking up at him, but yet he couldn't see it yet. Why exactly did Marshall need Mobius? If it was for the Emeralds, he could honestly get them elsewhere. Again, if it was because he wanted to control, there was far more space. From a tactical perspective it made no sense. Marshall's reasoning was odd and untraceable. He would need to ask the man himself just what the hell he was doing, and doing that would risk him moving further with his plans. So Max would need to be like the Rinkastians and wait.

"I need some time to consider everything that's happened. Please, see yourselves out gentlemen."

The group got up silently and exited the room, leaving Max to look at his father's sword in thought, cursing the hand fate had dealt him.

----------

Far beneath the ice of Antarctica, Gerome Andsworth sat with a stasis field constricting his movement. He had been given the courtesy of a chair to sit on, but it was clear that his captors wanted anything but comfort for him. He had been dragged here, disgraced and defeated through hordes of people who once thought of him as an honorable individual. It was painful to do so and it was clear that those calling the shots here intended it 100 percent. Throughout his public hazing, Gerome wondered why he was brought to Antarctica. This semi-frozen continent was a little close to home considering all of the places Marshall could have dragged him. He then realized that in the past, Antarctica was covered with much more ice and would have seemed much more inhospitable. Perhaps someone was feeling the tinge of nostalgia when they hauled him in.

He didn't really have the luxury to look around, but judging from some of the notices on the walls, he was somewhere underneath Mount Wade, which would have been useful to anybody that would be coming to break him out. However, Andsworth realized that there was nobody coming to save him from this. This was the way it had to be, and he had ensured that the Captain would get enough distance between Marshall and his team. However, since he had sent them on the way to Tokyo to retrieve the missing team-members, Andsworth was, for lack of a better term, left in the dark. It was almost a literalism as well. Light worked its way poorly into his cell, shining into his face so that he couldn't make out more than a few feet in front of him. He glanced at the light in the ceiling: a suspended halogen light dangling from a string like the bulbs of the old interrogation rooms. He halfheartedly wondered if they were going to shine it in his face and ask him where he was the night of the 15th.

Before he could think further on the subject, the doorway to his cell opened without more than a whisper. Two men in matching uniforms walked in. Both were built like Spartans with intimidating biceps, chiseled jaws, and of course, soulless eyes.

Hunters. Andsworth thought as he narrowed his eyes. He could still hate the President's pet projects with full ability. That being said, they were remarkably disciplined and waited for something. Andsworth couldn't move anyway in the stasis field. He was forced to wait, unable to even twitch, yet he could summon enough strength to move his eyes and see what was going on. Seven minutes later, one of the Hunters glanced at something on his wrist and plucked it off his bracer. He placed it on the ground and waited. Andsworth knew a projector when he saw one, which meant that there was going to be a transmission of some sort, or not. It very likely could have been a bomb, so Gerome simply waited for it to go off and get it over with. Either he could get into the meeting or get in line for resurrection. Either which sounded fun.

The device winked a light on its body and a column of energy shot up to the ceiling. A Human's form appeared in the brightness, standing just a few inches off the ground. Andsworth knew who it was going to be before the hologram fully formed. Marshall, for all intents and purposes, stood in the room wearing one of his well tailored suits and ties that bore a strange design on it. Alien characters of power from a long dead civilization, Gerome guessed. The President smiled, but Andsworth naturally knew it wasn't one of genuine greeting or welcome. It was the same way that a man smiled before he would stab a man in the chest. Marshall was indeed glad he was there, but it was only so that he could see the broken Admiral strapped to a seat.

"Good evening, Admiral!" He said cheerily though. His form wavered slightly. Marshall himself was probably in his office back in New York or something like that. The President must have known that of course and answered, "No doubt you're wondering why we can't have this meeting personally between you and me. I apologize. I'm on a personal visit to dedicate a school to the late John Cleary." He was loved by students everywhere. I remember he actually visited one of my nieces in school one day and helped convince her to want to become a politician. Just like uncle Troy."

Andsworth wanted to say something, but they must have found a way to muzzle him.

"Oh, my apologies, Gerome. Please lower the fields, gentlemen."

One of the Hunters nodded and tapped a panel on the wall. Gerome felt his muscles respond and his mouth seemed free to form words again. The first thing he did was look at the President's hologram angrily. "You're dirt, Marshall. How dare you try to shift the blame."

"Oh, and by the way Gerome: quantum entanglement. One particle pair, one link. No way to trace unless you've bugged an end, and I've already seen to that. Managed to ensure all the kinks were worked out on both ends, so if you're thinking of getting me to say something... suggestive, you're wasting whatever breath you have left."

Andsworth gave up that avenue. Incriminating Marshall was right out. That was alright though. There would be others that would work on that. Instead he asked, "Where's my XO?"

"Oh, Xander?" Marshall asked. He snapped his fingers and a file appeared in thin air. He read it over once. "Oh, he's dead."

Andsworth looked to the floor. He was the sole survivor of the Burro now.

Marshall went on, smile on his face. "Says here that he died... of dysentery. That's a real killer you know." Marshall shook his head and looked Andsworth in the face.

"He was shot through the throat, he bled to death and you know it!"

"I only know what the files say, Gerome." He took a drink of something that he placed on a table that must have been on his end. "You have to understand, I don't have any control of what my interrogators do behind closed doors."

Gerome didn't know if he could hate Marshall any more than he already did. He kept surprising himself.

"Now, we have to get to you." Marshall said shrugging. "I mean, you did destroy a UNSC vessel in Earth orbit. That alone will earn you a court martial and life imprisonment if not an execution should my signature find the paper. However, I might be able to... commute your sentence should you choose to cooperate with me."

"I'd rather be shot."

"Oh don't get me wrong." the hologram said. "Nothing will give me more pleasure than to put you up against a wall or have you dance at the end of a rope. But you're not done here yet. It could be months or years before you ever set foot in court."

"And what would you want from me?"

"Just information."

"On the whereabouts of the Captain?"

"Oh, I know where he's heading thank you very much. Your man's taking the Atlantic Airway to San Francisco. That ship he took from us has a unique ID tag associated with it. You know, originally we thought that it would be in New York, but then the ship kept on moving after being still for a while. I hate customs too." The President's hologram looked around, hoping to see a smile. Upon seeing the man, the Hunters smiled just to please Marshall.

"I know for a fact that the Captain himself was on the Burro. I want to know what was discussed."

"I caught him up. He wanted to know what he missed."

Marshall's smile broke. "More."

"No more. He left on his own."

That was a lie and Marshall knew it. Andsworth closed his eyes the instant it left his mouth. It had slipped out.

The Hunter whipped out a stun stick, wound it up, and swung it at Andsworth's leg. The baton smashed against him, making a thwack noise. His foot jittered as current shot through his body. Andsworth held against the pain.

"Let's try that one more time, Admiral." Marshall said, his voice now serious. "Did you give Captain Vennettilli information or aid him in any way to help stage an attack on the President of the Unified Earth Government?"

"No."

Another lie. Marshall wondered if Andsworth was doing this on purpose or if he honestly thought he was telling the truth.

"A complete search of your vessel was carried out before you were brought to Antarctica." the wolf smile returned. "Nice to see that your exploratory vessel has a cache of weapons."

"In case of boarding." Andsworth explained.

"A few shotguns or pulse lasers perhaps, but assault rifles and grenade launchers? I hope you didn't charge the UNSC for your private arsenal, Gerome. Additionally, your gun racks show a couple of those weapons were absent. Arming a terrorist? Another charge to your list."

Another whack, this time to the other leg. It took another ten seconds to stop the leg jitters.

"You think you know everything!" Gerome finally lashed out which seemed to amuse Marshall. "You think you have all the bases covered and that nobody can touch you. You're cocky, Troy. That'll be your downfall."

That earned him a swipe to the head. The baton smashed off Gerome's skull and the electricity coursed through his head. He thought that he would have lost consciousness. Andsworth held on though much to the chagrin of the Hunters.

"You know," Marshall said, taking another drink of his liquor. "You're proving to be quite an irritating guest to entertain, Admiral."

"I'm only just getting started." the Navy man smiled. "You know you're stirring up opposition?"

Marshall looked amused. "You have been removed from politics. I'm one of the most respected presidents in the last three hundred years! I've built schools with my bare hands, spoke up for the little guy... hell, I raised minimum rage while keeping the price of living low! That was just within the last couple months!"

Fearless, Andsworth responded. "And yet you've tortured men, green-lit assassinations, bred these soldiers, falsified public records if not caused an outright fabrication condemning several men and women."

Marshall noted that Andsworth didn't add the one thing that could have been useable by him: 'presidential slaying'.

"I order these things every day, Gerome. If that's all you have..."

"Vanguard's ready to step up against you."

That seemed to hit home. Marshall actually had to do a double take and Andsworth could have sworn he looked a little nervous. However, his characteristic smile returned. "Stand up against me? Gerome, you've had one too many smacks to the head."

"What's the matter, Mr. President? Is it getting hot in your office?" Andsworth smirked. "The hologram doesn't convey temperature well; I could swear you're sweating." His gaze narrowed. "Why would you need to be worried about Vanguard Security? Even though they're one of the most influential private military corporations with fleets of their own ships, you're still Commander in Chief of the UNSC. They would need a good reason to stand against you."

Andsworth cooly danced around the issue intentionally. He began to put Marshall on the spot, and through this brilliant tactical maneuver, suddenly became the one conducting the interrogation.

"You want the Chaos Emeralds. Why? You want the power that are within them?"

"No." he said. "That data can help save Humanity!"

"Then why hide it? Why weed Mobius away from its rulers that have only worked with the UEG faithfully for five years? People that pose no military threat to us, and are in fact enriching our society, which is what the UEG Charter encouraged? Why, Troy? What aren't you telling us?"

"That's enough!" the President said, but it was clear that his influence in this conversation was slipping. Even the Hunters looked at one another anxiously.

"Does this have to do with the Black Hole, Troy?"

Before Marshall could say one more word, his red face suddenly turned to one side. "What?!" he roared. Andsworth barely heard a voice speaking. Tudyk's. Marshall's lackey.

"Mr. President, I've just spoken to Admiral Donaghue at ONI Seattle."

"Who? What does he want?" Marshall demanded.

"He just wanted me to let you know that we've been able to reactive Agent Rouge's trackers. She'd managed to switch them off somehow."

"Why is that important, Howard?"

"Beacuse they're not in San Francisco at all! They're in New York!"

Marshall froze again, this time looking absolutely furious with himself. He slammed back one more drink and then looked into space.

"Troy, what's wrong?" Andsworth asked. "I thought you knew everything!" He said this in a mocking tone. "Did you bring a ship out of orbit to pose over the bay? Maybe two? One next to the Golden Gate Bridge and a second just off of Alcatraz? Did you say they were doing some atmospheric exercises? What PR tale did you spin out of your ass? You may want to move them to New York." Andsworth smiled behind his mustache. He took pleasure in chipping off Marshall's composure. It was beautiful to behold the mighty in the process of falling."

Finally, the President looked at him. "I'll be back for another round, and this time I won't hesitate to bring out the Neural Tunnelers on you. I'll make sure the Captain, his girlfriend, the bat, hell, every single one of them will be down here and I will rip that Forerunner data from that little motherfucker's skull. I don't care if he lives or dies. I'm going to save this galaxy even if I add a few more bodies onto the pile!"

He waited for a gap, then Andsworth said, "I... don't know if you know a lot of Talahase, but I picked some of it up when I was stationed at the planet close to ten years ago. There's a phrase... "In kempt, min kamf dis'furtunis". Know what it means? 'In time, my struggle will benefit me'."

Marshall looked like he wanted to strangle Gerome there and then, but could not because of the hologram. Instead, his blisteringly mad face made eye contact for a few short seconds, then he said to the guards, laced with acid, "Go to town on him. Beat him raw, and lock him down in the deepest cells we have! Triple lock it and post a Spartan outside it 24/7! If he dies... well, won't that be a damn shame."

He started to deactivate the hologram and shouted, "And someone get me the Captain of the Bellarmine! I want that tub en route to New York NOW!"

Finally the link closed, and the hologram of Marshall dispersed. As the communicator lay on the floor, the guards started to move in, Humblers sparking in their hands. Andsworth looked at them with a daring face and an ear-to-ear smile. He looked absolutely smitten with himself.