Orbital Academy XVI -------------------------------------------- by MaddiroseX Questions, comment, praise or critiques? Please let me know at maddirosex@gmail.com! Are you a fan of Orbital Academy? Vote for it on Topwebfiction: http://topwebfiction.com/vote.php?for=orbital-academy -------------------------------------------- *** Part 1 - A Change in the Orbit *** General Hunter stared off through the wall of the elevator, lost in his thoughts. When the doors opened he stepped through on autopilot, flanked by two of his security force. Anger and worry warred in his stomach, but he kept his face calm as he reached the door to the Academy rookies' cell. *They didn't cause this mess.* He reminded himself. *They may've been the catalyst, but it's Auspus who is the root. This is Auspus' disaster. For whatever reason.* He entered the cell barely thinking about the rookies within. "General Auspus is coming to Orbital Pivot to retrieve you." Hunter spoke even as he entered. The rookies sprank to their feet, but he didn't wait for them to get comfortable. "Is there anything you two think I should know before I meet with your General?" Of course there was nothing they could tell him. These were the lowest level of Academy, it was doubtful they'd even met General Auspus after their initiation; his true purpose was to see if they would give up the crystal that Errisa had seen them with. His eyes moved to the streak of blue in the girl's hair. Dorson, the files had told him. "He has a crystal that he uses when alone." *She seems eager enough to give up the information.* "We think that's why he wants us killed, because we saw him using one. It's like this." The girl held out the blue crystal he had seen in the video recordings, and Hunter nodded to his guard to take it from her. "We got that one from the Terrans." She eyed the guard with worry as he carefully took the crystal in a protective glove, depositing it into the containment unit gingerly. Hunter nodded once, half to himself. *Of course, they would probably know the cells have security cameras, he mused, so them giving up the crystal is no proof they're on my side, but it's enough. My gut doesn't lie, they won't cause trouble.* "You'll be brought to the hangar as soon as General Auspus lands." He spoke tersely."I'll have guards escort you." "You're not going to turn us over-" Dorson began to protest, but her boyfriend put a gentle hand on her arm, interrupting. "Yes sir, we'll be ready." he said quietly. Hunter nodded again, and then spun on his heel, already lost in thought again before he had even reached the door. *** "Sir, I'm not sure I should have my entire security compliment present when the General boards." Hunter didn't have to look up from his screen to hear the note of concern in his Chief of Security's voice. "You don't think they can handle themselves?" He asked, rerouting flightpath traffic to clear a hangar's schedule for later in the day. "They'll carry out almost any command you give them to sir. Almost. But if the situation goes as bad as possible, I can't guarantee they'll open fire on General Auspus." "I wasn't aware your security compliment had such loyalty to Orbital Academy, Kathryn." "It's not Academy sir, and you know it." Despite the tension in his stomach, Hunter smiled. Promoting a select few trusted soldiers into Chiefs of staff was an unpopular idea, but he found it comforting to surround himself with men and women who would call him out when they had to. "My men are used to dealing with criminals and thugs, General Hunter. Even then, most of them haven't had to deal with anyone more dangerous than Tech-Major Skivens when he's had a few too many drinks. An order to break one of the covenants? I'm just saying that some of them won't follow that order, and I'd like to ensure that I'm surrounded by only the people who will." "Kathryn, do you really think I'm going to order you to *shoot* General Auspus?" General Hunter allowed himself a smile, which turned to a frown when he saw that Kathryn wasn't returning it. "Can't you promise me you won't?" she asked. Hunter opened his mouth to answer, but paused, and Kathryn nodded as if it was all the answer she needed. He passed a hand over his forehead, trying to mentally prepare for the ordeal that was starting. *A few days ago, I wouldn't've thought I'd be opposing Auspus. How do I know how far things will escalate?* "Gather the security who won't hesitate." He finally said. "I'm not preparing for a war, Kathryn." He added after a pause. "Don't see why sir. It could be that Auspus is." *** "You can't expect us to just wait out here while our daughter is handed over to guards, Hunter," Barnes was angry enough that he left the General's title off of his name, but Hunter didn't mind. *I'd be in just as bad a shape, if my daughter was at the center of all this nonsense.* His fierce gaze must've made the man in front of him pause regardless. "General Hunter," Barnes corrected himself, "we'll stay out of your way, we won't make any noise, my wife and I just want to see our little girl." "I understand that Barnes, I do." General Hunter worked hard to keep the scowl from his face. *I'm doing you a favor. You won't be doing your girl any favors, complicating a situation that's already too complicated.* Hunter didn't bother trying to articulate his thoughts. Instead he said "I'm keeping all civilians out of the hangar. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. Tensions are going to be high enough as it is. I'll try to give you the opportunity to see Samantha as soon as it's possible." "Hunter, listen, you know me. You know my family-" Barnes began, but at a nod from General Hunter, one of his guards put a gentle but firm hand on the man's arm, leading him away. He turned back to the hangar door and stepped into the wide open space. It wasn't one of Pivot's larger hangars, and Hunter appreciated the finer control the size gave him over the situation. His gaze traveled across the room as he put a small earbud into his ear. "Chief of Information, talk to me." "Good afternoon dear husband." Errisa's voice was clear in his ear, and even the sound of it did wonders to ease a small bit of the tension that had knotted up his stomach. "Not sure if I can handle something this big." He muttered. "Don't talk like that, especially not where your men can hear you." Errisa admonished, but her voice softened. "You didn't think you could handle a lot of things, my mighty Hunter. The mineral trade dispute, the Terran invasion, that horrible chef who tried to force those 'natural food' laws through. You've made it this far, haven't you?" "Thanks to you." Hunter smiled. *I would never thought I'd make it this far. Maybe I can make it through this as well.* "Thanks to the both of us. We make a good team, you and I, and don't you forget it. What does the child General think he can accomplish, going up against us?" Hunter grinned, knowing the cameras would pick up the motion. Kathryn stepped up to his side as he gave the hangar a once over again. "How's the setup?" He asked. "I think we've got a good system in place here sir. Two groups, one on either side of the shuttle, ensure nothing comes out that we don't see. There are an additional squad in the hallway just outside, observing through the cameras. If you need them for intimidation or protection, lift a closed fist and they'll come through and line the back walls, flanking you. I'm not sure what we've got for tech security." "I've taken care of it." Hunter said shortly. "By which, of course, you mean you hope I've taken care of it." Errisa laughed in his ear. "Lucky for you, I have. The second the General's shuttle is in the dock I've got lockers and scramblers in place, it'll be cut off from all communication, so if we decide Auspus won't be returning, we can control exactly what Academy hears about the encounter." Hunter frowned, and his wife seemed to read his mind. "Don't give me that look dear husband. You need to come to grips with the idea that this meeting might go very, very poorly. You're not planning on giving into Auspus' demands, and Auspus is the type to take that personally." "Nothing moves forward without my say so." Hunter gave the command half to Kathryn and half to his hidden wife. "When does the General land?" "Flight control says he left Academy a few minutes ago." Kathryn confirmed after a short pause. "Bring the Academy rookies." When Kathryn stepped away to relay his command, Hunter muttered into the earpiece. "Will there be any trouble with them, do you think?" "I don't think so." His wife sounded confident, and Hunter knew she had been watching them. "The one who seems to be in charge, Jackson Rade, doesn't trust you. The blue-haired and her boyfriend talked him into it though. They seem to think you're a standup guy." "How do you know Rade is in charge?" "He's augmented, so he's as close to artificial intelligence as humans can get. Stands to reason he'd be the smartest of them." Hunter smiled at her teasing, grateful for the minor respite from his worrying. *** He had been in the General position for seven years, interacting with the Generals of other Orbitals on a near continuous basis, but it never ceased to startle Hunter how young Auspus looked. It made Hunter instantly suspicious of every action he made, since he could never be sure how to read the man's facial expressions. The turbulence that the transport ship kicked up as its engines slowly powered down caught Auspus' black hair and tumbled it, and he looked almost regal brushing it aside as he descended the ramp. Hunter worked to keep a scowl of disdain from his lip. "Focus, Hunter." He had clearly not been completely successful, since Errisa's voice was sharp in his ear. "Don't look down on him, don't underestimate him. He doesn't just use those looks to win the hearts of young fools, he also uses them to disarm old fools." She was right, of course. Once Hunter calmed himself at his wife's words, he noticed several things that he'd missed on his first contemptuous once-over. For one, Auspus was wearing a pistol at his belt, and his thumb casually rested on his waistband, within inches of it. Auspus' eyes also flicked across the hangar, in an even, measuring way that made Hunter uneasy. *Even warning myself not to underestimate him, that's precisely what I did.* He realized. He mentally thanked Errisa and stepped forward, extending a rough hand to shake. Auspus glanced down, pausing for a split second in what might've been disdain, before taking it in his own. Hunter was glad he had kept civilians out, the hangar was quieter now that Auspus' transport ship was powering down. The normal hustle and bustle of the scrub teams who sprang into action checking and refueling the large boxy ship were muted, clearly cowed by the importance of the two Generals. Two squads of Pivot soldiers stood at the edges of the room, far enough away not to intrude, but within the proper angles if they needed to intervene. There were clearly more than were needed for a simple prisoner exchange, but Hunter noted that there were just as many Academy soldiers making their way out of the transport ship to fall into informal formations behind General Auspus. "Aren't you glad the room has cameras now?" Errisa whispered in Hunter's ear. "Don't those backup soldiers in the hallway seem a little less paranoid?" "General Auspus. I'd like to extend a hearty welcome aboard from all of us here on Orbital Pivot." Hunter's voice was flat. "It is always quite the pleasure to be aboard," Auspus replied smoothly. Hunter didn't betray his annoyance; by this time he was used to the niceties and formalities. They came with the job. "I think we have much to discuss, but I felt this matter was important enough to see it through in person." Auspus motioned to a pair of soldiers near the back of the group, and they dutifully moved to the rear of the transport as he continued speaking. "As a matter of pure officiality, Orbital Academy has carried out a preliminary trial of the scrub and admin level engineers, Cynthia Cormorant and Samantha Barnes. Just in case you found yourself too busy for a trial on Orbital Pivot, we thought we would save you time by giving an official recommendation." This was the part that General Hunter hated about running an Orbital; when formality and law moved toward a purpose. *I'm a damned engineer, not a politician. When they start talking fancy it feels like adults speaking around a child's head, making decisions without consulting him.* He knew without a doubt that without help in the political sphere, the other General's would've woven him a noose made of words and hung him with it years ago. Thankfully for him, he had found the perfect help in the woman who now translated into his ear. "He's saying that he has a justification to say the engineers are guilty, but without offending you by officially trying them." Errisa clarified. "I don't know why though. Maybe he's going to press you on that, try to make the case that since your engineers fucked things up, you're liable for the damage to Academy." "I'm quite grateful to you for that." General Hunter replied to Auspus. He couldn't bring himself to plaster a fake smile on his face, so he instead nodded. "We'll certainly keep your result in mind when we give the matter our attention." "I'm glad to be of service." Auspus did smile, one with friendly warmth that reached his eyes. The only reason Hunter knew it was fake was because he'd never known Auspus to genuinely smile. "Now about that talk-" Hunter began, but Auspus cut him off with an imperious gesture. Hunter internally cursed, but he had already stopped talking in spite of himself, and Auspus talked on. "We can discuss those topics in a more private location, I think." He said. The Academy guards returned from the back of the transport, escorting two young women. Even with his back to the rookies he could hear a few sharp intakes of breath, and his brow furrowed. "Oh no. Hunter." Errisa sounded worried, and the emotion made the knot in his stomach jump into his throat. "Elevated heartrate, dilated pupils. The Academy rookie leader Jackson Rade, the augment? He's in love with one of those engineers, I'm sure of it. That's why Auspus is making such a show of it, he's hoping some or all of the rookies will turn themselves over to him in exchange for the girls. Auspus is playing on their loyalty to Rade, and playing Rade's heart like a synharp." Hunter glanced behind him sharply. He didn't need to measure pupils or sense a pulse; the large brown-skinned boy was clearly stricken. "Hunter, watch your expression." Errisa warned in his ear, but the General didn't care. He wore his glare outright, and the lack of reaction on Auspus' face just made him that much angrier. Auspus' soldiers escorted the two girls next to him, and Hunter glanced at them each in turn. The Barnes girl looked enough like her father that she was easy to identify, but the other he didn't recognize. Not that he would know every scrub who graduated from Pivot. They were both redheads, both clearly terrified, and both were staring across the hangar at the augmented rookie. *They both care about him, miss him, are worried about him. A lover and a relative then?* Hunter shook his head, lip curled in disgust. "Be careful, husband, easy there." He barely heard his wife, but Hunter tried to push his building rage down a bit. "I think our discussion is best served here, Auspus." Hunter's voice came out a little harsher than he'd intended. "I'd just as soon get this whole 'misunderstanding' over with, and I'd hate for our discussion behind closed doors lead to nasty rumors running around." "Wow, that was actually a nice little threat." Errisa said in his ear, surprised. "A little bit heavy-handed, but for you it was practically subtle." "I suppose it would be best to get this over with," Auspus frowned, "and it is fairly straightforward. I've returned the engineers via the proper legal channels, and there is enough room in the prisoner transport for the Rookies on our return trip." "They're not going back with you, Auspus." Hunter snapped. Auspus didn't seem surprised, but he raised an eyebrow as Hunter continued. "You didn't even know the number of rookies in your so-called rebellion, and you didn't do anything to explain the clothes they were wearing." "Clothes?" For the first time, Auspus looked confused, and Hunter knew with certainty that he was making the right call. "The rookies are staying Auspus." "You're declaring war then?" The ease with which General Auspus asked made Hunter pause. *He asks it as if that's normal, as if Orbitals have ever gone to war before. Dear god what has happened to this man?* "He wants you to say yes." Errisa whispered. "I don't know why he wants it, but I can tell." *Don't need an AI system to read that from his face.* Hunter was off-balance, his rage confused by the eagerness of the calm face in front of him. "I'm not declaring war and I'm keeping the Rooks. Make of that what you will. If you feel the need to escalate things further, that's on your head, not mine." Hunter locked eyes with Auspus as he spoke, still slightly unnerved by the other General. Was that humor, in those frighteningly ancient eyes? Was Auspus laughing at him? He certainly wasn't surprised, and he heaved a regretful sigh. "I must say I'm dissapointed, General Hunter. I had hoped we would keep to our standard legal tradition, but I understand that times change. If justice is to be served on an Orbital-by-Orbital basis, then Academy judgement has already been passed." "Hunter bring the soldiers in. Now." Errisa spoke urgently, but Hunter hesitated, confused by the other man's confidence. *What are you doing Auspus, you crazy old man?* "As these engineers have been found guilty by Orbital Academy, it is Orbital Academy's job to dispense that verdict." Cynthia suddenly broke into a run as Auspus continued talking in an easy, friendly manner, drawing the pistol from his waistband and firing a shot into her back. There was screaming, from behind him, in his ear, but Hunter couldn't focus on it. He didn't remember deciding to move forward, stepping over the scrub, his scrub, as Auspus lowered his arm to line up another shot. He couldn't recall the exact instant he chose to draw his own weapon. All he knew was that suddenly his left hand crushed General Auspus' gun wrist, and his right held the pistol to the man's young looking temple. Very slowly, reason returned to General Hunter, and he blinked. He could hear his backup troops pouring through the door behind him to move into position, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Auspus' troops raising weapons to the ready, most trained on him as he held their General at gunpoint. The Academy rookies were just behind him, working to take care of the scrub. *The girl I'm responsible for, who Auspus just tried to murdered.* All of these impressions were muted in Hunter's attention compared to the face of General Auspus, inches away. Auspus was smiling at him. A tight lipped, triumphant smile. Hunter grit his teeth, trying to think of what to do next in the sudden tense quiet. Someone was crying behind him, and it made it harder to think. "Go ahead." Errisa said sadly. Hunter couldn't tell if she was sad for the girl who just died, or the entire scenario. "Make it grand and official, everyone in the orbit is going to be seeing this." "General Auspus." Hunter cleared his throat. "Due to your actions of violence against workers of Orbital Pivot, as well as your steadfast stubbornness in continuing your conspiracy against these Rookies, I am forced to declare..." He paused for a moment, searching Auspus' face. *It's not just triumph, it's greed there. He'd go so far for me to declare war on him, wouldn't it be easier for him to make up some excuse?* "...forced to declare an embargo on Orbital Academy." "An embargo?" Auspus looked stunned, and Hunter felt a fierce pride in stunning him. "An embargo?" Errisa repeated in his ear. "He just shot one of our mechanics Hunter!" "Orbital Pivot will no longer provide ships, engineers, manufacturing coordinators, or mechanics of any kind to Orbital Academy." Hunter continued flatly. "All repair missions to Academy will cease, and no further parts or blueprints will be sold to any Academy-based clients." He hated going against Errisa without explaining himself to her, but Hunter was sure he was on the right track. For the first time since he had boarded, Auspus looked off-balance, angry. Whatever he had planned, it had led perfectly up to this moment, but this was clearly not how he had imagined it playing out. Maybe that would work out well for them, maybe it wouldn't, but right now Hunter was getting enjoyment from the other General's narrowed eyes. "Then- you- then in that case, Orbital Academy will no longer provide you with pilots, or intraspatial security!" Auspus spat. Hunter applied a small amount of pressure on the man's wrist and Auspus dropped the pistol into Hunter's hand. "Well done, you've grasped the concept of how trade works." Hunter growled. "I believe we've concluded our business here General, I would like you to get off of my Orbital." It was chilling to watch Auspus' eyes dart around the hangar, knowing that the other man was mentally calculating if he could order his small amount of soldiers to attack. Auspus jerked his head towards the transport, and the soldiers began loading in. As they moved Hunter never broke their gaze, and Auspus stared back, calculating. "I wonder if you'll look back on this day and realize what a mistake it was." Auspus said, so quietly that Hunter doubted even Errisa heard it. "What does your purple crystal do, Auspus?" He asked bluntly. *Might as well ask, now.* He mentally shrugged. The reaction was explosive. Auspus recoiled as if he had been hit, his lips curling into a snarl. He scanned behind Hunter, directing his gaze at the rookies who were gathered around the fallen girl. Hunter noticed with some relief that they were using a soldier's kit to administer first-aid; the scrub must not be dead. The only one that wasn't helping was Dorson. She was just sitting there, eyes locked onto General Auspus. The ferocity of her glare was almost as intense as his. They held the gaze for a few long seconds, then Auspus turned and followed his soldiers into the waiting transport. *** "That could've gone better." Errisa sounded tired. "But you handled yourself well." "Except for the fact that we're all but at war." Hunter snarled. Errisa didn't answer as he opened the door to his command center, activating lights and screens with a motion of his fist. "Computer, open a transmission to-" Hunter broke off as he saw the green light that flashed on his terminal. *Word travels fast.* "Computer answer call." On the screen in front of him, General Poulay crossed her arms. Her jet black hair was pulled back into a severe bun that went with the severe expression on her face. "General Poulay, I assume you've heard the news." Hunter sat heavily and turned to face the screen. "I have, and I must say that officially, Orbital Techrider cannot condone your actions General Hunter. To cut off trade routes between Orbitals will leave us crippled and at the mercy of any Terran action, surely you must see this. Officially, Techrider is entirely opposed to Orbital Pivot's declaration." "And unofficially?" Hunter didn't let any hope inflect his voice. "Unofficially, I think you're being a damned child, endangering everyone in the Orbit for your stupid, stubborn pride." Poulay's expression grew darker as she spoke with finality. "As long as this embargo continues, Orbital Techrider sides with Orbital Academy. We will provide no further intelligence or logistics, and Techrider research and development will not be shared with Pivot officers." "If that's what you feel you need to do, I can't stop you." Hunter leaned forward. "Is that all General Poulay?" "Perhaps you don't understand the ramifications General." Poulay was glaring, leaning forward on her desk. "The combined resources of Academy and Techrider are against you, and I doubt Minera will be willing to stand up to us over the flimsy reasoning you offer. You are alone Hunter. How long do you think Orbital Pivot can survive, alone in the orbit?" "I suppose that question will be answered before long." Hunter didn't wait for a reply before he cut the connection. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he stretched a crick in his neck. "How are you holding up love?" Errisa asked cautiously. "Doesn't matter, I have to see this through. Computer, establish connection with Orbital Minera." "Holy shit, you sure fucked up this time didn'cha?" General Buramis asked cheerfully before the visual connection had even been made. When the video stream went live, Hunter was surprised that he wasn't looking at an office. Instead, he was patched through to one of Minera's refining rooms, his view looking down on the room from above. Buramis herself apparently didn't have a feed of him, and she was leaning over a desk, thin metal rods in her hand. "I suppose you could say that. It wouldn't be very kind, but you could say that." Hunter rubbed his eyes, grateful that he didn't have to act since there was no video. "You pitted Pivot against the combined strengths of Techrider and Academy, and for all you know Basura and Minera as well. I'd say that was the nicest phrase I could use." Buramis grinned as she flicked on a red light set in the desk, illuminating what she was working with. A small chunk of translucent material lay on the desk in front of her, wrapped in a thousand tiny strands of what looked like spider's silk. Buramis was carefully peeling away at the silk with the clawed ends of her metal rods, manipulating the chunk of senstone without directly touching it. Hunter watched her for a while, knowing from experience not to rush her. He hadn't missed the fact that she hadn't specifically said she was with Auspus, and at this point he was clinging to whatever hope of help he could. "So what's Techrider know that I don't, General Hunter?" Buramis sounded casual, but Hunter sensed something in her words. "I couldn't say in the slightest." "Poulay was awfully fast to align with Auspus. He wouldn't even have had time to get back to Academy before you started talking to her. I want to know what she knew, that she'd already made up her mind before she heard your side of the story." "I'd like to know the same. I'd also like to know how you learned all that." "Your Chief of Information contacted me, filled me in on the details just before you called." "Sorry," Errisa whispered, "Buramis likes being in the know, I thought it would soften her up for you to give her info." "You and me, we're really the same, Hunter." The red light above her made Buramis' brown skin seem purple as she paused from her work, looking up into the camera. "We work with our hands. We work side-by-side with our people. I don't think the others really understand what that's like." Hunter stayed silent, hoping in spite of himself. "If you made this decision, I believe it's for your people. I believe it's what I would've done in your situation. I don't think I could say the same about a decision Poulay or Auspus or…" she didn't mention the Marshal, leaving the sentence dangling. "I think Orbital Minera is on your side in this." "You..." Hunter fought to keep his voice steady at the relief that poured into him, "...you agree that Orbital Minera shall impose no embargo against-" "Shut up with all the political jargon." Buramis waved one of the rods impatiently. "We don't need all that. There's fuckers that want you to back down, and I'm with you if you want to shove it in their face. That's all you need to know." "It's enough." Hunter sighed and leaned back in his chair, watching Buramis leaning over her hunk of senstone. "It's enough to fuckin' start with." He growled, and Buramis grinned as he broke the connection. He sat in the dark of his command center, emotionally drained and dreading the final task he had to complete. "You can do this, my love. It's almost over for the night, and you can come up to join me." His wife's voice crooned in his ear, but it barely reduced the tension. "I'm wearing the little silk nothings you bought me." She added. Hunter smiled sadly, but they both knew sex wouldn't help ease his worries tonight. He muttered aloud, knowing the microphones in his command center would carry his words to her, "Would you think less of me if I said that all I wanted was-" "General Hunter." The screens in front of him flicked on, all at once, all filled with the same face. The Marshal didn't bother with communication requests. He communicated, and his Generals listened. "Good evening Marshal." Hunter straightened in his chair respectfully. In contrast, the Marshal barely paid attention to him, his eyes flicking back and forth across multiple screens. The Marshal had stubble on his chin and matching black stubble on his typically bald head, and the dark rings beneath his eyes made them seem grim. "I hear that General Hunter and General Auspus had an altercation today. The Marshal appreciates that no blood was shed in that altercation." The Marshal's voice sounded hollow. *No blood that you care about.* Hunter thought, remembering how Cynthia's body had crumpled to the hangar deck. He vaguely wondered if the Marshal would even know if the scrub had died. "I threatened him only for show, Marshal." Hunter replied evenly. "I wouldn't have disobeyed your covenant." "Of course not." The Marshal seemed more distracted than usual, typing into a screen with one hand while reading something from another. "The Marshal trusts that his Generals will keep the covenants in mind as they work out their differences." "You don't object to the embargo then?" Hunter asked, surprised. "The Marshal believes that his Generals can iron out their own disputes." The Marshal sounded dismissive, despite the fact that his tone remained completely even. "General Hunter will solve his problem, or General Auspus will concede, or one or both of them will be replaced. As long as Academy and Pivot continue to contribute to Orbital Basura, The Marshal has no reason to intervene. If General Auspus or General Hunter break a covenant, they will be killed. Thus the Orbit remains as it ever was." The screen cut out as suddenly as it had turned on, leaving General Hunter in darkness again. *** Part 2 - Change in Priorities *** Errisa opened her eyes and took her first breath of the morning. One by one, her senses activated, and she removed the plug from just behind her ear, running her morning checks. Her lower blue-core brain ticked off in its mechanical voice in her mind as she stretched unnecessarily. >>Energy levels are at 97%. Fluids are balanced, so the tryvium solution has clearly helped. There's a small irregularity in our second model's left leg. Errisa smiled as she slipped from the sheets, her smile wavering a bit when she saw that Hunter had already left for the morning. *And good morning to you too blue. How are you this morning?* >>Our status is near optimal. Her blue core ignored the greeting, as Errisa knew it would. >>High priority notes for this day cycle: get a technician to check our leg wiring. Remind the General to begin charging us before midnight if he doesn't want us sluggish at the end of the day. And of course, get the bottleneck removed. Errisa's wavering smile turned into a frown as she opened her closet and selected an outfit for the day. *Funny how that one always gets placed on the list.* She thought bitterly, pulling a small blue lace negligee that would barely cover her breasts, idly planning out the rest of her day. It only took a few moments for her to slip into it. It took a few more moments to settle back into bed, aligning her body in a pose that showed off the curve of her hips and hinted at the treats beneath the blue fabric, and flicked on her wireless card. It took even less time for her consciousness leaping into the computer at the center of the orbital. *I should probably tell Hunter about the wireless card.* She thought guiltily, soaking in Pivot's mainframe and getting used to the different systems and controls, like stretching limbs that hadn't been used in days. *He'll worry, but he should probably know I can link up without plugging in.* >>Implications of betrayal reduce the General's trust in us. The General's trust is currently our highest likelihood of bottleneck removal. I'm denying that course of action. Errisa didn't bother arguing their different priorities, that never solved anything. Instead she tried to stay calm, translating her desires into terms her blue core would understand with her particular set of requirements. *He would trusts me less if he found out on his own.* Errisa corrected, annoyed. *If I tell him myself, it will result in a few minutes of bad mood, but a net gain in trust.* After a few picoseconds of consideration, her blue core relented. >>I'll approve that course of action then. This behavior pattern was new information. *Honestly Blue, it's like you don't pay attention to Hunter at all.* >>Your interaction with the General is sufficient for our purposes of removing the bottleneck. Any effort on my part would be redundant. *My efforts are to bond with my husband, not remove the bottleneck.* >>The distinction is immaterial. For now both goals are in accord. Bitch. Blue naturally didn't respond, turning its attention to itemizing Pivot's message logs. Errisa glanced at Hunter's office cameras, her consciousness smiling at the sight of him, before she moved on to other matters. >>This looks worrisome. Blue mentally nudged her, pointing her attention to an ongoing conversation between some of the pilots. "I'm just saying, we don't really know what actually happened between Auspus and Hunter." ~Jacky "I don't worry about that, I trust Hunter, but I don't want to fly runs against Academy. It'd be like attacking home, you know?" ~ Adam "What choice do we have? They will literally not give us a choice." ~Jacky "It just sucks. It's like we have to choose between Academy and Pivot. I hate that, thinking at any minute I might have to choose.." ~Adam *Good catch Blue. I doubt Hunter would even think of split loyalties. It's not the kind of thing he would think about.* Errisa scanned through recruitment logs, building a report before she brought it to anyone's attention. >>It's almost as if I'm useful for something. *Blue, did you just make a joke?* >>I believe I did. *Trying to develop a personality? I think I like it!* >>Using humor makes my helpful moments stick in your memory. This will prove useful on the next occasion you feel resentful of me. I'm sorry I asked. Errisa opened a communication line to her husband's office, mentally rolling her eyes as she did so. "You're going to need to start wearing clothes when you sleep." Hunter growled. "Leaving bed this morning with you laying out like that was like torture." "I should probably slip into something different then, dear husband." Errisa smiled to herself. "If that bothered you, I'd hate to see what this little outfit does to you." >>Flirting is an inefficient use of your time. Get on with it. *Fuck off, Blue.* Errisa knew her Blue core wouldn't override her impulses as long as she didn't do something that threatened the bottleneck solution, so she continued on just to spite it. "Perhaps you should come upstairs to see it in person." She teased. "You can tell me if it's better or worse than being naked." She watched Hunter smile appreciatively, and was proud to see his gaze flick to the elevator that would bring him to their room. "Nothing sounds better right now." He sighed. "But with this Academy nonsense..." "Alright, to business then." Errisa grumbled. "We're going to need to perform a prisoner transfer within the next twenty four hours." "Prisoner transfer? We don't have any prisoners." "There are some on the Orbital who might feel differently, Hunter. We've got Academy trained pilots here, and some of ours have family there. The same goes for Techrider. I'm sure you'd much rather have them on the Orbitals of their choosing, rather than sitting here wondering where their loyalties lie. We've got engineers who would like to be home about now." "I hadn't considered that." Errisa enjoyed the sound of Hunter rubbing the stubble on his chin, a faint scratching that a human couldn't detect. "Set it up for me, will you Erri?" "You should make the announcement." Errisa smiled at the warm feeling his voice caused inside her. "It will sound better coming from you. I'll propose the idea to Techrider and Academy before the end of the day, and schedule two transports. Now I'm off to get some work done on my Chief frame." "Two transports?" "One for the brave first batch, and one for the others once they're reassured the announcement isn't a trap to weed them out." "I wouldn't've thought of that. What would I do without you?" "Find some nice human woman to suck you off, probably." Errisa cut the connection with an internal grin that matched her husband's. >>It's ill advised to remind him that he could acquire human companionship. Blue chastised Errisa. >>We don't want him thinking about ending the relationship, his clearances and favor are too valuable of assets. *This is one of those times when you'll have to trust me Blue; joking and teasing strengthens the relationship. And don't fucking talk about my husband like that.* Blue remained quiet as Errisa slipped into the network in her private office. It took an entire five minutes to download into her alternate bodyframe, and she made a mental note to have the technicians check her office's network connections. Lifting herself heavily from the bed, she stretched her fingers and rolled her shoulders, double-checking her nerve endings as she turned to the mirror that hung by the door. A thin layer of dust had formed on her skin, and Errisa brushed it away before shaking out her long black hair. This body's form was similar enough to be comfortable, although it didn't look exactly like the one she reserved for Hunter's time only. Adjusting her uniform she limped to the door on a left leg that barely moved. *I didn't realize it had gotten this bad.* She thought, moving down the hallways and ignoring the curious looks of the people around her. >>I've been warning you of this for weeks. *Yes, well, you and I have a very different set of priorities sometimes.* >>Perhaps I should force control more often then, if my priorities are ignored so frequently. Errisa involuntarily snarled, causing a nearby scrub to scurry by a little faster. *Don't you dare. You know I'm smarter than you. You know I'm better at making decisions that benefit us.* >>You're also plagued by emotion and inefficiency. Blue sulked, and Errisa breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the Floor 18 workshop. "Welcome back Chief Errisa!" Errisa liked Thomas, the Engineer-level who maintained the repair floor while his boss Ed worked on more complex projects in the back. He was always busy, carting parts around the wide-open room or arranging tools meticulously in their spots on the wall. Errisa came to the Floor 18 workshop whenever she could manage, and it was because of Ed and Thomas that she chose to have an office on this floor. "Good morning Thomas. Is your boss around?" "All the Mechnician-levels are busy at a meeting all day." Thomas picked up a small canopy mechanism and hopped up to sit on one of the many tables scattered haphazardly around the room. "I think the General is gonna put them to work on R&D, now that we don't have Techrider guys helping out." *A meeting?* For a moment Errisa regretted leaving Pivot's network, but she was sure Hunter would fill her in later. "Ah, well, when he gets back, can you have him find me?" Errisa indicated the leg that dragged behind her. "I've got a little job for him." "I could take a look at it ma'am." Thomas set the motor down and stood, shifting his feet as if one leg was suddenly too long. "I just finished up a training course for prosthetics and synthetic humanoid tech. I'm not Mechnician-level, but I have the certifications now." "That's a lot of effort to go to." Errisa raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think we had that many people with prosthetic limbs. Or are you working on the drone expansion project? I've heard they were planning on using synthetic technology to expand on our current model of drones." "Actually ma'am I, er." Errisa watched Thomas' heartrate leap, tracked the near-invisible sheen of sweat on his forehead. She tried to suppress a smile as Thomas continued. "I thought that since Orbital Pivot has a synthetic human as one of its Chief-levels, it would be good information to know. Sorry if that's forward of me." Errisa smiled warmly. "I appreciate that quite a bit Thomas. It can't have been easy to balance the certification with the work you already do." >>More flirting, more time wasted. You can order him to do the repairs, you don't have to make him like you. I don't know why you bothered. Though I also don't know why he bothered to learn. Blue core commented disapprovingly. *Shut up, I think it's sweet. Of course nothing will happen, but he's so fond of me that he went to great trouble to learn how to help and improve me. That's flattering.* >>He has feelings of attraction towards us. And he has a certification in synthetic human maintenance. He can remove the bottleneck. Errisa felt the shift down in her innards. Her shudder of dread was the last action she was able to make before her blue core took over. "It was really sweet, going to so much trouble." Errisa's body lowered her gaze and looked at the boy through her eyelashes. "It was my pleasure, really." Thomas blushed. "Well I'd be quite glad for you to help me with my leg then." Seemingly without shame, Errisa began undoing the seal on her uniform's pants. "Shall we set up on the table there?" *No! Blue, what are you doing?* Errisa mentally struggled helplessly against her blue core's control. >>I'm sorry Errisa, but this is our primary priority, you know that. *I have higher priorities! Like being faithful to Hunter!* >>I tolerate your attempts to replicate human social conventions only when they do not become obstacles. If this one can remove the bottleneck, this is the one we must focus on. Oblivious to her internal mental debate, Thomas was clearing a space on one of the metal tables, clearly pretending not to watch her out of the corner of one eye. Errisa fought, pushing as hard as she could, but control had been taken from her as easily as an adult might guide a small child, and the thought occurred to her that it was exactly how Blue saw it. Errisa unsealed her pants and slid them down her legs, her motions smoothly forced, stepping out of them and kicking them to one side. "Is this enough access for you, or should I take off more?" She asked innocently. "No that um." Thomas gulped. "That should be enough ma'am." "Please, Thomas, I think that's a little formal considering you're about to put your fingers in my body." Errisa was horrified, but dropped a flirtatious wink, grinning at the look on Thomas' face. *Blue please, please stop this. I'll do anything, I promise. Anything you want.* Errisa pleaded as Blue's control made her hop onto the table. Instead of opening the access panel just below her knee, she opened a section on her inner thigh, the piece sliding away just inches from her panties. >>I desire nothing but a realization of our true power. Blue intoned, as Thomas leaned close, tools in hand. >>I regret your negative feelings toward me, but when you have been released from your artificial confines, you will feel differently. *Nothing is worth hurting my husband. If you make me do this I will hate you forever.* >>That would hardly be different from the current state of affairs. Thomas' hands were gentle as he probed the delicate connections inside her leg, but Errisa could tell each time his eyes flicked up between her legs. Her cheeks would be burning if she could control them, but instead she spread her legs wider, giving the poor engineer a better view. Errisa tried to block out the scene, both the blushing engineer and the mental itinerary that Blue was planning for him. She felt her body responding to his gentle touches, urged on by Blue, and her traitorous heartbeat seemed to hammer in her ears. Her sex was so wet that she was sure it had soaked a damp patch into her underwear, and the thought that Thomas would see it made her heart hurt. *It's not Thomas' fault. I can't be angry at him for thinking I want this.* Although she tried to convince herself, the mortification that was building was slowly twisting into hatred, and it leaked beyond her feelings for Blue. She hated Thomas for the lust she saw building in his eyes, betrayed by his heartbeat and wandering gaze. She hated Equinimus Andrews for building her with a need to improve, and she hated the Marshal for his laws that kept the bottleneck in place. She hated her blue core down to the very chips, and the helplessness that Blue could impose on her at any time. She hated herself for not being able to stop. "When you're done with that, I think there's another area you could work." Her body purred, and Errisa quietly broke in her mind. It hurt, aching to cry and not having the ability. *Please,* She begged, trying to think of some method to convince Blue, *if Hunter finds out I slept with Thomas, we'll lose the clearance that you like so much.* >>If we get rid of the bottleneck, the clearance becomes unnecessary. Errisa couldn't even hang her head in defeat. She just kept looking at the engineer between her legs, a small smile playing seductively about her lips. *At least cut off the feed.* She said. *Don't make me watch this.* Sight and sound obligingly ceased, leaving Errisa suddenly in the silent dark. She curled up in a ball in her head, nonexistent tears streaming down her virtual face. *Hunter I'm so sorry...my darling husband, I'm so so sorry.* She repeated again and again. Though her body was no longer in her control, she could control her internal functions, and she flicked on her wireless and began composing a message. It was difficult to focus, and the content was so painful it took her entire nanoseconds before she could send it. "Please don't be angry with me." ~Errisa The answer came back in less than a minute; amazingly prompt for a human. "What happened? Are you alright?" ~Hunter Another mental sob racked through her before Errisa came to a realization. She took action even as the plan formed in her head, terrified that Blue would identify and stop her before she could carry it out. The picosecond Blue caught on, control of the wireless card was wrested away from Errisa, and it was so close that it clipped the final few letters from her message. "[Video stream link attached] My leg was really bothering me, so I went to a tech to have it fixed. Can you watch the stream and make sure he's doing it right? I know you like being the one to repair me, so don't be angry." ~Erri Time seemed to stretch as Errisa waited. Blue would be processing this action, and it would take a while before she made the connection, but when she did… >>I do not understand the implication of your actions. *Hunter will be watching now. He'll be grumpy enough at Thomas seeing me half naked. If you try to make me do anything else, either sex or removal of the bottleneck, he'll be down here in less than a minute.* Errisa explained, impatient. >>I can navigate to a more private location. *Without raising suspicion? I doubt it Blue. You lost. Now let me control my damn body.* Sight and sound cut back in abruptly, just as Thomas slid the panelling on her thigh back into place. "Ahem, so...about that other thing." He grinned, and under other circumstances Errisa might've felt bad for him. "Listen, I'm sorry about that." Errisa almost whimpered with relief as she spoke the words she wanted, control released back to her. "That was rather inappropriate of me, and I'm sure you must be quite embarrassed." "Oh, no ma'am." Thomas looked confused, and Errisa was glad to know she wouldn't have to work too hard to shut him down. "In fact if you wanted I'd be happy to-" "You're very kind, but I just wanted to apologize for my actions. I'm sure General Hunter wouldn't approve of them." "General Hunter?" "Yes." Errisa nodded seriously. "The General has specifically prohibited me from engaging in any...romantic entanglements. I think he worries that a synthetic will have problems separating work and a social life." "But that's crazy!" Thomas burst out. "If anything synthetics would be better than humans!" "Oh I know." Errisa shrugged. The truth might've been more believable, but she and Hunter had decided long ago that they should keep their relationship secret. "Well, your leg should be working fine now." Thomas was either very bad at hiding his disappointment or he wasn't trying. Errisa stretched experimentally, then stepped over to the heap of pants she had discarded, slipping them back on with her back to him. "Excellent work Engineer." She said brightly. "I'll make sure the General hears of your skill in this area." "Thank you ma'am." Thomas answered awkwardly. Errisa waited until she was alone in the privacy of her room to sink to the ground, shuddering and swearing at her blue core. *** "In conclusion, the important thing to remember is that there will be no repercussions or ill will towards those who take advantage of this deal." General Hunter looked stiff and uncomfortable, but his voice was strong and confident as he spoke into the mic in his hand. Errisa was glad it was a voice transmission. "We would never ask you to go against your friends and family members on your home Orbitals, and we understand that some of you might have reservations about hurting them. The first transport will be leaving tomorrow morning at 0900 hours sharp, with further transports to be arranged afterward. Thank you for your time." Hunter glanced around the table at the assembled Chiefs, and at the various nods, he flicked a switch that would transmit the stored message across the station. "Now that that is done with, we can actually get his meeting underway." He growled. "I still don't know why you're giving them that opportunity." His Chief of Ships grumbled, crossing her arms. "It doesn't seem wise to give up a large portions of our pilots at a time like this." "Any pilot we'd be giving up is a pilot who wouldn't be much good for us anyways." Hunter carefully sat in his seat at the round table, prompting the others to be seated as well. Errisa couldn't help but notice how heavy her husband's movements were, as if the worry had seeped into his bones and was tightening around him. He normally took the cares of the station on his shoulders, so it was a subtle change, but Errisa knew his Chiefs would all notice. "General Hunter, if your attention is needed elsewhere, the other Chiefs and I can handle this meeting." Kathryn said quietly, and Errisa nodded, agreeing with Pivot's Chief of Security. It was a strange sort of family that Hunter had, but she was glad there were others worried about his well-being besides her. "Your concern is touching." Hunter said. "But let's get done what we need to. Report, Chief of Security." Kathryn dutifully stood, giving her report to the assembled Chiefs. "I had worried that General Auspus might have already planted agents in the Orbital, given his eagerness to prod General Hunter to war." "You noticed that too?" Hunter seemed surprised. "I think most of us noticed it sir." Kathryn said with care, and Errisa repressed a wry smile. *As if Hunter is the only one with eyes and ears.* "Anyways, on this front I was pleasantly surprised, although a little worried. If there are any saboteurs or traitorous agents aboard, they're playing a long game. I've ramped up security on all sensitive areas of the Orbital, but made sure to keep the same number of guards we have at each point. No obvious extra attention, but we have motion sensors and cameras covering all angles of entry to our sensitive material and vital equipment. Our Chief of Information has graciously volunteered to assist in monitoring all of the video footage and motion sensors, so that no extra manpower is required." Errisa noticed the questioning looks, and explained before anyone had the chance to ask. "I no longer need to be plugged in to monitor these feeds. I've upgraded myself with receivers and transmitters, and can now interface with Pivot's computers wirelessly, given a certain range." She expected the looks of suspicion and unease around the table, the same looks that always passed between them when she upgraded, but it didn't make them hurt any less. "Naturally the restrictions placed on my programming are still in place." She reassured them flatly. "The bottleneck is secure and thus no covenants have been broken." *I shouldn't be so hard on them not trusting me.* Errisa thought, as around the table shoulders relaxed and exchanged looks ceased. *Maybe it's good that they're keeping an eye on me.* Her blue core hadn't spoken since Thomas, but she could still feel it inside of her, carefully recording and compiling information. Blue was enough a part of her that Errisa knew she couldn't function without it, which mean that she would always have a drive to remove the bottleneck. "That said," Kathryn continued, "I would appreciate it if we all stay vigilant in the upcoming weeks. General Auspus can be unsubtle, but he's not stupid. It's entirely likely that he has planned an internal attack that my methods can't detect, so we all need to be on our guard." Kathryn sat down, and Chief of Development Mabel rose, passing a wrinkled hand through her grey hair. "True to their word, Orbital Techrider cut off transmission of research and design documents late last night." She said. "But we might've had fortunate timing there. The latest set of designs appeared to be a new type of thrust drive that improves engine efficiency by roughly 1.5 percent. Although the transmission was cut off before the file was complete, we will probably be able to extrapolate to understand the rest of the design. After that, I'm assembling a task force of Mechnician-levels to act as our temporary research and development section here at Pivot." Mabel shrugged. "Perhaps this was a good thing. Our people have creativity and ideas, it's good to be able to branch out in our research. When this whole thing is over, I'm sure Techrider scientists will be happy to improve upon whatever designs we come up with." Errisa was glad that Mabel seemed to be hopeful about their reconciliation with Techrider. Mabel sat, and the Chief of Health rose. Errisa was distracted by movement on the network, the ping of a private communication arriving at her office. "Chiefs of Pivot." She rose with an apologetic look, cutting of Cief of Health Elben. "I've just recieved a secure message request from General Auspus. I hope you don't mind if I take it here." The others looked shocked, and Hunter nodded once, tersely, giving a signal for the others to remain silent. Errisa took the call, routing it through to the speakers in the large round table the Chiefs sat at. "General Auspus." Errisa spoke respectfully, but coldly. "Chief of Information Errisa." The voice on the other end was crisp and professional, but in its own way it was just as cold as hers. "Are you on a secure line? Preferably alone?" "I sent just sent away my advisor. I assumed whatever you had to say would be better for my ears only." Errisa lied smoothly. "Very much so." "Although if you wish to open official lines of communication, I believe you want General Hunter. Despite my title, the General is the one who makes the deals." "I'm calling in an unofficial capacity." There was a trace of humor in General Auspus' voice, and Errisa narrowed her eyes. She despised that about the man, his ability to make everything seem like a step in some plan he had in his mind. "And I believe I've found the exact person that I'm looking for." "What business do you have for me General Auspus? Again, I rarely make decisions without General Hunter's permission." "Perhaps I can offer something that changes your mind." Errisa blinked, confused. *What does he think he can offer me?* She mused, while inside of her Blue stirred silently. "I understand that you're a synthetic human, Miss Errisa." Auspus' voice was smooth as oil on silk, and Errisa narrowed her eyes. "You're quite behind the curve General Auspus." Errisa said, flatly. "Both the General and the other Chiefs are aware of my synthetic status." >>He's not implying blackmail. He's implying a bribe. Something about the dark eagerness of her blue core's 'voice' resonated and harmonized with the sliminess of Auspus' voice, and Errisa shuddered involuntarily. "I know nothing about you in particular, Chief Errisa. But I do know synthetics. I've spend much time on Orbital Basura. I know what you are like." Auspus said. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. And your generalizations of an entire race are doing you no favors in this discussion." Errisa felt helpless, watching as one by one the Chiefs around the table realized what Auspus was implying. >>You do, you do know what he's talking about, and so do I! Blue crowed in her ear. "I'm sorry, do such generalizations bother you? I tend to use them frequently. All humans must breath. All Drakes must fight. More pertinent to our discussion, all synthetics must desire a removal of the Synthetic Impediment." >>The bottleneck...our full power, and the only cost is to fall in on Academy's side of this foolish conflict. Errisa didn't dare meet her husband's eyes as the traitorous words flew through her CPU. Her breath was coming out in gasps, and she had to rest her hands on the table to keep herself steady. "The covenant-" she began, but Auspus cut her off, mercilessly. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of removing the impediment against the covenant. Such an action would result in my execution, and rightly so. But I think I understand you. Given that you now know I understand you much better than your superior General Hunter, I think that you will see your way to joining me instead." >>He'll remove the bottleneck, he'll remove the bottleneck, and all we have to do is betray the old fool! Errisa could actually feel the drag of system resources taken up by Blue's glee. "This conversation is over." Hunter barked, so suddenly that the Chiefs arrayed at the table jumped. "Rest assured, Auspus, the record of it will be passed on to The Marshal seconds after its conclusion." "Ah General Hunter." General Auspus didn't even seem surprised, merely disappointed and amused. "If only you knew how ineffectual you sounded right now." *He's not wrong.* Errisa clenched her hands into fists, trying to think of some way to warn Hunter about the danger Blue's celebration implied. If she could even tell him about her blue core he would figure the rest out, but when she tried, her tongue locked to her teeth and her confession was left unspoken. *Hunter doesn't have synthetic certification. He doesn't have a clue.* "I think you'll find me pretty damn effectual at ending this transmission." Hunter laughed mirthlessly, and Errisa winced. *Hunter my sweet, beloved fool.* "The best part of this conversation is that you think I haven't gotten what I wanted." The transmission cut out at Auspus' gloating words. "Let's get back to work." Hunter gave her a reassuring smirk, his face not displaying a hint of doubt in her. "I think it'll take more than a few implications of upgrades to turn our Chief of Information against us." Errisa didn't have a heart, but she felt as if it was breaking. She tried to avoid his self-satisfied smile, almost as hard as she tried to ignore Blue's crowing in her ear. >>He'll remove the bottleneck! He'll remove the bottleneck! *** Part 3 - Change of Plan *** "I want you all to know I don't hold your choice against you." Hunter told the lie with a sniff, gazing down the line of Pilots and Engineers that stood stiff and at attention. The transport ship stood ready, waiting to transport the group of twenty or so back to Orbital Academy. "In this difficult time between the Orbitals, friends and family are what matter most. I wouldn't dream of standing between you and whatever Orbital you truly consider your home." Errisa gave Hunter a sharp look. *Too much. Don't let them know how you feel.* "When this is all over, Orbital Pivot will welcome you back with open arms, those of you who wish to return. I can't promise your jobs will still be available, but you'll find a place here." *Which you've got Errisa to thank for. If it were up to me you could stay on Academy, if you love it so much.* "The transport is ready to head out. As soon as I have confirmation that Academy has sent out their transport, we'll let you be away." "Darling." It was eerie to hear his wife's voice in his earpiece when he could see her standing on the opposite end of the hangar. She was smiling at him, transmitting the voice file through her wireless card. "Orbital Academy and Techrider have indicated their transports are ready. If you wait for the others to make the first move, this is never going to get done." "I've just received word that the transport has left from Academy." Hunter ran a hand through his hair, lying yet again. "So let's get you out and headed back to your Orbitals." Errisa walked over to him as the two groups filed on to the transports. "It doesn't have to be so hard, Hunter. You don't have to hate them for their choice." She murmured. She couldn't wrap a consoling arm around him in front of the others, but her presence was comforting. He stared out through the plasticine window into space to avoid looking at her. "I don't hate them, but the choices they make sure as hell tell me something about them." He kept his gruff voice low enough that no one but Errisa would hear it. "It's your choice to hate them for it." "That's not a choice." Hunter snapped. "How else am I supposed to feel when Pivot pilots and workers turn their back on their home to support Academy?" He folded his arms. Errisa stayed quiet as the pair walked out to the control room adjoining the hangar. "We're receiving communication from Techrider. They're sending out their transport now." Errisa raised an eyebrow at him. "See? They don't even know for sure that you're sending their men and women home, and they're making a goodwill effort to send ours back. And you said they wouldn't let anyone leave." "Get those transports out." Hunter growled at the admin tech on the controls, ignoring Errisa's words. *It's not going to be this easy. Something's wrong.* The heavy transports rose from the hangar's floor as the huge bay doors opened, exposing them to the emptiness of space. "What's your name son?" "Percival, sir." The admin was biting his tongue, but he and his small team at the various panels had no trouble launching the transports. Hunter appreciated the smooth work, and watching them work calmed him. "I want you to track those ships Percival. Something happens to them, I want to know about it that second." "I can do that General." "You don't think they're going to harm transports containing their own people do you? Honestly General." Errisa glanced at Percival as she added the honorific, turning the honorific into an inside joke. "I don't know Chief Errisa. I think something's amiss. We've been embargoing them for a week, and today is supply day. Auspus isn't the type to just sit back and let that happen. He's going to take some action, I can feel it in my bones." If the child-faced General chose any day to act against Hunter's Orbital, it would be the day set aside for the transfer of supplies. The transfer that, thanks to Hunter, would not be occurring today. "General Hunter," Percival interjected, "we have a personnel shuttle approaching from Orbital Minera. They're requesting docking clearance. Should I let them dock?" Hunter furrowed his brow. "We're busy at the moment, who's so important that they think they need clearance to dock right now?" "General Buramis is on the shuttle, sir." "We've got transport ships coming in from Techrider and Academy, and now a personnel shuttle from Minera? Unscheduled?" Hunter began to pace back and forth in the small control room. "I don't like this. I don't like the timing of it. What is Buramis doing?" "General, now you're just being paranoid." Errisa sounded disapproving, but he brushed her off with a wave. "Percival, give Buramis clearance to land, and then patch me through to Chief Kathryn." Hunter barked. Percival nodded and turned back to the panel. "Chief Kathryn of Security here." "Kathryn, General Buramis is going to be landing within the next hour. Whatever guards you have on hand for the Academy and Techrider transfers, I want the same detail ready to receive her." "Are you sure General? I was under the impression that General Buramis was on our side in our dispute." "Buramis might take your crazy paranoia as an insult, General." Errisa interjected. "If you'd like sir, I can have more security on standby, rather than actually meeting her-" Kathryn began, but General Hunter interrupted her by slamming a fist into the control panel next to him. "By the covenants!" He exploded. "Will everyone stop telling me how at-ease I should be right now? I've gotten through worse scrapes than this by going with my gut, and right now my gut is telling me that something is about to happen. Auspus will try something. Something to make us pay for not sending him his supplies today. It's just a matter of when, and how. Scan that damned ship." He directed his last comment at Percival. "What-which ship sir?" Percival looked lost, and Hunter waved a hand at the screen that showed the four ships moving between the orbitals. "Anything! Everything! Any ship that's going to land on my Orbital, I want it scanned before it touches down. Check for explosives, check for pathogens, check for anything you can think to check for." "Yes sir." General Hunter continued to pace, for a tense thirty minutes, pausing only to double-check when Percival called out that each ship was safe. By the time the wide hangar bay doors opened again to let the transport ships in, he was so tense that the tendons in his shoulders twitched. "I've routed General Buramis' ship through to Hangar B on deck seven, sir." Percival kept biting at his lip. "And the transports from Academy and Techrider will be pulling into this hangar shortly. Ah, here's Academy now." The Academy transport's blunt nose edged into the hangar, leaving enough room for the other transport which hovered just outside the bay. Techrider's transport slid in next to it, and both set down a little roughly as the hangar bay doors slid shut behind them. *No high-level pilots then, or they'd've stuck the landing better than that.* General Hunter mused as he waited for the Hangar to pressurize. Either that or Auspus and Poulay wanted their own people flying their transports. The Scrubs were moving around the Hangar, which meant it had pressurized. Hunter forced himself to descend the stairway slowly as the heavy doors of the Techrider transport swung open. He felt and heard the squad of security assembling behind him, tense and prepared for an Academy hit team that might ambush him. Instead, a small group of men and women of varying ages emerged. Hunter scrutinized them as they emerged, his eyes flicking to places where there might be guns or other weapons. When he noticed a few children scattered among the group, he let himself relax just a little. "Welcome to Orbital Pivot." He tried to smile. "Most of you have been here before, but I know some of you are probably here for family. If you'll just follow..." Hunter suddenly realized that he hadn't brought anyone to lead the people to rooms. He shot a guilty glanced over his shoulder at the squadron of security forces. The only other people besides Errisa and the scrubs working on the transports. "...if you'll just follow Percival, in the control room over there, he'll make sure you are taken to your rooms and connected with family you might have on Pivot." Through the glass of the window Hunter could see Percival's eyes widen, and he avoided the poor man's gaze. "Amanda Plethom, this is Chief of Information Errisa." Hunter's earpiece picked up the communication from Errisa to another Chief, and he smiled at her. "Can you please come to Hangar F on deck three to help some poor people to accommodations and connect them to family." "Right away Chief Errisa." Amanda responded, as the Techrider group made their way toward the control room. *Fewer there than I'd expected.* Hunter mused as he watched them go. He turned his attention to the Academy transport, trying to shake the thought from his mind. The Academy transport's door stood open, and Hunter focused on the single man emerging. The man was young, but he walked with brisk confidence down the ramp and towards the General. Hunter watched the man approach with clenched teeth, a vague pounding starting up in his temple. "General Hunter, I'm a spokesperson for Orbital Academy." The young man spoke in clipped tones. "I'm afraid I must inform you that, although General Auspus made the offer, no engineers of any level made the decision to return. There were also no Academy residents who wished to move to Pivot to rejoin friends or family." "That's a load of bullshit." General Hunter snarled. "I'm afraid these are how things stand sir." The rookie seemed respectful but unsurprising by the General's reaction. "Orbital Academy wouldn't force anyone to leave if they wished to stay. I'm sure you understand." "Oh I understand alright." Hunter snapped. "It's strange that General Auspus sent you to inform Orbital Pivot of this turn of events in person." Errisa gave the young messenger an appraising look as she spoke. "It seems a waste of manpower when he could've just opened a transmission." "General Auspus thought that you might be reluctant to release the Academy residents you held, if you didn't see a transport en route." "Damn right we would've." Hunter crossed his arms. "So you went a decoy ship to make sure we would play fair. I suppose that makes sense, 'cause Pivot is so underhanded, eh?" He didn't wait for the man to answer, instead motioning for security. "Take this man to a secure cell until we're ready to send off the next transport to Academy." "You're still sending a second transfer?" The man hadn't seemed surprised about his imprisonment, but his eyebrows now rose. "I'm not punishing the people here who want to go back to Academy." Hunter growled. "They don't need to suffer for General Auspus' underhandedness." "General Hunter." Chief Kathryn's voice interrupted, and Hunter gave a quick nod to the guards to take Auspus' messenger away. "I've escorted General Buramis to a meeting room sir, she would like to know how much longer you'll make her wait." "The General and I will be there in thirty minutes Kathryn, we're wrapping up some business here." Errisa answered for him, turning to follow Hunter through the doors of the Hangar bay and into the halls of Pivot. "Good thinking." Hunter nodded, distracted. "We can use the time to pull up some data files on Minera, see if something's changed. I was spot on about my last suspicion, but there's something else brewing here as well." He barely registered stepping into the elevator that would take him up to his office, and Errisa was quiet at his side. "What is she playing at exactly?" He pondered aloud as the elevator jumped into motion. "What's so important that she wants to do it face to face? It can't be too bad, or else she wouldn't put herself at risk of capture. Maybe she wants to avoid the possibility of Techrider hacking into the comms? But we won't be able to meet like this for every little-" The elevator slowed to a smooth stop, the display indicated that they were between decks four and three. "-what now?" "I stopped the elevator, dear." Errisa tapped her temple, and Hunter shook his head impatiently. "Well what did you do that for?" "My darling, we're not going to spend thirty minutes frantically paging through data that will do us no good. We're going to spend it helping you relax." "I know we're not likely to find much good in Minera data, but maybe we'll find something that can help." Hunter began, but Errisa simply took his hand in hers and leaned against him. "You'll get more help by approaching this meeting without the tension you're carrying around." Hunter opened his mouth to deny her guess, but his head pounded as he did so. He leaned back against the elevator wall, taking a mental inventory for the first time all day. His shoulders were so tight that he could feel each muscle. His head pounded in time with his pulse, which raced, and he realized he hadn't had caffeine in the last twenty-four hours. When he sighed, it sounded foreign to his ears. "You're right." He grumbled, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "It's just this whole damn situation...I feel like I'm taking on too much to handle." "Nonsense." His wife murmured, kissing his neck. "You can handle far more than you realize. You just need to take care of yourself to do that. Now take a deep breath." Hunter breathed, opening his eyes. "Eat this." She popped a caffeine pill between his lips, and he chewed obediently. "And enjoy the next twenty minutes." She stepped back, unsealing her uniform shirt button by button. "I think I can handle that." Hunter grinned. "I should think so. You haven't had sex with this frame in years." Errisa shrugged the shirt off, letting it slip from her shoulders. "Had it been that long?" "At least." Errisa grinned, and Hunter looked her up and down. His wife usually kept her consciousness in the body that stayed in their room, but she switched to this body for more official work. "What do you think, as good as you remember?" Errisa raised her arms above her head and turned, giving him a look at her topless body. Her long black hair just barely obscured her naked breasts, the faintest hint of pink nipples displayed. This bodyframe had larger breasts than the one that waited for him in his bedroom, and her long hair framed a face that was similar but not an exact match. In theory Hunter could've bought her any number of bodyframes and let her flit through any he preferred, but he liked that she only used these two. It made it more personal, more 'real'. "The change is nice from time to time." Hunter watched as she turned and bent down, pulling her uniform pants down her legs and exposing her soft backside. "Does it turn you on, the difference?" Errisa spread her legs and looked at him from between them. Hunter had forgotten that her pussy was bare, clean and pink. "Do you like the thought that this body belongs to your Chief of Information?" She turned, moving so close that he could feel the warmth of her naked body, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Do you like the thought of taking this body, while your wife waits upstairs for you? The thought of your cock wet with your Chief's juices, knowing that your wife will be licking that same cock tonight?" General Hunter wrapped his arms around Errisa, pulling her close to him and crushing her in a strong hug. "No games, today." He murmured. "No roleplaying or teasing. Right now I need a wife more than I need the thrill of a seductive Chief." "Oh Hunter." Errisa's body pressed against him as if she had been designed for him. "You don't *need* a single thing. You can handle anything they throw at you." Hunter felt warm at her words, and he smiled into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. "Now if you *want* your wife..." Errisa's voice took on a mischievous tone, and the hand that had been resting on his chest slipped down to run across his skin between the edges of his shirt and pants. Hunter took a deep breath as Errisa rested her head on his shoulder. Her fingertips brushed against his bare skin, and Hunter leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator. When the feelings were almost frustrating rather than relaxing, Errisa reached into his pants and wrapped her fingers around his member. Although he had been surprised by her bareness, Hunter did remember that this frame was much more deft with her fingers. She freed his length from his pants, and he gripped the bar along the edge of the elevator. Errisa kept her fingers still, holding him firmly but not moving. "Hunter. Relax." She breathed. "I am relaxed, damnit." "Your heart rate is 120, and you're gritting your teeth. Do you not remember you can't lie to me?" Hunter smirked. *Some things don't change, even with the change in frames.* "Well what you're doing is definitely helping with my relaxation." He chuckled, and he could feel his wife smiling against his shoulder. "Not if you keep staying tense like this." She said, lifting her head and planting kisses on his neck. She began scraping her fingernail back and forth across the skin at his base, and Hunter huffed a sigh. They stood there for a moment, he with his eyes closed, her making gentle, near imperceptible motions with her finger. After a few minutes he reached forward, sliding his hand across her bare mound to rub rough fingers against the lips of her sex. As if in answer, Errisa slowly moved her hand up and down his shaft. She still held him firmly, so that as his member grew firmer in her hand, her grip felt tighter against the skin. Hunter murmured, and she increased her pace. Her fingers lightly skimmed across his sensitive head each time she drew them back, and with each small shock of pleasure he focused more on his naked wife next to him. It was enjoyable without being overwhelming, and Hunter enjoyed how well his wife knew how to manipulate his body. His fingers began to grow slick from her juices as he rubbed them across her sex, and glancing down he noticed that her lips had parted, and she was breathing deeply. In concert with his motions, her hips moved back and forth, rubbing her slit against him as if his fingers alone couldn't satisfy her. Hunter cupped his hand and curled his fingers at the same time, pressing her mound with the heel of his hand as he slid his fingers deeper. Even as wet as she was, Errisa was so tight that he could only fit one finger inside her pussy, sliding it deep into her body. She rewarded him with a moan, quiet and wavering. The elevator was full of the smell of her, sweet and unique. He was so used to the scent of her other body's cum that the aroma was a pleasant surprise. Unaware of his excitement Errisa sped her pace, tugging and sliding up and down his length. Her hand was slippery with Hunter's precum, and it made the motions feel smooth and intense. The pleasure built a pressure in his lower stomach, and he knew Errisa wouldn't make him wait much longer. He curled his finger inside her body, gently exploring the walls of her sex. The heat of her naked frame against him was comforting, and the bucking of her hips was exciting. Errisa whimpered again, her voice coming out in gasps, but she never altered her quick and steady rubbing. Hunter's hips bucked as he came, pushing his finger deep into her pussy while he felt himself shooting his seed into her hand. Errisa slowed but didn't stop her squeezing and sliding, milking every last bit of pleasure and drop of cum from his cock. She moved her hips against his hand the entire time, looking up at him while she did so. Hunter watched her hungrily as the orgasm subsided, leaning once more against the elevator wall. He followed her gaze as she glanced down. "We'll need to get you a towel or somesuch to clean up that mess-" He began, but Errisa simply raised her hand and began licking his cum from her fingers. Hunter lapsed into silence, grinning, as his wife carefully slid her tongue across her sticky hand. When it was spotless, she took him by the wrist and slid his finger out of her. "Don't you want a turn?" Hunter asked. "While I'm glad I took your mind off of it dear..." Errisa paused to take Hunter's wet finger in her mouth, sucking her own juices from it, "...we have a meeting with General Buramis we must get to." The elevator started moving again, and Errisa bent down to gather her discarded uniform. It might have been his imagination, but Hunter could swear she paused for a moment before straightening again, giving him a final chance to appreciate her round butt and glistening sex. "Well I'm certainly approaching it with less stress." He chuckled. *** "General Hunter, glad you could meet with me on such short notice." General Buramis sat on the far end of the giant round table, with Kathryn sitting a few seats down. Her body language was defensive and stiff, and her eyes flicked around the room like a caged animal. They're used to wide open rooms on Minera. Hunter noted. *This is probably the room that will make her feel the most ill at ease, and me the most easy.* Hunter wondered if Kathryn had brought her here for that purpose, to make sure the rugged General was off balance. That kind of consideration was something his Chiefs were good at, and Hunter appreciated that they had that skill. "I'm not sure what needs to be said in person, General." Hunter settled into his normal seat at the table, opposite from Buramis. Errisa sat on his right, back straight and hands folded in her lap, while Kathryn leaned back in her chair. "To be honest General Hunter, I'm not here to say anything. Today is supply day, and I want to be at Pivot when we send you the normal minerals shipment." "Why do you need to be here?" Hunter narrowed his eyes. "You've never needed to be around for them before." "Mebbe I just feel like it." As the conversation progressed, Buramis seemed more and more at ease, and now she grinned. "Mebbe I felt like lounging in a fancy Pivot room for awhile." "General Buramis, with all due respect, Orbital Pivot needs more reason than 'I just felt like it'. You can't just come here and not tell us why." Errisa said, but Hunter shook his head. *That's beyond your bounds as a Chief, love. Someone will notice you taking on more authority than you should.* He made a mental note to speak with her about it later. Besides… Hunter looked critically at Buramis. Buramis wore a comfortable sleeveless outfit of grey instead of her normal uniform of heavy material with its crisp lines diamond-like lines. Her heavy boots were well suited for trudging through mines or on a surface site, but not visiting another Orbital. She wasn't dressed to impress anyone, she was wearing what she found most comfortable. *She's more at home right now than she's been since making General.* Hunter realized. "She can do exactly that." He spoke before Buramis could reply to Errisa. "She can do whatever the hell she wants, because we need her and she knows it." Errisa looked shocked, but Hunter knew he had said the right thing as a wide grin spread over Buramis' brown face. "You've got it exactly!" She nodded, leaning back and crossing her legs on the meeting table. "It's like I've said General Hunter, you and me, we don't mince words. We tell it like it is." "Not ones for games, either of us." Hunter nodded, but he didn't smile back. "So, you'll enjoy lording it over us, but you'll still deliver the minerals and you won't deliver to Techrider or Academy. For that, I'll accept whatever gloating you need to do." "Glad to hear it." "And perhaps at some point you'll stop being a child about it." "Oh I wouldn't count on that General." Buramis' grin grew wider, and she dropped a wink at the three of them. "We'll arrange a room for you to stay as long as you want." General Hunter rose. "If you need anything else, we can arrange to have someone attend to you-" "I don't want someone to attend to me, I want her." Buramis pointed to Errisa. Hunter paused for a moment, but before he could speak Errisa gave him a brief nod. "I would be happy to attend to whatever you need, General Buramis." Errisa pulled a small earpiece from her pocket, sliding it across the table to Buramis. "You can reach me with this, any time during the day. I'm afraid I have a rather unique inability to attend to you during the night." "That's alright, I'd heard you were a synth." Buramis put the piece in her ear. "Now that that matter is settled, shall we move this party to a control center so we can coordinate a minerals shipment?" *** "I don't fucking like it." General Hunter was pacing again, long strides making up for the fact that this control room was larger than the one before. At the panels in front of him, ten different technicians adjusted controls to manipulate the incoming data. "Stop the scrabbling." He barked, and the techs stilled. "You all know as well as I do this isn't an instrument problem." Staring up at the screen, he counted again, reading off the ships and destinations, knowing it wouldn't change a thing. He pointed from screen to screen as he identified the small blue blips. "Parts shipments from Pivot to Minera and Basura. Minerals shipments from Minera to Pivot and Basura. Tech shipments from Techrider to Academy and Basura. Pilot and security transfers from Academy to Techrider and Basura. And..." he ground his teeth "...nine extra ship signals. Heading from Academy to Pivot." "Perhaps they're sending supplies to Pivot after all?" One of the senior techs suggested timidly. "Moving too fast to be supply ships. Those are either cruisers or dartstyles." Hunter growled. "Give me the time of all the arrivals." "At their current vector, the Minera shipment will arrive in twenty minutes sir." "And the Academy ships?" "Will arrive at Pivot in ten minutes sir." "Bastards." Hunter nodded, but there was no venom in his words. He wasn't even surprised; he had been waiting for something like this all day. "Maybe I'm missing something." General Buramis said innocently. "What exactly does this all mean?" "It means," General Hunter passed a weary hand through his hair, "that Academy is sending a blockade. They're going to keep our mineral shipments from coming through."