The Admiral and the Assistant

Herin Kasra smiled as he was thoroughly patted down. One of the meaty enforcers began counting the credits in the small case he was carrying.

"Money checks out," he said finally.

Herin looked down at the enforcer searching him.

"Are you afraid I'll bring something that will hurt the Oracle?" he asked with barely concealed humor.

The enforcer stood and glared at him.

"No," he said. "The likes of you can't hurt him. I just don't trust you. And I don't like your face."

"Then you're smarter than you look," Herin said.

The two enforcers gave each other a wry look.

"What can we do? The money checks out," said the other.

"Fine. All the way down the hall, through the main doors. Do the favor, that's the rule." The enforcer shrugged. "Or don't. I wouldn't mind if you skipped that part."

"I definitely will," Herin said, waving to them as he walked away.

Rules. Herin Kasra understood rules well. Explicit rules, implicit rules. Spoken and unspoken. Demanded and expected. Everyone's world was governed by rules. Even his.

Following most of the rules gave you the leeway to break the ones you really wanted to.

Herin entered the Oracle's chamber, his cold smile fixed in place. He walked to the foot of the tall narrow stairs and looked upward.

The Oracle looked down. They stared at each other for a long moment, the harsh light of the chamber reflecting off the round lenses of the pair of them. Herin's grin shined at the Oracle's writhing tentacles.

The Oracle stood.

"I... have... been... waiting... for... you... Hunter."

The Oracle descended the stairs with slow deliberation, then began circling Herin, examining him minutely.

"Fascinating," the Oracle said. "A... body... with... no... soul."

"Are you a doctor, then? Or a priest?" Herin asked.

"I... am... chaos."

Herin's grin widened.

The Oracle stopped in front of Herin and looked down at him.

"Speak... your... desire."

"I seek the means to stop the growth of the Riftborn gang on Techterra. For my job."

The Oracle began circling him again.

"So... small... a... thing. A... work... task."

Herin did not respond, only smiled.

"Do... you... desire... nothing... else?"

Herin's smile widened.

"What do you think I should ask for?"

The Oracle paused.

"You... desire... power... without... responsibility."

"Don't we all?"

The Oracle nodded. "All... do." It turned and mounted the stairs. It sat back in its throne.

"You... have... a... thing... you've... found."

Herin paused for a moment, thinking.

"You mean the device I got from Senn Sehren's hideout," he said finally. "The one he was transmitting from when we caught him."

"Use... it. Find... your... heart's... desire."

Herin smiled. "I can do that," he said.

The Oracle gestured toward the exit in a clear dismissal. Herin stood fast at the foot of the throne.

"I'm curious," Herin said.

The Oracle leaned forward.

"Why are you here?" Herin asked. "What are you working toward?"

The Oracle hissed, a strange piercing sound that made the assistants cower together in the corners of the room.

"None... have... asked... that... before."

"I'm a policeman," Herin said with a shrug. "I ask questions."

The Oracle leaned back in its seat.

"I... will... destroy... the... Solution." It leaned forward. "I... will... break... every... rule." It closed one taloned claw into a fist. "I... will... take... vengeance... on... those... who... created... me."

Herin's grin grew colder.

"Interesting. Makes me glad I didn't create you. Well, I'll be going." He gave the Oracle a sardonic salute. "Always a pleasure to meet a kindred spirit."

Herin Kasra turned and walked away.

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Kinnit and Grimthorn sat on the long waiting bench outside the Emperor's chamber in the Sedes Imperialis.

"What do you think he wants to talk about?" Kinnit asked.

Grimthorn smiled tiredly. She'd been asking this same question in different ways repeatedly over the last few days. His answer didn't change.

"I don't know," he said. "The Cryptographers want us to meet. The Emperor expedited it." He shrugged. "We'll find out here soon." He looked at her. She was trembling and fidgeting. "What's wrong, Kinnit?"

She took a deep, unsteady breath and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"You don't think he'll rescind my citizenship, do you? Or say we can't be married?"

Grimthorn's face fell open in shock. Then he pulled her close in a rough hug.

"Of course not," he said. "Of course not." Grimthorn stroked her back. "Besides, even if he did, you know how that would go. I made a vow. I will do anything to stay with you always." He held her at arm's length and looked deep into her eyes. "Anything."

She hiccuped a sob and slid back into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I love you," she said quietly.

"And I love you," he replied.

An official in white and red livery stepped into the hallway from the direction of the throne room.

"The Emperor will now grant audience to Admiral Grimthorn Stonefist and Lieutenant Kinnit Stonefist," he said in a loud, clear voice.

They broke apart and stood.

"I still like the sound of that," she said, smiling and wiping her eyes. "Kinnit Stonefist."

He smiled at her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. They walked into the Emperor's throne room.

They dropped their eyes to the floor as they entered the Emperor's presence.

"I request to enter the Emperor's presence," they said in unison.

"Grimthorn, my man!" blared the Emperor from his throne. "And Kinnit!" He stood and began descending the broad stairs to the floor.

Grimthorn looked up in shock. He hadn't expected this kind of greeting.

"M-may we approach, your Imperial Majesty?"

"Forget that, forget all that," the Emperor said. "We don't have time for a lot of formality. Come, join me in my chambers."

The Emperor turned and led them out of the throne room through a side door. It opened to a hallway with rich carpeting and ornate door frames. It branched off in many directions. The Emperor ushered them into a well-appointed meeting room.

Grimthorn and Kinnit followed his lead, rattled.

"You're... looking very healthy, your Imperial Majesty."

It was true. The last time they'd met, the Emperor had been thin, sickly. Now he walked firmly and held his head high, his back straight and his voice booming

"Yes, I overcame my illness. In no small part thanks to you two."

"Us? We didn't-- I mean, your Imperial Majesty, I don't think we--"

"Never mind that. Story for another time. Come, sit."

They all took a seat at a round table.

"It is good to see you well, your Imperial Majesty," Kinnit said.

The Emperor winked at her.

"I have a little surprise for you, as a thank-you," he said.

"Oh?" Kinnit perked up. "What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Trust me, you'll know it when you see it."

Grimthorn was reeling a bit from the unexpected informality of the Emperor.

"That's... very kind of you, your Imperial Majesty, but we're simply serving the Imperium. We need no rewards for doing our duty."

"Well, you're getting one anyway," the Emperor said. "Imperial decree. You shall be rewarded and you shall like it. So saith the Emperor, etc. etc."

"Of course, your Imperial Majesty," Grimthorn said, bowing his head.

"Thank you. Now, let's get to it. I take it you've heard about the Cryptographers leaving?"

Grimthorn reddened, his brow drawing down.

"I have," he said shortly.

"He told them they were cowards, and they could rot on Geina, your Imperial Majesty," Kinnit said. The Emperor threw back his head and laughed.

Kinnit frowned. "I happen to agree with him, your Imperial Majesty."

"That's so very... Stonefist of you. Marriage is making you more like each other already."

Kinnit's face twisted in disapproval. "Respectfully, I don't find it funny, your Imperial Majesty."

The Emperor's chuckles faded away.

"Because it's not. But we must laugh, must we not? Laugh, lest you cry, isn't that the saying?" The Emperor's face grew somber. "I have tasks for you two."

"We stand ready to do the Emperor's bidding," Grimthorn said.

"First, I need you to find the Aberrant. This is a top priority."

"We have been searching, your Imperial Majesty," said Admiral Stonefist. "We will continue. But couldn't the Cryptographers find it more easily?"

The Emperor shook his head. "Not so, I fear. The Aberrant seems to have some means of... confusing the Cryptographers. It's got them extremely concerned."

Grimthorn struggled mightily to imagine a 'concerned' Cryptographer. The blank stare, the tentacles, the overwhelming psychic pressure-- none of it lent itself to an image of quiet anxiety.

"Understood," he said finally, giving up on the visualization.

"The Aberrant goes by 'the Oracle' now. It's... acting as a Cryptographer to anyone."

"Anyone?" Kinnit asked.

"Anyone with money. Terrorists. Criminals. Hostile species. It's giving Cryptographer insight to... anyone."

Kinnit and Grimthorn sat in silence as the full implication of the Emperor's words sank in. Admiral Stonefist looked slightly sick.

"We will redouble our efforts to find the Aberrant, your Imperial Majesty."

"Find and destroy," the Emperor said. "Finish the Cryptographers' work. There's to be no mercy for the Aberrant. We've already found out enough of what it's done to warrant that. Likely it's done far worse than we know."

"We will not hesitate, your Imperial Majesty."

"Grimthorn..." the Emperor looked directly into Admiral Stonefist's eyes. "It won't be easy. The Cryptographers won't tell me how to kill the Aberrant. They won't tell you, either. They say it's 'complicated.' They say that if they gave you a plan, it would be doomed to failure. You'll have to come at the Aberrant from an angle it won't be expecting."

Admiral Stonefist pinched his lips and nodded.

"That's what I do, your Imperial Majesty."

Kinnit looked at her husband with a proud smile.

"There's one other thing," the Emperor said. "You know of the Feeders?"

"Only a little, your Imperial Majesty."

"I don't know much more than you. I'll share what I can. The Cryptographers say that they're already in the galaxy. The only slim hope we can cling to is the fact that they don't have a good way of finding us. That will slow them down, perhaps give us time to figure out how to fight them."

"If the Cryptographers are fleeing the galaxy, it sounds like they don't think much of that 'perhaps.'"

The Emperor smiled, a little sadly. "No, they don't. But they don't know everything." He shook his head. "They can't know everything. I have to believe that." The Emperor looked up and forced a smile on his face and a bright, if brittle, tone into his voice. "If anyone can do it, you can, Grimthorn." He clapped the Admiral on the shoulder. "I know you can save us all. Again."

"I will do my utmost, your Imperial Majesty."

The conversation lulled. The Emperor looked thoughtful.

"Is there something else, your Imperial Majesty?" Kinnit asked.

The Emperor looked up at Admiral Stonefist. "Grimthorn, I..." he paused, his mouth open. Then he seemed to change his mind and carefully closed it again. "It's nothing. You have plenty to focus on. Go, and take care of the galaxy."

Grimthorn stood and saluted. "All hail the Imperium!" he cried.

"All hail the Imperium," the Emperor responded.

Grimthorn and Kinnit turned to walk out the door.

"Grimthorn?" the Emperor said.

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty?"

"It might be a while before I can speak with you again. I'm about to upset a lot of people. Whatever rumors you hear, whatever people think they know about what's happening to me, I want you to know that I'm fine. Whatever else happens, I'm fine. Can you trust your Emperor in this?"

Grimthorn gave him a solemn nod. "I can, your Imperial Majesty."

"Very well. Lieutenant Kinnit, keep your big oaf out of trouble. Or at least out of more trouble than he can handle."

"Every day, your Imperial Majesty!" she chirped.

They turned and left, the Emperor's sad smile following them.