The journey was swift, bringing them to a small chapel near the center of the base. They alighted and formed up.

  “You’ve got no one to walk with,” mentioned Kallee.

  Daniella laughed. “No, but he’s waiting for me in there. I’m all good with that.” Then she hugged her friends.

  The music swelled, doors opened, and they moved forward with Daniella entering last. She didn’t look left or right. Her future waited at the altar.

  She took the first step to a life she never would have thought would be hers.

  Chapter 12

  The room was sparse—a table, several chairs, and the recording equipment—and Jonah rested back in his seat, the battered major opposite. The cuffs likely chafed and the seat had no padding.

  “So, we have recovered the rest of the team on the premises. Several are already singing, Major. We also found the maturational chambers and infants. My people were able to hack the systems, so we have invaluable information. But you’re not clever enough to organize and run such a plan.”

  The major blanched but remained silent as he had since being fastened to the heavy metal table.

  Daniella, the admiral, and even the subdued and chastened ex-general shifted in their chairs, but Jonah remained calm and quiet.

  “We also managed to hack into the system you were using. It seems Operation Break Point was not as successful as you hoped. Why did you continue when your attack on the base brought forward no rewards? Your attempt to capture the senator was also a failure. Your booby-trapped residence also yielded no results. I can’t see any superior officer settling for that, can you?”

  “We didn’t need to.” The major spat his answer at them, and Jonah restrained the smile. Needling the man clearly would yield more results than an intelligence line of questioning.

  “You’re career army. An officer but languishing at the rank of major. How many years?”

  “I didn’t sleep with a senator to achieve promotion.”

  A bubble of anger rose, but he buried it. Keep your cool. He’s getting frustrated—the red tide on his neck the most useful indicator.

  “No. You didn’t stand out. You’ve got bumps and numerous instances of being disciplined.”

  Before the major could do more than open his mouth to remonstrate, Jonah raised his hand to stop him. “Come on, Major. Do you think we wouldn’t realize that you, with your skills and contacts, wouldn’t find a way to get even? To be more than some low-level, desk-based jockey? You were born for greater things. To do and be more than these has-beens would allow you to be. Weren’t you, hm?”

  “I’m going to be a senior officer in the forces once you and your puny resources are crushed. Once Cassington realizes that I…”

  “Cassington, Lieutenant General?”

  Olante stopped, opened his mouth like a floundering fish, then seemed to shrink in his seat.

  “You’ve got no spine, Olante! I worked out pretty quickly that the best way to get you to spill what I needed to know was to needle you. That’s why you’ve been passed over. You’ve got a big mouth and bigger ego.” Jonah hunched over the desk, face tight. The man quivered before his fury. “Now you’re going to tell me who else.”

  The man turned purple and shook his head, and Jonah laughed.

  “We’ll find them all, clear out the nest. This is your only chance. Give us the names or face the full force of the court-martial process.”

  Olante’s eyes widened further, wheeling with terror.

  “Do you know what happens to traitors of the Republic? There is only one sentence, Olante. Death. It’s pretty damned final, and you don’t strike me as someone who’d handle a firing squad well. They chain them and—”

  “Ah, McDowell, do we need to…” Daniella intercepted just as he’d requested.

  “He could turn informer. Give us the rest of the names. Might get hard labor, but at least…”

  Olante shuddered in his chair. “Okay, fine! I have names, but I want to be sure—”

  “Names first, then we can agree.”

  “But they’ll kill me! If they get hold of me, I’m dead. Come on, McDowell, you know how it works.”

  The unpleasant whine and the ripeness of fear made Jonah want to edge away from the man. He had to finish the job because they had to cut the head off this hydra before it could rise again.

  “Names first. If the ones you give us ring true, I am authorized to offer you a deal.” He shrugged and settled back.

  “Get me paper and a pen. I’ll give you everything I have.”

  * * * *

  The day dawned bright and fine. Clarissa hovered at her shoulder, fluffing her hair one more time. “Last time we did this, you and Michael had a big celebrity wedding. Now Jonah and I. It was only weeks ago, but feels like a lifetime.”

  Clarissa stared over Daniella’s shoulder, capturing her gaze in the mirror.

  “You wanted all the pomp and circumstance?”

  Daniella considered her words. “Maybe twenty years ago, but now I know the important thing is Jonah and I will be married. You and Michael, even David and McNally, will be there. My parents will attend via vid link.”

  The door crashed open, and Kallee hurried in, stopping dead. “Oh damn, did I interrupt?”

  “No, Kallee. You’re just in time. Now we need to do your hair too.”

  “Mine?” The voice squeaked.

  “Yes. And you need to get into the dress.”

  Kallee let a shriek loose. “I’m going to be in the wedding?”

  “Yeah. Now we don’t have a huge amount of time, so get into the dress. Clarissa will do your hair. We’ve only got about thirty minutes. Hand me the box you’ve got.”

  Daniella knew that the box contained flowers. Her mother had arranged for them to be shipped over. She privately thought it a waste of resources, but the admiral, Jonah, and even Senna had encouraged her to see the PR value in the wedding.

  Once Kallee scrambled into the seafoam green gown and stood beside Clarissa, Daniella rose from her seat, smoothing down the cream pantsuit. They hadn’t had time to find a wedding gown, but she didn’t care. The suit was one she hadn’t worn before. Besides which, it fit her perfectly. Her only adornment was a small silver and enamel hair clip in her hair.

  Daniella opened the box, handed each of her bridesmaids a posey of tea roses, and took up the tea rose and chrysanthemum bouquet. The scent filled her senses.

  A knock at the door told her it was time.

  “Nervous?” Clarissa asked.

  “No. Excited more. Let’s get out of here.”

  The three women hurried from the room, followed the young aide to the idling vehicle, festooned with white crepe, and they climbed in. “Drive slowly! You don’t want to ruin the bride’s hair!” demanded Kallee.

  The journey was swift, bringing them to a small chapel near the center of the base. They alighted and formed up.

  “You’ve got no one to walk with,” mentioned Kallee.

  Daniella laughed. “No, but he’s waiting for me in there. I’m all good with that.” Then she hugged her friends.

  The music swelled, doors opened, and they moved forward with Daniella entering last. She didn’t look left or right. Her future waited at the altar.

  She took the first step to a life she never would have thought would be hers.

  Chapter 13

  The room was sparse—a table, several chairs, and the recording equipment—and Jonah rested back in his seat, the battered major opposite. The cuffs likely chafed and the seat had no padding.

  “So, we have recovered the rest of the team on the premises. Several are already singing, Major. We also found the maturational chambers and infants. My people were able to hack the systems, so we have invaluable information. But you’re not clever enough to organize and run such a plan.”

  The major blanched but remained silent as he had since being fastened to the heavy metal table.

  Daniella, the admiral, and even the subdued and chastened ex-general shifted in their chairs, but Jonah remained calm and quiet.

  “We also managed to hack into the system you were using. It seems Operation Break Point was not as successful as you hoped. Why did you continue when your attack on the base brought forward no rewards? Your attempt to capture the senator was also a failure. Your booby-trapped residence also yielded no results. I can’t see any superior officer settling for that, can you?”

  “We didn’t need to.” The major spat his answer at them, and Jonah restrained the smile. Needling the man clearly would yield more results than an intelligence line of questioning.

  “You’re career army. An officer but languishing at the rank of major. How many years?”

  “I didn’t sleep with a senator to achieve promotion.”

  A bubble of anger rose, but he buried it. Keep your cool. He’s getting frustrated—the red tide on his neck the most useful indicator.

  “No. You didn’t stand out. You’ve got bumps and numerous instances of being disciplined.”

  Before the major could do more than open his mouth to remonstrate, Jonah raised his hand to stop him. “Come on, Major. Do you think we wouldn’t realize that you, with your skills and contacts, wouldn’t find a way to get even? To be more than some low-level, desk-based jockey? You were born for greater things. To do and be more than these has-beens would allow you to be. Weren’t you, hm?”

  “I’m going to be a senior officer in the forces once you and your puny resources are crushed. Once Cassington realizes that I…”

  “Cassington, Lieutenant General?”

  Olante stopped, opened his mouth like a floundering fish, then seemed to shrink in his seat.

  “You’ve got no spine, Olante! I worked out pretty quickly that the best way to get you to spill what I needed to know was to needle you. That’s why you’ve been passed over. You’ve got a big mouth and bigger ego.” Jonah hunched over the desk, face tight. The man quivered before his fury. “Now you’re going to tell me who else.”

  The man turned purple and shook his head, and Jonah laughed.

  “We’ll find them all, clear out the nest. This is your only chance. Give us the names or face the full force of the court-martial process.”

  Olante’s eyes widened further, wheeling with terror.

  “Do you know what happens to traitors of the Republic? There is only one sentence, Olante. Death. It’s pretty damned final, and you don’t strike me as someone who’d handle a firing squad well. They chain them and—”

  “Ah, McDowell, do we need to…” Daniella intercepted just as he’d requested.

  “He could turn informer. Give us the rest of the names. Might get hard labor, but at least…”

  Olante shuddered in his chair. “Okay, fine! I have names, but I want to be sure—”

  “Names first, then we can agree.”

  “But they’ll kill me! If they get hold of me, I’m dead. Come on, McDowell, you know how it works.”

  The unpleasant whine and the ripeness of fear made Jonah want to edge away from the man. He had to finish the job because they had to cut the head off this hydra before it could rise again.

  “Names first. If the ones you give us ring true, I am authorized to offer you a deal.” He shrugged and settled back.

  “Get me paper and a pen. I’ll give you everything I have.”

  * * * *

  The day dawned bright and fine. Clarissa hovered at her shoulder, fluffing her hair one more time. “Last time we did this, you and Michael had a big celebrity wedding. Now Jonah and I. It was only weeks ago, but feels like a lifetime.”

  Clarissa stared over Daniella’s shoulder, capturing her gaze in the mirror.

  “You wanted all the pomp and circumstance?”

  Daniella considered her words. “Maybe twenty years ago, but now I know the important thing is Jonah and I will be married. You and Michael, even David and McNally, will be there. My parents will attend via vid link.”

  The door crashed open, and Kallee hurried in, stopping dead. “Oh damn, did I interrupt?”

  “No, Kallee. You’re just in time. Now we need to do your hair too.”

  “Mine?” The voice squeaked.

  “Yes. And you need to get into the dress.”

  Kallee let a shriek loose. “I’m going to be in the wedding?”

  “Yeah. Now we don’t have a huge amount of time, so get into the dress. Clarissa will do your hair. We’ve only got about thirty minutes. Hand me the box you’ve got.”

  Daniella knew that the box contained flowers. Her mother had arranged for them to be shipped over. She privately thought it a waste of resources, but the admiral, Jonah, and even Senna had encouraged her to see the PR value in the wedding.

  Once Kallee scrambled into the seafoam green gown and stood beside Clarissa, Daniella rose from her seat, smoothing down the cream pantsuit. They hadn’t had time to find a wedding gown, but she didn’t care. The suit was one she hadn’t worn before. Besides which, it fit her perfectly. Her only adornment was a small silver and enamel hair clip in her hair.

  Daniella opened the box, handed each of her bridesmaids a posey of tea roses, and took up the tea rose and chrysanthemum bouquet. The scent filled her senses.

  A knock at the door told her it was time.

  “Nervous?” Clarissa asked.

  “No. Excited more. Let’s get out of here.”

  The three women hurried from the room, followed the young aide to the idling vehicle, festooned with white crepe, and they climbed in. “Drive slowly! You don’t want to ruin the bride’s hair!” demanded Kallee.

  The journey was swift, bringing them to a small chapel near the center of the base. They alighted and formed up.

  “You’ve got no one to walk with,” mentioned Kallee.

  Daniella laughed. “No, but he’s waiting for me in there. I’m all good with that.” Then she hugged her friends.

  The music swelled, doors opened, and they moved forward with Daniella entering last. She didn’t look left or right. Her future waited at the altar.

  She took the first step to a life she never would have thought would be hers.

  Chapter 14

  “Senator, I have President Yin on the line.”

  Daniella raised her head and smiled at Kallee, but the look of sheer panic on her PA’s face stole any well-being she might be holding close. “What’s happened?”

  Kallee shook her head and handed over the handset that she used for emergency communications with the president.

  “Sir?”

  “Senator Villede, Delspar has just moved against the government. He’s raised an emergency sitting to overthrow us, and he’s stacked the house. None of our people are in attendance. No one saw this coming, Daniella. Why didn’t we know this was in the cards?” His voice carried the defeat that suddenly crashed down on her.

  Her stomach congealed like day-old cooking fat, and the pallor on Kallee’s face was no doubt mirrored on her own. “Sir, are you secure?” Her mind whirred, and she reached for her communicator. Jonah. He’d know what to do in the circumstances.

  “My people are already attending to my evacuation. They’re destroying all the documentation regarding your team and mission, but you need to alert your team members. Make sure they’re secure and those they’re holding too.”

  Frost settled in her chest as she calculated what could be abandoned, how she could lock resources down, and where to send them. Her hands flew over the keyboard, as if independent of conscious thought on her part.

  Yin was overwhelmingly popular with the citizens, but Delspar had the numbers in the chamber right now. Might versus people never ended in anything other than anarchy.

  “I’ve enacted the Core Principle, Daniella. It’s all I can do.”

  She gulped at his words. The Core Principle allowed every man and woman to take all precautions in the event of the destruction of civilization. It also allowed members of the corps to disband to protect their own. Michael, Franklin, and Jonah had contacts. They’d need them in the days ahead.

  “What about the hardware? Guns and so on?” It required a lot of effort to force the words out.

  “Under the Core Principle, whoever has access takes what they need for protection, but the military are with us. Daniella, with an armed populace, the situation is fraught at best.”

  “I understand. I’ll communicate those orders to my team, sir.” It didn’t seem anywhere near enough, but she whispered, “Thank you for alerting me. God speed, and may we meet again.”

  “And you, senator.”

  The line clicked off. Daniella sat there, hazed with a terror of the future they were about to live through. At sea and without a rudder, she shook as the reality crashed down.

  “Kallee, turn on the viewer. I need to see exactly who’s involved.”

  Daniella tapped the button on her communicator and waited for Jonah, except his number didn’t answer. She left a message for him to ring her as Delspar’s voice echoed through the chamber.

  “Yin, for all his popularity, hasn’t done anything to curb the excesses of a government off the rails. We still have homelessness, vice, and health concerns. Those who have come from privileged backgrounds continue to amass fortunes and look to their own needs, ignoring those who have lost everything. We can no longer afford to wait for change. We must be the change ourselves. Today, my team and I propose to remove the legislative constraints that shackle the government. We will take control and bring order and peace.”

  Wild cheers erupted as tears dribbled down Daniella’s face, watching a madman dismantle the very essence of their civilization. She swiped the tears away as her gaze remained glued to the scene unfolding before her.

  “Today is the first day of the future of our world. Today, the 21st Testing Protocol is to be enacted immediately as the first order of this house. This is the time for action and firm leadership. This is my first edict as Prime Senator. Long live our republic!”