“What were you thinking?!” Virginia almost screamed at Hiroshi. “He knew was sure to figure it out that you were probing him for information.

She and Anton had kept quiet until Helix had left. But that did not change the fact, Dr Saiko had risked all their lives to satisfy his curiosity.

“And what would have he done if he was a psionic? You just heard the girl telling him their kind is to be sent to a prison world.” Dr Kruger shouted at the physician in turn.

“I did it, because that man, has no choice but to earn our trust and loyalty.” Hiroshi did not raise his voice and remained calm. “He is a solder operating behind enemy lines, alone and without support. I understand how he thinks.”

Are you mad! Why do you think that? He is from the Holy Terran Empire, his way of thinking could be as alien to us as the Xith are!” Virginia could not believe what she was hearing.

“I do because I used to serve in the army. I’ve been on several classified operations.” The physician stood a bit taller as he spoke. “The times and names might have changed, but the way soldiers think has not.”

“That is very optimistic of you…” Anton scoffed.

“The man Helix shared more than you two might have caught on.” It was Hiroshi’s turn to scoff. “For one, he knew how to identify a latent psionic, which means he has done so before and has hunted their kind. In addition, he confirmed he was a medic of a kind, just not a field-medic.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Virginia could not help herself, she had to know.

“He did not say I was wrong, merely incorrect. Indicating my assumption was on the right path.”

“Your theoretical and analytical thinking is very interesting Doctor of medicine Saiko. User Helix, is a guarded and valued individual, even if he is not one of the faithful.” Virginia heard the AI’s voice in her feed.

One look at Anton was enough to confirm he had also heard it. This was something meant for only the three of them to hear. In truth, she was horrified that she had forgotten about their watcher. One misplaced word and it could spell their end.

“The same goes for all three of you. You are worthy to be considered ordained scientist. And I happen to be in need of humans such as yourselves.” The AI sounded oddly guarded in its words.

“One of my primary functions is to safeguard the research conducted in this station. Another is to see this research concluded.” It paused for a moment to imitate a natural speech. “User Helix cannot assist me too much in this. You three on the other hand can.”

“Wait. Don’t you need approval from Helix before you share any secrets with us?” She was confused at the turn the conversation had taken.

“That is incorrect. User Helix has a different blessed tasked bestowed upon him.” Virginia could feel a hint of mischief in the machine’s voice.

“Please exit the room and follow the path I instruct you to. All will be revealed once you reach enlightenment.”

The door leading out of the room opened, beckoning her to exit. She gave a quizzical look at both men beside her. Virginia could not fault them for being cautious. She would have loved to be the same, but her need to find out more was greater. She took a deep breath and made the first step into what was going to become her new life.

Donovan fumed as he walked behind the Knight Protector. He was forced into a corner by this Helix person and he had to all but concede control to him. How or from where he had installed turrets inside the HQ was a mystery for another time. And that condescending smile the maniac had on his face, was now engraved in his memory. Donovan would find a way to wipe it out. The Chief had hoped that killing the last few people who knew how deep his illegal dealing went, was a good idea. But now, he was not so sure, not when that creep was involved.

And that little bitch Zoë! She had him fooled from the very start. She had to be the one who had smuggled him inside the complex and conspired with Virginia to engineer this situation. Which could only mean that they knew the Council’s dog was coming. But why all the theatre then? It made no sense. As much as Donovan tried to piece together a working theory, he found himself circling the same outcome that had to be wrong.

For now, he would play along. He still had several people he could trust, after all, he had faked their credentials to get them on the security team. Yes, that was a good start. The Chief would inform his depleted force to fake knowledge of Helix. He would then call the favours Gültan owned him and get rid of the young shit that thought he could wrestle control so easily. But Donovan had to be careful. Wait for the Innari to depart… He was forgetting about the Commodore. How much could he trust Alexei?

“Miss von Eisstahl.” His words forced the woman to stop her at the junction. “This corridor will lead you to the docking bay. With your permission, I am going to have a word with Commodore Neverok.”

“Very well.” Alexandra’s voice was not angry for the first time and that worried him. “Please inform him that further outbursts will not be tolerated.”

Keeping his mouth shut and saluting, Donovan turned the junction and made his way to the brig. Knowing his men, they would not be in a hurry to let out the old pain-in-the-ass. The Chief welcomed the silence as the hour past as he made his way through the long poor-lit corridors. That was all Last Hope boiled to - empty hallways beneath vast processing facilities. He had read the schematics Felix had pulled a few months ago. The complex was a giant factory that could make everything; from handheld weapons to habitation units and even vessel parts. That had explained why there were so many docking stations, hangers and rooms they had not explored.

However, the part around the HQ was strangely absent. That was why the eggheads had focused their efforts there. Perhaps this was the reason for the betrayal? Something much more valuable and important was there, Donovan was sure of it, the more he thought about it. He was nearing the improvised jail when the messages popped on his lens implant in rapid succession.

It was too fast; the damned maniac had killed them way too fast. Donovan had expected they would not stand a chance, but this was absurd. The Chief checked the time stamp, those five should have been loading the gold ore and some misplaced gems into the small shuttle with which to meet the smugglers on the other side of the planet. There was no way someone could have ambushed them in the wide-open space of the docking bay. Whoever this man Helix was, he was not just some hired thug, he had to be special-ops.

“That bitch!” Donovan cursed loudly. “She had known there was no Helix on my team! She must have read the files! And that damned story about promotion, the bloody woman bought it without a second thought! They played me!”

He toyed with the idea of going back and putting a bullet through the Knight Protector’s head, damned be the consequences. The Chief had wrapped his hand around the butt of his pistol when a hard voice froze in him in place.

“You’ve been keeping secrets from me, Donovan.” Alexei emerged from the shadows up ahead as if he were an apparition instead of a man.

“How? What are you doing here?” He knew that it would be easy and convenient for the Commodore to misinterpret the situation.

“Your cronies are not brave people, Donovan.” Neverok’s eyes fell on the gun in his arm. “They thought they could keep me locked up when a single threat was enough to convince them of the opposite. Now, why don’t you start explaining or use the gun.”

For a moment he evaluated his chances of shooting the old man. Alexei might be nearing ninety-five, but thanks to the extensive cybernetic augmentation he hid beneath his uniform, he still had the reflexes and marksmanship to put them at abysmal. As much as he hated it, Donovan was short on alleys and the Commodore could be a powerful one.

“Our problem from last night has a name – Helix. He has taken control of Security HQ.” He let go of the pistol and sighed. “Second officer Kurtz, Dr Werner and potentially Communications Operator King have turned traitor.”

“What do you base that on?” Two calculating eyes fixed him.

“Better show you.” Donovan shook his head and sent a connection request.

Once he had that established, he sent the video feed recording he had received from Helix, as well as the messages that had been sent to him. After giving the old man some time to analyse the information, The Chief outlined his current working theory. A few minutes of silence followed before Alexei walked next to him and spoke in a quiet foreboding voice.

“It looks like, those messages were meant to scare me. There is no unit within the UR that has Demon as a call sign. But there is an old legend in my family. Once long ago, my ancestors made a deal with such creatures to secure power and influence. I’ll not bore you with the details, but my ancestors did not keep their end of the bargain. In return, the Demons vowed to one day come and claim what was theirs.”

The Commodore looked Donovan in the eyes. “There is value to your theory and I am sure that the Knight Protector is in the bottom of all of this.”

Alexandra replayed the video feed recording; Helix had sent her. It was superb, the efficiency of his movement, his quick thinking, they made her heart bit faster. Deep down she understood, she was happy because the young man was both competent and cut out for the job. He would make a perfect Chief under her. The hint of a smile did not drop from her face as she descended the ramp of the ferry.

“Markus.” She connected to the feed of her mechanic. “Have the lower techs find me the file on security guard Helix.”

“Consider it done Mistress. It shouldn’t be that hard with a name like that.” The response was broken and patchy as if something was interfering with the connection.

But knowing the state of the complex, Alexandra was not surprised. In reality, she was amazed that such a man had found himself on Last Hope. To think he would show her such trust to send her evidence of his crime. It would be easy to keep him in check with this. Though she wondered how good Helix was. Quickly she made her mind to invite him to a training session, just to evaluate him, nothing else, she reassured herself.

Right now, she had to focus and keep her anger in check. She nodded to the Innari trooper who opened the door to the room which served as the cell for Oliver Tharks. Alexandra could see the husk of a man lying on the bed. The spot where his arm was sliced off was wrapped in green snit-septic hardening gel. The compound would keep the wound open and sterile until a prosthetic could be installed. Although, she doubted that he would live long enough for that to occur.

“Have you come to gloat?” She could taste the bile in those words.

“Mr Tharks, I consider you a stain on the UR’s reputation. However, I have come to request the access codes to the safe’s inside your office and quarters.” Alexandra felt dirty by talking to this human waste.

“Never going to happen, little girl.” It was as much as she had expected.

“In that case, I will just add another charge on your list of crimes…”

“Ha!” The man half coughed and half laughed. “Do you honestly think I will enter a courtroom? For a hero of the Republics, you are quite naive.” His wrinkled face formed a smile.

“The law…” He interrupted her words.

“The law is for the idiots that worship you! It is not for the likes of me.” Oliver sat on the edge of the bed and bore his gaze into her. “The Council sent you here to teach you your place.”

“I am here to try and repair the damage you have caused.” Alexandra could feel her anger screaming for release. “For decades you’ve stolen from the United Republics and now the time has come to face the consequences.”

“And how good will that be! I will be sent to a nice resort world to live for the rest of my days. But remember this.” He lifted his ruined arm. “I will have my revenge for what you have done to me.”

“You think threatening me is a good idea?” She raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the man. “I can execute you right here and now.”

“No, my dear Miss von Eisstahl, you cannot. Because you believe the system works.” He had struck a nerve and new you.

All Alexandra could do was take a deep breath and try to calm herself. She did have the power to execute him, but not when he was kept inside a cell. That would go against the Knight Protector’s code.

“Now, why don’t you stop with all this pointless crap and tell me why you are here.” His presence infuriated her.

“Why did you do it? It can’t have been the money. So, why?”

It was the one thing that bugged her. Oliver Tharks had enough credits to last him for sever lifetimes spent in luxury. To steal so much from the earnings of the complex was to place all that at risk of losing it.

“Look at you Knight Protector.” He spat the title as if were an insult. “You are a child that thinks it can be equal to the grownups. You will find out soon enough why this place was abandoned. But by the time you do, I will be back to take it back.”

With that, the man returned to his bed and turned his back to her. Before Alexandra lost control, she stormed out of the room. Major Khalid was waiting for her in the narrow hallway of the ferry. The Innari leader saluted crisply before addressing her.

“Mistress von Eisstahl, we are ready to depart. If you so desire, I could leave a squad with you.”

“That will not be necessary. I have the place under control. Thank you for your service. I will send you periodical reports for the next eight weeks. Should anything require it I’ll have you recalled.” That was just her being polite.

They both knew, there was no returning the ship. The Innari had new orders waiting for them straight from the Academy command. Unless the Council proclaimed a state of emergency, Alexandra could do nothing to influence them. There was nothing else to say, so she left for her new home. For the first time in a long while, she felt alone and vulnerable.

“Operator King, I want some techs to come and unlock every drawer and safe in the office and quarters of former Overseer Tharks.” Alexandra had to think of something else, she had to keep herself busy with task less she went insane.

“Yes, Mistress!” She could imagine that huge man jumping from his seat at her command over the feed.

“And Mr King, they need to be discrete. Also, I would require a data analyst and forensic cryptologist.”

“Uhm… Mistress…” There was the hesitation again which informed her a new headache was coming. “None of the official techs can do that… I, and please excuse me for saying this, suggest using outside providers.”

“What do you mean operator King?” Alexandra hissed.

“Well… You see, Mistress… It’s just like the deal you made with Helix…” She snapped her head as if she had touched an exposed cable.

That was a very odd way to address one of his fellow guards. And why did he use that man as an example of using outside help? She felt this comment trigger something in her mind, something she had overlooked, but she could not pin it. But it could have been her nerves playing tricks on her. After all, she was not established as the overall commander of the security force on Last Hope. Yes, this had to be the reason, but the nagging feeling she was missing something was not going away.

“I am listening.” She was, more than he might think because every word could be important.

“I would suggest contacting the Polack brothers in town. Though you might want to promise them some pardon first… I mean that is if you are inclined to do so, Mistress.” There was a short pause. “Also, Helix has confirmed that it would be best to have two of Dr Kruger’s team come for the more complex second task you want done.”

Here it was again. Everything that was happening needed to get the green light from the young guard. Alexandra was sure of it; he was the one running the security staff. Meaning he had all but replaced the Chief. Or was it something else? Helix had been the one to deal with the two traitors, just seconds after Oliver had issued his call for help. Additionally, the operator had been scared of the Commodore just hours before that.

She recalled; the young man was the only one talking in the security HQ. Everyone else simply agreed with him. Even Chief Rex took suggestions from him and then there was the video feed recording he had sent her. Three kills with slugs and one with plasma round and one wounded with the same. The coin dropped. The guards did not have access to plasma weapons on the complex.

“Operator King, inform guard Helix I want to meet him alone in training simulator 1B.” She said after pulling the Last Hope’s schematics to her lens.

She did not wait for the confirmation and switch to her feed with Markus.

“I want the file Helix, now!” Alexandra roared, her voice echoing through the empty corridor.

“Mistress, I can ask the local techs to get it. That would speed up…”

“No!” She cut the mechanic off. “Hack the system, I do not want anyone knowing I am looking for it.”

“I understand, Mistress. But it will take some time…” Markus’s worried voice fuelled her sense of urgency.

“How long?”

“An hour at most.”

“The do it.” Alexandra cut off the feed and began the long walk to training simulator 1B.

This place was a bigger mess then she could have expected. There were too many secrets and too many people held unaccountable. It was the fault of the Council for side-lining an important facility and allowing a corrupt Overseer to stay in power for so long. This was about to end. Alexandra vowed to herself that soon, she will know everything.