Inspector Nic ra Ptocto of Police Intelligence was worried. All he had learned pointed to a growing cluster of problems. It had been three local months since he had met with Rentap Dressiler and the beginning of his partnership with Sessi Dark gen Wattar of the Secret Police. Three long months. While this had given them both an insight into each other’s world, it did not give him ease. He did not like the implications of what he had learned since then. He turned and looked into the level eyes of the Grey.

“So you agree,” the Grey spoke without a smile.

“Yes, I do.”

“And?”

“And you would seem to have grasped the core of our problems.”

“Indeed.” The Grey smiled.

The Inspector sighed. There was no choice. He had to say it even though he didn’t want to, but it was only fair as Dark gen Wattar had seen it all coming much earlier. “We are going to see an escalation of problems and soon. There will likely be attacks on companies and individuals associated with the Empire, along with demonstrations at government offices. These will escalate and culminate in attacks directly on the Empire.”

He paused and looked at the Secret Policeman.

“Now what do we do about it?” Ptocto finished.

“We call our patron.”

“Councillor Trem De Markus?”

“The same.”

“And tell him what? We have nothing to say to him that he doesn’t already know! We need proof!” Nic ra Ptocto leaned back into his comfortable chair, Inspectors have a certain amount of pull. “We need to get a solid hook into these agitators, but how?” He looked at the grey. “You secret police are the subtle ones. Any ideas?”

The Grey glanced back. “Let me work on that.” Came with a smile. The kind of smile that whispered of secrets, then disappeared. “I do have an idea or two.” He stood up, “I will be back in touch in a few days. Don’t try to contact me. I will contact you. Keep working the newspaper people. The question of water usage is going to come up soon, so watch who breaks the story. That will give you a lead.”

The Inspector sat back with a frown. He realised that the secret police were privy to inside information that he wasn’t. He also knew that water was a delicate subject for their as well as any number of other planets as resources were limited.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

The Grey didn’t smile. “I tell you everything that I can.” He turned and moved to the door of their office.

“Watch your back.” From Ptocto sent Dark gen Wattar out the door.

“I always do.” Floated back the reply.

*********

Nic ra Ptocto stood up and gathered all the papers on his desk. He habitually used hard copies for organising his files. Precisely sorting them into proper order, he filed them into the proper slots into his high-security cabinet. Copies of most of these were already in data form in his comm unit, but there were also other items of a highly confidential nature that he did not want to share with anyone until the right time.

His confidential assistant came into the room. “Sir,” the junior officer said half-jokingly, “you are too well paid for a filing clerk!”

The Inspector fixed his assistant with a withering eye. “Is that the proper form of address with your superior? Any more like that and you will find yourself chasing members of the underclass through the sewers!”

Detective Jan ot Reppa was unfazed. A dapper and well-dressed man of medium size, he had heard many such threats before. Usually they indicated the level of stress his superior was feeling. The more threats, the less stress. He was sure that the news he carried was not going to make the inspector happy. Young for the position he held, he was still somewhat unsure of himself.

As his assistant tarried, the Inspector watched him obliquely. The detective was stepping backwards and forwards, from side to side. He sighed inwardly. The signs were obvious.

“Out with it,” Inspector Ptocto ordered.

“There has been an attack. Some visitors to the planet have been injured.”

“Where and when?”

“A day ago, in the south east. The city of Welette. They were visiting the local university and some students started verbally harassing them and there was violence when the visitor spoke up. The local police have some of the students in custody. One of the visitors is in hospital. Nothing serious I believe.” Detective Jan ot Reppa paused. “That is all the information I have at this time. I will have full details when the local office forwards them to me.”

“Get onto the local office. I want to know if the Empire, the Legion or any form of off planet government is involved through these visitors. That is of the utmost importance.”

Jan ot Reppa nodded and turned to go. Nic ra Ptocto stopped him and said, “This is important. I have been dreading this for some time. Hopefully we can contain it, but we need to step on it right now.”

Confused at the reaction of his superior Jan turned and looked with a questioning gaze. The inspector stopped questions with an upturned hand. “Get the information and come back.”

It took longer than Nic expected for his assistant to get the information requested. The morning had passed before Detective Jan ot Reppa returned.

“Give me the bad news.”

“Not too bad. Actually not bad at all,” Jan ot Reppa responded. “There were three visitors, all male and all professors of medicine at a private university on Reptra VI in the twelfth sector. There is no direct connection with either the Legion or any planetary or sector government or the Empire.”

“So what happened?”

“The three men were staying at the visitor’s residence on the grounds. They were walking back from meeting with the heads of the medicine course, with one of the local professors; when a student yelled at them to go back where they came from. That is not of course exactly what he said. There was profanity involved.”

“Wait, visitor’s residence, especially for off planet visitors, are always separately located. What was a student doing there?”

“That question came up in my discussion with the Welette office. The student refuses to answer any questions and his replier agrees that he doesn’t have to!”

“What idiocy is this?” The inspector stared at his assistant. Then a feeling of sudden dread came over him. “Who is his replier?”

The detective took a deep breath. “You are not going to like this. It is Wiski Lewes, the writer for one of the news outlets.” With trepidation, he waited for the outburst.

Inspector Nic ra Ptocto stared at his assistant. Then, to Reppa’s surprise, he smiled. “That is very interesting, and a development we can use to our advantage. Go on.”

Puzzled, Detective Jan ot Reppa continued. “There were several other students nearby. No one thinks that this was a coincidence. The local investigators believe that this whole affair was set up in advance and that the visitors played into their hands by engaging with the students in a debate.”

“What happened?” Inspector Nic ra Ptocto probed.

“The debate escalated and the student attacked the visitors. Two other students got involved in the fight while two more were there encouraging them, but not involved in the fighting.”

“So what are the charges?”

“Assault with violence by the first student and generalised assault by the others.” He considered his notes. “The local police are looking still investigating and considering future charges of conspiracy, which will bring heavier penalties. They are all looking at a whipping at least.”

“And a good one I hope.” Nic ra Ptocto paused. “How did this writer become involved?”

“That has yet to be determined. He was already in Welette, ‘on business’ he says, and refuses to answer any more questions.” Detective Reppa looked up from his notes. “It seems that the local police are somewhat intimidated by Lewes, and are dealing with him carefully.”

Nic ra Ptocto grunted. Welette was a small and obscure city far away from the capital. The south east area was considered a backward area with few industries besides the university, and the local police were unused to dealing with incidents of this nature. Not of a high calibre, in the inspectors opinion.

He considered his options for a moment, wishing that Sessi Dark gen Wattar was still here and had not gone to ground. Well, he could only do what he could. “We will take over the investigation at once. Get Deputy Inspector Evit ra Docci in here, I will brief him on what the situation is. I also want you to go with the team he takes and you will keep me informed of all developments. Go and do a good job or you will stay there!!” The last came with a smile which relieved Detective Jan ot Reppa.

“On my way sir!”

*********

Deputy Inspector Docci, a lean man who usually wore a woebegone expression which belayed his excellent arrest and conviction record, was surprised to learn of his and his team’s new assignment and the protest was vocal. “Am I being punished sir?” He demanded. “Has my work been below standard for you?”

“Not at all. This is our first break in what has been an ongoing investigation for more than a year.” At that Docci started and stared at the inspector.

Nic ra Ptocto didn’t smile, although he wanted to. “I was assigned to work with the Council of Ministers more than a year ago. There are national security questions involved and I report to one Minister who has been given oversight on me. Questions of planetary safety, all intertwined with the Empire. You have seen the news ‘reports’. Someone is trying to stir up our planet into a frenzy, and I am sure that you have read about what happens when the people become crazy like that. We have the job of stopping it and no one wants the military involved, including the military. That is why I had you transferred here. You have your team ready?”

Docci nodded. He was flabbergasted at the revelation of what his boss had been actually working on. It answered some questions in Docci’s mind. While he wanted to know more, common sense kept him from asking.

“Good, now go and get that writer. I want to put him in detention for a long time.”

“Do you really think that will stop the rest?” Docci commented as he rose.

“No, I have dealt with them before. They are all too self-centred and arrogant for that. They never think that they will be caught and some actually believe that they are above the law and can’t be touched.” Nic ra Ptocto sat back and rubbed his face then smiled. “It is our job to show them just how wrong they are! Now go and start teaching them!”

Docci headed to the door after giving a nod of acknowledgement. He now understood the real issues and had read of riots and campaigns of extermination by various governments and other leaders who preached hatred. Oceans of blood had been spilt on this world and it seemed that someone wanted to spill oceans more. Even though, like many of his fellow citizens, he had no love for outworlders, he was intelligent enough to not want anything like that to happen again. He was ready, as his boss said, to teach them.