{"id":369,"date":"2013-05-27T21:45:48","date_gmt":"2013-05-28T01:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=369"},"modified":"2013-05-27T21:45:48","modified_gmt":"2013-05-28T01:45:48","slug":"twenty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=369","title":{"rendered":"Twenty"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

We are sadly bereft of a dearth of fine inspectors these days\u2014men and women like Sephora Damerian and Frederick Rose are a dying breed\u2014or an extinct one.<\/h3>\n

— Prime Minister Ariel Monsato, c. 5240<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

We are sadly bereft of a dearth of fine inspectors these days\u2014men and women like Sephora Damerian and Frederick Rose are a dying breed\u2014or an extinct one.<\/p>\n

— Prime Minister Ariel Monsato, c. 5240<\/p>\n

14 Decem, 5249 PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHalo Ridge is the estate of the Grace family,\u201d Rachel said as she opened the skimmer door for the inspector.\u00a0 He slid into the front seat next to Brendan.\u00a0 She noted the quiet, measuring look that her nephew gave the other man.\u00a0 There was no judgment in Brendan\u2019s gaze, as if he was still deciding what to make of the man that the Commonwealth had sent to investigate what happened at the Whispers.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ve been here since the founding of the Colony, built everything they\u2019ve had here.\u00a0 The family, as I understand it, was originally from New Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t know,\u201d the inspector said honestly as he settled into his seat.\u00a0 Rachel climbed into the back, allowing herself a brief smile before the inspector turned to face her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose you wouldn\u2019t,\u201d Rachel agreed, then reached forward and patted Brendan\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get going.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather not keep the Marshals waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brendan glanced sidelong at the inspector and gave him a bare, almost feral smile.\u00a0 \u201cHang on to your hat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then the pilot gunned the engine and they took off, all three pressed back in their seats by the force of the acceleration.\u00a0 The inspector threw a look back toward Rachel, who smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommander Cho is one of our top pilots,\u201d Rachel told him.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s heavily involved in the training of all of our new pilots coming into our flight program.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also the materiel<\/i> that Chinasia Corp is demanding back\u2014me and America Farragut,\u201d Brendan said, eyes never deviating from the road ahead, though his shoulders stiffened.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a refugee?\u201d the inspector asked, tearing his gaze from Rachel and turning it on Brendan.<\/p>\n

The pilot nodded slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI landed here as part of a failed invasion.\u00a0 I was the only survivor and they allowed me to stay.\u201d\u00a0 A muscle twitched in his jaw.\u00a0 \u201cI married Speaker Farragut\u2019s niece a few years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I see.\u201d\u00a0 The inspector sat back in his seat, glancing back over his shoulder at Rachel again before he looked toward Brendan.\u00a0 \u201cAre you worried that I\u2019ll throw you into my duffle and cart you back to New Earth space?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be doing it with my corpse,\u201d Brendan said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not going back there again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s going to make you go back there,\u201d Rachel said firmly.\u00a0 And if someone tries, they\u2019re going to find out how unpleasant attempting something like that can be.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cAre they, Inspector Winston?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen anything yet that would make me believe that you\u2019re here by anything other than your own free will,\u201d the inspector said carefully.\u00a0 \u201cAnd last time I checked, Commonwealth law didn\u2019t count people as materiel anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s good to know,\u201d Brendan said quietly.<\/p>\n

The inspector swallowed visibly and turned toward Rachel again.\u00a0 \u201cYou were going to explain what you being Speaker meant\u2014why that was important, beyond the fact that you\u2019re now in charge of the day-to-day leadership of the Rose Foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel smiled, pleasantly surprised that the young man seemed to gather at least that much.\u00a0 \u201cIt means that the Foundation is finally coming full-circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inspector\u2019s brows knit and he frowned.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t\u2014wait.\u00a0 Farragut.\u00a0 Like\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly like,\u201d Rachel said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSarah Farragut and Ryland LeSarte,\u201d the inspector said softly, eyes widening slightly. \u201cYou\u2019re from\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Rachel said.\u00a0 \u201cThough that wasn\u2019t entirely a secret back in the days when my parents were working for the Psychean Guard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Guard expatriates are now running the Foundation,\u201d the inspector said quietly, leaning back in his seat and watching the trees as they whipped past them on the road.\u00a0 \u201cThat is an\u2026interesting development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel was quiet for a\u00a0 moment, then she said softly, \u201cI know what you\u2019re thinking.\u00a0 The Guard aren\u2019t a bunch of pacifists like the Foundation is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thinking as much,\u201d the young inspector admitted, \u201cbut not for the reasons you may assume.\u00a0 I know what you\u2019re being accused of and I don\u2019t lend it a lot of weight.\u00a0 However, knowing that a former member of the Guard is running the show here now does mean that when the time comes, this star system will be more than capable of defending itself against all comers.\u201d<\/p>\n

We can only hope to be so lucky.<\/i>\u00a0 Rachel smothered a frown.\u00a0 Halo Ridge would be coming up soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had nothing to do with the Whispers,\u201d she said slowly, \u201cbut we do have footage of what happened there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inspector twisted toward her, eyes wide.\u00a0 \u201cYou do?\u201d\u00a0 He tamped down his excited curiosity a moment later as suspicion seemed to set in.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAccident,\u201d Rachel said.\u00a0 \u201cChinasia and the Compact are both screaming about things being stolen, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAbsolutely.\u00a0 They\u2019re trying for sanctions and worse against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they try it, they\u2019re in for quite the surprise.\u00a0 We stole Grant Channing and America Farragut back from them\u2014they\u2019ve been prisoners of war since the pacification of Mimir.\u201d\u00a0 Rachel\u2019s jaw tightened.\u00a0 \u201cCommander Cho and another one of our assets, Colonel Chase, were on their way back here when the Whispers was hit.\u00a0 They caught the tail end of whatever happened in the system and have the video logs to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inspector as silent for a few long moments before he said, \u201cAnd you\u2019re offering to share them with me.\u00a0 For what price?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust objectivity,\u201d Rachel said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cNothing less and nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cObjectivity,\u201d the man echoed.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u00a0 I think I can give you that.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThis,\u201d Daci said for at least the tenth time, \u201cis a terrible idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, settle down,\u201d Frederick said, squeezing her shoulder for at least the thirtieth time since they\u2019d arrived at Halo Ridge.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s my life at stake, not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think that you dying wouldn\u2019t have an effect on me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Federick sighed softly and rested his forehead against hers, sliding both arms around her waist as they stood face-to-face, his face tilted down and hers tilted up.\u00a0 \u201cMy survival can\u2019t stay a secret forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho says?\u201d\u00a0 Daci whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do, for one,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIf I can make a difference right now, Daci, I\u2019m going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The colony needs me\u2014the Foundation needs me.\u00a0 It\u2019s time I get back to doing the job that I should have been doing when I came here.<\/i><\/p>\n

It was only a matter of time before Rachel asked him.\u00a0 He needed to be ready for that day to come, because it was coming soon.\u00a0 Daci needed to be ready for that day to come.<\/p>\n

Start with the baby steps and we\u2019ll go from there.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too big of a risk,\u201d Daci whispered, reaching up to hold his face between her palms.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t lose you, Freder.\u00a0 I can\u2019t do it.\u00a0 Almost losing you was bad enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019re not going to lose him today, tomorrow, or any other day I\u2019m on watch,\u201d Adam said, his entry breaking in on the tender moment.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re coming up the last stretch.\u00a0 Are you two done arguing about this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Daci glared at him.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no arguing about this. \u00a0All of you made up your minds without consulting me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick kissed her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cIt wasn\u2019t your decision to make,\u201d he murmured softly.<\/p>\n

Then he took her by the hand and led her toward the front door.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d he whispered in her ear.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s see who Sephora found to replace me in the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t stop the smile.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no replacing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 But she\u2019d have to try.\u00a0 Part of why they gave her the job.\u201d\u00a0 I almost wish they hadn\u2019t.\u00a0 I wish she was here with us, where she\u2019d be safe.<\/i><\/p>\n

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If things get too hot, she\u2019ll run, won\u2019t she?<\/i><\/p>\n

No.\u00a0 It\u2019s not in her.<\/i><\/p>\n

He closed his eyes briefly.\u00a0 Daci squeezed his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t make other people\u2019s choices for them,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 I just wish I could sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile turned wry. \u201cDon\u2019t I know that <\/i>feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

She elbowed him gently, then leaned against his side.\u00a0 Together, they waited for the latest of the best and brightest of the Inspector General\u2019s office to arrive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are sadly bereft of a dearth of fine inspectors these days\u2014men and women like Sephora Damerian and Frederick Rose are a dying breed\u2014or an extinct one. — Prime Minister Ariel Monsato, c. 5240   We are sadly bereft of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-two-ashes-to-ashes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s25yjF-twenty","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=369"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":371,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369\/revisions\/371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}