Kela was captivated by the Transverse Mountain Range as she flew over its snowy peaks, north to the Rintar District, where the city of Ethela and transplanted New Ethela were.
She had learned that shortly after the massive shake up of the ACDF caused by the destruction of Tiat Si, the base that had been on Amiris and left because of political differences had came back to its original home, bringing its support city with it.
Ethela and New Ethela were now one huge community on the western end of massive Rintar Bay, which was now coming into view at the foot of the mountains below.
Eladia was in the back, carefully making lists of what they would need from Ethela's huge market.
Kela was instructed to land at the huge bustling spaceport in Port Gate, the entry point into the Rintar District, which was ACDF owned.
A hovercar was already waiting for them, reserved by Eladia, who had not been here in hundreds of years but knew all about it.
Kela wondered just who Eladia was. She knew so many things, had connections it took lifetimes to amass, and was welcomed wherever she went.
The badge she carried was that of the Commonwealth Ministry of Justice-Colony 3 Police.
Kela was growing to love her but as she read in a commercial magazine disc on the way here, all Arci-te had that effect on people. They dripped with charm and charisma. Eladia was no exception.
The ship told her that it would land itself due to high traffic in the area and the lack of experiece Kela had in such situations.
Where she learned to fly ships, on her homeworld of Si Ela, it was never busy. A sleepy agriculural world now squeezed in the grip of the Authority.
She released the controls and the ship took over. It wasn't self aware or anything. It was intelligent when it came to its own safety.
Kela got up and went to freshen up before landing.
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Eladia smiled as they exited the ship. "Ever seen a place like this, Kela?"
Kela was amazed. The air was pure clean despite dozens of ships taking off, landing, and flying around all at once. "Um, no. Not even on Kalea."
Eladia took her hand. "Come on, stay with me, it's going to be awful crowded in there." They went into a busy terminal full of people and aliens waiting around and doing business. She pulled Kela to a moving pathway and both got on.
They were taken to the front entrance and the hovercar waiting for them pulled up. Both of them got in and were taken down into Ethela.
They entered a beautiful city with wide streets and wonderful architecture from many different styles belnding into one.
They drove through it and were left off in a huge shopping district paved with rock tiles. Over a thousand stores were open and selling everything, boasting that they were products from everywhere, literally.
Kela was amazed even more. She hadn't seen anything like this, not even on Teshin worlds. She realized that Eladia still held her hand. "Eladia?"
She chuckled. "Protecting ya, dear. Guys here will jump on anything with yellow hair."
Kela saw hundreds of people all around and not one female who had any hair lighter than dark brown. Except the occaisional Arci-te, who naturally had hair colors ranging from almost ultaviolet to the lightest sky blue.
Eladia's was a frosty dark blue which suited her perfectly.
Many of the guys would leer at the Cristalian/Laneran female but were discouraged by her companion, who wore her badge on a silver neckchain.
Eladia took her to a store selling things from Mrellkis, where she was from.
Kela wondered what they sold here and discovered lots of fish and other seafood. Eladia explained that people on Mrellkis could not eat the local fauna, it was incompatible. The fish were the only things they could eat. That and crabs and other things Kela would not eat.
She originally lived near a sea on Si Esa but it was forbidden to fish in it due to the dangerously poisoned meat they had evolved as a defense mechanism. Defense from what was unknown.
Eladia made her choices quickly, knowing exactly what she wanted and they were out of there quickly. She took Kela to several other stores that sold warm clothing, medicines, soap of every kind and an eclectic blend of Teshin, Cristalian and Si Elan foods that Kela ate.
She was shocked to find Averie spices and spicemeal here and got three huge sets of them. She hoped to bring her hacking partner, Alida onto the ship but she hated to fly on anything other than her own wings.
When they were done, they had an antigrav cart full of bags of things. The hovercar driver helped them load it and they returned to the spaceport.
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Kela walked back to the ship to open it for the cargo handler who volunteered to help Eladia because she was Arci-te, who all got deferential treatment because they were an endangered species.
As she entered the secret passcode on the tiny key she kept in a very secret private place, she noticed a paper note stuck to its skin where the door was.
She was astonished. Nobody could get near the ship, not near enough to touch it and not be shocked or zapped by its defense system. She picked the note off and saw hat it was addressed to Kela E., hacker no. 344192. She was concerened. That was her Teshin prison number. She served her time, why were they leaving her a note. She opend the ship for the man and Eladia and stood there to read this:
Kela, I have watched you for a while, ever since the job you pulled on Elita and Aliba. I know you got caught but I fudged the counts against you to save you from a 1,000 year term, which you would have gotten. You have talent, kid. Talent that comes once in every 12 generations on average. I would like to give you a job that may break the back of the Authority. Come alone to the Rintar docks at local midnight. I will be waiting to talk to you.
Kela was confused. Who was this? How did he or she fudge Teshin justice records? That took skill Kela wished to have. She owed much to this person, whoever they were. She resolved to stay and meet them, just to say thank you.
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Eladia had argued about her going alone but Kela convinced her that she was a trained soldier and could take care of herself.
A hacker the level of this person seem to be could harm her at anytime and anywhere if they wanted to.
Kela took a taxi hovercar back into he city and all the way down to the docks where a single person waited.
The person was a Cristalian female with light brown hair. She wore a grey ACDF uniform and held a mesh wrapped bundle of something in her hands.
Kela went to her. "Um, hello, I'm..."
She smiled. "Kela. It's nice to meet you. My name is Cellen Cerwia. I am a Master Ops officer assigned to the CSC and my old outfit, Am-Home."
Kela was suprised. She had a lofty position. She had to be old, not that she could tell. "Um, can I call you Cellen?"
She nodded. "Sure."
"You helped me back on Aliba? That was nearly 20 years ago."
Cellen nodded. "The Teshin are stupid. I stole all thier master codes a long time ago and like to use them when I can. I did it because I like you and because you would not have been caught if not for that Averie."
Kela was shocked. "Alida? I didn't even know her then."
Cellen nodded again. "Yes, I know. Alida had hacked into the Protector Corps' master system and got stymied. Those bird people don't think like we do. When they located her, they did a sweep for all other hackers and that's how you were caught."
Kela frowned. "But she got less time than I did."
"I didn't say she wasn't good, kid. She just didn't know the system. She figured it out and doctored her own records. You had no way of connecting after they caught you. You were in an unfamiliar setting and got trapped. They hate Cristalians, you know."
Kela looked down. She remembered days where they wouldn't feed her and nights where she was locked in a pool of cold water. Punishment for no reason. "Yes, they do."
Cellen lifted her chin. "Listen. I got you out of there. You have a friend in me. As for this Free Ela thing, you're wasting your talent."
Kela frowned. "I came back to see my homeworld taken over by that damned Authority. What was I supposed to do?"
Cellen nodded. "I understand how you feel. Listen, I know you are committed to freeing your world. I will tell you a hard truth. It's never going to happen."
A second female came up. This one was obviously some kind of cop just by the look about her. The dark grey jumper she wore with various patches didn't hurt either. "Cellen, you are being observed," she quietly said.
"Take care of it, Otanda, maximum force," Cellen told her and she hurried off into the city.
There was a screech of groundcar wheels on the street.
Kela frowned. "What was that about?"
Cellen scoffed. "I'm kinda unpopular. Kiritches always trying to shoot me. Otanda follows me everywhere now."
Kela wondered who would shoot an ACDF officer so high up like her. "You said you had a job for me?"
She nodded. "I want to steal you from Free Ela."
Kela shook her head. "No way. I am committed to..."
"Committed to dead guys. The Auhority broke your guy, Rardy. Found your base. It was obliterated yesterday. had you not found Eladia, you would have gone back and died too."
Kela was appalled. "What?! You can't be serious! Rardy wouldn't squeal. He was killed by that animal soldier."
Cellen shook her head. "I have proof, look." She noded her head toward something behind Kela.
She turned to see a commercial big screen on a tall building showing a full Authority battle fleet close in on Free Ela's moon and let a storm of energy weapons loose on it, blowing it to melted pieces.
She cried out in anguish. "No!" Tears came as she remembered Iken, Marsta, Little Kee, all of them, dead.
Cellen sadly shook her head. "I told Eladia about you. I have friends on Si-Kera that told me about her. You'll never find a more loyal or protective partner."
Kela looked away, crying. "They took me in, a convicted criminal. I wouldn't even be able to get a job on Si Ela," she sobbed.
Cellen came to her and hugged her. "There was nothing anyone could do, they had been already looking for your base."
Kela looked at her with teary eyes. "What's left, Cellen? I should have died with them."
Cellen shook her head. "Not all of them died. Resourceful kiritches in that group. But Free Ela is history now. Any activity will be noticed from now on."
She held out a holodisc and Little Kee appeared above it in exacting clarity, her white fur resplendant as were the blue sapphires she wore.
"Kela? It's me, Kee. We got out just in time. Bastards missed us completely. Iken says that we're done. We will go back home and resist there. You're free now, my beautiful friend. Don't come back."
Kela shook her head. "Kee? No, I..."
"Don't cry, young one. Nothing to cry for. The Authority didn't get us. They will get you if you come back. You sure screwed something up on Kalea big time. Very good. We will always hold you in our hearts. Listen to Lady Cellen. She knows. Bye bye, Kela." Kee vanished into thin air.
Kela looked down. "My home, my mom, dad, I can't just not go back."
Cellen shook her head. "You can always be in contact with them. I made you a comm program just for that. I have a job for you. Something more worthy of your talents."
Kela wiped her tears away. "What is it?"
Cellen smiled. "Look at the big screen."
Kela turned around to see an unfamiliar greenish white world with an extremely battered moon on the bigscreen.
A large Asikiwa ship orbited it slowly.
"Wha? What's this?"
Cellen cleared her throat. "Riefan. There are 30,000 Commonwealth and allied prisoners there, one in paricular," she paused, her voice breaking. She took a moment to compose herself. "I have a comrade, ah, friend, there. She was captured a few years ago. Her name is Rikki."
Kela frowned. "You're a big time hacker, aren't you? Why can't you help them?"
Cellen looked at her with an intensity that reminded Kela of her mother. "I can. It's that damned Asikiwa ship. I can't hack into it, they know who I am. they would know the second I tapped a system of thiers."
Kela looked at it again. It was one of those really big ones that destroyed whole planets. "You want me to do it?"
Cellen nodded. "You have the ability to. Whether you have enough inner courage to kill thousands of Asikiwa is up to you."
Kela scoffed. "There's no way...I mean, I can barely hack into a city grid, this is..."
"Simple if done right. All you need to do is lower its defenses. You've got to get close to it, uncomfortably so."
Kela was appalled by this. "Cellen, are you crazy? That is an Asikiwa heavy cruiser."
"I know what it is, I've been on one before. All you need to do is lower its defenses and get the hell out of there. It's basic hacking. Turn off this, turn on that. Push buttons that don't need to be pushed."
"Assuming that I do this, what will happen then?"
Cellen leaned real close towards her ear. "Kesdar has a big boy, interstellar missile, aimed right at its midaxis connector. Goes through hyperspace, exits at .3 lightspeed, it'll blow it apart like a child's toy," she quietly said. "It's a secret that Kesdar is up and running, has to stay that way."
"And after this?," Kela whispered.
"You can be having ela tea in Tiat Si's Morning Plaza withing mere hours. Or you could go down to Reifan and steal Asikiwa money, it's worth lots. Comes with risks you can't imagine." She gave the bundle to Kela. "That's a gift from me to you. Do not open it until you're back in the ship in hyperspace and light-years away from here."
Kela felt its clothlike texture and heavy weight. It was big or a lot of something. "What is it?"
Cellen smiled and shook her head. "Can't tell ya. You will appreciate why when you open it. It's important that you don't until you are far away from here." She pointed to a large mountain behind her in he distance that had three massive detection dishes on it. Two of them had to be at least 3 kilometers wide. "That's Big Rintar, the reason Am Base is out there, beyond the bay.
It can't see you in hyperspace beyond the Commonwealth border. It's against the law to scan friendly craft like that."
Kela was anxious to see what was so important. "Okay, I will do as you say. When do I go to work for you?"
Cellen was suprised. "Oh? You decided to sign on?"
Kela nodded. "I hate the Asikiwa. They are in league with the Authority, it's why they are so powerful. Besides. Nobody deserves to be in a prison if they didn't do anything to deserve it."
Cellen smiled. "Thank you, Kela, you wont regret it." She handed a thick wallet to Kela.
She opened it and gasped. It was a shiny blue glittery metal ACDF badge. "What's this?"
"You're working for me, I work for the ACDF. So are you. If you pull this off, Admiral Eniksen may even call you up."
The one called Otanda returned with a holocamera. "A male Laneran, he works for Onis Daily, tried to image you. I have his images and camera." She gave it to Cellen, who tapped on its buttons, wiping out the memory.
She gave to it Kela. "Here, take a picture of that Asikiwa ship, Riefan, whatever."
Kela smiled. "Thanks."
"Now, I want you to go to the resort of Klidan. Wait 3 days, I will call you on the morning of the 3rd wih your instructions."
Kela frowned suddenly. "Klidan? That's a posh resort. I don't have that kind of money."
Cellen gave her a debit card with a holographic animation on it but Kela couldn't see it in the darkness. "That's unlimited but spend wisely, too much will attract unwanted attention. The money belongs to the AW Trust. They don't care if you use it, as long as you are doing good with it."
Kela scoffed. "Going to a resort is a good thing?"
Cellen grinned. "You'll see. Otanda? Please take Kela back to her ship. Bye, Kela, I'll be in contact."
She turned and disappeared into a boarding station and a boat beyond it.
Otanda looked at Kela. "Ms. Kela?"
Kela nodded. "Okay, it's in berth 17 of the spaceport."
"Very well, this way." She led Kela to a wheeled groundcar that looked like it belonged on a race track.
She drove like it too. Speeding off at a dangerous speed.
Kela wasn't bothered. She used to have a boyfriend that drove like that.
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Eladia was sleeping on her bed when Kela returned.
She recieved clearance to leave and he ship flew itself up to orbit, allowing her to take over thereafter.
She set course for Klidan and jumped into hyperspace. She then went to take a shower.
Kela returned fifteen minutes later and saw that she had left the Commonwealth. Wearing only a towel, she sat down and opened the bundle to see a military grade ops hacker system, a uniform jumper not unlike Cellen's, and a database of information available nowhere else.
A curious looking glass sphere encased in a protective shell was at the bottom. A yellow label on it said to set it up on one of the ship's interface nodules.
Kela did and nearly jumped out of her skin when a hologram appeared beside her.
It was of an bizarre looking bird like creature that wore only a dusting of red paint on its white feathers.
It eyed her intensely. "You are Kela?," it asked, its voice sexually ambiguous.
Kela nodded. "Yes. Who are you?"
"I'm Alii Kel, you can call me Kel. I was the Altiki guardian of ancient Amiris. Now I'm reduced to a holographic being. I am not the original, mind ya, I am a copy of them."
"Them?"
The Altiki hologram flushed a redddish color. It was fascinating to see. "Alii Kel is what you call genderless. I think of myself as female because I have the female parts. I will be interfacing wih this Sikoran monstrosity. It will talk to me, I will talk to you. Wonderful arrangement."
Kela smiled. This was interesting. "What does it say now?"
"It says nothing. It is busy flying itself."
Kela smiled and got up. "I'm going to sleep. You will always be here?"
Kel said, "No. You'll only see my holo image when necessary, otherwise, I'll just talk." It vanished suddenly. "Go on. Everything will be all right."
Kela chuckled. She went to her sleeping room and went to sleep.
� 7 March 2004 Gregory Thompson