Keeper Hunter

The ship docked at the orbital station and the Marines disembarked. I was hoping to exit there as well. I never had the chance to I found myself on a shuttle bound for the naval base. The buildings of the base were austere blocky buildings of concrete and steel. I was met at the shuttle bay a naval lieutenant by the name of Bowen.

“This way,” he said without feeling.

I just shrugged at his indifference and followed him carrying my cases with my holdall slung over my shoulders. I noticed a few sailors regard me as I passed but no words were exchanged. I was led to an administration building where I had to leave my gear. I stepped into a room. It was rectangular with three desks at the far end. Behind each desk was a male naval officer in dress uniform. A large screen was on the left side of the room from my point of view. It was currently off. The officer in the middle leaned forward regarding me carefully.

“Now Miss Hampton explain why a civilian took over a naval investigation?” He put the emphasis on ‘Miss’.

If he thought I was going to be intimidated by his presence or that of the other officers he was sadly mistaken. I had stood my ground against the Valkyrie Elders they were more of a threat than these men were.

“Really simple I was an unbiased party. Captain Gardner can vouch for that. Furthermore if you want confirmation I suggest you contact Lady Broaden.” I gave them a look. “You did contact Lady Broaden?”

The three officers shifted uneasily in their seats. I spent the next few of hours listening and responding. It was clear that were trying to hide how bad things were from the Empress. I told them bluntly that it was the wrong thing for them to do.

Finally it was over.

“You may go,” The officer said.

I hadn’t bothered to get his name but I was sure he’d be replaced soon if Lady Broaden had anything to do with it. The whole experience left a sour taste in my mouth and a frustrated knot in the pit of my stomach. I left feeling like I’d wasted my time. It was late afternoon by the time I left it was unlikely the contact had waited for me. With my case in my hands and holdall across my shoulders I couldn’t wait to leave.

I stepped out of the gate to the naval base after four hours of gruelling questions. I glanced around angry and tired the base didn’t have the decency to give me a lift to the city. The road I was on was a causeway over a salt marsh. It ran for five hundred metres with a large circular concrete island at it centre. I stood with my back to the gatehouse and surveyed the road ahead. I could smell the tang of salt in the air and above my head I heard the cry of alien seabirds reminding me that this was a Gift World. One of those gifted to the T’Arni after their freedom from the Rhosani. The same Rhosani that had tried a failed to enslave the T’Arni a second time. A fence ran down either side of the causeway separating the road from the short bright green spiky grass of the marsh. On the island at the centre of the causeway was a concrete mound covered with metal hatches. An automated defence system if my guess wasn’t off. I walked on angry at the discourtesy from the base. I’d stopped a major incident and they treated me like I was responsible. I shook myself out of that feeling and walked on taking note of the warehouses in the distance.

The sky was overcast and I wasn’t sure if it would rain. I followed the road to the end. There was a T-junction at the end surrounded by fences separating the road and the warehouses which, almost looked in a dilapidated state. A single figure sat beside the deserted road leaning with it back against the fence. A slight woman with a dull brown coat wrapped tightly around her. She stood on seeing me. I could see she was what the Confeds called a ‘Brid’ a cross between human and T’Arni. I regarded the word ‘Brid’ on the same terms as vaihdokas. It could be used as an insult for someone not pure blooded. I had embraced my inner vaihdokas then I wasn’t really sure what I was any more and found it didn’t hurt as much as it once did. The woman had those delicate T’Arni features with long coppery-blonde hair.

“Miss Glenda Hampton?” The woman asked her USE perfect.

USE or Universal Standard English was the language of the Empire whereas Galactic was the language of the Confederacy and the Orsini.

“And you are?” Lady Broaden’s description had been rather vague like the rest of her instructions. Captain Clements had been equally unhelpful and I knew why. He hadn’t wanted his secret discovered but it had come out anyway.

“Alanna Cuivre, most people call me Copper.”

“Copper?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Because of my hair and that I used to help the cops in my village.” An expression of pain and sorrow crossed her face.

There was a story there but I wasn’t going to be crass and ask her straight up.

I changed subjects. “I’m sorry I took so long Imperial red tape held me up.” I wasn’t going into detail I didn’t know her that well and I had to be cautious.

Copper gave a small sigh. “I’m used to it.”

I wasn’t going to ask. “So you know where I need to be?”

Copper nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you have a car?” I didn’t want to walk for kilometres without a destination nor did I want to carry these cases forever.

“No, nor will you get a cab from here.” She gave me a look. “You might.”

I knew what she was hinting at but she was dead wrong.

“We’ll need to hurry there’s a curfew when the sun goes down.”

“Ok, lead the way.” I understood her feelings. Despite what the Empress had done there was still a lot of anti-alien feeling within the Empire. I hated that, I might look human but I definitely wasn’t under the hood.

I saw her look at the cases I was carrying and the holdall slung across my back. “Do you need a hand with those?”

At least she had manners but I refused I was part Valkyrie as it was. “No I brought them, I carry them.”

“Odd that’s what Frigga says?” Cooper said with a glance to me.

I froze inside Frigga sounded like a Valkyrie name. “That sounds Valkyrie,” I said trying to gain my composure.

“She is. Do you have problems with non-Humans?” Copper sounded bitter.

“And what makes you think I’m Human,” I responded with a bite in my voice. I hadn’t realised how wound up I was about being who I’d learned I was.

“Oh you darn well look Human?”

“I’m about a third Valkyrie,” I replied but it was more complicated than that.

“Really?” she snapped back.

I wondered if I was going to put up with this all the way I had to cut it short now. I was on her side I really was. “If I was Human would the Valkyrie have given me this?” I held up my bracelet as if she’d recognise what it was? It was the third one the Valkyrie had given me I’d lost the other two. One when my hand was blown in half the other had been cut off some way. I was still not sure how it was done and I had tried hard to rid myself of this one. It was molecular bonded and tougher than the strongest metal I knew of. “The Valkyrie Elders gave me this?” Which wasn’t quite true but it was done on their say so. I gave her a look. “Ask her about the Silver Guard?”

Copper looked at me. “Ok I’m sorry I thought you were Human am I wrong?”

I heard the doubt in her voice. “My great grandfather on my mother’s side was a Valkyrie.”

“Now you are shitting me!” Copper declared. “Even I know male Valkyrie are hidden away?”

“He was in a Valkyrie colony which was attacked. He was rescued by an Imperial ship and brought to Earth.” I shrugged. “I know a half- Valkyrie girl who looks more Human than I am. She has red hair and green eyes.” I didn’t elaborate further although I did wonder how she was. What was it six or seven months since I’d last seen her? I hoped she would get to keep the child she had conceived with her partner Al. From the looks of my love life any of that sort of companionship was long gone. “I spent two years on Alfheimir living with the Valkyrie. They wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t the blood!” I nearly went on to say that I was technically a Martin. “The Elders have a strict policy on who or who not gets to stay on Alfheimir.”

Copper stared at me uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t understand?”

“It’s complicated best not get into that story here?” I said to her.

“I agree,” she said and moved off.

I trailed behind her hoping I hadn’t revealed too much I sure was a lousy spy. We walked on.