Solbidyum Wars Saga 6: Defeat of the Tottalax (12 page)

Over the next hour, Bandur told us everything he knew.  Sisopan’s address, the places she hung out.  He provided descriptions of her and the accomplices she worked with, the places he had gone with her and the bar where he met her.  Marranalis recorded all the information to send off to the FSO, so they might be able to apprehend these Brotherhood operatives before they did more damage.  We were nearly finished with the interrogation when Regata entered the lab.

“You wish to see me man who speaks for Thumumba?” He said.

“Yes, Regata,” I answered, “we have a problem.  This man has been given the drug called God’s Sweat, which is made from the sacred plant on Alle Bamma.  If he does not take the drug every two days, he has terrible dreams.  Dreams so bad they may kill him.  Do your people know how to stop these dreams?”

“Hmm,” Regata said, and he walked over to Bandur and looked into his eyes and at his sweating face.  “This is not good.  The men who came to Sweet Home and took the sacred plant do other things to it that make it different.  The plant doesn’t do this to the natives, you know, and Kalana as well as Kenan Natoo have all taken the sacred plant juice, and it has not harmed them.  This man has taken something the Brotherhood has made using the sacred plant juice, but they have changed it and added other things, very bad things.  I do not know how to help.”

“Perhaps if he were just given the plant sap instead of the God’s Sweat it might help him through the withdrawal?”  Cantolla said.

“Hmm, I do not think so,” Regata said.  Our sacred plant does not cause one to crave more.  It does not make one sick, or to have bad dreams if you do not take more."

“Do you think Hotyona might be able to help us?”  Cantolla asked.  “He works at Alle Bamma studying the plants there.  Perhaps he can provide us with something that might reduce the effects from the drug.”

“Contact him and find out,” I said, “We need answers and quickly.”  I turned back to Bandur and asked, “How long has it been since you last had God’s Sweat and how soon before you start withdrawals?”

“Yesterday,” he answered, “I had some yesterday right after I had gone through withdrawal, and they told me what I must do to get more.”  He began to sob again.  “I didn’t’ want to hurt anyone.  You don’t understand what it’s like.”

“How soon before you start withdrawal?”  I asked again.

“About twelve hours,” he sobbed.

“All right, get him to the
DUSTEN
; you know what to do,” I said to Marranalis.  “Cantolla and A’Lappe see what you can figure out to help this man.  Padaran, I want everyone on the ship re-tested for loyalty and for drugs, especially God’s Sweat.  Anyone who fails the tests I want held for questioning.  Understood?”

“Right, Tibby, I’m right on it,” he replied.

“Marranalis, contact Captain Wanoll when you get back to the
DUSTEN;
I want the same sweep made of the crew there as well, and from now on everyone returning or arriving on any of our ships is to be drug tested before they are allowed to leave their point of arrival.  We narrowly escaped disaster here, thanks to blind luck and A’Lappe being cloaked when he was. If that bomb had gone off here in this place, not only would it have killed anyone in the lab, it would have severely damaged the ship."

By now several of the troopers had helped Bandur to his feet and were about to take him from the room when one last thought hit me.  “Bandur, why did you plant the bomb here and not somewhere else on the ship?”

Bandur looked at me with a blank look and said, “Because, they want A’Lappe and Cantolla both dead.  I heard the man talking to Sisopan say that Ming and Roritat said if they could not get them both, A'Lappe and Cantolla, and force them to work for the Brotherhood, for them to see to it that they were killed.”  Then he turned and looked at both Cantolla and A’Lappe and said, “I’m sorry.  I'm truly sorry.  You don’t know what it’s like, the terrible pain and the horrible visions.”

I had little sleep that night and was up early and in the War Room on the
DUSTEN,
when I looked up to see Admiral Wabussie and his guards entering.

“Admiral,” I said, “This is a surprise, to what do I own this pleasure?”

Wabussie didn’t smile but merely said, “Let’s talk in your office.”

“Certainly,” I answered and led the way.

When inside and the door closed I said, “I take it this has something to do with the events from last night?”

“Yes, my agents have been working all night tracking down information, and it’s not good,” Wabussie began,  “We’ve suspected for some time now that Brotherhood operatives have been using lower ranking personnel on ships and in government facilities to infiltrate and spy, but until now, we’ve not been able to find any of the
flips,
as the Brotherhood calls them.  Bandur is the first, but we are sure there are more.  The
Ginuluvti-Neusser-rufous
found in our headquarters, and the Senate back on Megelleon, and this event is all part of the same operation from what we can tell.  There is every reason to believe that they also have other key people in the Federation targeted.  We’re going to have to start systematic screening of everyone all over again.  Do you realize the nightmare that will be and the uproar it will cause?”

“I have an idea what it will be like,” I said.

“I‘ve also received word back from Halfredies," Wabussie continued, “He’s located the Tottalax.  People on Irribis call him Tot.  Because the Tottalax don’t have a vocal language, most of their language cannot be spoken or translated phonetically.  Apparently, his name is one of those words so people just refer to him as Tot.  He’s fairly well known about the planet, though other than for the shows he appears in, people seldom see him.  Halfredies says that Tot lives at the place where the aquatic shows are performed, and he spends the bulk of his time underwater.  He seldom leaves and goes out about the people.  Halfredies wants to talk to him, but it requires special translating equipment and as far as we know, other than for the equipment the Brotherhood has, only one or two sets exist.  One set is on Irribis that Tot uses himself and if there are any others, we don’t know where they are or who possesses them.”

“So what you are saying is that if we want to talk to Tot, we need to do it when he has access to his own translating device, or we won’t be able to communicate with him at all.”  I said.

“Right, and from what Halfredies has determined, this isn’t a unit you can carry around in your pocket.  It’s quite large.”

“So we need to go to where he has this translator!”  I added.

“Correct!”

Just then my com beeped, and I answered to hear Marranalis say, “Tibby, Rear Admiral Regeny is out here wishing to see you and Admiral Wabussie.”

“Well send him in, Captain,” I answered.

Regeny came through the door fussing, “By the stars, are you two trying to keep me out of the loop of information?  I’m sitting at breakfast this morning and getting all the news from the dining staff.”

“Sorry, Admiral,” I said.  “We’re still sorting it all out ourselves.  Wabussie is just now filling me in on details of what the FSO has learned so far.”

“Didn’t anyone think I MIGHT be interested in knowing all this too, and it might be easier to have a briefing of us all at one time?”  He said looking back and forth between Wabussie and me.

“Sorry, Admiral,” Wabussie said, “It’s been a long night, and I’ve not had any sleep.”

“Harrumph,” Regeny cleared his throat.  “I need some foccee,” he said looking about for some and then not seeing any, he said, “By the stars, don’t you two know how to conduct a proper meeting? Tibby, order some foccee in here, and then I want to know everything that’s going on.”

We were nearly finished with our meeting when Wabussie’s com began beeping.  He answered it, and we heard one of his FSO agents say, “Admiral, the prisoner Bandur is dead.  He managed to break free and grab a gun from one of his guards, and he shot himself in the head.  I’m afraid, sir, we cannot bring him back.”

Wabussie was silent for a minute before replying.  “I want all vids of the event in my office in thirty minutes, and I want you and all the others present when he shot himself in my office at the same time.  Have his body put into stasis, and I want his remains guarded by dual guards.  Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the response came back.

“Well, there goes that lead,” Regeny said as he sat back in his chair with a dejected look.

“Perhaps not, Admiral,” Wabussie said.  “We do have some information we got from him, and we haven’t checked out all we have received.”

“Tibby, what do you have to say about this situation?”  Regeny said looking at me.

“I’d say that at least that poor man is out of his misery, Admiral.  I feel sorry for him.  I honestly believe he never wanted to harm anyone.  He was a pawn used by the Brotherhood, and I doubt they will mourn his loss.”

“This brings up another matter I want to discuss with you,” Regeny began, “I feel strongly that A’Lappe and Cantolla should have guards at all times.  They are vital to the Federation and need to be protected.  This recent event clearly demonstrates that even here on our ships, they aren’t safe.”

“I’m rather surprised to hear you say that, Admiral,” Wabussie said through a grin, “I was under the impression you were not all that fond of A’Lappe.  If I recall right you wanted to space him on more than one occasion.”

“Harrumph,” Regeny began, ‘I’ll admit I’m not fond of his buffoonish manners and his popping in and out the way he does, but the man’s brilliant.  His 10X reactor and his cloaking devices alone make him worth protecting.  He’s increased the speed of our ships, found a new source of energy with this solbidnite stuff, and the way he put Tibby back together after his crash at Goo’Waddle is beyond belief."

“As for Cantolla, her learning headbands have advanced our military training and methods, giving us a tactical advantage, and these Cantolla Gate contraptions will undoubtedly win us the war against the Brotherhood.  No, regardless of what anyone, including me, thinks of either of them, they are too valuable for us not to protect.”

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Admiral,” I said, “But I have a hard time believing that A’Lappe will accept being under constant surveillance day in and day out.  For one thing, he doesn’t let most people know where he lives aboard the ship.  I’ll bet if you ask Cantolla that, even she doesn’t know where his quarters are.

“Hmm, do you know, Tibby?”  Regeny asked looking at me from under furrowed brows

“Yes, but that’s not the point.  The point is A’Lappe is extremely private, and he won’t submit easily to having around the clock security.”

“Well, talk to them both about it, will you? They are civilians after all, and I can’t order them to accept security; but after this scare, I would think they would at least give it some consideration.”  Regeny added.

“One more thought, Tibby, when is the recon team leaving for Windsor?”

“They should be underway now, sir,” I said.  “They were scheduled to move out this morning.”

“Good, let’s hope the word comes back that the Brotherhood is there, and we can nail them good,” Regeny said, “I want to start taking this damn war to the Brotherhood’s doorsteps for a change.”

I was on my way to the bridge of the
NEW ORLEANS
to talk to Kerabac when a message came over my wrist com from Kala, “Tib, the twins are missing!  I can’t find them anywhere!”  She said in a panic.

“What?  Where are you? Where did they disappear from?”  I asked as I hastened my pace to our suite with my guards behind me.

“Here in our suite,” Kala responded.  They were right here one minute and the next they were missing.  The guards outside our door said no one has entered or left, but they're not here.”

By now, I had reached our suite and I entered, bringing my body guards inside to help search for the twins, but no matter where we looked, they were nowhere to be seen.

“Tib, I’ve tried the computer tracking system, and it can’t locate them.  They are gone Tib,” she sobbed.

“Now, let's not jump to conclusions,” I said trying to comfort her while inside I was panicking myself.  “Where was the last place you saw them?”  I asked.

“They were right over there in the bath area,” Kala said, “I think Lunnie was trying to reach the button to activate the shower; you know how she likes the shower.”

“Show me exactly where they were when you last saw them,” I said.

“They were right here,” she said pointing to a location on the floor.

There was something familiar about that location, something I should remember.  I went to the spot and looked about but saw nothing.  For some reason, I sat down on the spot where Lunnie and Reidecor had been seen last, and then it hit me.  This was the location of the access to the maintenance tunnels below the deck plating.  It was where Yǎnjìngshé had entered our suite and nearly killed Kalana.  It was the same access I had used when I followed Yǎnjìngshé to our suite.  I knew there were mechanisms below the deck to open the access, there must be one above the deck as well.  I looked about and noticed we were located right by the vanity.  I peered under it and there on the lip of the front border I saw a small glowing blue button.  It would be out of view to adults standing in the room, but it was at the right height for Lunnie and Reidecor to see as they played in the room.  Knowing the propensity of both twins for pushing buttons, I had a good idea where they had gone.