Chapter 18: Academy

I had gone over the class several times and for some this would be their last chance. I stood with Dragon on my shoulder and watched the huge holo of the suite of rooms. The next candidate came through the door suddenly and seemed to drift in and to the side like she was a shadow. She slipped around a corner and into the next room before she paused.

I frowned but she moved to one side instead of straight across. Captain Delk snorted, “She is a careful one.”

I ignored him as she stopped beside the last door and reached out to feel it before placing a breaching charge. I straightened as the door shattered and she rushed in and to the other side, “IMPERIAL MARSHAL DO NOT MOVE!”

The suspect stopped moving as she came closer and reached out and turned him. I smiled as she shifted and turned and the kick that snapped back was swept up. The man went down hard and she went with him and touched the barrel of her weapon to his head, “Try it again.”

She put the restraints on him and yanked him up and searched him before pushing him out. I gestured as I turned, “Have cadet Skyler see me in my office.”

Dragon was on the back of the chair across from me when she entered my office. She crossed to the desk and looked at me calmly but I could feel how alert she was, “You wanted to see me?”

I gestured to a chair and she slipped to another before she sat. I looked at her for a moment, “Tell me cadet, do you know where or what I was before I became a marshal?”

She opened her mouth before closing it and glancing at Dragon. She nodded, “You were raised and trained in the assassin school of Hades.”

I smiled, “And where were you taught?”

She licked her lips as she looked at me, “I...”

I held up a hand, “More than being a marshal is at stake.”

She looked down before looking at me, “My father was known as Asp.”

I nodded, “Is he still working or retired?”

She smiled, “Retired with a wife and a half dozen children.”

I sat back, “Why did you falsify your entrance application?”

She snorted, “The daughter of a known assassin?”

I shook my head, “Your father was very good but outside of the school he was not known.”

She blinked, “But...”

I held up a hand again, “Asp had left the school not long after I got there. We knew him of course but he received his missions from the grandmaster.”

I turned and glanced out the large window, “You have put me in a position. Now I must redo your background and do a complete evaluation to decide if you are here because you want to be a marshal or for some other reason.”

She sighed, “That was why I did not say anything.”

I snorted, “Do you have any idea what the next step involves?”

She shook her head and I turned back to her, “The next step for those that pass the fugitive recovery phase is an indepth truth scan. If your father put blocks in place or altered you, the scan would find it and you would be facing more than me.”

She nodded, “My father did not put blocks in or alter me.”

I gestured towards the door, “Return to your class. By tomorrow I want your true background and your skills.”

She stood and headed for the door and stopped and looked back, “What if I had decided to kill you?”

I grinned, “The three weapons trained on you would have prevented it but the chair you choose would be the one to really stop you.”

She looked at it before grinning, “Stun, I should have known and you used the synth to distract me.”

I gestured, “We will speak again.”

She left and a panel opened and lieutenant Mark stepped out. He looked after her, “How do you know she will not try to run?”

I turned to start grading, “I do not but after the school was taken Asp was never heard from except when he withdrew what could only be called a stake.”

I looked at him, “You have a class in an hour.”

He snorted as he walked out, “I could do it in my sleep.”

I watched him and let Dragon fly and land on my shoulder. I sat back to think and finally turned and used the secure comm. Commissioner Alexander appeared and frowned, “Morpheus?”

I sighed, “I have a problem. The daughter of one of those from the school is here. Her father dropped out of sight after the school was shut down. As far as our records show he never worked after. There is no planet or imperial want or warrant for him in any death. I would like to contact him with his daughter present. She passed the fugitive recovery phase so you know what is next.”

He glanced to the side before nodding, “Do it but let him know we will watch him. Also have the senior marshals do the indepth scan and watch for avoidance or misdirection.”

I snorted, “Have you ever had an indepth scan sir?”

He frowned, “Well no, just the regular truth scan in front of the emperor.”

I shook my head, “Believe me, you do not have a choice and can not try misdirection or avoidance.”

He blinked, “I see I will have to come over and have a go at it.”

I smiled as I reached out to disconnect, “I will sweep and seal the room so your secrets do not get out.”

I turned to the desk and reached up to pet Dragon, “One problem down a thousand more to go.”

She rubbed against my neck as I went back to grading. It was the last class of the day and I had fifty new cadets. Behind me on the wall was a constant changing screen. I looked at each of them, “If you become a marshal there are thousands of ways to die and only a few from or by a prisoner. You can call this chemistry or you can think of this as advanced poison avoidance therapy.”

They laughed and I held up a tiny dart, “It does not look like much but if it is one of the deadly poisons it could kill.”

I looked at them, “Volunteer?”

A young woman stood, “I will.”

I gestured to those around her, “Catch her.”

They shifted and nodded and my hand flicked. She jerked and screamed as she began to spasm. The other cadets caught her and tried to hold her while she writhed around. I moved forward and removed the tiny dart and she sagged and panted. I walked back to the front and turned to look at the cadets, “That was just a simple electro chemical that produces pain and then amplifies it.”

I nodded and Dragon suddenly dropped from the ceiling and onto the shoulder of a cadet that was passing a note. He froze as she touched her teeth to his neck, “Now there are other drugs that are used like the stasis drug but be warned there are ways to counter it. There are as many or more natural poisons that can be used or altered.”