Chapter 20: Roving Commander

I shifted the carrier with my infant son on my chest and glanced at Amanda as she pushed the stroller with our daughter. She smiled and ignored my look, “You are a commander and can carry your son.”

I snorted, “Just because the empress has me roving for the next year does not mean you and...”

She lifted an eyebrow, “We are not staying here and playing house.”

I growled, “I knew I should have staked you out on the beach with Samantha, Domino and Simon.”

She grinned, “Now I might have stayed there.”

Jewel peeked out of the stroller as we reached the gate for the shuttle up to the liner. That had been a surprise, Dragon chirped at her daughter who answered before climbing out and onto the top of the stroller. Amanda snorted as I showed the attended our tickets. She grinned as she opened the door, “Just in time to board ahead of the rush.”

An older woman sniffed, “Allowing pets to ride with people.”

I looked at her as Amanda laughed and went ahead of me, “Pets?”

I shook my head, “You must not watch the news or you would know they are not pets.”

An older man behind her chuckled, “I saw the two save the empress and that strange old man she was visiting.”

I laughed as I followed Amanda and thought about Skyler’s father and how he had covered the empress and taken her down. She had been extremely embarrassed about how easily he had done it too. The four men that had managed to get that close had been part of a new school we were still looking for. Of course Nolan and Alexandra not only injected poison, they sprayed acid.

I helped Amanda move the stroller and sat my son in the special chair we had requested. People were boarding as I finally sat and watched them. Dragon had climbing into the seat with Simon but I did not need her to alert me when I saw the very stocky woman. I came to my feet as she started to pass and my pistol touched her temple, “Go ahead.”

She licked her lips and I growled, “One...”

The man behind her shifted but I ignored him, “Two...”

He stiffened and started to fall and the woman began to move. She froze with a look of shock before she began to scream. I let her fall and glanced at the other man and with Cynthia still on his chest. I looked towards the shuttle door and the attendant, “You just had a hold for this shuttle. Get everyone off now.”

I pulled my comm and called in, “This is Morpheus I have two assassins on the shuttle to my liner. Contact fleet intel and have the provost marshal send a squad with stasis containers.”

I knelt and pulled the needle out of the woman who I knew was a man in a bad disguise, “Amateurs.”

I touched her neck with a popper as she began to react. She stiffened and I shook my head and stood to look at a calm Amanda with her pistol in her lap. I grinned, “Now why would assassins target me now?”

She shrugged, “You have been a pain to any and every assassin and this new school may want to strike first.”

It took two hours before we could catch the last shuttle up to the liner. We put the children to sleep once we were aboard and then carried them to the jump room. The liner had an extra shock pod ready and we put them inside before sitting. After we left orbit and jumped I helped Amanda up and opened the pod. All three dragons were inside on the baby and my daughter.

We went to a lounge and woke the baby and Camdra. I sat back as Amanda began reading and absently tossing brightly colored balls. The three dragons took turns flying after and catching them while my daughter sat and watched. When we took the shuttle down a few weeks later the attendant was quick to help us first. I carried my son off with Dragon on my shoulder searching for a threat while I towed our bags.

Amanda pushed the stroller with Cynthia on her shoulder looking alert and young Jewel was on the top of the stroller. When I walked into the marshal building I touched my badge to the door scanner and kept going. The guards looked at each other as Amanda stopped to enter a code before following. I stopped at the desk, “Let your commander know the temporary marshal commander is here.”

They looked at my son and grinned before nodding. Amanda had already gone up in the lift and I sighed as I followed. I pushed the bags into the lift and went up to the marshals quarters floor. I found the temporary quarters door open and walked in and let the bags go. Amanda appeared from the hall and grinned as she helped me take the carrier off, “Now you can go play.”

I stuck my tongue out before I turned to go to the marshals offices. I glanced at the two marshals as I walked towards the commander’s office. She glanced up when I stepped in and grinned as she sat back, “Morpheus you are a welcome sight.”

I smiled and walked to a chair to sit as Dragon leaped and glided to the desk. Commander Sinclare had been promoted at the academy and was one of the few people that could listen to any dragon. She rubbed under Dragon’s chin after she landed and looked at me, “Mostly we have been dealing with escorts. Sometimes I think this plan that spread us out is a waste of time and resources.”

I nodded, “The empress has been having her own doubts. Commissioner Alexander has gone so far as to ask an imperial auditor to look at the actually costs.”

She blinked as she sat back, “Really?”

I shrugged, “Perhaps I am becoming old fashion but we either need a single team on each planet or everyone at the sector headquarters again.”

She grinned, “A team being a captain, lieutenant, two sergeants and four deputies. That was what you suggested we should have in the academy.”

I smiled, “Which we do not have.”

She sighed as she looked at her desk, “Mostly you have a lot of reports to review and requests to redirect. I will only be gone for a month and if you need...”

I waved a hand, “I will find you if we need you but do not lose sleep.”

She nodded and started her briefing before I finally waved her out and took her place. It was both easier and harder running a sector with everyone spread out. I caught up as it began to grow late and shut everything down to head down to our living quarters. The moment I stepped out of the lift my senses began to scream. I spun and stepped aside as a projectile went through where I had been.

Dragon had leaped into the air as I drew and fired through what looked like a solid wall at the end of the cross corridor. I moved closer and there was a crash and suddenly the wall was falling. The woman that fell with it released a sphere and I spun and took a step before I dove. The sphere exploded and I felt a searing pain lance through my right calf.

I rolled to my feet and caught Dragon and checked her before cradling her in my arms. I glanced back as the apartment door opened and Amanda appeared with her weapon in her hand. A couple of other doors opened and I moved to the wall intercom by the lift, “This is commander Morpheus. We have a breach in the building security. I have a dead assassin on the eighth floor residential wing.”

I looked at the two marshals as Amanda frowned, “You need to contact the constables. They need a bio containment bag and the examiner needs to be warned of contact poisons and possible explosives on and in the body.”

“Yes sir ... do you want us to station a guard at the door?”

I snorted, “No need to risk one of you. If an assassin gets into my quarters they will not be leaving.”

“Four guards are coming up to secure the scene sir.”

I sighed, “Make sure they know to look and not touch.”

I shut the intercom off and walked towards Amanda, “Still think traveling around with me is a good idea?”

She patted my chest, “Just find out why they are coming after you and where the school is.”

I nodded and turned to look at the other marshals, “Tomorrow is going to be a busy day so get some rest while you can.”

One grinned, “Sounds good but the assassins probable will not sleep.”

I snorted as I glanced back at the lift, “After they finish I am sealing the upper floors.”

It was a couple of hours before the guards and the constables left. The assassin had several unpleasant surprises on her. I sat in the common area of our set of rooms and relaxed as I let my mind drift in meditation. I turned my head when Amanda came out to feed the baby before I stood, “I will be in my office.”

She nodded and looked at me, “You know the assassin could not have followed us so how did it get here?”

I smiled, “And what does that tell you marshal?”

She stuck her tongue out before grinning, “That one was waiting or the school may be here on this planet.”

I nodded, “Which is why I am calling the fleet commander to put a company of commandoes on call. I will search the power and sewage usage per residential...”

She snorted, “Look for high sewage usage in a commercial area too.”

I blinked before I nodded, “That is a good idea.”

When I reached the commander’s office I called the base and then brought the marshals in that were here and explained what we were going to look for. Amanda had been right, ten minutes and I had three hits on commercial buildings that were together with high sewage output. I pulled up the sats and we stood in the outer offices to look at the screen.

I began pointing out hidden vid cameras and disguised sentries or watchers. I called the base and summoned the company commander and platoon leaders for the commandoes. I let the building security commander know we had the commandoes coming and to send them up. I also had the other marshals monitor and block the guard comms.

Sergeant Meaks hissed and turned and I looked up from planning an initial strike on one of the properties. She looked at me, “One of the guards just tried to make a call to an encrypted comm.”