Chapter 4: Protecting a Judge

I glanced up as the tiny dragon zipped by me and landed on the stand behind me. I smiled and sat back, “Welcome back Cambra.”

She grinned, “Samantha is fantastic.”

I glanced back at Dragon with her daughter and smiled, “How did the prisoner like her?”

Cambra snorted, “I think she likes threatening people. As soon as Edwards saw her, he stopped moving.”

I grinned and stood up, “Did they have any problems with the execution?”

She snorted again as she turned to walk with me, “The sedative you gave me kept him quiet.”

She nodded to the commander’s office, “How is the new commander?”

I grinned, “He has been ignoring me. You can ask one of the others, they seem to think he is a hard ass.”

Cambra grinned, “Good for him.”

“Morpheus!”

I glanced at Cambra, “You had to mention him.”

She grinned as she walked towards her desk and I headed towards the new commander’s office. He looked up when I just walked in and frowned. I ignored it and walked to the desk and sat in one of his seats, “You called?”

He nodded and sat back, “Someone thinks highly of you. Sector commander Jessop and the quadrant commander both requested you.”

I nodded but did not show anything. He leaned forward, “Someone has cracked the imperial justice data banks. Sector commander Jessop has requested you for a protection detail. Why he has not assigned one of his own I do not know.”

I shrugged, “Who needs protecting?”

He sighed and slid a data chip across the desk, “Judge Harriet.”

I glanced from the chip to him and he smiled slightly, “Rings a bell?”

I looked at him, “You have read my file.”

He sat back, “I have.”

I waited and he gestured, “Your badge.”

I pulled it and tossed it to him. I was curious to see what he was going to do. He pulled the badge from the case and turned to push it into a slot in the wall behind his desk. There was a flash and he was pulling it out and replacing it in the case. I caught it and glanced at it, “Sergeant?”

He smiled, “You have made an impression with the emperor.”

I put the badge back on my belt, “I only did my job.”

He laughed as he stood, “The emperor said maybe he will send you a bottle of brandy.”

I snorted and stood, “I will not hold my breath, he owes me several.”

I picked up the data chip and turned to head for the door. I should have known everyone would be waiting. I sighed at the loud cheer as I stepped out of the office and started to catch the egg that was thrown. Dragon dropped from the ceiling and everyone laughed as she caught the egg in her front claws and soared away.

I shook my head at Edwards, “You never learn.”

He grinned as he reached up to the tiny dragon on his shoulder, “Sampson will protect me.”

I headed towards my desk, “Who is going to protect him from you.”

Everyone laughed again and turned to head back to their desks. I gestured to Dragon as she landed on her stand, “Time to go Dragon, we finally got a mission.”

She leaped from her stand and grabbed my shoulder before moving onto it. I put a couple of files away and bent to grab my bag beside the desk. I used the lift and dropped down to dispersing. I walked in and smiled at the tall young marshal at the window, “You are back Michaels.”

He glanced back and grinned, “Just got in.”

A tiny head shyly peeked around his neck. She was almost completely hidden in his long hair as she hugged his neck. I smiled as I walked passed him to the other window, “How did Georgia do?”

He grinned as he stepped back from the window, “She was great. She put two in stasis before they even knew I was not alone and then she forced the prisoner to walk along beside me as timidly as a lamb.”

I laughed, “I am glad it worked out.”

Marshal Michaels had been a surprise, he had arrived just as Dragon was pushing her three babies away to be bonded. I half expected, well hoped Cambra would bond with one. Edwards had been a surprise to everyone and Michaels, well ... Dragon had searched the room after her daughter screamed at everyone and forced him to come close enough for her daughter to leap into his arms.

I pulled a form in front of me and quickly filled it out before pushing it to the android. The android barely looked at it, “I am sorry marshal Morpheus there is no transportation going out.”

I looked at it carefully and noticed Michaels as he stopped and turned towards me, “Give me the ship departure list.”

The android turned and pushed a slip of plastic across. I glanced at it, “There are three cargo ships that can transfer me at the sector nexus and a luxury liner headed to the planet I need.”

I looked at the android, “Book me on the liner.”

It shifted, “The liner exceeds our dispersing quota. I am sorry marshal Morpheus there is no transportation going out.”

I glanced at Dragon and she slipped off my shoulder as I reached for the payout comp. I placed my badge on the comp, “Deduct the fare from my account.”

The android seemed to vibrate, “I am sorry marshal Morpheus there is no transportation going out.”

It froze suddenly and Dragon poked her head around its neck before scrambling around. I reached through the window to punch a few buttons and a packet spit out the slot. I touched the building communicator, “This is marshal Morpheous. I am in dispersing, the android has been hacked. I need a tech here to do a full spectrum system check.”

“I am on my way marshal.”

I turned and bent to grab my bag and grinned, “This is not a good way to start a mission.”

Michaels grinned, “I will wait for the tech. You know you make them nervous.”

I smiled as I nodded, “See you when I get back.”

I glanced at the departure data as the lift whisked me down to the lobby. I nodded to the guards on my way past and walked out the doors. I hesitated and stepped in front of the man trying to enter, “Excuse me, I was looking for another hostel this one seems to be full.”

The golem hesitated, “This is the office for the imperial marshals.”

I frowned as Dragon slipped down my back, “No, this is the Imperial House. A first class hostel which is booked up, would you know where another is?”

It frowned and tilted its head before freezing. Dragon dropped off it as I turned to the doors and opened them. I looked at the two guards, “Notify hazardous disposal, we have another golem. This time tell them that if they destroy it before they vacuum it I will do bad things to them.”

They looked at each other and nodded as they headed towards the door. Dragon swarmed back up onto my shoulder as I walked towards my vehicle. When I walked into the starport I knew I was going to have a long wait and headed for the VIP sleeper rooms. The single almost unheard beep made my eyes snap open and my weapon come around.

The locked door opened quietly and an old lady smiled at me. I fired before her half hidden hand could come out of the bag she was holding. I was up off the bed and moving before the body even started to fall. Dragon’s scream of rage was more than enough to draw attention. I knelt beside the body as I continued to scan around us.

I finally holstered my weapon as several guards began to get closer. I was careful searching the body and the bag. I ignored the weapons and guards pointing them as I finally straightened with the compact silenced pistol. I slipped it into the small of my back and stood.

I nodded to the guard supervisor, “The body is to be considered a level one threat to your men and the port. You need triple dense gloves and body bag. Use the industrial incinerator to burn the body and make sure everyone that comes within a dozen paces is masked.”

He jerked and stared at the old woman’s body, “Who was she?”

I glanced at the body, “He was a very skill assassin.”

I pulled my comm, “Marshal Godson.”

A moment later the commander’s voice came on, “Morpheus we are still dealing with the golem and the android.”

I glanced around, “We have another worry. One of the older students from my school just popped in.”

There was a long pause, “What did they say?”

I smiled, “He was sent to kill me and I killed him.”

Again there was a pause, “Have you notified the port guards on how to handle the body? You know what happened at the school.”

I looked at the supervisor, “I told them. I need a starcomm to sector commander Jesop. Tell him the school may be back and to take all precautions.”

“I will make sure he gets it.”

I shut the comm off and returned to the room. I collected my bag and Dragon before heading through the port. I set the bag beside me as I sat next to the boarding gate. After slipping the silenced pistol into my bag I put Dragon in my lap. I caressed and reassured her as I leaned back and scanned the area. It was several hours before the attendant came to open the gate and by then there was a small crowd waiting.

I knew that if the school was after me they would have someone on the liner but probably not on the shuttle. I also knew something they did not, the shuttles for this class of liner were new and had military grade anti missile defenses. When we boarded I flashed my badge and sat in the very front next to the door. I watched each and every person board.

We were barely off the ground before red lights started flashing. The acceleration was tripled and then tripled again, pinning everyone in their seats regardless of the anti gravs. I knew what it meant and tried to relax. The defenses must have worked because we were not hit and broke free of the planet. The shuttle took a little longer to dock with the liner and there were a lot more crew waiting to help passengers.

I ignored them as Dragon sat calmly on my shoulder and I collected my bag and started into the ship. The large burly crewman that moved in front of me backed away quickly when I pulled my weapon and touched my badge. He swallowed as he looked from the pistol to Dragon and finally into my face, “There was an incident...”

I shook my head as I strode past him, “Of course there was.”

There were a few people that might have been from the school lounging around but they did not come close. I dropped my bag off in my suite and headed towards the jump rooms. I made sure to sit in a back corner and watched each person as they came in. After we jumped I was up and moving, carrying Dragon against my chest.

I moved to the ship’s lounge and pulled out a few sealed bottles of water. I walked back to my suite and pulled my weapon and stood to the side as I opened the door. The silent shot that came through the door was not unexpected. I tossed the bottles of water through and again the weapon fired. I nudged Dragon onto my shoulder and pulled a small disk from behind my belt.

I knelt and slid it through before standing as I counted. The image of me crouching appeared before I spun around the door. The assassin’s weapon fired into the holograph and I fired into the small women rapidly. I walked to her and looked down at the hole between her eyes and the three close holes in the center of her chest. I knelt to check her and stripped everything that could be lethal.