Senior Agent Jeffrey Keenan walked into the Director's office. He had only been here twice before. Once, for a private reprimand from the former Director, Brian Copeland, and another to file a report personally to the Director.
It was not a comfortable room for him to be in. The blast shielded doors behind him could withstand a Siege Cruiser's main cannon fire for half an hour, the oxygen gas tanks on one side of the room could provide enough oxygen for a single being for three years and the supercomputer that was in standby mode on the other wall could give a biography of every single person, organisation and hair strand that ever existed in the Sirius Sector. It was suffocating and intimidating. It was power.
Director Copperfield tapped a touch screen on his desk and the supercomputer hummed into life, displaying Keenan's file. Keenan didn't raise an eyebrow and Copperfield did not expect him to, he was a trained agent, able to expect the unexpected.
"I've been looking over your file Keenan." It was a probing statement from the Director.
"Yes sir?" Jeffrey questioned.
Five hours passed. Jeffrey Keenan, 28, Senior Agent of the Liberty Security Force had just been promoted to Director of Research & Development, and he had his work cut out for him. During the last five hours he had just been briefed on what to do, and it was now time for a little relaxation.
Relaxation time was over. A new Director of Intelligence was appointed and that department needed a detailed report. A report only he could make.
"It is the same technology they have always wanted." Nancy Clearwater, Keenan's secretary spoke softly. She wanted to dissuade him from leaving the office and entering hostile space based on flimsy evidence. She had a point.
"You realise the impact that cloaking technology could have don't you?" Keenan's rhetoric was shot down by an icy look.
"It's stupid. You will be killed. Anyway, can I have this desk once you're dead?" Her look softened and she was now teasing him. He loved and hated her for it.
"I'll be back, and don't re-arrange the drawers. Remember, I know how to kill you with a sock." Jeffrey tried to brush off her teasing by rushing out towards the door.
He went out the door, hit himself on the forehead and turned around to go back in. Instead he found his secretary holding his gun to his forehead. She smiled.
"You may need this Jeffrey." She handed him the gun while laughing and went back to his desk to re-arrange the drawers.
"Great. I have been pushing too much paper." Jeffrey reflected on his basic mistake of not being armed.
"Get me some AIT's and make sure they have my ship ready to go once I get down to the hangar. And remember, a sock." Keenan barked across the room to his secretary before heading down to the hangar.
"Who was this new guy?" Jeffrey thought as he gave the interior of his ship the once over. He knew he looked over every application for entry into the Liberty Security Force, and he thought this AIT had something strange about him.
Bay 8 of Eureka Research Station opened for the Department Director. It was a bay specifically reserved for him. Bay seven also opened with the AIT coming out of it. With secure, ECM-protected, scrambling communication channels established between the two ships Keenan could see the AIT's name was Jacob Shattuck. Shattuck could probably see the wide grin on Keenan's face brought about by the pride of seeing one of the projects he had worked on in action. The ECM pod was experimental jamming technology and would be put to good use today.
Keenan's dog-fighting skills were terrible with most of his time being spent behind a desk or in the lab. However, he had developed a sixth sense for knowing when something was not right. Deep in Alaska, with no allied patrols around and with his own ECM jamming technology being used against him, Jeffrey Keenan pulled to the left just as Jake Shattuck opened fire.
Shattuck missed. Barely. Keenan dropped the experimental mines on his ship and hit cruise. The mines did little damage to the armour of the ship, but they drew all power into them and then exploded in a surge to fry any electronic device it comes into contact with.
But he was too late. Just before the mines made contact Shattuck had relayed a message through his secure line to base, identifying Keenan as a traitor to the LSF.
Keenan had bought a few, very precious minutes. Ellesmere's and New York's jumpholes were behind him and the entirety of the liberty lawfuls would be coming after him. He also knew that Shattuck's ECM pod would only jam him in Alaska. He had to make the report, provide his own guncam footage and hope that his years at the LSF cleared him.
He did the only thing he could. He headed for Omicron 100. The heart of The Order.
Julia was in her office in Alert Station when the news came through from a sensor drone in Alaska. She was in shock at first at the course Keenan was taking.
Why is he heading for Order space? She pondered
It could only mean one thing, he was defecting to the Order. She gave the order to hunt him down and bring him in, destroy if necessary. After all he was head of R&D in the LSF and his knowledge was too valuable for the Order to have.
She got in her Guardian and mustered up a small strike force to hunt him down.....
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