+"Jake." he said. "I thought you died with your dad."
+
+==== Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative====
+
+Jake looked down at the carpet under his feet. "No. He protected me
+with his body. I lived because he took the force of the blast." His
+eyes roamed up the wall, seeing a time years ago and miles away. "When
+the Guard came around to see if everyone was dead, I unfocused my eyes
+like you taught me. Remember? And lay limp. I had enough blood on me
+to look realistic."
+
+"Someone poked me in the side with a gun. It hurt, but I managed to
+stay limp. They went on."
+
+His gaze met Harlan's. "I lay there for a long time." His eyes
+sparkled with unshed tears. "My dad and me - we didn't get along well.
+Part of it was the Resistance. He believed. I thought it was
+bullshit."
+
+Running his hand through his hair, he said "We argued, sometimes to
+the point of throwing punches. I couldn't sway him. And I was too
+stubborn to open my eyes."
+
+He chuckled, a laugh with no humor in it. "Boy, did I ever have my
+eyes yanked open that night." Looking at Harlan, he said "If I had
+twitched, they would have shot me dead. Even though I was supposedly
+on their side."
+
+He hung his head down and shook it. "Shit! I was dumb."
+
+"I think I lay there, between the cold floor and the cooling body of
+my father, for at least an hour. At one point I started crying. Crying
+like I had no tomorrow. And I didn't. I had no idea what to do, where
+to go."
+
+Still with his head hanging, he said "The reason I survived had
+nothing to do with my skill or knowledge. The Resistance came. I was
+crawling out from under Dad at that point and was trying to get to my
+feet." He smiled grimly. "I was as stiff as Dad was becoming."
+
+"Three men suddenly appeared - like out of thin air. One was
+Santorini. I didn't know the other two." He sighed. "They obviously
+knew me. One spoke up. He wanted to kill me. Santorini looked at me,
+covered in my father's blood, tears streaking down my face, one leg
+still stuck under the corpse. He shook his head and had them bring me
+along."
+
+"For days, I slept or lay staring at the ceiling. I didn't eat much. I
+didn't think much. Thinking was far too painful. I just lay on the bed
+in a fog."
+
+He smiled then, a genuine smile. "Finally Santorini's daughter, Jade,
+came into the room. I wasn't dead, so I noticed her. Brilliant green
+hair and eyes and a smile that would light up the world. She kicked me
+out of bed, forced me to dress, and dragged me back to the land of the
+living."
+
+Harlan smiled. "I think I've met her."
+
+"At the Big House?"
+
+Harlan nodded.
+
+"Yeah. She's been undercover there for a couple of years." He leaned
+back. "I don't like it. Hell. I hate it. But Jade's a big girl and can
+do what she wants. I'm just her husband."
+
+"You're married to that witch?"
+
+"Yeah. Ain't she great?"
+
+Harlan grinned. "Hell, yeah."
+
+Harlan and Jake began to laugh. Mellie stared at them. "What's so
+funny?"
+
+Harlan managed to say. "You'll have to meet her."
+
+When he had controlled his laughter, Harlan said "You'll have to
+forgive me if I don't trust you implicitly yet, Jake. I'll let
+Santorini okay you."
+
+Keeping their phasers centered on Jake's back, Harlan and Mellie
+herded him out the door and into the garage, boarding a two seater
+AirScooter. Mellie sat on Harlan's lap and guided the machine. Fifteen
+minutes of discomfort and crowding later, they arrived at the Green
+Palace.
+
+Santorini met them at the front door. He didn't even look at Harlan or
+Mellie. He went straight to Jake and hugged him, holding the younger
+man tightly for a moment. When the Boss stepped back, Harlan could see
+tears in the eyes of both men.
+
+Harlan shrugged and put his phaser away. Looking at Mellie, he saw
+that she was smiling and had already holstered her weapon.
+
+Santorini brought Jake over to them. He started to introduce Jake, but
+they all interrupted, saying that they had indeed met.
+
+The Boss said "Oh, yeah. That's right. Thank you for not killing or
+maiming him. Jade would kill all of us."
+
+Mellie looked at Santorini and asked "You got any more daughters,
+Boss?"
+
+"Yeah. Two more. Why?"
+
+Mellie shook her head. "Nevermind."
+
+Jake carried a message from Cassidy. Cassidy could see what was about
+to happen on his world and he wanted to be on the winning side. By his
+calculations, the Resistance would win. He would be throwing all the
+resources of the Syndicate behind the rebels.
+
+There were stipulations, of course, including a full pardon for every
+man or woman who fought for freedom.
+
+Cassidy wanted that pardon. He had set up a legitimate business
+several years ago, importing fashionable clothes from New Dessel where
+they were made with cheap labor. To his credit, he had insisted that
+all of his workers be paid at least a good wage by New Dessel
+standards. He also managed to get them good health care coverage and
+even two weeks vacation. They were basically indentured servants so he
+forgave fifty percent of their debt and released them when the rest
+was paid off. He even rehired them at a significant increase in wages.
+All of this could be done on New Dessel and still save him money.
+
+He wanted to move to New Dessel and continue his reforms, but he
+needed to be free of his past. Going straight was complicated.
+
+Cassidy also foresaw the need for their armories to be updated. He had
+done that for the Syndicate. He offered the Resistance the same
+advances - at a discount, of course. Cassidy was giving them a good
+deal. If they could trust him.
+
+Jake thought Cassidy was sincere. He wanted to be a hero for a change.
+And to make money at it. Jake said he could almost hear the cheering
+of the crowds when Cassidy talked about his dreams.
+
+The Boss agreed to meet with the would-be hero. Each would bring their
+most trusted associate and no one else. They would all be armed. That
+was understood. Trust only stretches so far.
projects / universe.git / commitdiff