Chapter 162: [ Book 2 ] Chapter 22: Debriefing

In case anyone is curious, the book is 97.4% done. That is a 100% accurate and calculated number using a proprietary formula, so don't ask for it! (lol). I'm in the editing phase using tools like Grammarly, the Hemingway app, and a talented beta reader. I just received the first draft of the cover and it's sweet! Looking forward to sharing that with a reveal when it's done. If anyone wishes to make an editorial comment, please feel free to do so or shoot me a message. Again, thanks for reading!

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Celescia thanked the Spirits that the troupe’s next performance was the following day. The meal Zellis served them was delicious to the point of irresistible. Mounds of fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish from Preemona. Fearing she might overindulge, she had to push back from the table. Ruki and Yanna did the same.

Zellis grinned at Celescia, knowing her temptation with gluttony was all his doing.

“I underestimated how much I miss my favorite foods,” Celescia said.

“I knew you’d appreciate it.” He paused, his expression turning serious. “As much as I’d like this to be a social visit, we must get down to business.”

Celescia had another sip of her wine, mentally preparing herself to revisit the chaos and heartbreak of Sanctum. She set her glass down. “Please, begin.”

“We’ll start at the beginning of your report and step through the timeline.” Zellis brought up a secureHub on the table display and authenticated with his biometrics. The report contained within expanded, the face of an uppity Pree male projecting above the table.

“This is your assailant. Kin name of Kahaliss. Acculturation intelligence sources have determined he was released from SecForce custody to Ministry of Security agents. His whereabouts are unknown. He’s a close associate of Regent Yhevi who openly supports Acculturation. It’s possible he was some sort of Theocracy agent, but there is no evidence of that. We still have no credible theories why he attacked you. Intelligence will continue to investigate.” Zellis paused, eyeing Celescia. “I wonder, do you think his encounter with Captain Anderton might’ve motivated the attack in some way?”

“I don’t see how. As I reported, I had no previous encounter with him that I know of. Anderton said they had an unpleasant exchange before the performance. Something about a brief argument over seating decorum,” Celescia answered.

“I’m sure the captain’s unpolished demeanor did nothing to aggravate the situation,” Yanna said.

“It was my speech which set him off. There’s no doubt of this.”

Zellis moved on to the next highlight in the report. An image of the Mystery Man dipping Celescia. “Speaking of Captain Anderton, you and his heroic alter-ego are all over GalaxyNet.”

Celescia studied the shadow-draped forms of her and Dash. In that moment, viewing it with Zellis and her partners, she was left with a sense that it was someone else. The detachment, almost an out-of-body experience, allowed her an outsider’s perspective. The true beauty of the moment dawned on her, sending a tingling sensation crawling down her limbs. “I understand the appeal. Thankfully his identity wasn’t revealed. Otherwise, the Theocracy might’ve tracked down his ship.”

“He appears to be handling it well.”

“He doesn’t grasp what he stepped into. But we’re done with him now,” Yanna said.

Celescia noticed Zellis give Yanna a look as if he didn’t agree with her statement. “Regardless of our differences, he has a kind heart and risked his life for us. Of that, we’re eternally grateful,” she said with an edge in her voice. Defending Dash felt odd given their frequent clashes. Still, she felt the need to do it.

Yanna’s face scrunched like she had more to say and was wise enough to clamp down on it to keep herself out of trouble.

Zellis moved on to a few images of the operative team captured on the troupe’s PDs during their escape.

“As for the encounter with the operatives—“

“Murdering scum,” Ruki muttered.

“It was an ambush. A slaughter,” Yanna fumed.

Zellis regarded each of them. “I understand your anger. I am deeply disturbed by what happened. Thank the Spirits for Captain Anderton. But if we’re to honor those who we lost in support of our cause, we must understand what went wrong so it cannot happen again in the future.”

“Proceed,” Celescia said. Each singer stepped through their recollection of the ambush and escape. The terror of imminent capture by the operatives, then the threat of death in the blackness of space. Celescia’s meal lay unsettled inside her as she relived the raw emotions of the experience. The guilt at both the failure of the operation and her survival of the ambush hung over her like a haunted Spirit.

Zellis listened attentively, interjecting questions here and there. He asked many times if Anderton could’ve had nefarious intentions. Ruki disagreed with a zest that bordered on anger. A side of her Celescia had rarely seen. Even Yanna defended the captain. “While I don’t trust him, it seems illogical that he schemed solely to enter our good graces.”

“I agree,” Zellis said. “If it’s of any consolation, I don’t believe there is anything you could’ve done differently. It’s a miracle that you escaped.”

Celescia saw the faces of her lost team flash within her mind and fought against the rising waves of sorrow and anger. The emotions threatened to crest over her willpower, but she held them in check. “Some miracle,” she said through a clenched jaw. “Not only did we lose our team, but we failed to secure the material from the defector. I appreciate your sympathies, but if you truly wish to help us grieve, then we must know why it was so important.”

“Unfortunately, the answer is above my pay grade.”

“We’ve sacrificed so much and yet we’re treated like children,” Yanna said.

Zellis gave her a sympathetic look. “I wish I had an answer for you. We all know the truth. The Acculturation movement takes precedence above all else. If someone knew all our secrets, their capture would doom the entire cause.”

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The rational part of Celescia's mind agreed with his logic. But she would need to know the sacrifice was worth it if she were to have a chance at sleeping soundly again. She resumed her story, covering the escape and the proposal of the Stardancer crew to ferry the singers to Aurora.

“Did the crew treat you well?” Zellis asked. “You can be honest with me. There are many haulers who have come to Tyrcellus to exploit the instability.”

“They were as accommodating as they could be,” Celescia answered. “The captain understood the risk, small as it was, in transporting us here. He is somewhat gruff and indelicate, but they appear to be altruistic people.”

Zellis closed the secureHub. “This report was difficult for me to review. The thought of losing you shatters my spirit. I cannot imagine the grief you feel. I promise to do what I can to get answers, but I fear you will need to seek them directly from Regent Anncellis herself.”

Celescia perked up at the mention of the Acculturation leader. “We’re to meet with her?”

Zellis nodded. “With the charter vote approaching, Acculturation will begin our final campaign against the Theocracy. One that you will be intimately involved in. A ship is inbound to transport you to Anncellis and the rest of the leadership. To the heart of Acculturation.”

“If they need us that desperately, then they’re going to have to trust us with the knowledge of their overall plan,” Yanna said.

“They will, for they have no choice. Unfortunately, projections show the number of regents opposed to the charter tilts in favor of the Theocracy. Their influence is deeply embedded in our culture. They cling to it as protests and riots rage. Honestly, I fear the situation could become much more dire. This may very well lead to mass violence. Even civil war.”

Celescia peered at Zellis. “How was Acculturation intelligence so wrong on the vote count?”

“We don’t know. Acculturation is in a state of shock. The vote announcement came as a surprise. Our Commonwealth inside sources told us afterward that it was kept a secret to avoid any leaks.”

“They’re fools! They undermined their own cause by not giving us enough time to prepare,” Yanna said.

“I understand your perspective, but their decision was the best of bad choices. It’s a critical moment for the Commonwealth. If we delay the charter vote any longer, we may not have a chance to vote at all if the Commonwealth destabilizes,” Zellis said. “But despite our dire predicament, all is not lost. We have you new friends to thank for that.”

He waved a hand over the table. Multiple media feeds appeared; news reports, commentary, commcasts, personal vids, the reactions ranging from comedic to serious.

Celescia watched the feeds cycle past. How, in the snippets of ordinary life, the incident affected the common person. A clip of a public sermon where the protopriest condemned the incident. Half of those in attendance shouted their disapproval and stormed out. Protestors waved flags printed with a silhouetted outline of the embrace between herself and Dash. Adolescents reenacted the scene in their homes.

“Analytics show an overall positive reception that grows by the day. But I don't need numbers and charts. I know what's in my heart. I’ve been in the hospitality business as far back as I can remember. I turned my kin’s single niche lounge into ventures on every continent on Preemona, then across Tyrcellus. I know a cultural phenomenon when I see it.” Zellis peered between each of the singers. “The last time I felt this way was when you three walked into this very lounge.”

He tapped a finger on the display, multiple vids of the Sanctum incident replaying beneath it. Tiny clones of Dash knocking the assailant away and catching Celescia from the abyss with a graceful spin. “I feel about this the same way I felt about you. I see something special. This is an opportunity you cannot pass up.”

Celescia didn't know what to say. Yanna had no problem voicing her opinion. “Are you seriously suggesting that the Mystery Man should be in our performances?”

Zellis gave the surly singer a pleasant smile. “I am.”

“Absolutely not,” Yanna fumed. “The Theocracy already uses it as propaganda. We cannot give them more ammunition. It’s too divisive. Too provocative. Too many of our people remember the days of reading and piracy.”

“Hold on. We should at least consider it,” Ruki said.

“You only say that because you want to be around that blond-haired medtech.”

Ruki bristled, face flushed, and fired back. Celescia’s mind drifted back to the performance. It came as a blur of emotions; the passion of her speech, the thrill of the crowd’s enthusiasm, the fear from the blindside attack, and the relief in her rescue. Dash’s intentions went unspoken but were made clear in his gentle yet firm touch, and the glimmer of warmth she caught in his eyes. She recalled the same feeling the old trader had instilled in her all those years ago.

“The incident has taken on a life of its own,” Celescia said, silencing her bickering partners. They peered at her. “What I see is a moment of purity in a galaxy of chaos. Whether it was coincidence or the will of the Spirits, our fates have intertwined to bring us here. It might not be time for us to untangle them just yet.”

“How would it even work? The man’s not a professional performer. He’s a hauler!” Yanna said.

“He’s admitted to having past training. And you saw what he did on instinct. He has potential,” Ruki countered, earning a challenging look from Yanna.

“You said the captain seeks work. Offer him a contract for the performance here on Sanctum. Acculturation will pay for it in addition to the transportation fee,” Zellis said. “This may seem ill-conceived or even reckless, but the times call for bold moves. I’ve always believed in your instinct. So, Sister Celescia, what say you?”

Celescia looked between her partners, each of them pleading with their eyes. The four of them remained close ever since their paths crossed over two years ago. The stars aligned, and Sisters Celescia rose to the top. But what would they think if they knew the truth about her? Would they still trust her with this decision?

The reckoning would come one day, but not today.

She could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth even as she spoke them. “I will speak with the captain.”

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