Secret Mission (Part Two)

As Koth announces there are spies amongst them in the Shady Beggar Club, where Jean-Luc, Seven and I are, we get very tense.

Jean-Luc has a very white face, as if a vampire has had too much from him. I imagine I must look the same. Seven looks the same though, as if she is going to assault somebody.

She's always looked like that, though.

The security guards in the Club brush past us and apprehend two individuals near the back; they are handcuffed.

"These two spies have been working for the government" says Koth to the other cloaked figures, "Be careful what you say, there may be other agents in our very midst."

Suddenly, I feel as if everybody is watching me.

The two spies are taken away for 'questioning'. Jean-Luc tells be that if any interrogation involves counting lights, then you are in big trouble.

"What do we do now, Jean-Luc....I mean Jada?" I ask him, "Can we go back to our hotel for some, errr..rest"

"That is irrelevant!" snaps Seven, and Jean-Luc and I look glum.

"We mix and find out what we can." he tells us.

"Threatening to assimilate them would produce swifter results." comments Seven.

We both roll our eyes.

I go to the bar and meet a young girl dressed in black; I buy her a drink and after exchanging a few anti-government thoughts, she tells me her name is Alice, after I give my name as Therase, and I ask her how the movement is getting on.

"We need to take more action!" asserts Alice, "This group is too soft; more force is needed!"

It sounds like she and Seven would get on, if they were on the same side.

"Koth is just a puppet." Alice goes on, "He's not really the leader here."

"Who is?" I ask.

"Some of us are trying to find that out, Therase." she tells me, "My friends are going to kill a few of his companions tonight; do you want to join us?"

"Err...I'd love to, Alice, but I'm washing my hair tonight."

I go over and rejoin Jean-Luc and Seven, and tell them what I know.

"That's generally what I found out as well" says Jean-Luc, "There seems to be a hidden group behind this one."

"Affirmative." Seven tells us, "This information I ascertained from one of the minions here. Koth is being controlled."

"Then what we need to do is follow Koth and see who he talks to." says Jean-Luc.

Sigh. No time for romance on our missions. I thought spies were supposed to have that sort of thing all the time.

---------------------------

Later that night, the three of us follow Koth when he leaves the Shady Beggar Club. He and a couple of his associates go with him, doing their best not to be seen, wearing dark cloaks and keeping to lightless alleyways. Looking like the sort of characters one would not be keen on meeting.

Eventually, through winding pathways, the three of them meet up with four other cloaked figures. It occurs to me that cloaks must be the biggest produce on Taos II.

One of the figures goes up to Koth; we try to get as near as possible to hear what is going on. After all, we can hardly ask them to speak up.

"You're foolish, Koth" says the figure talking to him, "Don't you realise there are three Federation agents in your group."

Koth looks shocked.

The figure removes the hood of his cloak; it is Taran, the Emperor's second in command! It was him who asked the Federation for help in quashing the rebel movements.

This is complicated; I can see that Jean-Luc looks confused. The sort of look he has when trying to do a jigsaw puzzle.

"Seize them!" says Taran; the others swiftly grab Jean-Luc and myself, while Seven gets away and evades them.

Things are looking bad; I like being with Jean-Luc, but not when caught by revolutionaries.

To be continued..