Strange how her tasks had always proved easy. of course, with such a large scale mission as this, with support of The Organization, resistance was the quickest way to handle the wrath of the boys. 'The Boys', she mused as she strode towards the buildings. Tough wasn't the word to be used in connection with her back up team. Lasersaw Millie - ex-Urielian border patrol, trouble shooter for a unregistered asteroid grabbing company and a ruthless killer who modeled herself on the entire North Charan army.  Sick Sid - a former Ceres Prison guard and muzzle-fitter who had wanted to find the real action and Paddy Mohammed Mienhoff - a Terran-Saturnian half breed wanted by the security forces of 9 planets and the Jovian drug cartels, whose previous activities included attempted insurrection among the brothels of Birmingham. After days of fierce fighting the rebellion was quelled, but at cost. It was estimated that it would take twenty years to rebuild the city and the associated geostaionary space mansions were in tatters. 

She stepped into the dim crowded room, box at the ready. No question of an insignia or signing in, at the sight of her responsible officers and conscripts alike became suddenly involved in deep conversations or hurriedly turned away. A quick rattle of a throaty grunt and she knew she was In command.  Heads swiveled, the conversational hubbub subsided. 

"Sally?" questioned an awed rating.  "So that's what she's like! I thought..." A dig in the ribs from a wiser comrade saved him. 

"They have ears everywhere." 

Her final instruction was given across the hall by way of a nod of the head of a Major; it would not be fitting for any higher rank to be seen trusting the fate of billions to what amounted to no more that a state sanctioned hit. 

Her aura permeated the room, her eyes probing the officer as she probed his mind for signs of a double cross.  He knew better than to question, not to turn away, but above all not to meet the glare of those icy blue eyes.  'Pay up quietly' he thought to himself. 'Look what they did to Aidan.' 
 

**********************

The four had been in space for several days, the journey from the belt could not be made through the normal routes so they had to make several stops and hitch lifts from earth crossing-'oids.  Now their small craft lay in the scanning shadow of the moon. 

Sally eased herself back into her chair and signaled the lights in her cabin to dim.  The final leg of her journey to earth to less than a second.  Their minds touched briefly. She saw through his eyes a palatial, elegant compartment, yet the interns belongings were spartan.  The Brothers were notoriously strong of mind and will, this one obviously, single minded to duty, yet only a few short seconds separated life from mind bending control and then death. Sally was now in mind and body the envoy of the Holy Brotherhood, but with her own purpose. Briefly she stood before a full length mirror familiarizing herself with the new carriage she had acquired, and testing the vocal equipment with which it was equipped; simple but refined, not exactly comfortable but tolerable for the duration. 

Millie, Sid and Paddy had made the short journey buy more conventional methods, landing and then taking up positions to go in if Sally should fail.   They waited, always ready, anxious and envious. Sally had never yet failed, consequently for several years, since her arrival, they had done no more than diversionary maneuvers, and the odd technical removal, yet if she should fail here, they would by conventional subversion and assassination bring about the less desirable but no less effective civil war of the inner solar system: the consequential dissolution of any or all alliances. 

Earth was a world in a festive mood.  The unification of two alliances, brought about by both kinship of their leaders and accension of leadership by conquestial or political means, signaled a peace and prosperity previously unknown, -and the knowledge that a highly populated massive confederation covering two thirds of the solar system would be just the starting point for others  to join and begin the formation of the Holy Empire. The daily news, whether seen by telecasting or in the tabloid discs was almost constantly concerned almost solely with this, though until now only minor issues, the odd bones of contention had been discussed. 

Aides, advisors and minnows, were a constant hive of enterprise hammering out agreements, settlements and bartering about this and that, that would pave the way for the easy settlement of the 'Great Issue'. 
 

********************

The President dragged himself back to the brink of reality - the nearest he ever got at this advanced age - and lit another cheroot. 

"Where we have failed them in the past, we must not now." 

The Presidents voice purred piercingly through the attendant smog and impinged on the consciousness of his fellow inmates. He left the statement hanging until he was forced to breath in and all objections where choked and crushed to the floor, out cold. 

A rustle of unease stirred among his co-rulers. They stole conspiratorial glances at each other, diverting their attention momentarily from the President as he absent mindely loaded his glass with refreshment. Russ Dillete - Governor of Calisto - cleared his throat nervously, while picking his nose with a talon and squeezing warts. The rising tension in him caused his voice to tremble slightly as the words tumbled out. 

"Uhuuh, failed who? I mean, you know haw far out one side of this Conference is from the other. It will be difficult." After he had spoken his brain slipped into gear and he slavered over his lapels in excitement as intelligence regained a momentary upper hand.  The President raised his head languidly, smiled with all his three teeth showing and shot Dillete dead. 

Sally, her aura now spread throughout the  conclave,  stroking the minds of all within, twitched momentarily as if she had just knocked back a double scotch.

A murmur of approval came from the survivors and spontaneous fear inspired applause broke out.  A peremptory gesture killed the clapping just as surely as the flash of the gun had killed the Governor. 

"I repeat, we must not fail them, my little ones."  So put that one phrase sparked the audience with individualistic desires.  The unification was failing.  Then his mind began to register Dillete lying on the floor and her jerked himself back into his usual state of raw savagery laced with disdain. "Is he dead?" 

Paul Harnri, Priminister of the Martian state of Cassinni bent over the crumpled form looking for the telltale flutter of the motor of Dillete's artificial heart.  Nothing.  He rose slowly shaking his head and explored in his best temper.  "Dead! Dead! of course he's fucking dead.  You'd be dead with brains ten feet removed from the rest of you.  You killed him, you viscous, slimy sadistic..." 

Harnri ran out of breath and slumped into his seat.  If only the president wasn't his great uncle, strange though he now behaved. 

The President spoke mildly.  "Don't worry.  It was a perfectly constitutional slaughter." 

Emboldened by fear for his own life, Taby Slillit, Chancellor of Europa uncrossed his eyes and spoke.  "Now He's gone, we don't have to, er, pay attention to, er, his objections, we can, er, unite unopposed.  We won't, er, need to bribe him." 

"There can be no Empire, " came a call from the corner of the room.  "We want justice."...."Death to the President".... "We want war..." 

The President gazed pityingly at Slillit then launched his ire on the dissenting voices.  "Waste your objections on someone who cares." 
Slillit lower his shoulders and supported his jowls on his palms. "I liked the Empire the way, er, it, er, would have been." 
The Brotherhoods envoy, his mind clearing as he regained control of his vocal cord, rose faulteringly wondering why he had not seen fit to intercede before this.  His presence ushered silence throughout the chamber, even the president yielded the floor to him. 

"Lords and leaders of this great system.  There can be no Empire now, these event have seen to that.  The other planets and moons would rise up against you, the present states would fall and generations of work would be lost to a barbaric new order.  This must not happen." 

The delegates began shuffling towards the exits and the safety of their own ships so that few saw the President regain control of his mind and recognise the Holy Brother for what he had become.  Few remained to see the second blast splatter his brains over the walls or the third, point blank, disintegrate the upper torso from the President. 

          **********************

Mille, Sid and Paddy made the calculations for their return to the belt.  The job had taken a lot out of Sally and she had been lucky to catch the last second grimaced smile on the President's face and break the connection with the envoy.  She glanced at the box.  It was almost empty.  She would need several months to refill it and herself before the next job. 

Paddy  cast a casual glance at her sleek pale form. 
"This must have been the closest she's come to really needing us."  smiled Millie.
 

"The space mansions were full of fat bulls with no todgers anyhow.." - 
Spokeswoman for the Birmigham pros league
 

" Dillete's IQ went up by a factor of 10 with that shot." --
Mars Today Magazine
 
 
 
 
 

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Selina Shaw has been a freelance writer for 3 years, writing articles for various international magazines and newspapers.  Her short stories have appeared in several small press and professional magazines.
She has several stories scheduled for future issues of Colonies.