Lawmen- Rook and Berenger Read online

  “Conceived by the current head of the Twinspirit Legacy, Lord Cavendosh Twinspirit established the Galactic Rangers Initiative as a stop-gap measure to enforce Imperial law in galactic territory, which is used to being lawless. Unlike planets in the core of the Regalus Empire, planets in the Frontier are still largely isolated and independent from one another, with the Great Expanse making support and oversight from the Imperial government slow and inconsistent. Until such time that the Empire can bring out the personnel for large-scale law enforcement efforts and establish the proper infrastructure to police the Frontier, it will fall to the Galactic Ranger task force to enforce Imperial law.”

  When the presentation ended, the holo-projection on the stage faded away, and the lights came back up as the pleasant female voice continued over the loudspeakers.

  “And now, please give a warm welcome to the head of the first Legacy of the Frontier – Lord Cavendosh Twinspirit!”

  There was a murmur that traveled through the agents in attendance as a rugged and distinguished looking man walked onto the stage. He was dressed in a nicely tailored tan vest with matching slacks, brown frontiersmen boots, and a blue shirt. His vest bore the crest of his Legacy over his heart. He wore his dishwater blonde hair, which was showing just hints of silver at his temples, combed back on his head, and he had a very bushy moustache that covered his upper lip entirely. Despite being the Lord of an entire planetary system, Cavendosh Twinspirit looked more like someone one could grab a drink with at the local boozskeller.

  Cavendosh Twinspirit was accompanied by a tall Endolan who wore a monocle over his third eye. His closely cropped hair and beard were salt-and-pepper colored, his skin an inky black, and he wore the gray uniform of an Imperial Intelligence Officer. Another man, this one a Corkron, walked beside the Endolan. His large oval-shaped head displayed many tattoos, signifying a great number of accomplishments within his culture. He wore a black suit with a gray vest, along with a bolo tie. He sported an enormously bushy moustache, covering his entire mouth and traveling along his cheeks and up to the tops of his ears. And if his moustache were bushy, his eyebrows were even more so.

  The two aliens stood behind Lord Cavendosh as a podium rose up from the stage. Cavendosh took his place at the podium and gazed at the small assembly before him, smiling warmly.

  “Howdy,” he began. “Thank you all for being here today. I know it may seem odd to have the head of a Legacy present at an orientation session, but I hope my being here communicates to all of you just how important I believe the Galactic Ranger Initiative to be.”

  Lord Cavendosh cleared his throat before straightening his tie and continuing with his speech.

  “My father and my uncle faced a great challenge in settling this planet and opening the way for others to colonize the Frontier. But as difficult as their challenge was, I fear that I face a far greater one. If the Frontier is going to thrive – and I mean truly thrive – it must come under Imperial rule. It is only through the Regalus Empire’s resources, infrastructure, and technology that we will be able to tie the Frontier’s planetary systems together in order to allow their populations to flourish. But to do that, it is vitally important that we establish Imperial law throughout the quadrant.”

  Cavendosh tapped a button on his podium which brought up a holographic map of the planetary systems within the Frontier.

  “As you can see, there’s a lot of territory here in the Frontier that settlers have already colonized. However, for as many colonies as there are on planets, there are also numerous space stations, outposts, and settlements scattered throughout the three sectors that comprise Frontier space. In the land rush following my father and uncle’s discovery of the Sapphire System, all of these outposts were established without any type of oversight, regulation, or official sanction. Today, each operates independently, many of them without any type of law enforcement in place. As you can imagine, this has made the Frontier a haven for outlaws and undesirables who are here in just as great a number as the good, hard-working, and decent people. This is why core worlders often refer to the Frontier as the ‘wild west’. The Scutum-Centarus Arm is in the westernmost part of Imperial territory, and there is nothing stopping individuals from doing whatever the squick they want, pardon my Visini.”

  Cavendosh turned off the holo-projection and stepped out from behind the podium.

  “As the first official Legacy here in the Frontier, the Twinspirit Legacy is the primary representative of the Galactic Regalus Empire in the Scutum-Centarus Arm. And if the Frontier has any hope of surviving, it needs to be brought under Imperial rule. Thus, the responsibility falls to my Legacy to make the effort to enforce Imperial law throughout it. That is why, with the personal approval of Emperor Tavolos I, I established the Galactic Rangers.”

  Cavendosh paced the stage, hands clasped behind his back, his pointy-toed frontiersmen boots echoing with each step as he eyed the small crowd before him.

  “Most of you in this auditorium come from Barnholm and its neighboring systems, but some of you are from the core worlds,” Cavendosh continued. “But all y’all here today are agents of the Imperial Intelligence Agency. You’ve been trained to gather information but not necessarily to enforce the law. This Initiative was conceived to partner personnel from across all Imperial agencies operating on Barnholm. You’ll be teamed up with people from the Imperial Peacekeeper Department, the Imperial Space Force, and the Imperial Investigative Service – an agency that my good friend Cornwallace Kerpatrick helped to establish and oversaw here on Barnholm.”

  Cavendosh turned and gestured toward the Corkron behind him. Director Kerpatrick gave him a nod of acknowledgement before Cavendosh returned to his speech.

  “Galactic Rangers are meant to operate in small groups since we, as yet, do not have the resources of large populations here in the Frontier,” Cavendosh said. “Eventually, the Empire will send us the personnel we need, but until such time, pairs of Galactic Rangers will be our primary units of law enforcement among all the unsanctioned settlements in this quadrant of space. Galactic Rangers will be mobile, able to travel to any location in which they are needed as the infrastructure of Imperial law enforcement is established. Those of you here will not only be tasked to investigate crimes but will also be asked to perform many other duties, such as transferring prisoners, protecting witnesses, answering distress calls, and performing a host of other responsibilities necessary to enforce law and order. I’m not gonna lie to y’all. It’s going to be a tough job. Your task is to clean up an entire quadrant of space that likes being dirty. But in the end, I promise you, it will be rewarding – especially for those of you who consider the Frontier your home.”

  Cavendosh then gestured toward Cornwallace and the Endolan standing beside him.

  “The Ranger Initiative is run by Director Kerpatrick and overseen by IIA station chief Ormosa’dila’retifur,” he said, “two men whom I credit, more than any others, with helping to establish Imperial law here on Barnholm and throughout the Sapphire System. Since the task force was first established two years ago, their leadership and expertise has already proven how effective the Galactic Rangers can be. They will be the ones overseeing you. I’ll now hand it over to them. Thank you all for coming and joining the task force. I hope y’all will do me, the Frontier, and the Empire proud.”

  There was a round of applause as Cavendosh waved to the crowd and exited the stage. Chief Ormosa then stepped forward to the podium.

  “The IIA’s loss is the Galactic Ranger’s gain, it would seem,” Ormosa said, his voice deep and soothing. “You are all here because you either volunteered, or you were invited due to your high marks within the Agency. Many of you are fresh out of the IIA University, but it is your youth and energy that is just as valuable to the Initiative as your intellect and expertise. In the coming days, Director Kerpatrick and I will be assigning you to your partners. Many of you will be paired with experienced members of the IIS, Peacekeeper Department, and Imperial Space
Fleet depending on how we feel you’ll be best utilized. Once you receive your badges and become official Galactic Rangers, you’ll be required to report to your assigned partner to begin your duties. Until such time, relax and enjoy yourselves. The hard work is about to begin.”

  “The orientation is now over,” the pleasant female voice boomed over the loudspeakers once more. “There are refreshments in the lobby. Thank you for coming and welcome to the Galactic Rangers.”

  Bars set up with coffee, tea, and juices stood in the well-lit, granite-floored lobby of the IIA building, in addition to the tables offering a buffet of pastries, eggrolls, spiced rice, and seasoned meats (all of which Deckland found too spicy for his liking). Those who attended the orientation excitedly talked among themselves as they partook of the foods and beverages.

  Deckland hadn’t socialized much, preferring to eat first. He’d just finished a small plate of rice mixed with a mild salsa and an odd (but tasty) concoction the locals called “guacamole,” when he heard someone address him.

  “Agent Prescott?”

  Deckland turned toward the source of the voice to find Chief Ormosa standing behind him. The Endolan smiled warmly at him and extended his hand.

  “I am Ormosa’dila’retifur. IIA Station Chief here on Barnholm.”

  “Yes, I know who you are, sir,” Deckland said with a smile, quickly putting aside his empty plate and shaking the man’s hand. “It is an honor to meet you.”

  “The honor goes both ways,” Ormosa said. “I must admit, I was surprised to see IIA University’s top-rated student turn up on the Initiative’s recruitment list. With your marks and the influence your parents wield, you could have had your choice of assignments within the core worlds.”

  “I suppose that’s true, sir,” Deckland responded. “But I wanted to go where I could be of the most use and make the greatest impact. The Galactic Rangers are an intriguing organization. It’s not often one gets to be in on the ground floor of something so important. Especially in a place like the Frontier.”

  “Indeed,” Ormosa said. “Regardless, once I knew you were going to be part of the Initiative, I took a personal interest in your assignment. Do you have some time now to go over it?”

  Deckland’s eyes widened. “You have my assignment ready?” he said. “Yes, of course, Chief! I’m eager to get started.”

  “Excellent,” Ormosa said with a smile. “Then, let us continue this conversation in my office.”

  The office of Barnholm’s IIA Station Chief was on the top floor of the building and had a panoramic view of all the construction that was occurring within the city. Ormosa’s office was quite minimalist, with only a plexiglass desk and some couches and chairs upon which to lounge in for meetings. When he and Deckland arrived, Cornwallace was already there, gazing out the window as he puffed away on a lowbacco pipe, filling the office with its stinky smoke.

  “Ah, there you are,” Cornwallace drawled as Ormosa made his way to his desk. “What did you want to meet about—oh.”

  Cornwallace stopped talking the second he saw Deckland, the Corkron’s ocher colored eyes squinting as though he were intently studying the man before him.

  “You must be Deckland Prescott,” Cornwallace said as he puffed on his pipe, appraisingly.

  “Yes sir, Director Kerpatrick,” Deckland said with a nod of acknowledgement.

  “Your file said you were young, but I didn’t expect ya to still be in diapers,” Cornwallace said before turning to Ormosa. “You sure about this one?”

  “I’ve run his profile through every compatibility check we have,” Ormosa replied as he sat in his chair, taking out his own pipe and lighting it up. “If that’s not enough for you, then, trust my instincts. He’s the one.”

  Cornwallace frowned but acquiesced. “Very well, if you say so,” he said. “Proceed.”

  The odd exchange between his superiors had piqued Deckland’s interest, but he opted to remain silent, waiting for them to fill him in about their conversation. He did not have to wait long before Ormosa, chewing on the stem of his pipe, looked at him.

  “Tell me, Agent Prescott… are you at all familiar with an IIS agent by the name of Braxxon Berenger?” Ormosa asked.

  “Blast it, Ormosa,” grumbled Cornwallace. “Prescott here is a core worlder. I doubt he’s heard of anyone from the Frontier.”

  “Actually, Director, I have heard of him,” said Deckland.

  That caused Cornwallace to raise a bushy eyebrow in curiosity. “That a fact?” he said.

  “It is, sir. I attended a seminar while at university, a lecture on investigative procedure without the use of technological assistance. Agent Berenger was mentioned as an example of investigators who do things… um… without reliance on conventional law enforcement technology.”

  “The old-fashioned way,” mused Cornwallace.

  “For lack of better terminology, yes, sir.”

  “Did this seminar happen to mention that Braxxon Berenger was not only Barnholm’s top Marshall in the early days when I was working with the Twinspirits to bring law and order to this planet, but also my top investigative agent when I ran the IIS here in the system?”

  “It did not, sir.”

  “Ranger Berenger is somewhat of a local legend here on Barnholm, Agent Prescott,” Ormosa explained. “He’s a first-generation Frontiersman, which means he was born here, raised here, and without going through any formal training, became one of this system’s most celebrated law enforcement officers.”

  “He’s spent the last ten years working for the IIS, hopping around the Frontier investigating crimes ranging from jaywalking to serial killings,” added Cornwallace. “He was the best investigator I had, which is why when the Ranger Initiative was established, he was the first man I recruited for it.”

  “Ranger Berenger has been operating as one of our principal test-cases for the Ranger Initiative for the last two years,” Ormosa said. “And I think he will be an ideal partner for you.”

  Deckland’s eyes went wide. “Chief… I’m honored you feel I’m worthy of being partnered with such a highly regarded agent.”

  Cornwallace chuckled. “Oh yeah, you’re going to feel honored, all right.”

  “The best of the old guard, paired with the best of the new guard. Seems appropriate to me,” Ormosa said as he took out a datapad and slid it toward Deckland. “Here are all of Ranger Berenger’s details. You’re to report to him tomorrow over at Ranger HQ where he’ll brief you on your task and get you started.”

  Deckland took the datapad. “Thank you, Chief. I look forward to starting my career as a Galactic Ranger.”

  “Which reminds me,” said Ormosa as he produced a badge with the insignia of the Ranger Initiative on it and got to his feet. “Allow me to officially welcome you to the task force.”

  Deckland took the badge and looked at it with a hint of pride. He smiled and put the badge in his pocket. “Thank you, Chief. And you, Director. I promise I will do both you, and the Empire, proud.”

  “See that you do,” Ormosa replied. “You are dismissed.”

  After Deckland left, Cornwallace turned toward the window, puffing away on his pipe and chuckling to himself. Ormosa sat back in his chair and regarded the stout Corkron curiously.

  “What’s so funny?” Ormosa asked.

  “That kid,” Cornwallace replied. “Berenger is going to chew him up and spit him out.”

  “Don’t underestimate Agent Prescott,” Ormosa said. “I think he’ll surprise you. And Ranger Berenger.”

  “Guess we’ll find out,” Cornwallace said as he chewed on his pipe. “But if I were a betting man, I’d say the odds are that baby-faced agent of yours is on a transport back to the core worlds within a week.”

  “And if I were a betting man, my friend, I’d take those odds.”

  Cornwallace puffed on his pipe thoughtfully. “You seem to have a lot of faith in your man, Ormosa,” he said.

  “No less than you have in yours, Cornwallace.”<
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  “My man has proven himself.”

  “Mine has much to prove, true. But he appears more than motivated to do so.”

  “That doesn’t mean he will.”

  “Perhaps,” Ormosa said as he smoked his pipe. “But if two such as Prescott and Berenger can succeed in working together, then, it will be proof that the Galactic Rangers will be a success.”

  “And if they can’t?”

  “If they can’t,” said Ormosa, thoughtfully. “Then, in all likelihood… this program will be doomed to fail.”

  Chapter 3

  Deckland had spent the entire evening after Ranger orientation going through the datapad Ormosa had given him. The files on it were extensive, covering cases not only from Ranger Berenger’s time as an IIS investigator but also from his time as an Imperial Marshall for the Sapphire System. He was directly involved in apprehending well-known Barnholm criminals such as Dribbon “Red Eye” Fitzer, Alleghenie Trox, and the infamous Dregsyn Gang who, after a well-publicized shoot-out, were all dead.

  There was a little biographical info in the files, as well – not much, but enough to give Deckland some insight into his new partner. Berenger was born on Barnholm after his parents settled on the planet with the first wave of colonists after the Barnholm twins had established the Landfall settlement. Berenger’s parents were farmers and appeared to have settled in an area to the west known as the “Wildbank Territory.” A report stated that Berenger’s parents were both killed in a raid by a gang of outlaws known as the Blackdagger Brothers. Berenger joined the posse, led by Cornwallace Kerpatrick, who hunted the Blackdagger Brothers down and brought them to justice, taking them to Landfall where they were executed for their various crimes. At the age of 16 cycles, Berenger then signed up with the local law enforcement of Landfall City under then Sherriff Kerpatrick who it seemed took Berenger under his wing.

  In his 20’s, Berenger had been promoted to Landfall’s Sherriff Department’s chief investigator, traveling to different territories to solve crimes that couldn’t be handled by local law enforcement. After Barnholm was inducted into the Empire, he served as a Marshall to the Sapphire System at large before being recruited into the local IIS division, which had been established by his old mentor Cornwallace Kerpatrick. His IIS work had him traveling all around the Frontier investigating various crimes, from corruption, to pirating, to homicide. This experience in inter-galactic criminal investigation made him an ideal candidate for the Ranger Initiative, and he was the first recruit to join at the ripe old age of 50 cycles.