War for Orion: Ghosts from the Past by Conner Walworth Page A

papers in front of Donnchadh.
"Ulisse's profile. I know you're fairly familiar with him and I
think poison will work best for this mission," He handed some more
papers to Donnchadh. "You will choose one more individual from this
list I have compiled to go with you on your mission."
    Donnchadh skimmed through the papers.
"Sanguinarius will be good."
    "You sure?" He raised his eyebrows. "This
will make it the same team that screwed up the last
assignment."
    Donnchadh gritted his teeth. "We won't fail
this time. I promise you the Queen will die."
    "I surely hope so," he glared. "I have
someone on the inside that is going to be helping you, so your job
shouldn't be
too
hard."
    "You have someone actually inside of the
Palace?"
    "Yes Donnchadh,
in
the Palace. You should be well aware that I
have contacts in every corner of Orion by now. The Brotherhood's
reach has gotten far since you've joined. The Galaxy fears us and
many are willing to help us without question."
    "So how will this work? I mean, I know Ulisse
will make the poison, but it has to be quiet right?"
    Kirill nodded his head. "You'll have to sneak
in, but I have layouts and know hidden passages from my personal
experience living there. You also have your own experience, so I'm
sure that it won't be a problem navigating through the building
itself," Kirill leaned forward. "There will be
no
deaths
but the Queen's. I don't want a blood bath whose trail leads
directly back to me."
    "What's the point of me going on this mission
if I'm not doing anything? I'm not allowed to kill anyone, I'm
using a poison that Ulisse will concoct, and someone else is
delivering it to the Queen?" Donnchadh raised his hands. "I don't
understand why you're sending me on this mission when you have the
whole thing planned out already. There is nothing for me to do that
will change the outcome of this mission."
    "Are you blind?" Kirill stood up, placing his
hands on the table and leaning forward. "You get to take part in
the biggest assignment the Deimos Brotherhood has ever carried out
and you want to sit out because you're not personally killing the
Queen?"
    "I didn't mean it like that," Donnchadh said,
trying to calm Kirill down. "It's just that I don't get to plan
anything or do anything that's important to the success of the
mission. Everything has already been done."
    "You're the courier! I trust no one else." He
sat back down. "You're my most trusted man Donnchadh, I don't want
anyone else to deliver the poison to my contact but you."
    Donnchadh nodded. "I understand."
    "The others are going with you in case there
happen to be complications, which is a very slim chance. I want you
to get in and out without being noticed, but if you are noticed,
let nobody catch you."
    "What about no deaths?"
    Kirill took in a breath. "Only if there must
be. If it's the only way you can get out alive and without being
captured, then so be it. Kill as many as you want," He looked
Donnchadh in the eyes. "I would prefer there to be no deaths of any
kind, anywhere, but the Queen's."
    "Understood," Donnchadh acknowledged.
"Exactly how soon do you want me to go out?"
    "How long will it take Ulisse to make one of
his poisons?"
    Donnchadh thought for a moment. "A couple of
days, maybe more, depending on what he makes. The time it takes for
him to make things varies by the complexity he chooses to go
for."
Kirill wrote something on a piece of paper. "You leave in three
days. Tell Ulisse to start making his poison right now. I want
something that looks natural and that is undetectable by even the
best forensics teams."
    "I'll go tell him to start right now."
    "Go," Kirill ordered. "Don't fail me this
time or it will be your last time."
    Donnchadh got up from his chair and walked
out of the door as soon as it hissed open. Kirill watched him as
the door shut then pulled out his holographic comlink to make a
call. The room was silent until a blue figure from the hologram was
projected in front of him.
    "I'm assuming you