The Tornado Sojourns (3) – Chapter 15 – End Game

 

Supreme Commander Emad Salmin and Captain Kolan Nulak were greeted on the ramp of the Tornado by Bagg and Merri and then were given the news that Duff had regained consciousness.

“That’s great news” Salmin said with relief but he was still shocked when they walked into the sickbay.

His wife Chani was sitting next to the bed and she stood up and kissed Bagg

“I’ll leave you to it, not too long though, he’s not out of the woods yet” she said then she smiled at the two high ranking Legionnaire’s.

After she’d gone Salmin sat in the chair she had vacated, and Nulak pulled up another one, while Merri and Bagg stood at the end of the bed.

“What have you been doing to yourself?” Salmin asked trying to put up a front, but Duff could see through it.

He couldn’t speak very clearly but he could be understood, and he told the story of what he had been doing and that the taxi had dropped him at the gate and he was enjoying the walk.

“Did you have a lot to drink?” Nulak asked.

“No more than usual, but no less than usual either” Duff replied.

“So I was feeling no pain, until they started hitting me”

He tried to laugh but grimaced instead.

“Did they say anything?” Salmin asked

“No, only when they first stopped me, one of them said, “In a hurry are we?” and I replied “I am as it happens” then he added

“Well that’s a real shame”, and then they started laying into me”

“What sort of age?” asked Nulak

“Late-twenties maybe a little older” he said and grimaced again.

“We’ll let you rest now” Bagg said and led the Legionnaire Officers towards the door but before they reached it Duff spoke again.

“I recognized one of the men”

Salmin and Nulak turned sharply, and then he added.

“But I can’t remember where”

And the two Legion Officers were visibly deflated by his confession.

“But it will come to me” Duff said and closed his eyes

 

Once outside Captain Nulak said

“They gave him a good going over”

And Supreme Commander Salmin nodded in response.

“But it could have just been a random act of violence”

“Is that what you think?” Salmin countered

“No, but we don’t have any evidence” Nulak pointed out and noticed that Bagg and Merri had joined them

“Do you think they left him for dead?” he asked and Salmin replied

“Yes I do”

“And do you think they might try again?” Bagg asked and both men nodded then Merri and Bagg looked at each other and said in unison

“Montrose” And the Legion officers looked bemused.

 

Bagg, Merri and the two officers made their way to the mess room and sat across the table from Chani, who took one look at them and said.

“They tried to kill him didn’t they?”

“We think so” Merri said

“And it might be a good idea if you Duff and the children didn’t go home for a while”

“Where should we go?” she asked pleadingly

“There is a peaceful agrarian settlement on Eirkos called Montrose where my brother and his family live, there and they will make you welcome” Bagg said

“I will station a Legion Aeronautica squadron at Cranack and two plain clothed Legionnaire’s will be in Montrose at all times” The Supreme Commander assured her and Chani went thoughtful and a few minutes later Bagg took hold of her hand

“Don’t worry, Duff’s as tough as old boots and the Legion, the Prefecture and the Tornado family will get the people responsible for hurting him” Bagg said “But for now speak to Duff Chani”

“Thank you Bagg” she said, kissed him and left the mess.

 

It was thirty minutes later when the door opened and Chani reappeared and Bagg turned around to look at her and he asked “What’s the decision then?”

“It took some persuasion, but we would love to take you up on your offer” she said

“Excellent” Bagg said and smiled for the first time for two days

 

Once Duff and his family were settled in Montrose the Tornado returned to the business of shifting freight around the Eikon Cluster and the Legion Supreme Commander and the Captain pressurized and focused on the assault on Duff Tarver and squeezed every source, inside and outside of the law for any lead no matter how tenuous to find the perpetrators of the assault.

But after a few weeks had passed, they had made no progress in finding his attackers, even though they suspected the motive.

But then Bagg received a message from Montrose to say that Duff wanted to speak to him. 

 

The Tornado landed at Cranack and Merri drove Bagg to Montrose in the Stroller where he found Duff waiting to talk to him.

“Duff” He said as he approached his friend and surveyed his appearance, most of his bruises had faded and his cuts had healed but he still looked less than rosy.

“I know I look rough” Duff said before they embraced

“But I have good news, I’ve remembered where I’d seen one my attackers”

“Where?” Bagg asked

“In the Blue Horizon” he replied “He was a customer in the bar”

“Would you recognize him again?” Merri asked

“Of course” he replied “And so will you”

“What?” Bagg asked

“You both saw him too” Duff insisted “He was the one that barged into me as we were leaving, the one you wanted to fight with Merri”

“Are you sure?” Merri asked

“Absolutely no question” Duff said

“Well if he was in the Blue Horizon we’ll definitely be able to see what he looks like and anyone who he might have been with” Merri said.

The Blue Horizon was owned by Lak Shmi and he had once made the mistake of opening the door to illegal gambling and almost lost his livelihood due to the associated criminality and needed the Tornado and the Legion to rid the bar of the crooks.

As a result of coming so close to losing the bar he had become paranoid and had video recordings of every part of the Blue Horizon.

Merri smiled at Bagg and opened her comms

“Merri calling Tornado”

“Tornado receiving Captain” Lyris responded

“I need you to go to the Blue Horizon and speak to Lak Shmi” she said and explained what she needed him to get.

 

In the mess room of the Tornado, later that day, the crew were joined by Supreme Commander Emad Salmin, Captain Kolan Nulak and Duff Tarver.

 

“There he is” Duff said triumphantly “He’s the one that did the talking and that other one was with him”

“So can you identify them from these images?” Bagg asked the Legionnaire’s

“I can identify them now” the Captain said “Brack Madly and Denk Harpenden”

“You know them?” Merri asked

“Yes they were formerly under my command” Nulak said “They were court martialed for their part in protecting Neff Abery’s shameful dealings and awaiting trial for conspiracy, along with two other men, they clearly blamed you for their downfall”

“Well they will now be charged with attempted murder” Salmin said “and in a day of two you and your family will be able to return home”  

 

In the days that followed, Brack Madly and his fellow conspirators were arrested, along with those who had aided and abeted in the attempted murder, and remained in custody until their trial.

With those who wanted to do him harm safely locked up Duff Tarver and his wife Chani and their Children were free to return to their former life on Eikon Major.

But a strange thing happened during his protective custody in Montrose, he fell in love with the peace, tranquility and its people, as did Chani and their children blossomed before their eyes, he had finally found what he had been searching for all his life, even though he hadn’t know he was searching, so they never left, except to settle their affairs in Eikon Major’s Capital city, Rendon, and later to the Visitor Festival on Marikya, one of the moons of Eirkos.

 

Life aboard the Tornado returned to normal in the wake of the arrest of the conspirators and they continued to ply their trade around the Eikon Cluster while taking time out for the occasional adventure.