by M D Cooper
Who knows? Perhaps the other moons will even call on us for aid. We’ll be their triumphant saviors.
The freighter that was easing onto the cradle a few dozen meters away had clearly seen better days. Dents and patches were visible across the hull, and black scorch marks streaked one side.
“I’ve seen cleaner sewers,” Lorana muttered. “Are you two certain this is the best course of action? Mother will not be pleased if this doesn’t pan out.”
“Roger has brought dozens of ships, filled with people and supplies to get our plans back on track,” Silvan replied, his voice sure and confident.
“Hard to believe there are so many people and ships like this in the Ordus,” Jeslan said. “Once we’re in control, we’ll have to do away with this element.”
“That’s for certain.” Lorana crossed her arms. “Anyone willing to attack houses needs to be put down.”
Silvan laughed. “Except for us, of course.”
The ship’s airlock opened, and a bearded man stepped out onto the ramp, followed by three other equally unkempt looking individuals.
Guards at the bottom of the ramp checked them over, and then nodded for them to approach the house leaders.
“Thank you for meeting with us personally,” the bearded man said. “I’m Captain Roger Elson.”
“And your associates?” Silvan asked with arched brows.
“My command crew. They manage coordination with our other ships and people. Having them on hand will ensure that all your orders are processed quickly and efficiently.”
Jeslan chuckled. “Well, I like the sound of that.”
Lorana shot her a quelling look, and Jeslan bristled. Though the heiress had been in on their plans all along, she’d done almost nothing to move them forward. Now that they were finally ready to launch into action, she was there to claim all the glory.
Bitch.
“I’d like to meet with Toni,” Roger said. “We need to coordinate with what she’s been doing to ensure that everything aligns well.”
Silvan gave the man a smug smile. “Of course, we’ll take you to her. Come.”
The house leaders, along with a dozen house guards, led the six smugglers into a nearby building, and then took a lift down to a lower level. Once they’d all reassembled, they walked for several minutes through an underground warren before coming to the detention area.
“Seems like a strange place for her to operate from,” Roger said with a look of confusion. “What is she doing here?”
“No one comes down here,” Silvan explained, a smile twitching the corners of his lips. “Don’t worry, though, she’s looking forward to meeting you.”
The man nodded, but something about his demeanor was off. Jeslan knew he had to be smart enough to guess at what was going on, but he didn’t seem at all worried…more curious than anything.
A guard opened the door to a cell block, and the group walked down to the third cell, where Toni stood at the bars.
“See?” Silvan turned to Roger with a smug grin. “Safe and sound.”
“You injured?” the smuggler captain asked her, real concern showing on his face for the first time.
Roger turned to face them, arms crossed and brow lowered in anger. “Let her out.”
Silvan snorted. “Once you fulfill your end of things, she’s free to go. Until then, Toni stays where she is.”
The smuggler shook his head. “That’s not how this is going to work.”
The house scion’s mouth dropped open in shock, and Lorana stepped forward. “You’re outnumbered, and your ships are on our world. You’ll do what you’re told, or you’ll join your friend down here.”
“Outnumbered? Really?” Roger chuckled. “I don’t think so.”
At the sound of his words, gunshots thundered in the enclosed space, and four of the guards fell.
Jeslan looked at their bodies and then up at the shooters—who were the remaining house guards.
“Looks like not everyone enjoys your rule,” the smuggler said with a laugh. “Buying off guards on Nebracken was always the easiest in any system.”
“You’ll not find that many traitors in our ranks,” Silvan said through clenched teeth. “You—”
“Oh, make no mistake.” The captain’s lips split into a wide grin. “Normally, we do pay for their services, but this time, your loyal servants turned against you with no money changing hands.”
He nodded to one of the guards, and he stepped forward, unlocking the cell.
Roger pulled a gun from his jacket and handed it to Toni as she stepped out. “When you said you needed ‘decisive action’, I knew you were in trouble. And you were right, this was a most excellent opportunity.”
She took it and felt its heft before aiming it at Silvan. “You’re a fucking piece of work, you know that?”
He didn’t even have a moment to respond before she fired, hitting him center mass.
The scion fell like a bag of rocks, and Lorana turned to run, while Jeslan backed against the wall.
Two of the guards caught Lorana, and Roger approached her, shaking his head. “You might still have some use as leverage against your mother.”
“You’ll pay for this,” Lorana hissed, but Jeslan could see the stark fear on the other woman’s face.
Tears began to stream down her own, and she slid down the wall, turning to Toni, who approached and stood over her.
“You completely missed the message behind this revolution. We’re the ones in charge, not you. You’re so blind to it that you were content to watch me grovel at your feet while I told Roger exactly what he needed to hear in order to take you down from the inside.”
“Wait, we can work out a deal—” Jeslan whimpered.
The smuggler laughed. “No. The chance you had to work with us ended when you decided to lock me up. Almost two weeks of living in this filth….” She scoffed. “I’d leave you in a cell down here like the rabid animal you are, but I don’t want to risk the chance of you worming your way out.”
“No…” Jeslan waited to be paralyzed by fear, but instead she went numb as despair mounted. After everything, it’s going to end here—getting shot by filthy criminals.
“You can’t treat us like this! We rule you!” Lorana spat at Roger.
He glanced at Toni and shrugged. “You know, I don’t think I want to work with her mother after all. Let’s just kill them all.”
Toni nodded, and in one swift motion, Roger drew a knife and slid the blade across Lorana’s neck.
Jeslan gasped as a spray of blood splattered her face. Not shot, then. That would be too swift.
She watched helplessly as Lorana fell to the ground, convulsing as she bled out.
Toni turned to Jeslan.
She closed her eyes.
A NEW PLAN
STELLAR DATE: 01.03.8939 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Celestiana, Serenity System
REGION: Orion Freedom Alliance, Perseus Arm
“I’ll be honest,” Tanis said as she pushed a chair in the officer’s mess back onto its rear legs, balancing it there with a knee against the table. “Dana isn’t keen on giving you too much direction. She wants you to learn from your mistakes.”
Cyrus pursed his lips, while Pharis cocked an eyebrow.
“And you?” the heiress asked.
Tanis’s gaze swept across those gathered, which included Terry, Kell, and Antaris. “Well, I’m young and impetuous, so I think I’ll tell you about waaaay back when some of the early democracies were really taking hold on Earth.
“Now, there had been sporadic attempts at forming governments where power was shared equally for some time, starting well back to over te
n thousand years ago. Folks like the Greeks and Romans had a go at it, but to be honest, their efforts were sometimes a bit more like oligarchies.”
“Which are?” Antaris asked.
“In a nutshell?” Tanis asked, and received a shrug from the commodore. “Those are where the rich band together and just make all the rules.”
“Sounds familiar,” Pharis muttered.
“Sort of,” the AI replied. “There can be democratic elements to oligarchies, though. What you have here in Serenity is much more of a feudal system. The lords essentially own everything, including the people. No one really gets to work for themselves, and the lord’s word is law.”
“Now that sounds more familiar,” Cyrus said. “Where do the minor houses fit into that?”
“They’re a sort of upper-middle class,” Tanis replied. “That’s common. Also, the workers whose labor is more skilled often form a middle class, and unskilled workers form the lowest class. However, from a rights perspective, only people with noble title, such as the ruling houses or the more prominent upper-middle class houses, have any real freedoms.”
“I suppose that relates to Serenity fairly well.” Pharis nodded as she spoke. “And how did they transition away from that—assuming that’s what you’re going to tell us.”
Tanis smiled and allowed her chair to rock forward onto all four legs. “A lot of the details are lost to history—or at least, were never carried aboard the Perseus when it came out here—but I think what happened in England would be a useful example. That country had a feudal system and was ruled by a king. As the people became more educated, they demanded rights, a voice in decisions, you get the idea.
“The king allowed a parliament to form, a governing body called the ‘House of Commons’.”
Terry snorted “That’s a name that certainly won’t fly here.”
“Maybe not,” Tanis allowed. “Either way, this house was given a small amount of power, and could suggest legislation. There was another house which consisted of the ruling class, and they could propose laws and ratify the lower house’s laws. The king—or sometimes queen—could then approve or deny the laws, and send them back to the house.”
Pharis frowned. “That seems confusing…did the two houses work in opposition a lot?”
“I don’t know for sure—like I said, there aren’t a lot of details. However, over time, the power dynamic shifted so that the House of Commons had the most power, and the monarch just approved all their decisions.”
“So you’re suggesting we set up something similar here?” Terry asked. “A government where the people elect representatives and vote on changes? Then the leader approves those?”
“Pretty much,” Tanis replied. “You could stick with hereditary leaders, or move to a system where the leaders are elected as well. Over the years every combination has been tried.”
“Which worked the best?” Pharis asked.
Tanis laughed and reached for her cup of coffee. “None, they’re all terrible.”
“Umm…that doesn’t seem helpful.” Cyrus scowled at the AI.
“What I mean by that is that no government is perfect, and while a certain form may work well in one situation or culture, it may become the wrong form as situations change. Making your system flexible is key. Getting wedged into one form that never changes is a great way to have periodic revolutions.”
“I’ve had enough revolting for my lifetime,” Antaris said. “I think this would have happened sooner, if not for my mother.”
“Sounds about right,” Tanis replied.
“So what do you think we should do?” Terry asked. “Form some sort of body elected from the people, with an elected leader?”
“I think that you need to find people who have experience running things on a large scale. Passion is great, but this is your star system’s future that you’re dealing with. A billion lives across all your moons. It’s not the sort of thing you can just leave to chance. You also might need to have different systems on each moon, and then a joint council of sorts. Be prepared to change things up a lot at first.”
Pharis appeared troubled. “This sounds like you’re not planning to be around for long.”
Tanis inclined her head. “I can spend a few months here, perhaps help upgrade some of the SDL ships, but eventually I’ll leave. Orion is still sniffing around the edges of Star City’s system, keeping an eye open for a chance to attack us again.”
“Are we at risk?” Terry asked.
The AI heaved a sigh. “Perhaps. To be honest, my presence here increases what danger there is. Once it gets out that you’ve changed forms of government, they might send an emissary to ensure you’re still following their strictures. If they do, comply and keep quiet about my involvement.”
“What about Dana?” Pharis asked. “Will she help guide us?”
“She’s…a little tired of humans right now. I think she plans to return with me to Star City. From there, who knows. I think she’s got enough of an explorer’s spirit that she won’t sit still for much longer.”
Kell straightened, then leant forward, his expression serious. “Cyrus, Pharis, I’ve just received word. Your mother is dead.”
Cyrus let out a low whistle, while a look of guilt washed over Pharis’s face.
“What a fool,” she growled. “She could have come up here, been safe.”
“She made her choices,” Tanis placed a hand on Pharis’s shoulder. “Now it’s up to you to put an end to the fighting on Gallas, and bring order.”
“Easier said than done,” the heiress replied. “What of Acadia and Nebracken?”
“Nothing from Nebracken yet,” Kell said before glancing at Antaris. “Your sister has fled to her southern estate, though. The cities around the estate have declared themselves free and part of what they’re calling New Acadia or something.”
“So creative,” Cyrus said with a laugh, then caught an elbow from Terry. He coughed and then straightened in his chair. “So what’s next, specifically?”
Tanis rose from the table and downed her coffee. “I think it’s time for the leader of the Serenity Defense League to order all militaries to stand down any non-humanitarian efforts, and for houses to agree to put forward plans to hold elections for a general assembly on their world.”
“And if they refuse?” Antaris asked.
Tanis winked. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”
UNITED
STELLAR DATE: 01.06.8939 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Star Ember, Acadia, Serenity System
REGION: Orion Freedom Alliance, Perseus Arm
The Star Ember set down on the pad resting on the leeward side of a pine-covered ridge. Though it had a clear view of the valley below, the landing area was positioned in such a way that the estate below couldn’t see any ships parked there, lest they mar the immaculate scenery.
“Are you sure you two want to go alone?” Terry asked Cyrus as he rose from his seat and walked to the back of the cockpit, where Antaris already waited.
“I’m just moral support,” Cyrus said. “But this is the sort of conversation that will go better if Kristina feels like she’s amongst her peers.”
“It’s true.” Antaris sounded more tired than he looked. “She’s backed into a corner, so making her feel more comfortable will help a lot.”
Terry nodded, but didn’t appear mollified. “She’s going to have to come around eventually. She can’t hide here forever.”
“No, but there are supplies for a decade or two at least,” Antaris said. “Mother was nothing if not paranoid.”
Cyrus took a step toward Terry and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll call if we need help, don’t worry.”
She gave him a look that said she was trying to be supportive, but was going to gnaw her nails the whole time.
“You’d better,” she said at last.
“Promise.”
He followed Antaris out of the ship and onto the pad, where a squad of house guards wa
ited. Upon seeing them, the group came to attention and saluted.
A lieutenant walked to the fore and offered his hand. “Commodore, we’re glad you’re here. Your sister is…”
“Unwilling to adapt to the current situation?” Antaris suggested. “It’s good to see you again, Mance. Thank you for taking care of her.”
“I wasn’t sure what else to do…things are such a mess.”
The lieutenant glanced in Cyrus’s direction, and he wondered how much blame was being directed his way.
“Cyrus Charlemis,” he said while offering his hand.
Mance shook it and nodded. “I recognize you. I’m not sure whether to thank you or tell you to leave.”
“He’s my guest,” Antaris said, his voice firm. “What happened in the Ordus—in Serenity—had to occur, you know that. It was long overdue.”
The guard nodded. “I suppose that’s true. Come, I’ll take you to her.”
He led them down a path at the edge of the platform to where a pair of open-roofed groundcars waited. They boarded the vehicles, and five minutes later, were pulling up to the estate’s main doors.
Lieutenant Mance was first out and announced that he would lead them inside.
Servants opened the doors wide and inclined their heads as the group entered.
“My lady awaits in the garden parlor,” one of the women at the door said, gesturing down the hall to the right.
Antaris took the lead, and Cyrus followed after, walking alongside Mance.
“So, what will you do when this is all over?” Cyrus asked the lieutenant.
“Pardon?” The man seemed genuinely taken aback by the question. “After what is over?”