by P F Walsh
“Madam Speaker, I am inclined to actively work on assistance for your planet. However, I still have two deliveries to complete before I can return to Hhearn and Earth with your request. Tomorrow at about mid-morning, you can send your administrative manager over to the ship and we will unload the cargo and transfer the former crew’s personal effects to the Chief Priest. That will complete the first delivery.” Said Sean
“And the second?” Questioned the Speaker.
“The second is the very unpleasant task of returning the body of Admiral Andregga to Lotma. You can imagine how complex and difficult that is going to be. Do you have any suggestions?”
Captain Flynn and the Speaker worked on the problem for hours, both of them realizing that this was much more than the return of a deceased Officer. This was going to be much, much more, and therefore more complex, notwithstanding the inherent dangers of being the delivery agent to a very angry combatant world.
They finished up their first real meeting late and the Speaker departed the ship with a long list of things to implement.
The next morning, the Chief Priest and the administration manager came to the ship and received the personal effects and the cargo. Also unloaded was the body of Admiral Andregga, now enclosed in a small nondescript casket, to a small group of black garbed attendants who loaded her into a hearse. It slowly left with an escort of five vehicles.
Later while the Speaker was busy working on her newly agreed plans, her secretary Mirrana came into her office,
“Madam Speaker, the Administrative Manager wishes to see you. He says it will only take a minute.”
“Send him in Mirrana.” She replied as she looked up but remained seated, as visual tip to keep it short.
“Madam Speaker, thank you, this will only take a minute.” He said with a huge smile. “I have received the cargo crates from the Earth ship and opened up the two with machine parts. They are all the parts we need to repair our largest power generator! That was the oldest one and parts were all made on Lotma, so we couldn’t re-order, and our own manufacturing plants that can cast parts that large have been destroyed. Once we install these, we will now have enough power to keep almost all of the City powered up both day and night in about four solars!” He gushed.
“This is very good news. In fact, it is the best news I have had in many lunars. Thank you. I will make a broadcast announcement and mention your name, but I must give credit to our new Earth friends.” She said.
“Of course, Madam Speaker. This is a very big and unexpected gift.”
He left hastily with a continued smile, eager to spread the news.
Speaker Nool sat back in her chair very pleased for the first time in a long time.
“It is clear we owe Captain Flynn and his crew a great deal. He has helped us already.” She thought, and then began to write a media release.
Beztl-Tor was now in the early stages of panic, Both Zakarians had been captured and the Senior Councilor had met with a Zakar Chieftain from the Thulk Gild. He had gone into hiding at a safe house he owned under another name that had never been used. It was stocked with all his personal pleasures, clothes, food, and a huge assortment of spirits. He could live there quite comfortably for several lunars if he had to. His huge stock of unregistered pocketcomms would allow him to make one call a solar to manage his business and then dispose of that pocketcomm immediately after using it. He had planned well for a circumstance like this one but never really expected it to happen. He now was going from one phase to another, rage, panic, lethal planning, and back again. His mind was racing. He now knew what it felt like to be hunted.
“I must make sure that madman Kastm’n doesn’t talk under truthmed. He knows who I am, we have met and he knows where at least one of my major warehouses is. I have to get rid of him.” He confirmed within his mind. His earlier calls to find the right shadow fixer had dried up. The ones on his list were all dead, missing, or in prison.
“What was the name of that shadow fixer assassin that idiot Senior Councilor Tamn-Kar used. Now that he’s been murdered by Kastm’n, I can’t call for the name. Did I put that in my regular pocketcomm?” He wondered. He rummaged through his overnight bag and found his pocketcomm. A quick check, and there it was, the number of Jesst-Tak! He took note of the number and went for another throw away pocketcomm. He dialed the number,
“Speak.” Was the answer on the other end.
“I have a job for you.” Said Beztl-Tor.
“You know my fee?”
“Don’t care, whatever it takes.” snapped Beztl-Tor.
The assassin proceeded to describe how to get him the information, transfer funds, and the level of urgency which would affect the price. They settled quickly and the call ended. Beztl-Tor realized a small sense of relief but knew a lot of things could go wrong including Jesst-Tak’s capture or failure. This was probably the only time in Beztl-Tor’s memory that he wished he had a legitimate business and lifestyle. But he was slaved to the adage, ‘high risk, high profit.’ Beztl-Tor was at his roots, not only ruthless, but a gambler at heart. So far, he had been winning, but all gamblers lose sooner or later. He knew that too.
“Why did I ever get involved with this?” He wondered belatedly.
Chairman Andregga of the Lotma Presidium was covered with sweat as he pounded on his gymnasium’s heavy boxing bag. Sixty-two annuals of age, and in excellent condition. A man of brooding considerations and lightning implementations. He came from hardscrabble beginnings, toughened in military school, scarred from lethal combat, but always achieved never less than a draw in any engagement. He was a survivor and afraid of no one or a problem too tough to solve. Yet, within his clinically organized mind and heart, he had come to realize, in the last five or six annuals, that the war with Denknish could never be more than a draw. Truth be admitted, they were as effective and tough as any portion of his planet’s military efforts could put forth. There was a great possibility, as resources on both sides were drawn down with the consumption of combat, that Lotma’s resources were about to slip below Denknish.
If that happened, the edge would shift to the other side and General Tommar would seize that edge and begin dispassionate orbital bombardment of Lotma on a scale that Lotma had attempted to do to them. In that scenario, The Chairman could see only subjugation, destruction of their infrastructure, plundering, and all the hideous episodes that happen when you lose a war saturated with anger and malice.
That was why when his daughter, Admiral Felicit Andregga, hesitatingly came to him with the exact same perspective, they agreed to accept the Denknish query from Speaker Nool of Denknish, “Should we talk?” The secrecy required for this meeting to happen was extraordinary. They could draw no others into this until possibilities were discussed between the parties at the highest levels. Would this be a full truce, or would Denknish press for surrender? Admiral Andregga believed a full truce was possible based on the latest intelligence of Denknish assets.
Late one evening several solars ago, his daughter had taken an overpowered civil shuttle, alone and equipped with Denknish IFF (identification friend or foe) and slipped out of Lotma solar space during an arranged reload of space defense software. No one except the Chairman knew she was gone.
The Chairman was still pounding the bag when an aid came in and stood silently by as the Chairman continued his punching set. His muscles were screaming from overuse and the pain caused him to look over and see the aid silently standing there. He stopped and stood near the bag as he took off his gloves, reached for a towel to wipe his face and chest and said,
“There is no gain without pain.” At that, the aid dropped his eyes under a deep frown.
“Mekla, what is it now?” He asked.
“Chairman Andregga, there is an open broadcast on Denknish that we have received. It comes on the heels of the other news of the Earth Starship Discovery landing on Denknish we told you about yesterday. That one came from our intelligence assets. This one is in open broadcast.”
“Yes, yes, what are they saying?” barked the Chairman.
“This broadcast was of Speaker Nool awarding civil decorations to the team that allowed the Earth starship to arrive safely and land with diplomatic accord.” said the aid.
“Why is this important to me?” Pressed the Chairman.
The aid paused sorting out the best way to proceed...
“Get on with it Mekla, please.” Said the Chairman.
“The broadcast was a posed affair to bring their Orbital Security Team before the Speaker and the entourage from Earth. It continued as she exposed that a peace emissary from Lotma was murdered by this team’s actions. She applied pressure to expose the guilty party that countermanded her orders for safe passage, and signaled their battle droids to destroy a shuttle. The immediate guilty party, a Colonel was exposed and attempted to assassinate the Speaker. He was shot dead by the Earth Security Officer. It was also exposed that General Tommar had the prime hand in this decision to murder the emissary. A warrant for his arrest dead or alive has been posted. He will fall under their paragraph 33 which imposes immediate execution.” The Aid fell silent and waited.
The Chairman just stood there looking at the aid with his mouth slightly ajar and his brow furrowed. It went on like that for a minute as moisture grew in the corner of the Chairman’s eyes.
“Sir, did we have an emissary to Denknish?” The aid asked softly.
“Yes, Mekla, it was my daughter.” He said.
“By the Gods, I am deeply sorry for this loss Chairman. She was the very heart and inspiration of our fleet. What will you do?” The aid asked anticipating a huge roll up of military response.
“We will wait Mekla, I need some time to understand all this. It would not be right for me to throw more of our young lives away for my loss. Besides, I must compose myself and think on what Felicit would want me to do.”
“That is all Mekla, you may leave me now. Record all that is being broadcast from Denknish. I will wish to view it later.”
His aid left and he went and sat on the only chair in the gym. He held his head in his hands, bending over his knees. That was when the cries of anguish and pain rose up from his chest, echoed throughout the room, and the tears ran freely.
Aboard the Discovery, Sean prepared a long report and sent a courier to Wally Henning on Hhearn with instructions to forward a copy to the President. He described the events to date and included a vid of the event in the Speaker’s office. He also asked Wally to meet with the Senior Councilor of the Council of Worlds and paraphrase the situation in terms of two more worlds that may need some humanitarian assistance without sharing the violent office meeting, or too much about the war.
Doris was cleaning her gun. She now had two kills from this weapon and was reflecting on that’s exactly why she had it. It was nothing more than a piece of machined steel ready to hurt or kill depending in whose hands it may lie. In this case, it was her hands. Both times she saved a life as was her role professionally, and in her personal frame of mind ethically and morally. On Earth, the Los Angeles administration’s considerations of the last two shootings often demanded a greater consideration of the life of the offender, than of the innocent. Doris did not believe that. And, she was not on Earth now.
She believed the offender had already eroded his position of equal worth with his offense. There was no equivalence there with the innocent party. It was quite simple to her. Do the deed and bleed. No regrets sampled her thoughts, nor angst. Just a requirement to be just, protect the innocent, and clean her weapon after each use.
The Denknish Broadcast mediums had announced all throughout the solar that a special session of the Assembly on the war would be broadcast that evening. Evening came, as anxious Citizens of Denknish tuned in by the millions. When cameras opened the broadcast, the clamor in the Assembly Meeting Chamber of Denknish was the loudest and most spirited that anyone could recall, Members were screaming at each other. The predominance of support was for the Speaker with revulsion that a peace emissary had been murdered in Denknish space. Never in Denknish history was an equivalent deed done with such cold, conspiratorial bent.
Those few defendants of war continuance were being shouted down as the Speaker entered and the Room Marshall gaveled so loudly for order that he split the gavel plaque upon which he was pounding. The room quieted down as the double doors opened to the main floor, and an honor guard, led by a senior honor guard officer, proceeded to slowly wheel in the casket of Admiral Andregga. It was draped in the flag of Denknish. The room was absolutely quiet as the stunned Members watched the honor guard position the casket in front of the Speaker’s podium. The senior guard who led the troupe, faced at the head of the casket, and executed a silent, slow salute to the fallen officer. The troupe then slowly marched out of the room, leaving the casket to the care of the Assembly. The only sound was the click of their boot steps on the Assembly floor and the closing of the double doors. The atmosphere was deeply solemn as the Speaker stood at the podium. Citizens of Denknish watched spellbound. The Speaker, after a long pause said,
“Members and citizens of Denknish, it is my very sad task to approach this podium in shame. For over one hundred years we have labored in a war with a foe that is equal to us in strength, arms, assets, strategy, and commitment. For every strike, we struck back in kind. And we did this with honor as did our foe. Yes, we tried to outsmart them, trick them, even deceive them, but we never before slew an unarmed peace emissary who had our warrant to come and enter without harm. This was a new low that has brought us here today.” She paused to scan across the eyes of the Assembly and said,
“Our planet has now lost a large portion of its honor, and that cannot be made in a factory or grown in a field. It comes about from decades of honorable behavior, earnest dealings, and ethical posture.”
“We are now soiled.” She paused, and then continued,
“All of this falls upon my desk, and even as I sought to seek justice, those who feed upon war sought to assassinate your Speaker. Within this chamber there are collaborators who mourn it did not succeed. They are co-conspirators with General Tommar who is now hunted to answer for his crime. We will come for his collaborators too, and we will come with the ghosts of truth from the Earth starship. The only escape for those conspirators will be to resign today and be shunned, but be spared.”
She paused again as she saw several members squirming in their chairs and looking at the exits, knowing that their behaviors were being captured by the Denknish media cameras.
On Lotma, the Chairman of the Presidium, Admiral Andregga’s father, was watching the broadcast, as was the entire population of Lotma. No broadcasts from Denknish would ever have been permitted before, especially one that was live.
She continued,
“Bravery in the face of danger and lethal animosity while pursuing the state of peace is among the highest of honorable behaviors. It is in recognition of this that today we have struck a civil medal of the highest honor called the Felicit Andregga Medal of Peace. It bears her likeness.”
“Regretfully,” She choked up as her eyes moistened,” I will award this medal for the first time posthumously, and I will pin it on her chest personally in this meeting. Tomorrow, she will receive a State Deliverance with Honor to the Earth Ship Discovery for return to her home on Lotma. Her hearse will be escorted to the ship by a Denknish honor guard who will accompany the casket during its travel to Lotma. They will ensure the flag of Denknish will cover her casket while she is transported. She has served us, and given her life to bring us peace. There is no adequate recompense for this service that we can now provide, except to honor her.” She left the podium for the floor.
At her last statement the entire Assembly with two exceptions rose in a long, continuous, and respectful applause. Citizens of Denknish were frozen to their vid screens. While the applause was ongoing, the honor guard returned to the casket, one of them folded the flag back toward the end of the casket and opened the lid as t
he Speaker came down to the floor. She pinned the medal on Admiral Andregga. When she rose. The honor guard came to attention, one of the guards closed the lid, and attached a gold trimmed rose sash around the head of the casket and recovered it all with the flag. The senior honor guard then executed and finished another long, slow salute of the fallen peacemaker. The casket was slowly rolled out of the Assembly as the Assembly members stood in respectful silence. When the doors closed. There was only a single, sharp sound of the gavel strike. Those sad proceedings were closed. The Assembly members left the hall with the Speaker in silence.
On Lotma, the tears rolled down the face of the Chairman of the Presidium of Lotma. He had decided to allow this broadcast to be seen by Lotma citizens not knowing which way it may swerve the sentiment as the word of her death had begun to spread across Lotma. He counted on this to guide him on how to respond. Now he turned to his aid and sternly instructed him,
“Contact Denknish and request immediate suspension of hostilities. Request confirmation from Speaker Nool, and then notify all our forces to comply. Get the precise details on the order of service for the Deliverance with Honor from them, send that information to our honor guard Officer with orders to prepare to meet the ship and comply. The Earth ship Discovery will be arriving in Lotma space with the Admiral, make absolutely certain that the ship has had prior diplomatic permission to enter our solar space unimpeded and receives perfect instructions on landing coordinates. We need to organize a State funeral immediately. Do not screw this up” He barked.