Duty and Obligation

by Sean Benjamin

  Light Admiral Erich Dietrich sat on stage in the large auditorium. He had Leonid Kaplan on one side and Commander Steiner on the other. They were facing an audience of over two hundred people anxious to learn the Imperial Navy’s response to Raferty Hawkins and his band of cutthroats. Imperial soldiers were stationed at intervals around the edge of the room providing security for this meeting of the power elites of Bolindale. Forty plus people stood in the back of the auditorium behind the seats. The mood was subdued at the moment, but one could sense the anticipation of the crowd.

  Kaplan had arranged the meeting from Dietrich’s ship on the trip from Rosstrappe to Bolindale. He had told all potential attendees that Admiral Dietrich was coming to address the pirate attack on the prison and outline future actions to ensure it would never happen again. He was vague on what those actions would be. Kaplan, as a vice president in the Strasberg Mining Corporation and in charge of all company operations on Bolindale, was someone to be taken seriously, and the planetary officials knew it was in their best interests to attend. All the officials Kaplan invited did show up.

  A few people had forwarded questions to Kaplan regarding the earlier visit by Steiner. He had stepped on several toes in the conduct of his business, and they wanted him dealt with accordingly. Also, he had abruptly departed without providing a debrief to planetary representatives so people were understandably curious as to what he found. Kaplan addressed the issue as soon as he landed. He said that the young officer had let his temporary power go to his head so had overstepped his authority and he would, indeed, be dealt with accordingly. In fact, he was brought along on this trip for the sole purpose of giving a personal apology for his recent conduct. The reason Steiner had departed so quickly was due to his recall and, because he did not complete his mission, there was nothing to debrief. Since it was Kaplan providing the information, he was taken at his word, and concerns about Steiner’s visit and what he may have learned were forgotten.

  In the audience were region governors, the heads of security in each region, and the top people from the prison systems. They were pleased an admiral had been sent here and addressing them was his first order of business. This admiral was a squadron commander too. He was not some deskbound bureaucrat but a man of action who could deal with criminals like Raferty Hawkins. Clearly, Kaplan had worked some magic. The people in the audience were positive their situation would be addressed. They were right in that regard.

  Admiral Dietrich stood up, and the crowd quieted. He had a tablet in his hand. He addressed the people in front of him. “Thank you all for attending this conference.” He looked at his tablet. “I see we have a complete roster of the attendees. It looks like we have everyone who is anyone here with us.” The people in front of him liked the characterization. They were the movers and shakers on Bolindale and were please someone of such stature as Dietrich recognized that.

  “Our first order of business is to show a short version of the attack on the Longwall prison conducted by Raferty Hawkins. This will establish our baseline for discussions and decisions. It will be shown on the wall to my right.” Dietrich sat down as the room darkened slightly. The images of the pirate attack were followed by the images of “business as usual” in the women’s section of the prison.

  Audience members shifted in their seats and averted their eyes as the second part played. Dietrich watched keenly. He was pleased nobody tried to walk out. They wouldn’t have been allowed to depart, but he was glad they would avoid any incidents until he gives his speech. He knew they would try to leave then.

  After the imagery concluded, Dietrich stood back up. “I now inform all of you that I am declaring a state of emergency on Bolindale. We will be conducting a full investigation into the justice system of this planet. I look forward to your cooperation in bringing this to a successful conclusion.”

  A man in the front row stood up. “What do you mean by that, and why were we forced to view those disgusting images?” he asked in a defensive manner.

  Dietrich smiled down at him. “Your name, please?”

  “I am Ewald Kurtis, head of security for Region 1. I was not consulted on any intentions of declaring a state of emergency or any associated action. I suspect nobody else here was consulted either. This is unacceptable.”

  Dietrich continued to smile at him. “You are right. Nobody on Bolindale was consulted or informed beforehand. Admiral Hochstadt doesn’t work that way.” He held up his tablet. “I have the signed order here. It will be published for your perusal shortly. I’ll give you the short version. A state of emergency exists and applies to the entire planet. I am in charge and I’m going to get to the bottom of how the application of justice has been conducted here, and those responsible for misapplying such power will be held to account.”

  There were murmurs and more seat shifting as people looked at each other. Kurtis had not sat down and decided to continue to be the group’s spokesperson. “I’m sure I speak for many when I say we don’t recognize your authority.” He turned around to face the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, I think we should depart from here and file a protest with the appropriate government agencies and the Imperial Navy.”

  “Nobody is going anywhere!” Dietrich was not loud, but he had an excellent command voice, and it rang throughout the room. Everyone heard the order and the determination behind it. “As to filing a protest, you will get the opportunity later. Be advised that Admiral Hochstadt’s response will be to forward the images you just saw to whoever makes inquiries into our process. She feels that would more than adequately serve as a response.” He shook his head. “You better figure out how you’re going to discuss that type of behavior because you are going to get your chance, with us and with others.”

  Kurtis turned around to face Dietrich again. “We all can’t be held responsible for the actions at one facility.”

  “We will be investigating every significant retention center. We will be interviewing everyone at these places. I suspect the practices we just witnessed on imagery are not confined to one facility. Depending on the results, I am authorized to take whatever corrective actions I think are required.”

  Kurtis did not give it up. “Again, we do not recognize your authority here!”

  Dietrich gave a slight shrug of dismissal. “Five minutes ago, you did. It doesn’t really matter. I’m here, and I intend to do my duty as I see it.” He paused and added. “Our interview process will start with each of you. I have twenty-five legal people from Rosstrappe in the back of this room. You will be interviewed in nearby rooms on an individual basis. You will be called in one at a time. Go with the person who calls your name.”

  He started to sit down, but Kurtis spoke up. “I’m leaving. I dare you to stop me.”

  Kurtis turned to his left and calmly walked toward an exit door. He refused to look up at Dietrich or anyone else. Several others stood to depart. During the conversation, an Imperial Army officer standing near the exit doors had moved to the end of Kurtis’ row. Now Dietrich nodded to him, and the officer nodded back. As Kurtis moved to pass by the officer, the man savagely punched him in the stomach. As Kurtis doubled over, the officer grabbed him by his shoulders and slammed him back first into the front of the raised stage. The sound of the impact was heard throughout the room. Kurtis slid down the short vertical wall and ended up in a heap, clutching his stomach and gasping for breath.

  The officer looked up, and Dietrich nodded his approval. “Help him back to his seat.” He looked out at the audience. “Next person who tries to leave will get worse than that. I am not playing here.” All the people standing quickly took their seats. Dietrich announced to nobody in particular. “Interview Mister Kurtis first so we can get him some medical attention afterward.”

  Dietrich nodded to the group of legal people standing in the back of the room. “Go ahead,” he ordered. One by one, members of that group stepped forward and said a name. The person named stood up and went to the caller. The interviews began. Dietrich watched
it all in silence. He was pleased one person had decided to test him. An example had been set, and he did not expect any more trouble from this particular group. He knew an example might be required at each stop. That was fine by him.

  Chapter 41

  Twelve warships of Pirate Flotilla One floated together in the middle of nowhere. The Royal Navy light cruiser Drake floated with them. The only warship missing was Habu. Mia Wu’s ship was at Agra 5 loading supplies and crewmembers so would miss this operation.

  The brief was conducted over the tactical net. Baby Doll began with an intel update. “The array is a collection of lasers and antennas. Its primary job is to receive incoming laser communications and redirect them as required. The array also gives navigation aid by providing a constant signal of its location so shipboard nav systems that may be drifting could be adjusted accurately, and it signals the precise standard time used aboard all ships in space. The array consisted of four spheres mounting an unknown number of lasers and antennas. The spheres are attached to a central hub which houses the living quarters for the maintenance crew and few comm specialists who are based there. The hub also has an armory, a magazine, repair shop, docking facilities for two small ships, and there is one escape pod. The hub has solar arrays attached to it to convert solar power to electrical power to run the place. There is also a building that houses batteries to provide power for emergencies. The number of people, lasers, antennas, and workload capacities are unknown. The corporations that built the array twenty years ago kept that info to themselves so nobody on the outside knows what the array is capable of or what it actually does besides its stated missions. One school of thought is they also do comm for the Goth military or anyone else who wants to buy in.

  “Protective measures—the array has limited offensive weapons at best. The array is encased in a globe of mines fifteen kilometers deep within approximately one hundred meters between mines. That makes it one of the densest fields around. The mines were magnetic and powered. We assume they are comparable to Zeke mines so can detect anything within three klicks and move toward it on command. The warheads will go armed within three hundred meters or so of their target. Any single mine can be command detonated by the array’s crew if necessary.

  “Also protecting the array are fifteen floaters; ten are gun floaters with each having a 250-millimeter dual gun turret. Ammunition capacity is unknown but these are large floaters so probably have large magazines. Resupply is the magazine attached to the outside of the hub, but it cannot happen in battle. There are five missile floaters with four launching arms on each. They also appear to have large magazines for large missile capacity. These fifteen floaters would be their limited offensive threat. We have no idea of their ordnance breakdown so cannot assess their offensive power. It is possible all their missiles are interceptors and their gun rounds are canister to take out incoming missiles. If so, they have no offensive capability at all. All floaters are kept close to the hub so are well inside the minefield. They will use the minefield as a defensive measure by exploding mines to take out any incoming ordnance. With their dense field and the ability to move mines around, getting through the minefield will be time-consuming. They know they can’t hold against a determined attack for very long, so Green Squadron is on call for backup. We estimate they can hold against us for slightly more than two hours before our missiles hit their floaters or their hub, if we wanted to hit their hub.

  “I want to stress that we have no current intel on the array as we have never considered it a threat or a viable target until now. We have not done a recon so have no idea what is actually there at this time. Hopefully, we won’t be surprised. Questions?”

  There were none, so Baby Doll yielded to Tactical so she could brief the attack plan. “I want to stress our mission here is not to take out the array. It is to take out the defenses so it will be clear to any observer that we could have taken out the array if we had wanted to. Our mission is to highlight Green Squadron’s failure to protect the array. Current intel, provided by the Royal Navy, places the nearest Goth warship at four hours away at this moment, and we believe that ship will not be much closer when we begin our attack. It is a single light cruiser so should not be a threat regardless of its location. Green Squadron’s self-generated mission of convoy escort has spread the squadron out so their response time will not be a factor in this attack.

  “We will be going in as one attack group. Formation is squadron ships abreast with the three squadrons stacked—alpha on top, Wolfpack in the middle, and Charlie on the bottom. Three klicks between layers. We all will go offensive and begin firing at max missile range to the hub. Target priority is the floaters. We need to get them before we get into gun range. We assume their missile floaters will start shooting when we shoot. What we don’t know is whether they will be offensive or defensive missiles. We will know that at the merge. If the missiles are offensive, Alpha has defensive responsibility. The other two squadrons remain offensive. We assume the array operators will detonate mines to take out our missiles and then shift mines around to cover the resulting gap. We can live with that because they will run out of mines before we run out of time or missiles. Eventually, our missiles will get through. Once the floaters are disabled, firing will cease except as necessary to eliminate any pop-up threat. Missile firing will be at a rate of one every five seconds. We want to spread our missile interval out so no single mine explosion can take out several missiles. The written attack order has each squadron’s line of firing for missile routing. You break that down for your individual ships as you see fit. Again, we will pound one section of the minefield to force our way in, but we can’t be tight on each other so stay in your assigned firing lanes. Ensure your targeting cones are locked down tight as you can’t hit the array or hub by mistake. We see no credible threat, so we have the luxury of time, so use it. After reducing their defenses to include all floaters, we will depart. The array and hub will be left undamaged and no casualties will be inflicted. As always, self-defense is paramount, and no rules of engagement are meant to hinder that in any way. Questions?”

  Ringo spoke up over the command net. “Why not take the array?”

  Tactical had explained the reasoning in her tasking message and again during the brief, but Ringo wanted to press the issue. As Tactical opened her mouth to respond, Hawkins talked. “We take out the array, we buy ourselves many new enemies. The majority of the companies, corporations, and law enforcement agencies in the Badlands leave us alone. That is because we leave them alone. We don’t make trouble for them on their planets. We don’t ambush them in space. Even when we inspect their ships for slaves, we let them go if nothing is found. They are willing to let us do our little war as long as we leave them out of it. We take out the array and damage their comm networks that truce is over. Many of these agencies and companies will be inconvenienced and may see this as a first step on our part to expand the war. Now they might respond by joining together with our current enemies to get us before we make their lives miserable. I don’t want them to have to do that. We have enough enemies. Our mission here is to damage Green Squadron, and we can do that without creating havoc in everyone’s comm setups. I see this as a first step in our campaign with Green Squadron. Admiral Muller will respond to this insult by coming after us. I think there will be an opportunity there. I would rather hit the Goths than the array as nobody will much give a damn what happens to Green Squadron.”

  Ringo’s image on the computer screen nodded. She loved to shoot at just about anything including hubs and arrays, but she knew sound logic when she heard it. Besides, if there was a real fight after this little errand, she could wait.

  That was the only question, and the briefing concluded with Tactical giving a time hack and then she added, “We move out in fifteen minutes. Figure thirty hours to reach the array.” After everyone got off the net, Rafe talked to Captain Cassidy in Drake. “Lisa, where do you want to hang out for this?”

  Cassidy smiled. “Far enough a
way so I have reasonable deniability.”

  Rafe returned the smile. “I was hoping you might find far enough away as between us and that Goth light cruiser. You could give us a heads up if that ship or any others happen to come through your sensors on their way to us.

  “So that’s why I was invited to the brief?”

  Hawkins shrugged. “You need to be informed on what we are doing in case of any blowback, and because I always like seeing you and the Royal Navy.”

  Cassidy shook her head. “Flatterer. I will set up about two hours from the array to keep you on the edge of sensors. If we see anything, we’ll pass it along.”

  Raferty nodded his thanks. “I owe you one, or rather, I owe you one more.”

  Cassidy gave him a smile. “Not counting, Raferty.”

  They signed off.

  Chapter 42

  The investigation began with twelve days of near-continuous work. Dietrich’s unit broke into teams and fanned out around the planet. All the major detention centers were visited. The first prison visited was the only trouble spot. The warden refused to let any of Dietrich’s investigators inside his facility. He was backed up by his guards. Dietrich had a platoon from his Imperial Army detachment prepare to storm the place. Two guards were shot dead by snipers just before the attack, and the prison official relented. Dietrich had the warden arrested and taken out in handcuffs. Word got around and there was no more trouble.

  Hundreds of interviews and record reviews were completed. All persons named by many witnesses were promptly arrested. Dietrich and Steiner thought the majority of their witnesses would be prisoners. Although this turned out to be true, another group was a close second. Women prison guards, women administrators, and women security personnel provided valuable information and backed it up with documentation.