by A. K. DuBoff
“How widespread is this network?”
“I don’t know yet. But the Coalition seems to be made up of different organizations that have started merging and aligning their objectives. I get the impression it has some serious funding behind it—not sure if there could be dynastic ties, but it’s possible. From what I can tell so far, this has been building for years.”
“And, of course, they pick now to ramp up the efforts.”
“A prime opportunity to direct people looking for leadership during uncertain times,” Kira said. “I saw this kind of thing in my home system. It can turn ugly.”
“Propaganda is a dangerous, slippery slope.”
“It is. And the people behind this particular messaging are masters.”
“What’s going on at the ground level?”
“They’re crafty,” Kira continued. “The messaging is built around the idea of local governance. Basically, ‘trust our local people to know what’s best for you, not the Taran leaders on faraway worlds’.”
“I can see the appeal,” Jason admitted.
“Oh yeah, so can I. They have the pitch down to a fine art. I’ve seen a number of variations for different socioeconomic groups in the population here, and the tweaks speak to the needs of each group.”
“I’m guessing there’s a catch—beyond the obvious issue of wondering whether people really would be better off without the oversight of the Central Worlds.”
“To your latter point, let me first say that I wouldn’t be in the Guard if I didn’t believe in the Taran Empire. Just look at what was like in my home system. I appreciate that the original settlers of the Elvar Trinary tried to go it alone, but there are huge issues on a societal level when a culture is insular. People end up having to take jobs that are needed rather than based on what they want to do with their lives, so morale plummets and social class becomes a serious issue.
“All of that turned around when Elvar rejoined the rest of the Empire. There were instantly opportunities for people unlike anything they’d had before in their lives. Now, only a few years later, the economy and culture are thriving. People are happy because they have choices.
“So, while the message of this Coalition to ‘think locally’ sounds good, there are a few tells that have my gut screaming at me that there’s going to be trouble. Namely, that the community representatives were all assigned by the Coalition. The pretense of ‘locality’ is to get people on board, but it’s an obvious means of building a coordinated network between the worlds so leaders can make moves on an interstellar scale. With citizens trusting their community’s leader to look out for them, most won’t look at the bigger picture.”
Jason nodded. “The question is, then, what might the Coalition be trying to achieve by building up this support?”
“I’m not sure, but I can guarantee you that, based on this power structure, they want to be sneaky about it. It’s a perfect setup: make people feel valued by convincing them that their individual voices and their community matter so that they begin focusing on local rather than on global or interstellar issues. With everyone fixed on what’s right in front of them, they will be far less likely to notice the larger changes outside their immediate sphere. The Coalition could accomplish a lot before anyone notices.”
“Well, we’ve taken notice,” Jason said. “Though I’m not sure what to do.”
“I have an idea on that front,” Kira replied. “I’ve started to get chummy with that young woman who sent in the tip—Lexi. Interestingly, she’s Gifted but doesn’t seem to want anyone to know.”
“Is she working an angle of her own?”
“I’m not sure yet, beyond wanting to find her friend. But she’s entrenched, and she’s invited me to a special meeting. I think it might be a sort of vetting session for new recruits into the Coalition ranks. Works out well, since the people she reports to are pissed about their big plans getting messed up—though they don’t know it was Lexi that thwarted the deal. Nonetheless, bringing in new recruits, especially a geneticist, will get her points and help her climb the ranks.”
“Sounds like a great ‘in’.”
She nodded. “But, man, there are all sorts of red flags about the Coalition. Beyond their governance agenda and their public call for science specialists, they’re also actively recruiting people with military and tactical experience.”
“Great.” Jason sighed.
“Still not sure what they need with a geneticist, but Leon will find out whatever he can.”
“Why does my mind immediately go to a genetically keyed bioweapon?”
“Funny you say that, I thought the same thing.” Kira smiled in spite of the grim proposition.
“Fantastic.”
“But the bit of good news is that Leon is awesome at his work and is equally curious to find out what these smarmy dudes are up to.” She held up her hand. “And before you ask, he’s a civilian and can take whatever job he wants. No need to worry about sending him into harm’s way. He knows the risks and is on board.”
“We appreciate both of your willingness to get your hands dirty. We need answers.”
“And I will do my best to get them. I hate this foking shite—people taking advantage of others for their own megalomaniacal power grabs. There are some smart, twisted people behind this, I’m sure of it.”
“If anyone can get inside without them suspecting, I know it’s you. Just be careful.”
“I will. Besides, you know I can take care of myself.”
“I do, which is why I endorsed you for this assignment.”
She took a long breath. “This could take a while. I’ll need to get them to trust me before I expect I’ll have direct access to anyone with knowledge of the master plan.”
“I figured as much. I think we’re going to be in ‘wait and see’ mode around here when it comes to the Erebus, too.”
“Our doom closing in from both sides. Fun times, right?”
“The best.”
She laughed. “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing until I hear otherwise. Tell Command I’m their girl to get shite done.”
“Stay safe.”
“In the meantime, good luck with your alien invasion thing.”
“We’re calling it a ‘compulsory cultural exchange’.”
She tilted her head and her nose wrinkled. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “No. Or not yet, anyway. We’ll see how the media spins it.”
“This is going to be a wild ride.”
— — —
Echoes of the Erebus’ presence kept catching Raena off-guard. Since the contact, she hadn’t broken completely free from it—or that’s what it felt like. More likely, it was so profound that it had changed her, in the way a person held onto any great joy or trauma.
She tried to focus on the meeting with her father and Ryan about the rollout of the new power system. With MPS still not being forthcoming in their communications, they’d decided that the best test case for the power cores would be in a new line of ships through DGE. The plan was to test them out with non-sentient AI operators to make sure they were safe and reliable before getting any people involved.
“We’ll get on it as soon as possible,” Ryan agreed as they wrapped up the discussion of the logistical details for the prototype manufacturing.
“Thank you again for stepping in,” Wil said. “I’ll feel a lot better about rolling out this tech on a larger scale once I know it’s been vetted.”
“Where does this leave MPS and Monsari?” Raena asked.
He shrugged. “Remains to be seen. It may be difficult to hold onto their seat on the High Council if the corporation becomes irrelevant. Once the tech is vetted, we can approach them about scaling the manufacturing of this new power core.”
“I’d be freaking out if I were them,” Ryan said.
“I’m sure they are.” Raena knew they would have to keep a close eye on the Monsari Dynasty. They were rich and powerful, but those resources would dry up if th
ey were no longer able to produce. Desperate people would do anything to survive.
Ryan spread his hands on the table. “At least things have calmed down around Duronis. The arrival of the Erebus has proved to be a wonderful distraction.”
Raena cracked a smile. “Reminding people how they aren’t so different as soon as aliens are involved—not all that dissimilar from the argument we made about Earth.”
“There will be a lot more distraction and disruption to come, I’m sure,” Wil said.
“I’ll take the breather for now. These last couple of weeks…” Ryan released a long breath as he leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.
“Enjoy the respite. It’s well-earned.”
“Don’t worry, we know it’s temporary. We’re at the center of this thing, whether we like it or not,” Raena said.
Her father gave her a compassionate nod. “I know it was difficult, but it’s good you were there to see the Erebus for yourself. I wouldn’t wish that danger on anyone, especially you, but it’s for the best that someone on the political side talked to them directly.”
She knew the meaning behind the words. Someone needed to see that acquiescing was the only option. We can’t fight them, so we need to do whatever they tell us if we want to live. She’d use much more elegant phrasing when communicating that point to others, but that was the heart of it. It wouldn’t be long before she’d need to sell the message, so she realized that finding the right words was a task best undertaken sooner than later.
“Grandpa and Grandma understand,” she said.
“Yes, but not like you. It may sometimes be difficult to make your voice heard, but you must be insistent. What they are giving us looks like a gift, but they must have other motives.”
Ryan nodded. “I’ll do what I can to keep things in perspective on the High Council.”
“And I’m working to foster a collaborative relationship with the Guard. We still need to come up with the right branding for it, though,” Wil said. “It’s critical we present a unified front.”
“That’s it!” Raena exclaimed.
“Hmm?”
“A little on the nose, but it works. The Taran Unified Front. No, Force. Taran United Force.”
Wil smiled. “It’s simple, but I love it.”
Raena grinned. “And it abbreviates to TUF. It’s perfect! ‘Taran tough’.”
“Putting it like that means you’re saying Taran twice,” Ryan pointed out.
“Shh, don’t over-think it.” She patted his arm.
“Thank you, Raena. I’ll work with the Guard’s public relations team to craft the messaging.”
“I can give a heads up to the High Council, if you’d like,” Ryan offered.
“That would be wonderful. Thank you both.”
“Try to get a break yourself, Dad. Maybe you and Mom can come visit with Jason soon. No work.”
He smiled. “I’ll see what we can do. In the meantime, take care of each other. None of the problems have gone away—just pushed to the background.”
Raena took her husband’s hand. “Don’t worry about us. No matter what comes, we’ll face it together.”
— — —
Jason couldn’t help looking at the stars differently during the flight lesson with his students. The Erebus are out there. What made them go from wanting to destroy us to giving us such a valuable gift?
He didn’t trust them. He knew his parents didn’t, either, but they were backed into a corner and everyone knew it. The Erebus knew it.
They could have given us anything and we would’ve had to agree. It has to be a setup. But for what?
They’d run the power core through every conceivable test, and it had passed. Safety. Reliability. Power output. The answer to all of their hopes and dreams about what could take the civilization to the next level. Yet, something was wrong. He could feel it. The darkness on the horizon was no longer in the distance. It was surrounding them.
He tried to keep the ominous feeling at bay while he doled out instructions to his students. Worrying them wouldn’t help matters, and it didn’t improve his own state of mind. They were living in a new reality now and he’d need to get used to it.
Still, there was anger and resentment simmering in the back of his mind. The Erebus had killed thousands of people—and a person he loved—for nothing. Why had they opened with an attack rather than offering the ‘gift’? He would work with them, but he couldn’t forgive them. They’d taken something too precious to get off the hook that easily.
He forced the emotion back, keeping it on reserve. Now was not the time for vengeance. But, at such a time when the Erebus revealed their true intentions, and he had no doubt they would, he would unlock that fury and use it against them.
Jason looked out at the stars, imagining seeing through the dimensional veil to wherever it was the Erebus called their home. Wrong us again, and you will pay.
The resolution eased some of the tension he’d been carrying around since the incident. His time to face them would come. Until then, he needed to focus on helping those around him become the best TSS officers they could be.
—
After the flight lesson, he went to his father’s office for a check-in. He’d alerted him about hearing from Kira and needed to give his report.
Wil took in the news without giving an outward expression of his feelings on the matter. Only once Jason had finished did he speak. “I’m glad you have a good rapport with her. She’s the kind of eyes we need on this.”
“The Alliance is just one part, though. What do we do about the Coalition as a whole?” Jason asked.
“As much as I trust your faith in Kira, I’d really like to have one of our own people monitoring the situation from another angle.”
“You said before that an Agent—”
“Yes, an Agent would stand out too much. But I’ve talked with Michael, and we have a candidate. A null in Militia, willing to go deep undercover; as a null, no one will be able to read his mind, so it’s the safest option to keep his mission under wraps in the event he comes across a telepath. We’d like him to get close with one of the other organizations we believe is pushing the Coalition behind the scenes.”
“Should I let Kira know?”
His father shook his head. “Nothing can get out about our inside man. We’ve made it clear that he’ll be on his own until he’s ready for extraction. He knows the risks.”
“All right.” Jason leaned back into the chair. Have the odds ever been more against us?
“It’s only going to get more difficult from here, Jason.”
He wasn’t sure if his father had gleaned the thoughts from the surface of his mind or if his expression was enough. “I know that you’ve been telling me from the first day I joined the TSS that we train to be ready for anything, but this…”
“Even I didn’t see this coming. Well, not exactly this.”
“A civil war is brewing, too, isn’t it?”
“It’s looking inevitable, unless this business with the Erebus can somehow bring us together.”
“There isn’t a choice. I hope people see that.”
“At least the TSS and the Guard are united for the first time ever. We’re as well-positioned as we can hope to be.”
“I’m sure not everyone in the Guard is happy about that.”
“They don’t need to be. Admiral Mathaen and I are in alignment, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll be announcing the Taran United Force soon.”
“The TUF?” Jason considered it. “A little cheesy, but it works.”
“We thought so, too.”
“This was Raena’s doing, wasn’t it?”
“The name, absolutely. The idea was Admiral Mathaen’s.”
Jason’s eye’s widened. “Oh, really?”
“I’m glad he’s driving the partnership forward and it’s not all on me. It remains to be seen how committed he is, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
“What�
��s the plan for approaching the Erebus now that the Guard is on board?”
“Nothing. We focus on quelling the civil unrest and keeping our people safe.”
“We’re not fighting back? So that’s it, we’re giving up?”
Wil shook his head. “No, we didn’t achieve freedom from our past would-be oppressors only to have our fate controlled by new overlords.”
“Then what’s the plan?”
“We wait and observe. It’s possible they do have benevolent intentions.”
“Hah! Right. From what I’ve seen, we’re just pawns to be manipulated. Lesser beings.”
“Yes, it’s overly optimistic to think all our indiscretions are forgiven. But, as much as I’d like to stop this invasion now, we have no way to stand up to them at present. So, we must gather information. There’s an answer, somewhere, about how we can regain our independence, whether it be through might or wit. Their power is immense, but like us, they have limitations and weaknesses; I’m certain of it.”
Jason took a deep breath. “I hope you’re right.”
“For now, our people aren’t in immediate danger. Whatever the Erebus are up to, it’s a long game.”
“I don’t look forward to finding out what it is.”
“All part of the process.”
“I hope I can eventually be as calm about this as you are.”
“It’s all age and experience, Jason. Just a matter of perspective.”
“I’ll watch and learn.”
Wil smiled. “You’re well on your way.”
“Thanks.” He did feel he was on the right path. And, more importantly, he knew he was with the right people to help him grow. The Erebus are going to test us all.
His father was quiet for a while. “I know it does seem rather bleak right now, but there’s something critical you need to believe and remind yourself, especially in the moments when the task at hand seems insurmountable.”
“What’s that?”
“Whenever the Erebus do make their move, we’ll be ready to show them the Taran Empire is here to stay.”