"When do I get to tell my guys we're going to the belly of the beast?" Minh-Chu asked.
"Once we're under-way and we're communications dark," Jake said.
"Um, I know this mission is really important," Ashley said, patting her lips with a napkin. Her bowl didn't have any evidence that there was ever anything in it. "But does it help us get back to Tamber?"
Ayan seemed surprised by the question, but she wasn't displeased. She didn't talk to people about Tamber or the Haven System in general, but she shared her guilt with Jake the night before. It was deep, and she couldn't wait to take the solar system back. The people they left behind mattered more than anything they built there. "The Fleet wants that more than anything. One of the reasons why the mission to Nuaji is so important is because there is an Admiral there, Scanlon, who will be in charge of taking control of the whole star cluster. That's the Haven System, the Mergillian home world, and all the nearby solar systems. We don't know for sure if killing her will slow that down, but we want to get the Merciless as close as we can so we can learn about her and act appropriately. If we can keep leadership in the Haven System disorganized, we might have an easier time taking it back. While the Merciless works on things from its end, the War Forge will be working on ways to hold the System once we're back."
"Oh, okay," Ashley said. "A lot of people wonder how we're going to get back, they weren't there long, but we liked having a home, so I thought I'd ask."
"I'm happy you did," Ayan said. "You can pass what I said on once the Merciless is under way, too."
"Okay, that'll help," Ashley sighed. "Do you guys deal with this big picture stuff every time you have meetings? It feels like I just gained ten pounds in the shoulders."
"A millstone hanging from your neck," Minh-Chu added.
"You get used to it," Ayan said.
"Well, I'm supposed to be on duty in five minutes," Ashley said, standing and dispensing hugs, starting with Oz.
"I need sleep," Minh-Chu said.
"I have to get to the Triton if I don't want to go along for the Merciless' trip to the middle of Order territory."
A flurry of handshakes and hugs went around, and before long Ayan and Jake were left alone. Ayan pulled a white scarf from the thigh pocket of her uniform and put it around Jake's shoulders, pulling him down for a sound kiss that reminded him of the night before. "I'm going to miss you," she said. "Even with live calls."
"Me too," he said, nose to nose with her. "Guess the old tradition is back," he said.
"Doesn't feel weird, I thought it might," she said, glancing at the silky scarf.
"Not at all, feels right," he replied, capturing her lips with his and drawing her close.
They shared the intimate moment until her comm unit buzzed. The separation that followed was reluctant. "I have to go. My team just checked in, they've finished working with Finn on the quad drives. Remember, running them at the levels you're going to will make it seem like time passes faster on your side of the dimensional wall than ours. It's a paradox we don't completely understand yet. So, the Merciless will be travelling for five days, but outside only three will pass."
" It's only a couple days, it shouldn't mess with our heads that much," Jake said.
"Wait until we get the system working even more efficiently," Ayan said. "It might get confusing for a while."
Jake started to let her go, then stopped, his arms still around her. Ayan's heart shaped face turned up to him with a playful expression at first, then growing more serious as they remained there. "I love you, you know," he told her quietly.
Watching her jaw drop a little, a smile still playing across her lips, then feeling her shift so she was completely in his embrace was enough to make him nervous. "I've been afraid to say it, but I love you too, Jake," her lips grazed his, soft and warm. He wished he could rewind time to the previous night and live it over again, but the buzzing of both their communicators told him that there was no way to delay their separation.
They parted at last, and she winked as she turned away. "Go set the Order on fire and bring a few thousand people home with you."
Twelve
An Old Stage
* * *
The directions from her father were clear and didn't leave much room for interpretation. Alice knew that promising the leader of the resistance on Nuaji a bomb that would strip his entire planet of life was a mistake but being told directly that she couldn't follow through on her promise by Jake, or rather Commodore Valent as he was acting in that capacity for most of her live call, was worse than any self-admonishment.
Providing such a weapon to Peter or any part of his resistance would be a transgression against the entire fleet. It would scar its reputation, alienate thousands of Nafalli, and lead to a black mark on her father's and her records at best. The Fleet wasn't interested in providing unpredictable new allies with weapons of mass destruction, especially if they could tamper with them between the time they were given and deployed. One of her most important promises had to be broken and she couldn't recall a time when she was more on edge. Her promise bought her some time to come up with a better option, but she failed to find one.
Peter and an unknown number of his resistance cell leaders were to meet her at the Inverse Gardens. The dormant volcano base provided them with all the advantages, leaving Alice vulnerable. Her leash had been yanked: not only was she not to provide them with the bomb she promised, but she couldn't give them any of their Knight Killer Two rifles or armour. That left older style weapons and heavy vacsuits, which could be good in a fight, but against an Order Knight they may as well be paper suits and slingshots.
Alice, Yawen, Iruuk, Woone and Noro carried four long crates of the lighter weapons and suits they could offer to the meeting. They had their KK2 rifles slung across their backs this time. More instructions from SOCU: Go to the meeting armed or not at all. That was Alice's fault, she told her father that she suspected Peter was dangerous, a true believer in his own cause that would stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. Alice could relate, she would do anything to get the Haven System back, to protect the people there, but Peter was much closer to madness than she was.
She hoped the offerings she brought would be enough but doubted it. Her hand came to rest on a sealed equipment bag affixed to her chest as they descended the Clever Dream's rear ramp onto the landing pad inside the main volcano chamber. The lights were subdued, and Sonny came to meet them. He was in a battle scarred hazardous environment suit that had a few extra armour plates affixed to the chest. The helmet visor was up and she could feel his remorse before he offered his apology. "My people checked the intelligence you brought as best as they could, I'm sorry I doubted you, Captain Valent. The meeting is this way, in the main hall."
He and two guards in similar armour led the way. Alice's hand never came off the equipment case on her chest. It wasn't the bomb they wanted, but it was the biggest thing she could offer instead without disobeying orders. The device was shielded from scanners, made to be affixed to a hull or security door so the charge inside could fire for several seconds in a focused area that would cut a two-metre-wide hole through most hulls. When not in use, it was the size of the average three cup thermos. It was the best she could do.
"You have some gear for us?" One of the guards asked, eying the equipment cases.
Iruuk looked him up and down, probably taking note of the old tech the man was wearing. Their environmental suits were three centimetres thick in some places, made from cheap but effective materials that were tried and true, but well outdated by Haven Fleet standards. "A few upgrades."
The passages they traversed on their way to the meeting were made to show off the volcanic rock. The lighting was moody, almost dramatic, still lit for tourists and not residents. Most of the doors they passed were closed, but she did get a glimpse into spaces filled with cots, and a couple store rooms where younger members of the resistance, nearly children, were packing hurriedly. "Moving day?" Alice asked.
"I have to talk to Peter before any announcements are made," Alice said firmly. "There has been a change of plans."
"Oh? Everything all right?" Sonny asked. He was nearly overwhelmed with worry, like she'd shattered a dam holding it back.
Concern for his feelings couldn't change what had to be done. "I just need to clear some things up."
"We're here, this is the stairway that leads backstage," Sonny said, stopping at a pair of metal doors. "You have to leave your weapons."
"No, I don't," Alice said, meeting his gaze, unflinching. "I'll leave most of my people here, but Yawen comes with me, and we keep our weapons."
Sonny was alarmed, he was being pushed to the verge of doing something stupid. "I can't…"
"I won't go up there unarmed while I'm carrying this," Alice said, opening the equipment bag on her chest enough to show Sonny and a pair of guards a glimpse of polished metal. "A gift that'll have an impact from Haven Fleet. My people have trusted me to make sure the gear we brought for you makes it into the right hands."
"You can trust me," Sonny said, his alarm was slowly turning to excitement.
Alice zipped the case back up with a jerk and started to turn away. "This was going to be good for your resistance, but we can always find…"
"All right, wait. I'll take you up with one of your people, just leave your rifles with your Nafalli soldiers there, I've seen what they can do."
Alice and Yawen handed their Knight Killer Two rifles to Iruuk and Noro then followed Sonny up the stairs. The back room looked like something from an old holo movie with cables and walkways connected to curtains and pulleys overhead. Three old holographic projectors the size of small star fighters were piled on top of each other, hidden by a curtain from the audience but in plain sight to her and Yawen. Furniture, freestanding signs and what she assumed were old set pieces were piled wherever there was space behind canvass or velvet curtains as well. She wished she could have seen whatever plays or presentations happened on the stage when it was in its prime, but they were in an era where entertainment, especially live entertainment, was of little importance.
Peter was sitting in one of those old chairs, a simple wooden seat. His eyes were closed, hood drawn down so she could barely see his scarred face. Alice concentrated on what he was feeling, rather than what she was seeing. Those scars were brutal. Some parts of his skin were so thin and tight that she could see the muscle move beneath, patches of his face looked like fresh wounds, the flesh still raw and wet looking. It was easy to stare him in the eyes though, they were such a washed out blue that they were nearly grey, and they seemed bright, very alive to her. He looked to her, and Alice smiled at his pale gaze. "I brought you everything I could."
"The bomb?"
"You can't expect us to give you something like that on our second meeting. We're just getting to know each other," Alice said.
"What about the escape plan?" Peter asked, standing and crossing the dusty, hard floor behind the stage. "Can you cover my people while they make their escape? Provide a rallying point so they can get out of the system?"
"In five days," Alice said with a nod. "I can create a distraction big enough and provide enough coverage for your people to escape the solar system. If you're willing to abandon your ships, we will be able to get you out of the sector in no time, but anyone who wants to keep their ship is on their own."
"Why? Why do we have to abandon our ships?" Peter asked. "Are you trying to force my people into a corner so we have to depend on you?"
"None of your ships will be fast enough to keep up with ours," Alice replied, feeling tension starting to wind up in him. "If your people want to join Haven Fleet, or have our assistance, they'll have to be left behind. "
"So, you'll give us ships?" he asked.
"No, anyone who joins us will train to use our technology and serve on our vessels as part of an organized military. You'll be paid, have the best life we can provide, and everyone will have rights. Even the people who don't join the military but become civilian citizens instead will have a right to participate in our democracy. They'll have a voice and a good standard of living." It wasn't what he wanted. The disappointment she felt in him was extreme. "We didn't come here to absorb your resistance, but we didn't know your world was about to be overwhelmed by Edxi either. Now all we can do is help you with evacuation and offer your people a place with us."
"Are you really going to take ships full of civilians? What good is that to you?" Peter asked, he was fighting outrage while remaining surprisingly tranquil on the surface.
"Haven Fleet exists to protect people. Part of that is providing an alternative place to live, one where everyone is respected. As we take on more people our culture evolves and Haven as a nation becomes more capable." Alice was a little surprised to find that she believed in the words she'd read a few times in the Haven Government statements. It was the first time she's spoken them aloud and doing so earnestly was easy. "I'm sure some of your civilians can help the military, but we're happy to take on people who have other ambitions, and families are always welcome."
"But there will be a lot of civilians who don't want to go with you, what then?" Sonny asked.
"I can provide you with a list of worlds that may take your people in as refugees, we can even project wormholes that will get them there," Alice said. "But once they leave there won't be a chance for them to join us until we retake the Haven System. Our base is well hidden, I won't reveal its location to anyone. I'm sorry, I have to protect the greater cause. "
"I didn't build this network, gather these people together so they could be broken up and fed into some nomadic military organization," Peter said. "Where do I fit into all this? Will I be a leader if I join you?"
"You'll be assessed like everyone who joins, so maybe. It's an opportunity; you'd get access to our medical facilities, training so you can be more effective in whatever position you want to work towards." Alice knew he wouldn't make it far. Peter was calm on the outside, but unstable within.
"I need to be in a position where I can look after my people," he countered. "How can I do that if I'm in training, away from the fighting?"
"We have systems that would help you stay connected to your people," Alice said. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that you have a leadership position that takes the number of people you bring to us into account, so you have enough power to make sure your fighters are taken care of." That was no great promise. It was possible for a Captain to put a recommendation in for a new recruit, but even her word wasn't worth much in that respect.
"What's your word worth, really? You couldn't give us a bomb, so how much power do you have?" Sonny asked.
"Weapons of mass destruction are completely different from recruitment and placement. There's no directive that says I get to pass bombs out, but gathering our allies is Directive Two, one of the most important ongoing missions. Besides, I'm the Queen's daughter, and my father is a famous Commodore, one of the founders of the fleet. I've got plenty of pull where it counts."
"That is something we confirmed," Peter said, calming down. "Your mother is also the Defence Minister. There is no higher rank in your Fleet. What did you bring instead of the bomb I asked for?"
"Some 'bot killer rifles, Violator Seven side arms, and military vacsuits that make the armour your soldiers wear look like tissue paper," Alice said. "There are command and control units in there too so you can use better encryption, even create a moving network for secret communications and have medical systems for anyone who wears them."
"'Bot killer rifles?" Sonny asked.
"Freeground Mark Nines, they're an older design but they can pierce armour plating
with pulse rounds, so you get a hundred forty shots on the highest setting," Yawen explained.
"What about the ones you carry? Those don't look like an older model."
"We can't give you our most recent technology," Alice said. "We only have enough for ourselves." That lie didn't land well with anyone. She could feel the emotional reactions around her, it felt like a stink.
"You have spares, or a supply on that ship," Sonny countered.
"Never mind," Peter said, calming down quickly.
"I also brought you this," Alice said, taking the equipment pouch from the front of her uniform off and handing it to Sonny, who unzipped it. "It's a Hull Buster. I can make you nine more. This can make a door in almost anything. It can get through a reinforced wall or hull plate in fifteen seconds or less."
"Big lasers and focused explosives. I wouldn't tamper with it, just so you know. You'll blow you and your friends up real good," Yawen added.
"Ten?" Peter said, accepting the black cylindrical charge and looking at the polished surface. "What if I join your fleet with my fighters?"
"Then you get ten of those, the rest of the gear we brought for you, and to join a powerful fighting fleet that'll take your fight further than you could have on your own," Alice replied. "Much, much further."
There was a type of excitement growing in Peter, something Alice had never run into before. Peter's uncertainty was giving way to elation, something she said was more encouraging to him than she expected. "And my fighters can bring their families?"
"They can bring anyone we can fit aboard our ships," Alice said. At least that was the truth, but she hoped the Merciless wasn't coming alone. They would run short on space quickly if tens of thousands of people were trying to join them. She was starting to think that his resistance was bigger than she imagined. "You're still much better off if you can start getting people off world as soon as possible, though."
"Do you have a larger ship than the one I've seen?"
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 13 Page 11