The Renegade

by P. M. Johnson

  “So I heard,” replied Logan. “It’s just to keep you mollified for a while. She’s worried that your officers and veterans will put up a fight if she does anything too rash. But with increased unrest around the country and the Storm Front’s influence growing in the north, she’s getting desperate. Watch your back.”

  “I have come to the opposite conclusion, my young friend,” said Vessey. “I think that faced with so much uncertainty, she will keep me in place. She needs a steady hand at the helm. Your problem is that you let your principles cloud your thinking. This is a game of intrigue, endurance, and luck. I’ve survived many purges, many changes in leadership. One never knows how the cards will fall.”

  Vessey turned his attention to Beth and said, “And how did your mission to the Grenn go, Consul Styles? Are they ready to rejoin the Alliance?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say,” she replied tersely.

  Vessey laughed. “That bad, eh?”

  She raised an eyebrow but did not take the bait.

  Logan glanced behind him and took in the rolling forest-covered terrain of the northeastern Appalachian Mountains. Truly beautiful. Looking up, he saw a hawk riding a thermal over the mountain top. That’s when something strange caught his eye. Thin wisps of black smoke drifted above the treetops about half a kilometer to the east then vanished in the gentle breeze.

  He was about to say something to Beth, but she had already noticed it.

  “What’s burning?” she asked Vessey, lifting her chin toward the rising smoke.

  Vessey stopped and placed his hands on his hips to look in the direction Beth had indicated, clearly welcoming the opportunity to catch his breath.

  “That? Ah, yes,” he said as he took a deep breath and coughed to clear his chest. “That, Consul Styles, is smoke from an underground coal fire.”

  “What?” exclaimed Logan. “So close to the cave?”

  “What are you doing to extinguish it?” asked Ravenwood, also alarmed.

  “Nothing,” replied Vessey.

  “Nothing?” repeated Ravenwood nonplussed. “What about the cave? Have you evacuated Komatsu and the research team?”

  Vessey raised a hand to calm his companions down. “Easy, people. Don’t get excited. First of all, one scientist and three lab techs barely constitutes a ‘team’. Second, the coal fire has been burning for over a hundred and fifty years. It’s contained and presents no threat whatsoever to what’s behind the metal door on top of this hill.”

  Noting their looks of confusion, Vessey said, “You may not know this, but the cave was discovered by a private mining company long ago. Back in the 1960s coal miners were expanding their operations from a nearby deposit that was beginning to play out when they broke through the cave wall. Naturally, they were mystified by the strange things they discovered, and being the trusting souls that they were, they immediately notified the government. When officials arrived on the scene, they ordered that the mine be evacuated, saying there was a radiation hazard and it was not safe. A few days later, a nearby coal seam burst into flames under what can only be described as suspicious circumstances. Large portions of the mine have been burning ever since.”

  “Convenient,” said Beth. “I assume the fire allowed the government to permanently evacuate all of the miners.”

  “And the local population as well,” said Vessey. “No sane person wants to live on top of a subterranean coal fire. So, within six months there wasn’t a soul to be found within fifty square kilometers of where we stand today.”

  “Hmm,” grunted Ravenwood disapprovingly, “a blunt but effective method to clear the area of curious civilians while scientists work to unlock the mysteries of the cave.”

  “Exactly,” said Vessey. “We would do well to remember that the PRA was not the first government to manipulate a situation to get what it wanted.”

  “I assume you won’t be putting the fire out anytime soon, either,” said Beth.

  “Of course not! We don’t want anyone snooping around here.”

  “Is that why you only have two guards at the door?” asked Ravenwood. “You prefer not to draw attention to this place.”

  “Exactly!” said Vessey. “Very few people know about it. We want to keep it that way.”

  “What about Congress?” asked Beth. “Do they know?”

  “They were given notice of a PRA research laboratory in this area, but there were few details,” replied Vessey evasively.

  Logan was about to follow up on the Vessey’s vague response, but the general quickly turned and continued walking toward the two sentries standing on either side of the entrance. The soldiers saluted when they arrived. One of them entered a card into a slot, punched in a code, and opened the door for them.

  Once past the exterior guards they made their way down a long, concrete hallway toward a clear partition behind which stood several more guards. Elevator doors could be seen behind them.

  As they approached the partition, Beth looked at Logan and smiled knowingly.

  “What’s that look for?” he asked quietly.

  “Those guards out there at the door,” she replied. “You didn’t notice how they tried to stand a little taller as you passed by?”

  “They’re soldiers,” said Logan. “They think I’m still head of Second Army. They don’t know I resigned.”

  “You needn’t bother whispering,” said Vessey over his shoulder. “And Consul Styles is right. You’ve got one hell of a reputation among the rank and file, Brandt. And they do know that you’ve resigned. News of it spread like wildfire. Many of them are now trying to get into the Earth Defense Force. They know you plan to join the EDF’s North America Corp under General Longmire.”

  “I haven’t said I was going to join,” replied Logan cagily.

  “Everyone knows you’re close with Longmire. And everyone knows he’s rapidly training the North American Corp alongside the Lycians at Harmony Joint Operations Base. I assume you’ve already been talking with the general.”

  Logan didn’t respond.

  Vessey looked back and said in a more serious tone, “Look, Brandt. Our soldiers don’t get any respect from the Septemberist government they’re supposed to protect and serve. In fact, the new ruling class has nothing but contempt for the army. The soldiers know it, and quite frankly the feeling is mutual. They’re looking for someone to inspire them, and you’re their best option.”

  “They should place more faith in themselves,” said Logan.

  Vessey looked over his shoulder and grumbled loudly. “They’ll have more faith in themselves if they have a leader they can believe in,” he growled. “What young soldier doesn’t want to fight to save the planet? Hmm? Who doesn’t want to serve under Logan Brandt, the man who infiltrated and nearly destroyed the Sahiradin battleship, Dominion? Who wouldn’t want to fight alongside the legendary PRA defector who returned from exile to magically tear down the walls of the Capital District and send Harken fleeing into the arms of his Sahiradin masters? You’re a legend, damn it. It’s time you acted like one!”

  Logan laughed self-deprecatingly. “You’re exaggerating what happened. And I don’t want to be a legend. I just want to kill Sahiradin before they kill us. People are too quick to look for some leader who will solve all their problems; that’s usually where the trouble begins.”

  “None of that matters!” said Vessey, now clearly exasperated by Logan’s repeated demurring. “You’re a hero, Brandt. Human beings are hard wired to look for a savior. It’s just something people want to believe. Hell, in times like these, it’s what they need to believe. And who’s going to correct them? You? Me? And to what purpose? This nation’s barely holding itself together and Earth is facing an existential threat. You know all of this better than anyone alive. We’re in desperate need for heroes, Brandt, and I’m too old and too fat for the job.”

  Logan smiled as the general winked at him. He understood Vessey’s point, but like so many times before, Logan balked at being the one upon whom so
many would hang their hopes and dreams. That had been the way of Malcom Weller and the Guardians who came after him. It was their cult of personality and promises of a golden future that had landed the PRA in a swamp of violence and corruption. Logan didn’t want to repeat their mistakes. He didn’t want the projected desires of the masses to rest upon his shoulders. Not only would it give him undue influence over them, but he too would be constrained by their needs and desires. He didn’t share in their hopes. In fact, the thought of standing before adoring masses repulsed him. All he wanted to do was defeat the Sahiradin, kill them – grind them into the dirt, then leave it all behind, disappear into the countryside with Beth and just live.

  “Well, whatever the troops of First and Second Army or the people are hoping for, they had better be prepared for disappointment,” said Logan. “Attika isn’t going to join the Earth Defense Force. In fact, she’s in the process of crippling the army and beefing up her Conguards.”

  “Then you haven’t heard the latest,” said Vessey. He stopped and faced the others before continuing in a hushed voice. “She’s about to announce a deal that few soldiers will refuse.”

  “Is that so?” asked Ravenwood, his interest suddenly piqued. “What sort of deal?”

  “Soldiers who have served five years or more can obtain their release from current military obligations,” whispered Vessey. “What’s more, they’ll receive a modest stipend if they sign a document promising they will never take up arms against the Federated States of America or its leaders.”

  “I see,” said Ravenwood. “Not a bad way to get rid of the core of experienced soldiers who may not be so loyal to the new regime. I don’t recall hearing that Congress was considering such legislation.”

  “It was submitted and voted on this morning. It’ll be law by the end of the day.”

  “Attika must have had that all pre-packaged and waiting to go for a vote,” said Beth in grudging admiration of the Septemberist leader’s swift action. “She was just waiting for the right moment.”

  “And what moment was that?” asked Logan.

  “Why, your resignation, my dear,” she replied in a warm but teasing tone.

  “What do you mean, ‘my resignation’?” he asked, annoyed. He loved Beth dearly, but when she went into what he called ‘consular mode’, the wheels of her mind turned in ways he could not easily follow. As well trained and educated as Logan was, he could not match her capacity to see through a cloud of complicated or confusing information and quickly perceive the nugget of truth hidden within.

  “My Love,” she said with a smile that Logan could not help but find condescending, “when you stormed into her office banging your fist on the table and demanding that Congress join the Earth Defense Force, she saw the opportunity to get your blood boiling so badly that you would resign, which you conveniently did. Now, with you out of the way, she can replace you with someone from her inner circle. You knew she would.”

  “I know,” replied Logan. “I accused her of planning exactly that.”

  “There’s more to it, my boy. Much more,” interjected Ravenwood, picking up where Beth had left off. “By inducing you to resign, Attika not only moved you out of the way without having to officially dismiss you, she has also managed to contribute to the fight against the Sahiradin.”

  Beth nodded her head in agreement, but Logan didn’t see the connection.

  “How can she claim she’s helping in the fight?” he asked, frustrated at being excluded from the secret knowledge the other two were obviously sharing.

  Beth slipped her arm under Logan’s and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “Logan dear, everyone knows that after resigning your commission your next move will be to join the Earth Defense Force under General Longmire. With this stipend deal Attika is offering, she’ll free up thousands of veteran soldiers to sign up with you. The same soldiers you commanded in Second Army plus many others are going to put their names on the dotted line and join the EDF with you. And that’s not such a bad thing, is it? These soldiers know you. They were with you when you destroyed Third Army. They’ll follow you right up to the gates of the Sacred Mountain if you asked them.”

  “Okay, fine, this plan rids her of the veterans, but how does Attika benefit?” asked Logan, still irritated by the feeling that the conversation was about him without including him.

  “It does not benefit her,” said Ravenwood. “At least not directly. Although these soldiers who will follow you to serve in the EDF will not be official contributions to the Defense Force, they will be very welcome additions. They’re battle-hardened veterans, trained in the use of sword and antiballistic shield.”

  “Okay,” said Logan. “So you’re saying Attika will get credit for contributing troops to the fight but shift the burden of financing them to the United Earth Council and the Lycians.”

  “Exactly, she’ll only have to pay this modest stipend” said Beth. “You’ll get your army back, though you’ll be wearing a different uniform.”

  “And while these veterans and I are off fighting the Sahiradin on faraway planets,” said Logan, “Attika will be replacing them with people she trusts.”

  “Now you’re getting it,” said Beth.

  “She’s a magician,” added Vessey, brushing the palms of his hands against each other. “Presto! No more Logan. No more angry, disloyal veterans. They’re all gone, fighting the Sahiradin someplace far, far away. She’ll have new soldiers and a new officer corps. It will be an army she can confidently use against the Storm Front or anyone else who threatens the Revolution.”

  Logan scowled at Vessey’s smiling face. “I wouldn’t take it so lightly,” he grumbled. “Plenty of First Army soldiers will take the deal too. She won’t let you hang around much longer after they’ve gone.”

  “Perhaps. Perhaps not,” replied the old general. “As I said, this is a game of purge or be purged - alliances and betrayals, and I am very good at it.”

  Logan looked at Vessey’s round face still glistening with sweat from the exertions of climbing the hill. The general was smiling a little too smugly for Logan’s taste. He was clearly amused by Logan’s situation. Nevertheless, Logan had to admit that Attika had outmaneuvered him. But so what? He didn’t regret having resigned his commission. It was time to squarely face the Sahiradin threat, and although he didn’t approve of Attika’s methods, this bureaucratic sleight of hand would place a sizeable number of this former soldiers under his command in the Earth Defense Force, assuming Longmire gave him a command. Hell, maybe he should be thanking her!

  When they reached the transparent partition at the end of the hall, Vessey presented his credentials through a slot in the barrier to a guard on the other side. The guard waved it over a scanner and asked the general to press his left hand against the partition in a place marked by a red circle. After reading the results of the identity check, the guard asked Logan, Beth, and Ravenwood to do the same. When it came to be Ravenwood’s turn, he declared that he had no identification.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Logan. “Really? You’re Earth’s ambassador to the Lycian Trade Federation and you don’t have identification?”

  “Something always seemed to come up that prevented me from acquiring them,” said Ravenwood nonchalantly. “Besides, I don’t see a need. People know who I am.”

  At first the guard refused to allow him in, but Vessey vouched for him, as did Logan. The soldier protested, citing regulations, but Vessey leaned on him hard, reminding him of his place in the command chain. The soldier soon withered under Vessey’s threats and admitted them all. Once past the barrier, they took the elevator one hundred meters down into the ground where they were greeted by Dr. Komatsu.

  “Hello, doctor,” said Logan.

  “Welcome,” said Komatsu, his face beaming with pleasure. He looked from face to face as he enthusiastically shook each of their hands. “I am honored by the presence of such esteemed visitors! It has been a long time since our adventures seeking
out Khadiem’s rogue planet.”

  The former PRA scientists and expert on Sahiradin technology ushered them toward yet another guard station.

  “You’ve boosted security since when we were here last,” said Beth as they were admitted through the gate.

  “Yes, well, it seemed prudent, given the sensitivity of what we have here,” said Komatsu. “We had to entirely replace the security measures the Guardians had installed in order to prevent agents of the former regime from gaining access.”

  “And by agents you mean Alexander Linsky,” said Ravenwood.

  “Linsky and others,” said Komatsu. “Of course, now that Linsky is in custody, the threat is greatly diminished.”

  Komatsu opened a final door and they stepped over the threshold into the cave. Taking up nearly half the available space of the underground cavern was the giant sphere of glowing, pulsating energy five meters in diameter.

  Logan glanced at the small alcove to the right of the glowing sphere. He could see the strange glyphs covering its rock walls and recalled how he had been drawn into a communion with something in that room, then violently cast out. The spirits within him grew agitated and warned him not to go too near. They clearly did not like whatever was within, though they would not reveal why, or perhaps did not know.

  “Are the Lycians aware of what you’re doing here, Dr. Komatsu?” asked Beth.

  “Hell, no!” snapped General Vessey before Komatsu could speak. “Sure, we let a few of them snoop around for a few weeks when Brandt was chasing Third Army north, but they left pretty soon.”

  “What did they have to say about it?” she asked.

  “They thought it’s just a small fusion reactor, a power plant left over from the supposedly failed Alamani colony,” said Komatsu. “And that’s essentially what it is. It’s an awe inspiring achievement from our perspective, but for the Lycians, it was rather like finding an old steam-powered engine in an overgrown jungle. Interesting? Perhaps. Worth bothering over? Absolutely not.”

  “How long has it been here?” asked Beth.