Honor the Threat

by Kevin Ikenberry

  So, you have been observing them for a while. Jessica kept her face straight. “This is as close as you’ve been allowed?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you followed them or traced their path back to a den or a domicile? Anything like that?”

  Fuul shook her head. “Tirr lost a robotic flyer trying to follow them. Psymrr refuses to allow any other interactions because they pose too great a risk. They told me to observe at a distance until a Peacemaker could be summoned to investigate.”

  Investigation was a Peacemaker essential task. Whether it was a falsified or lapsed contract or a species indoctrination for the Union to consider did not matter. The MinSha, however, knew much more about the situation prior to calling a Peacemaker. Doing so, if she remembered her classes correctly, afforded the species in question protection until classification and indoctrination could be accomplished. Classification would be easy—depending on whether the TriRusk used tools, fire, silicon-based computers, or whatever. Indoctrination would take time.

  I could be here a year or more.

  Her small room in the Peacemaker barracks had never seemed more like home. Jessica blinked the sudden rush of thoughts away. Focusing on the situation was necessary. “What are they doing?”

  “Foraging.”

  Jessica studied the TriRusk as they fanned out from the original site in larger circles and continued to investigate large clumps of brush. “No. They’re searching for something. Like they’ve lost something.”

  Fuul clicked her jaw. “I’m sorry, Peacemaker. I’ve been observing them long enough to know this is a popular spot for them. Those flowering bushes are edible for their young.”

  Jessica saw the albino-looking TriRusk emerge from behind the tree, sniff a spot on the ground, and lay down. A few seconds later, it cried out once in a squeal that echoed off the tress. “Gods! What is wrong with that one?”

  Fuul tilted her head slightly toward Jessica. “It suffers from a regressive genetic disorder. The best Human term I can provide for you is albinism.”

  Jessica stared at the small TriRusk as it rolled around on the ground, stood, and ambled directly toward the nearby portal. At the wall, it stopped, looked back at the two stoic females, and howled again. One, and then the other, looked at Jessica and Fuul. “They can see us.”

  “Make no sudden moves.”

  No shit. Jessica thought. She hadn’t seen a weapon, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have one. She’d left her weapons in her quarters, thinking a simple workout wouldn’t require them to be within arm’s reach. Without tilting her head, Jessica saw the little one raise a front hand—four articulated fingers and what looked like an opposable thumb—and place it against the portal door. There was a bright arc of electricity, and the albino TriRusk fled back toward its group like a scalded dog. Rare sunlight filtered through the canopy and lit the jungle floor with odd shapes that contorted as the clouds and mist brewed. All the TriRusk remained frozen, looking at the compound and the two beings on the upper walkway. After a few long moments, the males circled back to the females who led them into the swirling mist at a fast pace. Within seconds, they were no longer visible.

  “I’ll speak with Psymrr and Tirr,” Jessica said, “but, I have a question for you. Why did that little one approach the portal door?”

  Fuul stammered. “I-I haven’t observed anything like that. I cannot even speculate.”

  Bullshit. Why can’t anyone tell the truth?

  The voice in her head changed. It’s because you’re Human, Bulldog.

  Shut up, Dad.

  But his voice in her subconscious could very well have been right. Remaining calm and learning what she could were the right things to do. She turned to the ladder, stepped on the top rung, and spun gracefully to look up at Fuul. Her voice level and direct, she let the tone of command take over as she spoke. “Please alert Psymrr and whoever else needs to be there that I will meet with them in twenty minutes at your command center. We have much to discuss, I believe.”

  Fuul nodded. “Of course, Peacemaker.”

  Jessica slid down the ladder, her feet on the outside edges, and landed softly on the compound’s composite flooring, then went after her things. The MinSha gathered in the central compound gave her a wide berth as she collected her workout gear and headed for a hot shower. At the door to the wall section where her quarters were located, she turned and watched Fuul enter a section of wall she hadn’t toured yet. She’d do that right after telling the MinSha she’d investigate the TriRusk and grant them protection. Her first goal, however, was to get the honest fucking truth about the whole situation, because something stank. If it walked like a duck, and talked like a duck, it was probably a duck. She hadn’t needed three years at Peacemaker U to know that much.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes after she left Fuul on the walkway, Jessica re-entered the central compound wearing the dark blue coveralls of a Peacemaker. On her chest, glinting in the passing rays of the sun poking through the early morning jungle, was her Peacemaker shield. It didn’t appear much different than the badge of a common customs officer or police officer. The shiny platinum shield resembled an upside-down kite with the elongated point at the top. In the center of the badge, inlaid against a black background, was the representation of a large, blue fir tree. Every Peacemaker chose their own badge emblem, with the specification that it represented a tree or similar flora from their home world. It was blue by tradition. She’d agonized over her decision for three days, constantly conversing with her father about what she should pick, to no avail. In the short respite before her commissioning ceremony on Luna, Jessica spent two days hiking through the wilderness of northern New Mexico to say goodbye to Hex and Maya. They’d built a home in the mountains around Angel Fire, and as much as it hurt to see the land they loved and to not be able to share it with them, she’d had to leave.

  A mountain storm came up while she hiked, and as the wind whistled through the bending boughs of the mighty trees, Jessica made her decision. The mountain pine, strong and resilient, could withstand any storm. Upon arrival at Luna, she’d met with the heraldry division and watched them cast and perfect her badge. The tree’s boughs pointed upward—a reminder to keep her head up and stay focused on the big picture. On a chevron under the wide, pointed edge of the badge was the motto she’d chosen, etched in Latin and Standard.

  Stare aut cadere. Stand or fall.

  Like all Peacemakers, her shield was her own, and seeing it crafted was a thrill unlike anything she’d ever seen. Pinning it on gave her the greatest satisfaction in her young life, and every time she caught sight of it in her peripheral vision, it seemed to make her heart beat slightly faster. Putting in on gave her a sense of becoming. Without it, she was just a normal woman, but with it she was something very different. Something powerful and awesome. Her instructors told her the badge meant nothing without the heart of the being behind it.

  Centered and ready, she marched across the compound toward the command center. Captain Tirr stood outside the interior portal. His iridescent blue tunic sported several decorations recognizing gallantry in combat. He bowed his head as she approached.

  “Peacemaker Francis. I am Tirr, the captain of the guard.” He raised his head, and his eyes studied her. “My apologies for not having met you before now. I have been busy at our other compounds.”

  Jessica bowed her head respectfully. The MinSha officer was not what she expected. Many of the MinSha males were either politicians or nearly mindless drones—pretty much impossible to tell apart. To find a male soldier, however, was unique. “Captain Tirr, I’m honored to make your acquaintance. I have many questions about your security and capabilities. I’ve come to understand there are many threats in the jungle.”

  Tirr tilted his side slightly to one side, a gesture she knew was approval. “I’d like very much to get your opinion on those matters, but there is much we should discuss inside. There are unknown guests approaching.”

  J
essica almost turned around, then realized he wasn’t talking about anyone behind her. Tirr breezed through the portal, and she followed him into a dark, red-lit room that reminded her of the command information center she’d seen aboard a Peacemaker assault ship in school. Psymrr stood looking at a wide Tri-V screen that displayed Weqq as a three-dimensional sphere with four selected signatures highlighted and tracked. The colony leader’s head snapped to her.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  Jessica frowned. “Meaning of what, Honored Psymrr?”

  “These vessels. They haven’t broadcast a signal since leaving the gate. Isn’t that Peacemaker standard operating procedure in an assault and peacekeeping mission?” Psymrr stepped closer, towering menacingly over her. “You will contact them and tell them to return to your base.”

  Jessica took a breath and kept her tone conversational. “They aren’t Peacemaker vessels.”

  “The hell they are not!”

  She moved to the display and pointed. “First, there are four vessels. Peacemakers deploy with no more than two vessels because they provide enough firepower to quell a disturbance on a metropolitan planet. Deploying four doesn’t fit this planet’s profile or your…minuscule ability to defend yourselves. Second, their positioning suggests they are attacking. Peacemakers would enter orbit, communicate orders for negotiation, and then land appropriately. This is an attack. Where is their probable trajectory?”

  “Yes, Peacemaker. They are tracking on our position here,” Tirr said. “We have no record of any transmission from you. Is that correct?”

  “I haven’t contacted anyone, Tirr. My orders are very clear, and the mission doesn’t merit a Peacemaker response.”

  Psymrr turned his head to Tirr for a long moment. “What are your recommendations, Tirr?”

  Tirr looked Jessica’s way. “We are not prepared to fend off an attack.”

  “And we don’t know who they are, or if attack is what they’re really planning,” Jessica replied. She tapped the Tri-V as the inbound ships started to spread out at an altitude of eight hundred kilometers. Their tracks suggested all three MinSha colonies were in danger. “Alert your compounds to secure all personnel and defend themselves.”

  Psymrr chuckled. “You said yourself we don’t know who they are or what their intentions are, Peacemaker. That’s the simplest data to request. Prepare to transmit on all frequencies.”

  Jessica shook her head. “You’re tipping your hand, Psymrr. They’ll figure out your communications architecture in a few seconds and how to shut it down. Then they can do whatever they intend to do unhindered.”

  “You assume that everything is a fight. All Humans do. I’m sure there is an explanation for this that my civilized species can understand, even if yours can’t,” Psymrr said with a sneer. “Transmit the following: Approaching vessels, this is Psymrr, the technical leader of this scientific mission, on behalf of the MinSha colony. We’re tracking you from our outer markers. State your intentions on any Union recognized frequency, and we will respond in kind. Over.”

  In the silence, Tirr moved to the screen and tapped the icons. He looked at Jessica. “Do these vehicle signatures look familiar to you?”

  The radar silhouettes were unmistakable. She had excelled in vehicle class and type recognition at the academy, because of her experience as a mercenary, not the decks of flash cards the instructors pulled out of their vests at any given second. Of course, it was easy for any Peacemaker candidate to recognize the ships of their own worlds. Jessica nodded. “The two larger ones are Saturn-class transports. The two smaller ones are Gemini-class. The Intergalactic Transportation Consortium out of the Azores on Earth manufactured them. They are Human vessels.”

  Psymrr roared. “Human? What have you done, Peacemaker? You’ve already managed to alert your home world about what we’ve found, and they’ve come to take it. Your greed is inescapable.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Jessica frowned. If Hak-Chet learned of her inappropriate language, she’d owe another thousand credits to his version of a swear jar. Something told her she was going to owe a few months’ pay by the end of this assignment, if the heat in her face was any indication.

  Psymrr paused. His head snapped to Fuul who was across the room, hiding behind a display console. “Fuul! Have you informed the Peacemaker against my wishes?”

  “No, Honored Psymrr.”

  Jessica stepped forward. She’d had just about enough. Their distrust of her was only part of the problem. She thought about the tiny, albino TriRusk leaning against the portal door and getting shocked. The MinSha were hiding something she needed to know. Whatever it was, somebody was coming to take it away or to destroy everything on the planet. Mercenary smash and grab was the oldest, most popular mission available, and one Humans loved. “That’s it. You need to tell me exactly what the hell is going on here.”

  Psymrr reared up on his hind legs. “You will know nothing more, Peacemaker. You are an abomination to the very guild you serve and—”

  “Shut up!” Jessica stepped toward Psymrr and pointed at his wide eyes. “That’s enough, godsdamnit! I am here on official orders from my guild, and that supersedes everything else. You will not challenge my integrity again, Psymrr. Is that clear?”

  The colony leader lowered himself to the floor. “I do not have to trust you.”

  “No, you don’t, but you’d better come clean about what she—,” Jessica pointed at Fuul, “found out there, and why the TriRusk are looking for it. What’s so special about them, and why would you immediately think Humans would want to steal it?”

  Psymrr looked at her for a long moment before looking up at Fuul. His lower jaw worked as he tried to find the words. He opened his mouth to speak, but the speakers in the command center clicked to life and a slurring, raspy voice rumbled through them.

  “This is Raleigh Seamus Reilly in command of Reilly’s Raiders. We have a legal contract from a noted benefactor to remove you, your colonies, and every sentient species from this planet. Don’t worry about surrendering. You’ve got about twelve minutes to run. Anyone left when we get there is as good as dead.”

  Jessica felt her stomach twist in a knot. In her years as a mercenary, she’d never crossed paths with Raleigh, but she knew his reputation, and it was as far from sterling as it could get. His list of enemies started with her father. She stepped forward to the command console and jabbed the transmit button. “This is Peacemaker Jessica Francis, Commander. I am invoking Species Induction Clauses Beta Charlie zero six three through zero six nine. I advise you to pause your mission until the conclusion of my official Peacemaker inquiry on behalf of the Union. Do you copy?”

  There was a chuckle. “Oh, I copy, Peacemaker. You have eleven minutes to complete your inquiry and get out of our way, or you’ll be just as dead as the rest of them.”

  * * * * *

  Chapter Six

  Weqq

  Overlooking the MinSha Compound

  Lmurr woke a millisecond before his slate chimed. Dawn broke through the layers of mist and dappled the jungle in an eerie gold light outside the platform’s walls. He checked his weapon of choice, a long-barreled, single-action railgun designed specifically for snipers. The heavy, but capable weapon could fire a 12.7-millimeter tungsten plug more than eight hundred meters with very little spindrift. In the hands of a talented, steady shot it was the deadliest weapon the Veetanho produced, and very few ended up in the hands of another species. Lmurr laid the weapon against the platform’s rail and grabbed a bottle of water to wash the taste of the jungle from his mouth. He glanced at the display system and nearly choked. The Peacemaker and a MinSha were up on the external walkway. From his position, though, the tree suspending his living quarters prevented the shot. He watched the unfolding scene for a few seconds, considering how fast he could gather his rifle and scramble up the tree for a shot. Before he could move, the Peacemaker turned away from whatever they were looking at and descended into the compo
und’s walls. In another thirty seconds, she was inside and out of range.

  Lmurr took it in stride, as the Humans said. He cleaned up his sleeping mats, selected a pre-prepared breakfast meal, and activated his slate. Without GalNet access, it was little more than an entertainment device, and that was fine with him. Lmurr scrolled through saved images from other planets and selected the folder for Earth for the thousandth time. The island nations of French Polynesia called to him. The serene blue waters and bungalows built over the placid ocean seemed like the kind of paradise he could immerse himself in forever. A life of warfare, barely sleeping in the same bed twice, had gotten old. Or maybe he’d gotten old.

  Lmurr chuckled as he tore into his meal. The ration, approved for general consumption, was supposed to specifically meet the nutritional needs of Zuul, Oogar, Humans, and Veetanho. The irony that his target could be eating a similar breakfast, maybe even the same corned beef hash, was not lost on him. He’d tried to get to know Humans as he studied her. She was his most important target in the last fifteen years, and by far the most lucrative. Retirement was a simple shot away, if he could get her outside the damned compound one more time.

  His slate buzzed. The hacked connection feed into the MinSha command network showed several radar contacts dropping into orbit. Lmurr smiled. The mercenaries were coming to wipe the planet clean, and they would cover his work. They would attack the main colony and the outlying mountain colony first, as it was the smart thing to do. The main colony attack would deplete the security forces there and prevent them from coming to the aid of the colony leader. The mountain colony could be silenced by a platoon. All Lmurr had to do was wait until they inevitably came here. The MinSha, he decided, were either lackadaisical about their security and operations on purpose to give a potential foe a false sense of security, or they were simply stupid. Whatever was here, whatever they were researching or trying to find, was what was important to them. All their eggs were in one basket without the bulk of their combat-capable forces. It made no sense. Then again, purely scientific ventures in this day and age were fewer and farther between.