by Aer-ki Jyr
As it were, the docking area floor was half covered with bound, unconscious prisoners that had been dragged back by some of the auxiliary Archon teams trailing the hunters. The dropships took on as many of them as they could, then lifted up from the sandy soil in front of the airlocks and slowly rose up into the sky as the troop reinforcements began to come down in a long string of identical dropships landing at the airfield.
The prisoner-laden dropships made their first run up to orbit and offloaded their haul, refueled, then began making repetitive runs along with two dozen others, clearing American personnel off the base as quickly and efficiently as possible, though the Archons managed to keep ahead of them, insuring a backlog of prisoners every time one of the dropships landed.
It took a long time to clear out the base, but before they were even a quarter of the way through the structures Ryan and a team of 8 forced their way down into the underground labyrinth of reinforced tunnels, searching for the command bunker. Initially they’d thought it was towards the top of one of the mounds, but based off the layered defenses and a few incomplete base schematics that they came across, it became evident that there were secure levels well beneath ground level that the common soldier didn’t have access to.
It took several hours of searching, along with a lot of cutting through security doors, but eventually Ryan’s forward team broke through into the deepest structure they could find. The door was also the thickest, but when they finished cutting through with a portable torch apparatus they found the command center…but it was completely deserted.
Ryan and the other Archons ducked through the still glowing metal rim around the cut in the door, alert for trouble or booby-traps. What they found were four small escape tunnels headed off in various directions. He ducked his head into one of them, but could see no one down the long, straight passage.
The others couldn’t see anything either, meaning the command staff was long gone.
“Two man teams,” he ordered. “Go.”
Without any unnecessary chatter his team split up and ran off down the tunnels, chasing General Marvin, wherever he had ran off to. There was no way he was getting off this base, but Ryan knew it could take a long time to ferret him out.
A full base schematic would be helpful, but it looked like the Americans had done a good job of securing their data center. As Ryan tried to access their computer systems he didn’t come across any security measures…only blank hard drives. The map table showed a generic visual of the base from orbit, taken months or years ago, but when Ryan tapped on any particular building the files came up empty, as did the scrolling options for the underground caverns. They’d wiped the files clean, making the Archon wonder just what else was buried underneath the base.
“Carter, I need a guard unit down low. We’ve found the base command center, but the data has been erased and there appears to be a considerable amount of underground tunnels. We’re going to have to flush them out one by one, and I want this position secured. The General and his staff are also unaccounted for.”
“Copy that,” the Archon replied.
Two and a half hours later Ryan was helping clear out the third of the four mound-covered structures when he got a report from a search team that the General had been found, holed up on top of a catwalk in a maintenance shaft that connected the various buildings with power, water, and communications lines. He had him taken to a different holding area reserved for the high ranking officers to break down their chain of command during the evacuation back to Earth, as well as to keep them from giving the pilots flack for having surrendered.
Ryan finished his current sweep then headed over to the captive officers, finding the General with twenty or so others confined to a conference room. He nodded to the Knight guarding the one and only door and walked in, drawing attention of all those assembled, with most of them standing up upon his arrival. The man with the highest rank insignia stayed seated, with a gruff expression on his face.
Ryan pulled his helmet off and tucked it underneath his arm. “General, I think this is the appropriate moment to say…I told you so,” the Archon said with a satisfied grin.
10
February 9, 2109
The last of six inter-planetary starships began thrusting away from Mars, carrying the last of the American and German colonists being returned to Earth. Over the past five months Star Force had washed the surface of the planet clean of the seven nations involved in the war. Each and every one of their territorial zones had been confiscated. Their bases claimed and their civilian populations relocated, the banned nations’ militaries were returned to the escalating war zone around Earth, but so far no Star Force facilities had been attacked, despite the events on Mars, and the returning prisoner-laden ships were able to dock with the Star Force starports and transfer the captives down to the planet via dropship.
Without interference, the various personnel were returned to their native countries via their deactivated spaceports. Closed to the public for the duration of each country’s ban, most of the staff had been relocated to other facilities, but a skeleton work crew maintained each Star Force facility and oversaw a few isolated projects, but for the most part the spaceports in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, West Africa, South Africa, and India were shut down, forcing all of their citizens wishing to get into space to go through rival corporations or transfer through the Star Force spaceports in nearby countries, thereby increasing economic activity for those who had played by the rules and penalizing those nations that had not.
Unlike China, which suffered a permanent ban, it was understood that the closed spaceports would one day reopen, so Star Force didn’t dismantle anything, and it used that existing infrastructure to process and transfer the incoming colonists and soldiers from Mars back over to their host nations in private and potentially humiliating ceremonies that were kept away from the media.
The loss of Mars couldn’t be suppressed, but it was rendered to a footnote as the fighting in Earth orbit became bloodier and bloodier. Still, a number of other nations that looked to be poised to jump into the fighting on one side or another wisely chose to stay on the sidelines after seeing what Star Force had done to the warring factions on Mars…and saw the potential for opportunity as they announced that the captured territories would made available for lease and/or purchase by the other nations.
Interested in their long term strategy, the other nations began moving additional assets and ships to Mars to fill the void left by the disposed countries while those seven nations seemed to double down, tearing into each other’s forces with reckless abandon, dwarfing the naval conflicts of the previous two World Wars combined while opening up a massive ground campaign on Luna.
Meanwhile, with the surface of Mars secured and all orbital habitats reclaimed, the Star Force fleet massed in orbit to deal with the renegade American war fleet that was still clustered together and holding out on minimal supplies and low fuel. Slowly, more and more Star Force ships arrived within viewing range of the Americans in a display of how inevitable their victory would be that, by the time Liam made contact with the American fleet commander, there was little resistance left in them.
“Admiral Harrison,” Liam greeted amicably across the video link from the Aquarius, the third of three command ships built to date by Star Force, “I believe it’s time we ended this stalemate.”
The silver haired man, leaned by recent supply rationing, looked ghostly thin but held his poise well. “I see no stalemate, Archon. Only a total rout of our forces.”
Liam acknowledged that fact with a nod. “How then do you plan for this to end, aside from starvation?”
“In truth, I would have capitulated months ago for my crew’s sake, but I have my orders.”
“And what orders are those?”
The Admiral stood a bit straighter and crossed his arms behind his back. “To deny you the capture of this fleet.”
Liam frowned. “Short of suicide, how do they expect you to accomplish that?�
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“I was told that burden fell on me. To date, I have not discovered a way to comply. We obviously can’t survive forever on the supplies we have, but neither can we surrender. I see no resolution to this, the pity being that my crews have to suffer for it.”
“The solution is rather simple, Admiral. Disobey orders.”
“Betraying one’s country is not an easy thing to do, Archon.”
“Admiral, to be blunt, we already possess your ships. The decision before you is about yourself and your crew.”
Harrison glared slightly at what he detected as arrogance in Liam’s voice. “Perhaps there is truth in what you say, for we cannot escape, but our weapons have not been affected by the supply shortage.”
“You can’t run,” Liam said, ticking off the points on his fingers, “you can’t beat us, and you can’t get resupplied. Other than waiting and hoping for another solution to present itself, what options have you?”
Harrison sighed. “None, I’m afraid.”
“So let’s end this now, before the toll on your crew begins to snowball.”
“I have my orders.”
Liam stared at him for a long moment. He’d already had Davis contact the US President to try and get him to order his ships to stand down, but he’d been met with a polite refusal. It appeared the American leader was skimming the line between declaring Star Force either an enemy or an ally, neither capitulating nor negotiating…and leaving his soldiers to suffer for it, as if they were expendable commodities.
“Disobey orders,” Liam reiterated.
Harrison sighed again, his fatigue evident. “Aside from the obvious contradiction of duty, my career as a naval officer would be over. They’d probably ax my senior commanders as well.”
“Isn’t that preferable to starving?”
“For my crew, I would agree. As for me, at least I’d die at my post.”
Liam knew the lie for what it was. The man was arguing as much with himself as he was his opposite.
“But when you die, I still get your ships. How then does your country benefit from your death?”
“At the least, you won’t be able to turn them around to use against us immediately.”
“Ah,” Liam scoffed, “Admiral, I can honestly say I don’t want your crappy ships for use in combat. Ours are superior, and we have no trouble building more of them.”
“Then allow us to return home.”
Liam considered that. Actually, he’d considered that and many other options for weeks, but the final decision would depend on the Admiral’s compliance.
“You want me to give you fuel to get back to Earth so you can join in the fighting there? I don’t think so.”
“Even if I offer you my word that this fleet won’t take part in the fighting?”
“What happens when you’re relieved of your command and replaced by someone who won’t honor that agreement?”
The Admiral’s head sagged, as if he hadn’t considered that possibility. The lack of adequate nutrition must have been diminishing his mental processes. “Is there no way you will allow me to keep my ships? I have no interest in fighting you.”
“What are you interested in?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you wish to continue as a naval commander?”
“Of course.”
“Then might I suggest a change of sides, because with the ships we’ve already seized, your shipyards nuked, and a high level of attrition from the fighting in Earth orbit, the American fleet is going to be greatly downsized for years to come, if we decide to let you keep a military at all. Unless you’re willing to go rogue, your career is at an end no matter how you slice it.”
Harrison looked shocked. “You intend to disarm us the way you disarmed the Chinese? You attacked us, we didn’t attack you.”
“And that is why, currently, the American ban is a temporary one. China suffers from a permanent ban.”
“Is the military ban you suggest equally temporary?”
“That decision hasn’t been made yet,” Liam admitted. “A lot depends on what happens at Earth, but I can tell you for certain that your country, along with the others involved in this war, will be banned from any and all activity in the Mars micro-system. That includes territories, habitats, and economic interaction. Your ships won’t even be allowed transit passes. Mars is now off limits, and reserved for those countries that have learned to play well with others.”
“Star Force’s arrogance knows no bounds,” Harrison complained, but there wasn’t much energy behind his anger.
“We’re the peacekeepers, Admiral. Your country is the aggressor.”
“We defended ourselves against British aggression, if you remember back to how this war got started.”
“That’s debatable,” Liam said neutrally. “And even if it was true, your country was advised to let us handle the situation. Given our strength and neutrality, I doubt this war would have begun if you’d taken our advice. You wanted a war, and now you have to face the consequences of it.”
“I never wanted this war,” Harrison said honestly.
“Then quit it.”
The Admiral’s face scrunched up. “Resign? I can’t while I have a duty to acquit.”
“And you’ll have a duty to acquit until you resign. Circular logic, Admiral. If you don’t approve of this war, then get out of it. Here. Now.”
“Were it that easy, Archon.”
Liam sensed the man was looking for a way out. “Is this transmission secure, Admiral?”
“Meaning what?”
“I’d like to talk to you in private. No recordings, no crew overhearing. Just you and me.”
“For what purpose?”
“So we can drop ranks and talk as men.”
“I trust my crew.”
“What I have to say is for your ears alone. Fleet commander to fleet commander.”
“I thought you wanted to drop ranks? Very well. I have nothing else to do at the moment. I’ll have this line transferred to my private cabin.”
Liam nodded, then waited for the transfer. A few minutes later the Admiral reappeared behind what looked like a small computer screen. He removed his hat and ran his thin fingers through his hair.
“We have our private line. What is it you wanted to discuss?”
“Define your loyalties to your country,” Liam prompted.
“Alright, I’ll play. I support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me. I represent the fighting spirit of the Space Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy. I serve my country's Space Navy with Honor, Courage and Commitment and I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.”
Liam recognized the memorized nature of his recitation, but knew he could work his point from there. “So, Constitution, Freedom, Democracy, and fair treatment of all?”
“And orders,” Harrison reminded him.
“And orders,” Liam echoed. “Define democracy.”
“Democracy is our system of government…which Star Force absconds, by the way…where the people take control of their own destiny and are not bound to a king or other hereditary ruler or dictator. Where exactly your Director Davis fits in I’m not sure, though it has been suggested his son took his name and position some time ago.”
Liam smiled. “He doesn’t have a son, and no, the old guy is still in charge. That has never changed.”
“He would be too old by now,” Harrison argued, curious now that he had an inside track to the subject matter.
“I’m 87 years old, Admiral.”
Harrison frowned. “Bull shit.”
“Physical training, when applied properly, can do wonders for the body. Davis isn’t nearly as fit as I am, but he’s progressed far enough that old age no longer threatens him. It may shock you to learn, but most of the troops we assaulted your ground bases with are more than 50 years old, with decades of military experience unde
r their belt. Your seasoned troops are green compared to ours.”
“I find that hard to believe,” the Admiral said, his eyes widening a bit.
“It takes a lot of work, but one thing above all that Star Force emphasizes is the pursuit of excellence.”
“Is that your excuse for abandoning democracy?”
“Democracy asks those who know nothing about the subject matter what to do, and values their massed opinion higher than those that do know. How anyone can see that as a workable system is beyond me.”
“Elections are the only way to insure a dictator can’t rise to power. Without that check, anyone can go awry. Even your Davis. What do you do then?”
“He’s too good of a man to go bad,” Liam assured him. “But, for the sake of argument, if he did turn to the darkside the Archons would step in to set things straight.”
“Would you now? And what if the Archons went bad as well?”
“At the end of the day you must place your trust in someone, else you will have nothing. We place our trust in those that have proven themselves elite. You trust in the public. Is that a fair assessment?”
“It’ll do.”
“Elites can perform specific tasks, the public cannot, so democracies still have to rely on individuals, on leaders to safeguard and care for the public wellbeing. In this way, your protestations are a bit hypocritical.”
“Not really. The people choose those leaders, who are then responsible to the people. At the end of the day the people, as a group, are still in charge.”