“We’d better get to that transmitter before you scare me again.”
Nodding, she walked around the perimeter of the dome to a small blockhouse at the far side; the guards drifted away, but Logan knew that they would be standing by to assist if they were needed. He looked around the dome, not out of a desire to gather information, but out of sheer curiosity. Building all of this up must have taken years, a little portion of Earth out among the stars. Bubbling pools lay in the middle of the facility, little channels of water gurgling around in spokes.
Stepping into the blockhouse was something of a blow; most of the room was filled with chemicals and plants being bathed under UV light, but in one corner was an old communications set up, an audio/visual booth that looked like it belonged in a museum.
“Relax,” Meirong said. “Appearances, as usual, can be deceptive. Almost all of the interior components have long been replaced, but it serves its purpose well.” She glanced down at a watch, and said, “It will take some time for our transmitter to be aligned. I presume the President will pick up when you call?”
“After all of this, I damn well hope so.”
“That will be in about twenty-five minutes.” She smiled, then said, “If you wish, I believe you likely have time to take that walk in the garden after all. Care to join me?”
Chapter 19
After what seemed like years, Orlova and Nelyubov were ushered out of the waiting room into the Ambassador’s office; the gray-haired man inside walked around the desk, a beaming smile on his face and his hand outstretched. Orlova took it eagerly, instantly recognizing him.
“General Haynes,” she said. “I haven’t seen you since…”
“Since the Battle of the Crater.” He gestured around his office and said, “Hard to believe, isn’t it. If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be sitting here as Ambassador to Mars, I would have called you crazy.” He looked across, and said, “This must be Lieutenant Nelyubov.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied. “You two know each other?”
“We met when Alamo visited Ragnarok. I placed her under arrest, I’m afraid, and shortly afterward she and Alamo’s Espatiers put an end to our little civil war in a rather violent way.” He sighed, then said, “It all turned out for the best in the end, I suppose, but I wish it could have been less bloody. Too many good people died that day, on all three sides.” Waving at a seat, he said, “Please, relax. We’ve got a few minutes before your call with the President.”
“The President?” Nelyubov said.
“On a three way with you and Captain Winter. He’s going to have fun with a twenty-minute time-lag, so I guess you’ll be the one asking most of the questions. Naturally, this call never happened, and you can borrow my office while you are making it.”
“Thanks for getting us out of there,” Orlova said. “I thought we’d had it that time.”
“You offered me sanctuary once, if you remember. I was just returning the favor. Besides, I think the President would have approved; I know she thinks very highly of you.”
“What are your facilities here?” Nelyubov asked.
“Limited. I’ve got the troops camping out in the lobby at the moment, and my supply officer got in enough food to last us for a few weeks if needed. Right now we’re only surrounded by journalists, but if there is any serious attack, I think we’ve had it.”
“I wouldn’t want to have to fight Triplanetary troops.”
“Agreed. I’d evacuate the embassy first. One of our transports is in orbit, and I’ve had them prepare to take the whole lot of us back home if needed.”
Shaking his head, Nelyubov said, “That would just about end relations between the Confederation and Ragnarok, I suspect. I don’t think either of us would want to be the cause of that.”
“You wouldn’t be, not indirectly. If this is the sort of thing we can expect, we’re better off out of it, and so are you. They’ve spent the last twenty-four hours trying to destroy your reputation on the news, and that of pretty much everyone you know.”
“Bastards.”
“No argument there.” He reached down for a datapad, and said, “My press guy prepared a precis of it for you, but I’d have a vomit bag on hand before you read it.” Looking at the two of them, he said, “What do you plan to do next?”
“That depends on the President,” Orlova replied.
He smiled, and said, “Never mind the whims of a politician on the way out. What do you plan to do next?”
With a sigh, she said, “I don’t know what to do. If we can’t stop what is going on, I guess we’ll move to Ragnarok. Assuming the bastards don’t precipitate a civil war. I don’t like running, though, damn it. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
“We’d have work for both of you putting together a space fleet. Not to mention the little matter of the garrison orbiting the planet, but we’ll deal with that if we have to. Hopefully we won’t.”
A light flashed on the desk, and Haynes pulled himself to his feet, making for the door. He paused at the threshold.
“The room is soundproofed, and we’ve taken steps to prevent bugging. You have my word that no-one will listen or interfere with you. If you need to talk afterward, then I am quite capable of keeping a secret, especially when this much is at stake – and all the facilities of this embassy are at your disposal.”
“Thanks, General,” she said.
“Any time.”
She waited a moment for him to leave the room, then flicked the switch to activate the screen. A monitor flickered from an image of Ragnarok from space to an office in a private home, the President sitting at a desk facing the camera with a grim-faced man standing to his right.
“Mr. President,” the voice of Logan said. “I’d better give my report first; if I’ve timed this right, you should be getting it just as Lieutenant Orlova sits down to talk to you. Alamo is ready for space, at least minimally, and potentially for a battle if needed, though I and the crew would be reluctant to say the least. I presume I don’t need to tell you what is going on; that’s what I want to know. I am in a secure facility here, but it’s probably best that you don’t ask for any details on that. I think that’s about all.”
“Lieutenant,” President Newton said, “I take it you are also in a secured location?”
“Lieutenant Nelyubov and I are standing by in the Ambassador’s office, sir. We have been assured that all is private.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” the man behind the President grumbled. “At this rate half the Fleet will know what’s going on before long.”
Looking up, Newton said, “Not yet. We still have positive control, at least after a fashion.” Turning back to the monitor, he continued, “Allow me to introduce the Minister of State, Theodore Russell.”
Glancing across at Nelyubov, Orlova said, “We probably need to get this out of the way, sir, but…”
Interrupting, he said, “I was having the affair they claim, but I did not – I give you my word – I did not allow that to affect my decision on the tendering process. Both of us are unmarried; she divorced, I a widower. Our private life should not have anything to do with what is going on.”
Orlova didn’t believe him for a second. He was a little too insistent, too eager to disclaim responsibility, and the look from the man standing behind him convinced her, a brief glimpse of contempt for the man he was serving.
Frowning, he continued, “Nevertheless, I had already decided that I was not planning to seek re-election. I was to make that announcement yesterday; Senator Harper was to take my place.”
“You haven’t announced that.”
“What would be the point? All I could do would be to taint a good man with this mess. The bigger issue is the peace treaty. Now that my impeachment has begun, it has priority over any other business in the Senate, and I know damn well that the hawks are going to take this ch
ance to start a war that we’re not going to be able to get out of.”
“Are you aware of the expedition to Hades Station?”
“I am, and I didn’t authorize it.” Shaking his head, he said, “I have now done so, though.”
“In God’s name, why?” Nelyubov asked. “You could announce that to the media and end this today.”
“And disgrace a lot of good officers who deserve better and have done nothing wrong? How can I do that?”
“Besides,” Russell said, “We cannot afford to show any weakness in front of the Cabal. Such an action would suggest that we no longer have control over the Fleet, and if they perceive us as divided, we could easily end up with the war that we are all trying to avoid after all.”
Nodding, Newton said, “I forbid any of you from using any public arena to stop this. We cannot take any risk of word getting out. I’d sooner be impeached than bring the good name of the Confederation into disrepute.” Sighing, he said, “And I know that there is a certain irony to that. You’re probably thinking that if I’d kept my flies zipped, none of this would have happened.”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” Orlova said. “Sir.”
He smiled, and said, “I don’t want you to save me, Lieutenant, Captain. Throw me to the god-damned wolves, but we have to have the peace treaty. I don’t need to tell either of you that we aren’t ready for another major war. We need time to get our fleets ready, time to get into position. Perhaps we can even stop the war completely.” Picking up a datapad, he said, “Captain Winter, I am transferring to you my agreement to the terms offered by their envoy.”
“Wait a minute,” Nelyubov said. “Mr. President, you don’t have any authority to do that. Not without Senate ratification.”
“You and I know that, but they don’t. Hell, I know that this is only a temporary measure, but it might keep the wolf from the door for a while, especially if there has already been fighting. I’m hoping that we can write this one off as a show of strength, but I don’t know for certain.”
“I’ll speak for him,” Orlova said, “but what exactly do you want Captain Winter to do with this information?”
“Captain Winter, I’m ordering you to proceed to Hades Station and hand this over to any senior Cabal official you can find. Stop this damned war before it can start; that’s your primary mission right now. I’m throwing in a blank check to relieve anyone you suspect of being in league with the conspirators. Counter-Admiral Pierce, almost certainly, likely others on his staff.”
“We can trust Captain Marshall and Lieutenant-Captain Cunningham, sir,” Orlova insisted.
“I hope so, Lieutenant, but I want Winter to make his own call on that. He’s about the only intelligence asset I have left.” Shaking his head, he said, “Most everyone’s gone to ground, getting ready for the war. They’ve all given up hope that we can stop it. What do you think, Lieutenant?”
“I’ve done enough fighting to last a lifetime, Mr. President. I think we might still have a chance to stop it happening again, and I’ll do anything I can to prevent it from happening.”
Frowning, Nelyubov said, “You realize, sir, that the orders you have given Captain Winter are completely meaningless? Constitutionally, once the impeachment proceedings began, you lost all authority to issue such orders.”
Newton glared at him, and said, “To hell with that. We’re trying to stop a war, Lieutenant, and some trumped-up charges can’t be allowed to stop us. Nothing must stop us.”
Russell nodded, and said, “I’ve seen the projections from the Combined Chiefs, Lieutenant. Best guess is that we could expect hundreds of thousands of casualties over the war, with likely raids into Sol System itself. Victory would be far from certain.” Looking down at Newton, he said, “I don’t like this any more than you, Lieutenant, but I am convinced that it is necessary if our way of life is to survive.”
“What do you want us to do, sir?” Orlova asked.
“I’ve got damn few assets on the ground now,” Newton replied. “Either they ran off at the first sign of trouble or I took steps to get them out of the firing line.” With a smile, he continued, “You, on the other hand, are already well and truly on the firing line, so I have no compunction about using you. I need you to find out just how far this goes. Right now, I know only that the Senior Senator of the damned Progressives is involved, as well as Counter-Admiral Tramiel.” He paused, then said, “And Fleet Captain Tarrant, obviously.”
“We’re wanted fugitives, Mr. President,” Orlova replied. “Surely we’re going to be limited as hell in what we can do.”
“Possibly, but you are all I’ve got. Besides, Maggie – do you mind if I call you Maggie?”
“You’re the President. I guess you can call me whatever the hell you want.”
“I know that you have a, shall we say, shady past. You’ll have contacts and connections you can exploit. Use them, use them all, and use them well. There isn’t any choice.” He paused, then said, “If you can get me some leverage on these bastards, we can postpone the impeachment bill long enough to get that treaty passed. Until the Senate stands down for the election, we’ve just got the votes for it. Afterward,” he shook his head. “It looks like I might be the last Freedom President for a while.”
Looking at Nelyubov, Orlova nodded, and said, “We’ll do our part, Mr. President. As best we can. I’m going to need something from you, though.”
“What?”
“I need a scandal, a big one. Something that will distract the press for a while. Having my face all over the news isn’t going to make this any easier.”
“I see,” Newton said. “I’m not sure…”
With a smile, Russell interrupted, “The President will make a statement tonight that ought to throw attention away from you for a while. I’m not sure how much we’ll admit to, but certainly we can provide those vultures with enough carrion to hold them for a while.”
“That should help.”
“In that case, I’ll let you get started. Contact me when you can. Newton out.”
As the screen faded, Nelyubov said, “I feel like I want to take a shower.”
“Slimy bastard,” she replied. “He wants to get out of the mess he got himself into, and the worst part is that we have to help him do it.” With a sigh, she said, “He’s right. We’ve got to stop this from escalating, and we’ve got to find a way to get that peace treaty passed. Even if the price of that is getting him off the hook.”
“We don’t have long to do it,” Nelyubov said. “Eight weeks before the Senate rests.”
“They’ll stall the impeachment proceedings as long as they can,” Orlova replied. “With a little luck, we’ll have all of that time to play with, and I think I know where we can start.” She sighed.
“Problem?”
Gesturing at the screen, she said, “Why does shit sometimes rise to the top? Senator Norman’s no better, but at least she was once in the Callistan Orbital Patrol, fought in the war. She’s wrong, but she’s still a damn sight better than that worm.”
“He got the Fleet built up.”
“Only to give his girlfriend some lucrative contracts.”
Shrugging, Nelyubov replied, “Does it matter in the long run? We’re going to have those ships when they are needed the most, and they’re going to save a lot of lives. So one person gets rich instead of another; it’s all well above my pay grade anyway.”
“Maybe,” she said. “I still don’t like it.”
“What’s the alternative? There are only two players at the table, and we’ve got to choose one or the other. It comes down to whether we want to go to war or not, and I’m with you. I’ve had enough of fighting.”
“I don’t know. There has to be a better way, and I’m going to find it.” With a smile, she said, “For the moment, that means following Newton’s orders, and I never thought the day would c
ome when following the orders of the President would be a matter for debate.”
“We live in strange and uncertain times, Maggie,” Nelyubov said. “I’ll stick with you, though.”
“Thanks, Frank,” she replied. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Chapter 20
Cooper left his half-eaten ration tin spinning in the air as he raced to the front, pulling his rifle from the rack on the wall and checking the ammunition as he went. Another pair of troopers followed him, also responding to the shouts from ahead, but he was well in the lead, swinging gracefully from the recently installed hand-holds to get into position.
He passed over three levels of improvised cover, boxes and crates that would give no real protection other than concealment, and glanced back at Fuller, holding the line at the far end of the corridor. They controlled less than three hundred yards of passageway and a few storage rooms, as well as the communications suite they had made their headquarters.
When he reached the nervous Lance-Corporal manning the barricade, he peered up the corridor, not seeing any sign of the enemy, then gestured for the troopers following him to pull back to other defensive positions.
“What is it, Rashid?” he asked.
“I heard something up ahead,” he replied. “Something moving, something heavy.”
Cooper glanced up again, ducked down, and replied, “Doesn’t seem to be anything here now. I’ll wait for a moment before I go back.”
“I’m not hearing things, sir. There is something up here.”
“No shame if you had, Corporal. I’d rather interrupt my lunch to check out a false alarm than die with a full stomach.” He heard something, a grinding noise, and gestured for quiet. It was obviously mechanical, and heading their way; he nestled down into firing position, cautiously looking to see what might be waiting for them in the dark.
He glanced down at his watch; in less than twenty minutes, they were supposed to be launching their diversionary attack to cover the advance of the reinforcements. A little voice in his head was warning him that the enemy probably knew exactly what they were planning, were preparing themselves to launch an attack, but he shook it off, trying to dismiss it. No point giving into fear at this stage.
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