Ayan pulled the box cover down and cleared her throat. “She’s one of the most dangerous people I’ve ever met. If we let her do whatever she likes on Tamber, she’ll use it as a base for her criminal enterprise. Jake has been sending me intelligence over the last few months about how much money she’s making from this war already, and her organization is bigger than ever.”
“She’s a crime lord?” Lacey asked, surprised. “She looks like a high society lady.”
“That’s one side of her,” Carl said. “I’ve seen the reports Ayan’s talking about. Her people have been raiding worlds that haven’t recovered from the Holocaust Virus, taking ships, supplies, and running off before too many bots get after them.”
“I wouldn’t care,” Ayan started, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of being put on the spot. “I wouldn’t care, except that she doesn’t see any difference between looting abandoned cities or survivors, leaving them with nothing to live on once she’s gone. We have to bulk up our fleet, fast, so we can keep people like her in check.”
“Working on it,” Oz said. “Eager to get your help with the mobile shipyard.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Ayan said. “Time to switch to my Triton Fleet uniform.” With a few taps on her military style arm-length command and control unit, she changed the colour of her light body-vacsuit uniform from white to black, set her full name – Ayan Anderson – to appear on her collar, and changed the emblem on her chest from Haven Shore to the Triton skull. Above was still printed: Deploy, Dominate, Disappear. The name of their flagship, TRITON, still served as the silver death’s head’s teeth. Her rank was marked as Commodore, an advancement in the fleet that she noticed but didn’t necessarily feel she was worthy of yet. Still, she knew why she was upgraded to the rank, and didn’t fight it.
“Welcome back,” Oz said proudly. “Everyone in the fleet is looking forward to seeing you around Triton.”
“You have to remember to visit down here,” Lacey reminded her.
“I will,” Ayan said. She took a moment to look at the people around the table with the long white box atop it. They were most of her favourite people in the universe, and having them there made her feel so much better about the announcements she had to make. “It really looked like we could create a civilized pocket without the military for a few weeks, didn’t it?” she asked no one in particular.
“It’ll happen someday,” her father replied. “We just haven’t earned it yet.”
“I know. I’d like all of you to stand behind me out there, if you don’t mind,” she said.
“Absolutely,” Lacey said. Oz and Carl both agreed without hesitation.
Without another word, Ayan turned towards the door leading out to the Council Chamber dais. Her heart was pounding, and her palms started sweating as soon as she saw that empty chamber. The semicircle of graduated steps for tables and seating were in place, but they were still bare of furniture. Another thing the fabrication shop had on their list.
The high dais made for the presiding officer for Haven Shore’s parliament was bare of furniture as well, just a set of steps leading to a platform that everyone in the large room could see. The transparent hull behind and above the seating overlooked a fantastic view of falling snow and black waters. They were at the coldest phase of Tamber’s long night, and jungle creatures were hiding in burrows, under limbs, and in caves. Ayan looked across the hundreds of Haven Shore residents who packed the government chamber and wished she could join them.
She stopped in the middle of the dais and was comforted by the feeling of Lacey, Oz, and her father behind her. “Thank you for coming,” she said. Her voice was picked up by the invisible broadcasting system and projected across the hall evenly with perfect clarity. Everything she was saying was being transmitted across the solar system as well; there were millions watching. “Peace,” she started, looking at her comm unit just long enough to see that she was shaking and to activate its projection system. The tiny projector sent a faint scroll of text directly into her eyes so no one could see she was reading it.
“The first steps towards peace are the most difficult, and the road leading to lasting harmony is not clearly marked here. This week has been a frightening and sometimes violent time. We lost twenty-eight people during our fight with the Carthans who didn’t believe that Haven Shore would survive, and I don’t blame them. During our efforts to form an effective democratic government and separate Haven Shore from the impending war, the Council has utterly failed to bring stability to the people they govern. I include myself in that statement. As a Council member, I was desperate to see Haven Shore sovereign and safe. As the owner of Haven Shore, I feel ultimately accountable for what has happened here.”
Ayan took a deep breath and continued, knowing she was headed into the most controversial section of her speech. “There is a lot to consider going forward. The Carthans are leaving, Haven Shore’s territory is expanding exponentially.”
“You mean your territory!” shouted someone in the crowd.
“You’re right,” Ayan said. “My territory is expanding. The Warlord is returning soon, most likely with much needed equipment and supplies. They will be welcome in Haven Shore when they arrive. War looms, and the Council will be ill-equipped to handle the larger issues facing us. Over the next few days, you’ll hear about a treaty I’ve made with an Issyrian House that has fled Order of Eden territory and is settling here, bringing even more change to Haven Shore. You’ll also hear that those negotiations bore even more fruit in the form of a Lorander presence in the solar system as well as a new shipbuilding and repair facility. We are at a critical juncture, and I am not willing to allow dissent from a poorly qualified council to jeopardize the network of allies and assets that Triton Fleet and Haven Shore are gathering. As owner of Haven Shore and associated properties, I will allow the civilians of Haven Shore to have a representative body that will run the day-to-day affairs of the city, but Triton Fleet will have the ultimate authority. Furthermore, I won’t be serving as your solitary sovereign, or your White Queen. As of today, all of my assets belong to Triton Fleet, and the focus of overall development will be defence and the support of the war.”
The crowd surprised Ayan with a mixed reaction. Mischa Konev and Tyra Kim both left the council chamber, the former shaking her head and the latter looking furious. Much of the crowd was hushed, hanging on her every word, while a few others cried, “oppressive military complex!” or “dictator!” Overall, there was much less outrage than Ayan expected, and it interrupted her pace for a moment. “Triton Fleet’s goal with Haven Shore is to provide a safe place for our vetted civilian population of workers, children, and elderly people, but that doesn’t mean that it should not be armed, or that portions of it will not serve as a military base until we expand elsewhere. Our clash with the Carthans has taught us that Haven Shore should be able to defend itself, and the fastest way to make that a reality is to relocate some military assets to this site. Most people will maintain the same jobs here, and your lifestyle will not change much. As for governing, all Triton Fleet assets will be ultimately controlled by military officers. If you want to serve in the military arm of Triton Fleet, you are welcome to apply. If you wish to leave one of our territories, report to the nearest security officer and they will help you begin that process.”
Ayan was relieved to see the last paragraph of her speech and actually found herself smiling a little at the quieted crowd. “I wanted to bring democracy and peace to Haven Shore, but it was too soon. There is a war yet to fight, and I beg you to join me. I will use all of my energy to defend you and win this war, whether it is through diplomacy or through the application of force. That is how your military will serve you, and the civilians here can help us by being patient, productive people. Nominations for council representatives will be accepted by Lacey Rosedale starting tomorrow morning. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your support in these dangerous times.”
Ayan stepped aside and allowe
d Lacey to take her place. “I will accept nominations for twenty hours, starting tomorrow at oh-eight-hundred. Each block of one thousand Haven Shore residents will read their nominees’ statements then vote. You will have two days to consider who you will vote for. The Council will convene three days later, chaired by Commander Carl Anderson or any military representative he chooses as his proxy. Partisanship is banned, laws against bribery, unlawful collusion, and personal misconduct are in place and must be understood by any council member or they will be removed from their position. We have a plan for civilian growth and leadership – please take a moment to review it so you understand your government. Thank you for your attention.”
It was Ayan’s last chance to speak to the solar system, and more importantly, the residents of Haven Shore, as a solitary owner. She took the central position of the dais again, seeing a sea of people who looked uncertain staring back at her. “I –” she started, and stopped as she noticed a mobile litter carrying Illoona, her latest brood, and her eldest daughter.
Lee Romita stood several metres behind them with his wife, Trina, at his side. She had short brown hair, and a rounded friendly looking face. “Haven Shore is my most beautiful dream.” That was when her bottom lip quivered, and she saw beyond the speech. All at once the months of work she put in to Haven Shore, the Everin Building, and creating a community came back to her. The disappointment at being disliked by so many people, many of whom were staring at her in that room, and frustration at not making the progress she wanted were in her thoughts as well, along with the realization that she’d really be leaving. Back to space, back to living on ships, being in a military structure, and being accountable for technicians and soldiers alike. Her time as a civilian was over as well, and she didn’t realize she wanted it until she felt it slipping away. Ayan cleared her throat, determined to finish with a stiff upper lip. “I want people to feel safe and welcome here, I want it to be home to a culture of peace and harmony. Those things are worth fighting for, and I’ll defend them. As long as there is one family making a life here with food on their table, shelter overhead, and a fulfilling place in their community, the dream is still alive.”
CHAPTER 53
A Loaner
Ashley and Minh-Chu’s quarters aboard the Warlord were sparse and surprisingly neat. Alice had a feeling that the tidiness was thanks to Minh-Chu’s influence. He’d spent years in Freeground Infantry, something she kept meaning to ask him about. From where she lay on a slim cot, it was clear that for everything there was a place, and all things were in their place. It made the small two-person cabin seem a little bigger.
Most of the bulkhead above the double bed was painted with a display coating, and Alice stared at the twinkling image of a night sky. Ashley slept below it. She’d been the best of friends through the last couple of days, as Alice cried a river of tears, ranted about how no one would let her shuttle to the destroyer to see her father, and gave in to despair more than once. With one eye on the ship’s status, Ashley supported her through it all. Alice was grateful, and a little embarrassed.
There was nothing they could do but hope that her father would be saved aboard the Triton; no one could do anything for him with the technology they had aboard the Warlord. Not even Alice could regenerate him. As she had been told time and time again, if even a few anti-framework nanobots survived, she could end up in the same state as her father, or worse.
She didn’t know why she woke up in the middle of the third watch, but Alice didn’t mind so much. Ashley groaned and rolled over, still deep in sleep. Alice watched her as she huffed, mumbled, “Gonna get stuck, Zoe,” then settled down.
Alice snickered and started to close her eyes when her comm unit buzzed and blinked bright red. She scrambled to answer the emergency call. “What’s up? I’m off shift.”
“Third watch, I know,” Remmy said, “But there’s something crawling around on the Warlord’s hull, I’ve linked you up with the scanners of the Sunny Shifter so you can see our readings.”
“Threat identify,” Alice whispered at her command and control unit. It executed one of her old pieces of software and highlighted four faint heat signatures. “They’re under camouflage, it’s matching the hull.”
“Hey, where’d you get that program?” Remmy asked.
“It’s a really old plugin for Freeground sensors I adapted to our comms. They stopped installing it before your time because people were using it instead of their own analytical tools. I’ll pass it on later.”
“Great, we’ll have to swap code sometime,” Remmy replied. “I’m going to pass this on to Warlord Command.”
“Don’t bother, Frost is off-duty and half my team is up right now anyway. We’re due for a walk.”
“A walk?”
“Yup, just what I need to clear my head, a stroll along the hull inside a nice wide wormhole,” Alice said, flashing a toothy grin.
“Who ya talkin’ to?” Ashley asked, half asleep.
“Just going to stretch my legs, I’ll be right back,” Alice told her soothingly.
“Mmm-kay,” Ashley said as she lay back down.
Alice dragged her kit and her armour into the hall and got dressed hurriedly. A pair of technicians rounded the corner and immediately averted their eyes. “Oh, God, I’ve worn smaller bathing suits,” Alice said, rolling her eyes.
“What?” Remmy asked.
“Couple night techs caught me before I got my suit on. Caught me in my undies, nothing to get excited about,” Alice replied. “I’m surprised your comm doesn’t have a wider focus, your profile log definitely reveals a tendency for peeking. I’m sure one of those techs could replay that glimpse for you.” She knew her attempt at teasing him as revenge for getting her out of bed was clumsy, but according to his wide-eyed reaction, it was working.
“Holy hell, are you trying to get me slagged? You know who your father is, right?” Remmy said. There was a moment’s pause. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to remind you, or get you thinking about-”
“Don’t worry about it,” Alice replied. “I’m lucky, there’s still hope. He’s still alive.”
“Exactly,” Remmy said, grinning a little too broadly for it not to be forced. “And he’d cave my head in if he heard a rumour that I was flirting with his daughter.”
“You’re flirting with Alice?” asked a shrill, shocked female voice from somewhere behind Remmy.
“No,” Remmy replied, “I live strictly in Alice’s friend zone, let it be known that there was never any flirting! Actually, don’t say anything at all about the topic of flirting or flirtatiousness in general, mum on the presence or absence of flirting with anyone.”
“Smooth,” Alice remarked with a smirk as she sealed the front of her armour. She sent orders for the nearest security personnel to meet her down the hallway.
“Yeah, I run an orderly operation,” Remmy replied, to which there were a few chuckles and guffaws in the background. “Seriously though, Frost has to know about this. I’m signalling him.”
“I’m just about ready to go and my team is meeting me near the damaged section. It’s on the same level I’m on now.”
“Wait until you have his orders on it,” Remmy said. “He may want to take care of this himself.”
“The captain is out of commission and the first officer isn’t aboard. I’m head of security,” Alice said as she checked her rifle and started walking down the corridor. “I technically outrank him when it comes to incursions.”
“You don’t outrank an acting captain!” Remmy whispered urgently. “Oh, God, he hasn’t answered yet. How do you ignore vibrations, a bright, flashing light, and an alarm that sounds like a screaming rim weasel?”
Alice met three of her team at the first intersecting corridor. They fell in step with her as she spoke to Remmy. “Well, then I definitely have to take action. I’ll tell you how it turns out later.”
“Wait! Take a right two doors down into that bunkroom, there’s an Order Knight’s heavy rifle
in the net above my bunk,” Remmy said.
“Oh, Remmy, you shouldn’t have,” Alice said with a grin.
“If you’re going out there anyway, you may as well take enough firepower to give a gunship second thoughts.”
Alice rushed to the hatch and looked inside. She scanned around the bunkroom reserved for Remmy’s Ranger team and found the weapon. “Got it,” she said as she rushed to it.
“Okay, now it has to power up, just press the-“
“Found it,” Alice said as she opened a dented control cover, pressed a button, and closed it again. “I helped write the book on this gun, remember?”
“Right, forgot you’re a gun nut,” Remmy replied.
Alice’s suit helped her balance the rifle against her shoulder as it ran through its start up diagnostic. “How’d you get this? I kept on requesting one but no one would answer me.”
“It was a gift for busting the last Order bunker on Tamber,” Remmy said.
“Okay, looks like everything’s ready to go. Thanks loads,” Alice said. She was just about to close the channel but realized something. “Oh, and Remmy?”
“Yeah?”
“You cheered me up. I had my cry and my ranting with Ash, but you got me smiling, thank you.”
“You’re about to go into mortal danger for which you are barely trained. Wait for Frost to respond.”
“Don’t spoil it,” Alice said before closing the channel.
“Nice weapon,” one of her officers said as she emerged from the Ranger bunkroom.
“Thanks,” Alice said. “It’s a loaner.”
“Last time I gave a girl anything that cool I almost married her,” said Havernash.
“Thankfully this is just a loaner, no crazy strings attached,” Alice said.
“Marriage is not a crazy string,” he replied.
“Depends on who you get tied to,” Alice replied. The rest of her team was waiting beneath one of the main dorsal airlocks.
Randolph Lalonde - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 08 - Renegades Page 42