by T S Paul
“Down! Down!” The protection unit was yelling at the reporters. Many of them were ignoring the orders to get the vid shot. They loved the gore and wanted every detail. The shooter had some sort of blade to the reporter’s throat and was yelling something about Earth and freedom from tyranny. As she watched the protection unit attempted to herd the shooter toward the steps to apprehend him. Idiots! Minerva raised up and yelled at them to just, “shoot him!”
Realizing he was about to be trapped, the shooter threw a grenade at the podium in an attempt to kill the Governor. As he threw it he left himself vulnerable, and the agents managed to shoot him with stun guns. The stun weapons caused his body to tremble and shake, partially cutting the young blond reporter’s throat. The grenade was too high and bounced off the steps and rolled toward where Minerva stood trying to give orders.
Alex was in pain. He had been shot before but not by a laser pistol. His protection vest was supposed to stop most weapons. His chest and legs felt as if they were on fire. The burning sensation traveled up his body and was causing crushing agony in his left arm. Alex could feel the heart attack coming. He heard a series of metallic thumps and looked on in horror as the fragmentation grenade bounced and rolled toward his eldest daughter. He had once been proud of Minerva, but Han obscured all that. His son, someone to carry on the family name cast a shadow over everything he saw. He realized now that he had wronged her and her sister Athena. Marshalling what little strength he had left, Alexander Lee threw himself forward onto the grenade.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed across the government center lawn. Fragments of the Colonel were thrown far and wide. Bits of shrapnel, blood, and bone covered those close to the podium. Few were left unscathed.
Chapter 9
The news arrived during a conference with some of our allied ambassadors. Dar was sitting to my left watching the meeting, making security and military notes. Her tablet made a funny noise. She looked up in surprise and checked it. As I watched her eyes widened and her expression just froze. She very slowly looked toward me and grimaced. It was at that moment that Wilson made his presence known.
“Athena. Athena I have some very bad news to tell you.”
I did not answer him. We try to keep him a secret and I was in a meeting. I cocked my head to one side and closed my eyes as if reading a message.
“There was an attack at a press conference back on Hong Kong. Your father Alexander Lee was killed while defending your sister and the Governor.”
“What!” I said that outloud and the others all looked at me. I made a little wave. “If everyone will excuse us for a moment.”
I reached out and pulled Dar from her chair. We both went into my office. With the beginnings of tears in my eyes I asked Wilson to repeat what he said.
“Your father and the Governor had a press conference on the steps of the Capitol building. They were informing the news organizations about the raids and seizures that Minerva’s teams were conducting against the Cabal. Toward the end of the question and answer session one of the vid reporters pulled two laser weapons and opened fire. He then took a hostage and tried to escape. During the chase the reporter tossed a grenade towards the podium and those gathered there. Your Father, already wounded from the laser fire, hurled himself onto the explosive to save Minerva. He was killed and several dozen others were wounded including your sister.”
Tears were now streaming down my face. My father was a chauvinist and a real pain in the ass, but he was still my father. For all his faults I didn’t want him dead! Dar stepped close to me and held me in her arms. I felt my body let go and almost passed out. Dar continued to hold me and never dropped me.
“Athena, sweetie, I’ve got you.” Dar was the strong silent type. She made the most of facial expressions. Woe be to one of her troops if they stepped out of line though. She could be very loud if she wished to be.
After a moment of being held I looked up at her. “Dar, I have to go back to the conference room. I’m the host and I just left them staring at each other. I have to go back.”
I took a moment to straighten my clothing. I turned to Dar and gave her a toe-curling big kiss. “Thank you honey for being here for me.”
I re-entered the conference room. The ambassadors were actually sitting quietly waiting for us. They looked up in surprise at my tear-stained face. “I must apologize for leaving. There was an assassination attempt on our planetary Governor. Senator and Colonel Alexander Lee, my father, died in the attempt. He threw himself on a grenade saving many innocent bystanders.”
They looked shocked by this. “Ambassador Lee, does your world know who the culprit is?”
“Yes, it was the Cabal. The assassin was on the ‘list’ that Martian security provided to my government.” Amalie and I had both agreed that it would be simpler to say that the list was acquired by Martian forces.
“Why was he not rounded up?”
“Ambassador have you seen one of the lists? The one for my planet was around five-hundred names. Your planet’s is of a similar size. Our teams are working as fast as they can at rounding them up. It is growing difficult as many of them are deeply ingrained into our society. The assassination happened at a press conference concerning the list and the arrests. As a warning to your governments you may want to mention the death of my father. The Cabal may be stepping up their attacks. We will finish this next week. Thank you all.” I escorted them from the room and wished them a good farewell.
“Dar, organize your team. If they struck there, they may try to strike here. We need to be on alert.”
“On it, hon. I have already increased the guard and my team will become your guards starting this evening.”
I stretched up and gave her a kiss. She knows how to take care of me. I sent a short message off to my grandmother about dad and suggested an increase in security.
Amalie did not get the message in time to prevent a second attack from happening.
~~~
It had been more than six decades since Sam 0256 last walked the streets of Mars. Not much had changed. The people were more colorful, and the shops were different. But it felt familiar. One of the problems of having an extended lifespan is suffering from boredom. Sam was window shopping when he saw the first assassin's reflection in the glass. Although he was over a hundred years old, he was not fragile. The would-be assassin lunged at Sam with a knife held low. He tried for a kidney stab. Sam twirled around at speeds unheard of for a man his age and blocked the thrust. Sam stepped to the side at a forty-five degree angle to avoid the direct line of attack. Using his left arm, he deflected the knife thrust off to one side. The sharp edge of the blade slid down his arm leaving bloody gashes. Sam followed through with a right-handed punch to the assassin’s head. The sudden blow to his head staggered the shorter man. The assassin shook his head to clear it as Sam fled the scene. Why fight when you can run?
Sam’s watchers from house Dorr’s private security rushed to the scene and apprehended the assassin. Sam’s protective team was replaced and the new one tracked him down at one of the local bars.
“About time you showed up. Did you catch him?” Sam looked at the three protectors. Standards must really be slipping. He made no comment that they were not the original ones.
The leader looked to either side, he was tempted to ignore his charge and continue the charade. There was no fooling this man, however. “Yes, sir. We passed him off to planetary security.”
“Good. Are you going to play dumb like the rest?”
“I don’t think we can fool you sir.”
Sam started to laugh. “No, you can’t. Your boss is only a tiny bit older than me. You won’t put one over on me. I traveled the breadth of the galaxy alone before all you were gleams in your parents eyes. I can take care of myself. But I do appreciate the help!”
Sam sat at the bar and flipped through the information stored on his tablet for a while. He attempted to buy the team drinks, but they refused. He chuckled every time
about that. Professionalism was not lost on Mars. He finally turned to the team. “I’m headed downtown. I need to see someone about some parts for my ship. Try to keep up.”
Sam strode from the bar and headed up the street. The small team of protectors had to hurry to keep up. Sam walked really fast for an old man.
Chapter 10
New Texas was in the Alamo system, located on the edge of the former Empire. It was originally colonized halfway through the first wave of ships. A large group of self-proclaimed Texans pooled their resources, built a ship, and left Earth. The colony was rediscovered during the initial founding of the Anglican Alliance. While happy to see others from Earth, the colonists were very insular and were wary of varmints, as they called those from off world. Eventually relations improved, and the Alliance provided the Texans with technology and social improvements. It was only natural that they join both the Alliance and later the Empire.
The revolution on Hong Kong changed all that. The Alamo system had its own corrupt Governor. He set himself up like a king inside the Capitol building. His secret police ran roughshod over the colonists. They were at a breaking point when the broadcast of the Farmers Union Day Massacre broke over the planet. Governor Edward Hyde tried to stop the broadcasts, going so far as to locking down the communication satellites. It was to no avail. The Fathers of the Republic, one of the most powerful colonial cattlemen's organizations, rallied the people to rise up. The battle was short, sweet, and final. It’s hard to order arrests when every person on the planet was pointing a gun at you. Unlike Hong Kong, New Texas did not have a Naval detachment to worry about.
The founding of the second Republic of Texas followed the short revolution. An Imperial anti-pirate force entering the system got the shock of their lives as they were challenged and almost attacked. While they were informed of the new political climate, someone else failed to notify the Empire of the changeover. The Empire was coming apart at the seams closer to home and New Texas had been forgotten for a few months. No amount of threats would return the planet to Imperial control. Still reeling from the kinetic strikes conducted by one of its own Commodore’s on Hong Kong, the Empire allowed the political split. From a public relations stance attacking the planet would have been a nightmare for the Empire.
The Texians were very industrious and quickly rebuilt the very basic space station into something to be proud of. Cattle was king on New Texas. All it took was a fleet of freighters to become the largest producers and shippers of beef in the galaxy. Change came very fast in their system. Now they were charter members of the new PPL. This time they held onto their own sovereignty. Their government was their own.
They were still hard at work producing a fleet. Hong Kong’s flagship, the James Cook’s current patrol was the Alamo system. Their purpose in the system was to prop up a new ally and to aid with their fleet formation.
“Captain, the New Texas pirate patrol just sent us a disturbing report!”
“There shouldn’t be any pirates out there for them to find, Marius. We took care of that base last month, remember?”
“Sir, this is something else.”
Captain Gorshin sighed. “Fine let’s see it.”
The XO, Commander Blomkvist handed his captain the tablet.
“What are these readings? Is that a fleet up there in the right quadrant?”
“Yes, Sir. That is what has them spooked. They were cruising the edge of the asteroid belt and spotted them on their sensors. Thinking they might be pirates or something worse they hightailed it straight back to us.”
“Send this down to Lieutenant Baal. Let his people analyze it and see what they find. How long before we can break orbit?”
The XO pursed his lips and thought for a moment. “We are loading the supplies right now. I can alert the shore party to return. Call it an hour?”
“You have forty-five minutes. If they aren’t on board they get left behind. Get moving Commander!”
“Sir!” The XO hurried off to start pushing his people.
Captain Gorshin called up that region of space on his console. As he stared at the coordinates and orbital bodies in that area he muttered to himself. “Why there?” All he could see is an old mining facility that was already picked over extensively. The only other thing out there were rocks. Tapping on his console he called up the New Texas Fleet statuses. “Not good.” Currently there were four anti-piracy units. They were two converted freighters, a cruise liner, and a first interstellar war battleship that should have been scrapped years ago. Whenever he asked about the origins of the Texas, everyone stopped talking and just stared at him. Maybe one day someone will trust me enough to tell me that story he said to himself.
“XO? Status please!” The Captain was getting impatient.
“Sir, all the supplies are loaded and stored. The shore party is boarding right now with all hands present and accounted for.”
“Excellent! Set condition three within the ship, we are breaking orbit as soon as that door closes! Lieutenant Sprong, contact New Texas control and alert them to our departure. They most likely have already seen the scans, so inform them we are going out to investigate. Lieutenant Behm, set coordinates for the asteroid belt and prepare for full impulse speed.” The Captain stared at his console for a moment as if making a decision. Pressing some buttons the Captain contacted engineering. “Commander Changer?”
A skinny undernourished looking man answered. “Yes, Captain?”
“We are about to break orbit. I will need full impulse. Please prepare in case we have to jump unexpectedly.”
“We will be ready Captain. Anything else?”
“No. Captain out.”
The Captain hated to make that call. Danger is a way of life in the Navy. But as his former Chief Engineer Athena Lee had taught him, you could not be sure of some people. Cowardice hides in the strangest of places.
“XO, make the announcement please.”
“All hands prepare to break orbit! Secure all hatches and make ready for space.”
“Take us out Lieutenant Behm.”
“Sir, taking us out!”
The large heavy cruiser carefully pulled away from Alamo Station and broke orbit at top speed.
~~~
Her Flagship dropped out of jump with a lurch that shook the whole ship violently. Half the bridge members were thrown from their chairs to the deck. Still shaken Admiral Kane bellowed. “Report! Where the hell are we?”
“Ma’am, navigation says we are on the very edge of the Alamo system.”
“Why did we drop out of jump so violently? Contact Commander Woody in engineering!” It was several minutes before engineering called up to the bridge. All over the ship crewmen had been knocked down. Several systems were down or starting to malfunction, engineering was a busy place.
“Commander Woody on the intercom for you Ma’am.”
“Woody! What the hell was that? Why did we drop out like that?”
“Captain we had damage to the interlock system that didn’t show up during our scans. It caused the jump engines to fail seconds before they were supposed to end. We were lucky, Ma’am. If they had dropped earlier before we entered the system we might still be floating out there.”
“Can we fix it without a shipyard?”
“Of course Captain. We can fix most anything. We will need a supply of both processed and unprocessed iron along with a few other metals. The ship still has basic impulse, but that is all. I might, might, be able to get one short hop out of the engines but we run the risk of taking the engine completely offline.”
“OK, Woody. Do what you can. I will find you the materials for you.” The Admiral turned toward her XO.
“Roger, see if intel can scan the asteroids for what Woody needs to fix the ship. If you must, launch a single fighter. How did the rest of the fleet fare?”
“The others jumped in to the assigned spot. We should arrive in about an hour. They have been informed of our issues.”
“Excelle
nt Commander. Put as many people on it as you like, we need to fix this ship ASAP!” The Admiral left the bridge and went to her ready room. She studied the ship's stats up on the screens. The Fleet was nearing the limit on food, fuel, and maintenance parts. If New Texas turned them away, it could be a near disaster. Leaning back in her chair the Admiral took a short nap.
It was the incessant beeping that woke her up. Realizing it was not a dream the Admiral opened her eyes and hit a button on her console. “Yes?”
“Admiral, we may have just been spotted!”
“Spotted by what?”
“Our sensors picked up a momentary blip at extreme range. It was only there for a moment.”