by D. J. Holmes
As soon as Suzanna stepped down from the podium the British delegation rose to their feet and began to clap. As James looked around he saw that the French and American delegations had joined them. The French would be even less happy with the prospect of the Indians gaining control of Haven and the new trade routes to Vestar and Kulthar. The American’s were long standing allies of the British and the French and they too would not like to see a rival gaining power. However, it was just as likely that many of the Americans were applauding Suzanna’s speech for what it was. It had taken a lot of bloodshed to win back the democracy that had birthed the United States. With the rise of the American totalitarian state in the 21st century many had thought the American experiment in democracy had come to an end. Yet with the second revolution in 2270 freedom was once again the watchword of the American public. No more so than in the American colonies and so James knew Suzanna’s speech would go down well there.
Just as those who supported Suzanna’s speech were obvious in their approval, so too where those who disapproved. Both the Indian and the Argentinian delegations were firmly sat on their seats with stern expressions on almost every face. Both stellar powers were long standing rivals of the British Star Kingdom.
“Well,” Pawan said as he returned to the podium to resume control of proceedings. “Thank you Councilwoman Rodriguez,” he said without a hint of a smile. “If you are quite finished we must now get back to our scheduled speakers. It now falls to representative Muller of the German Commonwealth of Planets to take the podium.
To James’ surprise Muller declined to take the podium, stating that the current events had taken precedence over what he had to say. One by one the other scheduled speakers declined to speak. The American representative, Bob Slater, was the last to speak. He didn’t decline the podium but when he addressed the chamber he was obviously going off topic.
“It is my duty to bring this monumental meeting to a close. This is the first time that another species has visited Earth and we have been privileged by your presence and your words to us Viceroy Pemel. As many of the representatives have said already, we all hope our two peoples can learn to live in harmony and friendship.
“However, as you have seen today, that will not always be easy to achieve. Especially when some here on Earth are willing to use even momentous occasions such as this to manipulate events to their advantage,” Slater said as he gave Prime Minister Devgan a stern glance. “I therefore suggest that this Committee reconvene in one week’s time to discuss developments in the Haven colony. That should give everyone enough time to get their facts straight. I for one will be most interested to hear more about the attack on Pemel’s ship and India’s intentions towards the free and independent colony of Haven.
“I suggest we have an impromptu vote now by a show of hands to agree to meet in one week’s time. All in favor?” Slater asked as he raised his hand.
Behind the podium where the rest of the representatives sat all hands rose into the air but those of the Indian and Argentinian representatives. “The vote has passed,” Slater said, “we will reconvene in one week. I hereby declare this meeting of the UN Interplanetary Committee closed.” He lifted the gavel beside the podium and banged it twice.
Immediately, everyone within the Chamber was on their feet. Someone in the British delegation must have passed on orders to protect Suzanna for no sooner had James stood up than Suzanna and he were surrounded by British aides who escorted them out of the chamber, making sure to keep the delegations from the other nations well away.
In one of the corridors James and Suzanna ran into his uncle. “Ah, there you are,” Admiral Somerville said. “That was some speech lass. I can see why you were elected to your colony’s council.”
“Thank you Admiral, it was from the heart,” Suzanna replied. “I just hope your government will be willing to intervene and grant my request. It will mean war for your Kingdom if the Indians don’t back down. I fear for my people; the war may have already begun. But will your people be willing to fight again so soon after the war with China?”
“I don’t know my dear,” Admiral Somerville said. “But I will tell you one thing. Neither I, nor our leadership, will just sit by and let the Indians steal two colonies that they don’t deserve.
“But, enough chit chat,” he continued. “Our Prime Minister has already called an emergency meeting of the COBRA committee. It will begin in one hour, all three of us are expected to be there, I have a shuttle ready to take us across the Atlantic to London. Your speech has bought us some time. Not everyone will believe Devgan’s propaganda, but we have to move fast, follow me.”
“Aye sir,” James said instinctively to an order from a superior as he stepped after his uncle with Suzanna at his side.
Chapter 7 – COBRA
I have only ever visited Earth once, but I can tell you it is a strange place. Among the tall spires of the Emperor’s Palace and those of competing corporations, seemingly infinitely small and ancient buildings are preserved for school children to visit. 10 Downing Street is but one of them.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
21st March, 2467 AD, 10 Downing Street, London.
Less than an hour later James found himself sitting in the main briefing room in 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister. Suzanna was waiting nervously with him while his uncle had already left them to talk with someone else.
“This is all rather surreal,” Suzanna said. “I grew up learning about Earth, the UN and the British government and now here I am sitting in 10 Downing Street after having just addressed the UN Interplanetary Committee. And yet, I can’t enjoy any of it for the future of my people hangs in the balance.”
“I know,” James said as he placed his hand on Suzanna’s. “I can’t imagine how you are feeling at the minute. At least you will get some answers soon.”
“Things are moving fast, how likely do you think it is that your government will help me now?” Suzanna asked.
“People are going to be angry after the stunt Devgan pulled,” James responded. “The question is, how angry? Our navy isn’t close to being back to full strength after the war with China. It takes years to build new cruisers and battlecruisers and although we have quite a few under construction, the first medium cruiser isn’t scheduled to be finished for another six months.
“The Indian navy isn’t a push over. They have three modern battlecruisers and if they have already made a move on Haven, then they will have time to fortify their positions. Taking them on will involve a huge risk. One that my government may not think is worth the effort.”
“That is what I fear,” Suzanna said. “I will just have to convince them,” she added as James saw the same look of determination from earlier enter her eyes.
The door to the briefing room opened and people filed in. James counted five Peers from the House of Lords. He didn’t know them all but from the ones he did know he guessed they all sat on the Lords Defense Committee. Five more MP’s from the House of Commons followed them, who James likewise guessed sat on the Commons Defense Committee.
Next the Prime Minister’s Cabinet appeared. First came the Home Secretary, then the Defense Secretary, and then the Foreign Secretary. After them three Admirals took their seats. James knew all of their faces but only one personally. Admiral Russell, his uncle’s closest advisor, gave him a smile as he sat down. Alongside the Admirals a General from the Royal Marines had taken his seat and he was soon joined by a General from the Army. James didn’t know either of them.
Last to enter was his uncle, King Edward and Prime Minister Fairfax. When Fairfax sat down the quiet conversations that had broken out around the meeting table came to an end. “Welcome everyone,” Fairfax began. “You all know why I have called this emergency meeting. We need to decide what we are going to do about Haven and India’s latest move. I know we have discussed this at length but things are moving fast now and if we are going to act it must be soon. As you can see, I have inv
ited Councilwoman Rodriguez and Captain Somerville to this meeting. I believe they will both have some insights to share with us.”
James felt more than a little self-conscious as everyone looked at him and Suzanna but thankfully it only lasted a few seconds as Fairfax continued. “So, where should we begin?”
James’ uncle was the first to speak up. “As I see it, we have very little option. Haven’s space is closer to our territory than India’s. If they annex the entirety of Havenite space, they will cut off a massive area of exploration for us. Yet that doesn’t even matter. The significance of the Vestarians and the Kulreans makes everything else pale into insignificance. We cannot let the Indians have a monopoly on the trade routes to Vestar and Kulthar. I don’t believe for a second Prime Minister Devgan’s promise to allow free trade. They will cut us out for sure.”
“But can’t we use our exploration ships to find new ways to Vestar and Kulthar, cutting off the need to control Haven?” The Home Secretary asked. “Thanks to the Councilwoman we already know of the Gift and an alternative route to Haven through shift space. Surely we can find a way around Haven as well?”
Admiral Russell fielded her question, “I have run a number of simulations to answer this very question. Even if we were to devote all our exploration ships to finding a way around Haven, in the best scenarios it would take at least ten years. More likely it would take between twenty and thirty. Sure, we could get lucky and find a route within a year but this is the problem of mapping out the dark matter between stars. We simply don’t know what is there until we begin exploring. For all we know, there will be no way around Haven. It may be a bottle neck in that part of space.”
“And what Admiral Russell’s simulations didn’t account for were the actions of the Indians,” Admiral Somerville added. “You can bet your ass they will devote all their exploration ships to the area around Haven. They will be trying to discover any potential routes around the colony so they can claim them for themselves at the UN Interplanetary Committee.
“Yet even this question is secondary. Let’s say it would just take ten years to gain access to Vestar and Kulthar. Are we willing to allow the Indians to have ten years of unrestricted access to trade and diplomatic relations with both races? The Vestarians and the Kulreans see us as close allies now, largely thanks to the efforts of my nephew. But after ten years of India’s lies, we might open up trade routes to their planets only to find they do not want to trade with us. Waiting is not an option. It is my belief that we must act now. India cannot be allowed to retain control of Haven.”
“I agree,” King Edward said. “Our victory over the Chinese removed a huge amount of pressure from us. For the first time in a long time our future as a nation and colonial empire looks secure and healthy. Yet, if the Indians get the upper hand in Haven it could only take them a few decades to close off all our avenues of exploration. If they managed to do that, then we would be faced with choosing to become a second-rate power or a war to the death. One that we may not be able to win. If we can stop the Indians now, then I think we need to do everything we can to make it happen.”
James quickly suppressed a grin. There was no love lost between the King and himself but while he despised King Edward, he knew the King had a good head on his shoulders. When he spoke everyone else listened. There might be hope for Suzanna’s people yet, he thought.
The power of the British monarchy had risen sharply with the birth of the British Star Kingdom and although technically the British Prime Minister officially led the nation, King Edward held almost as much power.
As stated in the restoration of the Monarchy act, King Edward had the power to veto any act the House of Commons passed into law. The Prime Minister could still try to pass a vetoed act through, but it had to get a sixty percent majority vote in both the House of Commons and the Lords. In practice this had proved very difficult for past Prime Ministers to accomplish for as well as sitting in the House of Lords themselves, the sitting King or Queen was responsible for appointing exactly half of the new Peers appointed to the Lords. This all meant that the Prime Minister and sitting Monarch had to work together.
It had caused tension in the past but James knew there were also benefits from the arrangement. The Prime Minister kept the Monarch’s ambitions from trampling the wishes of the people, for if he failed he would lose the next general election. In reverse, the Monarch kept the Prime Minister from being too focused on the immediate future and the next election, as the Monarch now held ultimate responsibility for the long term good of the British Star Kingdom. The result was a fine balancing act that had threatened to topple more than once. Yet both Fairfax and Edward demonstrated how it could work at its best.
“What kind of political power can we bring to bear on the Indians?” Fairfax asked the Foreign Secretary. “Is there any chance of a peaceful resolution?”
“I’m not optimistic,” Matthew Dale, the Foreign Secretary, said. “I have had brief conversations with my counterparts in America and France. The French are very keen to make sure the Indians leave Haven alone. Likewise, the Americans are not prepared to let an independent colony be conquered.
“However, according to our agents in the capitals of the other Earth powers it doesn’t look so favorable. As you can imagine, the Argentinians will support anything that hurts us. I think the Japanese and some of the other powers just want the issue to go away. They are afraid that any more violence will distract from the possibilities of trade with the Kulreans.
“The Brazilians are also keen to see the Haven question answered quickly. They have taken more than a week of bad press over their supposed involvement in the attack. They want to see Haven punished and as far as they are concerned, the Indians will do a good job of that.
“In short then, I don’t think we can assemble enough support to pass a UN resolution demanding India remove her troops from Haven. The best I think we will be able to manage is to release a joint statement from us, the French, the Americans and maybe the Germans. Yet, if we don’t have the political will to back up our demands with force, then the Indians will ignore us.
“They know that no matter what happens the French won’t move any warships away from their border with Russia. Equally, as much as the American public might baulk at an independent colony being taken over by force, their government won’t want to risk American lives for a group of people no one knew existed a couple of years ago.
“The real question is, if we threaten the Indians, can we back up our threats? Or at least, can we make it appear that we are able and willing to back up them up?” Dale asked.
“Admiral, Generals, I think that is a question for you to answer,” Fairfax said.
“We can certainly make it appear we are willing,” Admiral Somerville said. “Admiral Cunningham has already increased the readiness of the Home Fleet and I have sent orders for elements from Britannia, Cook and New Edinburgh to make their way to Earth forthwith. My intention is to bolster our Fast Reaction Fleet based here in Sol to give us a stick we can threaten the Indians with.
“I have already liaised with Generals Hawker and Robinson and once the fleet elements are in place, I believe we can carry out a simulated ground landing on our Mars colony. Elements of the Home Fleet can play the defenders while Rooke’s bolstered fast reaction fleet can play offense. It will show the Indians we mean business.”
“But won’t that expose our most important colonies?” the Home Secretary asked.
“For a few weeks yes,” Admiral Somerville replied. “As you know, we have some new production coming on line in a few months’ time. What I have kept out of the press however, is that our first three medium cruisers being built in Britannia are ahead of schedule. The first one will begin its space trials in a week and the other two a week after that. They will be able to take over from the ships I’m moving out of Britannia.”
“So you plan to move the Fearless back to Earth?” Fairfax asked.
“Yes, we know the Indians only
have four battlecruisers. One here in the Sol system and three back in their colonies,” Admiral Somerville informed the gathering. “If we are going to intimidate them, then we need to match their numbers. As you know, we still have three battlecruisers under repair and another two under construction. That leaves us with five in service. Two in Home Fleet, one in our Fast Reaction Fleet and one each at Britannia and Cook. I am loath to take the Excalibur away from Cook, for that would open up our colonies to an attack from the Indians should war break out and some ships slip past us.
“However, if we add Fearless to Admiral Rooke’s fleet, that should give us two battlecruisers to the Indian’s three. With our tech advantage and experience, it should show the Indians we mean business. Plus, it leaves us the option of adding one or even both of our battlecruisers from home fleet to the Fast Reaction Fleet. The Indians will know that and it should make them sweat.”