SWEET HOME ALLE BAMMA (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA)

by Musser, Dale

  Regeny looked at the faces around the table. On the side where my staff sat he saw defiant grins; on the side of the High Command Regeny stared into disapproving and severe expressions of each of his staff.

  “Hmmpf! Very well. However, I seem to recall that you have several of my officers assigned to the NEW ORLEANS as a part of your staff. As of this moment I am recalling them to duty. Marranalis and Lieutenant Commander Kalana will be transferred to the URANGA to serve there.

  “Begging the admiral’s pardon,” Marranalis interjected, “I resign.”

  “What? You can’t!

  “Sir, I don’t think the Senate or citizens will allow even an admiral to take actions against a widely acclaimed Federation hero without responding with some significant resistance,” said Marranalis, “and I don’t think any of your Special Ops troopers will feel too kindly toward the Admiralty if you take the action you plan,” Marranalis said plainly.

  “And you won’t be taking Kala anywhere,” I said. “We’re taking her to Alle Bamma. It’s the only place where we can find what we need to create an antidote for the toxin in her system; and I don’t plan to let her spend years in stasis while some admiral plays warlord.”

  I looked at Regeny with resolve. Suddenly his face began to soften and his eyes fill with tears. He turned his back to us for a moment and stared at the wall. When he turned around again, there was a different man looking back at me.

  “You’re right, Tibby. I apologize. “You and Kalana and your crew have served the Federation far greater than anyone has and I guess, well, I got carried away with riding on your reputations and successes. You’re also right to take Kala to Alle Bamma, if that’s where the anti-toxin is to be found. And you are also correct that we can handle the situation here without the NEW ORLEANS.

  “I’m curious about one thing. You said we will have only ten Mirage Fighters. There are already more built than that, so why only ten?”

  “I’m taking ten with me. May I remind you that the fighters I take with me are paid for out of my funds; and the ten that will join your Banur operation are also able to do so at the courtesy of my coffers; so I think I am entitled to take as many as I want.”

  “I see. And do you have a reason for taking ten for yourself, other than for personal vanity?” Regeny asked with a bit of arrogance returning to his voice.

  “Yes,” I said, “because I have every reason to believe that if the poison that was used against Kala came from Alle Bamma, we are going to find a nest of the Brotherhood when we get there. If that’s the case, things could get messy.”

  “Do you have information that I’ve not seen or heard?” Regeny asked.

  “Nothing concrete, but the poison used on the knives of the Brotherhood assassins is specific to Alle Bamma; the source of the poison is found nowhere else. Alle Bamma is a non-aligned world populated by a primitive society; it’s not part of any of the established trade routes, nor is it visited frequently by outsiders. It’s the perfect place for the Brotherhood to establish a base and hide out. I don’t think the Brotherhood went out of their way to make a trip to Alle Bamma to find a poison to try and kill us. I think they used it because it was convenient for them and because it was at hand.”

  “It’s an interesting conjecture. You seem to be better informed about Alle Bamma than I am, but I would like to know more.”

  I looked at A’Lappe. He nodded to me and turned to the admiral.

  “As Tibby has explained, Alle Bamma is one of the non-aligned worlds. It was not brought into the Federation because the indigenous inhabitants of the planet live in a non-technical society whose tribal culture is arboreal and nomadic. They live off the land and do not function within the constructs of any political system, engage in industry for trade, or even utilize currency. They have only minimal metalworking skills, which they apply only to minerals and ores they find on the planet’s surface. They produce nothing; they desire nothing from the Federation; and except for exotic woods and possibly plants that would be useful in pharmaceuticals, there is little the planet has to offer for trade.

  “Alle Bamma has no space port, so only small ships or ones capable of landing on or in the water have a place to set down. The planet’s predominant features amount to jungle swamps and shallow oceans and seas. Only a fraction of the life forms on the planet have ever been cataloged. The inhabitants speak several languages and tend to be superstitious, territorial and extremely difficult for outsiders to approach. Early attempts to establish relationships with them for the purpose of advancing their education and level of technology met with total failure. It was deemed by the Federation that Alle Bamma, which is somewhat removed from the normal trade routes, would be best left alone and allowed to develop at its own pace. The planet’s information was archived with the understanding that, if they ever their peoples evolved a high enough culture and wished to join the galactic community, the Federation would be willing to consider their application at that time.”

  “So why is the Brotherhood interested in it?” Regeny asked.

  “The planet is close enough to the Federation for them to come and go with relative ease and without being noticed. Also, since there is an abundance of natural food sources across most of the planet, they can sustain themselves indefinitely without having to rely on synthesizers. We don’t know a great deal about how many or what types of ships are used by the Brotherhood, but I think it’s safe to assume that they do not have a very large fleet or we would know about it. Likewise, I suspect that most of their ships are small and most likely old. But on a planet like Alle Bamma that has no commercial space port and very a limited number of places that are appropriate for landing ships, smaller vessels are better suited for the environment and, of course, easier to hide. They could be anywhere on the planet – above or below water. Anyone setting out to locate them would have a difficult time.”

  “If you run into a nest of the Brotherhood out there you’re on your own, Tibby. I’m sure you’ll be okay in the NEW ORLEANS; but if you’re going to be planetside in the jungle, looking for whatever it is you need to cure Kalana, you’re vulnerable,” the admiral said.

  “If everything goes as it should, it’s unlikely the Brotherhood will even know we’re there. If the NEW ORLEANS is cloaked and we fly to the surface in a cloaked Mirage Fighter, we can simply be dropped off to search for the ruguian eggs, after which we’ll signal for it to retrieve us. Under those circumstances it’s unlikely we will be discovered, even if the Brotherhood occupies most of the planet. Regardless, we’re going, Admiral, and we’ll do what it takes to get our hands on the ruguian eggs and get the antidote produced.”

  “I think I can improve your odds, Tibby,” said Kerabac. “I’ve been on Alle Bamma. I spent several months there as part of a flight crew that escorted a team of scientists to the surface about 15 years ago. Once we landed and set up camp, there wasn’t much for the ship’s crew to do; so I volunteered to accompany the science team into the jungle on several of their expeditions. There weren’t any Brotherhood outposts established there at that time that I know of; but then we weren’t aware of the existence of Brotherhood either. If they were there, they remained well hidden and we never saw any sign of them. The indigenous peoples, though, are another matter. They can pop up at any time; and you never know what to expect with regards to their behavior. They were mostly curious about our presence; however, on a few occasions they became rather aggressive and damaged our camp sites and any equipment that was left unguarded. They never really attacked us physically, though. I managed to pick up the basics of some of the tribal languages; but it’s been a long time and I’m not sure how much I‘ll be able to remember clearly.”

  “Good, I’ll need to take two people with me. Marranalis will need to stay on the ship to run security and assist Captain Stonbersa in a combat situation, if needed; but I think you’re a perfect choice as one of the team, Kerabac.”

  “I have a candidate I would like to recommend,” Cantolla chime
d in. “There is a xenobiologist on my staff that I think could be of real assistance to you, in terms of dealing with Alle Bamma’s particular environment and finding the ruguian eggs, which sounds like it may be challenging. His name is Hotyona. He would jump at the chance to set foot on Alle Bamma.”

  “Excellent,” I said.

  “I don’t like it, Tibby,” Regeny interjected. “I understand your reason for going; but if you run into a large contingent of Brotherhood on the planet, it will be five weeks before you can get word to us about it. Before we could assemble a force to respond, they would have a chance to move someplace else. It would be a full ten weeks from the time you sent the message until we’d be able to get to Alle Bamma.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take, Admiral. I’m not leaving Kala in stasis indefinitely or until circumstances best serve the Federation before taking action to acquire the cure she needs.”

  “I think I can help with that one, Tibby,” Cantolla said. “Errm, actually, I should say A’Lappe and I can help you. At your coaxing I consulted with A’Lappe about the communication device you wanted us to develop. You were correct about A’Lappe’s technological discovery possibly being the answer to overcoming the obstacles I’ve encountered when trying to achieve a means of instantaneous communication across the vast distances of space. The problem is that we haven’t been able to design a proper receiver yet. We’re close, but it will most likely be another week before we have two functioning units; and by then we will be well on our way to Alle Bamma.”

  “Maybe not,” A’Lappe said. “Both of us know pretty much what is needed and how to build it. There’s no need for us to be together to complete the project. If you would be willing to stay here at Plosaxen with part of your team working on one device while I stay with the NEW ORLEANS to work on the other, we might be able to get a complete system operational before Tibby goes to Alle Bamma’s surface. If it turns out that we detect the Brotherhood is in fact there, we can communicate our findings instantly to you and the fleet at Plosaxen. By that time, the Federation should have sprung the trap at the fake receiving site and have those rebels under control.”

  “Why should I be the one to stay behind?” asked Cantolla. “Why not you? After all, most of my staff is on the NEW ORLEANS, as is my lab.”

  Before A’Lappe could answer I spoke up. “Normally I would agree with you, Cantolla; but in this instance there are special circumstances that make it necessary for A’Lappe to stay with the ship. If I leave a Mirage Fighter and crew at your disposal to rush you back to the NEW ORLEANS when you get the communicator working, will that be acceptable?”

  “Okay, but you’ll owe me a special favor for this one, Tibby,” she said.

  As the meeting adjourned and everyone began to disperse, I pulled Admiral Regeny aside to tie up a few loose ends.

  “Admiral, there are a few more things I need to make clear to you. First and foremost, the life threatening injuries to Lieutenant Commander Kalana are not to be treated as some kind of collateral damage in your war with the Brotherhood. She is dying because of your insistence on showmanship and glorification of the Federation military under your command. I am quite familiar with the belligerence and reflex for arrogance that is often associated with high-ranking military leaders such as yourself, so I do not generally feel a need to respond to your personal attacks on me or my motives. But the next time your arrogance blinds you to the dangers you bring to others – particularly my crew – you will see a new side of me, Admiral – one that will not handle a confrontation with the diplomacy I granted you today.

  “I respect the tremendous challenges you’ve faced since my arrival and I will continue to value your professional opinion; however, the events of the last two days have marred my trust in your judgment for the time being. Hopefully we won’t have to revisit this issue when I return; but if you decide you wish to discuss the matter further, I will make time to do so after Kala is well.

  I turned to leave and paused to add one last thought. “Oh, and as far as your comment about my personal vanity, Admiral, I suggest you look to yourself on that point. You’ve damaged your standing among your staff today and you may want to find a way to repair that situation before you execute your trap operation on Banur.”

  I left the admiral alone in the conference room, looking out a small window into the depths of space.

  Just outside the conference room door I was stopped by Commander Wabussie. “Tibby, I am truly sorry for all that has happened and I understand and respect your decision; but there is one matter left hanging and… well, I was sort of hoping that you might still talk to Halfredies before you leave.”

  “Halfredies – I’d completely forgotten about him. I’m afraid I won’t have time to make a trip to the surface to meet him and we won’t be around long enough to arrange for a trip up here before we leave.”

  “You won’t have to. He’s here on the NEW ORLEANS. He was a part of the security contingent that brought you and Lieutenant Commander Kalana back to the ship. I told his superior that he was needed here for debriefing. I’ve stalled them as long as I can; his superiors have been pressing for him to return. He’s scheduled to leave in about three hours.”

  “I see. Can you bring him to my office in a few minutes?”

  “I think so. Thank you, Tibby. I truly appreciate this and all you have done. I wish I could go with you to find those ruguian eggs. It’s time the Federation returns the support you have provided to the alliance and its military forces. Besides that, you and Lieutenant Commander Kalana – well, I’ve grown rather fond of both of you.”

  “I appreciate that; really I do, Commander. Having you accompany me and my team would have been an honor and a much welcome addition to my team’s skills; but you are needed here as the leader of the FSO and that’s very important right now,” I said.

  “One more thing, Tibby. Don’t be too angry with the admiral. He truly respects and admires you and, if you ask me, I think he thinks of you as a son. I don’t think he realized just how much he was asking of you. For so many years the military sat in the shadows with little to engage them beyond very small and occasional police actions. There was even a motion brought before the Senate during the months before your arrival that proposed a cut in funding for the military and implementation of a large reduction in forces. Then you showed up with the TRITYTE and solbidyum and everything changed. Suddenly we’ve learned we have an enemy among us that we didn’t know about. Who knows if they were already ramping up their activities and preparing to strike after the proposed reduction in military forces was announced – or they may even have been the ones to suggest the cuts to begin with. Besides the threat posed by the Brotherhood, there are other nefarious elements who want to seize the solbidyum. So now the need for the military is greater than it’s been in centuries. You illustrated that need and made the Federation look strong and prepared in the face of global and alliance-wide acts of violence; and you set stage for the Senate to instead increase funding for the military. It was only natural, I suppose, that the admiral got carried away – not that it makes any of it right.”

  “I understand and, honestly. I’m fond of the admiral; but right now I‘m not as enamored with him as I was. He put Kala in danger needlessly, with no warning and without asking us if we would be willing to participate in his side show. He repeatedly assumes that we will get up and put on a demonstration every time he snaps his fingers –with no concern for our feelings or safety. Kala is the most important person to me in the universe; I do not and will never take kindly to anyone placing her in harm’s way, nor do I appreciate her welfare being put on hold for any reason.”

  It was only a few minutes later that Wabussie brought Halfredies to my study.

  “Please come in and have a seat,” I said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t available to personally give you a tour of the ship. I hope you were able to see it. I know you depart in a few hours.”

  “Yes I was. A’Lappe personally gave me a gu
ided tour. I was surprised to learn that he was here working for you. Although I had never met him, my brother spoke very highly of him. I’m truly amazed by the ship. It’s even more magnificent than my brother told me it would be.”

  “I’m glad you had an opportunity to see it. It is indeed a grand ship. Your brother was quite a visionary and he had impeccable taste. I wish I were able to make his acquaintance.”

  “In many ways the two of you are alike, actually – not in physical appearance, but in manner and character. I’m sure the two of you would have been good friends. Like you, my brother had a strong dislike for the Brotherhood.”

  “Actually, Halfredies, that’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. You didn’t just happen to get assigned to my security detail by accident; we more or less arranged it. I have something you’ve been trying to gain authorization to see.”

  I activated a vid screen on the wall and inserted a small silicon recording cube into a receptacle on my computer. Instantly the file on Galetils and his death came up on the screen.

  “How did you get that? I’ve been trying for months to get permission to see this file and have been denied access to it on every attempt.”

  “You’re welcome to read it. I regret I can’t let you take it with you, but you can view it here. All I ask in return that you listen to what I have to say and that you not reveal to anyone what we are about to discuss. Is it a deal?”