by D. J. Holmes
“And now you bring me all this. There is going to be an uproar in parliament. I’m sure some people will be singing your praises but the rest will be wanting you lynched for all you have done.”
“The Havenites deserve our protection,” James said, unconcerned about the political fallout from his actions. “They really have accomplished some amazing things. The Vestarians might not be a threat anymore but there are other human powers who will seek to steal all that the Havenites have accomplished. And we don’t know what else is out there. It will take the Havenites years to build up their defenses again.”
“We will see,” Admiral Somerville said, “but that is for your betters to decide.”
“Now,” he continued as he reached into one of his office drawers and pulled out two cigars, “that was your official chastisement.”
He unwrapped one and handed the other to James, “let me personally say well done. I couldn’t be more proud of you. You handled yourself admirably,”
“Thank you Sir,” James said, taken aback at his uncle’s change of tone.
“Oh don’t get me wrong,” he said as he lit his cigar. “You have made my life a living hell, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I’m going to have to organize a court martial to deal with Ferguson, that’s going to bring a lot of negative press. And even though these aliens are going to bring new technologies and trade opportunities, I’m going to have to completely redeploy my fleets to protect the new trade routes as they open up. Never mind all the work dealing with Haven will bring. Yet if we can convince the Havenites to join us, our colonial empire will almost rival the Americans. If we could achieve that it would be no trivial feat.
“Yet that is all ahead of us. You have had all the fun putting us on that road. Now I’m the one who has to see it finished, so don’t blame me if I seem a bit grumpy.”
“You are the Lord of the Admiralty,” James said as he began to relax. He had known his uncle liked him but he wasn’t entirely sure how the senior Somerville would react to everything he had done. “Yours is the honor and the duty.”
“Honor, duty, burden, joy killing weight of pressure, it’s all the same really,” Admiral Somerville said, “you’ll find out some day boy.”
Before James could say anything more his uncle leaned in, “tell me this boy, just how close did you and this Councilwoman get? She seems to be a real looker,” he asked with a gleam in his eye.
James had suspected this was coming. He knew his uncle was keen to get him married off. It wasn’t good that a Duke of England was unmarried and without any children. It was the duty of every British citizen to help expand the British population and feed the Kingdom’s ever growing need for personnel. Plus, his uncle wanted him to put the whole Christine affair behind him.
“Not very,” James partially lied, “we really didn’t spend that much time together. Just a few minutes at the First Councilors ball and then less than an hour at her gas mining station.”
“Humm,” his uncle responded, “that’s not the impression her last message gives.”
“So what about my ship?” James asked to change the topic. “She will need to go into a repair yard to get properly repaired. Is there one available? It shouldn’t take too long. Maybe a month or so but that’s all.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Admiral Somerville said. “The Chester colony has just completed a new repair yard. The same money that built Endeavour paid for it. I think the people of Chester would enjoy seeing what their taxes have been spent on.”
“But that will take me away from Earth when the Kulreans arrive,” James protested. “They will want me to meet them here.”
“Not exactly,” Admiral Somerville said. “If you can time it right, you should be able to get your repairs done and meet the Kulreans in the Alpha system. We can arrange it with them through their FTL communication satellite. I’m sure they will enjoy having you escort them to Earth.
“And more importantly, it will keep you out of the spotlight for a while. I think our planet will have enough to think about for the next few weeks without having to deal with all the protests that some MPs or concerned citizens will raise against you.
“Besides,” Admiral Somerville continued, “most of our construction yards and repair yards are still working on refitting our larger warships. If you wait around here it could be months before Endeavour gets seen to. This will be the quickest way to get your ship back into pristine condition.”
“I guess that would suit me fine,” James said, not sure that he really had another option. He certainly didn’t want to have to deal with all the news reporters who would no doubt make it their life’s goal to hunt him down.
“Good, good, then it is settled,” Admiral Somerville said with an air of authority. “You will have to remain here for a week at least to go through some more serious debriefs, but as soon as I can I’ll write you some new orders and send you on your way.
“Now,” he continued after taking a long puff on his cigar, “tell me about the family Dukedom, I hear you and your friend Clements have been making some big moves into the interstellar trade business.”
“Well I don’t know how much I can tell you,” James began. He had given over control of his finances to a friend from the naval academy, Andrea Clements. Andrea had turned out to be an investment whiz kid and with James’ help she had started her own investment company. His Dukedom had been her first client. She had sent him an updated report on the Dukedom’s finances as soon as Endeavour had entered the Sol system but James hadn’t given it more than a cursory glance. Still, he proceeded to tell his uncle as much as he could remember, making sure he gave Andrea all the warm recommendations she deserved.
James was pleased to see the pleasure it brought his uncle to hear that the Dukedom was once again turning a profit and looking after its employees. It hadn’t dawned on James before just how much his father’s mismanagement of the Dukedom had hurt his uncle.
After covering the family finances James wasn’t surprised to see the old style paper book his uncle magically produced as a gift for him. “A late Christmas present,” his uncle said with a smile.
More inspiration, James thought as he returned his uncle’s smile.
The next hour was filled with more questions as Admiral Somerville took time to go over James’ story once again. James knew his uncle was a renowned warship Captain but that had been in the past. Now he was stuck in an office, not the bridge of a warship. It wasn’t too surprising to find that his uncle wanted to hear all about James’ experiences and decisions. It was the only way the Admiral could relive his past accomplishments.
When his uncle finally dismissed him James felt exhausted. He was happy to return to Endeavour and crash into his bed. Getting reacquainted with Earth would have to wait.
*
A couple of days later James found himself standing in the last place on Earth he wanted to return to, the UN Interplanetary Committee. The Committee dealt with all international disputes between Earth’s colonial powers.
News of his actions against the Indian mining station had reached Earth long before Endeavour had returned. His uncle had told him that the Indians had lodged a complaint with the British government but they had left it at that. Clearly they had changed their minds for within a day of returning to Earth he had received a summons to appear before the Council, the Indian government had requested that he stand trial for charges of piracy. This hearing was to see if the Council would allow the charges to continue to a UN trial.
“And so in summary,” James said to the panel of thirteen diplomats that represented each of the main colonial powers, “that is why I took the actions I did. We had strong reason to believe that the Varun Shipping Company had aided Chang’s escape from Chinese space and would try to prevent any attempt I made to apprehend him. If I hadn’t destroyed the Varun mining station’s point defenses, they would likely have shot down my landing shuttles and killed many of my crew. As y
ou know, article eighty-nine point seven of the UN Interplanetary Act states that anyone who aids a war criminal in their activities becomes implicit in their crimes. I was therefore acting within the stipulations of this panel’s declaration of Chang Lei as a war criminal. As soon as Varun took Chang in they forfeited their right to the legal protection this council provides to all interstellar organizations.
“Having said that, I would still like to apologize to the Indian government for my actions, in an ideal world I would not have had to board the mining station at all. In light of that I would like to offer to personally cover the costs of repairing the mining station. I hope that will go some way in making up for the anger my actions have caused among the Indian government.”
James wasn’t sure it would change anything but it was an offer his uncle had suggested he make. The repairs would likely run into the tens of millions of credits but James could easily afford that. In the end, it was a rather cheap way to win the favor of some of the independent panelists.
When James sat down a representative of the Admiralty stood to address the panel. James’ uncle hadn’t come himself as he didn’t want to be seen to be involved in the proceedings but he had assured James he would send his best legal representative. “My name is Oliver Arian, I am a legal officer in the RSN. The Admiralty of the Royal Navy has asked me to present some information to this Committee on Captain Somerville’s behalf.”
“You may present your evidence,” the leader of the Committee said.
“Thank you,” Oliver began. “Well, you have all heard Captain Somerville’s testimony. I would like to add the official orders Captain Somerville had been given by the Admiralty into the record.”
As he stood Oliver lifted a datapad and tapped it a few times to send the information to all the panelists. “As you can see, his actions were perfectly consistent with the orders he received. He was expressly instructed to consider all those who colluded with Chang as potential hostiles and war criminals as recognized by this Council.
“To be frank then, this hearing is quite simply a farce. Captain Somerville was acting as a Captain of the Royal Space Navy when he boarded the Varun mining station. If the Indian government wants to make an official complaint about what happened in the Kerala system then their complaint should be against the British government, not an individual captain.
“What’s more, as Captain Somerville has already pointed out, the evidence that Chang was on the mining station and that Station Commander Chowdhury knew about his presence is overwhelming. By any reasonable determination Chowdhury and the station itself should be considered collaborators in Chang’s crimes. Therefore, the Indian government’s decision to bring this request and their claim to be the hurt party here necessarily implies that they were complicit in Chowdhury and the other Varun official’s crimes. If this trial is to go ahead then my government will be bringing charges of war crimes against the Indian government.
“That’s preposterous,” the Indian diplomat on the committee shouted.
“Preposterous it may be,” Oliver agreed. “Yet if the Indian government wants to claim that their rights were personally infringed upon by James’ actions, then they are implicitly acknowledging that they were responsible for harboring a war criminal.
“It is the estimation of my government that this is not actually the case. It is a sad fact that the Varun Shipping Company was pulled into this ordeal by a few corrupt trading managers. We accept Varun’s and the Indian government’s claim that Varun as a company had nothing to do with Chang’s escape.”
James knew that wasn’t strictly true. RSNI had uncovered more than enough information to indict most of Varun’s top board members for helping Chang but the British government had decided to keep that information under wraps to help bring the whole situation to an end sooner. There were bigger fish to fry.
“Yet, if this complaint goes ahead it will make a lie of what Varun and the Indian government has said up to this date. The Indian government and Varun can only bring this charge of piracy if they are the complainants, yet if they are the complainants then this committee must also denounce them as war criminals for their collusion with Chang.”
James had to suppress a smile. Oliver had the committee over a barrel. Many of the representatives of the space faring powers who were opposed to the British Star Kingdom’s expansion would jump at the chance to embarrass the British through finding James guilty. Yet if they allowed the trial to go ahead then they would be forced to accuse the Indians of war crimes. As many of Britain’s opponents were friendly or even open allies with the Indians they wouldn’t want to do anything to upset them.
“As you just heard from Captain Somerville,” Oliver continued. “The evidence is inescapable, Chang had been present on the mining station and a Varun freighter, under the direction of Varun employees, transported him there. Given these facts there is no grounds to approve a trial against Captain Somerville. He was simply acting in accord with this Council’s laws and statutes, as well as following the lawful orders of his government.
“Captain Somerville has also personally apologized for the damage he caused to the mining station and has offered to cover the entire expense of repairing the station.
“I, on behalf of the British government, would therefore ask this Committee to dismiss this request to approve a trial into Captain Somerville’s actions and allow Captain Somerville to settle the matter privately with the Varun Shipping Company,” Oliver said and sat down.
“We will break for a recess to make our decision,” the leader of the Committee said when it was obvious that none of the other members had any questions for Oliver.
“Don’t worry,” Oliver said to James as the committee shuffled out. “They won’t dare let this go any further, the Indians are just taking out their frustrations on us.”
James found it hard to be so confident as it was his career being discussed. Yet when the panel returned half an hour later they announced that the case was to be dismissed. James let out a long breath in relief. He knew from past experience that the Committee was unpredictable. The fact that each of the major space faring powers had their own appointee on the committee meant that almost every meeting was an extension of the national rivalries that dominated human politics. Still, the committee meant that many of the disputes were played out here between the representatives rather than out in space between the different colonial navies.
As James was making his way out of the council room Oliver walked over to him. “You see, no problem,” he said with a smile.
“Easy for you to say,” James said, “even if it was just all for show, your career wasn’t on the line.”
“I guess not,” Oliver said, “but I had you covered. By the way, your uncle asked me to let you know that he wants you to report to the Admiralty buildings in London once this hearing is over.”
“Very well,” James said. “I guess I better organize some transport.”
“No rest for the wicked,” Oliver said before he walked away, leaving James to his thoughts.
Chapter 31 – The King
What the Vestarians found in the Omen facility was only the beginning, if the human nations had known what the alien ship meant they could have averted disaster, but how could they know what was to come?
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
28th December, 2466 AD. Earth.
Thankfully, the UN Interplanetary Committee met in New York and there were always plenty of shuttles traveling to London. Just forty minutes after he left the UN meeting James’ shuttle touched down in one of the landing zones outside Admiralty House in Whitehall London.
The old Admiralty building had lain unused during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. But with Britain’s first steps towards a permanent naval presence in space, the buildings had been reopened and refurbished. Now most of the structure was deep underground. The old seventeenth century surface building was just for show.
As James traveled down in the
turbolift to his uncle’s groundside offices he hoped he was about to get his new orders to leave for Chester. He was already more than fed up with UN politics, the news reporters who had been hounding him and the constant images of Christine that were dominating the news.
When James stepped into his uncle’s office he was surprised to see that they wouldn’t be alone, there were two men standing with his uncle. “Ah, James,” his uncle said, “I think you have already met my two guests.”
As the two men turned to meet him James had to get a firm grip on his emotions. Prime Minister Fairfax he liked, or at least agreed with on most political issues. The King of the British Star Kingdom was another matter. During James’ relationship with his daughter, King Edward XI had done everything in his power to get rid of James.
To his surprise, King Edward was the first to speak. “Congratulations Captain, your recent accomplishments have done your country proud and greatly enhanced your reputation,” he said as he held out his hand.