Belinea

by Andrew Mack

  Tempest Hassara continued. “Thank you, Ambassador Yebba. We have seen how far the tentacles can reach with this Valmay Group in the last three weeks. Taz, a lead officer in the Valmay and trained by them, has made several attacks starting with Space Port Earth. The brutal attack on Braccus followed that. As you can see, this left over a hundred innocent citizens of Braccus dead. Killed going to Temple for the Sun Offerings. Twenty more AuFa soldiers and local security were killed in the pursuit to catch Taz and his accomplices. Another attack orchestrated by Taz took place on Torsalli. The final act of terrorism, right here in your Ambassador Compound, the brutal murder of our friend and colleague, Ambassador Yi.”

  The screen showed the security footage of the Yi attack, as a somber silence fell onto the room. Tempest let the images sink in. After a long ten second pause, she now wanted to see if Garvalin would speak in objection as she did in the private meeting. Tempest continued. “These are vicious acts of hate. We will not allow our citizens to live in this fear. They deserve better and demand better. We, as a Council, are obligated to provide them with the security to prosper and grow. I now yield to Ambassador Garvalin. I understand you had some concerns regarding the funding of this proposal. Would you care to elaborate at this time?”

  Tempest had Gravalin right where she wanted. The pressure, in front of this whole Council, would be too much to overcome. Garvalin took a couple of seconds to get up. When the spotlight shined on her, she took a deep breath and said, “Thank You, Defense Minister. First, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the hundreds of Avolians and Braccusans that have lost their lives to terrorism. I would like to yield the rest of my time to Ambassador Bird from Earth.”

  This wholly caught Tempest off guard. Malovex and Chairman Hassara readjusted themselves in their chairs. Tempest let out, “Excuse me, Ambassador?”

  Garvalin continued. “Defense Minister. During the last three weeks, at least two of these attacks were directed at Ambassador Bird. I believe he has gained first-hand knowledge of the situation, and I can offer us greater insight.”

  Tempest hesitated until she finally said, “The floor is yielded to Ambassador Bird.”

  Bird stood up, but no spotlights were on him. He cleared his throat, a bit nervous. He said, “Thank you, Ambassador Garvalin, and Ambas- I mean ….”

  The audio took a second to catch up before it was amplified. The spotlight finally got on him, one at first, then two more after a few seconds. Bird was not used to them, and immediately held up his hand. Clearing his throat again, he said, “Sorry, thank you, Defense Minister Hassara.”

  The Chairman, Tempest, Malovex, and honestly, everyone else had no idea what was going on. Almost no one ever yielded their time, especially to someone on the Ambassador rows’ bottom ring. Bird began reading from his tablet.

  “The effects of terrorism simply cannot be put into words. The scars they leave are emotional and physical. Ones that can last an eternity. This is not the time to point blame. We must be focused on the problem….”

  Bird stopped. A few seconds of silence went by. He looked up and around at all the other Ambassadors. Alexis took a few steps up and got right behind him. A few more seconds went by before Bird turned and gave the tablet to Alexis. From atop, Tempest spoke. “Ambassador Bird, is there something wrong?”

  Bird looked up again, this time at the grand stage at Tempest. A few more seconds of silence went by before Bird finally responded. “Yes, Defense Minister, something is very wrong….”

  Tempest looked over at Malovex to get an idea of what was going on. Malovex only looked back in bewilderment. Bird continued.

  “None of us were born Ambassadors. We were born children. Some of you were born citizens of this great Council. And some of you, like me, were born without knowing its existence. All of us have been blessed with different educations, different upbringings, even different religions. But all of us seek a place where no one’s voice would go unheard and is united in the common belief that every person mattered. On Earth, we say that is what makes us human. Until the day this Council rescued us from oblivion, I was unsure if that fundamental principle could be a reality. But when all of us went from citizens to Ambassadors, we not only shared that principle, we swore an oath to defend it at all costs.“

  Bird turned as his voice gained confidence. He began to look around at all his fellow Ambassador’s. He continued. “Most of you have never been to my planet, but this I can assure you, when you back a human into a corner, we do not cower and hide. We come out swinging, scratching, and crawling. Earth was saved and rebuilt, brick by brick. A Phoenix rising from the ashes into the magnificent planet we are today. So now, while we all stand here in the face of this new terror, we see the damage they have done. We see the children at the Temple in Braccus, the life burned from their bodies. We see these dedicated soldiers, sworn to an oath to ensure us a blanket of preservation, and sacrificing themselves fulfilling that obligation. We see an Ambassador, killed in the sanctuary we call our home!”

  Bird was getting louder. The Ambassadors were fidgeting, yelling in support. Bird continued. “These Avolians, innocent citizens of our galaxy. We owe them the opportunity of freedom. Now is not the time to look away and ignore, or shamelessly shudder to a bully fighting with fear. These innocents are not nameless or faceless. They have a heart and a soul. They are my brothers, my sisters, our family! These innocents are not blind, and they are not mutes. They have looked through the lens of distress and the cries of despair for far too long. It is our duty to provide them the eyes of righteousness, and the voices of a thousand angels singing the verse of courage….”

  The room was a frenzy. Ambassadors began standing up, clapping, and cheering. They soon all joined in. Bird continued, “Defense Minister, I have seen the budget proposal, I have seen what you ask of this Council. You ask me, us (raising his arms), to stand behind you. How dare you ask so little, when you have given us so much? My message to you is the message this Council should inscribe on the tombstone of Ambassador Yi. My friend, my colleague, your death will not be in vain. Your death will be the symbol for justice, a symbol that will burn in our memory for eternity and become the beacon of solidarity to our cause. Defense Minister, you ask me, is there something wrong? Yes, there is! And the answer is YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We do not stand behind you. We stand with you, together. You will get all the money and troops you need. Each of us will raise our own security, our own guard to protect all the citizens of our planets and the Ambassadors that serve them. Your troops, our troops, our pledge is simple. WE WILL LIVE IN FEAR NO MORE! JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED!”

  Bird slammed his fist down on his podium in front of him. An eruption like no other filled the room. Every Ambassador was on their feet, clapping, whistling, shouting. Tempest was dumbfounded. She sat there, not believing her eyes or ears. The Chairman knew they had no chance. Bird had given the speech of a lifetime. He stood up, looking down at Ambassador Bird, and began his own applause from the grand stage. Malovex, who rarely smiled, even had a small grin on his face, to go along with a slight shaking of his head. He, too, stood up with the Chairman applauding. It took Tempest a few more seconds to process it. She saw Malovex get up and glanced back to see that her father had done the same. Finally, she stood up to the thunder and began clapping.

  Down below, Ambassador Bird folded his hands above his head and gently shook them. He then slowly began turning around, an effort to acknowledge all the applause. Garvalin was clapping as well, a small tear running down her face from the memory of Yi and what it had created. In the tunnel behind Bird, Alexis was smiling and clapping simultaneously. She whistled. Willits unfolded his arms. He looked over at Jones, who gave him a fist bump, Jones whispered, “Time to drink…”

  Willits replied, “You damn right…”

  The two walked out, leaving everyone else behind.

  Belinea 8.15

  Earth, North East Japan />
  Annella Devanoe and Director Kimakawa watched the speech from their monitor. After the last thunderous applause, with Bird holding his hands above his head, Kimakawa looked over at Annella and said, “Well, that was not awful.”

  Annella countered with, “Nothing is going to make up for the loss of Yi. We have no one to replace him, but they have enough money to find their next Meyers traitor spy quickly.”

  There was a long silence after Kimakawa paused the monitor with Bird, still clutching his hands together above his head. Kimakawa then spoke. “Maybe….Perhaps Bird can be that trusted soldier for us.”

  Annella took a sip of her scotch before she replied, “One that has the pulse of the Hissara’s, that had built up clout with his fellow Ambassador’s, yet was still aligned with our mission? Is Bird even trustworthy enough to be brought into our circle? Or is he a clawless puppet that follows the Hassara’s like Santos. This will set us back two years.”

  Kimakawa took a sip of his scotch and said, “We goto the Delegate ranks and begin our search on the next elected Ambassador, grooming him from there.”

  Annella shook her head. “We do not have that kind of time, Taichi. Provided they don’t kill you when they return, you send Willits and Jones back out and find a supplier for what we need. You get Vihaan Kapoor to start doubling his production. The next Ambassador should be one that helps you with the Delegates on how we pay for this, now that Bird has put that burden on us. If Bird can be half of what Yi was with the Council, that will be a bonus. Otherwise, we move forward without that asset at our disposal.”

  Kimakawa looked down and paused to think about what Annella said. After a few seconds, he looked up, nodded, and said, “Today, we start phase two.”

  Belinea 8.16

  Belinea, Capital City

  Grand Belinean Estate Ballroom

  People were packed around Ambassador Bird. He had become an overnight sensation with his energized speech. Standing next to him was Alexis, introducing all the other Ambassadors and political figures. The mood was somber because of the celebration of the life of Ambassador Yi. But Bird continued to soak in the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. Lieutenant Orlando stood behind him to provide security, even though the BRG had soldiers everywhere. Ambassador Garvalin walked up to Bird and shook his hand. She said, “Great speech…”

  Bird shook his head slightly and said, “I do not know what came over me. One minute, I was reading Yi’s speech. The next, I went with my gut, right off the cuff.”

  Garvalin leaned in and whispered into Bird’s ear, “It is more than we could have ever hoped for.”

  At the same moment, Defense Minister Tempest Hassara and Chairman Hassara walked into the room together. They shook a couple of hands before stepping up to Ambassador Bird. Garvalin introduced them. She said, “Chairman Hassara, Defense Minister, may I have the pleasure of introducing to you, Ambassador Bird.”

  Chairman Hassara extended his hand. Bird enthusiastically shook it. Hassara said, “Ambassador Bird. I would like to offer my condolences on Ambassador Yi. His loss is particularly hard for Tempest and me. We both considered him a trusted colleague and loyal friend.”

  Ambassador Bird nodded and answered. “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I could not agree more. We lost a great man. Defense Minister…”

  Bird extended his hand to Tempest. Tempest shook it and replied, “Ambassador Bird. My condolences…”

  The Chairman continued. “How is it that we have never met?”

  Bird smiled and said, “Perhaps you cannot see all the way down to my seat Mr. Chairman?”

  Nobody laughed. A couple of seconds went by before the Chairman let out a laugh. He then said, “Old age gets the best of all of us, I am afraid.”

  There was a pause while everyone briefly chuckled. Then Tempest continued, “That was a compelling and moving speech today, Ambassador. I was not aware of Earth’s dedication to the cause until today.”

  Bird continued, “There is a long history of terrorism on our planet. We have spent centuries fighting it. Unification is the key to fighting the fear they spread.”

  Tempest asked, “I agree. I noticed in your speech, the call for your own military…”

  Bird interjected with “Security, Defense Minister. I would never call it military.”

  Tempest continued, “Alright, what kind of security force are you talking about?”

  Bird continued in confidence, “I consider Lord Malovex and his BRG force to be the finest in the galaxy. It is clear we all can learn much from them. My Delegate Ambassador Guard would simply expand to keeping the peace on Earth, and helping us fight the terrorists.”

  Tempest replied, “So, while Lord Malovex killed Taz at the Ambassador Compound, you understand the threat is still there?”

  Bird countered, “Absolutely. And without the heroics of my DAG team, Taz would have killed me. Without both, I would not be here. I see no reason why we can not work together to accomplish a common goal.”

  The Chairman interjected, “I could not agree more, Ambassador.”

  A BRG officer came up and whispered something into the Chairman’s ear. The Chairman then said, “If you will excuse Tempest and me, something needs our attention.”

  Ambassador Bird bowed his head and said, “Of Course Chairman, Defense Minister, it was a pleasure.”

  The Chairman and Tempest walked through a door and then down a corridor. When they got to the end, they walked through a doorway into a very plush room. Malovex was standing near the bar area, pouring himself a drink. The Chairman immediately said, “Not one word since you killed Taz. I paged you three times, and you came and went during the Council meeting without talking to me.”

  Malovex replied, “I am very busy keeping your kingdom intact. You are welcome.”

  Tempest replied, “You could at least help me with all these Ambassador’s out there.”

  Malovex poured a glass of wine for Tempest, and before handing it to her, said, “Argo will give up sex before you get me out there. All you get is wine.”

  The Chairman sat down in a chair and said, “What happened yesterday when you killed your cousin’s little pet?”

  Malovex answered, “I have been following him for three weeks. He was becoming sloppy and less controllable. The distraction attack on Braccus was unnecessary. By the time he got to the Ambassador’s Compound, he had done his damage. I met him alone in front of my BRG soldiers. What else was I supposed to do? Let him go?”

  Tempest sat down next to her father and said, “Argo is going to be pissed.”

  Malovex answered, “No, he will not. He can just put another one of his SS goons in a mask and have them blow shit up.”

  The Chairman said, “I found the attack on Baccus excessive as well, even though it did strengthen our position with the Council.”

  Malovex continued, “A position we already achieved with Avola. Which, speaking of, fear has a new face.”

  The Chairman answered, “Who?”

  Malovex, still standing, grabbed his tablet, which was in front of him on a table. He hit three buttons on it and a picture projected on the wall. It was a red Quillisar killing a Majavkee soldier back on Avola. Malovex continued, “That is Kaya Killian, and I suppose her new uniform. One that will certainly suit our needs.”

  Tempest asked, “Where did you get that?”

  Malovex answered. “Argo sent it to all of us, check your box. Security footage of the Mining Center uprising. He said he lost a foot.”

  The Chairman replied, “A foot?”

  Malovex replied, “Apparently it was an intense battle between the SS and the Valmay. Knowing him, he will be more pissed about losing his spy on Earth.”

  The Chairman asked, “How do you know?”

  Malovex took another sip from his drink. He responded with, “I put two and two together after talking with th
ese DAG officers. We still have mine, that is all that matters.”

  Tempest spoke, “Good, because the speech this Ambassador Bird gave has me worried they are building an army.”

  Malovex countered, “An Army? Try a glorified security force. Besides, you got what you wanted out of that speech.”

  Tempest questioned, “Did I?”

  The Chairman interjected, “Perhaps at a cost, but Malovex is right. They cover the increase in spending, with no answer on how they will fund their own situation.”

  Malovex continued. “We can easily exploit their lack of experience in security and military, and still get the biggest fleet this galaxy has ever seen.”

  Tempest seemed less convinced. She only whispered, “Perhaps…When does Argo get back?”

  The Chairman answered, “Tomorrow. We have a meeting with Quillisar Prill about something that happened within the Quill on Avola while Argo was there. Argo sent the video to Prill, and he is concerned. (Looking at Malovex) Would you like to join us?”

  Malovex was distraught for the moment. The same vision came back to him. The cockpit, the control panels, the chaos outside the craft, the barrel roll. He then saw the eyes again. They blinked. And when they did, The Chairman raised his voice, “Sansigar, are you alright?”

  Malovex snapped out of it. Bewildered, he said, “Excuse me?”