Letsego took it from Gnasher. He did not drink often, but today he felt was an appropriate occasion. He tilted the container back and let the warm alcohol spill down his throat. He handed the flask back to Long. “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” he said.
“Ad Astra Per Aspera,” she responded as she took back the flask and then looked out at the carnage of the Battle of Prospect. A solemn expression eclipsed her face. “I returned to Prospect with a fleet numbering forty three ships. Now I have less than twenty.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t act faster, ma’am,” Gnasher said.
“You couldn’t have known when I would be back. And if you hadn’t have acted at all, we wouldn’t be standing here. Your team saved the day, gentlemen.”
“It wasn’t us, ma’am,” Letsego said. “It was Carpenter.”
Long nodded. “I know.” She reached into her uniform again, this time pulling out a long leather case. “The Admiral nearly threw this in my face when I told him who it was for. He said that this award is for Peacekeepers, and it definitely isn’t for a wanted fugitive. Luckily, the command board thought differently.” She opened the case. Inside was a teal and yellow medal with a silver star hanging from it. It was the United Nations Medal of Valor, the highest decoration for a member of the Peacekeepers.
The commodore handed the case to Letsego. “As far as I know, David Carpenter has no next of kin. You are the one who knew him best.”
Letsego hesitated. “Ma’am, I can’t.”
“Someone needs to know what he did here. I’m sorry to say, but command is never going to let the true story reach the public, that a smuggler was the person who saved Prospect. That truth is too embarrassing to too many people.”
After a moment’s consideration, Letsego took the case. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She shook her head. “I wish I could do more, but my hands are tied.”
“So what’s next, ma’am?” Gnasher asked.
“We have the Feds on the run. Without their secret weapon, our Fleet has been able to push them out of the Tango Sector. Their command structure is falling apart without Chen. There is talk about even taking the fight all the way to Baoshi.”
Letsego spoke up. “What about the Ferenic?”
“UN scientists have locked down the mining facilities with the help of the Peacekeepers. The Federation will never be able to get their hands on it again.”
This alarmed Letsego. “Wait, you have people in Dee-Six-Alpha?”
“Of course. If we don’t secure the Cdat’h Vars technology someone else will gain control of those weapons and history will just continue to repeat itself.”
“Ma’am, with all due respect, the Peacekeepers have no idea what they are dealing with. Nobody does. My recommendation, pull all personnel out, wipe the data archives of all records of Dee-Six-Alpha, and leave the Ferenic alone.”
“Don’t worry, staff sergeant. UNEC knows what it’s doing. We will conduct thorough tests before we even consider any permanent applications for Ferenic dust.”
“The only reason that we were able to stop the Federation was because we cleared Dee-Six-Alpha of human life,” Gnasher said. “We killed everyone in that facility. And now you want to send scientists in there!? Ma’am, if you do that you are putting all of humanity at risk. The Ferenic just wants to be left alone. I urge you to do so.”
Long looked at the Lieutenant skeptically. “Gentlemen, I believe you are being overly dramatic. Ferenic dust is only a threat to us if it is weaponized. And I promise you, the Peacekeepers have no plans to do that.
“Anyway, it’s out of my hands. UNEC teams are already on site on Prospect. Trust me, this is the best course of action for the future of UNEC and humanity.”
Silence overtook the three Peacekeepers. Deep in thought, Letsego stared out at the starscape, his mind drifting between heroic past events and an uncertain future. Beyond the observation deck, Prospect loomed. The deserts of the light side baked under endless sunshine. The tundra of the dark side howled with frigid wind. In the Dusk Zone humanity balanced on the edge of a knife.
And everywhere the dust settled.
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