by Ryk Brown
“I am not a violent man,” Nathan replied in a nearly inaudible voice. He had spoken little since his surrender, and had very limited energy with which to do so.
“An odd statement, considering the charges you face.”
“Charges?” Nathan wondered.
“My name, is Finay Gorus, son of Donley.”
“Are you here to interrogate me?”
“On the contrary, Captain Scott,” the man replied. “I am your advocate.”
“Advocate?” Nathan asked, wondering if the man was translating incorrectly between languages.
“Your legal counsel. I have been tasked to defend you.”
“What are the charges?” Nathan asked again.
“You have been charged with crimes against the people of Nor-Patri. Specifically, the attempted destruction of the Jung homeworld.”
Nathan laughed. “Seriously?”
“I hardly think this is something to scoff at, Captain Scott. You are accused of acting beyond your authority, intent on vengeance for the people of Tanna.”
“You glassed Tanna. You tried to glass several other worlds, including Earth, and you think I committed a crime?”
“Then you admit you were trying to destroy Nor-Patri?”
“I was trying to destroy Zhu-Anok, and I did so. The collateral damage was unfortunate, but it was not my intent.”
“Given the relative proximity of Zhu-Anok to Nor-Patri, anyone with a decent knowledge of physics, especially orbital mechanics, would expect such collateral damage. As the captain of a starship, you should have such knowledge.”
“And you are my advocate?” Nathan quipped.
“I am only trying to establish the facts,” Mister Gorus insisted. “Statements such as these will be made by the state’s advocate, I assure you. I also assure you that using the Jung Empire’s actions against worlds that violated the terms of their occupation will not sway the opinions of the jurors. Your best course of action will be to answer all questions as truthfully, and as simply, as possible. Do not give your accusers any more information than they ask for, for they are likely to use it.”
“I see,” Nathan replied. “So, assuming I am found guilty of these charges, what is the punishment?”
“Death, of course. And make no mistake, Captain, you will be convicted. It can go no other way.”
“Then why are you even here?”
“Appearances, Captain. Appearances.” Mister Gorus placed his data pad on the table and activated it. “Now, let us begin.”
“Begin what?” Nathan wondered, having already resigned himself to the inevitable two days prior.
“Your defense, of course,” Mister Gorus replied. “Like I said, we have to keep up appearances.”
* * *
Jessica stepped through the personnel shuttle’s hatch, pausing at the top of the boarding gangway. She looked out across the tarmac of the Porto Santo Air Base. The usual assortment of boxcars, combat shuttles, troop shuttles, and cargo shuttles were there, along with the last two operational Super Falcons. In the distance, beyond the buildings lining the flight operations areas, she could see the rest of the base, spreading out into the surrounding hills. Beyond that were rows of houses, several of which were occupied by her parents and the families of her brothers. Ania was also there, with Jessica’s parents, who had been caring for her since her rescue from Tanna. Although Jessica had visited Porto Santo on several occasions, both for business and pleasure, this island was now her home, at least for the foreseeable future.
Jessica slung her duffel bag up over her shoulder and headed down the gangway, following the personnel who had disembarked before her. At the bottom of the ramp, she was met by a young Ghatazhak corporal.
“Lieutenant Commander Nash,” the young corporal greeted as Jessica stepped onto the gray tarmac.
“Olyetto, right?” Jessica recalled.
“Yes, sir,” the corporal replied. “Commander Telles sent me. I am to take you to report to him.”
“Very well.” Jessica handed her duffel bag to the corporal, and followed him to the nearby open-cockpit vehicle. She climbed into her seat as the corporal tossed her bag in the back and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Moments later, they were speeding across the tarmac, headed for the command center on the other side of the base. As she watched the buildings slip past, she remembered the first time she had set foot on Porto Santo Island. It had been a sleepy little island, relatively isolated from most of the world. It was for that very reason that the Ghatazhak had chosen it as the site for their base of operations at the time. The locals had been reluctant at first, but over time they had come to cooperate and to work side-by-side with base personnel, and the Ghatazhak. Now, instead of a sleepy little island, it was a bustling military base. Nearly every business on the island served to support the base, its personnel, and the families of those who lived and worked either on the base or elsewhere on the island. Its population of a few thousand had grown to tens of thousands in less than a year. Now, Porto Santo’s inhabitants enjoyed a quality of life equal to or better than most places on Earth.
But this wasn’t where she wanted to be, and it definitely wasn’t what she wanted to be doing.
They passed by a group of men in civilian attire, climbing into another vehicle on the side of the road outside one of the barracks. Jessica turned her head. For a moment, she thought she recognized several of them. She looked back, but they were already inside the vehicle and out of sight. She looked forward again, trying to remember where she had seen them before.
The vehicle pulled up in front of the base command building and came to a stop. The corporal quickly dismounted, grabbed Jessica’s duffel, and headed toward the door.
“If you’ll follow me, sir…”
“I know the way, Corporal,” Jessica replied quickly, moving ahead of him.
“Yes, sir.”
Jessica entered the command center, the corporal following close behind. Once inside, she stopped at the guard desk and presented her ID badge.
The guard scanned her ID badge, then pointed at the camera on the wall behind him. “Look straight ahead, sir.”
Jessica did as instructed, waiting for the camera to scan her image. “When did this get installed?” she asked after the scan was finished.
The guard did not answer. A moment later, her ID was confirmed. “Welcome to Porto Santo Command, Lieutenant Commander,” the guard said as he handed Jessica back her ID badge. He was suddenly far more cordial than before. “This is your base ID,” he added, handing her a new ID badge. “Please wear it at all times when on base.”
Jessica forced a smile as she clipped the new ID badge onto her uniform. “Thank you.”
“Do you need directions to the commander’s office?” the guard asked.
“Negative,” Jessica replied, heading into the building.
The corporal followed, exchanging wary glances with guard.
“Have fun,” the guard commented to the corporal as he passed.
Jessica ignored the comment as she continued deeper into the building. A minute later, she was in the commander’s outer office. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Nash,” she said to the clerk. “I’ve got orders to report to the commander upon arrival.”
“Yes, sir,” the clerk replied. “The commander is expecting you,” he added, gesturing toward the door to the commander’s office.
Jessica moved over to the door and knocked.
“Enter,” the commander replied from inside.
Jessica opened the door and stepped inside, leaving the corporal in the outer office. She closed the door behind her, turning to face the commander in proper military fashion. “Lieutenant Commander Jessica Nash, reporting for duty, sir.”
Commander Telles rose from h
is seat, returned her salute, then reached out to shake her hand. “It is good to see you, Lieutenant Commander.”
Jessica shook the commander’s hand. “Thank you, sir.”
Commander Telles’s eyebrow went up when he heard her cold tone. “At ease, Lieutenant Commander.”
Jessica relaxed only slightly, assuming a stance with her hands behind her back, eyes fixed on her new commanding officer.
“I am glad to have you here,” the commander continued. “Despite the tentative cease-fire, the admiral insists we continue training new marines.”
“Understandable,” Jessica replied. “But why me? Surely your people can train recruits better than I can.”
“Perhaps, but we have also been tasked to train more officers for the Earth Security Force. That is where you come in. You understand Earth social structures far better than the Ghatazhak. Your training in covert operations was geared toward societies that are Earth-like. Your skills will be useful to those recruits.”
Jessica said nothing.
“Something on your mind, Lieutenant Commander?” Commander Telles wondered.
Jessica paused a moment before replying. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”
“Do I have a choice?”
Again, Jessica did not reply.
“Permission granted,” the commander added.
“Bullshit.”
A smirk came across the commander’s face. “Care to be more specific?”
“I’m not here because you need me to train security officers. I’m here because the admiral doesn’t trust me. I’m here because this is an island. An island where no one gets off without your authorization.” She looked directly at the commander. “I’m here because the admiral is afraid I’m going to try to find a way to rescue Nathan. I’m here so that I can be contained…controlled.”
“And I thought you were here because your family is here, and because after all you have done, after all you have been through, that you perhaps deserved a break. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“Don’t give me that shit,” Jessica replied impatiently.
“Permission to speak freely does have its limits, Lieutenant Commander,” the commander warned as he sat back down.
“You know damned well Dumar sent me here so you could keep an eye on me.”
“Admiral Dumar reassigned you to my command because I asked him to do so. Not, because he…or I, wanted to keep an eye on you.” For a moment, Commander Telles looked as if he wanted to burst out laughing. “Both the admiral and myself know that you could not possibly mount any type of rescue on your own. Surely, despite your considerable over-confidence in your own abilities, you are aware of this fact, as well.”
Once again, Jessica did not respond. However, her expression communicated exactly what the commander expected.
“Care for some advice, Lieutenant Commander?” the commander asked.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Take a week off. Take two. Spend time with your family, with Ania. Relax on the beach. Stop being Lieutenant Commander Nash, and try just being Jessica for a while.”
“Am I supposed to stop being Nathan’s friend, as well?” Jessica wondered, her voice seething with anger. “Is that what you’re doing?”
Commander Telles stared at her a moment. “Our friend sacrificed himself so that everyone else could live…the two of us included. I am honoring his sacrifice by respecting it. I am honoring my loyalty to him by ensuring that his sacrifice is not in vain. I would suggest you stop thinking about yourself, and do the same.”
“Is that an order, sir?”
“No, but I can make it one, if that would help.”
More silence.
“That’s what I thought,” the commander added.
Jessica stiffened up again, looking straight ahead. “My orders, sir?”
“Like I said, take a week or two. Then report to the ESF Training Command. You’ll be teaching covert ops.”
“Yes, sir. Is there anything else, sir?”
“Dismissed.”
Jessica turned toward the door, but paused. “Care to tell me what Bowden’s men are doing here?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, Lieutenant Commander, but they are teaching us everything they know about the Jung.”
“I see.” Jessica thought for a moment. “Thank you, sir.”
* * *
Commander Telles entered the briefing room and turned to the guard at the door. “Secure the room.”
“Yes, sir,” the guard replied, stepping out and closing the door behind him.
Commander Telles waited until he heard the tone from the control panel on the wall next to the door, indicating the room was sealed, and its sound suppression system had been activated. He then turned his attention to the four men sitting in the room before him. They were dressed in typical Koharan clothing, were neatly groomed, and appeared physically fit, although not overtly so.
The commander turned to look at Lieutenant Commander Bowden, standing in the corner of the room next to Master Sergeant Jahal. “You trust these men?” he asked, getting straight to the point.
“I do,” the lieutenant commander replied without reservation.
“With your life?”
“On many occasions. There are none I trust more.”
“You will likely not see them again,” the commander reminded him.
“Unfortunate, but understandable.”
Master Sergeant Jahal touched his comm-set. “Understood,” he replied. He looked at the commander. “Room is confirmed secure.”
“Very well,” the commander replied. He turned to face the four men sitting before him. “What is discussed in this room today shall not be shared with anyone, and you shall not discuss it amongst yourselves outside of a properly secured room, such as this one. Is that understood?”
All four men nodded in unison.
“The four of you have volunteered for an assignment that may, in fact, last the rest of your lives…be they long or short. You were offered this assignment because you are Jung.”
“We were Jung, sir,” one of the men interrupted.
The commander looked at him. “What is your name?”
“Masone. Reto Masone.”
“You are Jung,” the commander insisted. “All four of you were born on Jung worlds. You served on Jung ships.”
“We had no choice at the time,” Reto said, “but we no longer serve the Jung.”
“I understand your change of loyalties, Mister Masone, and I applaud your decision,” the commander replied. “However, I strongly recommend that you refrain from interrupting.”
“Yes, sir.”
Commander Telles took a breath before continuing. “I suggest you all become comfortable with the idea of being proper members of Jung society, as we plan to insert all four of you onto the Jung homeworld.”
The four men looked at each other, their mouths agape.
Commander Telles looked at Lieutenant Commander Bowden. “I take it you did not tell them what they were volunteering for.”
“I figured it was your place, Commander.”
Commander Telles returned his attention to the four men seated before him, their mouths still hanging open. “I get the feeling you wish to say something, Mister Masone.”
“You want to send us to Nor-Patri?”
“Correct.”
“That’s impossible.”
“If it were impossible, we would not be proposing such an assignment,” the commander replied.
“Even if you could get us to the surface, they will identify us the first time we walk past a data point. They’ll arrest us within minutes.”
“Nor-Patri is in chaos after our attack. Their data syste
ms have been damaged, and it will take weeks, if not months, for their data point network to be fully operational once again. That should give you enough time to locate suitable targets to impersonate. Once you have found and eliminated those targets, you will remove their data chips and implant them in yourselves. From that point on, you should be able to walk freely on Nor-Patri without fear of discovery.”
“You want us to kill innocent people?” another man asked.
“Regrettably, yes,” the commander replied. “But it is the only way.”
“And what is it you wish us to do on Nor-Patri?” Reto wondered.
“Intelligence gathering, nothing more.”
“Isn’t Nor-Patri sixty-five light years away? How do you expect us to communicate with you over such distances?”
“Sixty-three point eight, actually,” the commander corrected. “And we are working on that.”
“Just gather information, nothing else? No sabotage? No seeding of dissent?”
“Just observe and report,” the commander promised.
“But the data points will notice our lack of nanites,” Reto added. “That will raise suspicion…”
“You will be injected with special versions of the Jung nanites,” the commander explained. “They can be read by the Jung data points, but their ability to replicate and take control of your bodies has been deactivated. Furthermore, you will be able to turn off their connections to your senses at will, so you can control what information your nanites gather and share with the data points.”
“And if we become ill, or injured, they will inject us with fresh nanites.”
“Your altered nanites will still protect you from illness and injury, to an extent. You will be given additional doses of the altered versions to be used as needed. With any luck, you will not need to be treated.”
“And if we are not that lucky?” Reto asked.
“Then your mission will be over, and you will be free to live out your lives as you see fit.”