Ephialtes (Ephialtes Trilogy Book 1)

by Parker, Gavin E

  Acevedo entered the office with a sheaf of papers clutched in her hands. “I’ve sent you copies,” she said as she walked towards Andrews’ desk. “Did you get chance to take a look?”

  “Very briefly. What was I looking at?”

  Acevedo pulled a chair round and sat beside Andrews. She fanned the papers out on the desk. “It’s a report on Martian defence capability.”

  “Okay.”

  “As you know - it’s not really much of a secret around here - the Martians have been building missile defences around Marineris.”

  “Yes.”

  “They’ve done it quickly, so we don’t know how robust they might be. Anyway, they have the whole city covered from the ground. We’ve figured that into our attack scenarios. The commanders and dropships all have countermeasures, and the new scenarios prioritise the neutralization of the missile bases.”

  “This is all known to us already, right?”

  “Right, but this is something new. Or it looks like something new.”

  “What is it?”

  “We picked this up from one of our Martian surveillance satellites. It’s the trace of a weak electromagnetic pulse.”

  “So what does that tell us?”

  “The EMP coincides exactly with an old communications satellite going dark.”

  “Go on.”

  “There was some more activity after the pulse, most likely missiles in the same area, and then about an hour after that there was a limited nuclear explosion.”

  “And you think this is from the missile bases?”

  “No, it’s not, it’s way out of their range. We think it can only be from an orbiting missile base. And the satellite they attacked was, until recently, one of ours”

  “Ours?”

  “It was a USAN secure coms relay. So you see, they have a weapons platform in space, and they’re targeting our satellites.”

  “They’re taking out our satellites. You’re sure of that?”

  “It would appear to be the case.”

  “What can we do about it?”

  “At the moment, nothing. But I’d like to recommend that if we’re sending a warship into that vicinity then taking out that platform is an essential prerequisite.”

  “Yes, of course. Thank you.”

  Farrell had high-level clearance, giving him access to military intelligence. He was made aware of Acevedo’s report. The Aloadae were to have been his big stick, backing up his team of negotiators. Now it looked more like they were headed into a potential hot zone. He didn’t like it one bit. The original plan was to preen and bluster. The possibility of getting into an actual fight, however one-sided, had not been given serious consideration.

  Unusually, the president had come over to the Ministry of Defence for the meeting. The standard practise was for the president to take meetings at the New White House, or rarely at the Capitol. Farrell guessed the president wanted to look marshal, emphasising his role as commander-in-chief. As the nominal head of the armed forces, why wouldn’t he be at the heart of the action?

  It didn’t bode well for Farrell’s side of the table. Andrews had the military and it was looking like that was the way this thing was going. Farrell had very few cards to play for the side of diplomacy. In fact, if this came down to an invasion, his department would only come into play once the smoke of battle had cleared. They would be charged with framing the peace, the far more difficult task. They had made preliminary contact with Shaw, but he wasn’t sure how reliable she would be. Maybe she had gone soft, out on that cushy posting all these years and now under comfortable house arrest. What was house arrest on Mars, anyway? It’s not like she would be free to go outside at the best of times.

  He would need to ramp up their efforts to contact Anthony Karjalainen. Anthony would be the key to securing stability in the post insurrection Mars. It was something he needed to get right. His department had done well to anticipate the troubles as they bubbled up but they hadn’t really been active. All he had managed to do was provide a commentary. He was determined that, once order had been restored, his department would be decisive in handling the re-established peace. For now, all he could do was back up Andrews.

  The president arrived five minutes late. If it had been anyone else Andrews would have left, impressing on the tardy that her time was so valuable she couldn’t squander a single moment. But since it was the president she waited anxiously, rereading her briefing papers until the door to Conference Room 2 swung open and the president breezed in.

  He didn’t offer an apology for being late. He strode to the head of the table, greeting Andrews and Farrell along the way, and sat down. “What do you have for me?” he said.

  Andrews gripped her papers with both hands. She noticed she was doing it and consciously lay the papers down on the table before beginning. “Mr President, we have some new intelligence from Mars, raising some very important questions.”

  Cortes looked surprised. “There was nothing in the intelligence briefing this morning.”

  “We’ve only just finished working through this, sir. One of our best analysts finished this report not yet an hour ago.”

  “I see,” said Cortes, stonily.

  “Well, the analysis shows that the Martians have armed themselves.”

  “Missile bases. I know, it’s a minor military matter. I’ve been assured that they will offer no serious threat should we need retake surface facilities.”

  “That’s true, Mr President, but we also now believe they have an orbiting missile platform, which presents a number of new difficulties for us.”

  Cortes rubbed his chin. “New difficulties. What are they?”

  “A defensive platform in space would obviously present a threat to Ephialtes.”

  “So what are you saying? That we have to back off?”

  “No, Mr President. But before we can put Ephialtes in orbit we have to take the missile platform out.”

  “So we go all that way for some robust diplomacy and the first thing we do when we get there is attack a Martian installation. That makes us look like aggressors, right?” He directed the question to Farrell.

  “We’re not the aggressors here, sir -”

  “Goddammit, I know that!” said Cortes. “I’m asking you what this is going to look like!”

  Farrell looked chastened, and he momentarily stumbled over his words as he replied. “Sir, it needn’t look like that at all. In fact, we can show that Mars has acted aggressively toward us. We would clearly be acting in self-defence.”

  “Aggression to us? What are you talking about?”

  Andrews stepped in. “Two days ago the orbiting Martian missile platform destroyed a USAN satellite. It was an unprovoked attack, without warning.”

  Cortes slammed a fist down on the table. Farrell jumped, and struggled to cover it.

  “Why am I only hearing about this now! I’m the goddamned president!”

  Andrews kept cool. “Mr President, we’ve only just completed our analysis. This is the earliest we could inform you.”

  Cortes’ eyes narrowed, and he jabbed a finger at Andrews as he spoke. “I am the commander-in-chief. When my forces come under attack I expect to know immediately. Not at the next meeting, not when the report has been tied up with a pretty little bow. Immediately. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” said Andrews.

  Cortes sat back in his seat. “Jesus! So they’re attacking our hardware now. What about Otus? Are you any further with that? Was that them?”

  “All we know for certain at this point is that Otus was deliberately destroyed as the result of a very sophisticated sabotage. The investigation is ongoing, but obviously the Martians would have to be prime candidates. They have the motive and they are one of few entities who might have the means for such an attack,” said Andrews.

  Farrell cut in. “We don’t have anything concrete on that, sir. We’re following up some leads at the moment.”

  “Following leads, nothing concrete. Wh
at do I pay you people for? Did they destroy our ship or didn’t they? They’re attacking our other vessels - thanks for letting me know, by the way - so you can bet your asses they’re behind it. Sons of bitches!”

  “Our satellite was destroyed by Martian missiles in a deliberate act of aggression, Mr President. It’s more than possible they destroyed Otus, too,” said Farrell.

  Cortes thought.

  “That takes the aggression off us,” offered Farrell. “If we have to destroy their orbiting missile platform -”

  “There’s no if. It’s a real and present threat to Ephialtes, and it has to go before we can bring her to bear on any negotiations,” Andrews cut in.

  “If we destroy their missile platform we will clearly be acting in self-defence following at least one but probably two unprovoked Martian attacks on USAN vessels. It doesn’t look bad on us. In fact, given the level of provocation they’re exposing us to, it would be a very restrained response,” said Farrell.

  Cortes placed a hand on the table and absentmindedly drummed on it as he spoke. “How do we do it? When do we do it?”

  Andrews adjusted her glasses. “Ephialtes has her own missile batteries. As soon as it’s in range she can take out the Martian platform. It should be a straightforward task, militarily. I take it we have your approval?”

  Cortes nodded. “Of course. We can’t put Ephialtes at risk. And we’re responding to aggression, not initiating it. The platform; is it manned?”

  “We don’t think so. We can’t say for sure, but it would seem unlikely.”

  “Okay. Take it out.”

  “Yes, Mr President.”

  Venkdt’s PA burst breathlessly into his office. Venkdt was seated at his desk. He looked up, shocked. “You need to hear this, sir,” she said, and tapped her comdev.

  “What is it?” said Venkdt, concerned.

  “Just a minute.” She fiddled with the comdev until the wall next to her came alive with an image of Cortes’ head and shoulders. Just visible behind him were the flags, one on either side. “Watch,” said the PA. She back-scrolled the footage to the beginning.

  “My fellow Americans. The loss last week of our capital ship Otus and its crew was a terrible occurrence. I watched the streams, like many of you, with a heavy heart and tear filled eyes. It is my unfortunate duty to tell you now that the preliminary investigation into this disaster has made some very disturbing discoveries. It is believed that the loss of our great ship, and of so many of our sons and daughters, was due not to an accident but a deliberate act of sabotage. The investigation is at too early a stage at present to suggest who was responsible for this savage act, but in the fullness of time we will find out. We will not rest until the wrong-doers are brought to account for their crimes.

  “The proud Otus, as you know, was setting off for the distant planet of Mars, where the interests of peace and fraternity are under grave threat from those who would cast aside the rule of law and allow the reign of anarchy. That noble task now falls solely to Otus’ great sister, Ephialtes. Ephialtes has cast off the bonds of Earth and as I speak is travelling at hitherto unimaginable speed towards her task on the other side of our solar system.

  “We do not seek conflict with the people of Mars.

  “We seek a peaceful resolution to a jurisdictional dispute, and restoration for the crimes committed against our government and institutions. We go to Mars in the spirit of reconciliation.

  “Earlier this afternoon I received confirmation that one of our prime spacecraft in Martian orbit has been destroyed by a deliberate and premeditated Martian attack. I have to tell you now; such aggression will not stand. We will not accept or tolerate attacks on USAN property or personnel. We will respond firmly.

  “Two of our ships have been cynically destroyed in the last ten days. Such manoeuvring against us cannot be allowed go unanswered, nor will it. I have sent Charles Venkdt, the leader of the Martian insurrection, a proposal that he stand down immediately and submit himself to the mercy of our courts, so that no further action need be taken on our part beyond restoring order to the Martian polity. Should Mr Venkdt fail to accede to this request we will have no other option but to restore order by force of arms.

  “The loss of Otus has yet to be attributed. The loss of Ares-H 17 was a deliberate attack on the USAN military, and as such can only be viewed as an act of war. The leaders of the Martian revolt have brought war to us. Excepting for the immediate submission of Charles Venkdt and his illegitimate government, we will respond in kind.

  “Thank you.”

  Cortes stepped away from the podium and out of shot, and the image quickly changed to a young reporter who started jabbering. The PA tapped her comdev and the image disappeared. Venkdt continued looking through the wall where the image once was. “Well?” said the PA.

  Venkdt shrugged. “Well,” he said. He toyed with a pencil on his desk. “Does any of that sound remotely plausible to you?”

  The PA fidgeted. “What part?”

  “Any of it. Is it likely that we’d have the manpower, skills or desire to sabotage a USAN capital ship a hundred and forty million miles away? That we’d want to provoke the best armed nation on Earth?”

  The PA didn’t answer.

  “Is it even plausible that the USAN would send a military force to attack us? Would they do that? Really?”

  The PA thought. “They have just successfully prosecuted a war. Maybe the thought of one more little skirmish is okay to them?”

  Venkdt threw his hands up slightly. “I don’t know what to say. Is he kidding? You know, a bluff?”

  Again, the PA didn’t answer.

  “I want people to know that we are not attacking USAN ships. We’re just not. And we’re not going to be pushed around on the point of some populist frenzy, whipped up with downright lies and misinformation.” He paused in thought.

  “Can you get the word around that I will make an announcement tonight on the official presidential stream? That is set up, now isn’t it?”

  “I believe it was set up last week.”

  “Okay, I’ll be doing a live stream tonight at 19:00. Presidential or Venkdt, if it’s not available. Can you get word around? Particularly news aggregators on Earth. We have to set this straight.”

  “Yes, Mr Venkdt. How long is the stream likely to be?”

  “I don’t know. Say five minutes?”

  “Okay. Will you need anything to prepare for it?”

  “I don’t know that, either. Maybe. Get me Kostovich.”

  Venkdt’s stream was the number one recommended item for its timeslot on the aggregators, beating even When Kittens Attack.

  “My fellow Martians, people of Earth. The people of Mars recently decided to take command of their own affairs. This was a momentous step, and one not taken lightly. Obviously, there are some who object to the new arrangement, on moral, political or legal grounds. We acknowledge those concerns and continue to work through them.

  “I personally, and I’m sure I speak for my fellow Martians here too, continue to see the USAN as our mother country. We bear the USAN no ill will. In fact, we feel a great bond of kinship, expressed through our shared history and continuing business and family relationships. We share a common culture, a common language and common values. We seek to deepen these bonds as we move into the future.

  “The Martian government has recently been accused of some heinous acts of aggression against the USAN. I am speaking to you tonight to refute those allegations in the strongest terms. We are a peaceable nation, and we reject outright the calls of those who would reach for the sword rather than seek to resolve our differences through mutual dialogue and conversation.

  “I would like to make this point absolutely clear. The tragic loss of the USAN ship Otus was in no way connected to any actions by Martian forces. I can state that for you categorically. Mars is a friend to the USAN, and will continue to be so, despite the current difficulties.

  “President Cortes has called for the democrat
ically elected government of Mars to step down. It would be doing a vast disservice to the Martian people, who voted with an overwhelming majority for independence, to comply with this request. We are made of sterner stuff than that. I call in return for President Cortes to open diplomatic channels that we may discuss our differences, of which there are many, and work towards finding common ground, that both of our great nations might grow and prosper in peace.

  “Thank you. Good night.”

  The stream ended.

  Venkdt stood up from his chair and immediately began pacing. “How was it?” he said.

  “Good,” said Kostovich.

  “Too short?”

  “The length was fine. Nobody has an attention span anymore.”

  “Will it make any difference? To anything?”

  Kostovich shrugged. “Who knows? You got your point out there. And maybe no one will notice that you didn’t deny destroying Ares-H 17.”

  “That’s not even a USAN ship!”

  “Exactly. You were right to avoid it. If you’d tried to explain it’s not a USAN craft all people would have heard would have been ‘Areas-H 17’ and ‘USAN’. So just leave well alone, like you did, and hope nobody notices.”

  Venkdt finished his pacing and sat back down. “What are we going to do, Dan? If they turn up here in that big ship, spoiling for a fight?”

  “Well,” said Kostovich, “as I believe I have demonstrated, we have the capability to render them harmless. A surgical EMP strike, which we are quite capable of, would turn Ephialtes into an oversized tin can and nothing more.”

  “And then what?”

  Kostovich looked confused, briefly. “And then it’s over. It’s the only interplanetary military craft in existence, and it took four years to build. Once it’s neutralized, that’s it. We would be, literally, beyond reach.”

  Venkdt shook his head. “Christ, we don’t want to let it get to that.”

  Kostovich nodded. “You’ve got six weeks or so to politic and manoeuvre and bob and weave, but you can be confident that as a fallback, and if you have to, you can take them out of the game, militarily. And relatively safely, too. Obviously, there will always be risks when you’re detonating weapons in conflict but we should be able to take that ship off the field of play without harming any of the crew. Wouldn’t that look great on the streams, too? Powerful and benevolent.”