2357-03-28 09:00
Battle Cry
Morris spoke out loud, “Action upstairs. One of Wolong’s ships is driving hard towards Copernicus City. Are they really attacking the city? They have not deployed weapons – can they be making a cannonball dive into the port? That is crazy!
“The rest of his fleet seem to be breaking orbit but are not following the rogue. They may be leaving the Moon.
“That one ship, the crew are screaming a battle cry. Which I suppose makes them vulnerable to the LE token. Just a few words that they keep repeating, so the translator is struggling to identify the language, but suggests the cry means... Allah is merciful, it means ‘HELP US’, over and over.”
Begum sprang away from Raul, shouting “Get Wep Sinbadson. We need a token to change their bearing and control their drives. I cannot call him from here without exposing all of us.”
Haliru said, “I can. I’m nowhere near any of you. That would be Sinbadson from the Columbia, I presume. Got him, just starting breakfast. I will patch him through to ACC.”
We stood silently, waiting for five minutes and then ten.
Morris updated us, “From the chatter that I’m allowed to hear, it seems to have worked, but nobody is happy. The ship won’t hit the Moon but seems to be completely dead. No communications, no drive, no evidence of life support. It seems the reactors were turned off when the drive shut down.”
A low murmur of worry ran through the room.
Wang/urgent, “We need a Banshee, maybe two or three. The rogue ship has been completely disabled, the doors all locked, the lights out, everything. It is in a hyperbolic orbit, skimming ten kilometres above the surface at its nearest point, but after that will leave the Moon. It is still gravitationally bound to the Sun with an aphelion somewhere about the orbit of Mars. Without power, the crew won’t last more than a week or two. We need to evacuate them before they get too far away. Lunar Recovery is prepared to do it but needs help unlocking doors. Is anyone willing to volunteer?”
Leilani/converse, “Brian and Begum, stay here. Sergei, Luciana and I will go. Sergei and I can open doors. All three of us can help free the crew from emoji and token attacks. LR must not know how to do that yet, or they wouldn’t be requesting our help. Someone needs to find out why. That would probably be you, Kat. Counsellor Phan, this is an important part of your new job. Same for you Counsellor Gerhardt. Begum knows about it, but I doubt she has ever done it in earnest. Raul can show you how. When we get back, we can all practice together. Gerhardt, it may be your job to teach LR how to open doors and disable guns on hostile ships, in addition to your counselling duties.”
The three of them left the room on the run.
[Fatima] Inshallah, I pray they will be safe. Did we just witness what I think we did?
[Raja] They are going to rescue their enemies, who may still try to kill them. I’m humbled to be in the presence of such courage and compassion.
I almost gasped at that. “Sirs, you are flying to the Belt to heal the people who have just invaded the Earth. Some of your patients may be the parents, siblings and children of the people on that ship. You are one with the Banshees in every way that matters.”
Sa’id brought up a tactical display so we could follow the action, on the wall opposite the remaining Banshees so they could see it too. As was typical with engagements that started from complete rest, LR anticipated it would take over half an hour to gather its crew and another half hour to ferry them up to the ship. The three Banshees must have had the farthest to travel to reach the ship. They were quartered inside the TDF base, which told me LR must have its own facility close by but outside the range where I had chased drugs and guns in the past.
We milled around making distracted small talk, organizing minor details. I reminded the Hope University people that they could occupy the ANGEL immediately if it was in fact habitable. A useful cover might be to provide food services to help speed the reconstruction. Haliru claimed that the Lonely Watch could be made habitable in two days, after which the ministers could start their own evacuation. On a TDF warship, food services were normally provided by the junior marines and Engs, so everyone ultimately knew how to run the kitchens. He could easily find volunteers on the base able to start that service for the workers doing the refit.
The ministers expecting to return to the Earth were now worried that Wolong might be too vindictive to accept them back, but they were equally unwilling to emigrate to the Belt. We spent some time wondering what kind of employment they might find on the Moon.
A lighter climbed from the surface up to the LR Rapunzel waiting in the Outer complex, docked for five minutes, then broke away to return to the Moon. An hour after the first call for help, the Rapunzel began to boost in pursuit of the rogue.
Copernicus City was on the opposite side of the Moon from our base, but it did not matter much at the speed the rogue was travelling. It was crossing a whole lunar diameter every eight minutes. Both ships would be far from the Moon by the time the Rapunzel caught up with the rogue, no matter where in orbit they had started. The tactical estimate was three hours of modest acceleration, mostly to give time for the rescue teams to organize themselves.
While we waited, Wang came back on and asked how many of us were still present to see if there were enough to witness the awards he wanted to present. Begum, Singh and Raja gave him the list, which left him hushed for a few moments.
Wang/private, “Douglas, all these extra people must be party to this meeting at your invitation. I’m almost afraid to ask, but what are you organizing?”
Me/converse, “I’m trying to get everyone off the Moon who would cause you trouble in the future. Eng Haliru thinks this is a mutiny, but really, it is only because we did not have time to discuss things more patiently. I would really have appreciated your input and will need to ask your help to get some of us to the Earth.”
Wang/converse, “The Earth? After this debacle, Wolong is going to be spitting with rage. He only had half of his fleet left here after the Emperor took Fenghuang’s side in the jurisdictional dispute. Now, half of the remaining ships have defected and the few he has left are retreating to the Earth. His last statement was that he will force every ship he still controls through the accelerated bio-cleansing program and will be back within two weeks. I’m sure he has not understood that the accelerated program leaves everyone debilitated and unfit for regular work for another week. That is assuming he still has anyone qualified to do the bio-cleansing.
“I predict months of outrage and atrocities, but catching you will be the top of his priorities and at least some of his advisors are competent. Why would you want to go to the Earth under those circumstances? Equally to the point, can you get all the affected people off the Moon before his fleet returns?”
Me/converse, “We Banshees need to be on the Earth to oppose the atrocities. I need to be far from the Moon or those atrocities will happen here as well. As for moving the people, Eng Haliru believes we can, although hiring crews for the ships may add a few days.”
Wang/converse, “You want the Mao, or you wouldn’t have asked Cyrus to cost the refit. Can you explain why quickly?”
Me/converse, “LR is donating the Quetzalcoatl to Hope University, who have decided to rename it the Hope University ANGEL. The old Mao will also be donated, probably not to Hope University directly, but to a new branch of the TDF that would be authorized by the Imperium to protect important facilities, with Hope University as the first example.
“Cap Thieu has renamed it the Lonely Watch. She and Eng Haliru have been working on the specifications for the new armament. Everything they have mentioned is modular and available for immediate installation.
“We will really need your help to organize the new service. It would, of course, be in parallel with the armed delivery service, for which the old Hammerhead will be the first ship after it has been rebuilt and renamed as the Mjölnir.
“Please be cautious if you intend to give a medal to C
ap Thieu. She has not yet recovered from the guilt of sending her first crew member to his death and has a small mutiny of her own to announce.”
Wang/converse, “I have been warned about ‘poor Cap Thieu’ by Cyrus, Counsellor Phan, and now you. She does command a lot of loyalty from her colleagues but is tougher than any of you seem to realize. Neither you nor Phan knows her very well, but I confess to being surprised that Cyrus has such a soft spot. She did not get to be Com on the Mao by crumpling into tears every time something went wrong. She did not get the Hammerhead to the Moon nor the Columbia to and from Valhalla by being a fiddlehead. Tears are an off-duty indulgence and she was not alone in them when we had taken losses. Give her something substantial to work on and you will see the old Begum Thieu quickly enough.
“But as for the rest of that plan, I feel like I wake into a different universe every time I blink. I don’t need to give you this advice, but never let yourself be suckered into the Admiralty. It is a punishment, not a promotion. I don’t suppose there is any point in my objecting to what you are doing when Cyrus, Begum and you are all ganging up against me?”
Me/converse, “Be sure to give us a few minutes grief or we will feel cheated of our mutiny. There must be one or two hundred things we have not thought of.”
He went silent for a minute, then added, “It does explain some of what the Directors intend to announce. It has been a bizarre and absolutely frantic day.”
He gave a deep sigh and addressed us all, “I would like to request a short break while everyone cleans up and wipes the sweat away. I’ve kept those poor guards and their families waiting for their medals far longer than I intended. We are a bit short of the contingent of Banshees I had intended. Agent Douglas, could you to wear your colours to help make up the numbers? I understand that almost everyone here is making arrangements to leave with the approval of the Lunar and Imperial governments, so we do not have to worry as much about recognizing each other. Could the representatives from Hope University join us with a full audio-visual connection? This is all a bit sudden, but I would ask Surgeons MacFinn and Kaahurangi to make themselves presentable if they can. A lot of things have been freed up by Wolong’s retreat, however temporary it may be.”
Begum to Wang, Me/private, “Admiral, stop that ship from approaching the rogue. Raja was right – they may still try to kill them. We just put three Banshees on an LR ship that has no defences. Can you patch me through to Sinbadson? I need to know what he was trying to turn off.”
Wang was quiet for a moment, then came back, “He is also on the LR Rapunzel chasing the rogue. I will echo his answers to you.”
Wang to Begum, Me/private/echo, “Cap Thieu, once the ship was no longer on a collision course with the Moon, all I tried to do was shut off the drive and jets. I had no idea it would turn off the whole system.”
Begum to Wang, Me/private, “Thor, you did not turn off the whole system. They did. It is a ruse. Do not approach that ship. No TDF ship is close enough to destroy the missiles. Tell the Rapunzel to RUN!”
We watched the tactical display. The Rapunzel slowed its acceleration but did not change course. I heard MacFinn mutter, “Bloody hero types.”
However, two ships from the Lunar Viceregal Fleet abruptly began to accelerate on an intercept course with the rogue. They were closer to the rogue than the Rapunzel but had a much slower acceleration.
Wang to Begum, Me/private/echo, “Viceregal Command confirms that two Imperial ships have been given orders to defend us. We have reduced our acceleration to let them match our speed. They claim to be from the Western Textiles faction and thank us for saving their officer’s lives. I’m not sure what they mean.”
Wang to MacFinn, Me/private, “Do either of you know what Sinbadson is talking about?”
MacFinn to Wang, Me/private, “Yes, there were two Western Textiles officers on the Lansdorf who ha been sentenced t’death as traitors. They ha been test subjects f’our medical treatments. The Poloff on the Lansdorf agreed t’postpone the executions t’see if we could really cure their tumours. We ha been ditherin t’preserve their lives and claim we need ’nother month. As soon as we declare success, they’ll be killed. On the other hand, the entire crew o’the Lansdorf is under suspicion, includin the captain, so we dinna know what’ll really happen. I was, o’course, forbidden t’mention the internal disciplinary affairs o’the Imperium in my report and ye’re na hearin this now.”
Somewhat absentmindedly, I repainted my armour in the Banshee uniform, stood when told to, and locked the torso and legs of my armour to keep me standing without further effort. Tomorrow, I would have to try walking beside the wheelchair. Sa’id looked at me for a moment, then picked me up and plunked me down like a manikin closer to the camera built into our monitor so that the field station was no longer visible. But I remained distracted. Something was bothering me, something important.
I stood at ease as everybody rejoined the group. The senior officers of Hope University appeared in a separate window. In a second window, Wang appeared amidst the officers from the Admiralty. A third window displayed several officials I did not recognize in elaborate, gaudy uniforms that were too warm for lunar climate control – clearly Martian or Belter styles. A wispy thought breezed through my mind about the British in India requiring their Indian soldiers to wear red serge uniforms in the Ganges Valley in the heat of an Indian summer. A fourth window opened for the guards who had escorted us to our luncheon at the Merry Merchant, accompanied now by their spouses. Then the camera in the Banshees’ room turned on and I took a quick look around.
Behind me, Commander Sa’id and Surgeons MacFinn and Kaahurangi had not changed, looking much as they always did. On the other side of the monitor, Doctor Toyami headed the medical contingent, wearing her armour that displayed the Banshee uniform. I heard MacFinn sigh as he recognized her. Begum stood near them but was in her dress uniform as a Captain. Amongst the Hope University representatives, I recognized the CEO of Connaught Freight Enterprises from his appearance on the news feeds. I did not remember ever hearing his name. The other two in front were presumably Raja Burakgazi and Fatima Cornflower.
My armour displayed the Banshee uniform, with my mask set to my original pattern from the Soiree. It would not deceive anyone but the Martians, probably not even them. The armour supplied its own versions of the urinary and rectal catheters, but I still needed the cable that tethered me to the field station for my meds and monitors. I felt like a dog on a leash. Anyone who knew about my homecoming as an invalid on the Lansdorf would recognize who I was. Besides, I was in a room with Sa’id and MacFinn, who had escorted me in my wheelchair on the very memorable trip to Prosperity Square and back through the service corridors where I had to open every... door...
I would not ruin the award ceremony. I WOULD not ruin the award ceremony. I would NOT. NOT! I bit my tongue, recited poetry so old I had to rack what was left of my brain to remember it. I did math puzzles. I would NOT! NOT! NOT! We had two and a half hours before the encounter.
Wang began by introducing everyone, starting with the Martian officials in the excessively warm uniforms who would head three new Imperial Directorates, for Commerce, Health and Law. I felt a chill run through me but could only guess their reasons for attending.
He referred to the Banshees as members of the Fairy Dust Investigation Team, in armour to retain their anonymity. Hah! Even the Martian Directors must have seen the videos from the Deng. Some anonymity!
He introduced the officers of the new Hope University.
Finally, he got to the five guards who had accompanied us. He named each guard, praised the role they played in the events that day, omitting my presence completely. He mentioned that they had intercepted, not one, but two, assassins and an entire death squad.
He told how Guards Ma and Zurcher had protected the debaters in Prosperity Square from a third assassin who had entered the square just before the lockdown, disabling the woman before she could detonate the belt of grenades strapp
ed inside her loincloth. (No one had mentioned that during our exercises. No wonder the subsequent debate focused on security.) He praised their assistance in crowd control, calming the angry, frightened citizens.
He praised the three guards who had accompanied us on our return, omitting their temporary paralysis. He mentioned without details our capture of a long-time servant of the Exterminators in Extraterrestrial Affairs, who they escorted to a TDF detention centre. (I would not ruin the award ceremony.)
He announced that each of them would receive a bonus equivalent to a month’s salary, which they had all refused to accept and donated instead to a favourite charity. (I would not.) He invited them individually to come forward and receive zer medal, while their spouses looked on proudly. (I would NOT.) He invited us all to give a loud round of applause for each guard.
After the guards had received their medals, he explained that the attack in Prosperity had forestalled an even more serious attack on the Viceroy Fenghuang. As an expression of Imperial gratitude, the three Directors had been permitted to give early access to the Viceroy’s decisions.
He invited the new Director of Commerce to step forward.
She stated, “Just twenty minutes ago, the Imperial Directorate of Commerce was officially announced by Viceroy Fenghuang, on behalf of his Imperial Majesty Mao Shi Hongdi. The Directorate has authority throughout all human space but will delegate local functions to local authorities with appropriate experience. The existing Lunar Ministry of Commerce will assume responsibility for lunar commerce, effective immediately. The initial staff of the Imperial Directorate will be inducted from other services later today.
“The particular charges for the new Directorate are, firstly, to ensure fair and equitable commercial transactions through all human space, and secondly, to ensure safe passage for honest merchants in their travels. Until the pirates can be controlled properly, merchant convoys will be escorted through near-Earth space by TDF and Imperial warships. The blockade of the Moon has withdrawn and it is not anticipated that it will be reimposed. Lunar trade is expected to resume within twenty-four hours.”
Lord Banshee Lunatic (Nightmare Wars Book 3) Page 24