Silence reigned over the table for several seconds, with uncomfortable glances everywhere.
Hayworth finished chewing a mouthful of salad and gazed intently at Strappi. “How would you treat me, Colonel Strappi, if I refused to aid your government’s R and D projects but insisted on having my own? How would you treat me if I proclaimed publicly that Committee Chairman Pallis is a senile old warmongering idiot and that the entire Social and Public Safety Committee should be tossed out on its ass?”
Strappi’s face contorted, but before he could speak, Jenner intervened. “It appears, ladies and gentlemen, that there are quite a few things still dividing our sections of humanity,” he said carefully, “but we can still live peacefully regardless of this.”
“We live in hope, Minister,” David answered quietly.
“Oh, I think the colonel has brought up something important,” Hayworth said, drawing a nasty look from David. “The League offers a Faustian bargain.”
“What the heck is that?” Calvin whispered to David.
“Deal with the devil,” he replied.
“They supposedly offer their citizens everything yet operate a data-and-AI-driven police state that monitors all aspects of everyone’s life. You can’t walk too fast in the League without getting in trouble,” Hayworth continued.
“And the Terran Coalition doesn’t have its own rules and controls, Doctor?” Strappi asked. “In a predominately religious society, aren’t you a second-class citizen? The only difference is that the League’s rules come from the state, while yours supposedly come from an imaginary figure in the sky.”
Jenner cleared his throat loudly. “I think we should all move on.”
“Agreed,” David said, letting out a sigh. “My mother always said to avoid politics and religion at the dinner table.”
The injection of humor into the tense situation seemed to do the trick. After a few chuckles, Hayworth and Strappi were silent, while the others made small talk.
For the rest of the dinner, which consisted of a main course followed by desserts and coffee, they avoided touchy subjects. David decided by the end of the dinner that while he would never trust Seville and he couldn’t stand Strappi—after all, League political officers were hated even by their own—Jenner seemed to genuinely want peace.
“Minister, you seem to be invested in this peace process. If I may, why?”
“The truth is, Colonel, I lost two children to this war. Both of my sons.”
David sat back slightly. Great. I just stepped in it.
Before he could respond, however, Jenner continued, “I don’t blame you for their deaths, or anyone in the Coalition Defense Force. After all, we fired the first shots of the war.”
David raised his eyebrows. “I was under the impression that the League felt we started the war, Minister,” he said neutrally.
“There are state-issued facts, then there is truth, Colonel. We both know what the truth is. I’m tired of war, and the faction I represent within the League Social and Public Safety Committee is tired of war too. We’re here to forge peace. I hope your people share that goal,”
“While I’m sure there’s a person or two in the Terran Coalition that can’t see past the hatred for the League, I think nearly everyone else prefers a just peace with honor at this point,” David said.
“I hope your leaders are of the same mind as us,” Jenner replied and raised his glass with a smile.
“Perhaps the best way to deal with this is just put a couple of weary soldiers in the same room and let them come to a compromise.”
Jenner laughed. “The war would be over in fifteen minutes.”
David smiled and took a sip from his glass.
Soon the dinner was over.
Seville said, “Colonel Cohen, I must commend you on being an excellent host. We will take our leave now, but know that this gesture on your part is truly touching to me.”
As Seville and his officers stood, David and his did as well.
“Thank you, Admiral. I wish you a good journey, long life, and good health,” he said without a trace of sarcasm. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sheila rolling her eyes at him.
Seville, too, kept a neutral expression. “You, as well, Colonel.”
David walked over to stand beside it the hatch and shook the hands of all the League contingent as they left.
When Seville reached him, he paused. “Colonel, do you mind if I pay my final respects to Captain Barrigo? I found her conduct in captivity to be… inspiring. Always staying true to her oath to resist.”
David turned to Dr. Tural.
He nodded. “A moment, Admiral.”
Tural walked over to the wall monitor, with David and Seville following. He tapped a key on it and said, “Patch to medical bay.” After a moment, the image of a nurse popped up. “Nurse, is Captain Barrigo available?”
“Yes, Doctor. One moment.” The nurse moved out of the image.
A couple of minutes later, Barrigo stepped into view.
Seeing her, Tural said, “Adriana, this is Admiral Seville. I’m not sure you’ve met.”
“We haven’t,” Barrigo said.
“I would just like to thank you for playing a role in the peace to come, good Captain,” Seville said. “And please, do give greetings to your father on my behalf.”
“Greetings to my father?” Barrigo seemed to think for a moment. “Oh, yes, of course, Admiral. I would be honored.”
“Thank you, my dear. May you have a pleasant life.” Smiling, Seville nodded to Tural.
“I’ll be along shortly to check on your status, Adriana,” Tural assured her, after which he turned the monitor off.
As Seville exited the room, Sheila walked up to David. “What was all that about, you think?” she asked quietly.
“I’m not sure, but it was weird.”
David and Sheila, along with the TCMC honor guard, walked silently back to the shuttle bay with the League contingent.
Seville was last to board. He looked back at David. “It took me a few minutes, Colonel. I recognize your name now.” Seville touched under his right eye, which was obviously artificial. “I’m quite sure your father would be proud of you.”
David frowned. “I like to think so,” he said.
“A man... fighting only to defend his home and family. No ideology, no beliefs, simple self-defense of what one cherishes.” Seville cracked a smile. “Far purer motives, I would say, than some have fought for. But I must be off, Colonel. Have a pleasant day, and thank you for your hospitality.” He stepped into the shuttle and watched David intently as the doors slid closed.
Sheila said, “You look tired. Shouldn’t you take some downtime? We’re due to jump into Canaan soon.”
“I plan on it, XO. Put our relief on the bridge and get some rest. We need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
28
Later that evening, David reviewed reports in his quarters, wrapping up the copious amounts of paperwork required for the trip. He was relieved to be out of his formal dress uniform. The ship had jumped about an hour previously and was in a standard parking orbit of Canaan, closely escorting the Destruction and the transport. He had tried to sleep but was unable to get his mind off the meeting with Seville and the conversation over dinner with Jenner. He’d thought about asking Dr. Tural to prescribe him something to help him unwind, but he would be groggy the next day and didn’t want to have to explain the side effects. At least, that was usually what happened when he took something to bring sleep.
Looking over personnel transfer requests, he kept absentmindedly playing through the night’s conversations. Noting that he would never invite Hayworth to another diplomatic function, David kept going over Seville’s comments, looking for weaknesses and strategies. He believed that you had to truly study an enemy and get into their head to counter them effectively, and Seville was to be handled no differently, peace treaty or not.
Something
bothered him about the evening, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. He was pretty sure Jenner was genuinely interested in peace. Seville, on the other hand, oozed a kind of fake charm that put every gut feeling David had on battle stations. He replayed his interactions with Seville over and over, and something struck him as odd about Seville’s request to talk to Captain Barrigo. Something just wasn’t right. He zeroed in on the phrase “And please, do give greetings to your father on my behalf.”
He navigated on his tablet to the guest list for the reception on Canaan for the League peace mission. Barrigo’s father was on it.
“So why would Seville want to give his regards to her father through her?”
David decided to go down and talk to Barrigo again. He jumped out of his chair, reached for his khaki service uniform, and quickly put it on. David brought the comm device on his wrist up to his mouth. “Cohen to Tural.”
A moment later, he received an answer. “Dr. Tural here. What can I do for you, Colonel?”
“Are you in the medical bay, monitoring Captain Barrigo?”
“No, I left Dr. Bhatt in charge.”
“Meet me in the medical bay, then, Doctor.”
David left his room and hurried down the passageway. He brought his comm device back up and made another call. “Cohen to bridge.”
The command duty officer answered, “Bridge. Go ahead, Colonel.”
“Bridge, monitor all communications by the League ships. Quietly.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Cohen out,” David said and strode toward a gravlift. He took it to deck seven, which housed the main medical bay.
Sheila was waiting for him outside the lift.
“What’s going on, sir?” she asked. “The command duty officer called me and alerted me to your orders. Is something wrong?”
“Something’s going on. Seville’s comments were off. I can’t put my finger on it, but it just felt wrong.”
“What did?”
“Seville’s desire to contact Barrigo. Why? She’s going to be at the ceremony and reception. They could talk there. And giving his greetings to her father? Javier Barrigo’s supposed to be there too.”
Sheila eyed him, clearly bewildered. “Maybe Seville’s not attending.”
“He’s on the list as well. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s the head of the military detachment to the mission. No, I think that was some kind of code.” David’s mind raced as he bounded through the passageway.
Sheila tried to get in front of David to slow him down, but he blew right past her.
“Code for what? Listen to yourself, David. I think you’re getting paranoid just because… why? Seville maybe thinks he won’t get to see Barrigo and her father, so he calls her while here and asks for her to say hello for him? Yeah, it’s weird, but we can’t go derailing the peace process.”
“Or it’s a prearranged signal for her to attempt some kind of sabotage on our ship,” David pointed out. “Either way, I have to be sure. I need you on the bridge to make certain nothing untoward happens.”
Sheila glared at David. “You’re actually going to accuse Adriana Barrigo of being a League agent? Because of... this?” She stepped in front of him again and blocked an internal bulkhead door, forcing him to stop walking. “Listen to yourself, David. You’re sounding like one of those nutjobs who rant on the holonets about ‘spies’ and ‘saboteurs’ being everywhere!”
David set his jaw. “Listen, Sheila. It doesn’t feel right. All my instincts are telling me something is wrong here.” Seeing she wouldn’t be budged, David sighed. “I’m not going to call up Seville, ranting and raving about treachery, okay? Nor will I jeopardize the peace process just in case I’m wrong about this. But remember, she’s been a League prisoner for almost a decade now. There have already been cases of long-time POWs being recovered and turning out to have become League sympathizers. Who knows what kind of brainwashing or psychological conditioning they could have subjected Barrigo to?”
“But what purpose would it serve? The League is already succeeding against us militarily. They don’t need some fake peace offer.”
“They may be winning on the battlefield lately, but every time they start another spring offensive, they gain for a while, then we push them back, typically after the Saurians donate some ships to us under that lend-and-lease program they run. Or a Matrinid battle group happens to find a League fleet in its space and destroys it. Our allies may not be fully involved in our war, but they help us enough to keep the League in check.” David paused, his gaze drilling into her. “Canaan is under-defended because of this summit coming up. The only ships there are mostly laid up in the docks, their crews reassigned or on home leave. The Home Defense Fleet will be on standby, but all the League needs is a few shots to annihilate entire cities and kill millions. Think about what would happen if they successfully attacked Canaan. Our morale would collapse. It would bring the war directly to our capital and prove that no one is safe.”
Sheila took a half step back. “Promise me you’ll do nothing we can’t take back, David.”
“I’m not nuts. You’ve trusted me for years, Sheila. Trust me one more time. I just want to have a conversation with her and have the doctor do some further tests.”
Sheila stepped to one side to let him pass. “Orders, sir?”
“Get to the bridge and send Colonel Demood and some Marines down to the medical bay. I want two sentries posted from now until we get her off the ship.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be on the bridge.” Sheila turned to go but stopped and turned back toward him. “David, I pray to God with everything in me that you’re wrong.”
“So do I, Sheila. So do I.”
David almost ran toward the medical bay and reached it before Calvin and the Marines. Walking into the room, he glanced around quickly, looking for the medical personnel. As he took in the scene, he immediately knew he had been right. Barrigo was gone, and the on-duty medical personnel, including a nurse and Dr. Bhatt, were on the ground, unconscious. He rushed over and checked the pulses of both and found them to be strong and steady. David picked up the nurse and placed her on a nearby vacant bed. He fumbled through starting the diagnostic program.
Dr. Tural strode into the medical bay. “By Allah, what happened here, Colonel?”
“I found them like this, Doctor. Help me get Dr. Bhatt up.”
They picked up Dr. Bhatt and put him in a bed as well.
“Can you wake one of them up, Doctor? Barrigo is gone, and we need to know what happened.”
Tural checked Dr. Bhatt’s vitals. “I believe I can wake him with no adverse effects.” He injected Bhatt with a vial of liquid.
After a few moments, Dr. Bhatt began to wake.
David stepped closer to the older man’s bedside. “Dr. Bhatt, this is Colonel Cohen. Can you hear me? Who attacked you?”
Bhatt looked up, dazed. “Colonel… Doctor…”
His eyes rolled into the back of his head.
David shook him. “Stay with me, Doctor.”
“Barrigo attacked us,” Bhatt got out quietly. “She drugged both me and my nurse.”
While Bhatt spoke, Calvin and several Marines jogged into the medical bay.
“Sir, reporting as ordered,” Calvin said.
“Captain Barrigo attacked the medbay personnel a few minutes ago and fled.” David’s face hardened. “I have reason to suspect she is possibly acting as a saboteur for the League.”
Calvin’s face twisted like someone had shoved a knife between his ribs. He quickly hid the expression, however, and answered, “Understood, sir. I’ll order my squads to break out combat armor and begin a deck-by-deck search of the ship.”
“Use the ship’s masters-at-arms for the search. I need the rest of your Marines ready for a boarding action.”
“The POW transport,” Calvin answered. “I’ll bring up what we know of that ship type from our database and put together a boarding plan.”
“Very well. Move out, Colonel.”
Calvin braced to attention before departing with the Marines.
David could feel Dr. Tural’s piercing gaze on his back. He turned around to face him. “Something wrong, Doctor?”
“You’re a little quick to judge, Colonel,” Tural said. “It’s not unknown for rescued POWs to suffer psychological episodes due to a trigger.”
“Maybe so, but given the circumstances, I’m just trying to be on the safe side. No matter what happened, she’s one of us, and I want to give her as much leeway as I can.”
“Bridge to Colonel Cohen,” Sheila called over David’s comm.
He raised the comm on his wrist. “Go ahead, Major.”
“Internal sensors haven’t found her yet. I’ve got Hanson and Merriweather working on fine-tuning the system. We’re not sure whether it’s messed up, or we just don’t quite understand its quirks yet.”
“Understood. I’ll be joining the search teams.” David tapped a button and cut the call. “Doctor, I’ll have the master-at-arms post men here in case she doubles back. If you see her...”
“Call you and security immediately,” Tural finished.
David nodded and walked out of the room. He paused at an emergency weapons locker long enough to input his command code and retrieve an energy-pulse sidearm. Forcing aside the implications of the situation, he told himself to solve one problem at a time. He hoped there was an explanation for the events of the last thirty minutes that didn’t involve the League staging the entire thing.
* * *
The League’s peace delegation, consisting of half a dozen ambassadors, aides, and diplomatic ministry officials, boarded a specially outfitted shuttle that had been stripped of all weapons in the cavernous flight bay of the Destruction. Admiral Seville strode in through the nearest doors and made his way over to Jenner. Inn tow, as always, was the political officer, Colonel Strappi.
“Greetings, Minister,” Seville said.
“Admiral, Colonel,” Jenner replied.
Coalition Defense Force Boxed Set: First to Fight Page 42