by T J Mott
Annoyed, Thaddeus stood up. I’ll be damned if I let Ria bear the brunt of this. “With all due respect, I stopped it because it targeted civilians. It was a terrible strategy.”
“And what do you know of our strategy?” the man countered harshly. “You’re an outsider!” His face was already flushed red with anger.
“Furthermore,” Thad added calmly without responding to the livid accusations, “once Avennia figures out the ARF is responsible, they’ll crack down hard, and you’re not ready for that. The ARF is almost invisible to Avennians. You do not want to give up that advantage until you have a long-term strategy, one that attacks legitimate targets in a way that weakens Avennia’s hold on Ailon.” He narrowed his eyes. “What is your strategy? Besides bombing civilian freighters in hyperspace.”
The man stood, and his scowl somehow grew even more intense. “You’re not from Ailon. You have no idea how hard the war was on us! How many people we lost, and how bad the slaves here are treated! Enough is enough, and it’s time to start striking back!” He slapped the table in front of him to punctuate his last sentence.
Thad smiled inwardly. The man had completely dodged his question and made an emotional appeal instead. I think I hit a nerve. He slowly scanned his eyes across the other Rebel leaders’ faces, trying to decipher their expressions, and seeing a mix of concern, fear, and embarrassment. “From the way you didn’t answer my question, I’m guessing you don’t have a strategy. And while I’m not from Ailon, I’ve been here long enough to see how bad it is.”
“Chad has seen enough of Ailon’s condition, Abram,” Ria said from behind him. “He’s worked under me for a while now, and he’s been a valuable team member. His actions made sense once he explained them. I brought him to you because I think he can help us.”
“Help us how?” the man—Abram?—scoffed. “I don’t want help from outsiders. Outsiders are what made us lose the war in the first place!”
Thaddeus cringed, acutely aware that Abram was inadvertently referring to him.
“He’s a natural leader,” Ria continued, her face suddenly fierce. “Just look at what he did at the Zhale refinery fire! He thinks clearly under pressure, took charge and risked himself to save hundreds of slaves. No one else in my clinic—or maybe any of the Foundation’s clinic—would have succeeded there!”
“Chad was the man who took over the refinery fire?” asked the prissy-looking woman. “That story has really made the rounds in the Foundation. In that case, I think he at least deserves to be heard.”
Abram stabbed his thumb into his own sternum. “I am in charge of our military strategy, not you, Rhena!” His eyes smoldered in anger. “And certainly not this Chad! Calling off our first attack was way out of line!”
Thad butted in, his voice loud yet cool, hoping that his reading of the Council’s dynamics was correct. “So you’re in charge of the rebel military. But are you in charge of this council?” he asked over Abram’s words.
“No one is in charge of this council!” Abram replied angrily. He winced suddenly as he realized his mistake.
The prissy woman—Rhena, as Abram called her—smirked subtly. “Let’s try to be civil. Mr. Messier, Mrs. Parri, I know that you have ideas you wish to share with us. I motion that we allow them to speak, and we will come back to the issue of the freighter mission later. All in favor?”
Everyone in the semicircle—except Abram—raised a hand. Some quickly. Some slowly and sheepishly, as if afraid.
“Fine,” Abram spat out. “Let them speak. Just remember he’s an outsider who has already interfered with our resistance!” He glared at Thaddeus, who suppressed another shudder at the unintentional double-meaning hidden in Abram’s words.
Thad was still standing. “Thank you,” he said with a slight nod, stepping around the table and approaching the semicircle that surrounded him and Ria. “First off, I’m sorry I’ve caused as much trouble as I have.”
“You should be,” Abram said, his voice a low growl that barely reached Thad’s ears.
“But it had to be done,” Thaddeus continued. He decided to address the rest of the Council, not even glancing in Abram’s direction as he spoke at this point. “It was disorganized and ad-hoc, and the result would have been all collateral damage, all civilian deaths.” All eyes were on him. Abram still wore an angry scowl, although he was silent for the moment. And Ria watched from behind him with an intense focus, her expression that of admiration.
“I know accepting an outsider can be hard, especially since I’ve only been here for several weeks. But from what I’ve seen as an outsider, you lack strategy and experience. If you’ll allow me to help, I can help you build an effective strategy for your insurrection.”
“We already have a strategy,” Abram said under his breath. Thad noticed the other Council members shake their heads at his display of childishness.
Starting to understand Abram’s personality, Thaddeus paused and looked down on him condescendingly. “Are you done heckling me yet?” he asked evenly, with not even a hint of irritation in his tone. Abram looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. He let the silence drag out for a few seconds before continuing. “I can provide training. I can teach you how to gather intelligence, how to find your enemy’s weak spots and exploit them. I can teach you how to organize and how to fight.” He paused to chew on his lower lip, thinking once again of the Cadrian Casino and pondering all the damage he’d done in the past. “And, very importantly, I can teach you how to pick targets that will advance your cause without killing innocent bystanders, otherwise you’ll be in a very tough political position even when you win the war.”
Abram seemed to have recovered. He smiled predatorially, as if about to launch some clever attack. “So all you’re asking is for us to put you—an outsider from hundreds of light-years away—in command? Give you the keys to our resistance?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. Ailon will be freed because I will lead the Ailonians to freedom.”
“I’m not asking for command,” Thad replied. I never even mentioned taking command. Is he that worried about his position? “Think of me as a trainer and consultant.”
“Your offer is ridiculous! I was an officer in the rebel force! I’ve seen your file, you’re just a dumb shuttle mechanic!”
“That dumb shuttle mechanic knows how to fight!” Ria said defiantly from behind him. “He has military leadership experience, and combat experience, and we all know how few experienced soldiers we have left!”
“And what military was that?” Abram hissed back. “His file seems to have neglected that detail.”
I’m in way over my head, Thaddeus thought to himself. My cover story didn’t even begin to cover anything like this. His mind spun through possibilities. Ailon wasn’t very far away from the Norma Empire. Could he claim some kind of Imperial affiliation?
But Ria spoke before he could start to say anything. “He won’t talk about it, and he does his best to deny it.” She sounded rebellious and angry, and Thad was glad she was on his side for the moment. “He thinks and acts like an experienced officer! I’ve seen it in how he works, and I trust him. We all want to see a free Ailon, and I’m positive Chad can help us, if you’ll let him!”
“You trust him?” asked Abram. “What reason do you have to trust him?” Then he smiled thinly. “I know what this is actually about, Mrs. Parri. It’s about power. Your power. When your husband died—after failing the most important mission in the war—you lost your connection to the Rebel leadership. And you couldn’t stand that. So you found this man and now you’re grooming him to take his place. Don’t think we don’t know about you two. Your feelings are compromised now, you are not objective about him.”
“Abram!” hissed Rhena.
But Abram continued, and a look of anger returned to his face. “I’m worried that he’s an Avennian spy. He’s seduced you and now brought him right here to the Rebel Council! How long until the AFPF storms in and arrests us all?”
“Abram, y
ou’re out of line!” Rhena said again, standing angrily to her feet.
“I agree,” said a short, very skinny man who looked to be slightly older than Thad, with a slightly nasal voice. “Your accusations are baseless, and that personal attack was way out of line.” He turned to face Thad. “I was never in agreement with Abram’s plans to harrass Avennia, but nobody had a better plan.” He sighed sorrowfully.
“I have a plan!” Abram raged. “Are you siding with an outsider, Culper? Over me?”
Rhena flashed a worried glance at Thad. “We are not siding with anyone!” she said to Abram, sharply. “This is due diligence. We all know that we are dreadfully short on military experience and training, and I want to know more!”
“I have all the military experience we need!” Abram retorted. “We already have plans in motion! Changing things now is foolish!”
“And what are those plans?” Thad asked again. “Bombing civilian starships in hyperspace? Stealing chemicals from Avennia? I saw Clinic 12 in action, at the refinery fire and at the Zhale Starport. And with all due respect to Ria and her crew, if any of you expect people like that to win a war without further training, then your little rebellion is already doomed to failure!”
“You underestimate the Ailonian fighting spirit!” Abram chided.
“He’s being realistic!” exclaimed Culper. “If there’s even a chance of getting military training before we begin, we’d be foolish not to take advantage of that!”
“This goes against everything the Council has already decided!” Abram stuttered contemptuously as he stood to his feet, his face flushed bright red. He shot Thad a menacing glare.
“Do you really want to send medics and logistics workers with no military experience into combat?” Thad asked coldly.
“And do you really trust an outsider over me!?” Abram shouted at the rest of the Council. “Let him speak, but he better be gone when I return! And don’t any of you dare come crying to me when this potential traitor brings the federal police down on you!” Abram slammed a fist on the table and then very quickly left the room.
An awkward silence filled the room for nearly a minute as the remaining Rebel Council members mentally recovered from the outburst. Finally, the other woman in the group, an overweight, middle-aged woman who had looked profoundly sad the entire time, spoke up. “So many of our people with military or leadership skills were killed in the war or purged in the aftermath,” she said softly. “We don’t have many left, and the ones we do have, are far too inexperienced. If you actually have these skills, and you can train our men to a higher standard, then we need you.”
“And if you are a traitor,” said Rhena, though her tone suggested she didn’t actually believe that, “we have nothing to lose at this point anyway. I am worried we will not get far with our current strategy.”
“I respectively motion that we move to a closed session,” said another man.
“I agree, Sal,” said Rhena. After a moment, most of the others nodded, and then she dismissed Thad and Ria. “Mrs. Parri, you and your guest are free to go. We will summon you tomorrow if there is more to discuss—” her eyes shifted uneasily to the door “—and if certain Council members will allow it.”
Thad nodded, and then he and Ria left the room. “Wow,” he said mildly as they walked down the hallway together.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in front of the Council,” she said, sounding like she was on the verge of crying. “I hadn’t realized how bad it had gotten.” She sniffled.
He stopped in place. “Ria. Don’t take it personally. Abram is a bully, and I recognize the type. I also know how to handle his type. He was trying to upset you, to undercut you in front of the others. He’s paranoid and for some reason he thinks I’m a threat to his power, and he tried to take it out on you.”
She abruptly stopped walking, remained facing down the hall rather than facing Thad. From her side, he could see the anguish and pain in her eyes. “That was such a cheap shot, talking about Lim like that.” Her voice dropped to a weak, wavering whisper. “I miss him so much…”
He looked down to the floor between them, feeling his own guilt return. “I’m sorry…” His words had far more meaning than she would ever know. In the back of his mind, he wondered if her husband would have survived the war had Thad not attacked that Rebel convoy. Abram’s words from earlier still burned in his thoughts. Outsiders are what made us lose the war in the first place.
“Ria, that woman said that people with military skills were purged after the war. What was it like before? In terms of organization, fighting skills, and so on?”
She still wasn’t facing him, and Thad could tell she was struggling to keep her composure. Abram had certainly rattled her. “They knew how to fight. They weren’t like Abram. Abram was just a lieutenant who managed to keep his men away from battle. A coward. And so he was the one who survived.” Thad nodded slightly, not surprised in the least. “There weren’t enough weapons to go around. The few starships we had weren’t nearly powerful enough to deal with Avennia’s.”
She turned to face him, and her wet, glassy, green eyes were gripped with an intense sadness. “So many died in battle because they didn’t have the right weapons to fight back, but they didn’t have the spirit to give up, either. And most of those who survived were found later.”
He watched a tear release itself from her eye and start to roll down her cheek. Then he reached forward and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her lips twitched slightly, as if deep down she had started to smile but it couldn’t quite break through.
“I think we would have won,” she said. “Had we been equipped right. There was so much fighting spirit on our side, and the Avennians really weren’t that well trained. Towards the end, we staked everything we had to buy a shipment of weapons on the black market. Including some new surface-to-space weapons we hoped could keep the Avennian Navy away. We sent out a convoy of our last starships to collect, but they never arrived. They were attacked by pirates on the way back to Ailon.” She suddenly sobbed once, but choked back the one that threatened to follow, quickly regaining most of her composure.
He felt a lump form in his throat. That was me…I’m so sorry, Ria. That pirate was me… He gave her shoulder another squeeze and this time she did smile, just barely. She crossed her right hand over and laid it on top of Thad’s as it rested on her shoulder.
“Ria, I’ll do whatever I can here. If they let me.”
“Thank you, Chad.” Her slight smile widened just a bit. “I guess we’ll find out about that tomorrow.”
He released her shoulder. “In the meantime, what do we do, boss?” he said.
“I hate it when you call me ‘boss’,” she said. He smirked, thinking of how much it got on his nerves when his own men saluted him. “Let’s go get supper somewhere. After that, I have a small apartment here on campus. You can stay in Rin’s room since he isn’t here with us.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that.”
They turned down the hall and continued on towards the building’s exit. Thaddeus reached out with his hand and took ahold of hers as they walked together. She smiled in surprise and looked down sheepishly. “You said you weren’t sure about ‘us’, but I’m getting some mixed signals,” she said in a teasing manner, although her voice was still a bit shaky. Abram’s attack on her husband had certainly rattled her. “It seemed like you aren’t even sure what you aren’t sure of.”
He shrugged. “I’m still not sure. About anything in my life right now, to be honest. Too much has happened…and…But…” He paused, trying to figure out a way to put his own thoughts into words. When that failed, he suddenly saw a different approach. “It did made you smile.”
Her smile suddenly widened into a full-fledged one. A bright, genuine—and stunningly-beautiful, he realized—one. “Yeah. You have that effect on me, sometimes.” They neared the building’s main lobby in silence, walking hand in hand, fortunately not encountering Ab
ram on the way. “Thank you for at least trying to help here. I know you wanted to get away from fighting, but what you’re trying to do here…You’re a good guy, Chad, trying to do what’s right even when things are crazy.” She gave his hand a mild squeeze.
“Thanks,” he said. It was late. The building seemed empty and they didn’t see anyone else as they moved towards the doors.
“What will you do if they don’t listen to you?”
He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe there are other ways I can help. But if they continue a campaign of petty harrassment against civilian targets…I can’t have anything to do with that. I won’t.” He flexed his left hand a few times, a habit that struck whenever he was feeling guilty. His robotic hand was a constant reminder to him of the destruction he’d sown while selfishly searching for Earth, and a reminder to never return to those ways.
“Would you leave Ailon?” she asked.
Thad detected a sense of mourning in her words, and he nodded after a few seconds. “Probably.” Then the question is this: Do I come back with a fleet and make things right, even after they send me away? The answer seemed far more difficult to him than it would have even six months ago, because somehow, neither choice seemed right.
***
Thaddeus stepped back into the Council’s little boardroom, alone this time. They’d only summoned him, not Ria, and after Abram’s outburst the night before he was actually glad for that. I can handle his mean-spirited nature, and I’m all too happy to keep Ria away from him lest he attack her again.
The room was nearly empty. Abram, Rhena, Culper, Sal, and the other members of the Council—Thad still didn’t know all their names—were all present. None of them looked particularly happy. Abram was still scowling, but Thad had a strange feeling that that was his default expression. Maybe it didn’t mean anything.
“The Council wants to hear what you have to offer,” Abram growled without introduction as Thad stood in front of the Council members. The open contempt in his tone told Thaddeus that he didn’t agree with his peers on the matter.