by Ryk Brown
“It has to be,” Nathan insisted.
“Not everyone wants to be free, Nathan. Some prefer to be led. They prefer to be told what to do, in exchange for security.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair, placing the data pad on the table. “That is freedom. Those people are free to live in a system that tells them what to do. There’s nothing wrong with that. It only becomes wrong when people are forced to live in a way with which they do not agree. That is why every world must be free to govern their people as they see fit.”
“Even if it is a brutal dictatorship?” Caitrin challenged.
“Even if it is a brutal dictatorship,” Nathan agreed. “As long as their people are free to leave if they don’t like living in that type of society.”
“And what if a world decided they only wanted people with black hair and green eyes, and decided to abort all babies that didn’t meet that criteria?”
“A bit extreme, don’t you think?”
“Yet still a valid question,” she insisted.
“I wouldn’t agree with it, but if I expect others to respect my right to live my life as I choose, I have to respect theirs.”
“That’s going to put off a lot of worlds. They may not wish to associate with extremist worlds.”
“Then they don’t have to,” Nathan defended. “No one will be forcing them to trade with those worlds, nor will they be forced to interact with those worlds. The most common factors among all failed civilizations throughout history are the belief that a utopian society can exist, and that the best way to achieve that utopia is to force people with vastly different beliefs to live together. All living creatures naturally prefer to associate with their own kind. The same is true with humans. Most of us are more comfortable among those with similar beliefs and ethics. The mistake leaders have made is thinking there is something wrong with this. Humanity is composed of thousands of cultures, each of them unique in their own way. All of them have at least some natural common ground, and generally that is where we can coexist. But just as you said, if you force a compromise, neither side is happy. We have to let people be who they want to be, even if we don’t like it.”
“Can we at least require that they not attack one another?”
Nathan smiled. “Sarcasm? Before lunch?”
* * *
The flatbed truck turned off the main, coastal highway onto one of the many dirt roads that led into the forest.
“Are you sure this is where it was?” the passenger asked the driver.
“I am certain.”
“How far in do you think?”
“It cannot be far,” the driver insisted. “When I first saw it, I thought it was going to hit the water.”
“Last time you saw something, it was just a highway drone.”
“Hey, that drone paid for the new muffler on this truck.”
“Yes, a quieter truck has been such a blessing for both our families,” the passenger replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“What I saw was big enough to pay for a whole new truck,” the driver insisted.
“There is nothing wrong with this truck,” the passenger insisted, “other than the driver.”
“There!” the driver announced, pointing to several broken treetops in the distance. “It went down beyond those trees!”
“There’s probably nothing left of it.”
“There is always something of value.”
“If you mean something else to add to our junk pile, then yes.”
The truck stopped suddenly, both men staring out the window in disbelief.
“My God,” the passenger muttered, his eyes wide. He looked at his brother. “Udo, what have you found us?”
“I told you it was big, Kado,” Udo said as he climbed out of the truck.
Kado also climbed out, cautiously following his brother toward the wreckage that lay before them. “What is it?”
“I am not certain,” Udo admitted.
The object was narrow and about six or seven meters long, with two large engines on the back, just behind an open area, with something sticking up out of it. Just below the left engine, something had been torn off, and the front of the object was badly damaged.
“There’s more wreckage over there,” Kado stated, pointing to their left.
Udo looked to his left. “That looks like a wing.” His eyes widened as he turned to look at Kado. “I think it’s a spacecraft.”
“It’s too small to be a spacecraft.”
Udo squinted, trying to make out the odd-looking object sticking out of a hole just forward of the craft’s engine. His mouth dropped open, and he began running toward the wreckage.
“Udo! Wait!” Kado yelled, worried that his impetuous younger brother was running headlong into trouble.
“There’s a person in it!” Udo yelled back as he ran. He reached the wreckage, climbing up onto the busted wing root to reach the unmoving occupant.
Kado followed, stopping short of the wreckage, watching his brother.
“I think he’s alive!” Udo exclaimed.
Kado studied the unfamiliar markings on the side of the wreckage. “This is not an EDF ship,” he decided. “Is it Jung?”
Udo looked around the cockpit, spotting familiar English lettering at various places around the cockpit, along with another language that looked similar. “I don’t believe so.”
“What are you doing?” Kado wondered.
“I’m taking off his helmet!”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if he can’t breathe our air?”
Udo turned, casting a snide look at his brother. “He’s human, not an alien, Kado! Now get up here and help me.”
Kado reluctantly complied, knowing from experience that there would be no convincing his brother to do otherwise. “This is a bad idea.”
“You think everything is a bad idea,” Udo stated as he unbuckled the man’s helmet and carefully removed it.
The unconscious pilot’s head flopped back against the headrest, his hair matted with blood.
“He’s bleeding,” Udo said. “We have to get him out of here and take him back to the farm.”
“Ayame will not like this,” Kado warned. “Neither will Kamiko.”
“I’ll deal with Kamiko,” Udo insisted. “Just don’t tell Ayame, like usual.”
“I am not afraid of telling my wife,” Kado argued. “I just choose to avoid causing her undue stress.”
“For yourself as well,” Udo jabbed, unbuckling the shoulder straps securing the pilot in his seat.
“What about the wreckage?” Kado asked as he helped his brother pull the unconscious man out of the wreckage.
“Once we get him into the truck, we can use the hoist to lift the wreckage onto the cargo bed. But we must move quickly. I doubt we are the only ones who saw this thing come down.”
* * *
The elder statesman stared at his uninvited guest, considering the man’s suspicious offer. “A few months ago, your forces attacked this world, claiming it as your own. Now you offer us payment for that which you once took by force.”
Lord Dusahn swallowed his pride, hard as it was to do. “The fortunes of my people have changed as of late.”
“So I have heard,” the elder statesman stated.
“I assure you, it is a temporary setback. Very temporary. Those who choose to voluntarily do business with us will be handsomely rewarded and will be granted favored status once the Dusahn Empire is restored to its previous state.”
“And if we choose not to do business with you?”
Lord Dusahn thought a moment before replying, wanting to at least appear to be speaking carefully and respectfully. “I assure you, Chancellor, Volon will be much better off doing business with the Dusahn Empire.”
“That sounds very much like a vei
led threat.”
“It is not a threat, just a fact,” Lord Dusahn explained.
“Is this what you said to the Haven Syndicate as well?”
“The Haven Syndicate made threats against the Dusahn Empire. Threats that could not go unanswered.”
The chancellor sighed. “I shall consider your offer, Lord Dusahn.”
“I will send a cargo ship for the first load in six Volonese days,” Lord Dusahn stated as he rose from his seat in the chancellor’s office.
“I said I would consider your request,” the chancellor reminded him.
Lord Dusahn smiled. “I am confident that you are wise enough to see the advantage of doing business with the Dusahn Empire, as well as the disadvantages of denying us that which we desire.”
The chancellor said nothing more, watching as the Dusahn leader turned and exited the office. Once he was gone, the side door opened, and an aide entered.
“What are we to do?” he asked the Volonese leader.
“They are offering well above market value for the goods they require.”
“And when they do return to their former status, then what?”
The chancellor looked at his subordinate. “Just because I sit in this chair does not mean I have all the answers.”
“Well, we cannot do nothing and just hope for the best.”
“Of course not,” the chancellor agreed. “We have a week to prepare. We shall do what we must to protect our people and our world.”
“We cannot defeat them,” his aide insisted.
“We may not need to,” the chancellor argued. “We may only need to make dealing with us not worth the cost and effort to them.”
“And how do we do that?” the aide wondered.
“I’m open to suggestions.”
* * *
“Our latest intelligence shows the Jung are down to only a few dozen ships, most of them frigates or gunships,” Commander Camaden reported.
“What about their battleships?” Admiral Galiardi wondered.
“We count only four, two of which are still too far away from Nor-Patri to be of any use in her defense.”
“This proves what I’ve been saying all along,” Commander Litano declared. “We can reduce the Jung Empire to rubble and suffer no loses of our own.”
“I find that rather difficult to believe,” Admiral Galiardi stated. “Are you certain there are no Jung ships currently within our borders?”
“We are still tracking sixty-plus ships along the border, but none inside Sol Alliance space. Two of them are battleships. But it would take at least a month for them to reach Earth. We should have no problem picking them off one by one before they reach us or any of our allies.”
“Then it is time,” Admiral Galiardi concluded. “Gentlemen, I want a strike plan on my desk by the end of the week. One that first takes out those ships skirting our border. Then, and only then, will I authorize an all-out strike against the Jung Empire. I want to make damned sure we rid humanity of this threat, once and for all.”
“Yes, sir,” his advisers replied.
Another aide entered the room as the admiral’s senior staff departed their daily briefing. “Admiral, I was looking through the daily reports from ATC, and I noticed an unidentified contact in low orbit over the Pacific about four hours ago.”
“Probably just a sensor ghost or a meteorite,” the admiral concluded, glancing at the report.
“It wasn’t a ghost,” his aide insisted. “And it changed course before it disappeared again.”
Admiral Galiardi squinted, thinking. “Length of contact?”
“Twenty-three seconds.”
“What was its new heading when it disappeared?”
“Its original heading was an ascent, as if it were on a departure course, then it pitched downward. Trajectory at the moment it disappeared would put it in the area of Hokkaido, one of the Japanese islands.”
“A jump sub?” the admiral surmised.
“That was my first thought, except that its original trajectory made it appear to be a departure. It was my understanding that jump subs can’t alter course in space.”
“The original ones couldn’t,” the admiral agreed. “But who’s to say it isn’t possible. Send a search and recovery team to Hokkaido.”
“But if it’s a jump sub, it’s probably already gone deep. The contact is four hours old.”
“You could be right,” the admiral agreed. “But let’s check anyway. The last thing we need right now is another incursion.”
“Yes, sir.”
Admiral Galiardi took a long deep breath, letting it out slowly and with great satisfaction. Destiny had handed him an opportunity, and he had taken it. All of the pieces were falling into place. Soon, he would be able to make good on the oath he’d sworn more than thirty years ago. The people of Earth, and by extension humanity itself, would finally be safe. More importantly, he would be in a position to keep it that way.
* * *
The flying cab settled in off the Voss’s starboard side, kicking up dust as it set down.
“We have arrived at your destination, sir,” the AI piloting system announced. “You may now safely exit the vehicle.”
“Thank you,” Nathan replied instinctively.
“Have a pleasant day.”
“You too,” Nathan replied, shaking his head and wondering why he had just said that. He walked toward the Voss, getting far enough away from the cab so that it could depart safely before stopping to take in the view of his upgraded ship.
“Good afternoon, Captain,” Del greeted as he and Dylan approached.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” Nathan greeted. “How are we looking?”
“She’s ready to go,” Dylan assured him.
“Port and starboard turrets have been installed, nose turret has been installed, and the tail gun in the utility bay is ready to go.”
“Did you get the pressure shield working?”
Dylan chuckled. “That was the easiest thing we did.”
“We also got the missile launch and recovery systems working, as well as the load selection system for the launch tubes.”
“What about the shields?”
“All shields are now powered independently,” Del assured him. “We had to run the additional power conduits along the outside of the hull due to time constraints, but they will be on the inside on the rest of the XKs.”
“The new nacelles look different,” Nathan commented.
“We added the additional jump energy cells to the dorsal side of the nacelles, then covered them up with cowlings to protect them. They’re also wired independently, so if one of them is damaged, you don’t lose the entire array.”
“Good thinking,” Nathan agreed.
“You now have a single-jump range of six hundred light years, and a one-minute jump range of twelve hundred, all with a four-hour recharge time.”
“For both arrays?” Nathan asked.
“Thanks to the ZPEDs, yes,” Del explained. “You can also stick to series jumps of ten light years each, with two-minute intervals between jumps. It would still take you four hours to get there, but you’d arrive with a full charge.”
“It’s always good to have options,” Nathan said. “All other damage has been repaired?”
“Yes, sir,” Del replied.
Nathan shook his head in disbelief. “How did you manage to get everything done in only two days?”
“Isn’t that what you asked for?” Del wondered.
“Yes, but I figured something would have to wait,” Nathan admitted.
“Well, we’re still working on the swarm-tech for the Lightnings, so it’ll be a few more days until we have new fighters ready for you.”
“Still, your people really busted their humps.”
“We did
n’t want you to lose anyone else because your ship wasn’t up to snuff.”
Nathan reached out and put his hand on Del’s shoulder. “I appreciate that, Del.”
“Besides, you’d be surprised how much you can get done when you don’t sleep much.”
Nathan nodded agreement. “That would explain why you both look so tired.” He looked at Dylan, who looked as if he might fall over at any moment. “Perhaps you should let Josh fly us back.”
“No argument there,” Dylan agreed.
“Send everyone home for the day,” Nathan told Del. “You all deserve it.”
“Thanks, but we’ll finish out the day,” Del insisted. “We’ve still got a lot of XKs to convert.”
“That we do, my friend.” Nathan turned to Dylan. “Shall we?”
“Gladly,” Dylan agreed, handing his wrench to Del.
* * *
The jump flash washed across the Voss’s flight deck, fading away a second later. Before them was the familiar sight of Haven, orbiting its parent gas giant just beyond the ring of rocky debris that provided most of the desolate world’s wealth.
“Nothing on comms,” Josh commented as they approached.
“All channels,” Nathan instructed.
“All channels, aye,” Dylan replied, as he tied his captain’s comm-set into the external comms array and set the system to broadcast on all known channels and media.
“Haven Control, this is Captain Scott on board the Karuzari Alliance ship Dalen Voss. We are requesting permission to land, to speak with your leaders.” Nathan waited, exchanging glances with Jessica next to him, but they received no reply.
“I’m not even getting an auto-flight carrier,” Josh added.
“Anything on the threat board?” Nathan asked.
“Sensors are clear,” Dylan replied. “No ships in flight and none powered up on the surface. In fact, there seem to be very few ships still intact on the surface.”
“I guess they were hit harder than our initial intelligence suggested,” Jessica commented.
“Or a lot of them decided to bug out before the Dusahn come back to finish the job,” Kit added.
“If the Dusahn meant to completely destroy them, they would have done so in the first place,” Nathan surmised. “They wanted them to hurt just enough to be compliant, yet still be able to supply what they need.”