A Line in the Sand

by Ryk Brown

But Commander Jexx had secretly studied the Truunian culture. It was his only connection to his mother. He had always felt more Truunian than Dusahn. As a half-breed, he had always been relegated to the lower classes of the empire. It was only recently that he had been promoted to lieutenant, and even then, only because the empire was running out of pure-blooded officers.

  And now he stood before the leader of the empire, trying not to appear terrified. Somehow, he had managed to escape the same fate as those who had come before him, despite the string of failures the empire had suffered in recent weeks. The best he could figure was that his ability to tell his leader the truth, rather than what he wanted to hear, was what had kept him alive.

  But doing so was becoming increasingly difficult. Today was the first time his leader had killed someone else, an innocent servant, when it was obviously the commander who had been the object of his anger. For that, he felt an incredible amount of guilt.

  But had he not been complicit in other far more hideous acts?

  “We will make more drones,” Lord Dusahn finally said, still seething.

  “We barely have enough comm-drones left to stay in touch with the worlds we still control.” The commander’s response had been automatic and surprising.

  “Then we will fit fighters with antimatter warheads.”

  “We have no more antimatter,” Commander Jexx replied. There was no use in lying to his leader at this point. He would either be executed or not. Lately, he was finding it difficult to care.

  “Then we will make more of it.”

  “That will take time, my lord. Perhaps years.”

  “Then we will use nuclear warheads,” Lord Dusahn stated.

  “We have very few of those as well,” Commander Jexx replied. “The only way we would be able to get them in close enough to avoid intercept would be to have our pilots jump them into the atmosphere at extremely low altitudes. It would take dozens of warheads to interrupt their industry and support of the alliance. We would be sacrificing our only means of defense against an all-out attack for nothing more than to mend our wounded pride.”

  “Careful, Commander,” Lord Dusahn warned.

  “It is my duty as a Dusahn officer to speak honestly with my superiors, regardless of the consequences,” the commander replied, hoping to avoid joining the servant on the floor. “To do less would dishonor both my father and the empire I serve.”

  Lord Dusahn glared at the commander a moment, studying him. “I take it you have more to say?”

  “I do,” the commander admitted. His gaze shifted to the dead servant.

  Lord Dusahn noticed the young man’s hesitation. “Speak without fear of retribution,” he ordered.

  Commander Jexx took a deep breath, summoning all his courage. “There are two ways to ensure that our empire survives,” he began. “Either we throw everything we have at our enemy and hope for the best, or we play the long game, building up our forces and our technology to the point that our future is assured. The Takar system is rich with resources. We have everything we need, including a highly technical industrial infrastructure and workforce. All we have to do is keep those we rule happy and productive, and in time, we will prevail.”

  Lord Dusahn’s eyes narrowed. “He threatened me,” he replied. “He threatened me. I cannot let that challenge go unanswered. I will lose credibility as a leader.”

  “I am not suggesting that you do, my lord,” Commander Jexx explained. “I am simply asking that you wait until you can answer them without risking the empire. Our people wandered the galaxy for centuries in search of worlds from which to build an empire. This system is the first that can do more than just keep us alive. It was a mistake for us to attempt expansion too quickly. We must hold this world long enough to rebuild our forces and make ourselves invincible.”

  Lord Dusahn stood there, seething with anger. “We cannot allow our enemy to believe that they have us backed into a corner. We will rebuild our ZPED manufacturing capabilities, and we will create new drones capable of reaching SilTek more quickly.” He looked the young commander directly in the eyes. “I will see SilTek destroyed.”

  Commander Jexx had no choice. “Yes, my lord,” he replied, bowing his head as he backed toward the door.

  A wave of despair washed over the commander as he exited his leader’s office and closed the door behind him. He had failed to reason with him. He had managed to survive, but he had accomplished nothing. The empire he served was headed for disaster, and he knew it. Even worse, it seemed there was nothing he could do to stop it. And now that he was Lord Dusahn’s right-hand man, his own death was certain, either at the hands of their enemy or at the hands of his own leader.

  * * *

  Nathan followed Miri out onto the back patio of her residence on SilTek. “Wow,” he muttered.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t realize how nice it was out here,” Nathan admitted.

  “You haven’t been out here before?” Miri wondered.

  “I haven’t. I was always pressed for time.”

  “And you’re not now?”

  “No, I am,” Nathan replied. “We’re jumping to the Aurora in the morning.”

  Miri led him out to the lounge chairs under the gazebo next to the pool. Nathan offered his hand, expecting her to have difficulty sitting down, but she waved him off.

  “I see you’re getting better,” Nathan commented, taking a seat himself.

  “I’m getting about more easily,” Miri explained. “I still get tired more quickly than I’d like, but that’s getting better as well. Luckily, the physical therapy people here are absolute slave drivers.”

  “Well, it’s good to see you making such progress.”

  “I heard about Loki,” Miri said. “Such wonderful news.”

  “Who told you about Loki?” Nathan wondered.

  “Jessica came by earlier to check on security. I was surprised that you hadn’t come with her.”

  “I had to review the latest draft of the alliance charter with Caitrin,” Nathan explained, looking around as if looking for a way to lead into the next topic.

  His uncertainty didn’t go unnoticed. “Yes,” Miri stated.

  Nathan looked confused. “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, I’ll do it.”

  Relief washed over him, quickly replaced by irritation. “Jessica?”

  “Of course.”

  “I swear, that girl has never understood chain of command.”

  “Oh she understands it,” she insisted. “She just doesn’t care.” Miri noticed Nathan’s frustration. “She knew you’d struggle to ask me.”

  “You may want to give it some thought before you decide,” Nathan urged.

  “I have, and the answer is still yes.”

  “It’s a lot of risk and a lot of hard work.”

  “I was chief of staff, remember?” Miri said. “I know exactly how hard the job is. Besides, there’s less than a year before the next scheduled election. If it’s too much for me, I don’t have to run.”

  “It’s not just the stress of the job that I’m worried about. The mission will be risky. We’re talking about jumping to a heavily defended planet for the purpose of overturning its government. And don’t think for a moment that your rights under heir-to-office will stop them from killing you if they can.”

  “The Ghatazhak will protect me.”

  “Yes they will,” Nathan agreed. “But they can’t protect you from everything. If Galiardi decides to play rough and send a battlefield nuke at you, it’s over, and your kids will have no one.”

  “They’ll have you,” she insisted.

  “Assuming I survive.”

  “You always do.”

  “You need to be realistic about this, Miri.”

  “I’m just trying to keep it light, Nathan.”

  “There’s
nothing light about it.”

  “Look,” she told him, “I know exactly what I’m getting into. And I damn sure know the risks.”

  “Then I guess I just don’t understand why.”

  “I guess it’s my way of avenging pop’s assassination.”

  “The chances of being able to prove that Galiardi ordered his assassination are slim,” Nathan warned. “If we’re lucky, he’ll just step down once you exercise your rights.”

  “You think he might refuse?”

  “I think he’ll do anything possible to avoid having to relinquish power before he accomplishes his ultimate goals.”

  “Which are?”

  “At the very least, the destruction of the Jung Empire,” Nathan replied.

  “And at the most?” Miri inquired.

  Nathan thought for a moment, letting out a long sigh. “I don’t rightly know,” he admitted. “However, nature abhors a vacuum, and history is full of examples where military leaders used their victories as a stepping-stone to greater power.”

  “You think he wants to create his own empire?”

  “I don’t know what he plans to do,” Nathan told her. “All I know is that he is willing to do whatever he feels is necessary. Even worse, he believes he’s justified in doing so. That’s what makes him so dangerous.”

  “Perhaps that is why I want to exercise my rights of heir-to-office,” Miri surmised. “You know, our father went to great lengths to prevent Galiardi from starting another war. It was a constant battle between them.”

  “Do you really want to have to deal with that?” Nathan asked.

  “Are you kidding? My first act will be to fire his ass and then open up an investigation into the assassination of our father and sisters.”

  “You do realize what a shitstorm you’ll be creating if you do so.”

  “Tough,” Miri replied defiantly. “From what you said, our people are already divided. At least this way, they’ll be divided because of the truth instead of a pack of lies.”

  Nathan smiled.

  “What are you smiling about?” she wondered.

  “My spitfire of a sister is back.”

  * * *

  Nathan entered the Aurora’s command briefing room, heading directly to his seat. “As you were,” he instructed before anyone had the chance to rise. “I’d like to thank all of you for coming on such short notice,” he began. “I know you are all busy, and some of you had to travel a considerable distance to be here.”

  “Not like it took that long,” Deliza commented, smiling. “Thanks to Captain Nash.”

  “It was on my way,” Robert said, tipping his head toward Nathan.

  Nathan smiled as well. “Nevertheless, I appreciate that I may have interrupted your demanding schedules.” Nathan took a breath before continuing. “I’d like to start by announcing, for any of you who might not have heard the news, that Loki Sheehan is alive and well. He has been cleared by both SilTek and Rakuen medical and is currently spending time with his daughter on Rakuen while he recovers from his injuries.” Nathan looked around the room, expecting at least a few surprised looks, but saw none. “I guess the news got around faster than I thought.”

  “Commander Kamenetskiy sent me the logs from Loki’s P-Seventy-Two,” Abby explained.

  “And Abby shared them with me,” Deliza added.

  Nathan turned to Commander Verbeek, his CAG, who also did not appear surprised by the news. “Commander?”

  “Are you kidding?” the commander replied. “When a lost pilot turns out to be alive, every pilot in the fleet hears about it within minutes. It’s a morale thing.”

  Nathan nodded his understanding, turning to Abby as he moved on. “Any idea what caused him to be stuck in the jump for so long?”

  Abby laughed. “Not a clue. There are so many variables to consider, I don’t even know where to start. The mass of the mountain, the timing of the jump in relation to his impact with the mountain, the various failure modes of his jump drive, the fact that his reactor was surging at the time—it could take a lifetime to figure out. I’m more interested in how he managed to pass through the mountain, let alone why his jump field decay rate was so drastically extended.”

  “Is it worth pursuing?” Nathan wondered. “Are there any practical applications?”

  “Most definitely,” she assured him without hesitation. “Thus far, we’ve been extending our jump range by increasing the amount of power dumped into the jump field at the moment of transition, under the assumption that doing so slows the decay rate. The longer it takes for the jump field to decay to the point of collapse and conversion, the farther the jump. The data from Loki’s logs brings all of that into question. What if we could slow the decay rate without having to increase the amount of energy used? The distance we could jump could be infinite for all we know.”

  “Sounds like it will take quite some time to figure out,” Nathan surmised.

  “Yes,” Abby agreed, “but the sooner we get started the better. We’ve already reached the maximum amount of instant power we can create. The only way we currently have to increase our jump range is to install multiple jump drives and energy banks. Imagine being able to jump any distance and then jump back, all without having to worry about recharge times. The Aurora could literally protect every member system at the same time, even if those worlds were thousands of light years apart.”

  “I understand the implications, Doctor,” Nathan assured her. “Trust me, it will be researched, but not until after the current situation has been resolved.”

  Abby nodded her understanding, saying nothing further.

  Nathan turned to General Telles next. “General, have you had a chance to look over the intelligence from Rusayev’s people and review their suggestions?”

  “Mister Rusayev’s assessment that the risks outweigh the possible rewards is correct,” the general replied with his usual measured demeanor. “Were the Ghatazhak to take on this task, the risks would be greatly reduced. I assume you have spoken with your sister?”

  Nathan sighed. “I have. She insists on claiming her right of heir-to-office.”

  “That definitely changes the risk-reward balance. However, the plan does present several challenges. First, there are twelve hubs that must be taken simultaneously. If any one hub avoids capture, the message will take considerably longer to propagate to that part of the world from the other hubs. This delay would make it possible for Galiardi’s people to intercept the message and block its distribution, or even alter the message, creating further confusion. Second, it will take a minimum of seventy-two Ghatazhak, which leaves us with very few reserves should something go awry. Lastly, extrication, should it become necessary, will also be difficult. The Earth Defense Force has an ample supply of Super Eagle fighters stationed on the surface, which they will undoubtedly dispatch the moment they learn of our arrival.”

  “That’s why I think we need a diversion,” Nathan stated.

  “Maybe we can use the insurgents? Have them attack a different target?” Jessica suggested.

  “You’re thinking too small,” Nathan replied. “Besides, I thought we might use the insurgents to coordinate the assembly of crowds to surround the net-hubs. The presence of hundreds if not thousands of civilians would greatly limit Galiardi’s options out of fear of negative publicity. Furthermore, he might have a hard time getting his officer to execute an attack against their own people.”

  “The presence of civilian crowds might be useful,” General Telles agreed. “Many on Earth still distrust the Ghatazhak due to that one unavoidable incident. However, I have to wonder how much we can trust Rusayev and his people, considering the stakes.”

  “We can trust him,” Vladimir insisted.

  “I am aware of your history with Mister Rusayev, but the question still stands,” the general insisted. “If those crowds take even the sl
ightest hostile action, it will give Galiardi’s forces the excuse they need to use deadly force.”

  “Lyoha will not betray us.”

  “I believe Vladimir is correct,” Nathan stated. “However, using them to coordinate crowd support poses a lower risk to our forces than if they were fighting with us side by side.”

  General Telles nodded agreement.

  “He will not betray us,” Vladimir repeated.

  Nathan chose to push past the issue. “We should also have the insurgents set up vid-cams at all sites and transmit their feeds to each hub. We need to show the presence of the crowds to the public. That will further prevent Galiardi from conducting strikes against them. The whole purpose of capturing the hubs is to replace Galiardi’s propaganda with truth.”

  “What if the people still want Galiardi to destroy the Jung?” Cameron wondered.

  “I’m betting they won’t,” Nathan replied. “Either way, Galiardi has to be removed from power before it’s too late.”

  “The crowds will need to be staged close enough to the hubs to get to them before Galiardi’s QRT units arrive, but still be far enough way so as not to be noticed,” Jessica pointed out.

  “That could be a problem,” Cameron stated. “Some of those hubs are nowhere near a population center.”

  “Rusayev’s people will have to figure that one out,” Nathan told her. “Maybe they can arrange buses or something? Have them pre-loaded and rolling. Even if we only take control of half the hubs, it’s better than nothing. Yes, it will take a lot longer for the message to get to everyone, and yes, Galiardi will have time to block, alter, or at least counter the message, but the message will get out.”

  “The more time it takes for the message to get out, the greater the chance that force will be needed to take down Galiardi,” the general warned. “It is my understanding that the Earth’s president has the authority to use such force against a military leader who refuses to follow orders.”

  “Yes, but it’s never been needed,” Nathan replied. “At least not since the original formation of the Earth Defense Force.”

  “Currently, half of the Earth’s population is against Galiardi and his campaign against the Jung Empire,” the general explained. “The legal claim of heir-to-office may be enough to force the admiral to step down, or for one of his aids to place him under arrest until the situation can be sorted out.”