The Ledonian opened the door and climbed in. When he tried to shut the door, Rivka blocked it with her body. “I want to hear your dulcet tones sway a world’s population.”
Damn, Magistrate, you’re going to have that crack-snacker begging for buttermilk.
Rivka smiled at the man and motioned for him to do his duty. Crack-snacker?
It’s better than my original thought, which was scum-sucking asswipe.
The Magistrate continued to smile, trying not to laugh. Jay joined her. “Good job,” Rivka whispered, draping her arm over the younger woman’s shoulders. “I know how hard that must have been for you.”
“I can’t kill ever again. You don’t know how much that bothered me.”
“But I do. I can see the pain you’re in. It won’t ever go completely away, but it does lessen over time. I won’t put you in that position.” Rivka stabbed a finger at the president, who had yet to do anything.
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can promise that I won’t do it on purpose. We get into dangerous situations all the time. Your speed will help us resolve things without violence. We almost had what we needed without resorting to full-scale warfare. Almost.” Rivka hung her head. When she looked up, she found the president staring at her.
She hesitated for a moment before reaching in and dragging him from the vehicle. She snapped her fingers. “Zip-tie.”
Red handed one over, and the Magistrate torqued his arms behind his back until he grunted. She zipped the plastic cuffs tightly.
“Take charge of this thing. I’ll be back for him.”
“Gladly.” Red pushed the Ledonian to the ground and planted a foot in the middle of his back.
“That’s one way, I guess.” Rivka crooked a finger at the driver. He slowly approached. “Comm. I want to talk to all the government loyalists. In my estimate, that will allow me to talk to exactly half the residents of this planet.”
The driver pointed into the vehicle.
Rivka took a deep breath. “Are all Ledonians such flaming assholes?” she asked. The driver shrugged. “Power it up, dial the right frequency or whatever you use here, and hand me the microphone.
“Oh,” his mouth formed. He reached through the open door and did as he was told, then handed Rivka a standard microphone connected with a long cord to the unit that occupied the middle of the vehicle.
“All residents of Leed’s Planet. I am Magistrate Rivka Anoa from the Federation. I have placed your president under arrest for his perpetuation of an illegal war following his election tampering in order to steal the election. This war is ended, effective immediately. If Federation military forces have to be called in, anyone who is still participating in combat operations will be subject to immediate termination. Leaders on both sides will come to the main government building. This is not a request or a negotiation. This is what you must do if you are to save your planet and your people.”
Rivka repeated herself once before asking the driver to dial the frequency for the other side. He didn’t know what it was.
Ankh, what’s the frequency for the resistance. The rebels. The anti-government forces, or whatever the hell they call themselves?
There is a significant amount of chatter on one hundred twenty-five point four megahertz. It seems that you’ve made quite a stir, which also suggests that the main building is under surveillance.
That means credibility that we can do what we say we can, Red remarked.
“One twenty-five point four.” She counted on the translation chip to convert it to local units.
The driver dialed it up.
Rivka keyed the microphone and restated what she had told the government forces. “Now we wait.”
Chapter Eleven
“Billister,” the man answered the comm. He listened to the voice at the other end. “Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
K’Twillis’ security chief looked from man to man, evaluating who he could trust with removing the members of the licensing board. They had to do it without sending alarm bells screeching across the planet. K’Twillis needed to buy a little more time for the mining operation, that was all.
Billister decided he couldn’t trust any of them. “You three.” He pointed at a group of thugs looming over a pair of miners fixing a conveyor belt. “Come with me. We have a job to do.”
One of the thugs pointed at the men and then his own eyes. “I’m watching you,” he growled.
The miners tried to ignore him as they worked to get the belt running.
“Come on!” Billister shouted and stormed off. “Mental midgets,” he grumbled to himself.
When they reached the top, a vehicle with darkened windows was waiting. They climbed in and the driver left, not asking for a destination. He had already been told where to take them.
A sketchy warehouse on the outskirts of town, where they had to build a couple of devices before nightfall. That was when the real work would begin.
“How long is it going to take for the leaders to arrive?” Rivka asked, gripping the president’s arm to see his answers so he didn’t have to speak. Red had put duct tape over his mouth because the Ledonian appeared to be genetically incapable of telling the truth. “They should be here anytime now.”
The president struggled against his bonds. Red shook him until he stopped.
“What’s the matter? You don’t want the people to see you like this? Let me break it to you gently. I’m a Federation Magistrate. You’re in my custody because you broke the law. You’re not on trial because you’ve already been judged and found wanting. At this point, you are a convict, but I’m letting you hang around because you have information I need. I’m glad that I can get it from you without having to listen to your perpetual stream of lies. How can you live with yourself?”
“Psychotic?” Jay offered.
That’s what I was thinking. Any idea when I can get out of this thing? Lindy asked.
Ankh? Rivka checked in with the Crenellian.
Pandora Express. The ship went to Amberstrom. From there, it went through a series of Gates with a final destination of Capstan. It should have arrived there within the past day.
Red’s eyes narrowed, and his face turned hard.
“Well then, no time to dawdle,” she told the president, who had no idea what she meant. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Come on, people! Chop, chop!”
Red couldn’t see anyone out there. It was still too early in the morning for light. The president mumbled through the tape.
“What?” Rivka asked, exasperated. She put her hand on the side of his face. “They might attack us? That would be a mistake.”
What do you see, Ankh? Rivka requested.
There are vehicles converging on your position. Most are only lightly armed, but there is a heavily armed unit coming down the main corridor in front of you.
If they want to play hardball, finish them.
What is the hardball trigger for action? Ankh wondered.
Rivka stopped for a moment and considered. “Red, we have a military unit coming at us. At what point does Peacekeeper turn them into a smoking hole?”
“They might be skeptical of the request. I hate to say it, but if they shoot first?” Red shrugged and walked to Lindy.
“That’s what I was thinking.” Ankh, the trigger is if they shoot first. The second that happens, destroy them.
Lindy moved to a better position across the street to give her a flanking view of the approaching unit.
The first to arrive came from the side streets and drove up to the barricade. Two Ledonians jumped out, using their doors as shields as they took aim. Rivka figured the leader was inside. She strolled into the remnants of the defense. With Red at her side, she crossed her arms and waited.
No one moved.
“Who’s here to talk about peace?”
“I am!” the Ledonian shouted from inside the vehicle.
“I’m Magistrate Rivka Anoa. Come out here and tal
k to me.”
“I’m Treacher. How can I trust you?”
“Do you trust the one who claims to be the president?”
“Hell, no!”
Rivka pointed with her chin and Red grabbed the president by the arm, pushed him into an overturned car, and leaned on him, squeezing him between Red’s large frame and the vehicle.
“Neither do I, and that’s why I’m conducting the negotiations.”
“How do I know you won’t kill me?”
“You’d already be dead,” Rivka replied with the old adage. “Come on out, and we’ll shake hands. The sooner we start, the sooner this world can get back to normal.”
Treacher left the vehicle, ordering his security to stand down before striding purposefully to the Magistrate. He thrust out his hand.
“Are you going to negotiate in good faith?” Rivka asked as she grabbed his hand. Confusion jumped into his mind. Anger boiled, but seeing the president trussed like the criminal he was provided a spark of comfort.
“Of course,” the Ledonian replied. “I don’t know what normal is for Leed’s Planet anymore.”
“It’ll be a new normal. I can work with you. Thanks for putting your anger aside to do what’s right for your people.”
A second vehicle raced into the area, then slowly circled. It parked next to the first visitor. No security appeared, just a young Ledonian woman. She made a rude gesture to those waiting in the vehicle before marching straight up to Rivka, dutifully ignoring her counterpart.
“My name is Faith, and I represent the women’s faction,” she stated confidently.
“Are you going to negotiate in good faith?” Rivka asked, and the two shook.
“I will negotiate on behalf of the repressed. I answer only to them.”
Rivka saw the honesty in the female’s mind along with unbridled rage. “Since I’m in charge of the negotiations, you will have an equal voice and equal representation.”
“I want two votes to make up for the way we’ve been treated,” she demanded.
The first Ledonian rolled his eyes and muttered, “Here we go.”
“Shut up, both of you.” Rivka took hold of them by their arms and squeezed. “I said equal. I will tolerate no bullshit, quotas, denigration, or demands. You might want to get behind something. The next group brought a lot of their friends.”
“I demand...” the woman started. Rivka pulled both contenders behind the nearest vehicle and ducked. A tank round thundered down the street and slammed into one of the guard towers.
The air crackled and tingled as energy weapons came from the sky and painted the invaders, exploding their tools of war. Rivka peeked over the barrier at the nearly complete destruction. A second salvo surprised her, but those were precision strikes to clean up the remainder of the small attacking force.
The enemy is destroyed, Ankh reported.
See if the War Axe is available for a visit. This planet will self-destruct if we don’t hang our biggest hammer over their heads. The only reason they’re talking now is because of our firepower and apparent willingness to use it.
Acknowledged, Ankh replied.
Rivka hoped that the Crenellian would tell her what he had been able to arrange, but she expected she’d find out when everyone else did—after the Bad Company’s warship was hovering over the city.
“Who else is coming?” Rivka wondered. “Driver, hand me the microphone, and let’s see who else is out there.”
She made the call and waited. Only one person answered, and that one had witnessed the destruction of his pro-government unit. “I think you’re terrorists, and I will fight you with every fiber of my being.”
Rivka turned away from the vehicle. “What is with the fucking anger? You want to see anger? That!” She pointed at the smoking crater and debris where a coherent military unit had been moments before. “You want more of that? I got more of that.”
I see him, Lindy reported.
Capture him and bring him in, Rivka ordered.
A single round cracked from the mech’s oversized railgun. Lindy pounded through the destruction and around a corner, and a moment later she reappeared carrying two struggling Ledonians.
She dumped them unceremoniously on the ground in front of the barricade. Red picked them up and carried them to where the others stood. Treacher’s lip curled and his fists clenched. Faith crossed her arms and snarled.
“I see you’re all friends,” Rivka interjected flippantly. “I’m Magistrate Rivka Anoa.” She thrust out her hand.
The captured soul started to spit, but Red caught his chin and held his mouth shut as he lifted him by his head. “That’s not how you treat a Magistrate,” Red growled into the Ledonian’s ear. “When I put you down, you’re going to play nice, or I will start breaking your bones.”
Red let the upstart’s feet touch the ground, but he kept trying to lunge. Rivka came close and placed her hand on his arm. She recoiled from the rage. “He’s never to see the light of day again. I believe his rational mind is gone.” Rivka walked toward the second captive. “What about you? Is there a shred of decency left?’
She grabbed the young Ledonian. More rage, but he was trying to tamp it down. Fear of the unknown gripped him. “I can work with you. What is unknown will become known. What you fear will be exposed and rendered harmless. This is why we negotiate. This is how we achieve a lasting peace. All of you will feel like no one has won, but the end result will be that the people of Leed’s Planet will survive and start thriving again.”
Red zip-tied the wrists of the angry Ledonian and used more ties to attach him to the president. “Hey you, do you want to die?” The soldier started to back up.
“No,” he replied.
“Then come over here. I have a job for you.” Reluctantly, the soldier approached. “Lock these two up. I’ll be by later to check on them. If they escape, your life is forfeit. Keep them secure, and we’ll all walk away from this.”
“Let’s go inside where we can talk in private. Jay, will you join us please?” Rivka asked. The young woman had been standing to the side and was wearing a long face, but she perked up at being included in helping to shape a better future for a planet tearing itself apart.
Billister had sent the others back to the mine and waited alone in a coffee shop across the street from where the Licensing Board was to convene. He had the impression that they were to meet in the morning but had nothing to confirm that. Billister was prepared to wait as long as it took.
After lunch he took a long walk, always keeping the building in view. He checked in with K’Twillis, who agreed with the course of action. The sun continued through the sky until late afternoon. Billister had his eye on a nearby hotel and was ready to get a room when a series of vehicles showed up, parking out front.
He walked that way briskly, studying the faces to make sure.
The board had arrived. They were consoling each other, but firm in their commitment to do the people’s business.
Billister smiled to himself. For a few minutes longer, anyway, he thought.
He strolled casually, turning off the road into a side street where he stopped, fumbled with something in his pocket, adopted a confused expression, and then returned to the corner as if wondering which way to go.
After the last of the members entered the building, he gave them another minute. He took out his comm device, input a number, and held the device to his ear and had a conversation. Any observer would have thought he had called a friend since he interspersed his sentences with laughs and nods. He said a loud goodbye. When the device was in front of him, what would have looked like the tap to hang up was the tap to call the number on the screen.
No one heard the connection as a massive explosion tore through the building. He had been ready for the explosion, but not the level of violence that erupted. It threw him into the air, after which he bounced off a vehicle and rolled into the street. Debris rained down on him and the vehicle. He was barely able to cover his face as h
e tried to curl up in a ball.
When the immediate danger had passed, the driver got out to help, aghast at the cloud billowing from the rubble that used to be a building.
Billister groaned and tried to get up. The driver told him to stay down.
“No, we have to help. There have to be people hurt worse than me,” Billister claimed. When he got to his feet, he felt like nothing was broken, but the bruises would convince others of his innocence. He was a victim of what looked like an accident, like everyone else. “I smelled gas earlier,” Billister lied. “I should have called someone or said something! It’s all my fault!”
“It’s not your fault,” the driver said soothingly while he supported Billister. “These old buildings. They ought to do something about them, but it’s no one’s fault.”
Chapter Twelve
Rivka, slack-jawed, looked at the three Ledonians. They were sitting as far away from each other as they could while remaining at the same table. It had been six hours, and they’d gotten almost nowhere. Every point Rivka brought up devolved into angry shouting and accusations.
“The sky is blue,” Rivka stated. They glared at each other and then her. “Is there any goddamn thing you can agree on?”
“The sky doesn’t matter. We deserve our just slice of it.”
“You all deserve what you earn, nothing more, nothing less,” Rivka countered.
Faith snarled a harrumph. “If we’re kept from earning anything, then we have nothing,” she declared.
Rivka wanted to drill down but knew that the anger that embroiled them would not allow them to move forward. They needed time, and to each be given definitive actions to start rebuilding trust. As Federation signatories, they were subject to Federation assistance. Rivka maintained a loose interpretation of that statute.
Judge, Jury, & Executioner Boxed Set Page 67