Vero’s hands curled into fists. “Commander—“
Ekks didn’t give him the chance to interrupt any further than that. “As the Commander of the Fleet,” he began once again, pitching his voice just loud enough to drown out Vero’s, “I have decided that it is within the system’s best interest that I launch the fleet. I’m sure you all have your own thoughts on this matter, but just know in advance that my opinion will not be swayed.”
Slowly, Vero stepped back from the desk, stiff as a wind-up doll. He dragged his gaze to the holoconsole, watching everyone else with slowly rising dread. Though Ekks tried to stay professional, he couldn’t quite restrain the small, unpleasant smile that curled one corner of his mouth. Vero’s expression grew only more pinched when he noticed it.
The Speaker drew in a breath until his shoulders rose, and he let it out. “You’re certain?” he asked, sounding exhausted already. None of the other senators said a word. Once it was clear that no one else was going to speak up, Vero turned on his heel and stormed from the office.
“Quite certain,” Ekks confirmed. “I’ve already put some thought into what I should say once it comes time for the press conference.”
It felt so much better than simply saying ‘I told you so.’
Aboard The Empress, Outer Sark System
Hey, Mollz. There’s something you should know.
What’s up, Oz?
Pieter just called Paige to loop her in. He thought you should know that she mentioned that tensions are rising on Estaria. Something about launching the Fleet.
They’re doing it?
Not yet. But there seems to be a mounting call for it in the Senate and the media.
Shit.
I know. Want me to do anything?
Not yet. I need to figure this out.
Sure. Take your time. Pieter has Paige in a holding pattern for now.
Cool. Thanks, Oz.
Molly collapsed into her seat in the lounge.
“Stay put,” Joel told her as he ushered her in. “I’m going to get you some water.”
Molly sighed, exaggerating. “I could murder a mocha right now…”
Joel smiled a quirky little smile at her. “You serious? Want me to get you one?”
She shook her head. “No. As much as I crave one, it won’t do me any good, even in the short term.”
He pressed his lips together, nodded once, and disappeared from view.
Molly took a deep breath. There was so much to process, and her brain felt like it had just frozen still. She tried to recall what had just happened and tried to organize the priorities but felt like her mind had rusty brakes that were preventing her from thinking.
You’re overloaded Molly. Just relax for a few minutes. It’s going to take time for the fleet to turn around in any case.
Ok. Just make sure you and Pieter are collecting all the data you can while we’re in proximity to the ARs. There’s no telling what kind of signals and messages they might be sending us… and we can work on sifting through it all later when we’re back at base.
Roger that.
Molly closed her eyes and felt herself breathing. She paid careful attention to the air moving in and out of her lungs… just as Arlene had taught her. Her mind’s eye flashed to the image of Arlene in her realm-jump with the ARs. She remembered the feeling of absolute confidence that she could do what was asked of her. And now, sitting here, knowing she needed to start doing something that confidence was just that: a distant memory in her mind.
“Here you go.”
She opened her eyes. Joel was there with an enclosed antigrav mug of water for her.
“Thanks.”
He sat down next to her. “So… you ready to talk about what happened?”
She shrugged, holding the water and not drinking it. “I don’t know. I’m having trouble putting it all together. I’m kind of preoccupied with the enormity of what they told me I need to do.”
“To prepare the Estarians for contact?”
“Yeah. I mean… they got it right. Logically. The Estarians are the threat. The Oggs are relatively chill and accepting. They’ll resist launching the fleet as much as they possibly can.”
“Except it’s not just down to them.”
“Exactly. From what I know of the politics I’m guessing the Estarians will force their hand, either legally or otherwise. Paige called and said it’s pretty much a fait accompli at this point.”
Joel’s brow furrowed. “Shit. That’s not good.”
“No. It’s not. The Teshovians haven’t the means to get embroiled in any kind of decision-making or contact… so it’s down to the Estarians.”
“Well, that narrows down where we need to focus our attention.”
“I guess so.” Molly cocked her head. “Ok, so assuming the Estarians launch the ships, perhaps…”
She hesitated.
Joel turned to look directly at her. “Go on.”
“Well, I’m wondering how much a deterrent our Zhyn Fleet might be. I mean, what if we just block the movement of the Estarians?”
Joel sighed. “It’s risky. I mean we may end up dragging the Zhyn into a war that has nothing to do with them.”
“Nothing to do with them yet,” Molly countered.
“True.”
“But you have a point. Plus, I have no idea how this will sit with the General. Hang on… let me see if Oz can do a bit of powwowing with Lance so we have an idea when we get back.”
Molly’s eyes took on a glazed look as she went into her own mind to talk with her other self.
Oz? What do you think?
I can ask him. Technically there are restraints on Zhyn military activity as it pertains to the Federation.
But the Sark system isn’t part of the Federation.
That’s what makes it a gray area.
Ok. See if you can get an answer on that.
Will do.
Molly’s eyes refocused on the seat in front of her. Remembering her water she took a sip.
“Oz is on it?” Joel asked.
“Yes. That piece.”
“You ok?”
She shook her head. “Honestly… no.” She sighed.
Joel leaned back and put a hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”
“Apart from being in communication with a new alien race? And having to prepare the system for it?”
He grinned and exhaled poignantly. “Good point.”
She lowered her head. She was too tired to cry. Too bamboozled to talk. Her head felt like a mush of confusion. “I just don’t know how I’m going to do this… What do I tell the Estarians? How are we meant to convince them to stand down… and I mean…”
Her voice wavered and cracked with emotion.
“… Is standing down the right thing? They’re scared. They should have the right to defend themselves against a new threat…”
Joel frowned. “You don’t really think there is a threat?”
“No. But look at it from their point of view. What if it’s not just a war-hungry few that are orchestrating this mobilization? What if it’s really what the people want? And what if they’re right, and I’m wrong about the threat?”
Joel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, mulling her concerns carefully. “You know,” he started, “I know what the military decision would be in the face of a potential threat. But all threat assessments need to be done with the maximum amount of intel available.
Molly sighed, tipping her head back against the headrest. Joel watched a single tear of frustration trickle down the side of her face and neck.
He continued. “Deliver the message, then they can make their own minds up.”
“But who am I to take on this enormous responsibility.”
“You’re afraid of fucking it up?”
“Of course!”
He rolled his lips inwards. “You’re not going to like this…”
She nar
rowed her eyes and looked at him sideways.
He was on a roll. “But if that’s the thing that’s stopping you from doing your duty and protecting the people with the information you have, I think you just need to pull up your big girl pants and stop being selfish. This isn’t anything you aren’t able to handle. You can do this. Everything over the last several years has prepared you for this. You need to man up as it were and make it happen.”
Molly looked at him in disbelief. “Joel?”
“No, it’s his alter ego Joem,” Joel responded with a slight smirk.
Molly’s lips started to smile involuntarily. “You’ve never been tough on me.”
He shrugged. “You’ve never needed me to.”
“Till now?”
“Exactly. Think about it,” he explained some more. “We do everything in our power to make life safe for the people of the system. No matter what the cost to us personally. Even if it means we have to face our worst fears… or as in this case, feel a bit uncomfortable. It’s just what we do.”
Molly nodded slowly.
Joel held her gaze steadily. “You don’t feel up to it? You don’t think you’re good enough? Tough. As I said, pull up your big girl pants and get on with it. Because this is who you are and this is no time to be pretending that you’re not. You’re a leader - whatever that role demands of you.”
Molly sat in silence for a good long minute. Joel started to wonder if he’d taken the right tact.
Finally she spoke very quietly. “You’re right.” She started to stand up.
“Where are you going?” he asked, a bewildered expression creeping into his eyes.
She smirked back at him. “You make a compelling argument. I’m going to pull up my big girl pants,” she responded heading out into the aisle and moving toward the front of the ship.
Joel watched her for a second, then realized he should probably be following. He scrambled up out of his seat and hurried after her. Whatever was happening, he didn’t want to miss a second of it.
Chapter 17
Aboard The Empress, Outer Sark System
Molly arrived in the cockpit with a flourish. Brock turned suddenly, sensing a reinvigorated presence around her. Her face was set hard with a look of determination. A determination he had only witnessed on a couple of occasions when their backs had been up against the proverbial wall.
“Ok folks, listen up,” she declared.
Arlene and Sean appeared behind Joel who had just managed to catch up to her as she entered the cockpit.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. Once the fleet is well on its way we’re going to head back to Gaitune to regroup. The first outcome we must secure is stopping that Estarian fleet from heading anywhere near the outer system. If we can prevent it from launching, so much the better.”
Brock started to say something, but it was Pieter who blurted out a question before he could contain himself. “How on Estaria are we going to do that? We’re just one ship!” Molly recognized the timbre of his voice. He was scared. And perhaps just as perplexed by the situation as she had been just a few moments ago.
“We need to use our powers of persuasion,” Molly said, turning to include Arlene and Sean in the conversation. She gave Sean a very pointed look. Sean acknowledged it with a nod.
“We have one hundred days,” she continued. “We need to use them wisely. Oz is working on what we can do in terms of using the Zhyn fleet to stop them. But we still need to use every other avenue available to us… planet-side.”
“What does that mean?” Brock asked.
Molly pointed to him. “You can get on the holo as soon as we’re in range. Talk to Carol. She can use the graduate teams to find out anything at all that might help us. Any threads from the Northern Clan… track them down, find leverage. Lean on them. Undo whatever they’ve been doing. She’s got some very smart people at her disposal. Time to use them.”
She listed off other points of contact on her fingers. “Paige and Maya: get them to find out what’s happening in terms of the Senate and what needs to happen to have them vote no to launching a fleet. They’ll need to pull in their contacts like Garet and whomever else is around.”
She turned to Pieter. “Pieter, you can look into what angles that fleet commander might use to declare a state of emergency or martial law. We don’t want him pulling that card… not least because it will put those ships out into escalation, but because it will undermine the people’s belief in democracy. If it does go to a vote, we need it to be fair, and truly the wish of the people.”
He frowned, still perplexed. “How?”
“We’ll figure that out. I’ve got some ideas formulating. Find out what is possible and what is likely in the meantime.”
Ben’or, Jack, Anne, and Karina had shown up while she was relaying her instructions. The cockpit was packed with everyone straining to hear and learn what their plan of action was.
“We’re going to stop this Estarian fleet, folks,” Molly declared with such confidence that the others couldn’t help but feel it was a certainty. “And then we’re going to introduce the ARs to the Estarians in such a way that all hell doesn’t break loose. This is going to be the most peaceful first contact this galaxy has ever seen.”
She paused, looking each one of them in the eye. “Do I make myself clear?”
There was a combination of “yes, Mollys,” “yes ma’ams,” and even a few “sir, yes, sirs” from the assembly in the cockpit.
Molly’s face relaxed a touch. “Good,” she said, finally allowing herself to smile. “Let’s get to it.”
There was a scramble as everyone who wasn’t meant to be in the cockpit scattered back out to the lounge and Brock and Pieter got busy on the holocomms.
Joel remained next to Molly. He looked like he was searching for something smart to say. Molly didn’t give him the chance. She just glanced at him with a knowing look, winked and then walked out of the cockpit, leaving him chuckling to himself.
Outside the Senate House, Spire, Estaria
The walk to the main door seemed long. Ekks’s thoughts were far away and scattered, so it felt as if he was crossing a lightyear between one step and the next. As he got closer to the door, it was the level of noise that drew him back into the moment.
Ekks paused just inside the door that would lead out to the courtyard, taking a moment to compose himself. He had only a moment, though. It took only a few seconds before the crowd gathered in the courtyard realized he was standing there. The doorman and the security guards did their best to keep the crowd from swarming the door, but even so, a young woman with a holocamera bobbing at her shoulder still managed to squirm past them.
She was standing right in front of the door by the time Ekks stepped out. Though he didn’t scold her, he ushered her back a few paces. With some reluctance, she retreated a few steps. When a security guard moved to pull her farther away, Ekks lifted a hand to stop him.
Ekks stepped closer to the crowd, waving the doorman and the security guards away as he did. He cleared his throat and straightened the front of his uniform before he linked his hands together behind his back.
“I will be saying this only once,” he explained to the crowd of reporters, and there was a flurry of motion as they all started checking their equipment. “So if you plan on recording any of this, this will be your one chance to do so.”
He waited just a moment for the activity to quiet down, and when he cleared his throat again he had all attention focused on him.
“I know everyone has been waiting for someone to do something about the satellite signals in the outer system,” he began. His voice was calm but he projected it loudly enough for the entire crowd to hear him.
“I know how frustrating it has been, seeming as if no one intends to do anything. Seeming as if no one intends to tell you anything concrete.” He paused for a second, and he could just barely hear some discontented murmuring from some of the reporters, bef
ore the rest of the crowd hushed them. He smiled, just slightly.
“At last, I am here to let you all know what is happening,” he carried on. “The signals in the outer system are not simply dust or debris or asteroids. They are ships. We don’t know what they intend to do. But we do know we can’t simply wait to find out. Any time we spend just sitting on our hands is added time that something could go wrong. And so it is for this reason that we have decided to launch the fleet. If danger is lurking at the edge of our system, then we will not be caught unawares by it.”
He could see them all champing at the bit to start asking questions, but he held up his hands to hush them before they could.
“That is all I have to say for the time being,” he informed them, lowering his hands to link them behind his back once again. “There are many preparations to make to launch the fleet, and it is not a fast process. I would like to waste as little time as possible. But you have my word that you will know if there are any important developments.”
He started walking, and one of the security guards jolted back into motion, hurrying forward to begin clearing a path for him as he walked.
* * *
“You all heard it here,” a young, chipper reporter informed the camera, the crowd still milling behind her. “That was Commander Richard Ekks, Commander of the Estarian-Ogg Space Fleet, confirming that the until now nebulous signals in the outer system are from ships. No word on who the ships belong to or if anyone even has that information, but we know the fleet will be launching. Sooner rather than later, I would expect.”
Her image froze as she finished talking, and then shrank and slid to the side so it only took up a corner of the screen, freeing up the rest of the screen for the show’s host and her guests.
The Estarian host’s smile was too practiced and too bright for the topic at hand as she beamed at the camera. “That was from earlier this afternoon!” she reminded the camera, before she turned her thousand-watt smile on her guests. “Now that we’ve all had some time for the news to sink in, it seemed like as good a time as any to get some opinions on the matter.” She gestured broadly to the side, to her two guests seated at the other end of the table. A Teshovian man with fine, almost pretty features and dark eyes, and an Ogg woman with long nails and an expressive frown. Both seemed less than amused by the theatrics.
The Ascension Myth Box Set Page 226
