The holographic recording ended with the pirates inputting the new name and owner of the ship using their battered terminal. The name of the ship was the Razpa, her new captain was Majan Lor. "The Razpa is docked to pylon nine," the woman said as the small holoprojector deactivated. "I am Majan, one of the Captains with the Underground. Do you need a tour? More holos of what we've used my ship for since?"
Noah sat back, he knew Alice had been right where he was before in many ways. She'd given technology to someone who took things in a direction she couldn't have predicted. In her place, he didn't think he could have done any better, and he wasn't going to agree to anything until she had her say.
"Lewis just reported that he's spotted the Razpa. It's a modified Order of Eden Customs Corvette, registered to her, and her DNA has been detected on the bridge. Order records report the ship being pirated then disappearing three weeks ago on the edge of the Godan System," Alice said. "She's wanted by the Order for piracy, grand theft, the murder of five officers, unlawful imprisonment, and destruction of military property. If she isn't a rebel, she's a pirate and a killer who really likes messing the Order up. I'd take this to the next step."
"All right, Majan," Noah said. "I think you qualify for my special freedom fighter discount. Have a seat and tell me what you need. The Corsair Arms Dealership is open for business."
Epilogue
It was maddening. After taking several side-excursions to parts unknown, Admiral Hadlee of the British Alliance sent Ayan a coded message with a simple title. SUPPORT MUST BE WITHDRAWN. It was straightforward and clear. Even so, Ayan had to watch the rest of the message then forward it on to the rest of the admiralty.
Most of them were scattered throughout the fleet, which included fifteen lumbering Nafalli ships along with a constellation of smaller support and secondary vessels of their own. There were tens of thousands of newcomers from tree tribes, plains tribes and under tribes who were eager to join Haven Fleet officially. Three new Mergillian Cruiser-Carriers, which were even larger, were on their way behind Remmy Sands, who was approached by several politicians who wanted to offer real military support for Haven Fleet.
So many of them had been wronged by Regent Galactic and the Order of Eden. One of the largest tribes of Nafalli were driven from their home world by a variant of the holocaust virus when a small part of the Eden Fleet recognized them as enemies. No one was ready. Millions were killed, and while they wanted revenge, they also saw a glimmer of hope in Haven Fleet, because a story had begun to spread further than anyone expected. Haven Fleet was once tasked with defending the Haven System. That wasn't the most important part of the new story that was reaching distant stars though. That was the second part of the story, where the Haven Fleet had technology, ships, a need for warriors so they could return to Haven, take it back and give the people who needed a place to settle land, protection and peace.
The Mergillians asked Remmy about it over and over when he visited one of their well populated colonies. When they looked upon him there was hope, an expectation in their eyes that reminded him and his team why they were fighting more than anything. After the news reached Ayan, she, Oz and Lamonthe, who would be working alongside her old friend on training and intelligence, stated developing a plan with the Nafalli to train thousands. When the War Forge settled into its new hiding place, it would begin building large and medium ships again. They would need them, it was a good feeling, but it would still take weeks to train most of the newcomers on the essentials.
Then there was this message from the British Alliance. Ayan got to her feet when Leon and Lamonthe entered the darkened room. "So the British gave us the brush-off?" Lamonthe asked quietly.
Ayan nodded, looking around at the furniture for another moment. "Officially, I assume. I haven't run the playback yet." The space was remarkable, a room built for resting Nafalli Tree Tribe people. There were bars along the ceiling with durable textures made to simulate bark, soft resting platforms hanging down, and large adjustable seats like the one she just abandoned that could fit three humans or one full grown Tree Tribe Nafalli. Two if they were familiar. There was also a corner specifically designed for a group of them to build what the designers started calling a 'rest nest' where they would all bring their own furs and blankets then relax in a pile. She'd seen the Murlen family all piled up in their quarters in Haven once, and the memory of that large mound of fur made her smile.
Standing in quarters that would be filled by a Nafalli family or social group the next day, seeing how comfortable it seemed already, even if not for her because everything was far too large, gave her even more encouragement. Ayan knew that Lamonthe would probably never see the space, so she had Leon bring him to her, it was a good a place as any while it was still empty. "Well, I'm ready for a little bad news," Lamonthe said. "First, I have to thank you. When Admiral Valent and McPatrick were promoted I was sure I'd be permanently shut out. I'm still surprised that some of my more controversial plans are going through, with a few modifications, and that I'm still in the Admiralty. Even more so now that I'm back in Intelligence again, working with Admiral McPatrick. I think we'll work well together, especially since I'm running the security for the new recruits. I knew I would have a meaningful place in the fleet when he offered that role to me right away. I think this is the right balance. Intelligence and training could go well together in this organization, and our staffs can cooperate. Most of all, I want to thank you for keeping me useful."
"Welcome to the family," Ayan said, glad that there was no sign of bitterness in him. "You should thank Jake most of all, though. He saw something no one else did; that you were drowning in responsibility. Even after delegating huge parts of your workload, you still had more going on than any one person should have to handle. He thought putting you with someone who knows how to delegate would be the right way to fix the problem. Oz has more command training than all of us."
"I already thanked Jake and… Oz." It was obvious that calling Admiral Terry Ozark McPatrick by his nickname was new, even awkward for Lamonthe. It may have been the first time he'd done it, for all Ayan knew, but it made him lighten up a little.
"Good," Ayan said. "Ready for some bad news?"
"I suppose there has to be some on a relatively good day like this one. There's that balance the universe likes to push on us," Lamonthe sighed.
Ayan activated the recording and British Alliance Admiral Hadlee appeared in an isolated full-length, full-sized holographic image. "Former Defence Minister, Admiral Ayan Anderson. It pains me to convey this message from the British Alliance Military. It is the opinion of this body that rectifying the situation in the Haven System is not a cause the British Alliance sees as a worthwhile pursuit. Furthermore: the persistance of Haven Fleet, despite its superior technology, is no longer seen as just or rational. The loss of life and resources is regrettable, but past is prologue, and the British Alliance does not believe that Haven Fleet's strategy will lead to any kind of meaningful victory against the Order of Eden. As for reparations for technology acquired during our cooperation, the British Alliance has decided that any settlement will be indefinitely suspended. It is the recommendation of the British Alliance that Haven Fleet leave the sector for unexplored space, since they have the transportation technology to make the journey quickly. Once there, you should settle on a suitable world and become self-sufficient, pursue your goal of growing and developing a peaceful society. Once such a pursuit is well under way and the Haven Fleet is removed from negative diplomatic entanglements, you will be welcome to contact us again." Admiral Hadlee nodded to herself and cleared her throat before continuing in a less chiselled tone. "I'll catch hell for this, Admiral Anderson, but I have to add that joining you during the invasion of the Haven System was the most righteous thing I've done during my service. No call to battle has ever been as just as one made by people defending their home. I regret that I have to leave, and believe my people are making a mistake by abandoning your people. I hope to see you aga
in, God speed."
"She really didn't want to go," Leon said.
"There will be a lot of time for her to think about what she's seen here on the way back home. It'll take her weeks," Lamonthe said. "I have to wonder, though; why did she bother adding her personal statements at the end? They didn't accomplish anything."
Hadlee's parting statements would land her in a world of trouble, Ayan was sure. She didn't have much time to spend with Haven Fleet, but she was pleasant while she was around. "We must have made an impression," Ayan said. "Even still, maybe your code breakers could run through the message for a while. She could have been trying to give us a tip on the way out."
"Good thinking," Lamonthe said. "I'll put a few people on it."
"Ma'am," Leon said. "Councillor Malsen is about to board her transit shuttle with the rest of the Lorander Delegation."
"Open communications through the internal holonet," Ayan said and a moment later, the small group of five Lorander delegates appeared in front of her, Lamonthe and Leon. The Councillor looked as sour as ever, her pale brow heavy. "Hello again, I was hoping you would reconsider negotiating a fairer sharing of knowledge before you left. There's still time to forge a real bond between the Lorander Corporation and Haven Fleet." They had refused to trade so much as a word of history, even about the Raiders when they were shown images of them and their ships, even when Ayan put data on their new intelligent plating on the table to sweeten the deal, the Lorander representatives were silent.
"You insulted me, limited our access, cut us off from our people and imprisoned us for weeks and you expect me to change my mind?" The Councillor asked. "You people are eternally greedy, and it makes you foolish. No, it's worse, it twists your expectations, pulls you out of line with reality. Your whole fleet is doomed. I'll be surprised if this glorified pod you're sending us off in makes it out of the solar system, but at least we'll be away. Good-bye."
"That transit ship was made you is a Lorander Corporation design, one of the best. I'm sure you'll be comfortable," Ayan said. "I made sure we didn’t deviate, so it's safe, your flight crew will find that it's familiar. I am wondering something, though; do you really represent all Lorander people? We've found out that the Lorander name represents two completely different things. One is Lorander Corporation, and according to every record we could find on you and your group, that's who you're representing, and the other is Lorander the culture, the society, and we couldn't find much in our system, but from what we can tell, you don't represent them. Can you confirm that? How big is Lorander Corporation compared to the Lorander people?"
Councillor Malsen turned away and moved on, passing into the airlock then walking onto the transit ship. One of her aides fell behind. When the rest of his fellows were out of sight, he looked to the holo recorder, it seemed like he was peering directly at Ayan, Lamonthe and Leon. "The Lorander Corporation is less than one-one-thousandth the size of the Lorander people proper. Keep looking through the Lorander Corporation data you have, you'll find a way to contact my people. They are as varied as all the stars in your sky in attitude, appearance, and aspiration. Good luck, little fleet." He passed through the airlock, it closed and the view switched to the slender transit ship as it decoupled from War Forge Mobile Station.
The trio watched as it glided away, opening a blue-white wormhole then slipping in, disappearing with the fading of the light. A signal from Navnet Control flashed on Ayan's command and control unit. The fleet was ready to begin preparations to move on to their next destination. "So, we make for the next star," Ayan said as she tapped the order to get the fleet moving on her wrist.
"With more questions than ever," Lamonthe said.
"We'll find the answers. Until then, I think we can show the Order of Eden that winning this war will be more difficult than they thought." The notion of her daughter, Alice along with trusted friends arming rebel groups far, far away, close to the Order borders, the small fleet of ships that were hiding in and near the Haven System, and the plan Jake was putting together with his Special Operations Combat Unit made her feel like Haven Fleet was about to have a great effect. The recruitment effort wasn't going as expected, she thought there would be more humans than they could handle coming aboard, but they had thousands of new friends who wanted to sign up regardless. Then there were the rebels and families they were about to meet, almost all human, all from Nuaji, and ready to join Haven Fleet after being ferried out of Order of Eden territory by the Pelican. They would be waiting at the fleet's next destination. The thought of so many humans, Nafalli, Mergillians and people from other races filling the War Forge gave her more hope than anything, and she wanted to show them that the future would be brighter than the horror and fear they left behind. The fight may not be easy, but Ayan would make sure that it was worth the cost and that everyone could see that it led to a better place.
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 14: Rebel Preview
One
Angel's Landing Station
* * *
The meeting with Majan Lor went better than Alice expected. A few crates of rifles, military grade handguns, a new shield generator that would be compatible with her ship - a pirated Order of Eden Customs Corvette - military vacsuits and five sets of generation two Freeground Armour. The equipment was better than what the Order had, but several steps behind Haven Fleet's systems.
Watching, listening, commenting on a closed channel to Noah Lucas as he made the deal was more relaxing than being the brains and the negotiator at the same time. He was good at putting a deal together, showing that there were limits without letting the situation become negative. Every time Majan Lor, the Captain of the Razpa, tried to ask for ship weapons or a starfighter, Noah turned her to something else like a new shield generator and specifications for emitter upgrades or intelligence on the supply lines for the Order of Eden only a couple light years away. The generators came at a cost, but the intelligence was free. He lit a fire in Majan by telling her that she was the first to get the information, but he was going to be sharing it with everyone, so she only had a limited time to get to a wormhole emergence point and make her move on whatever Order of Eden freight delivery she could catch.
That wasn't the only thing that was free. When their business was about to conclude, and Majan had already agreed to pay one point four million platinum for the equipment and weapons that was on the table, Noah told her that he was throwing two new forma processors, three tons of the high-grade food for them and a month's worth of meal bars for her and her crew. "A revolution fights better on a full stomach," he told her with a smile that melted the hardened Captain.
With a promise that she'd tell the members of the Underground she knew that he was trustworthy as soon as he made good on the deal, she and her crewmembers departed. Alice wished she could have gotten a clear read on her with her empathic abilities, but they still felt supressed by the reactor over their heads. Her suit said it was some kind of electronic interference that made most communication and some other systems unreliable as well. It was one of the reasons why the place was appealing to its clientele, and the ambience was helped a great deal by the rolling blue-white light shining through the partially shielded transparent ceiling that separated the establishment from the fusion flame above.
Moments after the deal was closed and a delivery date was agreed on, Noah got up from his seat. He looked to Alice and the others behind him. "Ready to go?" She was in the lead in form fitted powder blue vacsuit and a captain's jacket like his own. Knud and one of the thick bodied Nafalli crewmembers towered in the rear, while Yawen and a human male beside her were in the middle. That was Theodore, who he was overjoyed to see. They were all in full helmets which were a new design. They still used metal slats over a sealed frame, but they were pointed down from the chin, broader at the top with a blacked-out faceplate that was tapered, giving them a serious, almost menacing look.
Alice nodded, and they followed him out of the bar. There were at least four other groups of people who
stared at him or tried to approach him as though they wanted to strike up a conversation. To her surprise, he strode past without giving them a seconds' notice. "One of those groups could be from a resistance cell," Alice said, communicating from her suit to his suit using a laser link.
"If they were, they'd know that we wanted to talk to them by now, and they'd get right in front of us," Noah said, activating his own helmet. "They'd have the confidence of someone who already knows we want to talk to them. That is, unless there's another resistance outfit that isn't ready to approach us. In that case, I'd rather see them when they've decided I'm worth their time."
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 13 Page 37
