“—we’re screwed,” Sadik said as she smirked. “By Allah, I wish I’d never run for the Senate and won.”
“Yeah, I felt that way on more than one day in the Oval Office.” Spencer pursed his lips together. “I need your help to get this in front of Congress. We must force Fuentes' hand… if not, the future of the Terran Coalition is in doubt.”
“Justin, I owe you my political life. So, you’ve got a marker to call in with me. We both know that. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you something like this would get caught up in committee, debated to death, and turned into a political football no one will want to touch.” She frowned. “Sometimes, I hate politics.”
“I was giving that some thought. We need to shock everyone. Senate and Assembly… the media. Our citizens. The entire dang Terran Coalition. The only way I can think of to do that is a joint session where I present the evidence in its entirety.” He paused with the feeling that the fate of the nation rested on her answer.
There was silence for more than a few seconds as Sadik stared at him intently through the vidlink connection. She stroked her chin and shook her head. “The first thought to come into my mind when you said that was how could I do what you asked and save my career.” Her voice took on a somber tone. “There was a time when I wasn’t so mercenary.”
Her words tugged at Spencer’s heartstrings. That time wasn’t so long ago. He could easily remember when members of all parties knew that despite their differences, they were all Terrans. We might have different ideas on how to get there, but all of us want the same thing—a prosperous and free Terran Coalition. The knowledge he’d been part of the problem was never far from his memory. It drove the retreat into painting and away from the limelight. Perhaps I can still set it right. “The past is the past, Nejla. Will you help me change the future?”
She smiled. “Why not? At least if I’m going to blow up everything I’ve worked for all my life, it’ll be for something worthwhile, and not a few billion credits extra on a farming supplement bill.” Sadik set her jaw. “There’s a parliamentary maneuver I can use to call for a joint session that doesn’t require the Assembly’s consent. It helps that the Senate’s parliamentarian is an old friend of mine. I put her in the spot for a reason.”
Spencer laughed. “I see you're still as wily as ever.”
“And many other things.” Sadik grinned. “Leak it to the press or no?”
“I’ll handle the rest. Keep the lid on everything from your end until I get there. Oh, and I’ll need passes for a few people from the capital police force. No questions, no names, just handwave them through.”
“Done.”
“Thanks, old friend. Godspeed.”
“Walk with Allah. Ila-liqaa’.”
Until we meet again, indeed. The vidlink blinked off, and the screen turned black with what seemed a measure of finality to Spencer. Before this day’s end, our fate will be sealed. He went to stand and paused. Like a bolt of lightning, it hit him that he’d yet to ask God’s help. Instead of getting up, he bowed his head and began to pray.
* * *
One positive about being the former head of state was travel restrictions didn’t apply to Justin Spencer, nor those with him. A silver lining, I suppose. The trip had taken a grueling sixteen hours of back-to-back Lawrence drive jumps, culminating with a final wormhole into Canaan, followed by as stealthy a landing as possible in Lawrence City. Every reasonable precaution, including signal jammers, blackout helicars, and multiple convoys of vehicles, was used to throw off pursuit. Even if Fuentes and Rhodes knew who was with me, they wouldn’t be able to stop us.
The helicar he was in—more of a stretch limousine with anti-grav generators—came to a halt deep within the bowels of the underground parking structure beneath the capitol and legislative complex. The doors sprang open, and Spencer climbed out, his ever-present protective service detail swarming around him. David and Sinclair were already out of their respective vehicles. He walked over to them. “Smooth ride, gentlemen?”
“That’s the fastest I’ve gotten anywhere in Lawrence City before,” David replied with a crooked grin. “I can see the appeal of the motorcade.”
“Path to the Assembly chamber is clear, Mister President,” the lead agent in the detail announced. “We need to move now.”
“Shall we, chaps?” Sinclair asked.
“Let’s roll,” Spencer said as he started walking with the detail. Little was said as the party made its way through the customarily packed hallways, now devoid of other people thanks to security protocols instituted when a current or former head of state was moving through the building. They rounded a corner to find a phalanx of capital complex police officers standing with their weapons drawn.
“Halt!” one of the officers shouted.
It happened so fast, Spencer barely saw the agent next to him draw his weapon. The man’s hand darted into his suit jacket and came out with a personal defense weapon—in this case, a fully automatic sub-machine gun of bullpup design. “Drop your weapons, or we’ll open fire!” the lead agent stated in a loud, clear voice.
“You’re harboring fugitives! General Cohen is wanted on charges of treason, as is Colonel Sinclair. They might have fake IDs, but I’d recognize those faces anywhere,” the police officer who appeared to be the other’s spokesman replied. “I don’t care who you are. I won’t allow traitors to sully these sacred halls.”
“I’m not a traitor; Fuentes and Rhodes are!” David thundered in reply.
Spencer glanced at him. “General, I’ll handle this.” He turned his eyes back to the officer. “I understand what you’ve been told and what the media is saying. It doesn’t make it true, however. General Cohen is a war hero who led the Terran Coalition to victory after victory. Do you genuinely think he’d turn traitor after spending twenty years bleeding for his country?”
“That doesn’t matter, sir. Orders are orders. He’s not passing, and I’m placing you all under arrest until the CBI can get here and sort this mess out.”
God, if it is Your will, help me. Spencer put both hands in the air and strode forward with confidence. “Unacceptable. These men and I are walking into the chamber. Otherwise, you’re going to have to shoot us.”
The officers on the other end glanced at one another. The one in charge dug in his heels and gripped the pistol he aimed ever tighter. “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” His finger inched towards the trigger.
“We can’t shoot a former president!” someone behind him said, the voice barely audible.
“You’ll shoot anyone I tell you to shoot,” the officer angrily replied.
Spencer kept walking. He noted out of the corner of his eyes that his security detail, David and Sinclair, did the same. “A man’s life is a series of choices. I’m making one right now to uphold the oath I took… to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Terran Coalition.” He was so close, the opposing officer’s pistols were at arm's length. “Now, either shoot me or get the hell out of my way.”
The other man snarled and finally twisted away, lowering the weapon. He stalked off without a word, leaving the rest of the capital police detail behind. They all holstered their pistols and moved out of the way.
“Thank you, gentlemen.” Spencer turned to David. “Now we wait until we’re called.”
* * *
Simultaneously, on the other side of the capitol complex, Edwardo Fuentes strode through the front door in tandem with Jessica Rhodes. Flanked by numerous members of the presidential special protection detail, they walked swiftly through the corridors leading to the assembly chambers. Fuentes found himself troubled. He was notified only an hour before that the Coalition Senate had invoked a rarely used maneuver to not only allow a speaker before a joint session of Congress, but also compelled both him and Rhodes to appear in person. I wonder what they’ve got planned.
“This is disgusting,” Rhodes hissed. “Ordering us to appear? Who does she think she is?”
“The majority
leader of the Senate,” Fuentes replied dryly. “A more interesting question is what’s the game?”
As they moved toward the sizeable Assembly chamber, which housed thousands of representatives from both houses of Congress, Rhodes seethed. Her face was blood red, and every few seconds, she muttered something else under her breath. “We should refuse to comply.”
Over the last six months, he’d grown increasingly tired of Rhodes’ almost childlike antics. He’d allowed her leeway, even when it became apparent she was hurting the CDF’s morale and war preparedness, but Fuentes assumed peace would last for a few decades, at least. Better to keep my governing coalition together and find a new running mate in three years. At last, they approached the massive doors that led to the chamber.
“Mister President, everything is swept and ready. You know the drill.”
Fuentes smiled. “I do, Oliver. After you.”
The door swung open, and the Assembly's Master-at-Arms shouted, “Madame Speaker, the President of the Terran Coalition!”
The crowd of legislators sprang to its feet in a thundering roar of applause. Rhodes’ face, which previously held a cross between a snarl and a frown, melted into a one-hundred-kilowatt smile. She made a show of shaking hands, but only with lawmakers from the Peace Union. It took a few minutes, but eventually, she arrived at the dais behind the main chamber and climbed the stairs to her traditional spot.
Right behind her, Fuentes made his way to a chair set off to the right of Rhodes. Typically, he’d be the one delivering the address, so the protocol unit adjusted with this new seat. He chuckled to himself as he sat down.
“Madam Speaker, the former President of the Terran Coalition, Justin Spencer!” the Master-at-Arms’ voice carried across the assembly.
Fuentes watched as Spencer walked where he had just trod; down the aisle, shaking hands with members of both parties, as enthusiastic clapping, coupled with a few boos and jeers, continued in the background. Though an opponent, he had respect for the rival politician. At least I think I could have a beer with him without coming to blows.
Eventually, the former president took his place at the speaker's podium. “President Fuentes, Vice President Rhodes, Speaker Okeke, members of the Terran Coalition Assembly and Senate, fellow citizens… thank you for agreeing to hear me today.” Spencer gazed out at the audience, his eyes sweeping back and forth. “I want to start with an apology. The supposed reason for my address today was to discuss the political violence gripping our nation. While that’s an important topic, it’s not why I’m here.”
What’s going on here? Fuentes stared, riveted by how his old rival had started out the speech.
“We face an existential crisis as a country. The League of Sol has violated its peace treaty with us—”
Loud shouts and boos interrupted him.
Spencer held up his hands. “I’ve always treated the opposition and those who disagree with me respectfully. Please return the same. I came here only to speak the truth.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Direct your attention to the central holoprojector. These images were captured by a stealth raider attached to the Coalition Intelligence Service.”
The projector at the base of the podium sprang to life with pictures of Unity Station flanked by hundreds of League warships. It shifted several times, from different angles, showing the entirety of the station surrounded. A hush came over those who had moments before jeered.
“Sensor records identify at least fifty Alexander class battleships and their supporting battlegroups at Unity Station.” Spencer paused again, seeming to allow his words to sink in. “There is only one reason you gather that many combat vessels in any one place—to wage war on the Terran Coalition.”
Angry shouts broke out again, only now they were between lawmakers. Fuentes noticed that some moderate members of the Peace Union had wildly uncomfortable expressions on their faces, and a few were arguing with their more strident brethren. I can’t believe Spencer would fabricate this. No, it’s not possible. The League has played me for a fool. Even as that realization hit him, the next question was—what now?
“Someone once said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Spencer turned back toward Fuentes. “With that in mind, I asked the Director of Coalition Intelligence, who, last time I checked, is a card-carrying member of the Peace Union, to review these scans and logs. His conclusion is they are genuine. President Fuentes, the Terran Coalition is at grave risk. You must act decisively and meet this threat head-on.”
As the gallery and most of the lawmakers erupted into applause, Rhodes’ face twisted into a vicious snarl. She leaned in and whispered into Fuente’s ear, “This is outrageous! It’s a fake! Propaganda! Lies! This is precisely what we needed, Edwardo. Let me have him arrested right now, along with the rest of the center-right legislators.” Spittle from her mouth sprayed on the side of his ear. “We can finally put an end to these warmongers and reform our country.”
Fuentes stared at her in shock as the words registered in his mind. He replayed them several times to make sure he’d heard them correctly. Why are you surprised? one side of his brain asked as he pondered what to do. He’d watched for months as Rhodes became increasingly shrill, branding anyone who disagreed with her as a traitor. If that weren’t enough, she’d also led a political purge of CDF flag officers, the likes of which had never been seen before. I was a fool to think I could control her or her ideology. The ramifications of it all were now in full view. I can keep trying to ride the fence, perhaps stave off a war, and keep our political party intact… or lead us to mass defeat.
It was as if Spencer could read his mind. “The question is, what are you going to do, Mr. President?” he asked, still staring back at Fuentes from the podium.
He stared at Spencer, his mind locked in a battle between what was expedient and what was right. Every once in a while, Fuentes believed, a human experienced absolute clarity of thought. Right now, he thought he was having such a moment. What Rhodes was, what she represented, and the threat it posed to the Terran Coalition looked at him directly in the face. I have an ace card up my sleeve. Months prior, a CBI investigation had found Rhodes directly responsible for inciting riots and organizing violence against political opponents. He’d sat on it, preferring to smooth things out until the next election. That’s no longer an option.
* * *
Seconds ticked by, and Spencer found himself questioning his strategy. He’d assumed when confronted with the evidence, Fuentes would fold or loudly denounce it. Staring at him with a stupefied expression wasn’t one of the outcomes he’d posited. And then it happened.
Leaning back in toward Rhodes, Fuentes whispered something unintelligible to her.
Her expression morphed to one of pure, blinding rage as her cheeks turned red and started twitching. “You wouldn’t dare!” she hissed loudly enough to be heard around the podium area.
“Don’t doubt I will,” Fuentes replied, his voice growing in volume.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Then Rhodes stood and shouted, “I am resigning effective immediately from the Vice Presidency of the Terran Coalition. You murderers can do whatever you want!” She turned on her heel and marched off, headed for the exit.
Spencer’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull as they opened wide. What just happened? Around him, the rest of the lawmakers went silent, as did the murmurings from the gallery.
Before he could speak, Fuentes stepped forward. “I realize this is wildly out of parliamentary rules, but may I approach?”
“Of course.” Spencer took a step back, eager to hear what he had to say.
“I don’t agree with Justin Spencer or the Liberal party on much,” Fuentes began, and pulled the microphone down to his level, as he was a few centimeters shorter. “But I’ve never doubted his patriotism. Nor do I doubt a word of what he’s just told us. Madam Speaker, I ask for approval to bring a motion to the floor for an emergency vote.”
Of course. He wants a unity government. Ditch Rhodes and have me join it. Spencer realized the move and approved. As Vice President, there was a lot he could do to restore faith in the CDF and try to stem the damage to the officer corps.
“Given these extraordinary circumstances, I’ll allow it, President Fuentes,” Speaker Okeke announced from her seat. “Proceed.”
“I hereby nominate Justin Spencer for the position of Vice President of the Terran Coalition and ask for confirmation by a voice vote. All those in favor, say aye.”
Shouts of “Aye!” filled the chamber.
“All those opposed, say nay.”
There were a few scattered calls of “Nay!” mostly belonging to diehard Rhodes supporters.
“The ayes have it. Do you accept, Mr. Spencer?”
“Of course. I’m glad to rejoin our government to present a unified front against the League of Sol.” Spencer extended his hand. “Thank you.”
Thunderous applause broke out from lawmakers, members of the public, and staffers throughout the gallery and assembly chamber proper.
“And now, I must offer my resignation as the President of the Terran Coalition.” Shocked silence greeted Fuentes' statement. “Justin Spencer is a tested wartime president. He’s what we need in this dire hour.” He pursed his lips together and whispered under his breath, “I’m sorry to spring it on you like this.”
Spencer reached out and squeezed Fuentes’ shoulder. “I’ll accept only if you agree to be my vice president,” he said into the mic. “The Terran Coalition must stand united.”
After a couple of seconds, Fuentes nodded once. “I will. Would the Chief Justice approach the podium to deliver the oath of office?”
The white-haired Chief Justice of the Terran Coalition’s Supreme Court, Takis Stavros, slowly made his way up the stairs on the podium. At nearly one hundred and twenty years of age, he was approaching mandatory retirement. Once at the top, he reached inside of a wooden drawer and withdrew the Assembly chambers’ official Bible, which sat next to a copy of the Torah and Koran. “Are you ready to receive the oath, Mr. Spencer?”
Finish the Fight: Echoes of War Book Seven Page 10
