The Kryl Queen

by Chris Burton

  Jones shifted uncomfortable in her seat. All of this was controversial; the next section even more so.

  “I have spoken to the Kryl Governor this morning. I advised him it was unlikely we would meet the one hundred million target. The Governor has made it clear this is not acceptable, but has agreed to a forty-eight hour extension to allow us to reach the target. Ladies and Gentleman…we currently have a prison population of thirteen million; I am proposing to use the prison population to plug the gap…this figure includes those on remand.”

  That was enough. The chamber erupted as members of both sides of the government house started to shout in disapproval. The president sat down and closed his eyes as he waited for the presiding speaker to regain control. Eventually, all was quite.

  “Yes…this is indeed a controversial solution, but we have no choice. We have to meet the shortfall somehow and if people will not attend and the security forces are not helping, then we have to use those already behind bars. The prison population is the obvious choice.”

  Again, there was bedlam and again the speaker regained control. This time the speaker asked the president to make way. The Opposition Leader was ready to show his hand.

  Rohan Mikoslavic was the long-standing leader of the opposition party. His popularity ratings had never been so high.

  “Mister President, thank you for making way. Where do I start? I suppose I should say thank you for finally allowing us to discuss this matter in this house, although frankly we should have had our say before, rather than after agreement was reached. I suppose also that a responsible opposition would support the governing party in matters of security…that is unless they get it wrong…And oh yes, you have certainly got this wrong.”

  This last sentence was greeted with applause and whoops from the auditorium, giving the President the opportunity to stand. But he stood down again when Mikoslavic failed to give way.

  “I am sorry Mister President, but I am just getting started. Quite why Alpha agreed to this I don’t know. What has happened to the CIC; Koenig is supposed to be a strong leader. Did you know there are 250,000 battle droids sitting redundant in, England, waiting to be called into action? Why was there no ground war? And why or why did the President and Koenig agree that we could tolerate four hundred million deaths per year to mitigate a peaceful agreement between our two races? Do the maths, Mister President, how long before we run out of people?”

  He paused again briefly as the house roared into action once again, the president stood, but again Mikoslavic would not make way.

  “Now…when surprise, surprise, he could not persuade ordinary innocent people to walk to their deaths in the numbers required that he decides to pick on the prison population. Yes, many would agree that some of them are serious hard line criminals, who should never see the light of day outside of the prison network, but they are all still human beings. The fact is no section of our population good or bad should be part of this shameful, ugly policy. It must stop now and we must amass our land forces and prepare to do battle with the Kryl on the planet surface. Let us see how they cope with thirteen million battle hardened prisoners for example. Now, they will not play fair. I will stand down President Roslyn shortly…I have yet to make my most serious point.”

  This is it, thought Kate as she stood now helpless watching the proceedings unfold. This had gone badly. The President had allowed the opposition leader to hi-jack proceedings and it was effectively all over. There was just time for the knock-out punch.

  Mikoslavic continued calmly, he would build up slowly. “My understanding is half of the eighty-five million people collected are still in the collection center. They must be released now. The Kryl leader must be summoned to this building and told unreservedly there will be no more sacrificial lambs. The Kryl agreement must be torn up and demands made for the Kryl to leave our planet now and finally what is left of Alpha must be brought out from hiding and forced to take the initiative to remove these invaders from our land.”

  Again, he paused and allowed the speaker to regain control. This time Roslyn stayed in his seat. He looked like a beaten man already.

  “If we lose…” Mikoslavic continued. “It will be because we tried and failed, not because we gave up. Look at our history for God’s sake.” He turned now and faced Roslyn directly.

  “You have got this so wrong. Nobody in this house supports your policies and it is time you realized your own position is defenseless. You must resign now. I am calling for emergency powers to allow the opposition to join forces with the party of government to join forces under my stewardship. You must resign now.”

  Mikoslavic sat down and the applause continued, followed by chanting from the opposition benches, before Roslyn stood up.

  This is it, thought Jones. This will go one way or another. Will he quit or stand and fight? She did not have to wait long for the answer as Roslyn quickly rose to his feet as the bedlam in the auditorium quickly gave way to silence.

  “Thank you so much for your eloquent words Mister Mikoslavic. You will understand I will not be making way for you, while I defend our government’s position. I would also like to point out that it is important to preserve our integrity and be cautious about what we say and the language we use.

  We are being watched, by the public at large and the Kryl. Despite your assertions, we have debated the agreement…not in precise terms, because of the sensitivity of the matters being discussed prior to signing the agreement, but we certainly did debate it and there was broad agreement in this house that we should support an agreement.”

  A brief pause for breath before he started again, Sam Jones realized he was going on the offensive.

  “You asked me to look at our history…I did. We are the defeated force and surrender was the only option. It was already too late for anything else. You cited the example of the 250,000 battle droids. These could not be used because the Kryl would have assumed control of them and turned them against us. This war is over. The choices were simple, we came to an agreement, no matter how unpleasant, or we fought down to the last man. The Kryl made it clear in their discussions that if no agreement was reached, they would destroy the human race, once and for all.”

  The chamber was noisy again. Roslyn waited for the commotion to calm before continuing.

  “The ECG and the Kryl are aware that four hundred million losses per year is unsustainable and it is clear that the numbers required must reduce markedly over time. The aim of the agreement was for the population levels to remain broadly balanced over time. Look…this is probably the most controversial and using your words “ugly” agreement in Earth’s political history, but it is also the only option available to us. I have taken on board your suggestion that I resign and I will not…but I will stand and be judged before this house in a confidence motion—should the house deem it appropriate. If I win, the policy will continue. If I loose, a properly constituted election will have to take place…

  “There are no emergency powers and there is no quick fix to this problem.”

  Roslyn sat down and Jones took a deep breath and sighed. What would Mikoslavic do now? The answer came almost immediately as he stood once again.

  “Thank you, Mister President. I do take on board your comments and will remain cautious in the wording I use. I don’t accept your judgment that we had no choice and I don’t accept that an election is required in this time of crisis, should this house choose not to support you. I call for a motion of no-confidence and I respectfully submit this should take place immediately.”

  Mikoslavic sat down and the speaker stood up.

  “If there is no opposition I propose that the motion will take place immediately. I suggest a one hour recess, before voting is made.”

  Remarkably and akin to a school class leaving their classroom at the end of a lesson, the chamber emptied quickly. Roslyn was left with a few of his p
eers to his left and his right. These now were his only real supporters. Sam Jones stood up and approached the government benches. She had no real advice, but wanted to show her support.

  “Ah Kate…I need you to get hold of Mikoslavic immediately and ask him to meet me in my private chambers straight away. There are security issues which must be addressed before this meeting takes place.”

  Five minutes later, Rohan Mikoslavic joined Roslyn in his private office. There were no pleasantries; Roslyn wanted to get straight down to business.

  “I hope you don’t mind my chief aide sitting in. I wanted to drawer your attention to several issues which contradict the official line taken by both the ECG and Alpha, before we go down this route.”

  “What do you mean contradict?”

  “Koenig and a large number of Alpha personnel are several thousand feet below the earth in a purpose built bunker. They are in communication with a two hundred strong contingency fleet, which is preparing to return to Earth when it is appropriate to defeat the Kryl. All we have to do is keep the Kryl happy in the meantime.”

  “Why the hell did you not tell me this before?”

  “I was planning to. I was not expecting you to go for the jugular today. Your timing is a bit unfortunate.”

  “When exactly is the appropriate time for the fleet to return to Earth?”

  “That is a moving target. Obviously when we have a means to destroy them. My understanding is that Alpha scientists have developed a theory, but they are seeking an application. It could be soon…maybe within a year.”

  “So, you are asking me not to rock the boat. We are just supposed to sit back and watch as millions of us are carted off and executed. The agreement is a fudge and you know it and the people of this planet and the media, for God’s sake…they are going to have a field day with this!”

  Mikoslavic took time to take in what he just learned and then opted for a more conciliatory tone.

  Okay. So, assuming I can persuade my party to accept this and we somehow continue to support you and your government. How are we going to achieve that now?”

  “We need to persuade the speaker to put the vote off. I know I am also asking you to put your political aspirations on hold, for the good of the planet.”

  “Quite so. Okay, call him. I guess we can always say that a private conversation has taken place between us and that for the time being I am now in support of the agreement. I am not sure I like this…it is almost political suicide.”

  “We need to be clever about this. We could invite a coalition now, with you or me heading up.”

  “No good, if I have based my stance on pulling out of the agreement. I will just have to tell those who ask.”

  “You can’t. This has to be “need to know” only. Political motivations must take a back seat.”

  “That is easy for you to say, when your political career is coming to an end. You say you have tried all avenues with the Kryl?”

  “Yes. They won’t budge.”

  “Then we have only one alternative. It’s a secret ballot…we just fix the result.”

  “Hardly a political solution from your point of view.”

  “No…but I have no choice. I will just have to hold onto the end of your office. It’s only just over a year and who knows by then, this may all be over.”

  The Speaker arrived a few short minutes later. He was surprised to note that both leaders were present in Roslyn’s private offices. The significance of what they were about to do was not lost on either leader.

  “Take a seat Mike.”

  “I’ll stand if that is okay. I am a little concerned about why you would both be present at this meeting.”

  “This is going to be a hard one to swallow…we need you to fix the ballot!”

  The two leaders then went onto explain the dilemma and the speaker listened quietly without comment. When they finished, the speaker paused before speaking.

  “The least democratic states are those that fix the results. This would make us all accessories to a plot against democracy.”

  “For the very best of reasons. We are trying to preserve the human race. Mike. Are you with us on this or not? We appreciate there is little time to think about this, but we don’t have much choice.” Roslyn was keen to moves things on.

  “I am trying to work out the best way to achieve this. We verify voting numbers periodically.”

  “Can we extend the recess?”

  “Not really…it will arouse suspicion in the aftermath. People will be curious as to how this vote went in favor of you Mister President.”

  “That is up to me and Rohan to sort out. Look; we are correct. You can fix the result, yes?”

  “Yes, I can. I am not sure I will.”

  “This is an awful lot bigger than any of our political ambitions. We need to maintain the status quo and wait for the contingency fleet to liberate us. We can’t do this without you, Mike. Are you with us?”

  The speaker shifted uncomfortably in his seat and took a few moments to compose himself. “Yes.”

  * * * *

  Twenty minutes later. The secret ballot commenced with each member casting their vote automatically.

  Within a few minutes, the scale of Roslyn’s loss was immediately apparent; seventy-five percent of the senate house had voted against him. But only the speaker knew the real figures. He was able to override the security protocols and change thirty percent of the no voters to yes. The vote of confidence in President Roslyn therefore narrowly passed and Roslyn now had the endorsement to continue with the Earth/Kryl Agreement.

  Chapter Ten

  Bridge Command

  Three weeks after Commander Hoskins allowed Jake to join the Patrol Team, he was in the process of completing his bridge command training. The assessment stage was nearing completion and Jake had proven his competence in all three main bridge stations. His final assessment was underway; three hours in the command seat.

  The assessment provided for several simulated activities, including a jump to and from Stellar speed, the launch of Jump Ships and their return, deployment of plasma cannons and a set of complex battle type maneuvers. All was conducted under the watchful eye of the ships XO, Commander Jacques.

  “Okay Bridge Commander. Take us to sub light velocity and set a course for Veluvero 17”

  Jake had been waiting for this. The command from the XO was a teaser. Veluvero 17 was beyond the seventh corridor; currently at the very furthest reaches of the known galaxy. This course was just not possible, especially at sub light.

  “Please verify course. The destination is beyond economical reach.”

  “Maintain current course, but keep an eye on scanners. We have incoming on long range.”

  This was a simulated attack and the second in two hours. The assessment proved quite intense.

  “Shields up. Identify?”

  “Enemy fighters to starboard, sir. There are at least twelve.”

  “Clarify…let’s have them up on the screen and magnify.”

  “Thirteen in total. Can’t identify at present.”

  “Launch one Rapier Group and bring us around in front of them. Deploy plasma cannons.”

  “Rapiers launched. They are on us now. We are under attack. Incoming plasma fire to weapons banks.”

  “Bolster shields.”

  “Comms. Open a comm.link.”

  “No response. Damage reported to Rapier Group, sir. Two losses reported. Portal shields down to thirty-five percent.”

  “Compensate. Launch one Rapier and one Sabre group.”

  The simulation suddenly ended and signs of the enemy disappeared from the data screens. The XO had ended the assessment.

  “The test is now over. You have the con. I shall be in the ready room.”

 
Twenty minutes later, Jake was summoned.

  “Well done, Lieutenant Carter. Your final actions in this latest simulation probably saved the ship from some potentially nasty enemy vessels. It was also good to see that you picked up on the Veluvero ruse. The intensity at the end of the assessment is designed to ensure you could cope in a battle situation. Only one real issue, which was your failure to make contact with either the CO or the XO during the entire assessment. There were several occasions where it would have been appropriate, not least the final simulation. I would also have brought out Sabres with your first deployment of Rapiers. Remember the job of the bridge commander is emergency cover and not as a replacement for the executive officers.

  “Notwithstanding these minor issues, I can confirm you have successfully negotiated the final assessment and I am happy to award you bridge command status. Well done! You can stand down now, for the rest of the shift.”

  It was good to get off early, particularly after such a stressful end to his simulation. So now, he had bridge command status and theoretically he could be handed the con at any stage, while he was still on board the Halo 7. That was a pretty mean feat, at the age of twenty-three. He could concentrate on his Patrol Ship Command training, due to commence in less than a week. He would celebrate tonight, but with his shift finishing early, he would take some time for himself.

  He just finished a new comm message to Carla. He had started with the news about his bridge command status, but the message fell short because he ran out of things to say. All he did was fill his messages with the same content…“I miss you.”, “I can’t wait to see you again” or “keep safe.” He kept returning to that night with Maria; he felt guilty and regretful and knew that he had to get off the Halo 7 and fast. But, it was still four weeks until his Patrol Training completed and even then, there was no guarantee he would actually be selected. It was not that he minded Maria’s company; far from it. She was fun, effervescent and he and his colleagues enjoyed her company. The trouble was she was always there at the end; when the others had retired for the evening; it would just be Jake and Maria. He had not let himself down again since that night, but temptation was a powerful enemy and with a little too much alcohol, the chance of it happening again was very real. She knew it too. She had no inhibitions about coming forward; no doubts about what she sought from their relationship. He just had to remain strong. As for Carla, well he hadn’t told her of his indiscretion. Not that it would have made a difference anyway because all of his messages were stored in a databank, pending delivery, when security allowed. This had to be done face-to-face. He just hoped she would forgive him.