“Ken?” She straightened up in the chair, rubbing at her face. “What are you doing here?”
“Stuff. Are you all right? I’ve been trying to rouse you for the last thirty seconds.”
“Sorry. I was…sleeping.” She shook her head, still trying to clear the fog. On exiting the ship’s perception, this version of reality always seemed hazy and indistinct for a while. “What stuff? This is a military base, sort of. And you’re supposed to be on Romane. Or something.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed until she was frowning. “You look like shit.”
“You did wake me up from a nap.”
“Not what I mean. You look like you’ve been on a month-long bender. Have you?”
“No, Ken, I have not. I’ve just had a long week.” Walked the streets of a city bathed in blood and stood amid a hundred thousand corpses. Negotiated a three-way peace treaty among opposing factions of a warring alien species who’d previously held me captive. Bullied the Metigen leadership into doing my bidding. Found out we’re not the real humans, and the real humans are currently enslaving the real universe. Oh, and I think I’m addicted to my ship. How was your week? “Nothing a shower and food won’t fix. You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”
Kennedy sat down across from her and leaned forward intently. “You’ve seen the ships outside? The new ones?”
She nodded. “Some of them. They’re exquisite.”
“You bet they are. I designed them, supplied the adiamene and helped set up the manufacturing for them.”
“You did what?”
“While you were off cavorting through portals, I built your mother a fleet.”
“Wow.” Alex blinked deliberately, and the surroundings finally regained a reasonable level of fidelity. “Impressive. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for you. So, what’s the scoop? Find any grand, existential, cosmic answers?”
“A few.” She went to grab an energy drink from the fridge compartment. “Met some intriguing aliens, and some frightening ones. Watched some of them die, saved some. Not as many.”
“Well, that’s morbid. Was it worth it?”
“Worth going?”
“Worth running off and leaving us to clean up the mess you left behind.”
She froze, the drink halfway to her lips. “Excuse me?”
Kennedy perched on the arm of the chair. “I’m not saying you were wrong to go. But creating the Prevos changed everything. Upended our culture, disrupted governments. You had to know there would be repercussions. Yet you did what you always do—you ran off to have an adventure and left the rest of us to do the hard work of dealing with the fallout.”
“You think what I’ve been doing wasn’t hard work? If you knew the things I’ve seen, the choices I’ve had to make, you’d never say that.”
“Then tell me what you’ve seen. Tell me what you’ve done, and maybe I’ll understand better.”
3
EARTH
Washington
Earth Alliance Headquarters
* * *
Pamela Winslow looked upon the man seated across her desk with disdain and a hint of disappointment. “I am failing to understand how it is possible that we cannot control our own military communications network. If interference is coming from elsewhere, block it. We must have security firewalls that accomplish such things as a matter of procedure.”
The EASC Logistics Director, Brigadier Ojeda, fidgeted under her scrutiny. “It’s not so simple, Prime Minister. The network hub itself was moved—not the hardware but the entirety of the governing system, presumably to new hardware elsewhere. We can’t block it because it’s not interference—it is the network. It’s just not located here on Earth any longer.”
“Because it’s on Messium.”
“It appears so, yes, ma’am.”
“Solve the problem, Brigadier, even if you have to cut Messium out of the network to do it.”
“But it’s an Alliance world and the seat of a Regional Command.”
“It looks to me as if it’s in the hands of an enemy. Are we clear?”
“Yes, ma’am. But respectfully, it’s impossible. As matters now stand, I can’t cut the Northeast Regional Command out of the Armed Forces communications network, seeing as I don’t control the network—Northeast Regional Command does.”
“Fine. Continue issuing orders to the individual Divisions directly. You may copy Generals Foster and Colby when applicable. Dismissed.”
She said it like a military order, and he stood, pivoted and departed, leaving her to seethe over Solovy’s outrageous, deceitful screed in solitude.
The woman incited violence and discord while using lies and misdirection to do it. And thus far Winslow’s people had been completely unable to silence her or prevent her warmongering call to action from reaching twelve billion sets of ears.
But they could ensure it was the last speech to do so. The broadcast had caught them all by surprise; no one had thought Solovy would dare make such a bold and public move. In retrospect, they should have foreclosed the woman’s ability to do so sooner.
Pamela had hoped a less violent solution could be found, but she did not intend to make the same mistake twice.
She holocommed Admiral Fullerton, the second-highest-ranking officer in the Northeast Regional Command and one of the few there actively opposed to Solovy and Rychen’s mutiny. “Your mission is authorized. Destroy the hardware communications hub controlling the Armed Forces Network and the Artificial driving it.”
“Both potential locations, ma’am?”
“Yes. We won’t take any chances here, Admiral.”
“Understood, Prime Minister.”
Satisfied the military rebellion would soon find itself neutered, she put the issue out of her mind to review her notes for this afternoon’s press conference.
A new model of governance was always disruptive at first. The masses were always resistant to change, no matter the form or direction the change took. But once the new laws were given a chance to work, people would see hers represented a better way. They would see it all the more clearly since those who threatened her regime would then be imprisoned, deactivated or otherwise no longer able to foment dissent.
The emergence of the IDCC was nonetheless highly inconvenient timing. The organization had attained a startling amount of power in a very short period of time and was proving to be a wild card she had not accounted for in her plans. But such an organization was inherently unstable—no designated leader or authority, democratized to the point of anarchy and polluted with Prevos pursuing their own twisted, soulless agenda.
She expected the IDCC to implode on its own any day now. If it didn’t, however, she might need to give it a slight nudge. After brief consideration, she made a note to explore her options on the matter tonight.
The Senecan Federation would do whatever they were apt to do; so long as they kept it in their little corner of the galaxy, it did not overly concern her. Once Admiral Solovy had been dealt with and matters settled down, she could take more proactive measures to minimize the Federation’s reach. But for now, she needed to concentrate her efforts on the home front.
When it came to controlling the populace, perception was everything. Therefore, it became incumbent upon her to impose the perception that the government was in control of the military, and she was in control of the government. There must be no hesitation, no suggestion of weakness.
Luckily, she had none.
ARCADIA
Earth Alliance Colony
Earth Alliance Forward Naval Base
Colonel Malcolm Jenner stared at the orders on the screen in growing but not unexpected dismay. He’d known this day was coming.
LEVEL IV SECURITY DIRECTIVE:
All NW MSO STCC units are hereby ordered to conduct incursions against suspected Prevo and Prevo-sympathizer hideouts on Arcadia and other colonies located in Northwest Regional Command jurisdiction. A list of initial targets and assign
ments is attached hereto.
Persons, programs and hardware found at these locations which are suspected of being in violation of BANIA are to be detained, pursuant to the strictures provided by BANIA’s associated regulations, and transferred to the Arcadia Central Detention Facility.
This directive supersedes all standing orders of Level III and below.
The order was signed by General Foster. But Foster had always been a yes-man: to General Alamatto, then to the madman O’Connell, and now to Prime Minister Winslow. The man was very good at relaying orders once they had been provided to him.
He was, nonetheless, not merely a general but the ranking general in Northwest Regional Command, with a seat on the EASC Board. Malcolm had risen high in the Earth Alliance Armed Forces, particularly for someone his age, but the distance between him and General Foster was still great indeed. And in the military it didn’t matter how superior an officer was; it only mattered that they were.
The words from Admiral Solovy’s speech rang in Malcolm’s head.
We are not the traitors—we are the defenders. We are the resistance.
Our counterinsurgency is a legal one, and it is also a moral one. We are defending our Constitution and our people. We will be an aegis shielding those who are under siege from their own government.
You do not have to obey illegal orders—you know this—whether they come from a prime minister, an admiral, or your squadron commander. Instead, I will give you orders you can obey with pride and a clear conscience:
Protect the people. Protect all who are innocent of actual wrongdoing. Refuse to assist in the enforcement of BANIA, in a peaceful, non-violent manner. Simply stand your ground.
Well, hell. He’d spent a lifetime following orders. No reason to stop now. He stood and checked his reflection in the small mirror to make certain nothing about his uniform was out of place or unkempt, for he now needed to convey his own authority.
Then he went out to address his squad, grateful there was no one he had to discuss it with before making the choice.
“But, sir, orders are orders.”
“Yes, they are—and the orders from the ranking commander of the Earth Alliance Armed Forces are to refuse to enforce BANIA.”
Devore leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “Admiral Solovy has been charged with treason.”
“Has she? The prime minister insists she is being charged, but I haven’t seen any official documentation from an Ethics Council tribunal. And, frankly, even if I had, I would be suspicious of it.” Malcolm ran a hand over his jaw. “Look, guys, I know Admiral Solovy. I’ve worked with Admiral Solovy—”
“You’ve shagged Admiral Solovy’s daughter is what you’ve done.”
His stomach twisted into a sickening knot. He threw a warning glower in Grenier’s direction. “And Admiral Solovy’s daughter saved your ass from being sliced in two by a Metigen death beam, which means she has far bigger cajones than you, so you should mind what you say about her.”
Grenier shrank back into his seat.
Malcolm’s gaze swept across the briefing room. “Yes, I am acquainted with many of the people on the front lines of this conflict. So are you. You’ve all worked with Prevos before. Several of you watched Mia Requelme outsmart the Metigens on Romane then almost give her life in return. Many of you watched her and Commander Lekkas, both Prevos, as well as other members of the IDCC help us eliminate Olivia Montegreu. Dammit, you know they’re not monsters. You know they don’t deserve to be imprisoned.”
“But Montegreu was a Prevo.”
“And Prevos defeated her. I may have been the one to press the trigger, but I never would have been in a position to do it if it weren’t for them. No doubt some will be bad, and they’ll be subject to arrest and punishment for the crimes they actually commit. But that’s the point, isn’t it?”
Paredes tossed a hand in the air. “Hell, I’m in. Montegreu was one scary S.O.B., but Requelme’s righteously cute. If the colonel can’t manage to get in her pants, maybe I’ve got a shot.”
Malcolm made a face he hoped came off as less horrified and more threatening. In no way whatsoever had he intended this meeting to center around his sex life, past, lack of present and potential if unlikely future. And he really wasn’t sure how it had happened.
But he’d been doing this job long enough that, once he moved past the initial flare of mortification, he recognized it was simply deflection on their part. It was far easier to crack bawdy jokes about sex than to talk openly about committing sedition.
Paredes tossed him a wink, which only made it worse.
He growled a warning. “Gentleman, ladies, and the rest of you—by which I mean all of you—can we focus? I realize it’s a challenge, but try. I also realize nobody wants to have this conversation, but it’s our responsibility as Marines to have it, and we need to have it now.
“Admiral Solovy asked us to choose to protect the innocent rather than imprison them. I, for one, believe she’s right, and I plan to set about doing exactly that. But I won’t attempt to force any of you into following me. I’m your superior officer, but I am not your conscience. I give you leave to do what you think is right.
“I’ll be in our hangar bay in twenty minutes. In twenty-two minutes I will depart for Messium in the Gambier to assist Admirals Solovy and Rychen in their endeavor. Anyone who wants to join me, be there then.
“Anyone who doesn’t, you will be honorably transferred out of the unit. See the base Operations Officer for your new assignment. Thank you for serving with me. It has been my privilege.”
4
MESSIS I
Earth Alliance Orbital Station
Messium Stellar System
* * *
Kennedy tromped around the periphery of the breakroom. “A planet-sized plant intelligence? Seriously?”
“No bullshit. Three of them.”
“Two of which tried to kill you.”
“Rather strenuously. And the third healed me.”
She veered around another corner. “And now you and Caleb are planning to lead an army of Metigens, or something? In a war against…humans?”
“I don’t think they’d technically be considered ‘human’ any longer, not as we—”
“Not the point. In case you didn’t notice, there’s about to be a war here to fight.”
Alex groaned. “Which is why we came back! To help. To try to, I don’t know, keep everyone’s stupidity from destroying civilization. Again.”
Kennedy threw her head back to glare at the ceiling. “Ugh, this is the thing about you that drives me nuts. You always expect the worst from people. You learn what’s happening, and you see idiots and bureaucrats and swindlers. I look out there, and I see people standing up for their right to live the way they choose. I see a whole bunch of people embracing progress and new ideas, even though it’s scary to do, and coming together in new ways and across lines which used to divide them.
“Alex, maybe for once you should think about fighting for something good instead of just against something bad.”
She stared at Kennedy, flabbergasted. She’d left for a few months and…what was this? “You’re really angry with me?”
Kennedy’s lips twitched; finally she shrugged weakly. “I don’t know. I was pissed when you took off and all I got was a bye-bye note. Then I had to leave behind my family and all my fancy comforts to strike out into the unknown, and you weren’t here for me to talk to about it. Noah almost died, and you weren’t here to tell me it was going to be okay, or at least crack jokes so bad I’d have to laugh.
“I missed you, over and over again. But I bucked up and did what I needed to do anyway, and I’m kind of damn proud of myself. So I don’t want you coming in here badmouthing what we’ve accomplished simply because you’re irritated.”
Alex sank into the chair. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. The world—events, people, sounds, movements—were whirling past her, and she couldn’t catch her breath.
>
“I’m sorry. I…you’re right, of course. I didn’t mean to denigrate or minimize everything you’ve done. It’s amazing, all of it. It genuinely has been a tough week and I need more sleep, but that’s no excuse. I should be…better.”
God, she sounded like a glitched recording stuck in an infinite loop. She opened her mouth to spill her soul, to admit the root source of her prickliness and everything else—
“Awww, it’s all right.” Kennedy bounced toward the fridge compartment. “Now that I’ve yelled at you and gotten all the angst off my chest, I don’t feel as mad anymore.” She peeked in the fridge and scowled, then closed it and headed for the door. “Let’s find you some of that food you need.”
Alex forced a smile as she stood. “Good idea.”
Caleb burst in the room at that moment, Noah close behind him. “Come on. We need to go.”
“What? I thought you—”
“The station’s going to come under attack in ten minutes, so moving now, talking later.”
“Attack? By whom?”
Noah snorted. “Who else? The Earth Alliance.”
Her eyes widened. “Mom will—”
Caleb softened his expression. “Will be fine. She’s on her way to her ship. She was sending security officers to collect you, but we volunteered, obviously.”
“Wait, she has a ship?”
He grabbed her arm and tugged her through the door. “Later.”
“Right.” She glanced over her shoulder at Kennedy as they hurried along the curving hallway. “You guys want to leave in the Siyane with us?”
“Considering we came here on a transport, hell yes, we do.”
Staff hurried in all directions through the corridors of the station as sirens rang out. Whether officer or enlisted, combat, tech or support, their movements were purposeful and directed. No one was running or screaming in panic.
As they maneuvered through the crowds toward the docks, Alex wondered, how many of the staff were loyal? They served under Admiral Rychen, but it was no guarantee they wouldn’t betray both him and her mother.
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