The Stars Came Back

by Rolf Nelson

  The receptionist changes the direction of her hand, her eyes big and locked onto the muzzle pointed at her. She hits the right button and the door clicks open. Helton’s rifle goes back to covering the guards. Allonia heads for Seymore’s office door, eyes and gun still on the guards. She grabs the knob, shoves it open and strides in.

  Seymore sits at his desk, leaned back, feet up, but startles and starts to get up, shouting, then freezes. In the corner sits Seeless, who stands up and to reach for a pistol in a shoulder holster when he sees her enter.

  Seymore: I SAID NO VIS-

  Allonia has a hard-eyed glare on Seymore. Her pistol points at Seeless out of the corner of her eye.

  Allonia: SIT!

  They both freeze a moment, then sit.

  Allonia: I don’t have all the details, but I know you are involved in the treason of trying to shoot Tajemnica down using Kiv SAMs. If the Plataeans we dropped to stop them don’t come back alive, neither do you. If I find out they died and you had direct involvement, you better kill yourself, because when I get to you, your demise will be downright Old Testament. I know you and Darch have been talking to the Kiv, and it’s only a matter of time before we know exactly who said what. Call anyone you know who even might be able to call them off. Your life, and Darch’s, depend on the survival of those three men. And if you try to stop us from leaving, there’s twenty thousand tons of metal hovering over your building awaiting our safe return.

  She turns to Seeless.

  Allonia: And believe me, after what you did to her parents, Quiri would be happy to set Taj down right here, right now, if we don’t walk out.

  Seeless blanches and a stain appears and grows on the front of his pants. Allonia holsters her pistol, turns, and strides out, leaving Seymore gasping in rage and fear. The office is silent except for the sounds of Allonia and Helton departure. The moment the outside door closes, the three guards in the outer room rush in to check on him, then rush back out as he rages at them, yelling almost incoherently, chasing them out of his office.

  Seymore: WHAT THE HELL DO I PAY YOU ASSHOLES FOR YOU MORONIC ROID-RIVEN PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR DOORMEN! GOODFUCKNGODYOURUSELESS! YOU-

  He freezes, mid sentence, seeing the thrown knife in the wall. He gets closer. The view zooms in on the bit of blood on the knife edge.

  FADE TO BLACK

  FADE IN

  EXT - DAY - Cargo bay ramp

  Tajemnica still hovers above Seymore’s office. Lag and the guard wait motionlessly, facing each other, Lag with his rifle still held casually. The door to the building slides open. Helton and Allonia (a modest trickle of blood on her temple) jog out and hop aboard Tajemnica’s already moving ramp as it lift away. Lag looks at her, questions written on his face.

  Allonia: It’s nothing. Guy with a knife. Seymore now has clarity. He’ll be calling everyone he ever talked t-

  She freezes mid step, momentarily perplexed, then a look of suspicion flashes onto her face.

  Allonia: (More statement than question) Kat. Why did Kat talk to Darch or Seymore?

  Helton and Lag glance at each other, then back to her.

  Allonia: Taj said she was picking up a useful chain of communication between them. She’s a spy!

  Lag’s face goes blank.

  Lag: Sort of. Double agent, really.

  Helton and Allonia both look at him in surprise.

  Lag: I’ll fill you in after we get that cut taken care of.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - DAY – Sick bay

  Allonia is being bandaged and cleaned up by Helton while they talk. Helton stands as he works, she sits on the edge of an exam table, while Lag leans against another.

  Lag: She’s been feeding a few of the local powerbrokers information that is correct but of more use to us to know they know it than it is to them. They are willing to pay a premium price to gain supposedly inside data, and Kat has a rare talent for pumping them for more than she hands out. When I realized we might be getting set up, our best intel was that at most an air defense company was going to be used, more likely a platoon level detachment. Everything else was apparently accounted for. Darch must have pulled in some huge favors and really hate you to commit treason on that level, unless there is something else big going on we don’t know about. Four ManPAD teams at the RC, a whole battalion in the zone. That’s a serious commitment.

  Helton: So she told them she’d tell us it was clear, and we’d set up the ambush ahead of time?

  Lag: Exactly. A few launchers and a score of men would have been a piece of cake. An entire battalion… Not sure what we’d have done if we’d known that. That’s a steep order on short notice with so few men, even for the First Sergeant. If they did totally reduce it, that’s going to be a huge bonus for the Company.

  Allonia: (Shocked) How can you talk about profits when Dorek and the others might be dead or dying?

  Lag looks apologetically at Allonia.

  Lag: Sometimes, when the cause is just and the buyer poor, we fight for free. We can afford to do that because of money and experience gained working for richer clients. Fighting is never risk-free, but we don’t normally go into battle expecting to die.

  Allonia: All those men, suffering and dying. War is messed up.

  Helton: Yes. It is.

  Allonia: Why? Why do they…?

  Lag: Because wars are started by people, and there are messed up people in the universe… Sadly, they often seem to float to the top of the political cesspool. Ambitious people chase money and power, and the more they have, the more corruptible they become.

  Allonia: So why do you fight? You and Dorek seem nice enough.

  Lag: Thank you. Because to not fight back concedes victory to the worst bastards starting the wars. I raise the cost of fighting so they’d rather negotiate in good faith.

  Helton: Fight fire with fire, as it were.

  Lag: Exactly. Like shooting a rapist; it keeps him from ever doing it again, makes the next bad guy think twice…

  Helton: And like flattening someone with a missile launcher.

  Allonia: Those are different! That was just self defense!

  Helton: Is it so different?

  Allonia looks upset, troubled and tired. She breathes deep, holds it, and slowly lets it out through pursed lips.

  Allonia: So. What next?

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Seymore’s office

  Seymore talks to Darch on the screen. Both are obviously angry, uncertain, and frustrated.

  Seymore: (Yelling) You need to call them back!

  Councilor Darch: (Yelling) I can’t contact of them!

  Seymore: She’s crazy! They are all crazy! And they threatened me, here-

  Darch: I don’t give a damn about their threats! If any word of this-

  Seymore: And I don’t give a damn about your fucking election, either, but if they land-

  Darch: Your ManPADS failed, got themselves killed!

  Seymore: I just made the connection, you hired the morons! They were on foot, goddamit, and they just landed on them! She threatened to land on me! That crew is-

  Darch: I can’t contact the battalion until they radio me, so I don’t know WHAT they’re doing now!

  Seymore: Well you damn sure better find a way to get a line to them, or we are both-

  Darch: FUCK YOU! You must have a mole that leaked! I know I’m tight here! You have to find out how to get them for what they did to my family!

  Seymore: No, FUCK YOU AND YOUR DEAD ASSHOLE SON! You can’t keep a secret to save your life! You’re only in office because of my support!

  Councilor Darch: And you only have your job because of me!

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Bridge of Tajemnica

  Helton, Lag, Allonia, Quiritis, Cooper at stations

  Over the PA the voices of Seymore and Councilor Darch are heard.

  Lag: I’d say that’s enough to crucify them.

  Helton: Quiri, make for the ambush pickup point.

  All
onia takes a quick breath, Lag eyes Helton critically, Cooper looks skeptical.

  Helton: We know the battalion is badly shot up. They’d call for support or extraction unless they lost all the vehicles and com, which means we should be safe. We can let those two argue forever and record it for later.

  Quiritis: Aye-aye, captain. Buttoned up. ETA 34 minutes, 26 if we push it.

  Helton glances at Allonia.

  Helton: Push it.

  Quiritis nods understanding, and the sound of the surging drives rises substantially.

  FADE TO BLACK

  Pickup

  FADE IN

  EXT - DAY - Fall-back hasty firing position

  They are hunkered down, caked in grime and blood. There are no sounds of war, only the crackling of fire. Smoke swirls by. They look like they’ve been through hell.

  Kaushik: Think they finally had enough?

  Harbin: (Grunts) May be organizing a final push.

  He drops the magazine from his rifle, and looks at the top. Only one round is visible, with the follower below it. As they go around, one at a time drops their mag and checks it, then reinserts and reports.

  Harbin: Ammo check. Two here.

  Kaushik: Four.

  Kaminski: One.

  Plumbata: Two.

  Foster: Out.

  Brenneke: Two.

  Sabot: Bayonet still mounted.

  There is a long pause. There are a couple of glances at Buck. Kaushik reaches over, checks his pulse. He shakes his head.

  Kaminski: Either way, shouldn’t be long.

  A shadow passes over and they glance up. Above them, Tajemnica streaks by, going parallel to the forest fire line. It turns in a long arc and comes back to them, ramp already partially lowered, with a small crowd of people on it. Allonia, Helton, Lag, recruits, Trask, several medics with stretchers. As Tajemnica settles down and lowers the ramp the rest of the way, right on the edge of the firing position, everyone jumps off and to help the wounded men aboard. Kaminski stands up unsteadily, straightens up, and takes a step toward the ramp. He staggers and is caught solidly by Allonia.

  Allonia: Don’t be an idiot! Let us help you!

  Kaminski: (Through gritted teeth) Told you. Not on my shield.

  Allonia: Good thing we showed up to save your ass!

  Kaminski: Call it even. Saved yours this morning.

  The rest are either being helped up the ramp or carried on stretchers. The recruits that had worked aboard with the refugees look shocked at the condition of those that went to fight.

  Harbin: (To Lag, helping him up the ramp) Sorry for the mess, intel missed some details. Few more than expected.

  Lag: We saw from the air. Quite a surprise party you throw. Make for a hell of a bonus.

  Harbin: (Nodding slightly) Next Kiv staff meeting should be interesting. (Points to a trio of bullet furrows in his helmet) Best not mention details to Mohini, though.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - DAY - Sick bay

  Injured soldiers lie on beds, being cleaned up, stabilized, and covered with many bandages. At least one medic is working on each of them, and there are blood transfusion bags hanging at every bed. Bipasha stands between Kaushik and Harbin, Allonia between Kaminski and Sabot. Only Sabot isn’t completely sedated. Everyone is tired and strained.

  Kaminski: (To Sabot) Your first battle is a really good “no shit, there we were” story, complete with cool scars and combat effectiveness bonus. Quite a day’s work.

  Allonia: I sort of understand Lag, but how can you be so casual about it? Buck’s dead, and how many on the other side died because their leaders were stupid?

  Harbin shrugs slightly and winks a wry grin to Kaminski with an I-told-you-so look, then faces Allonia and speaks very matter of factly.

  Harbin: Soldiers must focus on the positive. Keeps you from giving up or going insane. Battlefield calculus is insanity, attitude is what keeps you alive.

  Sabot: I’m sure my parents would have liked me to finish training before my first combat, but after this…

  Harbin: You did well. Kept your head, did what you had to do. Got a respectable future here if you want it. A first class reference if you don’t.

  Bipasha: I’m just glad the two of you, well all of you, are back! I don’t know how Mohini puts up with knowing you go out and do that all the time!

  Harbin: (Grins) I leave her at home. She knows the Colonel doesn’t usually do stupid things, or take stupid contracts.

  Sabot: Do you always get into shit like that?

  Allonia: Oh, God, I hope not!

  Kaushik: No. That was the worst I’ve been in.

  Kaminski nods agreement.

  Harbin: Trickier than most. But battles like this mean we have to fight less later. People see us coming and they run, surrender, or negotiate. It’s too bad about Buck; he didn’t do anything stupid, just unlucky. Our standing here as we did means fewer deaths elsewhere.

  Kaminski: And, of course, it means Taj and her wonderful crew didn’t get shot down.

  Allonia blushes, Harbin and Kaushik nod, Sabot drifts off as the meds take effect.

  Allonia: (Softly, just to Kaminski) I think we need to talk in private somewhere, soon.

  He raises his eyebrows in curiosity, then settles back into his pillow.

  Kaminski: Yes, I think I’d like that.

  Bipasha: (Trying to change the topic) Eight trips, over eight thousand refugees. No one lost in transit. The RC built out pretty well to accommodate them all.

  Allonia: (Trying to be joking, only partially successful) We still have to figure out how to split it up.

  They look suspiciously at her.

  Allonia: Ambush delivery, recruits, crew, Lag’s company, ship’s company, a visit to Seymore, refugee contract, special target contract, Penger’s generous payment… Not exactly all spelled out in one contract anywhere.

  There is a collective groan at the prospect.

  Kaminski: What!? You went to Seymore’s?

  Bipasha: Why do you think the Kiv soldiers pulled back? Allonia had a word with him, and by the time we got to you they were in full retreat. She can be quite convincing, I hear. Didn’t like it when she’s angry.

  Kaminski looks at her, head tipped inquisitively.

  Allonia: (Tired smile) You watch my back. I’ll watch yours. Deal?

  Kaminski: Deal.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - NIGHT - Loading ramp area

  The cargo bay airlock doors are closed, and the wedge-shaped space above the raised ramp is dim, empty, quiet. From one side, a folding arms slowly extends out, reaching near a top inside corner to the brass plaque. On the end of the arm is a small engraving bit. It whirs gently. Zoom in on brass panel and its huge list of names. At the bottom of a column, JON BUCK is etched, adding to the long list. There is still room for more.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - NIGHT - Sealed off compartment

  Quinn crawls though a maze of densely packed machinery. He wears a headband with lights on each side, and a small camera in the center. He carries a screwdriver and a small mallet. The compartment is filled with gears, chains, and tube-handling equipment. There are several tubes about three meters long, missile-sized, in some of the holders. He’s inside a magazine with automated munitions handling equipment. A damaged and broken piece of metal is jammed into one of the gears. He climbs like a monkey though the magazine to the jammed gearing.

  Ship AI: (OC, quietly) As I thought. After that last impact it may be shaken loose enough for you to free now.

  Quinn looks it over, playing the lights and camera on it.

  Ship AI: (OC) Hit it gently from the side, low down, so it moves away from the gears.

  Quinn hefts the mallet, and gives a gentle tap.

  Quinn: There?

  Ship AI: (OC) Yes, but more firmly.

  Quinn gives it a whack, reassesses. It’s moved a little bit.

  Ship AI: (OC) Pry a bit with the screwdriver.

  Quinn sticks the
screwdriver between the piece of broken equipment and the gear, and starts to pry, pulling gently.

  Ship AI: (OC) No, the other way.

  Quinn reverses and pushes. The broken piece moves, shifts, then falls free.

  Ship AI: (OC) Ah, just so. Just one more fix and it may be usable again. But I’m afraid you can’t help with that right now. Thank you once again for scratching another hard-to-reach itch, Quinn.

  Quinn: Welcome. What next?

  Ship AI: (OC) Nothing for now, thank you, except to see if anyone needs a hug or a hand. They usually do after battle.

  Quinn nods while he crawls back the way he came, carefully carrying the broken piece of equipment.

  DISSOLVE TO

  Sick bay

  Everyone except Kaminski and Allonia are sleeping. No medics are around. Allonia has an apologetic look on her face as she sits next to the bandaged corporal holding his hand. Kaminski has an unsettled expression that changes several times as he makes several aborted attempts at starting to say something. Finally a thought solidifies enough to come out.

  Kaminski: That’s not what I was expecting. And I thought the battlefield got complicated… Mom always said falling in love was easy, but doing the right thing after that was hard.

  Allonia nods slightly in agreement.

  Kaminski: Got some thinking to do.

  Allonia: You understand why I couldn’t tell you before, and why I had to tell you now?

  Kaminski nods.

  Kaminski: Got some serious thinking to do.

  FADE TO BLACK

  Part III

  PM Book

  FADE IN

  EXT - DAY - Landing Pad D9

  Tajemnica’s aft ramp is down toward the building across the street. Helton sits on the ramp, a long piece of grass between his teeth, waiting. For once, it looks fairly peaceful and quiet. The ship and cargo deck look clean and orderly, with minimal gear or equipment around. The day is overcast, no sharp shadows.

  The sound of an approaching truck breaks the quiet. A grav truck with a large cargo container on the back comes down the road and stops in front of the ramp. The driver hops out, walks over to Helton, and hands him a tablet to sign.