by Mark Wandrey
"You can say that again," Gregg said. He held his Shock Rifle like it was his most treasured family heirloom. He gave it an affectionate pat then a wet kiss on the stock. "We don't know half of what it can do, but we do know it fires five times as fast as the beamcaster, uses a fraction of the power, is more accurate at a longer range, and goes through energy shields like they're not there."
"Sounds like a miracle gun," Jacob said skeptically.
"A miracle is exactly what we got," Dram said. "Minu, we're putting together a team armed with your weapons and some beamcasters for heavy backup, you still up to it?"
"After some patching first, sure. What's the plan?"
“The Rasa blew it here and in Minsk. After we got the warning in Minsk we sent a few hundred Chosen there. Because of the open design of the freight hub they walked into a shooting gallery. Not even those turtle-bot/tanks got through."
"What happened here?"
"We underestimated them. Didn't think they'd figure out our little Chosen only portal address."
"Painful mistake."
"Won't be made again," Jacob said.
"Anyway," Dram said, "Tranquility is the big problem. Again we discounted that portal because it wasn't really being used any more. They poured a few hundred soldiers through it. The two dozen Chosen there got their asses handed to them. The survivors are fighting a guerrilla action but basically the lizards are pasting the city. With several days left in the vendetta, we can't risk them bringing thousands more soldiers through.
"You think a dozen of those guns can turn the tide?" Minu took Jacob's question as a challenge.
"If they can't, nothing will stop them."
***
Julast 13th, 518 AE – 16:30
30,000 meters, Eastbound, In Route to Tranquility
An hour later, her leg fixed up temporarily as well as her friends wounds, Minu, Aaron and Gregg piled into a pill shaped Concordia transport seconds before it lumbered off the ground. Rated at six passengers, it was heavily overloaded with twelve fully armed and armored Chosen. Ten carried Shock Rifles and shields, and two had beamcasters for heavy fire support. The flight was six hours that felt like forever. Minu tried to sleep and only managed to catch two hours near the end of the flight. Gregg shook her awake as he pilot circled the plateau on which Tranquility was built, and from which her tribe had gotten its name. From five thousand meters the fires looked more under control and less wide spread. She picked up a communicator and made contact with the Chosen below.
"This is Chosen Alma, in command of a combat detachment, calling any Chosen below in Tranquility, please report."
"This is Chosen Jennings," came the broken reply, "we're glad to hear from you."
"What is your situation, Jennings?"
"We have the Rasa surrounded and isolated inside stadium park, but we're taking furious casualties."
"What? How have you managed that?"
"Chosen Jovich led an attack on the portal and somehow disabled it, cutting of their reinforcements. They still managed at least a thousand more."
"They never got their waves of bots through," Minu said half to herself.
"After that the Plateau military mobilized their reserves and we got down to it. Their casualties have been horrible, but we've fought the Rasa to a standstill."
"Roger that, Jennings, we're almost there. Send us coordinates and we'll be down right away. Ask Chosen Jovich if he would meet me on landing?"
"I'm sorry, that isn't possible. He didn't survive the assault on the portal."
Minu choked and felt tears forming. Terry, Alijah, hundreds of Chosen, and now Jovich too? Too many died today, she had to stop this, and one old dead Chosen was not a reason to give up. "Noted," she managed to say. Aaron reached up and touched her arm, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. She only found out hours later than she'd unconsciously used her cybernetic hand and broke two bones in his hand. He hadn't made a sound or tried to let go. All her friends knew who Jovich was, and what he meant to the Alma family. “I'm truly an orphan now,” she whispered.
They landed and disembarked in a surprisingly peaceful landing zone outside a demolished restaurant. Minu stepped down and into the building, little more than a gutted shell. Nearby by were parked a pair of heavy fire trucks, the crews looking as tired and beat up as the Chosen back at Steven’s Pass. Jennings ran up and shook her hand, recognizing her gold stars right away. He followed her gaze to the emergency crews and shook his head.
"The Rasa don't seem to buy into the whole 'non-combatant' theory. Hundreds of firefighters have been killed while trying to limit the damage." Jennings took her into a trashed clothing store where she found the Plateau military commander, a middle aged man wearing the mostly ceremonial trappings of a Plateau soldier. It was an amazing mix of archaic metal armor and fatigues. The only thing that she thought might be any good was the steel helmet he wore, even that was too short to protect the sides and back of the head. He looked more like a cross between a chaos era knight and old Earth civil war reenactor. "This is colonel Hastings."
"Colonel, glad to be here."
"Very good, young lady. Now if your people can give our perimeter guards a rest, we can mount another assault. We're making some progress here. The lizards are remarkably difficult to contain and keep trying to break out."
Jennings lifted an eyebrow at the deferential treatment Minu was getting, and she didn't think much of it either. "Colonel, I'm sorry, you don't seem to understand the situation. I am Chosen Minu Alma, and I'm taking command of this effort."
"Now see here," he blustered, his chest inflating with indignation, "I was fighting Rusk border raiders before your father was-"
"My father was First Among the Chosen and traveling all over this galaxy while you were playing soldier boy." His eyes got big as she continued. "Have your men deal with any stragglers, we're going to go after the enemy command."
Before he could complain Minu gathered the Chosen who'd accompanied her. She outlined her strategy and they all nodded in agreement. They would take advantage of their superior weaponry and strike for a knockout kill. The still flabbergasted Colonel Hastings watched as the twelve Chosen activated personal shields, readied their outlandish looking shockrifles, and trotted out of the building and into history.
Chapter 9
Julast 13th, 518 AE – 19:35
East Limb Industrial Complex, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe
The battle of Tranquility lasted less than an hour after Minu's team landed. They waded into the Rasa with their rapid fire Shock Rifles, killing at will and driving into the heart of the enemy like a lance aimed at the heart. As soon as she'd heard that old style firearm equipped infantry managed to hold the Rasa she knew the enemy didn't have a large stock of beamcasters. Though some later called it an arrogant decision, she considered victory inevitable and was proven right. It only took ten minutes to reach the center of the Rasa position and storm the command center. If was another forty minutes before all their troops got the word that their commander had surrendered instead of facing total annihilation. For the second time in his life, Var'at sat on the ground as a prisoner to Minu Alma.
"This is most improbable," he said when he saw the leader of the victorious enemy unit. The humans were remarkably identical to his perceptions, but her visibly swollen mammary glands and bright red hair were distinctive. Minu smiled as she in turn recognized the Rasa by the chunk missing from his head crest.
"Var'at, it is good to see you again."
"I wish I could say the same."
"Your forces on Bellatrix are defeated."
"You are a liar."
"The force assaulting the city called Minsk never gained a beachhead. The one attacking our Chosen command was defeated six hours ago, by me. And now you're forces here have fallen as well."
The Rasa examined her carefully, listening to his translator hiss and snap. When it was finished he nodded and lowered his head in defeat.
“I ask you to end this ve
ndetta, do not force us to retaliate off world to your base of operation in this attack. You've seen our superior weaponry, and our resolve. The decision is yours.”
"You are victorious." he agreed at last. "I do not understand how."
"Innovation," she said simply. His eyes cast to the sleek new Shock Rifle, carefully taking in every detail. Go ahead and memorize it all, she thought and smiled, you won't find it anywhere in the Concordia network, this is a purely human creation.
"As you no doubt are aware," Var'at began, "under the rules of vendetta we are sacrificed. What do you intend to do with us?"
"You will be returned to your world. We need coordinates for the world you wish to be paroled to."
He didn't believe her, his long teeth lined jaw hanging open. "Are you serious?"
"I already told you I was, didn't I?"
"I do not know if you are noble, or foolish."
"Maybe both."
"Indeed. You have my thanks, and we are your inferiors."
"We would like to be your friends." He made a spitting sound the translator couldn't handle. "If we two peoples can put our past transgressions behind us?" she added hesitantly.
"You slaughtered innocents!"
"And what do you call this?" she asked, gesturing expansively at the smoldering city.
"This is a legal vendetta, what you did is not."
"You have a point. However your scout teams eating our people is considered by us an unforgettable atrocity.”
“I was unaware this was happening,” Var'at said and the translation sounded sincere. “Some of our people are occasionally, out of control.”
“The attack on your innocents was perpetrated by a likewise out of control member of our species.” Minu ran a hand through her sweaty hair and thought before continuing. “Even considering all that has happened between us, I am offering you a concession of at least neutrality between our peoples. Your release is a gesture to this effect."
"It will have to be considered by higher ranking leaders than myself. You human are strange beings. I do not know if I've ever seen your like in all the galaxy."
"I don't believe we could be that unique."
"I hope for our sake that you are."
Minu laughed and shook her head. "I was wondering if you can answer one thing?"
"If I am allowed under the rules of our vendetta."
"Fair enough. How did you find us? The location of this world has been carefully hidden by our patrons, the Tog."
Var'at reached into a pouch. Minu didn't worry, she knew from experience that when a Rasa gave up they stayed that way. From the pouch he removed an unmistakable item. It was a Chosen issue entrenching tool, made on Bellatrix. "This was found near the site of our slaughtered colony. The metal in this has a unique chemical content. The ores you used are from this world. In the Concordia database are those spectral recordings from every known world in the galaxy. It was like leaving us a map." Minu nodded. Another thing Ivan Malovich must answer for. "And what of our equipment?"
"It is sacrificed. You will be held under favorable conditions until such time as the vendetta is officially concluded."
"That is reasonable. Now may I ask you a question?"
"Yes, considering the same restrictions you placed on my question."
"What are those weapons called?"
"They are Shock Rifles."
"Very amazing guns," he hissed, the envy somehow coming through the translator intact. "We came expecting the few hundred stolen beamcasters. Tactics dictated a frontal assault followed by bot shock troops. Beamcasters would not have matched that."
"You are right, they would not have. These are new."
Var'at nodded his long head in a very human looking gesture then asked one more question. "Perhaps if our peoples relationship are not permanently one of unending hostilities, we could agree to trade? I know our nest leaders would highly value those weapons."
Minu smiled big and laughed. There was some common ground after all. "Who knows what the future will bring?"
***
Julast 17th, 518 AE
Governing Council Chamber, Tranquility, Plateau Tribe
The council chamber in Tranquility sported a new feature after the assault, about a third of the ancient dome was collapsed in the fighting. Most of the debris was cleared away and the shinning afternoon sun shone into the old building. Considering the dizzying array of Concordia weapons she'd read about, she considered Bellatrix very lucky that their first true alien conflict involved a species nearly as poor as themselves.
Minu once again found herself in one of those uncomfortable public situations she detested so much. The world council of Bellatrix composed of representatives from all the tribes gathered. It took two days for them to arrive by maglev and aerocar. The vendetta was due to expire in less than one day, and she was looking forward to that even less than this meeting.
On the huge wooden stage (hastily rebuilt after the battle), behind a podium, Dram stood speaking over the public address system. He was providing a detailed account of the brief battle, and the costs to be paid. Minu read the reports hours ago and knew the mind numbing numbers. Two hundred eleven Chosen dead, another seventy injured, ten would be retired from their injuries. She'd wanted to see the list but Dram refused to show it to her for some reason. "More important things to attend at this time," he'd said and then detailed her with defense of the Steven’s Pass Portal. She already knew Terry and Alijah were dead and Christian was off world so she didn't know why he was being so secretive.
Aside from the Chosen, two thousand, five hundred, ninety two civilians were dead as well. All but fifty of those died in Tranquility. Most of the rest were in Minsk. Only a single civilian medic caught by an unnoticed centipede-bot during the attack on Steven’s Pass died there. Material damage was impossible to estimate. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed during the rampage in Tranquility. The food distribution facility in Minsk suffered severe damage, and the Steven’s Pass complex was in sad shape as well. Dram was just wrapping it up.
"In summation, considering the forces we faced and the sudden, unexpected nature of this vendetta, we have come through with very little loss of life."
"I'm sorry, did you say very little?" Minu didn't have to look to see who'd spoken. The accent and arrogance of the Malovich family was enough by itself to allow recognition. "Thousands are dead because of you Chosen getting us into a damned war!"
"This was inevitable. One way or another we were going to come into conflict with another hostile species. The Chosen have been treated like living targets on the frontier for decades."
"If that girl behind you had not stolen those weapons, none of this would have happened." There were a good deal of mumbled agreement. Minu felt her face turning red and fought to keep her demeanor.
"The woman behind me is the one that invented our new shock Rifles, at a substantial personal sacrifice and the loss of her entire science team. Without those guns we would never have defeated the Rasa here in Tranquility."
"Bah!" Ivan spat on the recently rubble strewn floor, "it does not excuse what she caused."
"The cause was not hers," Jacob said. He was being helped into the room by two Chosen. His leg was immobilized in a cast from the hip down.
"No?" Ivan asked. "Then who is to blame."
"Another Chosen on a scout mission perpetrated an atrocity on the Rasa. This gave them an excuse to be granted Vendetta by the Concordia War Council."
"Who is this Chosen?" Ivan asked, voices behind him offering agreement. "There needs to be punishment."
"I fully agree," Dram said.
"Then who is it?" Malovich roared, and pounded the lectern.
"The Chosen's name is Ivan Malovich." A stunned silence fell over the chamber. Ivan's face became dark and strained.
"What kind of lie is this?"
"You dare accuse the First Among the Chosen of lying?" Jacob bellowed with an intensity the bellied his injuries. Minu felt pride in her lead
er once more. Every since the vendetta began her opinion of Jacob had been growing, this was just another step in that process.
The voices that supported him only moments ago turned against Ivan in the blink of an eye. Councilors stood and pointed at him yelling 'shame' and 'outrage'. Ivan gripped the lectern hard enough that Minu thought she heard wood splintering.
"I did not mean to offend," he said, each word sounding like it etched his skin with acid.
Appeased, Jacob continued. "He admitted to perpetrating a slaughter of innocent non-combatant Rasa on a neutral world. Others in his team have concurred that the orders to fire were his. He has been transferred to logistics branch and reduced to a rank of five-star where he will stay for the rest of his career. Considering the offense, the loss of life and property that resulted, I consider the council’s decision to be very generous."
Ivan had no more to say. He staggered back from the podium and dropped into his seat completely defeated.
Dram continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "While the loss of life seems great, it could have been far worse. Had the vendetta been by a higher order species like the Tanam, the Mok-Tok, or the T'Chillen, we would likely have been beaten in short order. We have captured all the surviving Rasa, accepted their surrender, and will be returning them to a neutral world once the vendetta is officially complete. As a bonus we have laid claim to all of their equipment."
The council president, a very old man from New Jerusalem Tribe name Ezra, stood with some difficulty and spoke. "We owe the Chosen our thanks." There was loud, nearly universal applause from around the circular chamber. "In particular we would like to acknowledge Chosen Minu Alma. Her father was my friend, and he would be proud of her, as are we." This time Minu did blush and could do nothing to control it. "However, First Jacob, how do we keep this from happening again? Why did the Tog not come to our aid?"
"The second question first, if you please? The Tog could not assist us because it is against the rules of warfare. A vendetta is a kind of mini war, declared for a few days and in a rare occasions, years. One rule that makes it unique is the participants are openly declared. If you invite someone to help you, you have to allow your adversary the same privilege. Since the Rasa went at us alone, we were left with no choice except to fight on our own. Though we are under the protection of the Tog, this incident was precipitated by our own hand. Blood was shed so we were open to retaliation."
