Art followed the instructions to park the car in the building on the left, where they left all their weapons and webbing. They went through a connecting section to the next building including two checkpoints. The first ran scans and sniffer dogs. At the second they were tagged but thankfully not bagged. There was no way they were going to wander around here untracked.
Murray Benson was there to meet them along with another younger man that Jade nodded to but was introduced simply as “John”. Benson looked extremely tired. His bloodshot eyes and puffy dark rings around them were testimony to the strain the Alliance leadership on Beta Phi was under at the moment. His thick hair needed a cut and a wash if the truth be known. It used to be brown but there were not too many that answered to that colour any more. He brushed back his fringe before giving Jade a tired smile that carried no enthusiasm. “Follow me please” he said.
He led them through a maze of corridors. This had been a purpose built facility earmarked long before this crisis. Everywhere the cameras and scanners tracked them. John played tail end Charlie.
Finally Benson pushed a door open to what was supposed to be a conference room but it had all manner of gear stacked within it. “Please excuse the mess but there’s a war on as you know. Grab a chair and, if you need to, just relocate the stuff in your way. Can I get you a coffee?”
“That would be nice thanks” said Art.
“It’s nice to meet you at last LCmd Simons. I like to think I know you but it’s always good to meet someone in the flesh.”
“Yes it is” said Art.
“Jade tells me you are here for a Mr Bane and his offsider.”
“That’s right.”
“We too seek the pleasure of his company.”
“Trust me it won’t be a pleasure. I’m not here to deliver him to anyone other than his maker.”
“I see” said Benson. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes for a moment. As he came back forward he looked straight into Art’s eyes. “We can all profit from his interrogation. We need to know who to shut down in the other cities. Surely you can see that.”
Art nodded. “I do but Mr Bane has a knack of surviving and as long as he does he causes grief. The rogan are only able to foster insurrection though him. Terminate him and you stop the rot.”
“We can stop the rot with his capture. We don’t need to kill him.”
“Look Mr Benson we both know that it takes a lot more resources to capture someone than it does to take them down. As you can see we are just a small team.”
“And if I were to provide more you still wouldn’t agree would you Art?”
“No, he has to go. It’s too big a risk otherwise.”
“I thought so” said Benson. John came in with a tray of paper cups and placed them on the only spare piece of real estate on the table. Hands moved quickly and cleared the tray. Benson gave a smile, a warm one. “Good to see you haven’t lost your thirst. Alright let’s take him down then. Here’s what we know.”
Chapter 8. Niku 0830, 23 May
“I’m not sure about this” said Julian Pious. He was reclining with his head propped up against a roll of curtains that had been scavenged from some other location within the terminals.
Justine reached out with her hand and placed hers on his and gently stroked careful not to aggravate the bandaged area. “It’s going to be fine Julian. I must do this.”
“Can’t someone else?”
Justine shook her head. She could see it was a struggle for Julian to carry on this conversation. His badly bruised lips were all puffed up and it affected his diction. “I won’t be long” she said and she patted his hand, rose and left the room.
Tammy was waiting for Justine. “This way Maam.” She led her through the connecting section, now temporarily repaired with some makeshift flooring, to the ground terminal. They had to divert around the blocking positions and all the debris around them. The connecting section with Terminal 1 was in good order though. Tammy noted that Justine was tiring a little and so she slowed down.
Terry Hacker was waiting for them at the media centre. He was Justine’s media director. She had called him at 0600 and told him to be there. He hadn’t been too enthusiastic and when he saw Justine with her gashed head and the bruised face he looked even less enthusiastic. He was normally a high energy person but his black hair wasn’t keeping up appearances like it usually did. His blue eyes looked tired, his complexion lacked colour and his whole demeanour said ‘I don’t want to be here.’
“Gee what happened, Justine?” he asked. He always used first names no matter who they were or what position they held. “Oh boy, better sit yourself down here and let me work some magic.”
“No Terry. I want everyone to see what they have done to me. No makeup, no fuss. Just get me in front of the camera and keep it rolling till I tell you to stop.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea Justine…”
“Forget it” said Justine as she waved away his pathetic attempt to have her sit in the make-up chair. Even in her state she easily brushed him aside. ‘I can certainly do better than this’ she said to herself as she looked at him in an annoying manner.
“All right we’ll do it your way.”
“Thank you” said Justine with more than a hint of exasperation. She sat down in the ‘guest’ chair but turned it to face directly into the main camera. “We ready?”
“Yes…this is broadcast take 1” said Terry and he waved for her to start.
“Fellow citizens of Beta Phi I am Justine Packer, Head of the Niku Council and I want to call you all to arms. We have been brutally attacked by the Rogan Fleet. Its ground forces have overrun our city. Its agents have incited some to insurrection. They took myself and a number of other officials here hostage and mistreated us horribly.”
She swallowed and took a big breath. “Their agents murdered Councillor Tankard in cold blood before my very eyes. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to wrest control of our planet.”
“But they are not invincible. Our Federation colleagues have come to our assistance, like good friends do. They have destroyed two of the six enemy capital ships orbiting above us. They have wrested back control of the Niku spaceport and freed myself and the other hostages. More Federation forces are on their way.”
“The enemy is checked here in Niku and soon will be in Assam. The tide is turning against this foe and now is the time for us all to rise up and crush this vile invasion.”
“Please contact your local councils to find out how you can best help. For those of my fellow citizens in Niku I urge you to take to the streets around Council Chambers. Show the rebels holed up there that they do not have your support. Without them the rogan are finished. Please join me today at noon and we will march shoulder to shoulder against this foe.”
She sat back in her chair and Terry cut the recording. “How was it?” asked Justine.
“Very moving Justine. Your best speech ever. We don’t need another take. I’ll finalise this now.”
“Excuse me Maam” interjected Tammy but I don’t think it’s a good idea to invite unarmed civilians to confront armed rebels. That will probably end badly.”
“It may dear” said Justine as she stood up. “But it may well work” and she gave Tammy a determined look followed by a smile.
“Please Maam I need to run this past my boss.”
“You go ahead and do that but unless I’m mistaken I do believe I am the senior authority here. Terry, send it as soon as you are ready.”
Terry looked nervously at Tammy and then back at Justine. Tammy was pleading with her eyes and Justine’s eyes were steeled resolve. He opted to heed the latter.
Chapter 9. Assam 1100, 23 May
Murray Benson was beyond ‘tired’ but short of ‘exhausted.’ He knew his mind was failing him. He could no longer retain the details or make the connections. But he knew the others in the room were counting on him. So he took a deep breath in and focussed on issuing the tasking
orders to his agents. Finally he was satisfied and hit ‘commit’.
He looked up from his console and said “It’s done. My agents will scour the city. If he’s still here we’ll find him.”
“So what do you want us to do?” asked Jade.
“Wait. Rest if you can. You’re going to need it. God knows we all need some rest. Take it while you can. John will show you to an area you can crash in. We’ll contact you as soon as we have something.”
Ten minutes later Art found himself on an actual bed in a small dormitory in the basement of the facility. He hailed Sue and gave her a SITREP. He knew she was worried about him on this mission but she did not fuss about it. He liked that. After the call he lay back down on the bed. He wasn’t that tired. He’d only been up seven hours or so. But he knew Murray’s advice was sound. So he shut his eyes.
Chapter 10. Niku 1150, 23 May
Bel Rickets led her team into the big store opposite Council Chambers. They had infiltrated past the rebel screen which had been easier than anticipated. It looked like the rebels were only manning blocks on the main roads.
She had passed quite a number of civilians walking towards the Chambers square. Now that she was on the third floor she could see that there were two crowds forming at each end of Dunervy St that ran in front of the big Council Chambers building.
The rebel troops were in the process of finishing off a barricade around the building. A truck was parked out front and a good twenty to thirty troops were lined up in two ranks with an officer giving out instructions.
Bel shifted her focus to the upper floors. She spotted several rogan troopers but she knew they would be keeping a low profile.
“Maam” she hailed.
“Yeah” replied Ginty.
“We’re in. I’m on the third floor. No problems. Area secure. You can bring the package forward.”
“Good work. We’re oscar mike. Be there in five.” Ginty terminated the call and turned to Justine “we’re on.” Justine who had needed the rest nodded that she was ready to press on.
True to her word Ginty entered the building in five minutes. As she did so, she could easily hear the noise of the crowd gathering in the street ahead. That same noise brought a smile of satisfaction to Justine’s face.
From the third floor they surveyed the scene. The crowd at the eastern end had swelled significantly. Bel estimated it at over ten thousand with half that at the western end of the square. More people were joining the crowds.
Justine nodded as she scanned the area. “I’m going down now.”
This took Ginty by surprise. Her remit was to escort her here and to keep her safe while she watched. “Hold on Maam. That’s not a good idea. Definitely NOT a good idea. I cannot guarantee your safety out there.”
Justine put her hand on Ginty’s arm and said “My dear you could never guarantee my safety. It’s not your call. It’s mine. I have to do this.”
“If we step out into that square there will be one hell of a firefight and many of these people, your citizens, will be killed.”
“Yes I realise that. There is no need for you come with me. I will go alone.”
Ginty was now getting desperate. “Please Maam don’t do this.”
“I have an idea” interjected Kong.
Ginty turned to him “What?”
Kong took off his suit, leaving just his navy blue singlet and shorts.
“No Kong” said Ginty.
Kong ignored her and calmly took out his pistol and stuck it into the back of his shorts. “It’s for the best. Trust me.”
Justine nodded her acquiescence. “Come on then we have to go now.”
“All right then” said Ginty. Once they had departed she shook her head. “Shit!” Here they were just 21 marines not 100m from 20 rebels and an unknown number of rogan warriors, with 15,000 civilians in between. “What could go wrong, hey?” she whispered.
Kong pushed his way into the crowd at the eastern end. Justine stuck right behind him. Justine had told him to head for the man with the megaphone. Kong’s big frame and determination managed to maintain some momentum through the sea of bodies. As they neared the speaker someone recognised Justine and yelled out “Packer. It’s Packer.”
The speaker up front stopped and was trying to see what was happening in the direction of the people now calling out her name. He soon noticed the big man coming straight at him from ten paces with just three people between them. He did not recognise Kong but saw his big frame and for a moment felt real fear. But then the man stopped and turned side on to let Justine edge past.
“Justine” cried out Silvio Mandez, the self-appointed rally organiser. He was a small balding fellow. He was a not a good physical specimen having spent too much time at a desk or on the phone. But that’s what you did when you were the senior political advisor in a political party, Justine’s party.
Justine smiled “Silvio…it’s so good to see you.”
Silvio reached out his hand and brought her to him. “Not as pleased as I am to see you.” He looked around and said “We have all heeded your call Justine. We are here. You need to speak. Let me get you a podium.” Silvio turned to a woman beside him and spoke into her ear. She passed on the message.
“Who else is here Silvio?”
“Kerri’s organising at the western end.” He went on to reel off a series of names from the staff and Government who were here. A couple of men were pushing forward into the crowd. Kong stepped forward to shield Justine. “It’s all right pal” said Silvio. “They’re with me.”
They were bringing forward a big crate. They placed it on the ground and Silvio climbed up and stood up. Kong lifted Justine up and then got up himself.
“Listen. Everyone listen” shouted Silvio into the megaphone. He wasn’t getting much traction. “Packer….Packer…Packer …listen up for Justine Packer.”
Things quietened down enough and Silvio handed the megaphone to Justine. Her diminutive frame was shorter than Silvio and dwarfed by Kong’s. Silvio pulled on Kong’s belt indicating he could sit down. But Kong would not have a bar of it.
“Thank you everyone for having the courage to turn out here today” said Justine. As she started to talk quiet descended in the crowd.
“Thank you for standing here with me in this our darkest hour.” She pointed toward the Chambers building. “The rogan have territorial ambitions. They are an empire founded and sustained on continual expansion. Their whole structure is predicated on conquering other civilisations and stripping out their resources and wealth. They have raped system after system and now they have turned their sights on our system.
“But they are not invincible. They are having a tough time of it here on Beta Phi. Our Federation friends are inflicting heavy losses on these invaders. They have retaken the spaceport. I know I have just come from there.” A cheer went up in the crowd and Justine paused letting it swell and enthuse the spirits of those around her.
“Right now the rogan are only hanging on with the support of these people here on the steps and inside this building. These are our people who have sold out their fellow man. They are traitors and misguided fools. The traitors are their leaders. The followers are fools. I have no quarrel with the followers but the traitors must be held to account. They must face justice so that others know clearly the price of treachery.”
Someone yelled “down with the traitors” and a chant soon took hold drowning out Justine. Justine tried to make her voice louder but it was not up to the task.
On the fifth floor of the Chambers Omar Chagnu was staring out through the window at the crowd. The screen on the wall carried the live media coverage and he too could no longer hear Justine’s voice over the chant of “down with the traitors.”
He was a robustly built man with broad shoulders used to carrying responsibility. It wasn’t something he shirked. No he took every opportunity to seek it out and the power that came with it. But right now he was having doubts about the power that backed him up.
But the rogan commander, Cmdr Hasbit Kumala, had no delusions about the extent of his capabilities and knew quite well that even with the weaponry he had to hand they would be unlikely to get out alive.
“I think you should consider evacuating” said Hasbit.
“Don’t be ridiculous” snorted Omar. “Are you going to deal with this now?”
“My orders are to protect you not to quell a riot and that is what you will have if we fire.”
“You’re useless. Your promises are worthless.” Omar then hailed his commander down on the street at the barricade opposing the eastern crowd. “Disperse the crowd. Open fire.”
“Belay that order” hailed Alexis Rega. He stood up from the conference table to face Omar and was going for his pistol as Omar pulled out his. Omar fired three times. One hit Alexis in the chest and the others missed because Alexis fell to his right knocking over the chair behind him. He was now masked from Omar’s view by the table. Alexis knew he was dying as he pulled the trigger. He died after the third pull.
Omar was hit in the thigh and had fallen to the ground. He was in extreme pain. He glanced at his leg but refused to acknowledge what his rational mind knew that his artery was severed.
Omar’s aide came running to his side and was desperately trying to stem the flow but a thigh wound with a severed artery rarely ended well. Omar was struggling to stay conscious. He cursed and tried to utter something but then lost consciousness as Hasbit left the room.
The rebel commander in the street was desperately trying to hail Alexis for clarification. He then tried Omar. He started to panic unsure of which order to follow. The noise from the chant was getting louder and the crowd began to surge forward. “Fire” he ordered.
But none of his subordinates fired. “Fire” he yelled. But still they did not. He grabbed the rifle of the soldier next to him and put it into his shoulder and took aim. It was the last poor decision of his life.
Insurrection: Book 3 of Warner's World Page 27
