by Musser, Dale
“Kala, you’re a dear…and you’re brilliant. What would I do without you?” I said.
“Well, as I’ve said before, Thibodaux James Renwalt, I suggest you never try to find out!” Kala scolded playfully.
Since the parade was planned for the next afternoon, I suggested to Kala that we perhaps do some clandestine sightseeing before the celebration with less chance of being recognized. Kala laughed at this suggestion, insisting that there was no way we would go to the surface without being recognized, unless we were disguised. Even so, it would still be hard for us not to be spotted, since we would be surrounded by fully armed and ready bodyguards. I had forgotten about that provision. I had decided some time earlier that, for the safety of all my personal staff, none of us were allowed to venture away from the estate property or off ship without a contingent of bodyguards. “We can go,” she said, “but we are going to have to be accompanied by bodyguards, per your own protocols.”
“Well, at this point I don’t care,” I exclaimed. “I just want to see what the other worlds are like. I’m tired of only seeing the inside of ships or being restricted to my estate. I want to see the people in the towns and explore the shops and learn how they live and work.”
Kala looked at me quizzically for a moment and then said, “I have an idea. Let me work on it a bit. Maybe I can arrange something.”
Shortly after leaving Kala, I met with the FSO trainees. “I have an assignment for you. You will all be shipped down to Plosaxen’s surface. Your assignment is to seek out and gather any information you can about the Brotherhood; their current activities and their plans. No morsel of information is considered too small or insignificant. Also, to try and garner any information you can about the FOI agents and their office here, particularly any information that may indicate Brotherhood connections or involvements within the FOI agents and leadership. Any information you may find indicative of Brotherhood or other subversive activity is to be reported immediately to Commander Wabussie. If you don’t have anything to report, simply maintain your cover. You will report back here by noon one week from today – sooner, if you have gleaned something time-sensitive.” As I finished this statement my wrist com indicated I had a call.
“Tibby here,” I answered into the wrist com.
“Vice Admiral Tibby, this is Lieutenant Commander Goncest. Admiral Regeny requests your presence in the Admiralty conference room.”
I was growing to hate being addressed with the honorary military title.
I sighed, “Tell him I am on my way.”
The large conference room that I arranged for the Federation High Command as a temporary mobile command center was buzzing with activity when I arrived. As I entered the room, Admiral Regeny pointed to the large view screen. “As if it isn’t bad enough that we have to deal with the Brotherhood taking our ships, we now have to put up with this.” On the screen a small crowd of protesters gathered outside some government building to carry signs and voice their disgust for the Federation. On the signs were slogans like “Where is the solbidyum?” “The Federation lies!” “Solbidyum is a government lie!” and “Do you know where your solbidyum is?”
“It looks like some things are the same all over the galaxy,” I said more to myself than to the admiral.
“This is not good,” said the admiral. “I’m almost certain this is the work of the Brotherhood for the purpose of getting the citizens roused and sympathetic to their cause. We need to diffuse this situation quickly, before it gains enough momentum to be effective.”
“Just a few more days and the solbidyum reactor will be installed and operating here,” I said. “I suggest that, rather than broadcasting that we’re here to deliver the solbidyum, we say we’ve come to make security preparations for its delivery and installation. Announce that the delivery will take place in a few weeks. That way they will be looking for a delivery after everything is already in place. It will also draw attention away from us. If we can convince the Brotherhood and others that we’re currently traveling to planets in preparation for later delivery of solbidyum, it should make our job easier.”
“That sounds like a good idea, Tibby. I’ll see to preparing a news release that communicates a statement of that nature. I also want it known that I am touring each sector to meet with their captains and vice admirals. That should put the Brotherhood on alert and make their members nervous. This evening I’m going to the URANGA to meet with a number of the officers stationed in this sector; I think we should make some sort of news release about that, as well.”
Kala and I were in the lounge that evening to enjoy performances by A’Lappe and Kerabac, when alarms suddenly sounded throughout the ship, alerting everyone to man their stations. Captain Stonbersa’s voice came across the public address system. “We have just received reports of an explosion on the URANGA. We’ve been informed that the admiral was injured, though not seriously, and that several casualties and injuries have occurred among the crew. As added security for the NEW ORLEANS, the RMFF is has been activated; no one can enter or depart the ship until further notice. Weapon systems are activated – repeat – weapon systems are activated. The NEW ORLEANS is moving to provide support to the URANGA. Our estimated arrival time is approximately fifteen minutes.”
During Stonbersa’s broadcast, the alarm on my wrist com went off, indicating an urgent message that the captain was requesting my presence on the bridge. I noted Kerabac and A’Lappe also moving in that direction.
“Do you think it was an attack?” asked Kala as we moved rapidly toward the bridge.
“It’s highly probable. If the admiral was injured in the blast, it must have detonated very near to him; and I don’t think he would have had any reason to be near any areas of the ship likely to have an accidental explosion. So yes, it was most likely an attack.” Just then we arrived at the bridge. Captain Stonbersa addressed me immediately.
“Tibby, I took the liberty of moving the NEW OREANS in the direction of the URANGA to provide assistance and protection. I assumed that’s what you would have wanted.”
“Definitely, Captain. You know you have full authority to run the ship as you see fit. You have my full support. I don’t expect you to ask for direction before acting in situations like this. You did the right thing. Have we received any more reports or communication from the URANGA?”
“We just heard that one of the admiral’s aides was killed in the blast, as well as one senior officer. It is believed that a bomb was smuggled onboard by a Brotherhood crewmember that had been discharged from the service a week earlier. Somehow he still managed to sneak onboard. He was probably not flagged as a threat by anyone who may have seen him, as his face would have been a familiar sight and his discharge from the service may not have been widely known yet. Video surveillance shows him boarding the ship about 10 hours before the arrival of the admiral. There is no evidence of him leaving the ship; so it’s believed that he is still aboard, perhaps planning further attacks.”
Marranalis stood behind the captain, looking over data as it flowed across the screens of his console.
“Do we have contact with the admiral at the moment?” I asked.
“Yes, sir, we do,” responded Marranalis.
“Good, I wish to speak to him immediately.” There was a brief pause while Marranalis made some adjustments to control panel before him. Suddenly the admiral’s image appeared on the screen. There was a nasty looking bruise on his forehead and his uniform was torn.
“Admiral Regeny,” he said.
“Admiral, we received word of the incident and we’re en route to provide any assistance we can. I understand that the suspected bomber is believed to still be aboard. I recommend that you allow our Special Ops unit to handle the situation and to pull back the ship’s troopers and crew into a supportive backup position. This is the kind of thing we‘ve been training for.”
“I agree, Tibby, I’ll give an order to the captain to allow your teams to board. How soon will you be here?”
“Tibby, I’m also instructing the captain that you will be taking charge of counteroffensive operations and that he is to follow your recommendations. You seem to have a better head for these situations than we do.”
“Well, the first thing I want to see is a defensive ring of patrol ships around the URANGA. I don’t see any at the moment.” I saw the admiral turn his head from the screen and bark an order to someone out of view. While he was doing that I said to Marranalis, “Get your team assembled and moving – full armor and weapons – have them in the hangar and loaded in 20 minutes.”
“Yes, sir,” he said, issuing orders via his wrist com as he left the bridge.
“A’Lappe,” I said turning to him next. “Where do you think this man would most likely plant bombs on the URANGA?”
“My guess would be in or near the admiral’s shuttle and at the bridge; but without access to the bridge he will most likely try to plant a bomb somewhere adjacent to the bridge. This would be the most logical assumption, since he wants to kill the high ranking officers but not completely disable the ship. The Brotherhood may be planning to carry out a broader attack on the URANGA, if they can disable its defenses temporarily.”
“Hm, you may be right there. Once Marranalis has his group aboard the URANGA, I want the RMFF immediately reactivated. Our presence may keep the TECCION from attacking, if they’re in the vicinity.”
“Admiral, are you still there?” I asked.
“Yes, still here… just listening to your plans. They sound good.”
“Yeah, but I just realized something; tomorrow is when we are supposed to attend the parade. If you and I don’t show, who knows how the Brotherhood will use that situation to their advantage. On the other hand, if we show up as planned, it will prevent the Brotherhood from putting a negative spin on our absence and perhaps instill a sense of failure and impotence among their ranks in their attempted attack on you. Of course, the parade also presents an opportunity for them to attack again.”
“You may have something there, Tibby, but do you think it wise that I leave while the bomber is still onboard?”
“Well, unless you plan to personally track him down while everyone else watches, I see no benefit to your staying there.”
“Good point. What do you suggest?”
“First, if you’re not too badly injured, I suggest you and your officers get cleaned up and into fresh uniforms as soon as possible. In the event you need to make an appearance on a news broadcast, you’ll want to appear relatively unscathed. Any vids or images of you that are seen by the public – or by the Brotherhood, for that matter – should portray a sense of control and security, which is more important now than ever. As soon as you’re ready, have someone bring you to the NEW ORLEANS in one of the patrol ships. Don’t use your shuttle or any of the others; they’re all likely candidates for a booby trap and will have to undergo a thorough sweep.
Marranalis and his troops successfully secured the main areas of the URANGA and ushered the admiral and his surviving staff to a patrol ship that returned them to the NEW ORLEANS without incident. After settling back into the command center, the admiral reviewed vids of the incident and read reports that starting pouring in from various debriefings that were underway. When he felt comfortable that he was fully informed as to the known scope of the incident, we resumed our conversation about the following day’s events on Plosaxen.
“For security reasons it’s obviously best that we wait until morning to shuttle to the surface. Once we’re there, I’m primarily concerned about the parade. That sort of venue leaves us pretty vulnerable and I don’t want to walk into a situation where we’re sitting targets.”
“I think I can help you there,” offered A’Lappe, “but we’ll need to borrow the 10X fusion reactor that’s intended for the URANGA for a few hours.”
“You want us to move the 10X reactor off the ship and back again? You don’t think that will be rather obvious?” I said.
“We won’t be moving it off the ship; in fact, we won’t need to move it at all. What we will do is connect it to the NEW ORLEANS’ RMFF system in place of the solbidyum reactor, which we can temporarily relocate to one of the surface transports we have here on the ship. The admiral can insist to Senator Tacfacs that we must use our own ground transport for the parade. We can easily install the small prototype RMFF system that I have developed for the Mirage Fighters and power it with the solbidyum reactor to provide a safe shield around the transport at all times. I can install a control switch that will allow us to tailor the field so it is as close as a few millimeters beyond the vehicle’s exterior, as it will need to be on the underside during the parade, while it is as far as two meters away at the top and sides. To the crowd everything will appear normal; but if anyone should attempt to fire at you, you’ll remain perfectly safe.”
“I don’t know that I’m too keen on taking the solbidyum reactor off the NEW ORLEANS, but it’s highly unlikely anyone will even consider the possibility that we’ve done so, much less find out once we’re there,” I said. “We can immediately reinstall it when we get back and then deliver the 10X reactor to the URANGA as originally planned. We’re taking a risk, but I don’t see that we have a lot of alternatives that will guarantee our safety. What do you think, Admiral?”
“I don’t like the idea of the solbidyum reactor leaving the safety of the NEW ORLEANS either, but I agree; it’s unlikely anyone will suspect anything, since its existence is pretty much unknown to all but a very few Federation officials.”
“Okay then, its settled. Do what you have to, A’Lappe, but limit the number of people who know about it and use only those technical personnel with the highest levels of security.”
The next morning Kala and I met with Admiral Regeny for a quick breakfast. Other than for a slight scratch and slight bruise on his forehead, there was little sign of his having been near the explosion on the URANGA. The admiral was in the process of telling us about the incident when word came in from Marranalis on the URANGA, reporting that the Special Ops team had managed to locate and capture the bomber. They had also located and disarmed a second bomb planted on the opposite side of a bulkhead to the bridge, just as A’Lappe had surmised. The remainder of the ship had been cleared, including the transports and shuttles. The bomber was being questioned by some of Marranalis’ investigative detail and the rest of the team was being dispatched to the surface to set up security along the parade route.
I harbored some doubt that A’Lappe would be able to accomplish all that he had suggested, as far as moving the reactors and installing the RMFF on the transport in time for our departure for the planet. However, when Kala, the admiral and I met him in the hangar, A’Lappe advised that the solbidyum reactor and RMFF installation for ground transport was completed and tested and that the transport was already loaded into the small freighter that awaited us in the hangar. Six patrol ships were manned and ready to escort us to the surface. The admiral, Kala, Marranalis and I would ride inside the ground transport with the RMFF shield on while still in the freighter cargo hold, just in case of an attack on the ship. Even if the ship were blown up, the RMFF shield would protect the four of us and we would be safe. Fortunately, the trip to the surface went smoothly and there was no sign of attackers.
The ground transport was a vehicle similar in size to a vehicle we had on Earth called a stretch limousine. The sides and a large portion of the top were retractable, so the crowd could see us as we moved along the parade route. A’Lappe assured us that even with the top and sides open, the RMFF shield would remain effective.
The capital city on Plosaxen was similar in features to the major cities back on Earth. The metropolitan areas were defined by tall buildings, endless traffic and crowds of people. The streets were a bit wider than those seen on Earth and there were no traffic lights. Instead, each vehic
le was equipped with an electronic device that was synchronized with an automated traffic control system, which slowed and stopped vehicles at intersections and regulated the alternating flow of traffic on perpendicular streets. The system was remarkably simple and traffic accidents at intersections were virtually nonexistent.
I was reminded of my first trip to the capitol on Megelleon as we made our way through the city. The crowds that lined the streets were even denser; and the banners, flags and confetti were as abundant as the ecstatic cheers and waving from the citizens.
We were about half way through the parade route when the assault on the transport took place. One moment all was normal, and in the next the entire transport was suddenly enveloped in what I can only describe as a virtually silent bubble of blinding white light. There were several such bursts before something struck the field with a loud explosion and a ball of fire consumed the space surrounding the transport. Between the bursts of light and fire I could see people fleeing, some falling to the street wounded, and others stumbling in their haste to escape. Kala’s first reaction was to want to jump out of the transport to help the fallen and injured. I had to struggle to hold her back and repeatedly remind her that the RMFF shield could harm her if she tried to pass through it.
The field lit up again, as another volley of fire was absorbed. Then, just as suddenly as it began, everything stopped and all was quiet, save for the cries of the injured and fleeing citizens. Troopers appeared from the leading and trailing security vehicles to take up positions around the transport. By means of a headset and the com system inside the transport, Marranalis was able to communicate with the troopers, who directed us to stay in place for the moment. A few seconds later the voice of Major Sokaia came across the com system to report that the attackers were in custody and emergency units were already arriving to triage and transport the injured. The scene was secure and it was now safe for us to move forward.
I gave Marranalis a questioning look and he said, “I sort of anticipated that something like this might happen, so I had most of the Special Ops troops sent planetside several hours early to assume stations along the route.”
