SWEET HOME ALLE BAMMA (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA)

by Musser, Dale

  “The difficulties emerge when determining the course of action against civilian Brotherhood members not involved in the Banur conflict or any other conflict against the Federation. This category of prisoners is comprised of those involved in the drug production and transport operations at Alle Bamma. Since Alle Bamma is a non-aligned world which, by definition, means actions here do not fall under Federation jurisdiction, neither the military or civilian courts have recourse against these individuals. According to treaties with most of the planets throughout the galaxy, such individuals can only be charged with crimes committed on the planet that are defined by its laws. In this case, the problem hinges on the fact that Alle Bamma has no known formal set of laws. There are tribal edicts and decrees that are understood in their verbal traditions and laws; but no one is sure what they are or whether they apply globally to all tribes.

  “Do we turn over those prisoners who don’t fall under Federation jurisdiction to the natives of Alle Bamma, or should they simply be released? This seems to be the real issue.”

  This debate began in earnest and it wasn’t long before everyone in the meeting recognized that the solution was not going to come about that day. In late afternoon it was decided that the URANGA’s departure would be delayed until the legal team had an opportunity to visit the planet and speak with tribal leaders. Kala and I were asked to go with them the next day to seek out Jnanara and resolve the issue.

  As the meeting broke up for the day and we prepared to leave, Kala asked me, “What will happen to Felenna after all this, since was a Brotherhood member?”

  “I don’t think a lot can happen to her,” I said. “She was not a member of the allied forces, so the military has no jurisdiction over her. She was not a part of the battle at Banur, so she cannot be tried in a civilian Federation court as an enemy combatant. Beyond that, she fought against the Brotherhood here and played a major role in their defeat. Unless the natives of Alle Bamma feel she needs to be punished – and I don’t see that happening – she will be free.”

  The victory celebration that night was larger than I anticipated. The event took place in the largest social hall on the URANGA and thousands were in attendance. Giant vid screens were located throughout the hall to afford every guest a close-up view of the central tables that were prepared for the guests of honor. Admiral Regeny, Captain Xantaee of the URANGA and several other officers who played significant roles in the battle at Banur were all seated at the host’s table. Nearby at the main table sat Commodore Stonbersa, Captain Kerabac, Captain Felenna, Lieutenant Commander Kalana, Lieutenant Marranalis and I. Surrounding the main table were additional tables that seated officers of the ships that had served in the battle of Banur and officers of my own security force, and another where A’Lappe, Cantolla and Hotyona sat with other members of the science team. Beyond that were tables filled with senators, ambassadors and diplomats; and beyond them the other crew members and passengers of the URANGA. Captain Xantaee acted as host of the event.

  “Good evening, everyone, and welcome to all. This evening we are gathered to celebrate the stunning victory over the Brotherhood that has unfolded in the past few days. The confrontation at Banur was the largest attack by the Brotherhood to date. The Federation’s superior strength and intelligence were demonstrated when the Brotherhood walked into a trap designed to draw in the local Brotherhood forces; and though they came with a sizeable fleet, they lost almost all of their ships in the conflict, the remainder of which retreated here to Alle Bamma. Under the orders of Admiral Regeny the URANGA pursued. Using the newly designed Mirage Fighters, loaned to the Federation by Vice Admiral and First Citizen Thibodaux James Renwalt, the Federation military forces were able to make daily raids on these fleeing Brotherhood ships, picking them off one at a time, until the last of their ships surrendered just two days ago. Little did we know during this pursuit what was waiting for us here at Alle Bamma. I will leave the rest of the story to Admiral Regeny.”

  Captain Xantaee took his seat and Admiral Regeny stood to speak.

  “Forgive me, if I go back a bit further than the battle at Banur; but in order for the true story to be told, it is necessary. As many of you may know, the High Command operated for a period of time from First Citizen Vice Admiral Thibodaux James Renwalt’s yacht, the NEW ORLEANS – by his invitation, I might add. The truth of the matter is that, had we not been there under his protection, we most likely would have perished.

  “By now many of you know that the Federation military has recently begun installing new 10X fusion reactors, Reverse Magnetic Force Fields and cloaking devices on our star ships and frigates. The cloaking devices are also being installed on all our other ships that are not large enough to house the 10X reactors that are needed for the RMFF shields. The credit for the development and availability of these devices belongs to two individuals; one is First Citizen and Vice Admiral Thibodaux James Renwalt and the other in an enigmatic individual we know as A’Lappe.” The admiral nodded toward A’Lappe. Vice Admiral Tibby’s ship, the NEW ORLEANS, was the first ship to utilize this new technology, which played a large part in the successful recovery of the DUSTEN and the destruction of the Brotherhood base on Megelleon, not to mention the delivery of solbidyum to some of the first worlds to commission their solbidyum reactors. Vice Admiral Tibby’s plans, advice and assistance have played a huge role in the successes achieved by the Federation when battling the threat of the Brotherhood. In all fairness to First Citizen Tibby and his crew, we may very well have fallen to the Brotherhood by now, had it not been for him. I’m sorry to say that although the Federation has bestowed on First Citizen Tibby the greatest wealth and highest honors possible, we have not treated him as respectfully in other regards – at least I haven’t, and for that I wish to apologize.

  When First Citizen Tibby first appeared here in the Federation, I was wowed by his hand-to-hand combat skills and his keen sense of knowledge for military tactics. I envisioned a military made up of such warriors; and soon, through a bit of trickery, I got him to promise training for my troopers…and train he did! Not only did he train my troopers, but he trained his own as well, quickly and efficiently enough so that when the Brotherhood attacked a few weeks later, Tibby and the recruits that were still in the middle of training were able to take the DUSTEN back from the rebels.

  “By that point the High Command had moved aboard Tibby’s ship, the NEW ORLEANS; but instead of treating Tibby’s offer to set up a safe temporary mobile command center with the graciousness of a guest, I let arrogance get the best of me and instead saw the NEW ORLEANS as a war vessel of the Federation military with myself as its commanding officer. Oh, I was willing to let Tibby call the shots; after all, he was making me and the Federation military look quite good. Tibby has a way of making the exceedingly difficult look easy. To my shame, I paraded Tibby and his team around, showing them off as though they were a triumph for the Federation. I was wrong to do so. I never took into account the wishes or wellbeing of Tibby and his compatriots. That foolishness nearly cost the lives of both First Citizen Tibby and First Citizen Kalana. I deeply regret my thoughtless actions now, but even then I didn’t fully accept responsibility for my self-serving decisions. I continued my foolishness even after First Citizen Kala was wounded and clinging to life in stasis. It was when I insisted that I was going to take the NEW ORLEANS from Tibby to use as my command ship for the battle at Banur, instead of supporting Tibby in his decision to come here to Alle Bamma to get the materials necessary to make the anti-toxin for Kalana, that Tibby set me straight on the matter. I’m glad he did. Even today I am horribly ashamed of my actions and my behavior. Never has anyone performed as great a service to the Federation as Tibby and his team; and I was wrong to take advantage of him and his team as I did.”

  The admiral’s heartfelt and candid speech roused the crowd into a roar of applause and cheers that I thought would never end. He waited patiently until the din subsided before he continued.

  “It was First
Citizen Tibby’s idea to set the trap at Banur for the Brotherhood, a trap that worked remarkably well. By our count the Brotherhood arrived at Banur with five corvettes, one frigate and 29 patrol ships. We met them with two cloaked star ships, three cloaked frigates, hundreds of cloaked patrol ships independent of the many hundreds already on the star ships, and ten cloaked Mirage Fighters. We took nearly a hundred prisoners and killed most of the other enemy contingent in battle. We out gunned them by at least 100 to one.

  “Tibby, on the other hand, arrived at Alle Bamma with his yacht, the NEW ORLEANS, a few patrol ships, ten Mirage Fighters and a few hundred of his security forces. He arrived to find that Alle Bamma had been occupied by 15 Brotherhood bases, nearly a dozen heavily armed corvettes, over a hundred patrol ships, and thousands of ground defenses and troops. Tibby and his crew captured the entire planet; set free thousands of natives held in slavery; and managed to capture – not destroy – but capture many of the enemy ships, which he is now using to guard the planet. He also managed to capture over a thousand enemy Brotherhood troops and officers. With one small ship and a fraction of the forces we had at Banur Tibby accomplished ten times over what we did.”

  Once again there was a roar of applause and cheers.

  “There is one thing more that needs to be mentioned. Part of the Brotherhood’s plan was to intercept and/or delay solbidyum deliveries throughout the Federation and use these disturbances as a political tool to claim that the Federation is demonstrating partiality to specific planets and systems and to breed propaganda in an effort to convince the citizens of the Federation territories that we are liars who are using the solbidyum covertly for our own power-hungry purposes. It was Tibby who devised a plan to expedite the delivery of the solbidyum; and though I cannot tell you the details of that plan, I can tell you that, as of this moment, over 30 worlds have received their solbidyum deliveries and commissioned their global power distribution systems; and nearly 400 additional deliveries are underway as I speak.”

  Again came the roar of applause and nearly deafening cheers of surprise and excitement. Then the admiral continued, addressing me directly.

  “Tibby, you and your crew deserve a rest; so, barring an all-out war where every federation planet is under attack, I promise you, I will not be calling on you every day for your amazing support and assistance.”

  There was another round of applause and I decided to use the moment for a speech of my own. I rose from the table during the applause and addressed the admiral.

  “Do you mind if I say a few words?”

  “No, no, not at all. Please do,” he said as he sat down.

  “There is a lot of talk about me and what I have done,” I began, “and though my team is mentioned when relating events such as those that have recently unfolded, they do not receive the full recognition they deserve.

  “The wonders of the RMFF shields that now are begin installed on the Federation star ships and frigates, as well as the unique power sources that are required to maintain them are the direct result of A’Lappe’s works and discoveries,” I said as I walked to his table and placed my hands on his shoulders. “What has not yet been mentioned about A’Lappe is that he also is the architect of my ship, the NEW ORLEANS, which was not designed or built for me, but for Galetils, a man who may in fact have been murdered by the Brotherhood in their attempt to seize the plans for the 10X reactor, the only reactor capable of generating enough power to operate an RMFF shielding system. It was also A’Lappe who designed the Mirage Fighters, ships that can fly with more speed and maneuverability than any other ship known in the Federation. While it was Commodore Stonbersa and Captain Kerabac that discovered the cloaking technology we use on the ships, it was also A’Lappe who figured out how to develop versions that could be used on smaller Federation ships and by Federation troopers. I did not do these things; many of his inventions had already been developed long before I ever came here.

  “The learning headbands that have enabled Federation troopers to develop their martial arts skills lifetimes faster than they would with conventional methods were developed by Cantolla and her team of scientists,” I said, as I walked behind her chair and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Without her accomplishments we would never have been able to save the DUSTEN, nor would these troopers have survived many of the combat situations we have faced thus far.

  “Working together, Cantolla and A’Lappe have also overcome the barriers associated with long distance communication. It will now be possible for star ships and the High Command to communicate instantly, even when light years apart; and while this technology is still in its infancy, it is a giant leap forward in communication and in response times for crisis situations.” There was a collective gasp and some applause from the audience at this announcement.

  It’s because of Lieutenant Marranalis,” I said, placing my hands on his shoulders, “that so many Federation troopers have been so finely trained; and if it were mine to give, he would have a rank much higher than Lieutenant. He has led the raids on the Brotherhood camps and trained innumerable Federation troopers and officers, many of whom outranked him. Without his skills, keen military intuition and dedication to the citizens of the Federation, I would not be standing here today.”

  Cheers of patriotism filled the room before I continued to Kerabac and Stonbersa. “Without Captain Kerabac and Commodore Stonbersa and their extraordinary skills as leaders, pilots, and technical experts, none of this would have happened either. It is because of their exceptional and precise execution that these remarkable ships and inventions we speak of so casually have protected lives, defeated our enemies, and expedited the distribution of solbidyum to the citizens of the Federation. Their work is seldom mentioned and far too often taken for granted.”

  I gathered my thoughts while the applause again filled the room. My next introduction would require a bit of finesse.

  “The battles at Alle Bamma were indeed a great triumph, not only because of the dismantling of an entire planetary Brotherhood base and the deliverance of thousands of natives from slavery, but also because the victory here has put a huge dent in the Brotherhood’s production and distribution of the harmful and addictive drug God’s Sweat. But the victories at Alle Bamma could not and would not have happened – without Captain Felenna,” I said as I walked to the chair where she sat, her arm still in a sling from the wound she had received. I paused behind her chair and placed my hand on her good shoulder. “Up until a few days ago Captain Felenna was a member of the Brotherhood.”

  There were gasps all around the room and a buzz of conversation, but I continued without faltering. “Captain Felenna was never in the Federation military. She was never a traitor to the Federation. She became involved in the Brotherhood without really knowing what they were about; and when she discovered the true despicable nature of this organization, she was trapped here at Alle Bamma with nowhere to go. When we arrived, she immediately took the opportunity to show where her true allegiance lies. She put herself at great risk to assist us in stealing two corvettes, the MIZBAGONA and the RUNANA, one of which was the flagship for the Brotherhood fleet that was stationed here. Captain Felenna was wounded during that mission; but even after being injured, she was able to kill the captain of the MIZBAGONA and command a crew of loyal security forces, who successfully seized the ship and delivered it to the NEW ORLEANS. For her bravery and actions on behalf of the natives of Alle Bamma, the members of my crew, and the citizens of the Federation, I made her captain of the MIZBAGONA in my fleet. I tell you with all honesty and truth of heart that none of what has been accomplished here at Alle Bamma would have been possible without her bravery.”

  I heard the beginning of some nearby applause and I looked to see Admiral Regeny, who was clapping as he rose from his chair. Beside him Captain Xantaee did the same; and suddenly everyone in the hall was on their feet applauding and cheering for Felenna. Her eyes welled with tears of joy and pride as I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “See, I
told you that you didn’t have anything to worry about. The Federation is not about to try or charge a hero of your stature.”

  “Thank you, Tibby,” said Felenna.

  When the applause calmed down I continued my speech. “All of you make me out to be a hero and an icon of the Federation; but I too have my shortcomings. I would have left before the battle at Banur, even if I had known it would have meant the Brotherhood getting away. There was nothing at Banur to begin with; it was all a ruse, a trap to pull in the Brotherhood. If the Brotherhood had arrived and the Federation ships not been there, the Brotherhood would have gone home empty-handed. If I had stayed the outcome of the battle would not have been different. What would have been different was that Kalana, the woman I love, would have been left much longer in stasis, where her life hung in the balance until an antidote to the deadly poison in her body could be found. Kalana was and always will be my top priority, ALWAYS!

  “Yes, I fought for the future of the Federation so this alliance can continue to succeed and thrive, safe from the contemptible and violent influences of the Brotherhood and other threats. But I also fought for Kala – for her very life. On the world that I come from there is an old saying; A man cannot serve two masters. There has to be one that stands above the rest. I highly prize and value my citizenship in the Federation; but make no mistake about this – I prize and value Kalana more; and given a situation where I must choose, it is Kalana that I will protect and serve first.

  “So don’t make me out to be more than I am; do not expect more of me than I can do. These are your true heroes,” I said as I swept my arm toward my crew. “Give them their credit and their due.” Then I went to my seat and sat down beside Kala, who looked at me with teary eyes and kissed me on the cheek.