Starcruiser Polaris: He Never Died

by Richard Tongue

   With a shrug, Cordova replied, “We used to use the local lottery to pass money to informants all the time. Federation never worked it out. Largely because we gave quite a bit to their agents.” Looking at Murchison, she added, “He’s wearing clean clothes. New cut.”

   “So, he came into some money...”

   “The man was an addict. He wasn’t going to spend money on anything other than drugs.”

   Schmidt paused, then said, “The Green Man. That’s what you said?”

   “Yeah. It mean something to you?”

   “Look up the insignia of Xerxes.”

   Cordova flicked off her recorder, switching to the database, and dragged up the relevant file, waiting as the images loaded. After a few frustrating seconds, the image appeared, of a face staring out at her, green on black.

   “The Green Man? Xerxes?”

   “All their people have that insignia on their shoulder.” Looking around, she added, “I think we’d better pay a visit to the Commonwealth delegation, don’t you?”

   Nodding, Cordova replied, “You missed your calling, Commander. You’d have made a pretty decent intelligence agent.”

   “No need to insult me,” she said, walking back towards the street. “I presume the gangs will deal with the mess.”

   “The bodies will be picked clean in ten minutes. You don’t want to know where they end up. Just don’t eat any of the meat the street vendors sell.”

   “This place gets better all the time…,” Schmidt muttered.

  Chapter 16

   “Wing Commander?” Commodore McKinnon asked. “Could I talk to you for a moment?”

   “Of course, ma’am,” he replied.

   “In private,” she said. “We have secured a suite on the ground floor. One of the perks of having a unified delegation.” She looked at the rebel group, walking out of the hall, none of them willing to talk to the others, and continued, “How they expect to get anywhere with that sort of attitude I don’t know. None of them have anything resembling a coherent plan for the future of human space. They’re at risk of letting the Federation win by default.”

   “Commodore Curtis won’t let that happen,” Kani said, allowing his erstwhile senior officer to take the lead. “If I overstepped my mark earlier, I apologize, but I felt it necessary to allow Joe’s last words to be heard. I truly believe they speak for the bulk of our people.”

   “I agree,” she said, “though I don’t think you’ve made a friend of Admiral Crawford. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, long term. His influence back home is deteriorating rapidly. Ours is on the rise.” With a smile, she walked down the corridor, a pair of guards at a discrete distance, and said, “We took a gamble, and it paid off.” Glancing at Kani, she added, “I had wondered about you, Win. You’ve been acting as though you’re one of the rebels. I’m aware that more than a few of our people have joined their cause, but….”

   “The enemy of our enemy, Commodore. And with all due respect, Commodore Curtis and his son are two of the finest tacticians I’ve ever seen. I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off some of the stunts they pulled. And I include myself in that.”

   “From the reports I’ve seen, you are far too modest,” she replied, pushing open a door to reveal a near-empty room, only a handful of chairs and a table inside, the walls burned and blackened, the window hastily repaired. “Apparently they tried to hold a few ringleaders here while the riots were taking place, and the locals found them. As a result, we’re paying a lot less for the room than we otherwise would. Have a seat.”

   Kani sat in the nearest chair, and said, “I think you have several excellent people on your ship to take over from Joe Kowalski, ma’am. If you need to talk to me first...”

   “No, no,” she said, shaking her head. “Not that at all. I’m not concerned with that at the moment. What I am concerned with is you. That speech you made won you a lot of friends, Win, perhaps more than you know, and it’s going to have an effect upon your future. I need to ask now whether or not you have considered a political career.”

   “Not at all, ma’am,” he replied. “Though it is only fair to tell you now that I do not intend to remain in the military upon the cessation of hostilities. I’ll continue to serve until they are over, of course, but after that, I think I’ve flown my last mission.”

   She looked at him, an eyebrow raised, and asked, “What exactly do you have in mind, then? I can’t see you flying a close orbit shuttle or becoming an insurance salesman.”

   “I don’t know, ma’am, but I know that I need to do something for myself, not for other people. I’ve served the Commonwealth and, yes, the Rebellion, and I think I’ve given everything I have to give. I need to find out if there is anything more. Besides, once all of this is over, I doubt there will be much of a need for a large space fleet, and I can’t see myself flying escort missions for the rest of my life either.”

   “You might be wrong about that,” she replied, pouring a cup of juice and sitting opposite Kani. “The Federation is on the verge of collapse, and I cannot see the rebels putting together any interstellar organization in the near future, if at all. That leaves the Commonwealth as the largest, stablest government in space. We’re going to take full advantage of it.”

   “In what way?” he asked.

   Leaning forward, she said, “You want to go home, Win? So do I. So do all of us, but we’re not going to go there as supplicants. We’re going to go in pride, to resume our former role. The Federation has collapsed, as we always knew it would, sooner or later, and our intervention took place at the ideal moment. We have surprising levels of support on the colony worlds, even on Earth itself, and we’d be fools not to take advantage of it.” She took a sip of her drink, then asked, “You understand, I hope?”

   “I suppose so, though I hadn’t given it much thought. Surely the Commonwealth is as dead as the Federation. We’ve got a chance to forge something new, something better, a unified government for all humanity.”

   Her brief frown broke into a smile, and she replied, “I’m glad we’re on the same page, Win. You’ve thought this through about as far as the rest of us have, though I know some of the dinosaurs we call our leaders think otherwise. We don’t need to worry about them. Either they’ll change their minds, or we’ll push them out of the way. The future of our people is more important.”

   Taking a relieved breath, he said, “There’s a hunger for change, Commodore, one that I’ve never seen before, and I know there are many back home who feel the same way. There’s no need to ride those broken-down orbital habitats any longer.”

   “What of the rebels? How do they feel about all of this?”

   “Most of them just want this to be over, though I know that more than a few will fight if they don’t think they get the government they want. They’ve fought for their freedom, and as far as I’m concerned, they’ve won it.”

   “That’s unfortunate,” she replied.

   “What do you mean?”

   “Look at this farce! If Commodore Curtis hadn’t slammed his gavel every few minutes and pulled you out of his hat, the conference would have collapsed before it could even get started. Half of the delegates almost walked out, and I swear if I hear that Sirian interrupt one more time I’m going to throw my chair at him.”

   “He did seem to be in love with his own voice. Though I don’t think he did anything other than antagonize his own side. I know things are chaotic right now, but...”

   “Do you honestly, hand on heart, think that this conference is going to bring about anything other than greater anarchy of its own volition? We both know that it won’t, and that something else is going to have to be done.” She reached over, placed her hand on his knee, and said, “You’re badly needed, Win. For this and what must follow. You’re the most experienced fighter commander we’ve got, and whether you like or not, something of a political figure. Peopl
e will follow where you lead, and you might even bring some of the rebels over to our side.”

   “Just what are you asking of me, Commodore?” he asked, his face kept to an emotionless mask.

   Folding her arms, she replied, “Where do your loyalties lie?”

   “I swore an oath to defend the people of the Commonwealth.”

   “Not enough. Who do you serve?”

   “I could ask you the same question.”

   She paused, smiled, nodded, then said, “Good answer. Very well, I’ll put my cards on the table. We’re not going to allow this bunch of rabble to attempt to run anything. None of them are competent, and all of them are in it for themselves, not the good of the people.”

   “Some of them.”

   “Those who aren’t will agree with what we intend to do. We’re going to impose a new government on human space, Wing Commander, and we’re going to do it right here, right now.”

   His eyes widened, and he said, “You killed Joe. In God’s name...”

   Glaring back at him, she replied, “I’ve given orders that sent men to their deaths before. That was no different. He was a wild card.” Looking over him, she added, “So are you, but you bring a lot more to the table than he did.”

   “You killed my friend. How do you expect me to trust you?”

   “I don’t. But you don’t have to, not long term. You’ll get a seat at the table at the real conference, the one we’ll hold after this is brought to an end, when we bring the galaxy back under secure control. You want one, stable government? So do we, but we’re going to have to use force to get it.”

   “The people are rioting on every world, most of them have already declared independence, and your fleet is scattered all over the galaxy,” Kani said, eyes wide. “Just how do you expect to impose anything?”

   “I would point out that twenty years ago, not dissimilar events took place in the Uprising, but the Federation was able to suppress the rebels then. The Commonwealth can take the same steps now, I’m certain. Besides, we have a great opportunity, right here. All the major leaders in one place, all the rebel ships worth a damn in orbit overhead, and our fleet concentrated. We’ll never have a chance like this again.” She looked at him, and said, “I didn’t think you’d agree.”

   “You’re going to kill me,” he replied.

   Shaking her head, she said, “No, because I don’t have to. We could have used you, Win. You might have saved a lot of lives, talked some of your friends into joining us. Better to present a unified front, and if that had meant accepting President Curtis, I’d have gone along that far.”

   Rising to his feet, he took a step towards the door, and said, “Clearly you don’t know him. He’d never agree to that.”

   “Given proper preparation, if he thought it the only alternative to chaos and destruction, he might. Especially if some of his top advisers were to work to convince him of that. People such as yourself, Win.” She paused, then said, “We stand at the brink of disaster. How many people do you think would survive a total collapse? How much blood do you want on your hands?”

   “This is a power grab, Commodore. You’ve seen a vacuum, and you’re determined to step into it, no matter what it costs. Either you’ll fail, in which case you’ll trigger the very collapse you seem so concerned about, or you will be forced to impose a worse tyranny than any the Federation has ever managed in order to make it stick.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “The people have earned the right to choose their own destiny. They’ve fought, bled and died for it, and I will not betray them. I can’t. I won’t.” Looking at the door, he said, “So I suppose you’re going to have to kill me.”

   “No.”

   “Getting emotional in your old age, Commodore?”

   Her face twisted into a scowl, and she replied, “When all of this is over, when order, our order, has been restored, we will talk again. I’m sure that you’ll find a way to convince yourself that you have no choice but to follow orders. If not, I suppose we can always spare you a bullet.” She rose, walked to the door, the two guards still standing outside, and said, “Don’t try and escape. It won’t work. I have people inside and outside.”

   “Afraid I might make a little noise?”

   “Take a look out of the window, Win. A lot of people have died today. Do you really think that anyone would give a damn about you?”

   “You do,” he replied. “Or you’d never have bothered talking to me, and I’d already be dead.”

   With a faint chuckle, she said, “Hold onto that inflated sense of self-worth. You’re going to need it when this is over.” Pausing at the threshold, she added, “I’ll give everyone the same chance I gave you. Nobody needs to die today, not if they’re sensible.”

   “I don’t know what you are planning,” he replied, “but Commodore Curtis will stop you. Count on that.”

   “Not this time, Win,” she said with a sigh, as the door began to slide shut. “Not this time.”

  Chapter 17

   It was just one of a hundred deserted storefronts, abandoned years ago as the Titanian economy collapsed, relics of the glory days still scattered on the shelves. Items that were once treasures, now worthless in the new regime, abandoned in place. Cordova crouched behind the counter, peering out at the street beyond, looking at the Assembly building. There were more guards than before, most of them unfamiliar to her, and she raised her datapad to take a picture of the nearest, running it through a quick image search.

   “Anything?” Schmidt asked.

   Nodding, she replied, “Commonwealth. Should have expected that. It looks as though they’ve managed to suborn the local guard force.” Turning to her, she added, “This is going to be a lot tougher than I thought. We’re unlikely to be able to talk our way through.”

   “Time to call for help, then,” Schmidt said, pulling out her communicator.

   “No. Not unless you can tell me who I can trust. I’m not even sure I trust you, and I definitely don’t trust someone I can’t point a gun at right now.”

   “You think Mike Curtis would betray his own father?”

   “No, but I think his communications technician might. For all we know, they’re sitting on a switching relay, ready to lock onto our signal and strike. They’ve got the force to do it, and friendly fire incidents happen.” Peering at the guards again, she said, “We’ve got to get in there and warn the Commodore. If the Commonwealth is pulling something, he has to know about it.” She looked up, spotting a figure behind a window, and added, “That’s Kani, I think. Ground-floor room.”

   Shaking her head, Schmidt said, “I find it hard to believe he’s one of them.”

   “Listen to me,” Cordova hissed. “We don’t know who we can trust right now, and the fate of the galaxy depends on us getting every move right over the course of the next few minutes. You get that? We can’t take a risk. My guess is that he knows something. Certainly he was surprisingly active at the conference, and you’ll forgive me for suspecting that there’s more to that little presentation of his than we thought. You can call me paranoid, but that paranoia has kept me alive this long, and it just has to keep me going a little bit longer.”

   “Do you have a plan?” Schmidt asked, “Or do you just intend to sit here and rant?”

   “Oh, I’ve got an idea, but you aren’t going to like it. It’s quite simple, really. I run across the road, dive into the nearest window, and sprint for Kani as fast as I can to find out which side he’s on. Then I alert the Commodore and our local contingent, and we find a way to punch through the blockade and get to the spaceport. How am I doing?”

   “If you want to commit suicide, could you find a less noisy way of doing it?”

   “They’re not going to notice me. You’re going to blow this building up.”

   “That’s it? That’s your plan?”

   “It doesn’t have to be complete destruction. Just set fire to
it, overload the power matrix, anything. Then head for the nearest shuttle dock and start preparing it for launch. We’ll be along as fast as we can. If we don’t make it, then you’ll have to blast for Castro and warn Mike Curtis about what is happening down here, with my recommendation that he launches a preemptive strike against the Commonwealth and Federation forces.”

   “When did you get promoted?”

   “You got any better ideas?” she hissed. “I don’t like this plan much, I hate it, but I can’t think of another one, and unless you can, we’re going to proceed. Now. We don’t have any time to wait.” Gesturing at the rear, she said, “I’ll make my way around the back, get ready for my sprint. I expect you to be in a position to provide some sort of distraction in the next three minutes.”

   “Three minutes,” Schmidt said, still shaking her head. “Got it. Any last words?”

   “Not yet,” she replied. “Not yet.” Without another word, she walked out into the alley, picking her way through the debris. A pair of eyes looked at her from the darkness, and she pulled out her pistol on reflex, a shocked gasp as the child hiding in the crates tumbled out.

   “Don’t hurt me,” she hissed.

   “You live here?” Cordova asked. The child nodded, and she said, “Not any more.” Reaching into her pockets, she pulled out a passkey, and said, “Room Two-Twenty, Brandenstein Tower. It’s yours until I turn up. Which will probably never happen. There’s a service contract for food.”

   “Why?” the child asked, tentatively taking the card.

   “Because I’m about to render you even more homeless than you already are, and I’ve got a bit of a guilty conscience about it. Now get out of here.” She watched the child run away, remembering the little girl she had once been, lost and terrified just like her, long years ago. Her destiny had kept her on the streets, had kept her fighting. Perhaps she could win a better fate for the girl.

   She glanced at her watch, frowning as the seconds ticked away, and made her way along the side of the building, careful to keep in the shadows. She’d spent months, years fighting out of here in her teenage years, knew the colony as well as those born here, and had advantages the guards didn’t. Every crate, every pile of rubble, was an ally. As the deadline approached, she pulled out her pistol, knowing that she’d only get a single chance to make it across the street, trusting that Schmidt would find some way to give her the distraction she needed.