by Magus Tor
“And why's that?” asked Nicholas, looking slightly put out.
“Because I will lead them myself,” said Jonathon.
The room was silent for a moment, taking this news in. Aurelia was speechless, and from the looks of things, so was Elza.
“Very well,” Nicholas said, the first to speak.
“I will need you as my right-hand man,” continued Jonathon. “And right now I'm going to need you to arrange the transport logistics. We're going to leave a token force here on Lunar, but the majority of men I want down on Earth. Obviously, you and I will also need to go down. I need you to draw up a plan that will help us achieve this as soon as possible—within the next twenty-four hours or so if we can. Clear?”
“Yes, sir,” said Nicholas, slipping into Military mode.
He left the room. Elza followed, shooting a look at Jonathon that told Aurelia she'd be questioning his decision as soon as she got the chance.
Jonathon poured another cup of coffee.
“I don't think you should do this,” Aurelia said quietly. It was a gut instinct; something told her that she didn't want him down there. Maybe it was a desire to protect him, maybe it was selfish, but she didn't want him to go down to Earth.
“I have no choice,” he said gently.
“Yes, you do,” she said, raising her voice a little. “You're the President. Your place is here in Lunar City. You're needed for...” She trailed off, unable to think of anything more important than what was happening on Earth. “You're needed for political leadership,” she finally finished, weakly.
Jonathon shook his head. “No,” he said. “You don't understand.”
“You're damn right I don't,” Aurelia shouted, her anger getting the better of her. “I don't understand why you'd win this election and then risk everything by going down to Earth to fight. What if something happens to you? What then? Who will finish what you've started?”
Jonathon looked at her with surprise. “Why, you will,” he said simply.
For the second time in as many minutes, she was speechless. Really? Did he think of her as his successor? Then, just as instinctively as she'd known she didn't want him to go to Earth, she knew that he was right. Yes, she would. If something should happen to him, she wouldn't let his death be for nothing. She would do everything in her power to complete his work.
“I don't want you to go,” she said, more quietly and calmly now. “I'm afraid for you.”
“I know you are.” He got up and came to her, squatting down next to her chair so that they were face to face. “But I have to go, Aurelia. I can't rule from up here. I can't lead my Army from a place of safety while they're fighting for my beliefs. I can't ask men to die for me if I'm not willing to die, myself. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “I do,” she said. And truthfully, she loved this about him, loved his sense of morality. “But there's one condition.”
He smiled. “And what's that?”
“I'm coming with you.”
Chapter Five
That evening, there was the first of what would become many blazing arguments between Jonathon and Nicholas. Both so good at what they did, so sure of how competent they were in their area of expertise that they assumed the other would see things their way, the men were doomed to have many fierce fights in the coming weeks. Aurelia heard shouting as she entered the house. She'd spent the afternoon once again with Tara, walking the streets, finding out how people were feeling, what they needed. She knew that within the next few hours she'd be leaving Lunar, and she wanted to satisfy herself that the City was as safe as Jonathon thought it was. She'd met with such support for his cause, though, that she had no worries about leaving the City in the hands of its inhabitants.
“Absolutely not!” Jonathon's voice roared. “Never!”
Aurelia raised a questioning eyebrow at Tara, who shrugged.
“Want to go see what the boys are fighting about?” Tara asked.
Aurelia sighed. What she really wanted was a hot shower. But she nodded; she had always been able to calm Jonathon and Nicholas down—and from the sound of things, they needed a little calming just at the moment. She pushed open the door to the living room.
“What's going on in here?” she demanded.
“Only that he wants me to give up half the Empire,” Jonathon said, pointing at Nicholas, his eyes flashing.
“Not at all. That's not what I said, and you know it,” Nicholas said, his voice brittle and hard.
“And you think that yelling and fighting is the absolute best thing you could be doing right now?” Aurelia asked them, looking from one to the other. “Really?”
Jonathon rubbed his face with his hands. He was quick to anger but also quick to calm. “You're right,” he said, slumping down on the couch. “Nicholas, tell me again what your plan is.”
Nicholas was less amenable than Jonathon, and his face was still flushed from the argument. “Sure you're going to listen this time? I mean, you asked for my input; there's no point yelling at me if you don't agree with it.”
Aurelia put a hand on Nicholas's shoulder. “Sit down and tell us both,” she said quietly.
He sighed but sat. “Fine. Shall I start from the beginning?”
Aurelia nodded. “Please.”
“Okay, we need to transport to Earth by shuttle, obviously. We've got around five thousand men to take down with us. That means three shuttles should do the job. Given that we're shuttling, we're going to need a landing bay on Earth.”
“With you so far,” said Aurelia, wondering what the problem was here.
“So far, the shuttle bay in 01 has been sort of neutral territory. Some of our Clone forces have gone down that way, as have many of the Elite. This situation isn't likely to last, particularly now that the Elite Army have started fighting and will be aware that we're coming.” Nicholas looked strained, as though the effort of putting his thought process into words was too much for him.
“So we take the shuttle bay in 01,” Jonathon said.
“Hold up a second on that,” Nicholas said. He took a deep breath, collected himself, and then continued. “There are a couple of logistical problems with taking the shuttle bay. Firstly, it's large and an open space, meaning it will take a lot of men to hold it. Secondly, we don't have those men to spare. Thirdly, we don't plan on taking City 01, which will leave the bay as an isolated section surrounded by the Elite Army, which is always dangerous.”
“What do you suggest, then?” asked Aurelia. She knew that he would never come to Jonathon with only a problem, that he'd always have a solution in hand.
“I suggest that we use the men we already have in the shuttle bay—those contacts of Lukas, who you'll remember worked there, to take the bay but only for a limited time. If we time things correctly, we can get them to hold the bay for no more than a couple of hours. Long enough for us to land and get started towards City 02. We then allow them to strategically retreat, and give the shuttle bay back to the general populace.”
“No,” said Jonathon. “Firstly, because I don't want the Empire to have a quick route back up to Lunar if they need it. And secondly, because I want to be able to send the injured back up to Lunar for treatment if necessary.”
Nicholas shook his head. “It won't work. Not unless we take all of City 01 in the process, and I don't think that we're capable of that yet. We need to make sacrifices, and this is the obvious one.”
“I think Nicholas is right,” Aurelia said slowly. “I can't speak about the wisdom of allowing the Elite a way back to Lunar—though from what I've seen on the streets today and for the last few days, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about. A shuttle coming in would be swarmed by angry Workers before it even landed. Your City is safe with your people, Jonathon, and you're going to have to trust them with it if you're going to leave for Earth.”
Jonathon bit his lip but said nothing.
“As for the injured, that I'm more of an expert in. Shipping them up to Lunar is not
a great idea. The stresses of space travel after an injury could be detrimental. Plus, many of the injured will require far more immediate help. Your best plan for that is to set up a system of field hospitals. This is what was done in the past, and they were very successful.”
Jonathon nodded at this. “Is that possible?”
“Where's Elza?” Aurelia asked.
Nicholas didn't answer, instead calling out to the com to contact her. She answered on the first ring, and Nicholas told her to come down to the living pod.
“We need her input on this,” Aurelia explained.
She knew that she was a good med Worker, would probably be a good field surgeon as well, but she knew her limits. Elza had been the head of Lunar City Hospital for years, balancing the demands of the job with her work for the Resistance. And as an administrator, she would be far better at planning a medical system that could work during battle than Aurelia would. When Elza arrived, she explained the situation to her.
“We could do this,” the older woman said thoughtfully. “I'd need a team of med Workers for each area that we hold, plus medical supplies, though many of those we should be able to take from hospitals on Earth rather than needing to take them down with us. I'll design a kit that Workers can carry easily, something portable. Conditions won't be sterile, though, which is a worry.”
“I think the dangers of contamination are probably offset by the speed at which treatment will be received,” Aurelia argued.
“I think I agree with that,” said Nicholas, holding up his handless arm and finally back in good humour again.
It seemed to Aurelia that Jonathon had been woefully underprepared for this War. Perhaps because he'd always secretly hoped that it wouldn't happen. She loved him and admired his political prowess, but Nicholas was far better at realistically evaluating situations than Jonathon was. Maybe it was a good thing that he was going to Earth. Once he was confronted with soldiers, with actual people who had needs and faces, then she was sure that his decision making would become better and faster. He was always at his best when in front of an audience.
Eventually they all persuaded him that Nicholas's idea was for the best. Aurelia knew that there'd be more arguments—both men were too stubborn for there not to be—but for the moment there was peace, and Nicholas was dispatched to put the final touches to his plan.
There was little sleep that night. Aurelia spent a long time talking about medical logistics with Elza, who had finally found her role in the revolution. She then spent some time packing a small bag to take to Earth with her, discarding the Elite dresses and shoes that Elza had bought with her, and opting for the practicality of her old uniform. She took the time to have a long, hot shower before climbing into bed, aware that it might be her last for a while. Jonathon didn't join her until almost dawn, and she sleepily rolled over into his arms.
The shuttles were going to leave in quick succession as soon as the Lunar dome began to fade into evening, but there was work to be done before that. Aurelia bumped into Tara as she was about to leave to meet Elza at the hospital.
“Jonathon wanted me, but I can't find him,” the girl said, her wildly coloured hair swirling around her shoulders.
“I think he's in the dining room,” Aurelia said. “Come on, I'll come with you and grab something to eat on my way.”
He was indeed in the dining room, though he looked about ready to leave.
“There you are,” he said, looking at Tara. He stooped to give Aurelia a quick kiss. “I need your help.”
“With what?” asked Tara, naturally suspicious.
“I'm guessing that you're not wanting to come to Earth?”
She shook her head. “I'd rather not.”
“Excellent,” said Jonathon. “Because I've had an idea. I want you to be my representative on Lunar.”
“Huh?” Tara looked immediately both confused and wary.
Aurelia grinned. She saw the reason behind Jonathon's thinking and thought it was a great idea.
“Look, I'm about to leave Lunar City, where I've got a lot of support,” Jonathon explained. “You're my sister. I want you to be my face while I'm gone. Someone people can rally around—a symbol, if you will.”
“You're putting me in charge of Lunar?” asked Tara, her eyes wide open.
“Not exactly,” Jonathon said, grinning now. “There are people here I trust to do what needs to be done. But I need a face, a presence here, and I think that should be you. Are you willing to smile for the cameras every now and again?”
Tara chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “Hmm. I guess. It could be fun.”
And it will keep her out of trouble and away from the fighting, thought Aurelia. The idea really was a good one. Having a face to put to a cause was always important, and with Jonathon gone on Earth, Tara was the natural person to take his place. And she was good with people. Aurelia had been watching her tend to Workers, hand out water, and talk to people. She was fantastic, interested in what others had to say as well as sympathetic and funny, depending on the situation.
“Great,” said Jonathon, taking Tara's words as agreement. “Then you'll need to come with me. I'll announce who you are on a news stream so that people recognise you. And don't worry—there'll be few responsibilities, though I'll want you to keep me updated with any news from the City. Clear?”
Tara looked at Aurelia, then smiled. “Clear,” she said.
Aurelia watched her happily skip out of the room after Jonathon and was glad that the girl at least was going to be safe. She was young; she didn't need to see what was going to happen on Earth.
A transport pod arrived to take them to the shuttle bay. Lunar was as safe now as it had ever been, and getting to the bay was no problem, but Aurelia noticed the streets were more crowded than they had been before. Most of the makeshift barricades were gone; the metal fencing around the dome now protected the City. It wasn't until the shuttle bay came into sight that Aurelia saw anything truly different.
The large open area around the bay building was surrounded by long, orderly lines of men. Some wore Military uniforms, some Worker uniforms, some wore a ragtag assembly of other clothing items—anything to make them look different. All were part of the Resistance Army and were waiting for transport down to Earth. Nicholas was already in the bay, so he wasn't there to explain what was going on, but Aurelia could figure things out for herself.
Three large shuttles stood relatively close to each other, and the open space around them was divided into three sections. Large loading doors at the bottom of each shuttle were gaping open, and slowly groups of men were being led inside. The shuttle bay had given up its previous high-security entrance policy in favour of loading thousands of men into the shuttles as quickly as possible.
As the transport pod neared the shuttle bay building, it got closer to the men, and Aurelia could see their faces. All looked disciplined, and she presumed that the majority were either sec Workers or Clones. She wondered how many of them would come back. Some looked scared, but others were laughing and joking as though this were a pleasure trip. As if they didn't know what was going to happen. She was sure they did.
She was struck by such a deep sadness that she had to turn away from the window. It was only now that she really understood why Jonathon had to go and lead these men. She reached out and pressed his hand with hers, and when she looked at him saw that he too was gazing out of the window at the men. His eyes were dark, his lips pressed tightly together, and he didn't speak.
The pod halted in front of the shuttle bay. Jonathon shook his head quickly as if to dispel the images that he'd just seen, then opened the door. Once inside the building, Aurelia saw a few sec Workers in front of the gates, but no one asked for her number. As soon as Jonathon appeared, gates were opened and he was ushered through.
“It's the shuttles coming in that are monitored carefully,” he explained as they walked through the waiting area, strangely empty of people apart from a handful of Workers by the shuttle entra
nce gates. “We don't care so much about who's going out at this point.”
He nodded at the men waiting at the gates, and Aurelia recognised a few faces. These were the men Jonathon would take down with him. The planners, the supporters, those he trusted. He was soon involved in a deep conversation with one of them, and Aurelia was glad to see Elza appear on the other side of the waiting area.
“We're almost ready,” the woman greeted her.
“Did you find everything you needed?” asked Aurelia.
Elza nodded. “I included a fire starter in the med packs, thanks to you. I remembered how you disinfected and cauterised Nicholas's wrist using the hot knife. I also drew up some initial instructions for simple surgeries that can be improvised in the field. I uploaded them to your screen if you want to read through them on the flight. You might have more to add.”
Aurelia smiled. “Sure,” she said.
A young sec Worker opened the gate they were standing in front of. “We're ready for you now, sir,” he said to Jonathon.
Jonathon thanked him, and they started the long walk up the connecting corridor to the shuttle.
“There's one deck reserved for us,” he told everyone. “Everywhere else is crammed with troops, but we've still got work to do, so I wanted somewhere private.”
The deck was a regular one, not an Elite deck, Aurelia noted. And it wasn't full. Once Nicholas came running onto the shuttle, breathing hard, there were only a dozen of them. The shuttle door slammed shut.
“Troops are almost loaded,” Nicholas said. “We should be cleared for take-off in a few minutes.”
“And is everything arranged in 01?” someone asked.
Nicholas nodded and grinned. “There's going to be an unfortunate gas leak,” he said.
Jonathon looked at him questioningly, and the Clone shrugged. “Why fight if you don't have to?” he asked. “Lukas is going to have his comrades set off the gas leak alarms, at which point the bay in 01 will be closed down. We'll be allowed to land, but all shuttles will be kept in quarantine until the leak has been found—which it won't be, obviously. That should give us plenty of time to unload. Lukas has handled transport to 02 from 01.”
