by Paul Phipps
Ariadne/Comm Mode: “I have all of the details and intelligence scans now. I agree with the Aurora’s interpretation of the data. So what do you want to do and what do you need to do it?”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Send me one Hundred of the Samurai Defense Units. Up to twenty of those new units that Evana was talking about and ten Scalp-Hunters and an Iso-tube carrier for the survivors. When I’m done here there will be no evidence that they were ever here.”
Ariadne/Comm Mode: “They will be on their way shortly, this will be interesting to see who gets there first, our units or the Homeland Security forces.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Thank you Ariadne. Aurora please maintain a watch on them and if you can do it please move yourself here too. I think over the lake would be a good location.”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “Certainly Commander Webster, I will be there in 14 minutes.”
Ansel returned his attention to the Fullers in front of him. They both had a quizzical expression but appeared to be relaxed.
“Do either of you do any work for Homeland Security?” Ansel asked calmly.
“No, not at all, I don’t even fly anymore; the TSA has ruined that experience completely.” Admiral Fuller stated with disdain.
“No, I don’t either. My current job is as a consultant and I have done a couple of short term contracts with them. But I haven’t done anything with them for over eight months now.”
“Did you know your home was under Homeland Security surveillance?” Ansel continued.
With that pronouncement both of the Fullers were astonished and then in turn grew angry faces.
“No, we did not!” exclaimed Captain Fuller.
“Well, it appears that you are. I have just been notified that two anti-terrorist strike teams are being dispatched here. The orders are shoot-to-kill and no prisoners are required.” Ansel continued with a calm manner.
The admiral placed a hand on his wife’s leg to prevent her from jumping up. “How long do we have until they arrive?” he asked.
“They haven’t left yet but my scout cruiser states that once they leave we will have fifty minutes until they arrive.” Ansel replied.
“I see,” Admiral Fuller said, “do you know what sort of surveillance they are using?”
“Let me ask.” Ansel told him.
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Aurora, do you know what type of surveillance Homeland Security is using on this location?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “No I don’t, I’ll task my IGD’s there to see if they can locate either a human or electronic means.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Thank you, we will maintain the same posture here until you tell me the method being utilized.”
“Admiral, Captain, we are trying to find out the methodology right now. So let’s just sit here a little bit longer and see what turns up.”
“You know, the capabilities you show so casually are a bit scary.” Christine Fuller told Ansel.
“I don’t mean to be scary.” Ansel said with a smile. “But yes, the capabilities that a member of the Terran Space Navy has available to him or her are impressive and can be scary. It’s one of the reasons why we need to be very careful about whom we can accept as members and why we have the restrictions we do on them after they join up.”
“Yes, that much is becoming more obvious every minute.” The Admiral noted.
Aurora/Comm Mode: “Commander Webster I have an answer for you. There is a team of three people, one man and two women that are in a house across the street from the Fullers home. They are in the basement and are currently watching the front of the Fullers home on a video Camera and there is another display that has the three of you on it.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Can you tell me approximately where the camera is located at?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “It is directly behind you and approximately three feet vertically above your head height.”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Thank you for that information. Is there any more information available on the Homeland Security Strike Team?”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “They are apparently waiting for someone to arrive. I shall let you know when they depart for your location.”
“We are currently being monitored by a camera in this room. What do you want to do?” Ansel asked the Fullers.
“Do? What do you mean by that?” Captain Fuller asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“We can do many things, we can run around, jump and shout and accomplish nothing. I can leave and then we will see if the Homeland Security Teams stand down. We can gather up your important mementos like photographs, etc. and vacate the premises before the teams arrive. OR… We can set a trap and capture these people and wring every bit of information out of them.” Ansel finished with a terrifying smile.
Admiral Fuller, sat back with a smile and said, “I like that last one, very much indeed. But how are we going to do that?”
Ansel replied, “I have forces on the way. It’s going to be a race frankly, to see who gets here first. What I need to know is how long will it take you to gather up the things that are most important to you? That will determine part of the time line.”
“For myself, ten minutes or so. Christine? How long for you?”
“About the same, Most of the important stuff is on my laptop, I just need the last back-up for the Desktop and my jewelry box. You know I travel light.” She replied back to her husband.
“Good then, once the strike force is around twenty minutes out this whole area is going to lose electrical power. The surveillance team across the street will lose their cameras and we will move to get your stuff and my own forces will deploy around the area. We will depart out the back of the house and enter one of my vessels where we will monitor the rest of this incident.” Ansel told them.
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “Aurora, did the surveillance team react at all to what I just said?”
Aurora/ Comm Mode: “No Commander, it appears they only have visual surveillance, no audio.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “That’s curious, I always thought that Audio was much easier than visual. Unless…”
Ansel stood up and stretched his arms and then turned around and saw a large picture window overlooking the blackness of the lake behind the house.
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “I think I have an answer to that Aurora, the camera is not in the house it’s outside peering through this window.”
Aurora/ Comm Mode: “It appears you are correct, the reaction of the surveillance team is quite interesting. They are being quite animated and …. Yes, now one of them is on a phone talking to someone else. A fist pump there, yes, you are definitely a person of interest to them.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Well they lost a whole Act-Now strike force on Saturday to us. I do imagine that they are excited at having another go at me.”
Ansel turned around and said in a normal voice. “There are no microphones or cameras in here, they are actually outside. So be careful with what you say when looking in that direction.
I suggest that you each leave separately and gather up what you need. I’m sorry but you won’t be coming back for some time to come. It’s not going to be very healthy for you around here.”
The Fullers each left separately to get what they wanted to take with them. Ansel in turn continued to chat with them and pass the time. Finally, after almost twenty minutes…
Aurora/Comm Mode: “The person they have been waiting for has arrived. We have a good facial image of him and I am passing it on to the others to see if they can find out who he is.
He has gathered a small group around him and they are discussing something. Shall I attempt to overhear it?”
Commander Webster/Comm Mode: “If you can do it without them becoming suspicious then do it.”
Aurora/Comm Mode: “I am going to send it to you…”
“-u sure it’s that Commander Webster?”
“Yes sir, confirmation just
came in we have a full facial view of him. The Fullers are still there talking to him.”
“It’s getting late, I won’t be surprised if he leaves shortly. Does anyone know why he’s there?”
“No sir, when the surveillance team did a random check of the video streams they saw him talking to the Fullers in their common room. We have no idea what he’s there for.”
“It doesn’t matter, our orders are clear, gentlemen. We go in and kill everyone then burn the place down to destroy any evidence. If we can capture Webster then do it, but at this point it’s not a priority.”
“Yes Sir, we understand. We’ve done this before.”
“Let’s go then, saddle up!”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “They sound very hard core, don’t they?”
Aurora/ Comm Mode: “That they do. I am ready to shut down the power grid at your command.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Please do that when they are eighteen minutes out. Ariadne, how soon until the units I asked for are here?”
Ariadne/ Comm Mode: “They will be there in seven minutes. Admiral Webster is there with them.”
Commander Webster/ Comm Mode: “Thank you Ariadne. Admiral Webster, I’m surprised you came along.”
Admiral Webster/ Private Comm Mode: “Why not Ansel? This is twice now and I want information and I am going to President Richardson over this. His Homeland Security Agency appears to be in the hands of the very people he just fought a Civil War with.”
Commander Webster/ Private Comm Mode: “Yes Sir, I wanted more data first. You are correct that these people need to be removed and soon. They do appear to be everywhere, don’t they?”
Admiral Webster/ Private Comm Mode: “Yes they do. Let’s end it for this group now and then we will see what to do next.”
Ansel motioned the Fullers away from the large window toward the kitchen. As soon as they were out of view of the window he brought them up to speed as to what was occurring.
“As soon as the lights go off, grab your bags and we are out the back door. Stay close and the gravity elevator will grab us and we will be on board the Aurora. Once the Homeland Security teams start to move, we will also. We are going for a total capture of all of the men and their machines, including the surveillance team across the street.
“Why not do it while they are still grouped in their aircraft?” Asked Captain Fuller.
“Because this way will break down their resolve much quicker and we can get the information we want quicker. Think about it… They are all set to do murder and create destruction with their victims completely ignorant of what is to occur. But when the tables are turned suddenly and they are the ones on the receiving end?”
“Yes, I see what you intend on doing, classic anti-ambush strategy and psychology. Ambushers are rarely mentally prepared to be ambushed themselves.” Admiral Fuller nodded his head in agreement.
A little bit later, the lights went off. The two Fuller’s picked up their bags from the hall where they had left them. Ansel waited by the back door and then they were walking carefully down a brick path towards the lake and then…. They were floating rapidly into the sky. A door closed behind them and they were in a fairly large room with a green and gold wall ahead of them.
Ansel smiled to himself and marched to the wall. “Wardroom please” and then the haze of a force field surrounded him and he was gone. The Fuller’s followed him gingerly and did the same.
A few minutes later they were in the Wardroom, Ansel had had the Aurora set up numerous screens on the wall.
“Please sit down, we are just observers now. Fleet Admiral Webster is running the show and we get to see a pro in action.”
One by one the Osprey IV’s sat down at a soccer field only three miles away from the Fuller Residence. The extremely quiet and stealthy aircraft were in quick and unloaded their men and equipment. The VTOL aircraft headed for the nearby airport to await their call back to extract the Anti-Terrorist strike teams as per their standard operating procedure.
Each team put up their Remotely Operated Spy Hexa-Copters and used them to search the shadows in the night for potential enemies. Team two was providing Perimeter control while Team one was going to ingress and terminate their targets. The Surveillance team was briefing the Team commander on the layout of the Fuller Residence.
Five minutes after that, all were in position, quietly, stealthily, no one in the nearby houses knew they were there, Dawn was still four and a half hours away. The lasers were turned on and the Night Observation Devices were in place and the assault began.
At that point the Samurais all appeared as if by magic each next to one of the Homeland Security people. A quick shot with a Capacitor dart to stun the man or woman and the whole strike group was captured in less than 15 seconds. Shortly thereafter the Ospreys were all lifted off of the Tarmac into the TSN vessels overhead. And two minutes later there was no sign of anyone, they were all removed just as quietly as they had arrived.
Fleet Admiral Webster appeared at the Wardroom Trans-Portal of the Aurora a few minutes later and walked over to the Fullers and greeted them and shook their hands and sat down at the table with them.
“That was as smooth a counter operation as any I have ever witnessed or gamed.” stated Admiral Fuller.
“Yes, I thought so too. We got lucky this time. We had plenty of time to get our forces into position and they were so cocky and thought that it was in the bag.” smiled Admiral Webster.
“Do you still plan on going to the President with this, Admiral?” Asked Ansel
“Oh, yes, I certainly do! It took a little bit of time to figure out who they were waiting for.” Admiral Webster said, “But facial recognition software is much better than it used to be. Once we had their leader tubed we were able to get a good look at him and do a couple of micrographs on his facial scars.”
“Well then, who is he?” asked Captain Fuller.
“Today he calls himself Gerald Manning. He is the Director of the Northwest district of Homeland Security. He used to be known as Harold Fleming, he was known more colloquially as Dirty Harry the Butcher of Mannsfield.” The Admiral stated simply.
“Dirty Harry!” Cried Captain Christine Fuller in sudden hatred, “That bastard’s Act-Now group killed my entire family along with 22,000 other residents.”
“Yes he did, Captain.” Admiral Webster agreed, “Do you know who gave the order to do so?”
“I always assumed he did. Act-Now was a terrorist group plain and simple.” replied Captain Christine Fuller.
“No, Captain,” Admiral Webster said grimly, “Act-Now, was the President-for-Life’s personal weapon against those who disagreed with his policies. The President-for-Life gave the order to wipe out the town of Mannsfield.
Didn’t you ever wonder why it was always so hard to catch them after they had done their dirty work?
That was because they were actually a part of the people doing the man-hunt. Pretty tricky don’t you think.”
Captain Christine Fuller stared at Fleet Admiral Webster in disbelief as if a part of her world view was falling apart. Slow tears were starting to stream down her face unnoticed.
“I can tell you now that on Saturday a team from Homeland Security tried to kidnap me and a scout-ship. The leader of that strike force was none other than the Secretary of Homeland Security.” Ansel told the Fullers. “And she and her people are now our unwilling guests at our moon base.”
Both of the Fullers were quiet and looking at Ansel and Admiral Webster. Then they looked at each other and then one and then the other nodded yes.
“Admiral Webster, Commander Webster, Christine and I would like to enlist in the Terran Space Navy.” Admiral Fuller
“We would be pleased and proud to have you join us.” Admiral Webster told them both. ”We have need of your skills and your experience.”
Then the four of them sat down at the wardroom table and began to talk practicalities. Both of the Fullers would return with Ansel to
the Companion. They would be processed aboard and go to the Med-center for their Comm Implant.
The Latest group from Homeland Security would go to the Moon and be kept in their ISO-Tubes for the time being. Deep interrogation would be done on them as time permitted.
Admiral Webster and Ansel would go to Washington later on to deal with the President and the Pentagon in their own inimitable ways. Such was another day in the TSN.
TSN Star Fighter Carrier Johnny Reb 0845 EST, Monday November 16, 2026
