by Kal Spriggs
"Yes, sir," his XO sighed, "but you're not going to like it. She's a ninety percent match for facial recognition and a fifty percent match for voice. With a bit of coaching, she might get to seventy or eighty percent, close enough to fool most people with only casual acquaintance."
He toggled the display and put up the face of one of the Constellation's officers next to the image of Maria Avila. Daniel had to admit, she did make a good match... and he really didn't like it.
***
"Are you serious?" Alannis demanded as she stared at Captain Beeson. "You want me to imitate a pirate in order to infiltrate a pirate base?"
"This mission is purely voluntary," Captain Beeson said, "And trust me, it's the last thing that I want to do, but you do represent our best option of slipping the La Muerto Negra into that pirate facility."
Alannis looked between him and the XO, for a moment she wondered if this was some kind of joke. Yet the gravity of the situation penetrated. There were hundreds, possibly thousands, of potential hostages on that station. If the criminals there thought to use them as hostages, this could go from a simple raid into a prolonged hostage situation. Innocent men, women, and children, she thought, whose only crime was to want to escape to a better life.
"What do I need to do?" Alannis Asked
"We'll set up a command crew for the La Muerto Negra. You'll command the destroyer, pretend to be this Maria Avila, long enough to get the La Muerto Negra docked and our Marines aboard. After that, we'll hit the station, so we'll need targeting data and intelligence on locations of civilians, so we don't hit them."
Alannis nodded. She could do all of that... but the problems would come when the pirates realized they had infiltrators aboard and in the initial entry.
"Are there any kind of access codes to the base?" Alannis asked.
"We have those," Captain Beeson nodded, "and we've got recordings of Avila speaking, so you'll be able to practice on the way. Petty Officer Kennedy has some training in that department, she'll be along to help coach you."
"What about the two pirate ships that escaped?" Alannis asked. They'd turned up here at Porax Station and ruined their intel raid. If they showed up again...
"Since their random weapons fire killed more of their fellow pirates than the enemy and destroyed any chance of tracking down Reese, we think it unlikely that they'd want to return to report. On top of that, our sensors analysis indicate they conducted a blind jump." Lieutenant Commander Capdepon said.
Alannis winced. Odds were against survival on a blind jump. Only thirty percent of ships emerged and most that did often sustained moderate to severe damage. On the other hand, it couldn't happen to nicer people, she thought.
"Infiltrate a pirate base by impersonating a smuggler," Alannis could imagine dozens of ways this could go wrong. She quirked a smile, “This would be an independent command, wouldn't it?"
Captain Beeson smiled, "Yes, yes it would. Though I doubt that's the best reason to do it."
Alannis shrugged, "Probably. I just figure if I'm doing something outstandingly stupid, I might as well have it look good on my officer evaluation." Her smile faded, "I'm in, sir. There's people who need rescuing. That's what I signed up for." It was just the kind of mission that Forrest Perkins would have signed up for. As she thought of that, she felt tears well up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.
"Excellent," Captain Beeson said. "We're still assembling a crew for you, but you can transfer over to the La Muerto Negra, now. Thank you, Lieutenant Giovanni."
Alannis gave him a sharp salute. She just wished she could have told Forrest about all this. He would have found it hilarious.
***
Chapter IX
Location Unknown
February 28, 2410
Lieutenant Commander Forrest Perkins wished he had something to laugh about.
His back ached and his arms felt like wet noodles, but he caught the next box and passed it along the line anyway. The ongoing days of labor had worn his people down and now he knew why the other prisoners had looked so exhausted.
Stay focused, Forrest told himself, we're going to get out of here.
He looked at Lieutenant Elvis Medica, "Any news about our ride out of here?"
The engineering officer looked out of the corner of his eye at the nearest guards, but the background noise should drown out their discussion. "From what I'd heard, Kaigun Haro's people loaded up some supplies earlier this week. They said it looked like the ship was in good shape, no signs of damage."
Forrest caught the next crate and passed it along. "What about lockouts and that sort of thing?" Most ships had some kinds of electronic or mechanical systems to prevent theft. Military ships typically had more of them, often requiring biometric access.
"Haro says that it was some of Reese's people who came off the ship, so they might have already bypassed any access codes, in which case..." He trailed off as a guard walked past, "...in which case, we might be able to get systems online too."
Forrest considered that. It was a risky proposition. In the past few days, five of his crew had been taken, along with six or seven of the other prisoners. Some, like Petty Officer Chap Godbey, had been returned, confused, exhausted, and not really sure what had happened.
Others, like Lieutenant Hersey, hadn't reappeared. The guards met any questions with either silence or physical threats if the questions continued. Forrest had tried to prevent them from taking one of his people the previous day and the guards had hit him with a stunner.
"We need a way to confirm it," Forrest said softly. "We need to slip someone on-board, probably you, to check it out."
"Great idea," Elvis snorted, "I'll get right on that, skipper."
They needed a distraction, some way to get the guards focused elsewhere, yet not violent enough to cause them to react with lethal force or tip them off that they had an escape planned.
"Work break!" one of the guards called out.
Forrest stepped back and he and the other prisoners stood still for a long moment. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead and shook his arms. It helped a little, but his arms still felt weak. Forrest had always had a high metabolism and had been tall and thin before his capture. Now his uniform hung off him like a scarecrow and his stomach rumbled to remind him he hadn't eaten since early morning. Most of the prisoners, both those from his crew and the ones from other nations, moved into a cluster where they sat or squatted, panting and catching their breath.
Forrest glanced at Elvis and then over at the Widowmaker. Now would be the perfect time to slip over to the ship, yet the guards watched them all, weapons ready and their faces hidden behind their helmets. If only I had something they wanted..,
Forrest's head came up as he remembered his conversation with Marius Giovanni. "Hey," Forrest walked up to the nearest guard, "Hey, tell your boss I want to talk with him."
The guard didn't move, "Step back."
"Look," Forrest said as he advanced, "He made me an offer, I just want to ask him a couple of questions..."
"Step back," the guard snapped.
"Just get him on the comm and--"
The guard stepped forward and drove his buttstock into Forrest's stomach. As prisoners started to their feet and guards raised their weapons, Forrest thought he saw Elvis Medica duck behind a stack of boxes. Then again, Forrest was also fighting to breathe, so he wasn't certain.
A guard jerked him to his feet. "If you continue to cause trouble, we have orders to discipline you."
Forrest's diaphragm barely let him gasp a reply, "I just wanted to talk with Marius Giovanni, he made me an offer and I figured he'd want my answer in person."
The guard cocked his head, just the kind of motion someone might make if they were speaking on an internal comm unit. A moment later he pushed Forrest away, "The Admiral will see you. Move that way," he snapped and gestured towards the hatch. "The rest of you, back to work."
Shit, Forrest thought, I really hope they don't count heads.
<
br /> As a pair of guards escorted him through the door, he shot one last glance over his shoulder. He hoped that the shadow moving up the Widowmaker's ramp was Elvis Medica.
***
"Lieutenant Commander Perkins," Marius Giovanni said, not looking up from the tactical display, "I must say, it took you a while, what changed your mind?"
Forrest didn't miss the distinct shape of the Enforcer Station hovering on the display. They're planning for the attack on Kapteyn’s Star, he realized.
"I want some assurances about my people," Forrest hedged. "What happened to Lieutenant Hersey, Engine Tech Pape, and Petty Officer Glass?"
"Hmmm," Marius looked up, "I hadn't realized we'd processed any of your people, just yet." He consulted his datapad. "Ah, interesting. Well, Lieutenant Commander, I can assure you that your personnel are in fine health. They and your remaining crew will remain that way, assuming you accept my offer." He cocked his head, "I'll have Lieutenant Hersey brought here to reassure you."
That didn't exactly answer the question, Forrest thought. "Why do you want me, anyway?" Forrest asked. "It's not like I'm a senior officer."
"You've excellent potential," Marius smiled, "and a natural loyalty to my son that I appreciate. Besides, Alannis thinks highly of you, it's a vote in your favor."
"And if I reject your offer?" Forrest asked.
Marius nodded at the hatch behind him. A tall, dark-haired officer in the black Nova Roma Imperial Fleet uniform stepped through. Forrest had to stare at her for a long moment until he recognized Lieutenant Hersey. Before he could say anything, she spoke, "Admiral, you asked for me?"
"Yes, Lieutenant," Marius Giovanni said, his voice friendly, "Have you transmitted those reports and made the preparations for Captain Leone's departure?"
"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Hersey nodded. Her gaze went to Forrest and she stared at him for a moment, a slight crease on her forehead as if she thought she might recognize him, but didn't know from where.
"This is Lieutenant Commander Perkins," Marius Giovanni said, "of the United Colonies Fleet. He's considering joining up."
"Ah," she nodded, "Sir, it would be good to have you, we could always use more good people for the fight." She looked back at Marius, "Is that all, sir?"
Marius's smile was friendly and fatherly, "Yes, Lieutenant, fine job. I'll let you know of any changes. You're dismissed."
Lieutenant Hersey departed and Forrest spun to face Marius, "You bastard, what did you do to her?!"
"Now, now," Marius shook his head, his eyes narrowing, "that's hardly the tone to take with your potential commanding officer. I did to her what I have done with many of my prisoners. I will admit, her neural structure took to the programming better than most, but that just made her a higher priority. I'll do the same to all of your personnel, Lieutenant Commander Perkins, yourself included... if you don't accept my offer, that is."
Forrest stared at his captor in horror. The very idea of having his free will taken away terrified him. "How can you do this?"
Marius Giovanni gave a tight smile, "Technically speaking it's a simple enough process, one I borrowed from an old Amalgamated Worlds military program. A bit of complex machinery, a few thousand hours spent developing a workable process, and I can produce utterly loyal subordinates out of pirate scum. I can reinforce the loyalty of normal officers and enlisted, which is far better as it is a less invasive process. Most of the pirates I've had to reprogram... well," he shrugged, "they're not terribly bright after that much rewriting. Strong willed officers, with long lives and lots of experiences… people such as yourself or some of my other remaining prisoners... well, the process takes longer and there's also a higher risk of brain damage. I also have to cut out larger chunks of your memory and personality in order to produce a loyal subordinate."
Marius shrugged, "The results aren't pretty, but if a former ship's commander is only capable of operating a weapons console afterwards, then that's one more gunner I have available." His smile faded, "Or were you asking me morally and ethically how I accomplish it?"
Forrest was too aghast to reply.
"We are fighting a war of survival, Lieutenant Commander. A war that humanity is in grave danger of losing. Don't think for an instant that the temporary pause by the Balor is a permanent one. I have fought them for the past twenty years. My reconnaissance forces have seen signs that they have rebuilt the losses that Lucius dealt them at the Faraday system. They are preparing for a broad-scale assault and their agents have subverted more worlds than your United Colonies realizes. When the onslaught comes, it will be swift and terrible... and they will crush all who oppose them. My son managed to defeat a quarter of their forces with every bit of his strength concentrated at Faraday. How can he hold out against assaults on dozens of systems, with his strength spread out? How can humanity survive without sacrifices?"
"You're a monster," Forrest finally spoke. "I won't have anything to do with this."
"You fail to see the big picture," Marius shrugged. "But don't worry, you'll come around." He waved a hand of dismissal, "Take him back to the work party."
***
"That went as expected," a rough voice spoke from the side.
Marius looked over as the holographic projection dropped to reveal the alcove from where his two guests had observed. Spencer Penwaithe wore an amused expression, while his subordinate, Admiral Collae, looked impatient.
"I think it went even better than expected," Marius smiled. "But you've no appreciation for the art of what it is I'm trying to accomplish."
"I think you're being too fancy for your own good," Admiral Collae growled. "Keep things simple, kill those who oppose you or damage their resources sufficiently so they cannot oppose your efforts." He shrugged, "But you know my standing on the subject."
Spencer Penwaithe gave Marius a slight shrug. Spencer understands. He has family involved in all this as well, Marius thought. The easiest thing would have been to simply cripple the United Colonies, do destroy their task force and hit their planets in surprise raids. Admiral Mannetti had attempted just that.
But Marius didn't want his son's efforts to fail. Nor did he want his daughter killed. They might oppose his efforts, but they didn't know his end game, they couldn't know everything he worked towards. Spencer's two sons were similar, both of them now under the umbrella of the United Colonies. Though Spencer is far more germane about such things, Marius considered, after all, he's buried children before.
The United Colonies could serve a purpose, though Marius planned to make them subject to his own planned empire. Power is my rightful reward for my efforts, he thought. Of course, both of his partners probably had plans of empires of their own. That was part of what made this little dance so interesting.
"In any case," Marius said, "it seems things are coming along nicely. The alliance against Reese is chasing through the underbrush. You said they'll rendezvous at the Formalhaut system prior to their attack on the pirate base?"
Admiral Collae nodded in reply.
"Good," Marius glanced at Spencer, "I'm inclined to let them hit Alpha Canis Major. We haven't any irreplaceable assets there and the removal of those criminal organizations will leave a nice vacuum for some of our own assets to expand into, don't you agree."
Spencer smiled, "Oh, yes, having them wipe out some of the competition would be good for business."
"Excellent," Marius nodded at Admiral Collae. "Send them your regrets. We'll continue with our preparations. How have things come along with Colonel Price?"
"He's amenable," Admiral Collae said. "I think he expects a full partnership. If some of what he offers is legitimate, it would be fair." There was an odd note of respect in Admiral Collae's voice. Marius felt a temptation to probe that out, to see if Admiral Collae might feel some affinity for the Amalgamated Worlds officer, but he decided to leave it lie... for now.
"All I care about is the power source that his people can access," Marius said. His agent within the United Colonies had co
nfirmed years earlier that the prototype energy reactor had vanished. By all descriptions it was a massive installation whose coordinates had been carefully hidden in only one navigational computer... and only the Dreyfus conspirators had access to that computer before it was erased.
The surviving designs had suggested it was powerful enough to produce antimatter for an entire fleet. That kind of energy production might be enough to meet his long-term goals. If he had to bring a former assassin into his ranks, well, at least the man had the right mentality. There's work to be done, Marius thought, and if nothing else, with a little bit of mental conditioning and I'm sure he'll fit right in.
"Alright, gentlemen," Marius said. "Let's begin to review the plans for the attack on Kapteyn’s Star." He settled back in his chair as his partners took their seats. This entire campaign was one of careful calculation and his alliances were ones of necessity and planned-betrayals. I love this job, he thought with a smile.
***
The guards escorted Forrest back to his place in line and he fell in beside Lieutenant Medica. "How'd it go?" Forrest asked.
"I, uh, just got back," Elvis Medica said in a low voice. "I didn't want to take too long, but that's one sweet ship, sir."
"Okay," Forrest nodded, "tell me you can get her flying."
"I can," Elvis nodded. "The systems have been hacked, there's no safeties or security interlocks. They have a physical lockdown on the command console, but I can probably bypass that in a few minutes."
"How long will it take you to get the power plant operational?" Forrest asked as he glanced around. He caught the next box and passed it along, even as he watched the movements of the guards.
"Five minutes, tops," Elvis said. "It's an antimatter plant, similar design and layout to the Bowie. It would take me longer to get one of the Nova Roma-style fusion plants up and running. We're looking at five minutes for basic systems and ten or so for full combat power."
