by Daniel Gibbs
As the seconds passed, Ascaro forced herself to consider her situation. She had to act to prevent any further issues, but not until she knew more about what was going on. "My apologies as well, Prime Minister, I was unaware we had a Government. I can assure you the President and I did not discuss any policies of your administration."
Which they hadn't. The President had asked her overall view of things, and they'd discussed the state of things now and before the Estado Novo, but there'd been no reference to legislation or stated policies of the standing government. Nothing that would be a breach in constitutional etiquette between the President and Prime Minister.
Her disavowal won her a suspicious, skeptical look from Carvalho, but Vitorino's response was to restore his smile and nod. "It’s not like I've made any policy known to you," he said. "You can't discuss the parliamentary agenda if there is none." He offered his hand. "We've had our differences, Assemblywoman, but it still pleases me to see you alive and whole. Your loss would dullen our world."
"Thank you," she responded. She decided not to correct him on the "whole" part by showing her prosthetic left hand. "Congratulations on becoming Prime Minister."
"It was not my intention. My ambitions were mostly met," he said, sighing. "But as the only surviving Cabinet minister, I had to step into the role for the good of our world."
"Are you going to announce your survival soon?"
"Within a few days, when the RSS finishes their security report," he confided. "I intend to announce elections to be held in thirty days."
Ascaro couldn't hide her bewildered surprise. "That soon?" Under the State of Siege Readiness Bill, Vitorino had ninety days before he had to submit to an Assembly review of his actions, which meant he didn't need to call elections for at least sixty days.
"I see no reason to wait too long. The people need to know their voices are still being heard in the halls of power," Vitorino said. "It will help stabilize the situation."
Ascaro nodded, and as she did, the realization came to her that this wasn't a selfless gesture, or even an attempt to relieve himself of the premiership. This is opportunism. The PdDN was shattered. Caetano and al-Idrisi were dead, as were al-Tawfeek of the National Liberals and Silva of the Conservatives. Those parties were leaderless, and the PdDN would be particularly hard-pressed, given how much power Caetano wielded. Thirty days wouldn't be enough for anyone to reorganize effectively, much less put together a campaign. The Nationalist-Republicans, on the other hand… Vitorino, as Prime Minister, was automatically their leader, and their organizing committee would recognize that. They could run an easily-effective campaign.
Vargas moved where she could see him. The glint in his eyes made it clear he’d made the same calculation.
Meanwhile, Vitorino continued. "Given the circumstances, Madame Assemblywoman, I would appreciate it if you were to join my Cabinet."
Ascaro pursed her lips. "In what fashion?"
"I will retain my former ministries, as well as Defense and Home, as permitted by the State of Siege Readiness Act. I would give to you Commerce, Finance, Labor, and Planning. Vasco Domingues of the Conservatives will get the Foreign and Justice Ministries. Saniyya al-Amin of the Socialist Party will be Education and Technology Minister."
In short, Vitorino was putting her in charge of the economy and its various aspects, and she'd held two of those ministries in previous Governments her party had participated in. But it meant he got to keep control of the armed forces, the police, and the RSS. Ascaro immediately decided to test him and see if he might share those powers. "Might I ask for the Home or Defense Ministry? In exchange for one of the others? I know you've always felt Commerce and Trade should be together."
He chuckled. "I have, but I'm afraid I must insist on retaining control of our military, security, and police forces to ensure rapid reaction in the event another crisis strikes. You have my word, when the election is over, regardless of who has what ministry, my intent is to relinquish all but the Trade and Culture Ministries, or perhaps Trade and Commerce."
His logic had an impeccable backing to it, if Lusitania was dealing with a threat. The bombing indeed showed someone wanted the government destabilized. But Ascaro was still intensely suspicious of him. Vitorino never cared for real power before. Why refuse to share it now?
She had an impulse to say no, to retain her freedom of action instead of aligning with Vitorino. However, that could be dangerous. It would declare her hostile to him, a threat to his emergency ministry. If I accept, I have more options.
She noticed Vargas move behind Vitorino and Carvalho, as if to admire the window for a moment from a new angle. But he turned toward her and almost imperceptibly inclined his head. He wants me to say yes. But he couldn't verbalize it, since that could be construed as interfering, because Vitorino would then know Vargas wanted her to be a minister.
She grinned slightly. "You can't blame me for trying.” Her tone was flippant. "I accept." She offered her hand again.
"Splendid." He shook it warmly. "I look forward to working with you again. Now, we should get going. We’ll have to arrange a secured residence for you. When we go public, I believe our unity government will ease the worries of the populace."
"I'm sure it will."
"The people will be pleased to know you both are alive," Vargas observed. "I am pleased myself that your injuries have not impaired you."
Ascaro considered that, even as Vitorino smiled pleasantly. "I apologize, Prime Minister. I didn't think to ask about your injuries. I hope you're doing well?"
Vitorino smiled and nodded. "A head injury, but my physician cleared me to remove the bandaging this morning. Medical technology has healed the issue."
"I'm glad to know it," Ascaro said, even as she further considered the situation. Why did he bring up his injuries? Is there something more here? There was no time for further thought on the matter, though.
Vitorino gestured toward the door.
10
The Council of Guilds was the closest thing Trinidad Station had to a government. They decided matters relating to survival for the station, essential issues like acquiring resources, how to sell the resources they acquired through mining and harvesting, and laying down the rules necessary to keep the station functioning.
Now Henry, Tia, Miri, and the Tokarev brothers were at the interview table before the Guild. It looked more like a town council than a prominent legislature. They were seated along a long curved table facing the interview table, just as plastic and functional in manufacture.
The names for each Guild leader were present at their place. Sathasivam was to their right. At the center was the Chairman of the Council, one Thomas Lowell, the Chief Secretary of the Growers Guild, responsible for the station's aeroponics and agricultural efforts.
The interview table had a holoprojector built into it. It was currently displaying the logs from TR-778, showing the League Q-Ship firing its EMP. The footage frizzled and vanished. When it came back, it showed shuttles approaching the Shadow Wolf, with one already attached to its airlock. The nearby quad-pulse gun turret turned and fired low-energy shots that blew the shuttle apart. Most of the other shuttles went inactive after another EMP shot ripped through them on its way to nearly disabling the Shadow Wolf again.
The expressions on the faces of the assembled leaders grew more troubled with each passing moment. Frowns appeared upon the arrival of a League destroyer. Henry made sure to play the audio of the vessel identifying itself and demanding their surrender. The Morozova's appearance came next. Its engagement of the League ship was followed by the Shadow Wolf's escape.
Next came the logs from the Morozova, showing their perspective of what happened and the short fight with the League destroyer. The end showed both League ships jumped out of the system, leaving the Morozova and several crippled League shuttles.
The Station Security and Defense Guild's Chief Secretary was a Saurian, Mavik Ts'shris, who turned his ruby-red eyes to the Tokarevs. Henry thoug
ht he looked to have about ten years and a hundred kilos on Yanik. "You have prisoners?"
"Had," Pavel said in English.
Everyone knew the Tokarev approach to people from the League. Mavik hissed in disapproval. "If you kept them, human, we could have interrogated them more thoroughly."
Piotr's eyes glistened. Venomous hate filled his voice when he spoke, evident even to those who didn't understand his Russian, which was most of the room. Miri sighed and translated for everyone. "He would not pollute his blessed ship with the presence of Leaguers for longer than necessary."
"They would not talk. So we spaced them. Just as Leaguers space members of our Church," Pavel added, his voice just as cold. "Leaguers hate God so much, they can discuss with Him."
Henry didn't allow himself a reaction. The Tokarevs' bias was so notorious and strongly felt, it was going to make this harder than it needed to be.
A French-accented voice spoke up. "This could be forged." The speaker was the head of the Physicians' Guild, Doctor Camille Toussaint, an older woman, and Coalition expatriate from the Franco-Caribbean minority on New Antilla. Her head turned as she looked to her peers. "Every bit of it. They could be trying to drag us into some attack on the League."
Sathasivam shook his head in disagreement. "Were it just the Tokarevs, Doctor, I would be wary myself. But I know Captain Henry's character."
"How is he any less biased?" Toussaint asked. "He's ex-CDF. He fought in the war. The League's always been his enemy."
"Not after I got out of the war," Henry said. "Doctor, I've got no love for the League, but the last thing I want is for this to be happening. I'd rather not be in this situation in the first place, and my crew shares my feelings."
The leader of the Engineers' Guilt, Malala Khan—no relation to Samina—looked to Toussaint. "I have computer engineers who can verify the logs," she said. Since she controlled the station's technical personnel, her remark was no surprise to Henry. "From where I sit, they look genuine. It would also explain the disappearances."
"But why would the League be doing this?" The speaker was the Tal'mayan Chief Secretary of the Mining Guild, Liri Tasa, a female with a teal complexion and striking purple hair arranged in what looked like a crisscrossing pattern of cornrows. Her words were spoken with a timbre not found in human voices, the result of the physiological differences in the two species' vocal cords. "What do they gain?"
"Exactly the reason for my skepticism," said Toussaint.
"A greater plan." The note came from the head of Trinidad Station's permanent fleet, "Commodore" Jack Dulaney, a man of brown complexion with graying dark hair and blue eyes. As his title suggested, Dulaney was the most senior of the Trinidad captains, which was why he was made the leader of the Trinidad Spacers' Guild. Henry knew him by reputation as "Mad Jack" for some of the hair-raising stunts he pulled off with his privateering ship, the aptly-named Mad Hatter. "This feels like one part of a wider operation."
"It is, Councilmembers," said Miri. "Duarte Vitorino is part of this conspiracy. The bombing that brought him to power in Lusitania is another element of their plan."
"If there's any Lusitanian minister I could buy working for the League, it'd be him," Tasa said derisively.
Toussaint was less than impressed. "I consider this woman's presence another warning sign that we're being duped," she remarked. "By her own admission, she is with Coalition intelligence."
"Was," Miri corrected. "I retired."
Toussaint's responding glare was full of skepticism. Before she could say anything else, Lowell said, "It's clear we need to verify this evidence before we act upon it. I ask the rest of you to return to your ships until we make our decision."
"Of course, Chairman," Henry replied.
The party returned to the Shadow Wolf to find Linh present with the others. "They want to see the evidence?" Linh asked, although it was more prediction than anything.
"It's a lot to take in," Henry said.
"Do not defend their cowardice," hissed Piotr. "They are like all neutral people. Fools, more frightened of Coalition shadows than clear League threat!"
"They're also one space station with a fleet of, at best, a couple dozen armed civilian ships and a few disarmed, then rearmed surplus military starships." That observation came from Caetano. For understandable reasons, she was refusing to leave the Shadow Wolf. "You're asking them to fight the League of Sol."
Pavel was the one to reply. "We have no choice. We must fight, or League will destroy us all."
"The League's done a good job playing itself up in Neutral Space, though." Felix shook his head. "They play to all the old fears about the Coalition swallowing up worlds."
"Lowell won't fall for that," Linh said. "You're lucky it's coming out now. Three months ago, Dr. Toussaint was the Chairwoman, and I doubt you'd have gotten anything like a fair hearing. Lowell comes from Croydon."
"Ex-Coalition world," Henry remembered. "They withdrew after the Saurian Wars."
"Yeah, they didn't want to support the economic aid to rebuild Sauria." Felix nodded at Henry. "Proclaimed themselves neutral in the war. The League took over anyways about ten years back."
"Which is why Lowell's ready to hear you out. Dr. Toussaint, she left the Coalition for a reason, and she's always been suspicious of Coalition influence."
"Given the way she talked, I imagine she was Peace Union," Henry said, referring to the alliance of activists and politicians in the Coalition who believed the CDF was intentionally instigating the League to continue the war. What they were depended on someone's point of view.
"I can find out," al-Lahim began. "She might have been one of the Peace Union radicals who tried or threatened to sabotage military installations."
"If she is friendly to League, God help us, we may have to do something about her," Pavel muttered.
"You'll do no such thing," Linh snapped. "Whoever she was before, Doctor Toussaint is one of ours now, and she's done a lot to make life better for Trinidad Station's people. You'll keep your damn hands off her."
Al-Lahim gave her a skeptical look. "I understand your position, Chief, but consider what'll happen if she's pro-League. Are you sure she won't warn them we're coming?"
"I said she was leery of the Coalition, but that doesn't mean she won't see the evidence for what it is," Linh insisted. "If Khan's computer people clear it, she'll be upset, but she won't stop us from acting. She knows damned well we have to keep the League out too."
It was apparent the Tokarevs weren't convinced. Henry thought he could see wheels turning in al-Lahim's head too. "I don't think anything like that will be necessary," he said. "We need Trinidad Station to be a part of this, like it or not. They're probably the only secure station we can gather at that the League won't be watching like a hawk."
"Is true. League spies on Cyrilgrad at all times," noted Piotr.
"That said, we'll still need more ships, even if they commit everything they've got."
"Cyrilgrad has ten ships. Will devote all," Pavel assured them.
"And if Dulaney puts the word out, you'll probably get another two dozen vessels," Linh added. "Independent privateers and spacers with armed ships that work with us. Some of them owe a lot to Mad Jack."
"I am making further inquiries," noted al-Lahim. "I may be able to get you some vessels."
"I may have a few ships I can call in," Caetano added. "I'll need someone to be my face for the calls, but there are captains who owe Cristina Caetano their freedom and unofficial licenses to continue their business."
"You mean you suborned privateers and smugglers to the PdDN."
Caetano nodded at Miri's words. "Yes. It would sell the result I needed for my efforts, after all, and it gave me access to materials I needed." She laughed bitterly. "It's entirely possible our fleet will include the captain who smuggled in the bombs I had planted in the Assembly."
"I'm not much in the mood for irony like that." Henry sighed. "I suppose it proves Voltaire right."
"
Well, I have work to get back to," Linh said. "Including giving your fusion drive another fix-up, Jim."
"Well, this time, I've got the funds to cover it." He chuckled. "I won't be needing charity. I'm hiring a full team from the Dockworkers Guild, including you, so my people can rest."
"Don't spoil me, Jim. I might be tempted to overcharge."
"We will return to Morozova. Call when Guild Council ready to meet," Piotr said.
With that said, everyone dispersed save Henry, who turned to his ship and started looking it over. Linh, after approaching the exit, turned back, and walked up to him. "Are you going to bring Samina with you for this quixotic charge against the League?"
"No," Henry said. "Never. I've told her to stay here, and we'll pick her back up if we live."
"Ah." Linh nodded. "Good. Honestly, if I'd known the danger…"
"I know," he said, relieving her of the need to finish the sentence. "Although without her, I'm not sure we would've escaped TR-778."
Linh's jaw tightened, and she nodded. "So Tia'd be dead or a captive if I hadn't sent Samina to you, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I suppose that may take some of the edge off my guilt." Linh turned back to the exit. "I'll be back later to begin the inspection of your drive. Try not to break anything more, alright?"
Despite everything, he chuckled. "Of course."
11
It didn't take long for Ascaro to be assigned new lodgings. The RSS picked for her a suite in the Hotel Duro, a rival of the Royal Lusitanian. They selected the second-best suite in the entire hotel for her, a magnificent multi-roomed dwelling with the best luxuries to be found on the planet. She felt scandalized by the expense to the taxpayers.
To make up for the feeling of wasting her constituents' money, Ascaro threw herself into her work. The four ministries she'd been given were desperately seeking direction, and it was up to her to provide it. While the RSS forbade vidlink communications, since someone might notice the features of the Hotel Duro, she was allowed to communicate through re-routed text and audio links. Most of her first days in office were taken up with such communications and receiving information from the permanent secretaries, the dedicated civil servants who put into motion the policies of their parliamentary superiors. Between these conversations and her need to read reports and daily meetings with Vitorino and the rest of the small emergency Cabinet, she was working fourteen-hour days. Closer to sixteen hours, in truth.
