Aragon and those with her suddenly did the same, gunning down the snakes at her location on the perimeter, Aragon firing her weapon directly into the face shield of one at close range. The regular Syndic soldiers there stood gaping in surprise as Aragon and her Tigres leveled their weapons, holding the soldiers at gunpoint. There wouldn’t be any time wasted with arguing and convincing here.
The Marine recon force came racing across the open area and through the gap opened in the Syndic defenses.
“Rogero’s broadcasting to the entire Syndic net,” General Carabali reported. “Telling them the hostages are being protected, and that Marines are inside the perimeter but will only target snakes and anyone who fires at them. Telling them the 1234th has already revolted and been guaranteed good treatment by General Drakon, and that anyone else who surrenders to him will receive the same treatment. And that he, General Drakon’s officer, will protect them from the Marines. This is when we find out how bad it’ll be, Admiral. If the Syndics decide to keep fighting, we’ll have a hard time of it. But better troops than these would have trouble keeping on with the fight under these conditions.”
General Carabali proved to be right. Their morale already in tatters, enraged with the security service agents who’d dealt death on an accusation or a whim, the Syndic soldiers began slaughtering the snakes among them before the Marines could reach their positions, then huddling defensively as the Marines raced past, their weapons silent.
As the inside of the perimeter collapsed, the defenses facing the Marines still outside fell silent except for shots aimed at the snakes among them.
Securing the entire area, and slowly disarming the Syndic soldiers who surrendered to Colonel Rogero and the Tigres with him as he moved to different parts of it, took a long time.
And then things got very tense again.
“Admiral, we have a situation,” General Carabali reported. “Colonel Mako with some of the Kane defensive forces is trying to enter the former perimeter. He and his soldiers seem intent on slaughtering the surrendered Syndics.”
“Get Rogero over to meet Mako, and link Mako in with me,” Geary ordered.
The image of an angry, stubborn man in battered battle armor appeared before Geary. “We are grateful for your assistance,” Colonel Mako said, “but now you will stand aside and let us deal with those who committed atrocities against our people.”
“You don’t give orders to me,” Geary said, knowing he had to assert dominance quickly. “Look up. You’ll see battleships in orbit. Look around. I’ve got a lot of Alliance Marines ready to act on my command. Now, let’s discuss this. We don’t want to fight Kane’s defenders.”
“Kane will not become a vassal of the Alliance,” Colonel Mako insisted.
“You know that’s not what will happen. We came here at the request of President Iceni and General Drakon to assist Kane. We will leave once the job is done. Kane will remain free.”
“Then let us wipe this stain from our world!”
Colonel Rogero had arrived, coming face-to-face with Colonel Mako. “You know me, Mako! We gave promises to those who surrendered. You know General Drakon’s policies!”
“Do you know the things they did?” Mako growled. “These people you gave promises to?”
“The snakes among them are all dead! You can come see that for yourself. There will be no killing of the helpless, Colonel. That is what the Syndicate does.”
“Do you think they can change, Rogero? They all served the Syndicate.”
“So did I, Colonel Mako. And so did you.” Colonel Rogero looked beyond Mako to the ragged defenders of Kane behind him. “How many of you others served the Syndicate? Do you know the families of those workers are here? Those workers fought knowing if they faltered the snakes would kill their family. Would you have done differently?”
Mako’s rage was lessening. “I would like to see these families. To see if this is true.”
“I will take you to them,” Colonel Rogero said. “But no shots must be fired. I have given General Drakon’s mercy to these workers who surrendered. Do you want to face Drakon’s wrath?”
“General Drakon does not rule here. Neither does the Alliance. We have nothing left to lose but our freedom. No one will dictate to us what we will do.”
Geary turned to Marphissa. “Kommodor, can you link in with Colonel Rogero? It looks like we have a big problem that hopefully the two of you can fix.”
Hours passed, the situation on the surface stable, but Marines, surrendered Syndic soldiers, and Kane’s defenders all eyeing the others with growing nervousness. Knowing the odds of trouble were growing with each minute, Geary was relieved when Rogero and Marphissa called him again.
Unfortunately, their expressions were not those of a pair that was about to report success. Both looked tired and frustrated. “We have an apparently unsolvable problem,” Colonel Rogero said. “Kane will not permit any surrendered Syndicate soldiers on their planet. President Wake is not as openly bloodthirsty as the others, merely insisting ‘something’ will happen if the soldiers remain on the surface. But all refuse to compromise. If we withdraw the Marine guards and leave all of the surrendered soldiers on the surface, those Syndicate soldiers will be massacred. But of course we cannot leave the Marines, because then they would be seen as an Alliance occupying force.”
Great. Geary massaged the bridge of his nose as he thought. “Pele captured five freighters, right?”
“Six,” Marphissa said.
“They can hold all of the surrendered soldiers, can’t they?”
“If they’re packed in,” Kommodor Marphissa said. “It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would be survivable.”
“Then why can’t we load the surrendered soldiers on those freighters and take them to Midway?” Geary asked.
Colonel Rogero shook his head, looking like someone repeating an argument for the hundredth time. “Because of the families. Those Syndicate workers will not leave their families undefended on the surface of Kane. I can’t blame them for that. Even the families wouldn’t be safe if left without guards.”
“Kane won’t commit to guarding them?”
“No. In fact, Kane refuses to offer any assurances of their safety. If we try to evacuate the soldiers without their families, the soldiers will riot. We’ll probably have to kill a lot of them,” Rogero said with calm certainty.
“The only way to suppress the riot would be killing?” Geary said, shocked.
“These are Syndicate workers,” Kommodor Marphissa said. “Held on tight reins all of their lives. When the reins snap, they run amok. I’ve seen it.”
“So have I,” Rogero said. “So there’s our problem. We can’t leave the surrendered soldiers on Kane, but we can’t take them off Kane. And we simply don’t have enough transport to bring out the soldiers and the families at the same time.”
Geary felt an old headache returning. “And Kane refuses to bend even though they’ve won.”
“Exactly. They want blood, Admiral. The blood of the soldiers who invaded their world.”
Something teased at Geary’s mind. He held up a hand to stop something else that Rogero was about to say, trying to grasp at whatever was hanging just beyond his comprehension. Soldiers who invaded their world. That was it. Why . . . ?
He suddenly knew. “Executive Aragon and her people did not invade this world. They didn’t engage in any actions on Syndic orders on this world. They weren’t even Syndic when they landed as part of our force.”
Rogero stared at Geary, then at Marphissa. Both nodded. “Maybe that’s the wedge that can solve the unsolvable problem,” Colonel Rogero said. “Let us pursue that and get back to you. I’m going to get Aragon here as well.”
Another hour, while Geary watched the immense force at his command, knowing he couldn’t solve this problem with it unless he was willing to kill a whole lot of people.
Finally, Rogero and Marphissa called back, showing wary expressions of success. “That did it, Admiral,” Rogero reported. “Since Executive Aragon’s soldiers never attacked Kane, and helped defeat the Syndicate forces here, Kane is willing to let Aragon’s unit remain, fully armed, to protect the families of the Syndicate soldiers. Executive Aragon has agreed to do that. And the surrendered soldiers will trust Aragon’s people to defend their families until we get transports back here for them.”
“And Midway can take all of them?” Geary said. “You’ve got room?”
“A great deal of room,” Colonel Rogero said. “The Syndicate built a lot of large facilities on outlying islands on Midway, facilities that have never been activated or occupied. Supposedly they were for a massive buildup if the enigmas attacked, but everyone believed they were really intended to someday support a huge invasion force aimed at the enigmas. Those facilities can, at least temporarily, hold all of the soldiers here and their families. And if some of them want to go to star systems associated with us, such as Taroa, they’d probably be welcomed there.”
“Fantastic.” Geary looked at Rogero and Marphissa. “Now what’s the thing you haven’t told me yet?”
Kommodor Marphissa met his eyes and spoke steadily. “In order to gain Kane’s agreement, I had to offer one more thing. That I would strongly recommend to President Iceni that she give the battle cruiser captured by Executive Aragon to Kane, so this star system would have a powerful defense against more attacks.”
He’d been so afraid of hearing an impossible demand that Geary almost laughed when he heard the reality of it. “That’s fine with me. I was wondering what to do with that battle cruiser.”
“It was promised to Captain Geary,” Kommodor Marphissa pointed out.
“I don’t think Alliance law permits individual ownership of battle cruisers,” Geary said. “And I don’t think Captain Geary will object to having to relinquish it to Midway to do with as it desires. But can Kane support a battle cruiser? And do they know it was pretty badly damaged?”
“No,” Marphissa said. “Midway will have to carry out some repairs, and subsidize at least part of the crew and a good part of the operating costs, at least for a few years. But I believe President Iceni will agree to do that since it will benefit Midway to know Kane has that kind of space defense.”
“I have no objection to doing it,” Geary said.
“Then we’ve got a deal,” Colonel Rogero said with relief.
“Let’s get final agreement and get this done as fast as possible,” Geary said. “We’ll shuttle the captured Syndics up to their freighters and get out of here. Kommodor, I’m going to detach Pele to escort those freighters, if you don’t object.”
“No objection, Admiral,” Marphissa said.
He sat back, relieved, but realized he had to make another call.
Michael Geary was still on the bridge of the captured Syndic battle cruiser. “Yes, Admiral?”
“You haven’t gotten too attached to that ship, have you?” Geary explained the deal.
“I don’t have any problem with that,” Captain Geary said. “I guess.” He looked around. “It’s funny. Syndic design features are a little odd in places. We’ll all feel better back on Alliance ships. But I’ll still miss Corsair. You say Executive Aragon is being left here?”
“Until transports return from Midway to pick up her, her unit, and the families of all of the Syndic soldiers. By the time those transports get back to Midway again we should be gone.”
Michael nodded, frowning. “Then I should make a formal, respectful farewell to Executive Aragon. Me and the other senior Alliance personnel on this ship.”
“We can get a link set up.”
“It should be in person, Admiral. Out of respect. We owe our freedom and probably our lives to her.” Michael Geary slowly smiled. “It’s what Black Jack would do.”
Geary snorted a laugh. “You and Tanya Desjani are two of the only people who are allowed to say that to me. All right. You can take down one of the shuttles, but I warn you that on the trip back up, that shuttle is going to be packed with Syndics being hauled to those freighters.”
“A crowded shuttle flight?” Michael Geary smiled again. “We’ve been in prison for a while. We can probably handle tight quarters in a shuttle.”
Geary laughed once more. “Make sure you ask Aragon if she needs anything from us. I owe her, too.”
The loading was as rushed as everyone could manage, first the surrendered Syndic soldiers brought up to the freighters that Pele’s prize crews had brought back into orbit, then the Marines handing over security of the families to Aragon’s Tigres and being shuttled back up to their transports. In response to Aragon’s request, Geary sent down to the planet a large amount of Marine field rations as well as other supplies the Tigres and the families needed until they could be evacuated from Kane as well.
His second-to-last act while in orbit was to call President Rian Wake. “I personally guaranteed to those soldiers that their families will be safe,” Geary said. “And my family personally owes a debt to Executive Destina Aragon. I hope my meaning is understood.”
“Nothing will happen to them,” President Wake promised, her voice betraying her own weariness. “Kane has suffered enough. We don’t need to make more enemies, especially among those who helped us defeat the Syndicate invasion. Just please make my job easier and ensure Midway sends transport back as quickly as they can. The less time those remnants of the invasion remain on this planet the better.”
The last call was to Aragon. “Executive Aragon, I wanted to extend my personal thanks to you. If you ever need anything, try to get word to me or another Geary.”
“All I did was make a deal,” Aragon said, eyeing him. “It benefited us as much as it did your scion.”
“Nonetheless, that deal saved my grandnephew, and you played straight with him all the way. My family is in your debt. May the light of the living stars shine on you. You’ve brought honor to the memory of your ancestors.”
Aragon laughed, shaking her head. “You Alliance types. Okay. I’d be a fool to turn down a someday offer of help from Black Jack himself. You look after that fool grandnephew of yours. I didn’t save his butt so he could get it blown off in another fight. And . . .” She straightened, saluting him. “Thank you for saving my unit, my sister unit, and our families. The debt flows both ways. If you ever need the Tigres, let me know. For the people.”
An hour later, the freighters shepherded by battle cruiser Pele broke orbit, heading for the jump point for Midway. Soon after, Geary’s task force followed, rapidly overtaking and passing the slow freighters.
It felt like a great success, but he wouldn’t know for certain until he saw how the leaders of Midway reacted to what had happened at Kane.
* * *
“THAT was certainly a dramatic return, Admiral,” President Iceni said, smiling at Geary.
He’d brought the task force back, knowing the newly captured battle cruiser with them would raise a stir the moment it was identified as not being Pele. His report on the outcome of the mission, along with notice that the shiploads of surrendered Syndic soldiers were on the way escorted by Pele, had been met with only muted acknowledgment. But Ambassador Rycerz had greeted him warmly once he’d made it back to the fleet and boarded the Boundless once again. The rescue of the Alliance prisoners had both given a firm legal backing to Geary’s actions and given the Alliance a substantial stick to beat the Syndics with in discussions about the peace treaty. Moreover, both President Iceni and General Drakon were in good moods as well.
Jane Geary had reacted to the return of her bother with sisterly affection, scolding him for worrying everyone and taking so long to get back. The former prisoners of war on Corsair had been distributed among ships in the fleet for at least temporary berthing, Michael Geary being sent to Dreadnaught where hi
s sister could keep an eye on him and catch him up on events.
Far less pleasant had been memorials for the dozen sailors who had died aboard the destroyer Katana. After the far heavier losses in some battles (such as at Unity Alternate), “only” a dozen dead would seem easier to handle. But Geary found himself just as downhearted when he contemplated a dozen lives that had been cut short. “I’ll never get used to it,” he confided to Tanya.
“That’s good,” she said. “Anyone who can just blow off the deaths of people under their command doesn’t deserve command. During the war we got used to losing people, but the good officers never got used to their people dying. You know what I mean. Even that Syndic Executive Aragon was worried about losing more of her ‘workers.’”
“Yes. And to save them she saved Michael.” He shook his head. “I never thought I’d end up owing a family debt to a Syndic officer, even if she is a former Syndic.”
“That is going to be weird,” Desjani had conceded. “But I have a feeling that Aragon will only call in that debt if she really, really needs it.”
That had been yesterday. Now, once again, Geary sat in the ambassador’s office, Ambassador Rycerz and Dr. Cresida on the same side of the table. Dr. Kottur had once again reported that he could not attend due to a health issue.
On the other side, facing them, were once more the virtual presences of President Iceni, General Drakon, and Kommodor Bradamont.
“Thank you for agreeing to another meeting,” Ambassador Rycerz began.
Iceni smiled again briefly. “It was the least we could do given the favor you’ve rendered to an associated star system. Admiral, I’ve decided to honor Kommodor Marphissa’s conditional promise to Kane and will return the battle cruiser to that star system as a gift.”
Boundless Page 39
