Randolph Lalonde - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 08 - Renegades Page 9

  “He has fifty British Alliance people aboard,” Lacey said. “Won’t he make a deal to keep them?”

  “He’s too proud to take crewmembers who aren’t completely his. I’d fault him for it, but his thinking is tactically sound – you don’t take crewmembers that could have standing orders from another government. Besides, they’re not allowed to take part in combat action. We need to accept the Warlord and her crew - it’s the only effective offensive ship we have right now besides the Clever Dream, and that’s busy enough.”

  “So the Council is still putting a motion to dissolve our treaty with the Carthans on the table?” Lacey asked. “I think it’s premature.”

  Ayan shook her head. “We have to, but I know it’s not going to pass with Liam’s bloody floor show today. I don’t think he meant to make it look like I was the bad guy in our relationship, but by offering that drawn out apology in front of everyone, and his subordinate staring daggers, there’s no way we will get consensus.”

  “Another reason why Haven Shore’s military arm should have remained separate. It’s not a civilian decision.”

  “I know,” Ayan said. “I still regret agreeing to bring military decisions to the Council; Victor and I were both wrong, but I’ve seen it work on Freeground for decades. The Admiralty rarely had to consult Parliament, but they made sure they were part of most decisions when they affected the overall politics of the station. We thought it would work better with a miniature government model here.”

  “Gion’s military was bound by our peacekeeping system,” Lacey said. “It worked really well during peace time, but we were dependent on the British Alliance whenever war broke out.”

  “And that’s something I want to get out of as soon as possible,” Ayan replied. “We have to be self-sufficient or our settlement will never be viable.”

  A knock sounded from the door and it slid open a moment later, admitting Victor Davis, who wore a face-splitting grin. “Looks like the Rangers have proven themselves, and we can relax our military force on the ground and start re-tasking our teams.”

  “Why? What’s happened?” Ayan asked, realizing at the same time that it could only mean one thing.

  “Remmy took command of our security forces for the Rangers and turned the fight for the last Order of Eden garrison on Tamber. He turned the mission around and just cleared it a few minutes ago. He planted your command flag before the Carthans got a chance to land a shuttle.”

  Ayan was so excited that she hugged him. He was a little surprised but received her warmly, like a big brother. “Oh that’s good timing, I needed some good news. I’ll congratulate the team tomorrow.”

  “I don’t want to rain on your parade, but I don’t think this will get us consensus in the next room,” Victor said.

  “I know, I don’t think anything will change that,” Ayan replied, “but I think the situation with the Council will get much worse before it gets better. I’m going to add something to our agenda today that ought to ruffle some feathers.”

  “Should I change into full armour?” Victor asked.

  “Might not be a bad idea,” Ayan said, walking past him. Adding something to the agenda wasn’t a new idea, it was something she had been considering for weeks and it had to happen eventually, but some members may believe it was too early. It would be the only way for the government to continue to function with the new rift opening across the table. She felt better about what had to happen during session, but neither her new idea, nor even the news of the Order of Eden garrison, lessened her growing distaste for Council business.

  Victor and Lacey followed her into the chamber, where Ayan sat down at her end of the table. Tyra seemed to make a point of ignoring her from the other end. “If we’re all ready, I’d like to call this session of the Haven Shore Council to order,” Mischa said. Her assistant, a tall, dark featured man named Isaac Doke sat behind her. He rarely attended meetings, and nodded amiably when Ayan noticed he was there and caught his eye. “The first matter for consideration is the offer of citizenship to the crewmembers of the ship formerly known as the Samson,” Mischa announced. The Council was too small and reliant on consensus to depend on a solitary chairperson, so the duty rotated from one issue to the next. It was Mischa’s turn, and even though she had broken down much like Ayan less than an hour before, she executed it well. “I open the floor to final arguments.” She looked to her right at Tyra, who shook her head.

  Next in line was the Carthan Observer, Cory Greene. He stood and cleared his throat. “I don’t have a vote on this council, but I must implore the membership not to agree to offer citizenship to these hardened criminals. I am aware of facts in this issue that are not available to the general public, and can say, with greater knowledge, that these people don’t belong in the society you’re trying to build here. For this reason, the Carthan Government will cancel its contracts with Haven Shore organizations and no longer protect your territories or citizens if you grant these dangerous criminals citizenship.”

  Ayan sighed by reflex at his speech and almost regretted irritating the stuck up politician. Almost. The Carthans were only able to remain in the Rega Gain System because they had massive assistance from the British Alliance. They had taken so many casualties, lost so many ships and parts of their critical infrastructure, that there was no way they could police, protect, or cultivate resources in the system without help. The British Alliance could claim the system without contest any time they liked, and many people were sure that it would happen any time, but the truth of the matter was, the British Alliance didn’t want to be responsible for whatever happened to the Rega Gain System if their government decided to once again declare war. The British Alliance would assist and protect it for as long as it was strategically advantageous, but they wouldn’t put themselves in a position where history could remember them as being responsible if the worst were to happen to Rega Gain and they had to abandon the area.

  The Carthan representative sat down and Mischa looked to Iloona Murlen, who stood. “I would only like to say that, as heroes in the Battle of Port Rush, the original crewmembers of the Samson should be welcome as citizens and celebrated for their bravery. They are more loyal and dedicated than some people who sit at this table. They need our help, and we need them.”

  It was Victor Davis’ turn to speak next, and he didn’t pass, but stood with a serious demeanour that surpassed what Ayan had seen before. “Internal security, which is my mandate here, is worthless without an effective defensive force. The Samson crew is not only more experienced than most, but many of them have trained our best people, and they now crew one of the most effective offensive ships in the solar system.”

  “That barely corvette-class thing?” spouted the Carthan Observer.

  “You’ve already filled the room with hot air once,” Victor snapped back.

  “Mister Green, Mister Davis,” was all Mischa had to say to put an end to the exchange.

  “I apologize,” Victor Davis said. “The Haven Shore Rangers have finished wiping out the last of the Order Of Eden troops on Tamber, the last in the solar system if my intelligence is right. That means we have a surplus of regulars and the opportunity to help the Samson crew as they man the Warlord. They put their ship and their own lives at risk to turn the tide in our darkest hour.” He took a breath and looked at his comm unit. “I’ll wrap this up, I wrote something to finish with. We need them as a morale booster to our soldiers, we need them as a component in our defense strategy, we need them as good citizens, and we need them as providers. Though their colours may be dark, they may light the way for us in hard times to come.”

  It was Ayan’s turn, and the instant Mischa looked at her, all the ideas she’d had built up for that moment seemed to vacate her mind. Without a thought in her head, except for the notion of ‘bloody hell, someone replaced my brain with a soggy sponge!’ she stood. Everyone looked on, but Tyra, at the other end of the table, stared. A poke at her elbow drew her attention to Lacey, who sat
behind her. Her Second looked at the comm unit on Ayan’s left arm meaningfully.

  Ayan glanced at the two dimensional screen and saw a simple message from Lacey that read:

  THEY WILL KEEP US TOGETHER AND LEAD THE WAY.

  It was the summary of her opinion of the situation, presented as only Lacey could. She had obviously been listening to her over the last few months. Ayan took a deep breath and addressed the Council. “The Triton is less and less a part of Haven Shore. Many of the new recruits there, over sixty percent in fact, have not applied for Haven Shore citizenship in a time where it is one of the only safe planet-side ports in the system.”

  “We’re here to talk about the Samson crew,” reminded Tyra.

  “Representative Ayan has the floor,” Mischa said.

  “Thank you,” Ayan said, making a conscious effort to press her irritation at Tyra to the side. “The new crewmembers aboard the Triton have watched the Warlord receive assistance from the British Alliance, watched the damage from an historic battle repaired, and the former crew of the Samson turn their old ship into a weapon worthy of note on any battlefield. Tomorrow they will return, and I am willing to stake my reputation and my post that they will have a train of supplies and equipment in tow that they have stolen from the enemy.”

  “Stake your post?” repeated the Carthan Observer. “You’ll step down if your prediction is wrong?”

  Ayan interrupted Mischa as she was about to tell Cory Greene to remain silent. “I will step down if they don’t return with considerable gains from piracy or privateering. That brings me to my next point. If they do so well on their own, and can trust the Triton to continue to provide them with docking facilities, what do they need us for? As the military liaison for this body, and the closest thing to Defense Minister in our small government, I cannot accept the possibility that they will turn away from us, because if they do, Haven Shore will lose all credibility with the military community gathering in the Rega Gain System, and we’ll become known as a foolish little peace-loving settlement with no grasp on the situation past our borders. Our citizenship may grow, but the people who are looking to win this war, the just war of our age, will leave en-masse if we don’t show that we are invested in it by openly accepting our best fighters: Shamus Frost, Stephanie Vega, Billy Finn, Agameg Price, Ashley Lamport, and Captain Jacob Valent. The benefits we stand to lose by violating our contract with the Carthan Government are insignificant compared to the moral and strategic victories we stand to win by embracing people who were key to our survival before the Carthans even knew who we were.”

  “We will strip you of your sovereignty and Haven Shore will be nothing but a dream,” Cory Greene, the Carthan Observer said. “We’ll take the island back, and use the city for our own purposes.”

  “Come and try it!” Ayan said, an untapped reservoir of anger bursting open. The filter of reason between her thoughts and her speech broke down. “The Warlord will be the least of your worries when the Triton and everyone who loves Haven Shore takes up defensive positions while the Warlord and the Clever Dream reduce what’s left of your pathetic military forces to cinders from the shadows. I would love to see the look on your face when I walk onto the bridge of your crippled command carrier and demand that your fleet surrenders to Triton Fleet. We could use a few of your destroyers on our side. ”

  “The British Allia-“ the Carthan Observer started.

  “The British Alliance,” interrupted the British Alliance Observer, Sunny Zinnes, “will get out of their way and make an alliance with whoever survives when the smoke clears. We’re not here to be moderators in a minor war that won’t turn the tide in our larger engagements. Besides, we’ve already run this scenario in simulation several times. We estimate that the Carthan leadership will be killed within six hours and Haven Shore would survive with minimal damage. Your government somehow believes that Haven Shore, the crew of the Warlord, and the Triton are normal soldiers, when, in fact, they’re more like guerrilla fighters, or extremely well armed, experienced terrorists. To enter into combat against people like the esteemed Military Liaison, the Triton, and the well-trained Rangers is a more frightening proposition than you seem to realize. They have created an elitist culture in their military that pushes everyone who can stand it to constantly improve, while you employ prisoner-slaves that are programmed to be loyal. They will be useless to you when throats are slit in the dead of night, sabotage ruins the few installations you control, then strike and fade tactics pick your ships apart. You are not ready. It is the opinion of this diplomat and former soldier that the Carthans should abide by the ruling of this council and hope that you become a part of their strategy for growth. We know your government isn’t sending help, and they’re willing to write you off if this becomes too complicated.”

  Ayan nodded at Sunny, and though she didn’t like where he took the discussion, he gave her time to reign in her temper. She struggled to find a more positive tact. “I love Haven Shore. I look at what we’ve built here and feel nothing but pride and hope for the future. I also fear against what will happen if we’re caught without our best people at our side. If the Council does not accept the crew of the Samson, regardless of the consequences with the Carthan Government, then Haven Shore begins a walk down a darkened path. I will stay for as long as I can to try to correct it, but it may already be too late.” Ayan sat down feeling as though she hadn’t said enough, but couldn’t find anything to add.

  The next and last to speak was the People’s Representative for Haven Shore North, Mischa Konev. She rose tentatively and looked at Ayan. “I will be voting to accept the crew from the Samson, and hoping for consensus since this will be the last time we consider this issue for some time if we don’t come to an agreement. Before we vote, I’d like to elaborate on something Ayan mentioned. I remember the fear aboard the Triton as brave people fought for our lives when soldiers tried to take the ship and possibly exterminate or imprison us. I arrived here after the Clever Dream and the Samson led us to this safe haven. Ayan had already started talks with the Carthan people who were only just taking possession of the solar system at the time. The people of Haven Shore have forgotten to honour and celebrate the people responsible for getting us here. They could have made their lives simpler by leaving the civilians, us, behind. If we cannot come to consensus on offering citizenship to the crew of the Samson, then there are people on this council who have lost their way, and that leadership will push us in the wrong direction. I won’t have it, and I’m warning you that there will be changes on this council if this vote does not pass. Significant changes. It’s time we vote.” She sat down and registered her vote on the table in front of her, which showed up as YES in green beneath the motion detailed in smaller letters that read; Internal Security Minister Victor Davis proposes that Haven Shore invite the crew of the ship formerly known as the Samson who are listed as criminals with the Carthan Government, to become citizens of Haven Shore.

  “Threats, classy,” muttered the People’s Representative For Haven Shore South, Tyra Kim. She watched as everyone else, with the exception of the Observers from the Carthan Government and the British Alliance who didn’t have a vote at that table, entered their votes.

  Green coloured the room, the light emitting from near unanimous votes of yes, and Ayan only had to look at Tyra to know what she was about to do. She saw the woman’s vote appear as NO in red letters on the table and she leaned forward, staring quietly at Mischa.

  “A consensus has not been reached, so the motion fails,” announced Mischa in sad tones.

  Ayan’s unwavering gaze caught Mischa’s attention and she nodded at the woman. Mischa looked as though she didn’t know what Ayan was trying to communicate for a moment, cocking her head a little. Her eyes widened when Ayan pointed down at the edge of the table in front of her with two fingers, then split them into a V.

  “As my last act during this turn as Chairperson,” Mischa started, turning red in her nervousness and clearing her throat. “I
’m entering a proposition to expand the membership of the Haven Shore Council.”

  Ayan sat back in her chair, satisfied that the product of a discussion she had with Mischa weeks before were about to come to fruition. Liam was there at the time, as well as Lacey and the British Alliance representative. They all agreed that a consensus-based council would be a good start for a small government, but it would have to evolve eventually.

  “In this proposition, I petition to add six more seats to decrease the ratio of homes to local Haven Shore representatives. I also provide for four seats reserved for our allies, and I propose we add and reopen the following positions: Defense Minister, Military Liaison, Minister of Development, Minister of Resources, and Council Chairperson. If this proposition passes this afternoon, the position of Military Liaison and Chief of Structural Development, currently held by Ayan, will be removed from this Council. The position of Internal Security Minister will be downloaded to regional representation, and Victor Davis will no longer have a position on this council. It is my hope that Haven Shore’s citizens will be better represented and our Council Members will be able to attend to their duties with less stress. This will also provide for a great deal of growth, as we must look to a future when Haven Shore is larger, and very few homes are vacant. The proposal is thirty five hundred words exactly, and I suggest we recess for only one hour to review it, then vote.”

  Ayan tried not to grin at Mischa, who brilliantly added the touch of removing her and Victor from their seats in the motion. Victor Davis’ fury at the motion and his removal helped bury Ayan’s nearly uncontainable smile – he looked like he was about to fly into a rage.

  “Agreed, one hour!” Tyra practically chirped.

  “Seconded,” Iloona said hesitantly.