Fleet Scout Ch. 02 - Fleet Insurgent

"Are you talking about Craig? That was a suicide, the poor man was brain-damaged in the evacuation. Seeing the ship crash probably pushed him over the edge."

"Really? And did you see his hands? Because there was no way that guy could have held a gun, let alone pull the trigger. The cable snagged the Sparrow before he could let go of it, tore his hands completely to shreds."

Maya looked ever more uncertain. "Hardly anyone saw him, his living will specified an immediate cremation."

"And you believe he had enough cognition left to think about a will? Wow. Tell you what, go for Exhibit B then. Even you can probably find it because that much steel is too valuable to just trash."

"That's not how they operate..." she started to say, before he cut her off again.

"That's exactly how they operate. If you really are this naïve, take my advice and convert just as quick as you can. Your new masters just know that god is on their side, and if you don't know how that works out, I have a long list of historical examples you can wiki."

"You're the willfully ignorant one, if you'd taken the time to read the proposed accords, you'd see that there are already guarantees of human rights and religious freedom in the new accords. Those are legally binding."

Finn closed his eyes and sighed. "Oh, shit. You're not faking it. Do you honestly think they'll never do this attainder bullshit again? I'd guess the Utopians are next, no sense in giving them any rights."

"What? No one has even breathed a word against the Utopianists. I have never met such a pigheaded asshole!"

Finn grunted a laugh. "Why are you so easy to piss off? Haven't you ever dealt with anyone who wise to your honeypot?"

"Honeypot? What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes. "This ain't my first rodeo, sweetheart. Just get to the blowjob, or whatever, so I can tell you to piss off and get some sle..."

Finn had to admit, the woman was fast. There was barely time to realize he couldn't duck. And she was strong. If her slap had been a punch, he'd be spitting teeth right now. His ear was ringing and the entire side of his face tingled. He strained to slowly turn his head back to face Maya. She was horrified, covering her mouth with both hands.

"I am so sorry," she said quietly. "I just...I'm..."

"Go. Away."

She tried to say something, but he was too wrapped up in the dark joy of pushing her buttons. "Let me get a statement on your recording; I will not cooperate with you murderous fucking terrorists. Kill me now, do it while I'm asleep, I don't give a shit. Just leave me alone get the fuck out of my face."

"Why would I...what is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong? Well, my kind and helpful attitude began to slip when you leaked information from our meeting, to your boyfriend so that he could time his insurrection at just the right time."

She looked away from him, a tacit admission of guilt.

"You seriously didn't think anyone would figure that out? But where I really got antisocial is when assholes killed a ship full of people whose only crime was to arrive at a convenient time to be a distraction for this power grab."

Without a word, Maya walked away. She sat in a chair next to the door, back to him. A few minutes later, the door opened. A man came in, a military looking type that Finn hadn't seen before. He spoke too quietly for Finn to hear, but Maya got up and walked out. The man pushed the chair closer to Finn's bed.

"Get some rest, captain," he growled with an English accent. "You'll wake up again, you have Nanny Copeland's word on it."

Finn just shut his eyes and let the heavy fatigue fall on him.

Fleet Administrative Operations (former Mayflower colony barge)

Enduring Light (Hub), Human space

The deck jumped underneath their feet and seconds later, the debris thrown up by the impact rained down on the top and side of the former Mayflower colony barge that now held the Colonial Fleet headquarters, making the thick outer hull ring like a giant gong. Tulani Chevarista-Elouan Batelaine Dhamandou, better known as Lady Amanda, threw her stylus on the desk. Her bodyguard and wife, Mirjam, looked up from the graphic novel she'd been pretending to read.

"You want me to go tell them to keep it down?"

The Garradyan noblewoman tried to glare at her but had to smile. "Our lives could end at any moment and you are making jokes."

"That is correct. Because, after all these years, there's nothing I can do to protect you."

The tall, dark haired woman stood up from her desk. "Then I would like my money back."

The bodyguard laughed as the two women embraced tightly. Lady Amanda put her hands on Mirjam's face, studying her wife's face. The floor bounced slightly under their feet and more echoing booms and thuds marked the orbital strike's splash damage. It was louder this time and the lights in the compartment went out.

"I hope the twins get the chance to fight back, wherever they are," Mirjam said.

Amanda fumbled her way to the desk and turned on her tablet light.

"I had a surprise for you," she said, coming back to Mirjam. "I was announcing my retirement next quarter. I was going to finally show you what an excellent wife I could be."

Mirjam snorted. "How? Cooking and bearing children? Planting flowers? You are not that woman. You are a brilliant physicist, a beloved leader, and thinker of great thoughts."

"Are you saying you don't like my cooking?"

"Of course not, your microwaved popcorn is very enjoyable."

Amanda shook her head, smiling for a moment. "I do wish I had told you that I loved you more often than I did."

"Do you think I need your voice to know that you love me? Every moment of our lives, I've known, and it has made each second precious. If this is where our time ends, I am beside you, where I am meant to be. May your House endure forever, Lady of the Tulani."

"Don't you dare make me cry."

They shared an almost chaste kiss and then Amanda began pulling cushions off the chairs and putting them on the floor. Mirjam shrugged and pulled off the sofa cushions as well.

"I don't think a layer of padding will do very much if we're hit directly."

Amanda laughed, arranging everything before spreading a blanket over the makeshift bed. "Get out of those clothes and get down here."

|3.3

Leah was sitting between Lakshmi and Thalia, facing Wisdom. She'd spent the last couple of hours trying to explain human politics to Wisdom. It wasn't that the Anek leader didn't understand, but that every time she grasped a concept, it created a cascade of new questions.

"...it probably looks like we're all insane to you," Leah said.

"We have seen widespread madness before," Thalia said. "This is different."

(They are very different from ourselves, different than even the Othrephis. It could be a different sickness)

"Captain, I'm in contact with Xerxes, and Viracocha," Addie suddenly announced.

All three of the Anek laughed at Leah's sudden relief.

(Forgive us, Leah Jones. Our understanding comes slowly)

"The fault is mine, Wisdom. I'm not the best human to describe this to you."

"We will wait here," Lakshmi said.

Leah squeezed her hand and went back to Addie's cabin.

"Are they coming?"

"Yes, Leah. They are carrying seven passengers. Five Scouts and Two Pioneers. Finn and Kai are not aboard."

"Thank you, Ms. Addie, send voice broadcast; Fam, you have permission to land near Addie. Keep it low and slow, make sure you beacon my location, I'll be with our hosts. Best manners, boys and girls."

Leah went back out to move the Anek away from the landing area. She didn't want to think about what their reaction to an errant gravity current would be. Noel and Sasha's ship Viracocha was the first to land. A few seconds later, Xerxes followed the same path and gingerly landed next to the other two scout ships. When they were on the ground, Leah and the Anek went to meet them.

Sasha was already doing a postflight check with Viracocha. A minute later, Henry emerged to walk around Xerxes. A burly Ta'avi jumped down out of Viracocha's hatch. Noel sat down on the edge of the hatch and the he gently picked her up and put her on the ground.

"Lipstick on his neck," Leah muttered as she walked past.

Noel giggled as she wiped it off. Marie jumped down from Viracocha's hatch as Leah came over. Even though she wasn't wearing anything special, she somehow managed to look collected and almost regal. Before Leah could say anything, Marie hugged her tightly.

"We heard about Finn and Kai," Marie said quietly. "We will get them back."

"Thank you," Leah said. "Wisdom, I would like to introduce you to members of my own Meeting; this is Marie Cassies, and there is her husband, Henry Cassies. Over here are Sasha Parvathi and her partner, Noel Berdran-St. Martin. The other two men are Heljah Thunder Sky, and Mikah Flamebridge."

Leah was fascinated to see how quickly the Wisdom, Thalia, and Lakshmi had the others relaxed and chatting. Maybe it was the opposite of the "puffer fish" effect she'd seen Lakshmi use on Finn. Even the two Ta'avi engineers, who were looking very uncomfortable, relaxed to the point where they were chatting with Thalia.

Command Deck, TCN Lewis & Clark (Pathfinder Class )

34k kilometers rimward of Slingshot Gate JE-105

The gunfire had stopped and there had been occasional outbursts of yelling and occasional screams as the attackers encountered the last holdouts from the ship's crew. Now the ship was ominously quiet. Commander Hammond Cho looked at his executive officer for a long moment and she sadly shook her head.

"Lou, do we have any crew left?" he asked.

"My sensors are being disconnected as the boarders advance, commander," the ship replied. "Based on observation and modeling, there is a very low probability that any survivors remain. I'm sorry."

"Unlock the weapons storage, please. Then I need to implement autonomous operation sequence Cadmus."

"Standing by for voice print," the Louis and Clark replied.

"I am commanding officer Hammond Cho."

"Identity verified. Additional authorization required."

The executive officer verified her identity next and was accepted by the Navigator synth.

"I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime, I might not ever get home." Commander Cho said.

"Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving, you ought to get you some sleep," the ship responded, giving the countersign.

"This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around," she said carefully.

"Warning! Cadmus protocols have been implemented. Emergency autonomous operations engaged. Purge sequence initiated, all cargo containers jettisoned. Mayday signals activated. Fusion reactors will vent in three-zero-zero seconds."

At the same time, heavy armored doors swung shut, physically isolating the Navigator from the rest of the ship and there was a flash of sparks as they arcwelded themselves in place. Covers slammed shut over the hardline access points and the smell of burning circuitry spread throughout the ship.

The commander offered his XO one of the submachine guns he'd taken from the locker.

"Thanks, that'll be better than waiting around for the plasma vent," she said as she took it. "Be nice if we had our suits."

"Think of all the paperwork we don't have to do anymore."

She smiled at him, chin trembling slightly. "I'm sorry as hell about this, Ham. I should have noticed something was wrong with those cargo boxes."

"Not your fault, they did a good job hiding those hatches. You ready?"

"Just one more thing."

His eyes widened as she put her hand behind his neck and pulled him into a long kiss. They were both breathing hard when she let him go.

"I should have done that a long time ago."

He grinned. "Better late than never."

They left the command deck hatch open, sliding down the ladder to the main deck. They felt the vibration of running feet through the soles of their feet.

"Ready?"

She pulled the slide back, readying the SMG and then nodded. "See you on the other side, Ham."

"Rule the Sky, Moira."

They raised their weapons and advanced toward the invaders.

|3.4

When Finn opened his eyes, the sunlight on the outside dome had disappeared but there weren't any clocks visible. His new guard had disappeared, replaced by two Drab guards who stood at the medbay door. When they noticed him sitting up, one of them spoke to someone outside.

He sat up and managed to get his legs over the side of the bed before a medtech in a set of the modified Guard fatigues appeared. She looked in Finn's eyes, took his temperature and prodded at his back before leaving, all without saying a word.

Finn's clothes had disappeared, but the Drabs, one more and one female, motioned for him to stand up. He stood up, swaying a little. He'd gone through SERE school years ago but remembered this little game. They were trying to humiliate him but after years of the Air Force, followed by Fleet deployments in cramped conditions had destroyed any sense of body-shame a long time ago. In fact, Finn considered trying to give himself an erection to embarrass the pair right back but decided that it would probably send the wrong message.

Someone else came in and left clothing on the bed beside him. He ignored it until the guards finally told him to get dressed. The clothes were what looked like pink surgical scrubs and when he had put them on, Finn was taken out of medical and half-dragged to a small habitat dome. It was dark when they moved him, Finn couldn't see anything except that some lights were on. They locked him inside, still not saying anything beyond the commands to move and stop.

The dome was the nine-meter version and was one of the few he'd seen here that had a plastcrete foundation and Finn wondered if they were worried that he'd tunnel out of here. There was a standard cot against one wall, made up with sheets. They'd even given him a pillow. On top of the bed were a pair of pants made out of some rough cloth, a plain white shirt, and a set of suspenders. The standard NeoPuritan uniform of the day, minus the shoes and hat. Finn dropped the clothes into a recycling bucket. He'd happily wear pink, or nothing at all, before he'd put on their clothes.

In the bathroom, there was a towel and soap that were far more welcome. The small bathroom was huge compared to what he was used to. Finn took the longest, hottest shower he'd taken in years, hoping the energy use was pissing someone off. After he was sufficiently steamed and scrubbed, he staggered to the bed and collapsed. He expected to have a hard time falling asleep, but his eyes were closed as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Planet Alyssian Vactris, undisclosed location.

The Xero'pah the humans knew as Colonel Teydora stood on a hilltop in the middle of graceful pillars. Her right hand was enclosed in a bundle of metal that resembled a long chain. In her left was a saber-like sword, held slightly upward in the Water on the Blossom sword stance.

"Again," she said aloud. "Two this time."

The collection of pillars around her glowed brightly. The glow detached itself and coalesced into two Xero-pah that were armed with the same weapons. They stood three meters apart and three meters away from her, the three of them making an equilateral triangle. Teydora shifted her foot slightly, shifting into Wings in Sunset.

The pair of opponents shifted into perfect examples of their own counter-forms. She answered with her own and they moved to a new form. From the outside, the bout didn't look like anything more than three people staring at each other, occasionally shifting a hand or foot. Until Teydora saw an opportunity.

The metal around her left hand blurred and lashed out. At the same time, she lunged, her saber flashing out as quick as a striking snake. She moved into a stance of guarded recovery, but it wasn't necessary. On her right, the target's head and shoulder flopped down, followed by the rest of his body. The one to her left had already collapsed in pieces, torn apart by the magnetic lash. The bodies faded away without a trace.

"That was well done," a woman said from behind her.

Teydora shook her hands and her weapons disappeared. "My thanks, but I should have ended it in the shift between third and fourth counter. It would make me very happy if you've come to say that something interesting has occurred."

"Then rejoice, my Colonel. An unexpected pattern of activity is developing in Human space."

The older Xero'pah smiled. "My stomach just gets all fluttery when you say 'unexpected' like that, Nysander. Just a breath of illicit pleasure in your voice, like unexpected is a novel perversion that you're not sure you quite approve of."

"Well, in general, I don't," her aide said. "Movement and communication analysis indicates several Human factions have joined forces in a bid to take control of the Terran Colonial Fleet."

"I suppose we should be happy that at least some of them are getting along. But I appreciate your annoyance, this isn't supposed to be happening yet."

"Not for another half-generation, no. I'll trace the threads through the oracle and see if there are any further anomalies."

"When there is time. Do our Humans know what's going on?"

"No, they are scheduled to meet with an Ulthiri legal team who are demanding the Athena be returned, along with the fugitive Ulthira who came with her."

"I'm becoming irritated with their demands. Arrange to pay those scuttling brain peddlers whatever they need to forget about the ship. As for the 'fugitives',' I am placing them under my personal protection. If the Ulthira would like to lodge a complaint with the Commonwealth, they are more than welcome to explain their internal politics to the council."

Nysander didn't bother hiding a smile. "I'll let them know."

"And use those exact words, if you would. I want all of you aboard the Athena and at the interlace point before developments get completely out of hand."

|3.5

"I don't like Viracocha anymore," Addie suddenly announced. "She's mean and bossy and won't admit she's younger than me."

Startled out of deep sleep, Leah rubbed her eyes and fumbled for her tablet. It was 03:35.

"What's going on, sweetie?" Leah mumbled.

"Everyone is being mean to me!"

Atalanta's voice was very young and it chased any sleepiness from Leah.

"Addie, what's wrong?"

"We were playing Dungeons and Dragons but Vira won't do what I tell her and I'm in charge of the group! I hate her and I hate that game!"

Leah got up and went forward to sit in the pilot's chair. "Open diagnostics."

"I'm fine!"

Leah opened the diagnostic on the main display, but Addie blanked the screen again.

"You're not listening to me, Leah!"

"Yes, I am, and I'm trying to figure out what's going on here."

Addie sighed, sounding very much like a teenager. "No one understands me. I wish I were dead."

Leah's eyes were fully open now and she leaned over and opened the red and white striped door open.

"What are you doing?" Addie squawked.

"You're making me really nervous, Addie. Let's figure out what's going on together."

"I won't be able to do anything if you lock me in here," the ship whined.

The hair on the back of Leah's neck stood up and she quickly pulled the large system coupler out of its socket.

"You are so mean," Addie said, her voice restricted to the small speaker in the control panel. "I wish Finn was here. At least he doesn't hate me."

Leah leaned forward, rubbing her forehead. After a few minutes, she went and pulled on shorts and a t-shirt. Addie was silent as Leah got dressed and manually opened the hatch. She ignored the slowly unfolding ladder and sat on the edge of the hatch before jumping down to the ground.