“Go on,” said General Daniels.
Colonel Black pushed it forward again.
“It’s an isolated unit, only unit-to-unit connectivity.”
General Daniels straightened his back a little and leaned in closer.
“It’s important. Very important.”
Spartan sighed.
“It always is.”
He looked down at the unit, shook his head, and scrolled through the information.
CHAPTER TWO
The Demilitarised Zone was created following the seven-month conflict in 364CC, but its lasting effect was to leave Byotai settlers scattered on the long abandoned mining worlds. Though barren and desolate, all six were rich in natural resources but had been abandoned due to continued raider attacks by privateers. The Byotai, with the support of the Alliance had swept the planet of Karnak free of the Red Scars criminal organisation. Since then, small groups of Byotai have settled in this region as well as nearby planets, encouraged by the increased military presence. Though classed as the tenth quadrant by the Byotai Empire, they are still considered part of the Marche, a region claimed by the newly formed Anicinàbe League. This loose collection of nomadic people has thrived for millennia in a constant state of internal crisis and war, until the coming of Tahkeome, and his call to arms against their rivals.
Alien Races of the Orion Nebula
Kha’Dri World Ship, Taxxu Prime, Centauri Alliance
The room was large, circular, and somehow oppressive. In the past it must have been some type of command or control centre. Now the technology had been replaced by a number of massive floor-to-ceiling panels showing all manner of schematics. General Daniels gazed upon a few and immediately noticed the CTC Special Weapons Division watermark on every single image or video.
“Interesting showcase,” he said.
Colonel Black had stopped to look at a design for a wheeled vehicle, quite similar to the Bulldogs already in use. These were larger, and the animated sequence showed how the standard model could be altered in minutes to fulfil divergent combat rolls. He was then drawn to something very different.
“What do we have here?”
It looked much like the standard Marine Mauler, the heavy landing craft used for all kinds of jobs. This one was equipped with a long series of loading pylons rather than a cargo area. They were clamped directly to the shapes of ten Vanguard sized soldiers. He leaned in closer and was surprised to see they were not Vanguards but looked suspiciously like the yellow machine he had seen Spartan demonstrating. Underneath it just said Maverick Armour.
“I wouldn’t get too excited at all their projects. The last one I saw was offering an upgraded Vanguard with the ability to be inserted by orbit. Can you imagine a battlefield where we scattered ground forces kilometres apart?”
He looked back to the doorway.
“In a world with unlimited resources it could be made to work, but not today.”
He lifted his eyebrows in frustration.
“The peace dividend is always paid for by the military, and when we’re needed, we’ll catch up, just like we always do. But it will cost time and lives while we get back up to speed.”
Colonel Black wasn’t entirely sure he agreed and moved back to the schematics. There were all kinds of designs, and he could only assume the majority were proposals, because some were highly outlandish. He shook his head, looking at a ship design unlike any he’d seen before.
“This place, it is…unusual. I’m surprised that somebody with your...history, would want to work out here, surrounded by these things.”
General Daniels seemed more intrigued by the structure itself. The ceiling and walls were ribbed in a fashion looking as though it might come to life at any moment, like most of the ancient Biomech warships. Light came from hidden blue lamps recessed into the walls and ceiling. General Daniels and Colonel Black waited patiently, with the ever-present form of Mr Walker beside them. In the middle of the room was a round table, and atop it a standard Alliance projection unit.
“I have to...” started the General.
Walker lifted his hand and nodded quickly.
“They are here.”
The door opened on cue and in came Spartan, behind him a single Jötnar, then Kanjana, and lastly Captain Wilson. The Jötnar warrior was massive, just over two and a half metres and built like an ogre of myth. His arms were as thick as a normal man’s chest, and he towered over them all. Kanjana moved around them to get to the side of the room. Once there she had the perfect view of the group, and of the doorway.
“General Daniels, long time,” said the Jötnar.
For the first time the senior officer smiled.
“Khan, it is a long time.”
The two grasped arms before releasing and turning their attention back to Spartan. Colonel Black tapped the unit, and it flickered into life. Spartan was not looking at the videostream, though; he was still looking at the two Marine Corps officers.
“I told you ten years ago, I’m not coming back. The war is over. It has been for years.”
General Daniels looked uncomfortable.
“I know that, Spartan, and your service to the Alliance was above and beyond what could ever be considered necessary. You played your part, and many were lost to achieve victory. Your sacrifices...”
The look on Spartan’s face stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t anger, or even bitterness. No, he could see the pain in the man’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Instead he pointed to the screen.
“Your work on the...uh...new unit is something quite extraordinary. But I’m not here for that, not today. All I need is some of your time. We have a delicate situation, and you might be able to help us.”
He then looked to Kanjana and Mr Walker, both of whom he was unfamiliar with, and were not part of the chain of command or subject to the same rules and restrictions as the military.
“This can only be between the four of us. I’m sorry.”
Spartan looked to Kanjana and back to the officers.
“Then you had better leave. Kanjana is as much part of this operation as I am. She stays, or we walk.”
He looked to the CTC executive.
“I don’t think CTC will be very happy if we start discussing this without a senior executive present. Khan and I might run the Special Weapons Division, but CTC is another matter.”
General Daniels clearly didn’t like this, but a discreet nod from Colonel Black served as a reminder as to the delicacy of the situation. Contrary to what they had already said, both knew the two of them would be here, and a thorough security check had been conducted prior to their departure.
“Very well.”
The model showed the border between the Byotai and the Anicinàbe. The trouble had started eleven years ago, and every few months there would be an incident of some kind, usually a kidnapping or raid. Colonel Black pointed to a single planet, one that Spartan was unfamiliar with.
“What am I looking at?”
He sounded frustrated, perhaps even a little bored.
Kanjana knew it immediately.
“That is Karnak.”
Spartan knew the name immediately.
“I know that place. The Byotai took the planet a decade ago from Anicinàbe criminals. With our help, if I recall correctly. What about it? I thought both sides had settled the demilitarised zone now?”
General Daniels sighed and looked about the room.
“Spartan. These worlds are vulnerable, and they are about to get squeezed by an Anicinàbe uprising, one we know is coming. The Alliance cannot let that happen, not with the Byotai still recovering from the war.”
Colonel Black glanced at him, their eyes meeting only for a moment.
“That’s where I come in, Spartan. It is my job to get support unofficially to the settlers to even the fight before it’s too late. They must be defended against Anicinàbe militants, or we will see another genocide unfold before us.”
Sp
artan leaned back a little as though surprised. The General continued to look about the room and seemed almost disappointed.
“Is this really the best place you have for us, Spartan? I expected, well, something a little grander. Are you trying to tell me something?”
Spartan remained expressionless, but he did give a brief signal to Kanjana. She tapped something on her arm, and the three walls started to change colour. It was as if they were fading before their eyes, and then they were gone. They were replaced by transparency and a view out into a vast complex.
“Better?” Spartan asked.
General Daniels shook his head and laughed.
“I expected nothing less.”
The room they were in was now a small extension on a cliff like structure that jutted out a hundred metes from the ground. All around them was a large circular shaped hangar with five hulls alongside each other in a circular arrangement, like spokes on a wheel.
“Reminds me of Prometheus.”
Spartan nodded.
“Yes, the basic design is very similar. I’ll give you one guess why that might be.”
The ships under construction intrigued General Daniels, but he had more pressing questions right now. He looked back to Spartan.
“I assume this is one-way?”
He indicated to the transparent walls.
“Of course.”
Khan fidgeted and looked to the General.
“We know about the trouble on the border, so why don’t you get to the point, General? What do you want?”
The two Alliance officers looked to each other and then to Spartan and Khan.
“Look,” began General Daniels, “The Anicinàbe have skirmished over these worlds with the Byotai for generations. First the Byotai settled them for mining, then the Anicinàbe attacked their compounds, and then the Byotai abandoned them all until ten years ago.”
Spartan yawned, feigning boredom.
“It’s been going on for years, but now there’s a new player in the region. This man.”
An image of an Anicinàbe man popped up. He was thin. Even thinner than the average Anicinàbe male, yet he wore conventional human clothing.
“He calls himself Tahkeome. Nobody knows his real name, and he’s causing the Byotai a major problem, one that could destabilise the region and drag them and us into an internal war.”
Spartan listened but still said nothing. Khan had no such problems, however.
“So, they have troubles. What does that have to do with us? The Anicinàbe have been causing problems since the war. It’s not our business, and it definitely isn’t mine.”
General Daniels lifted his hand to stop Khan.
“Tahkeome is a native of Karnak, from one of the old crime families, and he’s split off a dozen of the Anicinàbe warlords near the border to help him. They stand apart from the Anicinàbe Council and have called for all Anicinàbe outcasts to return to the border worlds, specifically Karnak. Thousands have already arrived, and our intelligence suggests they will make a move on the scattered Byotai settlements."
“So?” Spartan said, “Karnak doesn’t belong to the Anicinàbe anymore. It never did. Just because it is closer to the Anicinàbe, doesn’t make it theirs.”
Spartan noticed the General seemed surprised.
“Yes, I do keep up with what is going on. CTC needs to know what is happening in the Alliance and our borders.”
General Daniels looked carefully at Spartan. He could see an interest in the man’s face, but he was holding back, and he could easily understand why. Colonel Black moved the imagery in the unit to show the Anicinàbe territories. It brought up a patchwork of confederations and tribal units.
“Twenty-one star systems, with more worlds and a larger population than every settlement in the Alliance. According to our resources, they have never once been united. For the last millennia they have traded and fought constantly. There is only a loose confederation of leaders who never agree on a thing.”
“Until now,” said General Daniels.
His expression had changed, and he was clearly concerned.
“Between these warlords, they have six independent warbands, and at least three colonies that we know of. Our reconnaissance assets in the area tell us Tahkeome is already blockading the area around Karnak, and probably sending military supplies in to those Anicinàbe already there. The Byotai are almost entirely unarmed, with just a few security units. They will be attacked from within and outside simultaneously. It will be a slaughter.”
Spartan shrugged.
“Why come here? Isn’t this a job for the Byotai to sort out?”
Colonel Black spoke quietly with the General, and then looked to Spartan.
“We helped them remove the pirates and raiders a decade ago. Even so, the Byotai and the Anicinàbe Council have an agreement. Neither side will bring in military forces, thereby keeping the area completely demilitarised.”
Spartan lifted his eyebrows at that.
“Anicinàbe and Byotai civilians living together without protection. What next?”
He was being sarcastic, but only Khan laughed. The Colonel continued.
“...This Tahkeome has decided to make an issue of it. He has been demanding the Byotai settlers leave, and I can assure you, they are far from prepared for what is coming.”
Khan pointed to the map.
“Why don’t the Byotai government and the Anicinàbe Council tell him to back off?”
Colonel Black lifted his hand to his head and wiped his brow.
“Neither side wants to get involved. The Anicinàbe are disorganised and little interested publically, while the Byotai are keen to avoid creating any kind of incident with them. Don’t forget, nothing unites people faster than a common enemy. Any minor skirmishes are to be dealt with by the settlers themselves.”
The General looked a little uncomfortable before he continued.
“This is what they are calling the price of peace.”
General Daniels moved to one of the transparent walls and looked down at the partially assembled ships. It was hard to make out much, due to the scaffolding and separate pieces that filled the place. One clear feature was the ring shape near the rear of the fuselage. It was a design style he’d not seen before.
“You’ve made a life for yourself out here, Spartan. Your contacts with On’Sarax and her people have given you a lot of leverage. You’ve kept the peace, and even managed to integrate this region with the Alliance.”
He pointed to one of the ships.
“This kind of technology will be of use, and soon.”
He turned back around.
“We need the Byotai, and we owe them still from the war. If we’re smart, we can keep them on side while bringing some of the Anicinàbe over as well. Once a few of their groups join the Alliance, the rest will follow or fall in line. What we cannot allow is for this Tahkeome and his militants in the DMZ to get traction. If he can rally others to his cause, then the Byotai will be in a lot of trouble. Open warfare between the Anicinàbe and the Byotai could spiral out of control, and fast, and we in the Alliance will pay for it.”
Spartan laughed.
“The Anicinàbe answer to no one, and definitely not to a single leader. Their council is a talking shop, nothing more. If you ask me, the best thing would be to live up to our obligations and send Alliance peacekeepers to the Demilitarised Zone. The Anicinàbe wouldn’t dream of coming even close to the place. A show of force is what they will respect.”
He then shrugged.
“That’s just my opinion. Not like anybody asked.”
General Daniels looked at Spartan carefully. There was something, a glint of excitement perhaps, or maybe just a recollection of what he had done in the past. He knew Spartan was a warrior; he always had been.
“Spartan, I have a job to do, and I need you. Come to Karnak and help us give Tahkeome and his outcast Anicinàbe militants a bloody nose. When they all see the Byotai are there to stay, both sides can re
sume negotiations. That way we keep the Byotai onside. No Anicinàbe warlords will join Tahkeome if he is seen as a loser. ”
“Who is ‘us’ exactly?” Khan asked.
Colonel Black looked a little uncomfortable at this question.
“This is a clandestine operation. We are routing resources through the Khreenk and other third parties. I could do with some of your new tech, and maybe a few of your vaunted security teams. The Byotai settlers need to be able to protect themselves if these militants take things further.”
General Daniels put his hand on Spartan’s shoulder.
“That’s just an extra, though. What we really need, no, what I need...is you. This is a fast moving operation, and we are running it without a backup. If we fail, nobody is coming for us. I need my old friend. Gun is in. I am meeting him soon.”
Spartan turned to Khan. They shared a look but said nothing. He looked back to the General.
“I’m sorry, General. This isn’t my fight. I promised myself this was it.”
He glanced at Kanjana and again to the General. The mention of his old friend Gun would have done it in the past, but there was still too much pain with working for the Alliance in this way.
“I’ve done my time, and so did my family. The Alliance has taken enough from me, and I will give them nothing more. I want to keep what I have left.”
He moved his arms out.
“This is my new life, and it will make thing better for me and you. Trust me. What we are working on, it will change lives.”
General Daniels nodded his head slowly.
“I understand. I won’t press you. I had to ask. You understand?”
Spartan reached out and grasped the General’s arm.
“You shouldn’t be going on this operation, General. Either the Alliance backs you fully with a military taskforce, or it does not. This kind of situation usually escalates into a full shooting war, and fast.”
The General laughed.
“You are probably right.”
He made for the door and stepped out. He was almost gone but then stopped.
“When I return, we will talk. CTC and the Alliance military need to make some arrangements. I’ve seen some of this tech you’re working on out here, and we can use it.”
Spartan tried to look cheerful.
“Just come back alive, General, and bring Gun with you, too.”