Cluster Command: Crisis of Empire II Page 8

  Bethany smiled. “I changed my mind. As for getting aboard, that was easy. I just told the officer on duty that you wanted me here.” She paused for a second. “You do want me here, don’t you?”

  Merikur searched her face for some sign of sarcasm and saw none. His reply seemed to come without volition. “Of course I do. Welcome aboard. The sleeping cabin is all yours.”

  For a moment he thought she might—hoped she might . . . but instead she smiled and said, “I’ll get my luggage out of your way in the next hour or two.”

  ###

  The trip to Teller was uneventful and quite pleasant. There were regular workouts with Eitor in the gym, and instead of dreading his stateroom as he had on the way out, Merikur looked forward to going there.

  It was a haven, a hideaway from the pressures of his job where he and Beth spent long hours together. They talked about everything, their childhoods, their likes and dislikes, everything.

  Everything but her previous marriage. The trip was over all too soon.

  The fleet dropped out of hyperdrive a safe distance off planet and blasted in towards Teller. A quick check revealed nothing but an old freighter and a few satellites in orbit. Nevertheless Merikur ordered the single destroyer escort and a destroyer to patrol a half-light out. If anything came his way he wanted to know about it. In the meantime, the cruiser and the remaining destroyer would provide protection for the two transports.

  There were two ways he could arrive. The friendly way, “Hello, just dropped in to see if I could help.” And the threatening way, “Hello, I just landed with a thousand marines. Now whose ass am I gonna kick first?” It took Merikur about ten seconds to decide on the second approach.

  ###

  Like everyone else, Artha Nugumbe ran out into the street when the first sonic booms began to roll across the sky. At first she was scared. Who was it? Friend or foe? But her fears disappeared as a low-flying LCS (Landing Craft Shuttle) did a slow roll revealing its Pact design.

  So the new Governor had enough balls to send in the marines. Good. Maybe there was hope after all.

  She went back inside and began to summarize her reports. Maybe someone would read them for a change.

  ###

  On the other side of Port City, Arthur Treeling felt his erection disappear. Climbing off the frightened farm girl he rushed to a window and threw it open. A sonic boom rolled across the town and shattered a window across the way.

  Goddamn them! He’d been begging them to come for months, and now that he didn’t need them, the stupid bastards were here, showing off, and destroying company property. He’d have someone’s ass! The Haiken Maru was a force to be reckoned with and Arthur Treeling was Haiken Maru’s general manager on Teller, by God!

  The girl had curled into a fetal ball on his bed, clenched around her tears. Treeling ignored her as he struggled to get his clothes on. A quick check in the mirror and he was gone.

  The girl waited for a while, her pulse pounding, making sure he wouldn’t return. Then she unwound, swung long shapely legs over the edge of the bed, and stood. She listened for a moment. Nothing. Bending over she found the ragged dress he’d ripped off her half an hour earlier. Next to it was a pathetic-looking purse fashioned from a grain bag.

  Reaching inside, she withdrew a small camera and a memory matrix. Still nude in case he returned, she stepped into his office and went straight to his desk. Slipping the memory matrix into the appropriate slot in his computer terminal, she used his personal code to gain entry, and ordered a full data dump.

  She smiled. The code was easy. The horny bastard didn’t have enough brains to memorize it, so he’d kept it on a scrap of paper. She’d seen him refer to it earlier in the day.

  While the computer whirred she sorted out the documents on top of Treeling’s desk and taped their contents. Horsehide would be pleased.

  ###

  Deep in Teller’s verdant jungle, a Cernian named Jomu looked up in eager anticipation. Maybe they were early. But instead of a Cernian lander, he saw an olive-drab LCS flash by. A fraction of a second later, his troops launched three missiles.

  But this was no Haiken Maru security flier. The shuttle was a hardcore military ship designed to take a lot of punishment and dish out even more.

  All three missiles were blown out of the sky. Seconds later, a second LCS passed over and dumped a thousand antipersonnel bomblets into the area. They were still shredding the jungle when a third ship roared over and hosed the area with repulsors.

  When it was all over and Jomu emerged from his bunker, he found half his force dead. The balance of power had suddenly shifted. With characteristic calm he cut a transceiver loose from its dead operator and began to give orders.

  ###

  Merikur’s gig landed with the second wave. It takes a lot of LCSs to land a thousand marines, so he’d crammed ten in with him. As they jumped out the main hatch and headed for the jungle, a cheerful sergeant yelled, “Thanks for the lift, Sir. It’s nice to arrive in style for once!” Then he was gone.

  Soon the radio reports began to flood in. No opposition on the ground as yet. Elements of C Company were approaching the edge of town. Three ground-to air-missiles had been launched and destroyed. The launching area had been sanitized. Elsewhere, an LCS was missing and presumed lost. A search was underway. Meanwhile, Senda’s LCS had landed safely and the Cernian had disappeared into the jungle. Merikur didn’t like it, but Senda had insisted.

  There was coded radio traffic on freqs four, nine, and twenty-six. Some rebel, some Haiken Maru. Merikur gave orders to jam it all. Two Cernian-made courier missiles were launched from the jungle and destroyed in space. Three unidentified surveillance satellites were also destroyed. Merikur allowed the reports to wash over him as they flowed in, absorbing content, but not interfering unless someone screwed up. A good general knows when to sit down and shut up.

  Two hours later, C Company linked up with D Company to secure the city—for the moment, anyway. Merikur knew he couldn’t hold Port City against a serious assault, and had no intention of attempting to do so. By nightfall, C and D companies would pull back and join the defensive perimeter his engineers were throwing up.

  The city would be lousy with spies, hidden weapons, and God knows what else. Besides, it belonged to the Haiken Maru, and he disliked the idea of defending it. Much better to build a base on neutral ground and see where things went.

  Climbing into his troop carrier, Merikur headed for town. His staff, consisting of a major, a lieutenant, and six members of the Elite Guard, did likewise.

  ###

  Molly Knox was at the controls and she avoided all roads and paths whenever possible, skimming over virgin jungle instead. SOP for a landing like this. Roads, paths, and clearings are all natural spots for booby traps and ambushes. That’s why they’d hold back on the hovercraft and wheeled vehicles until the area could be checked out. As it was, they came into town low and fast, jinking in case of snipers. There weren’t any.

  Port City wasn’t much to look at. Most of the buildings were vaguely white and had the look of prefab warehouses and processing plants. Stuck in and around them were dorm-style buildings for lower-ranking personnel linked by a system of makeshift walls and barricades. Crooked, unplanned streets meandered here and there, dead ending or continuing according to whim and necessity.

  A perimeter of blackened ground surrounded the city, the ruins of buildings sticking up here and there, sacrificed to create a free-fire zone. It seemed the rebels came damned close sometimes.

  Choosing an asymmetrical central square as her landing place, Knox put the carrier down with a solid thump. From what Merikur could see through a narrow view port, the city’s nicer dwellings seemed to front on the square. The hatch opened with a loud whine, allowing hot, humid air to flood in. The air brought with it the faint stench of rotting vegetation laced with the more powerful odor of backed-up sewers.

  Within minutes, the previously empty square was full of people all vying f
or attention. Merikur wore no badges of rank, but the troop carrier and the attitude of his staff made it obvious who he was. His bodyguards jumped out and took up positions all around the carrier. Their eyes scanned surrounding roofs and windows, weapons ready.

  Meanwhile, Knox kept a close eye on all her detectors. She planned to haul ass at the first sign of trouble.

  Gesturing towards the outside Merikur said, “Sort ’em out, Major. Local officials first and then the rest.”

  Major Fouts was a taciturn woman with muscles on her muscles, a broad flat face, and a pug nose. Dark crescents had already formed under her arms and sweat ran down her neck. She nodded, jumped to the ground, and waded into the crowd.

  Merikur wanted to get out and walk around but resisted the impulse to do so. Walking around alone in an unsecured area is one more thing generals shouldn’t do. Not unless they want to provide snipers with some target practice. Besides, the carrier had better communications than a marine could carry on his back and was armored should someone dump a few tons of HE (High Explosive) into the area. It made sense to hide like a rabbit, but he still didn’t like it.

  Fouts returned a few minutes later with a tall black woman. “General, this is Artha Nugumbe. She’s the assistant port administrator. I’ve also got a guy named Treeling out there. Says he’s general manager for the Haiken Maru. What shall I do with him?”

  The way she said it, Merikur got the feeling Fouts would be delighted if the answer were, “Put one through the back of his skull.”

  “Let him rot, Major. I’ll see Administrator Nugumbe first. Have a seat, Administrator. Sorry we don’t have any refreshments to offer.”

  Nugumbe wore a loose blouse, some shorts, and a pair of sandals. She had a high forehead, quick brown eyes, and a nice smile. Merikur liked her at first glance.

  Nugumbe smiled. “Just seeing your troops is refreshing enough, General. For months, I begged Admiral Stender to send some, but he didn’t even reply.”

  Merikur wondered if the good admiral had even seen the requests. They could’ve been intercepted. Though from what he’d learned about Stender, the admiral didn’t need help to convince him to avoid his duty.

  “Well, I’m glad somebody’s happy to see us,” Merikur replied. “I get the feeling there’s some folks in the jungle who feel otherwise.”

  Nugumbe nodded soberly. “Closer than that I’m afraid, General. The rebels have spies everywhere, as does the Haiken Maru. As do I, for that matter. It’s a very complicated place to live. May I ask what you intend to do?”

  “Sort it all out,” Merikur replied wryly. “Let’s start with you. I take it you were left holding the bag when the Cluster representative returned to Augustine for medical treatment?”

  “That’s about the size of it,” she agreed. “I’m afraid I haven’t done a very good job of holding things together. The rebels have slowed production to a crawl, the Haiken Maru is more repressive than ever, and I hear rumors about ships landing in the bush.”

  Merikur shook his head. “It’s hardly your fault. No one gave you the authority or tools to get the job done. Who controls Port City?”

  “I’m supposed to, but in truth the Haiken Maru security forces do.”

  Merikur nodded. “I want you to take control. Weed out as many spies, rebel sympathizers and unreliables as you can. If necessary, I’ll assign marines to replace them. Remember though . . . I plan to withdraw towards evening. So don’t bite off more than you can chew. Lieutenant!”

  “Sir!” Second Lieutenant Fhad was about twenty years old, as green as grass and eager to make his mark. He practically quivered at the vehicle’s hatch.

  “Take a squad and accompany Administrator Nugumbe. Follow her orders. If Haiken Maru security people get in your way, arrest ’em.”

  “Sir!” Fhad’s eyes were shiny with eagerness as he and a squad of marines followed Nugumbe away. God help any security people who looked crosswise at them.

  Nugumbe was barely gone when Major Fouts reappeared with a natty looking man in tow. He had long, lank hair that swished around his shoulders as he moved, oily good looks, and clothes a good deal too fashionable for Teller.

  “This is the one I told you about. Says he’s general manager for the Haiken Maru.” A broad grin slid across Fout’s homely face. “Says he’ll have you broken to private if you don’t see him now.”

  “Well, I guess I’d better see him then, hadn’t I? A pay cut’s the last thing I need. Have a seat, Manager Treeling.”

  Merikur felt a buzz in his ear. “This one’s wired and armed,” his AID cautioned. “Be careful. Maybe you’re expendable, but I’m not.”

  Treeling eyed a fold-down seat disdainfully, brushed it off, and seated himself. He did his best to look cold and imperial. “Enjoy yourself while you can, General, because when your commanding officer hears what you’ve done here, you’ll be lucky to come out a private.”

  “Oh, really,” Merikur said lazily. “And just what have I done?”

  Treeling puffed out his chest. “Reckless endangerment of Teller’s civilian population for one. I refer, of course, to the aircraft which buzzed Port City at supersonic speeds. Why, I can’t imagine.”

  “To scare the hell out of everyone,” Merikur answered calmly. “Nothing like a little show of force to tighten a few sphincters. I’m surprised however. I thought the Haiken Maru wanted us to control the rebels. Have things changed?”

  “Well, no,” Treeling replied, suddenly crafty. “It’s just that Teller’s law-abiding citizens deserve more respect.”

  Merikur raised an eyebrow in mock astonishment. “Law-abiding citizens? And who might they be? According to my information, rebels are in control of the countryside, alien and pirate ships come and go as they please, and the Haiken Maru exploits its workers under conditions of virtual slavery. Where are these law-abiding citizens hiding? Bring ’em out. I’d like to meet ’em.”

  Things were becoming distinctly uncomfortable inside the carrier and Treeling had a sudden desire to be elsewhere. He tried to muster some righteous indignation nonetheless. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I assure you that our workers are well-treated and well-paid. As for the rest, my company can hardly be held responsible for the government’s incompetence.”

  Merikur nodded thoughtfully. “Now there we agree. The previous government was lax in carrying out its responsibilities on Teller. That has changed, as my presence testifies. With that in mind, perhaps we can pool our resources to resolve the present difficulties.”

  Treeling managed an ingratiating smile. “Of course. I hope you’ll forgive my earlier comments, but things have been somewhat tense around here. Tell me, how many marines did you bring?”

  “Enough to do the job,” Merikur lied. “Provided of course that I have the Haiken Maru’s full cooperation.”

  “Oh, yes,” Treeling said eagerly. “You can be assured of that. How can I help?” If Merikur were suddenly coming around . . . Well, in the long run, if he couldn’t get him cashiered perhaps he could have him killed; in the short run, maybe he’d better cooperate.

  “The loan of some ground vehicles would be a good start,” Merikur answered thoughtfully. “We’ve got our own of course, but there never seems to be enough to go around.”

  “I’ll have some assigned to you right away. Just give me a call if there’s anything else I can do.” He got up and moved towards the hatch.

  Merikur nodded amicably. “I’ll do that.”

  Treeling waved and was gone. Merikur gave him a moment to clear the area and said, “Major Fouts!”

  Like magic, she appeared in the hatch. “Sir?”

  “Have that one watched.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  ###

  Treeling didn’t feel safe until he was half a mile away. He hadn’t risen to his present rank without being a pretty good judge of character, and Merikur scared hell out of him. Most generals were mere functionaries who wore the uniform but didn’t like to get it dirty. Thi
s guy was different. He had orders to pacify the planet and intended to do so.

  Would do so if he had enough marines and, while that would have been good a few months earlier, it would be a disaster now. The Haiken Maru would be on the wrong side of the fence, Nola Rankoo would be very unhappy, and Treeling would wind up sucking vacuum as a one-man asteroid. The thought made him sweat. So did Merikur have enough marines to do the job or not?

  Treeling rushed to his office and activated his com unit. A distant part of his mind noticed the girl had left. No problem. There were lots more where she’d come from. He spent the next two hours talking with as many of his subordinates as possible. He couldn’t talk with all of them because the rebels had blown up quite a few of his relay stations and someone, the navy most likely, was jamming his satellite communications.

  Nevertheless, Treeling soon had an accurate picture of Merikur’s force, including how many marines he had on the ground, and how many ships he had in orbit. It all added up to around a thousand marines, two thousand max, and that wasn’t enough to bring the rebels under control.

  His security people swore it would take forty thousand or more.

  Treeling gave a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. He’d made the right choice after all. Soon he’d be promoted.

  Treeling picked up his handset and called a nearby farm to send a girl over to help him celebrate.

  ###

  “So,” Lieutenant Commander Moskone said, as he placed the sealed container on Admiral Oriana’s desk, “the general ordered me to deliver this to you personally.”

  “And you have son, you have,” Oriana said agreeably. “I’ll read it immediately. Meanwhile, you must be ready for a little rest and relaxation. Why don’t you head on over to the O club and have a drink on me?”