The Diary of a Space Scoundrel: Mexican Standoff
23 Mar 2020Seth Bradwell
"Please, I don't know what you are on about! We wouldn't and couldn't commit anything like this, it would not be in our interests, we have had enough trouble these past few months!" cried a scrawny youth, who was barely twenty years old. He looked terrible, heavily bruised and bloodied."That was yet another unsatisfactory answer." said Tarquin Yates, head of security at Moon Camp. "Guards, again."
A cloth was clamped over the Camorra member's nose and mouth which was followed by a large bucket of water being poured onto his face.
"Please! I know nothing!" he gasped. "Why can't you accept you are going after the wrong people - aaaagh!!!" A strike from Yates' fist silenced him.
"For the last time," Yates said menacingly, brandishing a knife, "tell us exactly what your bosses' plans are, or else -"
"That's enough!" I shouted. "Yates, let him go, this wasn't the Camorra's work."
"Huh, so '938's most feared assassin gains a conscience. No." The Camorra boy winced from another blow from Yates.
"You are a fool Yates!" Morgan cried. "The Camorra have not got anything near the resources to pull off this. You are just taking out your anger on an innocent boy. Let him go."
Yates gave an evil smirk. "There is no such thing as 'innocent' when it comes to these Camorra scum. This is just vermin control. Now," he said, raising the knife, "let me do my job, and you can be a do-gooding hero elsewhere." He slowly brought the knife to the Camorra boy's throat, who's face was riven with fear.
"DROP IT, YATES!" I yelled, drawing my plasma pistol and pointing it at him, Morgan doing likewise.
"So that's how it's going to be? Guards, kill these traitors." ordered Yates, still smirking.
The two guards looked hesitant. "Think, are these the orders of a sane man?" I confidently asked the two guards who were with Yates. "You don't have to do this. Think rationally, what good would this serve -"
"SILENCE, TRAITOR! What are you two blithering idiots waiting for? KILL THEM!" screamed Yates. The knife in his hand was starting to shake. Suddenly there was a whoosh followed by a cracking sound as the prongs of a taser buried into Yates, sending him sprawling and convulsing on the floor. Morgan and I turned to see who fired the taser - the security guard from the Diamond Moon. "Sorry about that. I didn't think Yates would go so far." he said.
"I guess you are his second in command?" I asked.
"Deputy Head, and now Acting Head of Security Marlon Briggs, at your service. Okay, everyone holster your weapons." he commanded. "Now," Marlon beckoned to the two guards, "I suggest you turn this boy over to these two, so they can get him some medical attention. He may be Camorra, but he had nothing to do with this, and when we have finished I want you to think hard about what you did, and why you felt you could justify brutally torturing someone like this. Chief Yates has been relieved of duty as of now."
"Sorry, sir." the first guard. said "Yates got carried away. We were desperate for information, and we were certain those Camorra bastards had something to do with this."
"Well you let your hatred of the Camorra blind you to the facts as they stand, and skew your judgment regarding what is right and wrong. We do not know who was behind this, but this poor wretch wasn't involved in it."
"We were just following orders!" cried the second guard.
"So was every solider that was involved in carrying out atrocities through human history. Never let me hear that excuse from you again." said Marlon sternly. Now, escort Mr Yates to a holding cell, and after that you can help with the clean up in the base."
"Aye aye, sir." said the two guards in unison.
3pm
"That was pretty freaky." I said to Morgan as we walked back to the Diamond Moon from the med block, after a long and slow journey there, as the Carmorra boy could barely walk after his ordeal. We all agreed with Marlon Briggs that all charges against him would be dropped as long as he got basic treatment and then was put on the next available transport to HIP 71931. "The whole place has gone mad, at least we don't have to worry about that brute Yates for now."
"Yates is a sadistic bully. I never liked him, and glad to see him put in his place, although I doubt we have seen the last of him." replied Morgan. "Anyway, time to discuss how we can find out was the real perpetrator of this attack. Care for more rum?" he asked as we approached the Low Temperature Diamond Moon.
"For sure. I have my hunches regarding who may have carried this out, or at least who was carrying out the dirty work." I answered.
7pm
"Okay, so there are six pirate factions within a 50 light year radius of here, five if you exclude the Camorra." I announced. Now most of these, like the Camorra, are a small time ragtag bunch of crooks who are seldom active beyond their home system. Except for one - the Brothers of HR 5473. They have manage to take control of an entire system - Col 285 Sector MF-R b20-1, yes, it's quite a mouthful, so I will just refer to it as Col Muffer. Now it's a young colony but has managed to gain a population of 1 million, and what's more its sole port - a planetary base, has a large pad. Remember that our attackers came with ships too large for outposts."
"So they are our most likely culprits?" Morgan asked.
"There is no evidence to put them in the frame as of yet. We need logs, wake scan data and the like."
"Yet I am sure our new friend Marlon Briggs can provide us with that." Morgan said confidently.
"You seem quite sure he will put his trust in us - two soldiers of fortune. The galaxy doesn't give people much reason to trust us." I cynically reply.
"Well this system needs all the help it's offered - and we have both build a fairly strong rep with both factions here. The Partnership would be crazy to just dismiss us."
"That was before our little stunt today. I doubt we are that popular, whatever you think of Yates, he was quite popular among some people in this settlement. I am sure Hector Martin will consider us a liability."
"We have Marlon on our side though, and he thought highly of us even before we intervened today. Also you underestimate your popularity - thanks to your patrol of the RESes and take down of pirates, many a miner can work without harassment."
"Okay then. But for now we are still grounded, so are unable to do anything - even if we had data to prove it was them."
At that moment a tall, slender woman with blonde hair, and a fearsome expression in her eyes entered and walked up to the bar. Silently the bartender passed her a double shot of vodka, and then she then sat down in the corner.
"Who is that woman? I see her every time I am in this place yet she talks to no one and no one talks to her." I quietly ask.
"That's Anastasia Tokareva. No one knows much about her other than she used to work for Yuri Grom's forces. One thing for certain, never cross her. You may live to regret it." warned Morgan.
"Sounds like my kind of fighter. I wonder if she would be interested in our little venture?"
"I most sincerely doubt it. No one from any of the factions have been able to enlist her services. However she is a Deadly pilot, and according to my contacts she makes a sizeable fortune in bounties."
"Shame. Anyway we have exhausted all lines of enquiry for tonight. One more rum for the black?"
At the moment Marlon Briggs walked in. "Ah, I thought I would find you here. Gentlemen, if you would let me join you, I have a proposal for you."
"I was just about to head to the bar, if you wanted anything?" I repled.
"Azure Milk, if you would be so kind. Actually, no, I'll have a Lavian Brandy on the rocks. As you can imagine, it's been a pretty taxing day."
"My pleasure."
I rejoin the table with our drinks. "So, what would like us to do?" I ask Marlon.
"First of all, I would like to provide you with some information, regarding the origin of our attackers. I think you may have already guessed who was behind this."
"The Brothers of HR 5473?" I half guess, half tell.
"Excellent. I am sure you won't need to be told that we traced their wake signatures, and tacked them back to their base of operations just over 48 light years from here, a system with a name I cannot be bothered to memorise?"
"Col Muffer, we call it." Morgan replied. "Now that you have proven what we suspected, what do you want us to do? Obviously two combat pilots won't make a dent in their operations."
"We are all too aware of that. But even if every pilot aligned with the HIP 71931 Social Partnership was to engage them in battle we would be hopelessly outnumbered. What I want you to is find out why they attacked us."
"How do we do that? We can hardly go knocking on their door and politely ask them." I ask.
"No, you need to be a lot more sneaky, and covert. Try scanning for signal sources in their space, both at HR 5473 and this "Col Muffer" system, as you call it. Eavesdrop on their installations. Monitor their movements from a distance. Just avoid being too obvious, otherwise you'll spook them and they will go to ground without revealing anything, and they will come after you if they think you know too much."
"Thanks. At least we can be doing something. Any word on when the hangers reopen?"
"Officially at 10:00 GMT tomorrow morning. But for you, I have given clearance for you to be ready to start by 07:00 hours. I recommend you both sleep in your ship's quarters tonight, in case another attack cuts off the hab blocks from the hangers. In such case we will give you advance warning so you can launch away. But do not engage them - instead make your way swiftly out of the system - I will leave the next course of action up to you. By the way, I do bring you some good news."
"Which is?"
"The nine seriously most injured habitants of the settlement have been medevaced to HIP 75446, along with the six Viper pilots, the last of which we recovered three hours ago, where they will all receive expert care and they should all fully recover in time. Additionally after pulling some strings I ensured our friend in the Camorra could join them, as some small way of trying to compensate him after what Yates did to him."
"Physical wounds may heal. Mental ones, it's far tricker." I say sadly. "What will become of him, and what will happen to Yates?"
"I sympathise with you but it's still up to him what path he chooses. Many in the Camorra have suffered worse, often at their own hands, and also inflicted worse upon others. However, he did not deserve what happened to him today. I cannot tell you for definite what will happen to Yates, he will face a disciplinary tribunal for his actions, but we are out on the frontier here, and the rule of law is often bent and twisted. All I can say is that it is hopefully unlikely he will be playing a role in Moon Dock for the foreseeable future."
"We should be thankful for small mercies, though I doubt the Camorra will be showing much gratitude for sparing one of their soldiers. What's Hector Martin been up to amid all this?"
"He was summoned to the Partnership's head office in '931, although he only departed Moon Dock at 4pm this afternoon since it was impossible to get a transport off the moon due to the attack. He was looking real nervous too when he left."
"So he should be, the incompetent buffoon. Martin couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag and left us completely unprepared for this." Morgan said angrily.
"I know you are upset, none of us like this situation." Marlon responded. "However be rest assured he is facing some tough questions regarding his oversight of this installation, and indeed his opposite number from Blue Vision has been invited to discuss ways to push back."
"She doesn't seem like one to suffer fools gladly." I reply.
"Ellen Douglas is a strong-willed woman, whose shrewd management of Blue Vision's interests here have ensured they have kept a foothold in this colony. But this is a still a Partnership installation, and I am employed by the Partnership to ensure that its interests are served. We welcome Blue Vision's presence as part of a thriving new colony, but we are ultimately in charge and intend that this stays that way. There are plenty of other places for Blue Vision to colonise, and they know this too, this is not a crowded part of the galaxy. That being said, the Partnership are welcome to receive any input and positive criticism at this time, and Douglas has been invited to advice on the next step, to our mutual benefit."
"I would love to be a fly on the wall in that meeting." Morgan smiled.
"Anyway, I thank you for your time. It is now late, and I have my own duties to attend to, so I bid you both goodnight." Marlon said.
"Goodnight, hope tomorrow brings us some hope. We shall let you know what we come up with." I say as he walks out into the permanent night of Moon Dock.
"We should have an early one too, Seth. Hard day's work ahead it seems, but I don't know about you, but I will be glad to be back in the black, even one day stuck here is one too many for me." grinned Morgan.
10.30pm
"You seem to have a lot of issues with some of the people that run the place here, Captain. I'm fairly new still, so mind giving me the low down?" I ask Morgan as we walk to the hangers.
"I have no more issues than I do with anyone else in authority. Unfortunately in many places the further up the hierarchy you go, the less intelligent people get." said Morgan.
"'Aint that the truth. Incompetence and corruption, the two main blights of the galaxy today. I must admit that it doesn't fill me with confidence when they employ people like Martin and Yates and appoint them in key positions."
"People like Martin just sit back and get fat whilst the going is good, but are nowhere to be seen when the biowaste starts flying", explained Morgan. "As for Yates and his ilk, small minded bullies often find themselves in positions where they can take gleeful pride on inflicting misery on others."
"Reminds me of what happened in my home settlement. But I would rather save that for another time." I reply.
"Hope this doesn't offend you, but from what I learned about you since you came here, you seem to have been through a lot in your life. My own background has not all been that joyful at times either, but people with stable backgrounds don't end up embroiled in the affairs of frontier colonies several hundred light years from the core systems."
I nod sadly as we approach the docks. "I will tell you more about how I ended up here another time. But, for now, let's try and survive this. A whole mining community is counting on us."
Morgan smiles. "It's things like that which make life worth living. See you on the morrow, Seth."
11.00pm
I run some final checks on the Edge of Sanity before turning in. I must admit I feel a sense of kinship with Captain Morgan, his path to HIP 71938 being so different yet similar. My wish for something interesting to happen seems to be a classic example of the parable of being careful what you wish for. But I haven't felt quite so alive, so full of purpose for ages, not since I joined in the defence of the Gnosis nearly a year and a half ago. Also this is no ordinary merc job, this is covert, cloak-and-dagger work, which isn't even been sanctioned by the Partnership, so keen was Marlon Briggs to ensure that the Brothers of HR 5473 would not be aware of their intentions. Anyway, I am ready to face the challenge, and by this time tomorrow we should both have have enough information to get a lead on what actually is going on here. Anyway, dear diary, this is Commander Seth Bradwell, signing off for the evening.