Singing Senator Patreus' Beard - Part X
17 Jun 2018Jellicoe
On the promenade deck overlooking the principle shopping area of Malenchenko City a small group of men stood looking down at the ugly crown that had assembled below and the thin cordon of station police who were making an at best perfunctory effort to hold it back."My men can't hold them back much longer sir." The senior policeman reported to the groups leader in a tone suggesting he was not remotely unhappy about that situation. "I sugest you vacate the area for your own sakety."
"You just do your damned job Superintendent," Phisto replied, "Leave us to worry about us."
"Very good sir," the policeman replied before turning back to the growing riot, he had never cared for Newton's Fusiliers, regarding them as no better than a criminal cartel with delusions of grandeur, and so he had been among the first to take the credits offered by the Liberals of Coma to undermine the new regime. His conscience had pricked him a little at first, a small voice in his head about coppers on the take, but he had ignored it, how could a policeman serve a government run by criminals? The Liberals would restore order, and order was a policeman's job, plus it was a lot of money they were offering.
"We had better move though," Wallaby said quietly, "if we're still here when the station falls that little bastard'll love bringing us in."
"I really thought we'd done it." Jellicoe said bleakly, "but it was all for nothing, the great and powerful triumph again."
"Hey buddy," Phisto said putting his hand on his friends shoulder and flashing a broad grin, "What we did here has sent a shockwave across the galaxy. Sure they've papered over the crack but it's still there, and one day soon we're gonna bust it right open, because we will be back."
"So what now?" Isaiah asked?"
"For now we scatter, disappear and wait till they drop their guard and forget about us, because when they do we're gonna cause so much trouble they'll be begging us to have Coma."