A Savage War Of Peace (Ark Royal Book 5) (36 page)

He ignored the hail of shouted questions with the ease of long practice.  Penny smiled to herself; she might have been embedded with the Ambassador, but she hadn't been able to get an interview with Boone ... or Captain Naiser, now they’d arrived on Vesy.  She rather suspected they had orders to refuse interviews, orders that had to have come from the Ambassador.  Or perhaps they’d simply disliked the idea of being interviewed and their words taken out of context, then broadcast to the world.

“By order of the Ambassador, Fort Knight will be going back into lockdown, effective immediately,” Boone said.  “The gates will be closed.  Anyone outside the gates will be allowed to return, but not to leave once again.  If any of you want to go to any of the outposts, you may do so ... on the understanding that we will not rescue you if you are not allowed to return.  You will have to take your chances on the other side.”

Penny gasped.  She wasn't the only one. 

“Colonel,” a voice called.  “Are you seriously saying that you will leave us to our fate?”

Boone glowered at the speaker, hidden somewhere within the crowd.  “I am saying that we have very limited resources,” he said, tartly.  “It may not be possible to protect Fort Knight, let alone the rest of the outposts.  If you do something that will make my task harder, expect to pay a price for it.”

He paused.  Everyone seemed too stunned to speak.

“In addition, we will be running shuttles to get as many people into orbit as possible,” Boone continued.  “We will not be
forcing
any of you to leave, but we strongly advise you to put your names on the list for evacuation.  Should you miss your shuttle, you will be allocated to the next one ... which may be too late.  You have been warned.

“The situation is becoming very dangerous,” he concluded.  “We strongly suggest you remain within the walls and prepare for evacuation.  All hell could break loose at any moment.”

Ignoring the handful of shouted questions, he turned and strode out of the room.  Penny watched him go, shocked.  She'd been in dangerous places before, but she’d never been told so bluntly that she would be abandoned, if she insisted on putting her life in danger.  Indeed, British forces had recovered more than one reporter who’d been kidnapped and held for ransom by local terrorists. 

We had much more firepower there
, she thought, as the crowd started to disperse slowly. 
I wasn't at so much risk
.

“Penny,” Roebuck said.  “Do you think he was serious?”

“Probably,” Penny said.  There would probably be lawsuits, if not questions in parliament, if the reporters were abandoned.  But it wouldn't help any reporter who was hacked to death by alien hordes.  “I’m going back to my room.  See you later.”

She walked past Roebuck, out of the room and down towards her barracks.  Somehow, she wasn't surprised to see Percy standing there, carrying enough weaponry to fight a minor war.

“Percy,” she said.  “Is this for real?”

“Yes,” Percy said, flatly.  Her brother looked her up and down.  “Pen-Pen, I need you to put your name on the list for immediate evacuation ...”

“No,” Penny said, surprising them both.  “I can't just cut and run ...”

Percy took a step forward, then stopped himself with an effort.  “Pen-Pen ...”

“My
name
is Penny, or Penelope if you insist on being formal,” Penny snarled.  Being called Pen-Pen made her feel like a child, even though it had been cute and funny years ago.  But they’d both grown up a great deal since then.  “This is my great chance to ...”

“Get yourself killed,” her brother snarled back.  He softened his voice with an effort.  “Penny, the base could be in very real danger.”

“So I gathered,” Penny said.  She waved a hand at the grenades on his belt.  “Is that why you’re walking around like Desperate Dan?”

“We could come under attack at any moment,” Percy snapped.  “Penny,
please
get on the first shuttle.”

Penny shook her head.  “I can't, Percy,” she said.  “How would your superiors feel if
you
got on the first shuttle?”

“I get paid to fight,” Percy said.  “You don’t.”

“I get paid to report on events of major importance,” Penny countered.  She took a breath, glaring at her brother.  “This is my one real chance to make a name and a reputation for myself.  I am
damned
if I’m going back to reporting on things that won’t even make Page 10, unless it’s a very slow news day.  That’s if I don’t get sacked for running from the story!”

“Would your bosses rather you were dead?”  Percy asked, angrily.  “Your body buried in a makeshift grave on this shithole of a planet?”

“I won’t leave,” Penny said.  She crossed her arms under her breasts, then glared at her brother.  “Are you going to try to drag me off the planet by force?”

“I should sedate you and put you on the list for medical evacuation,” Percy muttered, just loudly enough for her to hear.  “Hamish would probably help, if I asked.”

Penny sighed, then reached out and touched his shoulder.  “I can't back away, not now,” she said.  She understood his feelings - it wasn't as if they had anyone else - but she wasn't his kid sister any longer.  “I’ll be fine, really.”

“I hope,” Percy said.  He reached for her holster and removed her pistol.  “One clip, just one.”

“It’s enough,” Penny said.

“Draw more clips from the armoury before the rush starts,” Percy snapped.  “And really, try to stay out of ...”

His wristcom bleeped.  “Shit,” he said.  “I have to go.”

“I’ll be fine, really,” Penny said, again.  “Have a good one.”

“You’ve spent
far
too long with that damned Para,” Percy said.  “Good luck, Penny.”

He kissed her forehead, then hurried off into the distance. 

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Sir,” Percy said, as he entered the office.  Colonel Boone was seated behind his desk, with Ambassador Richardson and Grace Scott seated in front of him.  “Reporting as ordered.”

“At ease, Lieutenant,” Colonel Boone said.  “We have a mission for you.”

Percy nodded, but didn't relax.  It was rare for marines to be briefed in front of civilians, which meant ... what?  Was Boone showing off?  It didn't seem likely.  Or was he planning to raise concerns in a manner he couldn't be called on?  Percy shrugged mentally, then waited.  He’d find out soon enough. 

“The Ambassador needs to be escorted to Ivan’s City,” Boone said.  “You and your men will accompany her, providing a standard close-protection detail.”

“Unfortunately, this mission may turn dangerous,” the Ambassador said.  She sounded as though she had bitten into a lemon.  “We have to give the aliens bad news.”

Percy frowned, biting down the question he wanted to ask.  He had no idea how Ivan would react, if only because he had no idea what the bad news actually
was
?  He’d heard nothing, save for the order to go armed at all times and prepare to man the defences if necessary.  Part of him resented being left in ignorance, but he knew that was always likely to be the case.  A young officer wouldn't be told more than his superiors thought he should know.

“In the event of trouble, two armoured platoons, four helicopters and a dozen Bulldogs are ready to pull you out,” Boone said.  “Keep the Ambassador safe, then hole up as long as possible; we’ll have help on the way.”

“Aye, sir,” Percy said.  He couldn't help feeling cold. 
None
of this sounded good.  “We’ll do it.”

He paused, then asked the question anyway.  “Sir ... what are we going to tell them?”

It was the Ambassador who answered.  “The World Court has declared a general embargo on shipping weapons to the Vesy,” she said.  “We won’t be able to send them any more weapons until the embargo is lifted.”

Percy gaped.  “They’ll go mad,” he said, forgetting himself.  “We made promises ...”

“As you were, Lieutenant,” Boone snapped.

“I know,” the Ambassador said.  “But we have no manoeuvring room at all.”

“Sir,” Percy said, turning to Boone.  “I think we should be delivering this message from a safe distance.  They will
not
take it calmly.”

“The least we can do is go to them,” the Ambassador said.  “They may desert us, but they’re not likely to pick a fight.”

Percy hoped she was right.  Ivan knew more than any other Vesy about the power of human weaponry, but ... how long would Ivan stay in power after this betrayal?  The Vesy had a quaint custom, one he rather admired, of insisting that their political leaders were responsible for their decisions.  Ivan, who had gambled everything on his alliance with Fort Knight, was likely to lose everything after his failure.  And then ...

Someone will come into power who doesn't like us
, he thought. 
And that someone will go elsewhere for their weapons
.

“It will be risky, sir,” he said.  He would carry out the mission, if ordered to do so, but it was his duty to make his superior aware of the risks.  “They may turn on us.”

“Yeah,” Boone said, drawing the word out.  “If they do, we can have reinforcements there quickly.  Very quickly.”

But will they be quick enough
?  Percy thought.  It wasn't
far
to Ivan’s City, not from Fort Knight, but it would still take time. 
We could be overwhelmed within seconds
.

“Yes, sir,” he said, out loud.  At least he’d written a will ... not that he had much to give away, apart from his share of his father’s prize money and his banked salary.  Penny would get it, as well as his other possessions.  “I assume we have permission to use the Bulldogs to reach the city?”

“You do,” Boone said.  “Have a good one, Lieutenant.”

Percy nodded.  “Then I will brief my men,” he said.  He made a brief calculation in his head, then doubled it.  “We will be ready to leave in twenty minutes.”

“That will be fine,” the Ambassador said.

Boone looked irked.  “I suppose it will be,” he said.  “Watch your back.”

Percy saluted, then turned and marched out of the room.  It wasn't hard to work out what had happened, in the moments before he’d arrived.  Boone had clearly argued against the mission, only to be overruled by the Ambassador.  Percy had to admit she had balls, at least metaphorically; he'd known marines who would have hesitated to walk into an alien city and announce that the solemn treaties of friendship and mutual respect were going to be cast aside on the whim of REMFs back home.  Ivan might let them go ... or he might take his frustration out on them.  Why not?  By cutting him loose, the REMFs had doomed his political career ... and, perhaps, doomed his city too.

“Sir,” Peerce said, as he stepped into the ready room.  The entire section was there, reading datapads or trying to catch a nap before the shit hit the fan.  “What’s up?”

Percy wished, suddenly, that he’d had a more normal career.  He hadn't wished to be put in an awkward position on
Warspite
, he hadn't wished to be left behind at Fort Knight and he hadn't wished for promotion.  No, that wasn't entirely true; he’d wished for promotion, but not responsibility.  He would have sold his soul to be a mere private again, to know nothing more than what his officers told him ...

“We’re going back to Ivan’s City,” he said, simply.  “Prepare the Bulldogs.”

Peerce gave him a sharp look as the marines hurried to obey.  “Sir?”

“They’re going to betray our allies,” Percy said, flatly.  He felt numb, as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening.  “And all hell is going to break loose.”

Twenty minutes later, they were on their way.

***

“You passed on the message?”

“Yes, General,” Rani said.  “There’s no way to trace it back to us either.  The freighter that brought the news was kind enough to broadcast it all over the system.”

Anjeet nodded, curtly.  He'd known the World Court was moving towards an embargo - the messages he’d received from home had made that quite clear - but he hadn't expected them to move so quickly.  The British should have vetoed it, he was sure;
India
would have done so, if her interests had been so badly exposed.  But the British Government was a prisoner of its backbenchers ... and the idealistic fools squatting in the House of Commons.  They only saw the downside of selling human weapons to the aliens, not the simple fact that the Vesy fought each other as often as humans and
someone
might as well advance their interests by providing the weapons.

He glanced at the live feed from the orbiting satellite.  Seven British vehicles, all Bulldogs, heading down towards Ivan’s City.  They’d be there in thirty minutes, he calculated, unless they ran into trouble.  It wasn't too likely - every unit the Flowered Clan had dispatched had strict orders not to engage until they received the signal - but accidents happened.  And sometimes they were even
real
accidents.

“The message is prepped, ready to go,” Rani added.

“Good,” Anjeet said.  He swallowed, hard.  “You may transmit it once the fighting begins.”

He shook his head, mentally forcing himself to relax.  Whatever happened, they were committed.  There was no way he could pull back now.  India, his India, stood on the cusp between apotheosis and nemesis.  It had seemed a good idea at the time, he knew, but now ... now everything was ready to go, he couldn't help feeling jittery.  Too much could go badly wrong. 

“And then we pray,” he added.  If everything went according to plan ... but nothing ever did, he knew.  “And hope we survive the coming months.”

***

Joelle had rapidly learned to dislike the Bulldogs.  They weren't the ambassadorial cars she’d used on her foreign postings, where the interiors were comfortable even though the vehicles were almost as armoured as a heavy tank; they were cramped, smelly and far too warm for her peace of mind.  Sweat dripped down her back as the vehicle lurched onwards, making it impossible for her to concentrate on the coming meeting.  The aliens
would
take it badly, she knew; nothing she’d seen or heard had made it possible for her to believe otherwise.  Hell, a
human
would take it badly. 

But we don’t have a choice
, she thought, even though she knew it was pointless.  The Vesy would never understand if she tried to explain about the World Court, not when it was hundreds of light years away and well outside their frame of reference. 
They will think we’re lying for our own reasons.

The vehicle lurched violently, then shuddered to a halt.  Joelle swallowed, trying hard not to be sick, then let out a sigh of relief as the hatch opened.  They might be at the outskirts of an alien city, on an alien world, but the air smelled better than the Bulldog.  Too many hot and sweaty men in close proximity, she guessed, as she allowed one of the marines to help her out of the vehicle.  Outside, the alien city gleamed in the sunlight, brilliant flickering light dancing over its stone walls.  She could see a dozen aliens standing on top, looking down at the humans.  They all carried human-designed weapons, ready to use them against threats to their city.

“Ambassador,” a voice said.  She looked up to see Lieutenant Schneider, holding out a set of body armour.  “Might I advise you to wear this, please?”

Joelle frowned.  She’d never liked body armour - it gave the wrong impression, she'd always thought - even when she was on Earth, where it was generally cooler.  On Vesy, she suspected that wearing the armour for any length of time would leave her drowning in her own sweat.  But the more she looked at the alien city, the more she felt that she was badly exposed.  No doubt Schneider had waited for this moment to ask, just to make sure she
felt
the potential threat.  She silently saluted him, then pulled the armour on over her shorts and shirt.  It felt as hot and uncomfortable as she’d expected.

“Well,” she said, once she’d buckled the armour into place.  “Shall we go?”

Schneider looked nervous, but led her towards the gates.  As before, the streets were lined with aliens, some staring with unconcealed interest, other watching dispassionately, as if they were merely standing there because they’d been
told
to stand there.  Joelle couldn't help a flicker of disappointment.  She’d been in countries where the locals had been gathered up and told to cheer loudly - and threatened with beatings or worse if they refused to comply - but she’d hoped it was a purely human shame.  The idea that the Vesy, on some level, were no different from humanity stung.

The marines fell in around her as they walked in eerie silence towards the Palace.  Joelle had the sense they were running a gauntlet, even though no one was hurling blows or firing guns towards them.  Dark beady eyes watched their every move; Joelle still found it hard to read alien motions, but it was all too clear that the marines were nervous.  She could only hope that the aliens weren't canny enough to understand human body language. 

But they might have secured a few of our textbooks
, she thought.  It had surprised her to discover just how many people on the base were studying for degrees of one kind or another, or just how many datapads and datachips had gone missing. 
They might even have studied our own works on how we think and act
.

She scowled, inwardly, as they reached the Palace and were shown through the massive doors.  In hindsight, the mission might have been doomed from the start.  It would have been easy to cut a deal with the Russians to claim Vesy, then supervise access to the system ... but even so, the native culture had been badly contaminated.  And the Russians would have demanded a high price for signing over their rights without demur.  And not everyone would have accepted that the Russians
had
any rights.  The Indians would certainly not have accepted their claims unless they were presented with a compelling reason to submit.