Old Man's War Boxed Set 1 (97 page)

“That sounds like Beata,” Jane said. I took off toward the sound of the crying, leaving Jane to deal with Eser. I found Beata a couple hundred meters later, hunched over someone.

It was Kranjic. Two of the Arrisians’ bullets had hit him, in the collarbone and in the chest. Blood had soaked out into the ground beneath him.

“You dumb son of a bitch,” Beata said, holding Kranjic’s hand. “You always had to chase a story.”

She leaned over to kiss his forehead, and to close his eyes.

“You know you can’t stay on Roanoke,” General Gau said.

I smiled and looked across at him in the tiny conference room of his flagship, the
Gentle Star
. “Why on earth not?” I said.

Gau paused for a moment; the expression was new to him. “Because you survived,” he said, eventually. “Because your colony survived, no doubt to the surprise and irritation of the Colonial Union. Because you gave the enemy information vital to his survival, and because you accepted information from him vital to yours. Because you allowed me to come here to retrieve Nerbros Eser. Because you’re here on this ship now, talking to me.”

“I’m a traitor,” I said.

“I didn’t say that,” Gau said.

“You
wouldn’t
say that,” I said. “You’re alive because of me.”

“Fair point,” Gau said. “But that’s not what I meant. I meant you’re not a traitor because your allegiance was to your colony. To your people. You’ve never betrayed them.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Although I don’t think the Colonial Union will like that argument much.”

“No,” Gau said. “I don’t expect they would. Which brings me back to my original point.”

“What are you going to do with Eser?” I asked.

“My current plan is to put him on trial,” Gau said.

“You could just throw him out of an air lock,” I said.

“That would give me a great deal of personal satisfaction,” Gau said. “But I don’t think it would be good for the Conclave.”

“But from what Zoë tells me, you’ve started making people give you personal loyalty oaths,” I said. “It’s just a short jump from that to having the right to space those who annoy you.”

“All the more reason for the trial, wouldn’t you say,” Gau said. “I would prefer not to have had the loyalty oaths. But apparently there’s only so much humility people will take out of their leaders, especially when their leaders have had their fleets blown out from under them.”

“Don’t blame me,” I said.

“I don’t,” Gau said. “Whether I blame the Colonial Union is another matter entirely.”

“What do you plan to do about the Colonial Union now?” I asked.

“The same thing I originally planned to do,” Gau said. “Contain it.”

“Not attack it,” I said.

“No,” Gau said. “All the Conclave’s internal rebellions are tamped down. Eser isn’t the only one facing a trial. But I think it’s clear to the Colonial Union now that the Conclave is not easily eradicated. I’d hope they wouldn’t try to break out of their box again.”

“You haven’t learned much about humans,” I said.

“On the contrary,” Gau said. “If you think I’m simply going back to my old plan, you’re a fool. I’m not planning to attack the
Colonial Union, but I’m also going to make sure it doesn’t get a chance to attack either me or the Conclave a second time.”

“How?” I asked.

“You don’t really expect me to tell you,” Gau said.

“Thought I’d ask,” I said. “It was worth a shot.”

“Not really,” Gau said.

“And what are your plans for Roanoke?” I asked.

“I’ve already told you that I have no plans to attack it,” Gau said.

“You did,” I said. “Of course, that was when you had no fleet.”

“You doubt me,” Gau said.

“No,” I said. “I fear you.”

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Gau said.

“I wish I wouldn’t, either,” I said. “Convince me.”

“Roanoke is safe from any further Conclave attack,” Gau said. “The Conclave recognizes it as a legitimate human colony. The last colony”—he tapped the conference room table to make the point—“but a legitimate colony nonetheless. You and I can make a treaty, if you like.”

“I don’t think the Colonial Union would find it binding,” I said.

“Probably not,” Gau said. “However, I will send an official declaration to your government, with a warning that the Conclave’s ban on colonization is unbreakable beyond this. Unofficially, I’ll pass the word to unaffiliated races that the Conclave would be extremely displeased if one of them made a play for the planet. They’re not supposed to anyway, under the ban. But it doesn’t hurt to accentuate the point.”

“Thank you, General,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” Gau said. “I’m glad not every world leader was as troublesome as you, however.”

“I’m the easygoing one,” I said. “It’s my wife who’s the real hard-ass.”

“So I’ve gathered from Eser and the recordings of the battle,” Gau said. “I hope she is not offended that I asked to speak to you alone.”

“She’s not,” I said. “I’m the one who is supposed to be good with people. Although Zoë is disappointed she’s not able to see you. You made an impression on her.”

“And she on me,” Gau said. “You have a remarkable family.”

“I agree,” I said. “I’m glad they keep me around.”

“Technically, your wife and daughter could be charged for treason as well,” Gau said. “They will have to leave Roanoke, too, you know.”

“You keep bringing that up,” I said. “I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Gau said.

“Of course it’s not wise,” I said. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want to do it.”

“Where will you go?” Gau said.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” I said. “We can’t go anywhere in the Colonial Union unless we want to spend our lives in a family cell block. The Obin would take us in because of Zoë, but there would always be pressure on the Obin to extradite us.”

“There’s another option,” Gau said. “I’ve offered to have you join the Conclave before. The offer still stands. You and your family could live among us.”

“You’re very kind,” I said. “I don’t know that I could do that. That’s the problem with living among the Obin as well. I’m not ready to be cut off from the rest of humanity.”

“It’s not that bad,” Gau said, and I caught the hint of sarcasm there.

“Maybe not for you,” I said. “But I would miss my kind.”

“The idea behind the Conclave is that many races would live among each other,” Gau said. “Are you saying you couldn’t do that?”

“I could do that,” I said. “But only three humans wouldn’t be enough.”

“The Conclave would still be happy to admit the Colonial Union,” Gau said. “Or any of the individual colony worlds. Or even just Roanoke.”

“I don’t think that idea will get much traction on Roanoke,” I said. “Or with the Colonial Union. And as far as the individual colonies go, I think they’re still officially in the dark about the Conclave.”

“Yes, the Colonial Union’s informational stranglehold,” Gau said. “I have to tell you that I’ve given very serious thought to skipping satellites over the Colonial Union worlds and simply blasting down a data stream on the Conclave until the satellite is shot down. It wouldn’t be efficient. But at least then the Conclave could be heard.”

I thought about that for a moment. “No,” I said. “A data feed wouldn’t do.”

“Then what would you suggest?” Gau said.

“I’m not sure yet,” I said. I looked directly at Gau. “General, I may want to propose something to you.”

“What is it?” Gau said.

“Something big,” I said. “Something expensive.”

“That’s not really an answer,” Gau said.

“It’s going to have to do for now,” I said.

“I will be happy to listen to your proposal,” Gau said. “But ‘something big, something expensive’ is a little too vague for me to give approval.”

“Fair enough,” I said.

“Why can’t you tell me what it is now?” Gau asked.

“I need to talk to Jane first,” I said.

“Whatever it is, Administrator Perry, if it’s something that
involves my help, then you’ll be permanently in traitorous territory,” Gau said. “At least in the eyes of the Colonial Union.”

“It’s like you said, General,” I said. “It’s with whom your allegiances lie.”

“I’ve been ordered to place you under arrest,” said Manfred Trujillo.

“Really,” I said. The two of us stood in front of the shuttle I was about to leave in.

“The orders came in a couple of hours ago,” Trujillo said. “Along with the new communications satellite the CU just gave us. The CU’s not pleased about a Conclave ship being in our sky, incidentally.”

“So are you arresting me?” I asked.

“I’d love to, but it seems that you and your family can’t be found,” Trujillo said. “I suspect that you’ve already left the planet. We’ll do a colony-wide search, of course. But I wouldn’t really lay good odds on us finding you.”

“I’m sneaky, I am,” I said.

“I always said that about you,” Trujillo said.

“You could get in trouble for that,” I said. “The last thing this colony needs is another leader hauled up in front of an inquiry.”

“As your colony leader, I can officially tell you to mind your own business,” Trujillo said.

“So your ascension has been formally approved,” I said.

“If it wasn’t, how would I be able to arrest you?” Trujillo said.

“Good point,” I said. “Congratulations. You always wanted to run the colony. Now you are.”

“It’s not the way I planned to get the job,” Trujillo said.

“I’m sorry we got in your way, Manfred,” I said.

“I’m not,” Manfred said. “If I had been leading the colony, we would all be dead now. You, Jane and Zoë saved this colony. I’m happy to have waited in line.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“I want you to know it took a lot for me to say that,” Trujillo said. I laughed, and looked over to where Zoë was giving a tearful good-bye to Gretchen and other friends.

“Zoë is going to miss Gretchen,” I said.

“Gretchen is going to miss Zoë,” Trujillo said. “I have half a mind to ask you to let Zoë stay. For Gretchen and for us.” Trujillo nodded toward Hickory and Dickory, who stood off to the side, soaking up Zoë’s emotional farewell to her friends. “You said you reached an agreement with the Conclave, but I still wouldn’t mind having the Obin watching our back.”

“Roanoke will be fine,” I assured him.

“I think you’re right about that,” Trujillo said. “I hope so. It would be nice just to be another colony. We’ve been the center of attention long enough.”

“I think I’ll be able to draw some attention off you,” I said.

“I wish you would tell me what you have planned,” Trujillo said.

“As I’m no longer your colony leader, I can’t officially tell you to mind your own business,” I said. “But mind it anyway.”

Trujillo sighed. “You understand my concern,” he said. “We’ve been at the center of everyone else’s plans, and none of the plans have worked out even remotely as they should have.”

“Including yours,” I reminded him.

“Including mine,” Trujillo agreed. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but given the failure rate around here, I’m concerned that the backlash is going to get back here to Roanoke. I’m looking out for my colony.
Our
colony. Our home.”

“Our colony,” I agreed. “But not my home anymore.”

“Even so,” Trujillo said.

“You’re going to have to trust me, Man,” I said. “I’ve worked hard to keep Roanoke safe. I’m not going to stop doing that now.”

Savitri stepped down from the shuttle bay and walked over to us, PDA in hand. “Everything’s stowed,” she said, to me. “Jane says we’re ready when you are.”

“You said good-bye to everyone?” I asked her.

“I have,” Savitri said, and held up her wrist, which had a bracelet on it. “From Beata. Says it was her grandmother’s.”

“She’s going to miss you,” I said.

“I know,” Savitri said. “I’m going to miss her. She’s my friend. We’re all going to miss people. That’s why it’s called
leaving
.”

“You
could still stay,” Trujillo said to Savitri. “There’s no reason you need to go with this idiot. I’ll even give you a twenty percent raise.”

“Oooh, a raise,” Savitri said. “It’s tempting. But I’ve been with this idiot for a long time. I like him. I like his family more, of course, but who wouldn’t.”

“Nice,” I said.

Savitri smiled. “If nothing else he keeps me amused. I never know what’s going to happen next, but I know I want to find out. Sorry.”

“All right, a thirty percent raise,” Trujillo said.

“Sold,” Savitri said.

“What?” I said.

“I’m kidding,” Savitri said. “Idiot.”

“Remind me to dock your pay,” I said.

“How
are
you going to pay me now, anyway?” Savitri said.

“Look,” I said. “Something that needs your attention. Over there. Away from here.”

“Hmmmph,” Savitri said. She went over to give Trujillo a hug, then jerked a thumb at me. “If things don’t work out with this guy, I may come crawling back for my old job.”

“It’s yours,” Trujillo said.

“Excellent,” Savitri said. “Because if the last year has taught me anything, it’s to have a backup plan.” She gave Trujillo another quick hug. “I’m going to go collect Zoë, she said to me. “As soon as you’re in the shuttle, we’re ready.”

“Thanks, Savitri,” I said. “I’ll be there in a minute. See you then.” She squeezed my shoulder and walked off.

“Have
you
said good-bye to everyone you want to?” Trujillo asked.

“I’m doing it now,” I said.

Minutes later our shuttle was in the sky, heading toward the
Gentle Star
. Zoë was crying silently, patting Babar and missing her friends. Jane, sitting next to her, gathered her in a hug. I looked out the porthole as I left behind another world.

“How do you feel?” Jane asked me.

“Sad,” I said. “I wanted this to be my world. Our world. Our home. But it wasn’t. It’s not.”

“I’m sorry,” Jane said.

“Don’t be,” I said. I turned and smiled at her. “I’m glad we came. I’m just sad it wasn’t to stay.”