Princess Rescue Inc (100 page)

“Something
amiss my love?” Serena asked as his steward retreated. He smiled at her.

“You
know me so well my love,” he said. She smiled coyly back to him.

“La
my good sir, now what pray tell do you have in mind for this night's
entertainment?” she asked.

He
smiled again. “You'll see. I thought of something... interesting,” he said
wickedly.

She
eyed him warily. “And you don't trust me with such foreknowledge?” she asked.
He chuckled.

“I
just thought you would appreciate the surprise,” he murmured, taking her into
his arms. “I dare say others may, and the gaijin won't.”

“Oh
dear,” Serena murmured. “Will they be... displeased?” she asked, looking up to
him. Her eyes sparkled as they questioned him.

His
smile widened slightly in anticipation. “I hope so. The great thing is I just
have to prime the pump. The general and the young lords will do the rest. If
all works out as half as well as I expect, things will finally fall in our
favor,” he said.

She
nodded, turning away. “We shall see,” she said. “We shall see,” she tucked her
arm into his as they left, head high to the banquet.

 <==={}------------>

“Do
we have to do this?” Waters asked looking more than a little put out over being
back in dress uniform. The Marine dress uniform had just arrived from the
tailor that morning. He and the Lieutenant had taken hours to get each of their
fittings right. Hours that could have been put to more productive use, he
thought acidly. Not that they had to scramble like they had to before the war.
It was just that he hated playing dress up as much as Ryans did and he wanted
to get on to training.

Now
that the gaijin methods had proven themselves on the battlefield the main army
was breaking up and reforming. Some were dismissed, going back to attend to
their duties and lands. Others though lingered, wanting to remain in the
legions and be trained to the new standards. For some of the older people it
was a hard training period. Harder for Waters and Paris who had to prove
themselves willing and able to do the same things they were putting the grunts
through.

Right
now the army had dropped to half its former size. The Queen was considering
keeping it at that size permanently. Discussions were ongoing on what to do
with that much manpower. Ryans had suggested having them do civil projects like
the Roman legions had. That had been a hit with the Queen and a few of the lords.

“Unfortunately,”
Ryans sighed, grimacing. He tugged at his own starched collar in
irritation.  At least he'd had a proper fitting and the native made
business suit was better than the poor tux Wanda and the Queen had cooked up.
“At least you cut a dashing figure. You'll have all the girls of the court
swooning over you,” he smiled.

“Lucky
me,” Waters grumbled. Perry gave him a look. “Yeah, yeah. Shut up and soldier.
Bitch, bitch,” he muttered.

Perry
snorted.

Perry,
Waters, and Ryans attended a formal dinner with some of the remaining lords and
court. Duke Rojer wanted to use their technology to go to war with their
neighbors and brought it up in a side conversation. The discussion went around
the table and finally caught up with the Terrans. The Terrans were thoroughly
against it while the younger lords were all for it.

“Is
that what you think we came here for? To be warlords?” Perry demanded .

Waters
snorted and then muttered to Perry. “You can take the warlord out of the war,
but not the warmonger out of the... oh hell.” He sighed and took a look around.
There were now some hostile looks in the crowd. “I need a stiff drink.... in
fact more than one.”

“No,
better to do this with a clear head. Cold sober,” Perry said softly to him,
watching the general talking excitedly about tanks attacking a castle. Perry
got really pissed as the general and Rojer ignored him and began planning which
of the three remaining neighboring Kingdoms to topple over first.

The
Queen gave them all a quelling look. “Calm yourself gentlemen. I believe we
have one war to pay for first? After all, we cannot pay for what we have
already as it is. It'll take some time before the gaijin inventions make good
on their investments, let alone the cost of the invasion,” she said. This made
a few thoughtful.

“Then
of course there are all the improvements you want. You can't have both. I
believe you Dominus Jericho wanted better weather forecasting and improvements
for your orchards?” The lord nodded and opened his mouth but the Queen
continued, turning. “And you lord Pettigrew, you wish to have the machines...
the combines?” she said turning to Ryans who nodded. “For the vast wheat fields
of your lands?” The newly promoted baron nodded. “And of course Duke Rojer and
Duke Pyror, you both want the trucks and machines to improve the mines in your
duchies...  as well as the roads to go with them. If we divert materials
and people to go to war all these goals will have to be set aside.”

“We
could pay for the war by sacking the countries we conquer,” the general
suggested.

The
Queen frowned. “And then my dear general? We would have more new subjects
begging to be rescued from starvation and disease?” she asked and shook her
head. He frowned thoughtfully.

“Not
to mention that you've got a treaty with us... That is us Terrans that the
technology we give you will be used
only
to defend your country.
Not
to attack others,” Perry snarled giving Rojer and the general dirty looks.

“There
is that,” the Queen nodded.

The
Duke sat back, eyes gleaming. “Indeed, I did want the machines to improve the
mines... but can we not do both as we are now?”

“And
who would lead the armies to victory?” Perry demanded. He turned to Pendragon.
“General, forgive me, but a campaign in distant lands is best suited for the
young.” The general looked a little crestfallen.

The
general puffed up after a moment under the Queen's supportive gaze. “Besides
you of course. For we would need you here to guard our lands and the lands of
Duluth,” she said smiling. The general's old eyes gleamed.

“Why
the gaijin of course,” Rojer said smiling tightly to Perry.

“Like
hell. I just explained why we're not going through with it. We're
not
mercs,” Perry answered standing. The Duke stiffened. “We're not here to fight your
wars and go around playing conquistador or war lord. You touch on my honor by
suggesting it,” Perry said darkly.

“Break
that treaty and I will break
your
neck,” he said quietly. The Duke
colored but then paled as he saw the cold, shark like look of the gaijin
soldier. Suddenly he gulped, Perry's eyes meant business. “I've been in war.
What have you seen? One pitched battle?” Perry asked, quiet but intent. He
waved, “that's nothing. Try day in and day out prolonged fighting. Not for
months like you do, but
years
. Ten long fucking years of war, War
our
way,” he snarled. He gave the grim Master Sergeant a look. The Sergeant nodded
grimly. He'd had his own taste of that and had no intention of sending his boys
and girls into that kind of mess. “Conquering a nation and occupying it is a
nasty long process that usually fails.” Perry grimaced sitting back down.

“He's
right,” Waters nodded as all eyes turned to him. "Saw it in 'Nam, Kosovo, Iraq,
and Afghanistan. It's no picnic. Hell ask Nate about the crap the Brits tried
to pull to subdue nations they colonized and conquered a century ago. Not one
went over well. They spent decades waging a guerrilla war. Some of those, like
in Ireland and Scotland got real nasty and the innocent suffered." He
shook his head and knocked back a drink as people murmured. Some of the crowd
was growing ugly; they had turned on the gaijin in an instant.

Ryans
held up a hand. “Tell me gentlemen what would you do with the country once you
won?” he asked. They blinked.

“Er
ah... why... ah... Rule of course!” a lord laughed. Several chuckled with him.

“And
what about your homes here?” Ryans asked. A few blinked at that. “And how would
you
pay
for the war and the occupying soldiers?”

The
Duke frowned. “Occupying soldiers?”

“Of
course. Once you've shattered their army, you've got to occupy the country to
secure it and protect your interests. Which means your army gets broken up into
penny packets to take control and maintain that control. No more army to go on
conquering the next land. We're having trouble scaring up soldiers to go to
Duluth as it is!” Perry said nodding. “That's what I and the Master Sergeant
just pointed out to you!”

“Why,
we shall pay for the war with the money we will gain from their treasury!” a
lord said with a grin. He looked around to his fellows for support. Many
nodded.

Ryans
shook his head. The lord's grin congealed. “Ah. Point of order,” Ryans held up
his hand. “I seem to recall you folks cleaning out your
own
treasury to
defend your lands. Don't you think they'll do the same? After all, they're
fighting to protect their homes, their families, and their way of life after
all.”

A
few lords looked around surprised and then began to mutter at that idea. Ryans
nodded and cleared his throat as the concept sank in. “Right,” he said. The
room grew silent again. “So you've conquered the neighboring lands, you’re far
from home... How do you feed and supply the army? And the locals? You've
destroyed their crops, shattered their infrastructure...” A few lords from
Duchy Emroy started to nod at this glumly.

“And
don't forget, their lords that survive will go underground. Many will resent
being occupied. They'll fight a guerrilla war. No tavern or roadway will be
safe... Any time a citizen, soldier, or lord is alone he's vulnerable to
attack. Both there and even here in your own lands,” Waters warned. “Seen it,
like I said.”

“Some
will bring the war here, sending assassins to attack your families in
retaliation. They'll send saboteurs to burn your lands and factories. To hurt
you and your people, as you hurt them.”

A
few looked a little concerned about that. “We're going to have a hard enough
time in Duluth you know. Even with their own lords in charge it'll take a
generation to get things sorted out. It's better to not bite off more than you
can chew,” Perry snorted.

“That
is... something to consider,” Lord Pettigrew finally said nodding.

“You
do realize it's going to take ten or twenty years before the things we're
giving you really get out there. If you attack your neighbors you won’t have
the money to use for those changes... And the land you occupy will need more
and more soldiers to defend your interests... not to mention money for their
own improvements,” Ryans said. “Men and women you will need here to man the
factories and the farms to support your own people and the soldiers as well.”

Lieutenant
Galloway nodded. "Right and while you’re picking off one neighbor and
digesting it the others will get upset. Some of the conquered people may find
their way to them with stories... Possibly even captured samples of weapons or
gunpowder. Given enough time they'll make their own... Or send spies to get the
information... or assassinate anyone who's behind the wars.”

The
general looked pale. He harrumphed.

“That
will create an arms race. Some of your neighbors may fold and surrender when
threatened. Others though may band together with their neighbors forming even
mightier armies. Your army can only be in one place at a time, can you defend
everywhere in strength?” Ryans asked. “Ask Duke Emroy and the lords with him
how well that worked with the wall. If one army gets in, even without the new
weapons they could wreak untold havoc. And again, if, that didn't happen and you
did beat them, it could turn into a mess when they're occupied. You only have
so many soldiers after all...”

“That's
true,” a lord said nodding. He looked around for support. Several of the lords
and ladies were reluctantly nodding.

“But
we speak in conjecture. We're scaring ourselves out of the riches that we could
gain!” a young lord exclaimed. “We could do this,” he said almost desperately,
looking around.

“Maybe,
the question you have to ask is, should you?” Perry asked.

“Of
course,” Duke Rojer said with a sniff. “It's the honorable thing. To bring the
savages to civilization, that's the honorable thing.”

“If
you’re going to bring up honor... what about breaking your
word of honor
with us?” Perry asked, beating Ryans to the same question. The Duke's eyes
glittered. Ryans was now certain as to who was really behind this and why.

“You
would also insult my honor," Sue said quietly in the sullen silence. Duke
Rojer gave her a disdainful look. "I'm a doctor...a healer; the best there
is on this world, the best you're
ever
going to get.” She gave him a
dirty look.

“I
came here to help others, not to watch you kill them. I'll have no part of
it." She shook her head. “If you break your solemn word to us then
you
are the savages without honor. Think about that,” she said eying him.