Talosian Chronicles 5: Raptor Squadron (22 page)

Transportation down to the planet was aboard the Raptor Damocles escorted by four shadow fighter craft. Ian was not crazy about the idea of this tour, but knew it had to be done. The people wanted to know that Shies was still alive, and they wanted to see the commanders that had rescued them. It was also Ian's responsibility to make sure everything was being done that could be done for the refugees. Security for the group would be the remainder of the Damocles team as well as one of the teams from the Prometheus.

Shies and Jenny were both subdued when Ian met them in the ready room. The Damocles was sitting just outside, waiting for them. Ian gave them both a brave smile. "Ladies, yes, we lost a great many people, and we will mourn them. However, the people down there need hope right now more than ever. They need to see it on our faces and in our hearts, before they will find it in themselves. We will remember and honor the fallen, but it’s the living we must see to now."

Shies nodded. "You are correct, Admiral. They would not like to see sadness and pity on our faces. We must inspire them and give them the strength to rebuild and continue to live."

"Serena and her team are in route to pick up Admiral T'rolith and his staff. We're going to link up with them at the landing area near Camp Alpha," Jenny reported.

Ian nodded. "We should go then. I'd like to survey the wreckage of Starlight before we land."

Jenny nodded. "There's really not much left to see; the ocean filled in the crater. We've been sending down drones as fast as Star can get them replicated to try to contain the contamination. There's still going to be problems with fallout, but we're working on that too. Admiral T'rolith said that a few of the old wars used nuclear weapons until it was decided that was too destructive. However, a lot of damage had already been done. They came up with many different methods for cleaning up the contamination they had caused. They've built a small fleet of airborne scrubbers that will follow the clouds and filter them. The drones we are using are actually based on the ones they originally developed."

"Wow, I had no idea," Ian replied. "That's good to know. Are the drones we're sending down only cleaning everything up, or will they try to start rebuilding as well?"

"They are basically heavy construction drones. They are just going through the soil and wreckage and removing the radioactivity. They are also demolishing the wrecked buildings and recording the remains of those killed for later identification. Two of the drones are building a simple AI and storage complex in the outskirts where they can deposit the replicator materiel and data they collect. Once the area is decontaminated, they will switchover to construction mode and begin rebuilding the city. The two drones that are building the complex will be switching over to a hospital and temporary housing in the same area, using the materiel collected from the city.

"Star has provided the drone control AI with every scrap of information she can find about the city before the accident. However, the crater is very large and will take considerable time to fill back in," Jenny finished.

"Perhaps they should not try," Shies replied gently. "The city can be rebuilt around it and the crater turned into a harbor. Before this atrocity occurred, Starlight had a very active and busy seaport. I do not know the details, but I do know that there was a large fishing fleet based out of there, as well as shipping from the other continents."

"Perhaps you might suggest that to the incoming civilian authorities, Ambassador. They will be taking over here once we depart for our own system," Ian replied.

"I will do that, Admiral. Thank you," Shies replied, smiling at him.

They boarded the raptor and left for the planet. Sasha and Lissa took them over the ruins of the city and Ian saw the extent of the damage. Surprisingly, the suburbs were mostly intact, but the city center, for a kilometer in every direction was gone. Ian saw the drones working in the rubble close to the water and while he watched, three drones surfaced in the flooded crater and headed west on their anti-grav drive systems.

Finally, Ian asked Sasha to take them to the camps. What he had seen of the remains of Starlight had depressed him, but he knew that it would be rebuilt better than before.

"I'm actually surprised Hyperion did not have a planetary AI. I thought the invasion predated the Talosian policy regarding AI," Jenny said conversationally.

"Actually, it did," Trante replied. "It self-destructed when the Empire attacked. But, since this was a rather unimportant colony, she was the only one in the system."

Ian smiled sadly. "Well there'll be more than one here now. One of our freighters arrived very early this morning carrying the defense network assembler, as well as a traffic control unit, a communications control unit and a new planetary controller. The ATC and Comm AI will remain in orbit with the Network assembler while the techs take the new AI down and install her on planet. These are Terran AI, not Talosian; which means all four are sentient beings."

"We have been given the information about how your AI became sentient, Admiral. I can't say I agree with the practice, however, I also have not had much opportunity to interact with one," Lieutenant Commander Haskin said.

"Actually, my Love, you have," Shies replied gently. "Officer Lissa is a sentient AI."

"No, she can't be, Shies! I've touched her! I've shaken her hand! She's a real being just like you and me, not holographic," he replied.

"Officer Lissa Dancer is the AI present aboard this very special vessel, Lieutenant Commander," Ian replied. "She inhabits a biological android body, but her main processors and memory units are installed below us. She was given the body to better interact with the team as well as perform her duties."

Both Talosian men were stunned.

"Is she not romantically involved with Officer Sasha?" Trente asked.

"With respect, Sir, she is romantically involved with all of us," Jerry replied from his place at the table. "We are a very close team, and she is very much a part of it."

Ian nodded. "It's also a very closely guarded secret. So I must ask all of you not to pass this information on to anyone else without her permission to do so. The truth of her existence is at her discretion. She has the same right to privacy as any other citizen of our society."

"Of course, Sir," Haskin replied. "It is only that the information took us by surprise. We meant no disrespect or insult to any of you."

Jerry smiled and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "It's just one of the differences between our cultures, Commander. No offense was taken."

"She feels very different from other beings, but she does feel… alive," Shies replied. "As does Major Dancer. Whatever else may be said of them, they are life-forms and well worthy of our respect. At first, I did not understand what I was feeling from her, but I made the connection after I met her mother."

"Mother?" Haskin asked.

"Major Dancer of course," Shies replied. "There is even a family resemblance, after a fashion."

Ian put his hand over the hologram of his rank. "There is something I would like to ask you, Shies, not as an Admiral, but as Ian Williams, a friend to Lissa and Star."

"Of course, Ian. What can I help you with?" Shies asked concerned.

"Both Lissa and Star were the ones fighting to keep the Imperial mecha out of the control computers at Starlight. Presently, they believe they failed. The truth is, they did not fail; they were sabotaged," Ian said.

"They were what?" Sam asked, surprised.

"They were sabotaged, Sam," Ian replied. "Intelligence has been working on it since Chief Laskar found the proof in the logs. As close as we can figure out, one of the Talosian Marines we brought with us isn't just a Marine."

"Why would a human be working for the Empire?" Haskin asked. This discussion was troubling him.

"We don't know, Commander; it's one of the things we will be asking them once we catch them," Ian replied. "Provided they survived the blast."

"As troubling as this news is, Ian, I would be honored to speak to them with you," Shies replied. "What happened in Starlight could not be blamed on them, even if sabotage had not been involved. That atrocity can only be placed at the feet of the Emperor and his servants."

"Thank you, if it would be alright with you, I will ask both of them to join us for dinner this evening. I would do it before, but I don't believe time will permit," Ian said. "Ladies and gentlemen, what has been said here is still classified. I must ask all of you to keep this to yourselves as well."

The Raptor team was bound to secrecy anyway, but Shies and her companions nodded agreement.

"Admiral, we’re landing at Camp Alpha. Admiral T'rolith and his party have just arrived and are awaiting us near the control center," Sasha said over the comm. "Team; Escort Protocol."

"Thanks, Sasha," Ian replied as the rest of the team, already dressed in their armor, unracked their weapons, slung them on their armor, and fitted Shies and her consorts with personal shields.

"Is the shield really necessary, Admiral? I have nothing to fear from these people," Shies asked.

"I'm afraid it is, Ambassador. It is not just the people out there that I am worried about. If the Empire has a saboteur in our forces, who knows what else they may have?" Ian replied.

"I agree with it, Shies," Haskin said. "Personally, I would prefer you to be in the same armor the Admiral and Commander are wearing, but I know you would not agree to that."

"You know me too well, my Love," Shies replied smiling at him and caressing his cheek.

Sam stepped forward and offered Haskin and Trante sidearms. Both men accepted the weapons and strapped the belt around their waists.

The Raptor landed, and the side passenger door was opened. Jerry and Shannon exited first, to make certain the area was safe, and stood guard as the VIPs and the rest of the team got out of the ship.

Off to one side, Ian could see the large form of Admiral T'rolith standing next to Serena. As Ian and his group approached, both Serena and T'rolith came to attention and saluted. Ian returned the salute and bowed to T'rolith as custom dictated; Although Ian was the leader, T'rolith was actually senior in rank to Ian.

"Sorry we're a little late, I asked Sasha to take us over the remains of Starlight," Ian said by way of greeting.

"No apology is needed, Admiral. We, too, used this opportunity to survey some of the damage," T'rolith replied. "There is much to be done to repair this world."

Ian nodded. "Yes there is, but that is a task for others to accomplish. We are needed to get back to the war soon. Shall we go make sure everything that can be done is being done?"

T'rolith nodded. "Perhaps we can use what we have learned here to free other worlds lost to the Empire. In that way, push these invaders out of our galaxy once and for all."

Ian smiled. "That's a nice thought, but this strategy will only work until the Empire changes tactics. Now that their gates are destroyed, they are probably doing that exact thing right now."

T'rolith nodded agreement. "Well, this is still a viable plan. One I do not see High Command abandoning anytime soon. Now that we know we can take worlds back from them, I am certain there will be more."

As they were talking, they had begun moving out into the camp. As expected, they're passage began to draw a crowd. People in the camp coming to see just who it was that had rescued them. People applauded them and cheered, but there were a lot of folks that wanted more information on the fate of Starlight. They had all seem the explosion, even from this distance. Rumors had invaded the camps and people wanted to know what happened, as well as if there were any other survivors. Many of them had friends and family that had not made it out of the city with them.

All Ian and the others could do was to refer them to the location and identification service that had been set up. In return, they asked them if their needs were being met and if there was anything that they might be in need of.

There were the normal complaints, especially from the 'privileged', about poor or inadequate accommodations, and how the 'menials' were not showing them proper respect.

Ian looked at these people like they were from another planet. "All of you, listen to me; and you better take this to heart. The accommodations you have are all you will be getting here. There are no class distinctions here. There are no menial laborers here. The people working to supply your needs are not servants, but in most cases are soldiers. Many of them had to watch their friends die or be wounded in the battles fought to protect you. Since they are still armed, you might want to think twice about pissing them off. In short, be thankful you have what you got, because you won't get anything more until you return home - if your home is still standing. If you still feel you are being mistreated here, you are free to leave. I'm sure the support staff would be greatly appreciative for having less people to worry about."

"I tried to leave! These 'people' refused to provide transportation back to the city! So don't tell me we are free to do any such thing young man!" a rotund man snarled.

Ian narrowed his eyes at the man. "Who are you, Sir?"

"I am Silas Herstel of House Bjorin, Garins Family. I am the head of the undersea mining guild here on Hyperion," the corpulent man said, puffing up with his own self-importance.

"Mister Herstel, I am Admiral Ian Williams. Among other things, I am the person in charge of all military operations here. May I assume from your description that you had an office building near the waterfront?"

"The top four floors were our residence! It is the tallest building in Starlight! Now, I demand you order these men to take myself and my family home this instant!" the man replied.

"Mister Herstel, at present, the place where your building stood is currently under a thousand meters of saltwater. In case you did not hear the news, the main power reactor for the city was intentionally detonated by Imperial soldiers resulting in the total vaporization of the downtown area. The force of the blast destroyed buildings in the outer areas and killed two-hundred and forty thousand of your fellow citizens. If you try to demand
anything
from these people again, I will order them to take you out into the middle of the now flooded crater, dump your fat ass in the water, and leave you there. Do you understand me?" Ian said in not so friendly a manner.