Tipping Point in the Alliance War (8 page)

The
Brutus was a part of that space battle - as you can see from the computer core
data, which the Quark representative took from the Brutus.  The Brutus was
not a part of the genocide committed by the Confederation Navy, against
Egdffe
.  Later, the Brutus was a part of the ambush,
which took place when the Courageous arrived to reconnoiter the
Capernic
battle-space.  The Brutus was taken captive,
while engaging in unprovoked battle against the Courageous.

According
to Alliance and
Capernic
law, the Brutus became the
property of the Alliance Government the moment that the Alliance Marines took
control of the ship’s Command Bridge.”

***

The
judge politely waits for the Captain to conclude, and says; “I understand
that you were operating under a different set of laws when you took the
vessel.  I will consider that in the sentencing phase of the trial.

The
court finds you guilty of charge #1:   Entering Quark System space
without authorization.

The
court finds you guilty of charge #2:  Being in control of a vessel
obtained illegally

Is
there anything you would like to add before the sentence is declared?”

“Yes your Honor.  We have
no other recourse, but to ask for the court’s mercy.  Please, keep in mind
that any crimes of ‘trespass’ were unintentional, and that there are
extenuating circumstances.

In the case of charge #2,
consider that the vessel was obtained legally, according to the Conventions of
War in Alliance space, and that the transaction for the ‘change of ownership’
took place on the Command Bridge of the Brutus. 

You have found us guilty,
because the Quark civilization does not recognize the authority of the Alliance
civilization.

We ask for the ‘mercy of the
court’.

Thank you, your Honor.”

The
judge says; “I have found some of your actions to be commendable, and I have
taken into consideration the extenuating circumstances and happenstance, which
brought you before this court.  The court has decided to show you mercy on
both charges.  The verdict is ‘guilty’ on the 1
^st
count, but
the sentence for the crime will be put off, in a way similar to your
civilization’s ‘probation’. 

You
are certainly ‘guilty’ on the 2
^nd
count.  You are in possession
of a vessel, which you obtained illegally - according to Quark law.  Quark
law does not allow transfer of ownership at the point of a gun.  That
cannot be allowed to happen.  It is an absolute rule in the Quark
civilization.

It
would be entirely different, if the Confederation Captain of the Brutus were to
willingly sign a document transferring ownership to the Alliance Government, or
to some person aboard your Courageous.  Would you like some time to talk
to the Confederation Captain, in order to see if he would be agreeable to an
official and legal transfer of ownership?”

The
Captain is surprised by the help that he seems to be getting from the
Judge.  He replies
,;
“Yes your Honor.  I
would like to ask the court for a recess, so that we can endeavor to satisfy
the requirements of Quark System law.”

“Very
well.
  The court is adjourned for two of your ‘standard’
hours.”  And, the crystal ball fades from view.

***

To the
Brutus

“I
need to speak with the Confederation Captain and perhaps with other members of
his crew.” says Captain Niles to Major Dawkins, through the ship-to-ship
connection.  “I’ll be over there in about 10 minutes.”

“Yes
sir,” answers Major Dawkins.

As the
Captain makes his way to the Brutus, he is trying to think what he might have
to offer for the ownership of the Brutus. 
Only two
things to mind.
  He can offer freedom, for the Captain and the
crew.  And he can offer money.  He can offer them enough money so
that they can start life over, in the Alliance, on a planet of their
choosing.  It might work - it is all that he has. 

And
his head might roll when he gets back to Navy Headquarters, for making a deal
that he wasn’t authorized to make.  “Oh well,” he thinks.  “That’s
why I get the big bucks.”

***

“Dan
Benji
Woo, you have viewed the court proceedings and you
heard what the judge said,” begins Captain Niles.  “You are in a position
of control here.  You will have to make the decision.  You can return
to Confederation space with the Brutus - or - you can transfer ownership of the
Brutus to the Alliance government and return to Alliance space, with us. 

Certainly,
in normal circumstances, it would be a no-brainer for you to choose to return
to the Confederation Navy.  But you will have to weigh the
consequences.  You were captured, and you failed to complete your
mission.  It is my understanding that the consequences for those failures
might include a painful death.”

“Yes,”
says the Dan (Captain).  “We might be welcomed as heroes, but it is more
likely that we would be punished severely.  I have had conversations with
my senior officers and the crew.  The consensus is that we would prefer
freedom in the Alliance territory, and money.  You said that we will
eventually be set free.  We demand immediate freedom, when we arrive at an
Alliance planet, which has a suitable habitat and friendly natives.  Also,
we want money for each of us, so that we have enough to live on for five
years.”

Captain
Niles answers; “I am sure you must realize that I am merely the Captain of the
Courageous, and I have not been given authority to enter into this type of
agreement.  Never the less, I am confident that the Alliance Navy will
agree to a reasonable negotiated settlement.  After all, the Brutus is a
valuable piece of property. 

I will
make an agreement with you, in the name of the Alliance Navy, one that I
believe they will consider appropriate.  Certainly I believe that we can
set you and the crew free.  It might take some weeks for the settlement to
be approved.  That would mean that you would be held in custody, awaiting
that approval.  I can guarantee that the temporary custody will be as
comfortable and as brief as I can make it.

Concerning
the money,” the Captain continues, “I want to be sure that I can deliver on any
promise that I make.  I am confident that the Alliance Navy will approve 2
years severance pay for the sailors, 3 years severance pay for the senior
officers, and 4 years severance pay for you.  That pay will be based on
the ‘pay scale’ of the Alliance Navy, which according to my information, is considerably
higher than the Confederation Navy ‘pay scale’.”

“Bump
the sailors pay up to 3 years and we will have a deal, Captain Niles.”

“Done,”
answers the Captain.

“It’s
a good deal for everyone, except for the Confederation,” says Dan Woo. 
“But, that’s what they get for promising to execute any crew that fails to
complete its mission.”

The
two Captains shake hands, and Captain Niles orders his Logistics Officer to
have the agreement written up.  Each Captain will need to review the
papers and then sign them.  There will probably need to be an official
‘signing’, under the direction of the Quark court.

“Things
are looking up,” thinks Captain Niles.

***

The
Courageous Bridge

After
precisely 2 standard hours, the crystal ball again appears on the view-screens
of both Alliance Navy ships.  The Judge’s voice says; “The court is in
session.  Arguing the case of the Quark System verses the Alliance vessels
Courageous and Brutus.  Has there been an agreement concerning the
transfer of ownership of the vessel Brutus?”

Captain Niles answers, “Yes
your
Honor,
there has.  Dan
Benji
Woo, Captain of the Confederation Navy starship Brutus, has agreed to transfer
ownership of the Brutus to the Alliance Navy, for the promise of freedom and
money, to be rendered to the crew of the Brutus.  The exact text of that
agreement is available on the Courageous’ computer and is entitled ‘Transfer of
Ownership for the Starship Brutus’.”

“Yes, I see it.” responds the Judge.  “In
order for the Quark court to know that this agreement has been made without
duress, or coercion, there will need to be an official ‘signing ceremony’, in
my presence.  Have both crews and all personnel assemble in the docking
bay, between the two ships.  Everyone must be present, except for the two
critically injured personnel who I see in the Courageous’ Medical Center. 
One person may stay aboard the Courageous to assist those two patients. 
There can be no weapons, and the two crews must be separated.  Assemble
within 15 of your ‘standard’ minutes.”

***

Quark
Systems Space Station Deck

The
Judge addresses the Dan of the Brutus.  “Dan
Benji
Woo, are you the legal commander of the starship Brutus and have you been
commissioned by the Confederation Navy, to make decisions in their name,
concerning this ship.”

“Yes
your Honor,” the Dan answers.  “I am the highest ranking officer aboard
the starship Brutus, and I have been commissioned to make the decisions
concerning the operation and safety of the ship and crew.”

The Judge asks, “Have you read
and understood this Transfer of Ownership agreement?”

“Yes
your Honor, I have read and understood the agreement.” replies the Dan.

“Do you enter into this
agreement, of your own free will?” asks the Judge.

“Yes
your Honor, there has been no threat or coercion,” replies the Dan.

“How
can it be in the best interest of the Confederation for you to enter into this
agreement,” the Judge asks?

“Your
Honor, my commission is to carry out the orders of the Confederation, and to
command the Brutus in a manner that will assure the safety of the Brutus and
her crew.

Some
of the tenants, of the Confederation Navy are:

1.
     
there
can be no
retreat, 

2.
     
there
can be no
surrender, and 

3.
     
the
pursuit of the enemy
must continue, until the death of the Confederation ship, or the death of the
Alliance vessel.

Because
of these tenants, the Confederation crew cannot return to Confederation space
without being executed for treason.  The only way that we can return to
Confederation space is to first destroy the Courageous. 

If you
set us free, we couldn’t go to Confederation space and we couldn’t go to
Alliance space.  The crew doesn’t want to go roaming through the universe
looking for a place to live.

So,
what are we to do?  If we want to go back to the Confederation, the Brutus
must stay with the Courageous until the Courageous is destroyed.  It seems
to me that the best way for the Brutus to stay with the Courageous is to sell
it to the Alliance.”

“That
is a tortured piece of logic,” responds the Judge, “but I can see that you are
‘caught between a rock and a hard place’ – to speak in Earth
vernacular.   I will accept your authority to make the sale and your
willingness to do so.

Now Captain Niles, how do you
know that the Alliance Navy will pay the ‘agreed to’ price?”

“My
career in the Navy is at risk in this venture and I do not take it
lightly.  I consider that the Alliance is getting a very valuable piece of
property for a very reasonable price, your Honor.  In this agreement I
tried to make a fair deal, which will be satisfactory to the Alliance Navy.

“I
accept your authority to make this purchase, and your ‘good faith’ that stands
behind the transaction,” says the Judge.  “Captain Niles and Dan Woo step
forward and sign the ‘Transfer of Ownership Agreement’.

***

Deep
Space

“Well,
that was an adventure,” thinks the Captain.  “It is interesting to see how
many advanced sentient species there are in this corner of the universe.”

To
Major Dawkins, who is on the Brutus, he says; “We have made plans to return to
Alliance Navy Headquarters and we have made contingency plans, to take into
account some of the ways that our plans can fail.  Can you think of
anything that we should do before starting the journey?”

“No sir,
Captain.” the Major replies.  “If things go wrong in warp-space we may
become separated, but I believe that we can find our way home, either together
or separately.”

 “Then
prepare to engage your warp drive in approximately thirty minutes.  The
Courageous will enter warp first and the Brutus will follow after 5
minutes.  Once again, have everyone at alert level 4 while in warp and
come to Battle Stations before you exit warp.”

***

By
now, it must have become clear to the Confederation Admirals that the Brutus is
in Alliance hands.  Captain Niles can only imagine the ire and
consternation in Confederation Navy Headquarters.  No doubt, the order has
gone out to destroy the Brutus and the Courageous, at any cost.

It is
for that reason that the planned path home is to be long and circuitous. 
The route is designed to minimize the possibility of confrontation with the
Confederation and to avoid star systems.  There are four scheduled warp
jumps in the path, which looks like a long dog-leg.  The two starships
will be coming into Alliance space ‘the back way’.  After the 2
^nd
jump, the Captain is beginning to have some hope for a safe journey.

Even
in the quiet of warp-space there is much to do.  There is no end to the
paperwork and documentation.  The Captain makes copious use of the video
records and references them, instead of ‘writing a book’ about each
event.  Also, there are almost 130 dead and about 300 injured.  Only
a couple of the injured are still in the Medical Center.  Those are in
‘stasis’ awaiting a hospital with greater capabilities.

Communicating
with the relatives and loved ones, of the dead and seriously injured, is a task
that every Captain dreads.  It is a task that must be done and Captain
Niles takes it to heart.  He had the acquaintance of many of the dead and
knew some of them by name.

It is
his job to express the Navy’s sorrow about the loss of those crewmembers, and
to give some purpose for the service that they have rendered.  The loss of
a child or loved one is never easy, but it is made more bearable if something
worthwhile has happened as a result of their sacrifice.  So, the Captain
tries to explain that their mission is dangerous and that the results of the
mission can change the trajectory of the war.  That is as much as he can
say without violating security guidelines.  The Captain also tries to find
a good friend, or co-worker who feels moved to say something personal about the
deceased.  It is grim work but the Captain gives it his best.

And
when he is worn down by the work, there is some love waiting for him in his
quarters.  Doctor Mei Kei has reached her decision.  She is going to
have Captain Niles’ baby and then she will take a planet-side assignment so
that she can raise the child.  Having made that decision, she is now
actively engaged in the ‘getting pregnant’ part of the process.

And
that’s not all of the good news.  At the last real-space meeting place,
Major Dawkins notified Captain Niles that her Second in Command has given
birth. 

Captain
Baarg
has named the baby ‘Brutus’. 
(The name
seems a little masculine for a female child, but no one is about to tell that
to the
minstock
warrior.)
  The news is
announced on a crawler at the bottom of video-screens, and again on the daily
news show.  There is applause and cheering for the mom and baby. 
Captain
Baarg
is a warrior and, as such, she is not
much for small talk and tea parties.  However, even with her gruff
exterior she has made many friends on the Courageous.  A pregnant
minstock
warrior, who is a Space Marine Corps Captain,
garners a lot of attention and a good amount of admiration.

The
Captain sends a huge congratulations card, signed by the entire crew of the
Courageous, and he includes some of his personal stash of chocolate for Captain
Baarg
. 
(Captain
Baarg
thinks that most suffering is noble, but she prefers to never suffer the
deprivation of being without chocolate.)

Speaking
of suffering - Captain Bragg prefers to suffer, by living in the human
environment, rather than a habitat that is natural for her species - but the
baby is suffering along with her. The former Confederation sailors reconfigure
one of the ‘guest habitats’, to be like the
minstock
home planet, as a gift for the baby.  The baby loves it and sleeps much
better.  Captain
Baarg
growls her thanks and
appears to be genuinely touched by the love.  She puts aside her suffering
and lives in comfort, for the sake of her baby.

The
Confederation crew is no longer being treated like prisoners-of-war but it
still seems prudent, to Captain Niles and Major Dawkins, to isolate them to the
ship’s living areas.  As a show of respect, the Marines vacate the crew
quarters and turn them over to the former POW’s.  The Marines, who also
like to suffer, set up camp in the hangar.

Captain
Niles sends another faster-than-light probe toward Alliance Navy Headquarters,
at the first real-space meeting point.  He expects the probe to arrive
well in advance of the two ships.  The probe contains another copy of the
Brutus’s computer core along with updates on everything that has been learned
about the new Confederation technology.

A
message is also in the probe, which explains that the Courageous will be
accompanied by a captured vessel - the Brutus.  Captain Niles gives a
brief overview of the battle, wherein the Courageous was in imminent danger and
the Alliance Space Marine Corps, under the command of Major Dawkins, had
boarded the Brutus and had captured the ship.

The
Captain gives an estimated arrival date but gives no ‘warp exit’
coordinates.  He just can’t publish that information because, if the
Confederation Navy learns their plans, there will be an ambush waiting for
them.

***