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Three - EARTH
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"The witness may be seated", Page said pointedly. Marco felt blood rush to his face and hurried to comply.
"Thank you", Page said sarcastically. "Please proceed".
Harry nodded and said "yes, sir", turned to Marco. "Please give the court your name and rank".
"Dooley Marco, Colonel, Commanding Officer, Rim Sector 872".
"And the nature of the forces under your command?"
"I command a mixed battalion consisting of two infantry companies, two platoons of sentient armor, three batteries of artillery, and a headquarters group".
Harry nodded agreeably. "And for those not familiar with Rim Sector 872, where is your battalion headquartered?"
"On Foxybro".
"Are all of your troops stationed on Foxybro?"
Marco shook his head, "no. We have outposts as well".
"Outposts that can be resupplied and reinforced form your headquarters on Foxybro?"
"Yes, exactly".
"Thank you", Harry easily said. "Now, tell the court about Captain Usmos, does he report to you?"
"Yes"
"What are his responsibilities?"
"Captain Usmos commands Outpost RS 872-12".
"Which is located where?"
"On a planet named Numus".
"Thank you. Now, tell us about Numus, and Captain Usmos' specific responsibilities".
Marco's mouth felt dry. He took a sip of water. "Numus attracts all sorts of beings. In addition to thousands of law abiding citizens, the planet is home to smugglers, thieves, and a variety of other criminals."
"And Usmos keeps the lid on it?"
"Yes", Marco replied. "In a manner of speaking. There are civilian authorities as well."
"Of course", Harry said agreeably. "But Captain Usmos is the senior military officer on the planet, and as such, has the latitude to do as he sees fit".
"That's correct".
"So, let me see if I understand", Harry said thoughtfully.
"Captain Usmos had been given a significant amount of freedom, was assigned to a planet crawling with criminals, and suddenly wound up with a whole lot of money. Is that about the size of it?"
Daniel Bari jumped on his feet, "I object! Leading the witness. Move to strike."
Page speared Harry with one of his darkest frowns.
"Granted. Watch yourself, Major. We'll have none of your shenanigans here".
Harry looked suitably apologetic. "Yes, sir". He turned to Marco, "so, Colonel, given the fact that you were stationed on Numus, how could you tell whether Captain Usmos and his legionnaire were faithful to the fifty-five thousand two hundred thirty-eight regulations presently listed on the Legion's books?"
The question drew tittters from the audience. Daniel Bari rose once again, "may I ask the relevance of this line of questioning?"
Harry looked to Page, "motive has been established. The accused spends more than he makes. The question goes to opportunity, relevance will become obvious in a moment."
Page waved a hand, "whatever, get on with it".
Harry turned to Marco, "answer the question, please".
"I hold scheduled as well as unscheduled inspections".
Harry nodded as if hearing that particular piece of information for the very first time, "I see, so the men and women stationed on Numus never knew when you might arrive".
"Certainly so".
"Describe the inspection that took place on Earth date November 23, 2647".
Marco had been expecting the question and was ready. If his words sounded rehearsed, they were. "Sergeant Major McCain and I landed on Numus at approximately twenty hundred hours. It was dark".
Harry nodded in encouragement, "tell the court what happened next".
Marco shrugged, "we pulled our duffel bags off the transport and headed for the terminal. That's when a hover truck passed in front of us."
"Was there something special about the truck?" Harry inquired. "Something that set it apart?"
"It had Legion markings".
"Please continue".
"I was curious, so I followed the truck across the tarmac to where a shuttle was parked".
"Did you notice any markings on the shuttle?"
"Sergeant Major McCain took holos of the vehicle. The name 'Rim King' had been painted across it's bow and the number ISV-7421-3 was stenciled on it's hull".
Harry turned towards Page, "if it pleases the court, Sergeant Major McCain's holos are marked as exhibit 34, and subsequent investigation revealed that the shuttle is registered to the freighter Rim King. A vessel sought in connection with a variety of smuggling activities".
Daniel Bari came to his feet, "I move to strike counsel's last comment as both irrelevant and prejudicial".
Page waved a hand, "so noted. Strike the major's comment".
Harry remained unperturbed. An idea had been planted, and there was no way that Page could remove it. The prosecutor turned to Marco, "what happened next?"
"McCain and I stood in the shadows and watched Captain Usmos approach the shuttle".
"Wait a minute", Harry said critically. "It was dark, how could you be so sure the man was Usmos?"
"He passed under a hover spot", Marco said with certainty, "and registered on my wrist term".
Harry mustered a look of surprise, "on your wrist term? Could you show the court?".
What ensued was more for the benefit of the press than the court, since nearly every officer present wore a similar device and knew how they functioned. However, Marco went along, even going so far as to roll up his sleeve and display a sinewy arm. The terminal was black. He touched a button, and a holo bloomed. Nine miniature heads appeared and started to rotate. Eight were dark, showing they were off-line, while one glowed green. The name was there for everyone to read - "J. Usmos".
There was a stir as the robocams whirred in for a closer look. Marco glanced at Page, saw a look that could only be described as venomous, and knew there was no going back.
Harry nodded for effect, "so, that particular function was activated? And confirmed the captain's identity?"
"That's correct".
"And the transmissions are secure? No one could feed false information into your terminal?"
"Legion wrist terms are extremely well protected".
"Go ahead".
Marco described how he called Usmos' name, how Sergeant Major McCain felt compelled to crank a round into the chamber of his GP-5 submachine gun, and how they searched the truck. A search that turned up a large number of weapons that Usmos had reported as lost.
Daniel Bari spent the next four hours hammering Harry's witnesses, and none more than Colonel Dooley Marco. But the officer refused to change his testimony, and, assuming the panel was honest, there was little doubt what they would find.
Finally, when Marco left the building, it was with a deep sense of disappointment. In Usmos, in Page, and the Legion itself.
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HALF BREED Four - EARTH
The next two days passed rather slowly. In spite of the fact that he had completed his testimony, there was the possibility that Marco would be recalled. That being the case, he was free to leave the campus so long as he stayed nearby.An autocab carried the officer to AL Patro, the heart of the old city, and the scene of many youthful adventures. The neighborhood opened gradually, like some exotic flower, complete with it's own doubtful perfume.The Legionnaire ordered the vehicle to a halt and walked the familiar streets. Many of his favorite haunts were gone, replaced by newer establishments, none of which felt the same. Here were the flop houses, cheap restaurants, and bars with names like Hananias Merry, the Corporal's Delight, and the White Jedi.And here too were the Legionnaires themselves, easily identifiable by their short haircuts, regimental tattoos, and flinty stares.Beggars who had fought under alien suns, looked death in the eye, a
HALF BREED Five - IN SPACE
The ready room had been painted orange, green, and blue over the last thirty six years and all three layers of paint had started to peel. The names of long gone crew members had been stenciled over empty suit racks and never removed. Not out of respect, or sentiment, but because Jedidia Jyro didn't care.The space armor had clocked more than ten thousand hours and was no longer covered by anything other than carefully applied patches. The warranty was little more than a memory, nobody would write a policy on it, and Jyro was broke.That being the case, the prospector ran the diagnostics twice, mumbled "Good girl" when the read outs came up green, and entered the Pelocan's main lock.The name stemmed from the way the vessel was shaped. Unlike many of the ships owned and operated by Jyro's peers, the Pelocan had actually been designed for mining asteroids, which explained the big beaklike bow.Farther back, roughly halfway down the hull, two pylons extended at right angles
HALF BREED Six - IN SPACE
The human shuddered, released his grip on the withered limb, and felt his back hit the inside surface of the chamber. That was where the prospector was, still examining his discovery, when Herbert called. "Sorry to interrupt, but it appears as though a ship is headed our way, ETA three hours, sixteen minutes, and thirty two seconds".Jyro used the Lord's name in conjunction with a swear word, was ashamed of himself, and started over. "Blast! What kind of ship?""Too early to tell", the AI replied. "Looks big, though, judging from the amount of heat".Jyro swore once again. Just his luck... A company ship? Or a pirate? He wasn't sure which he dreaded more. Either would be happy to steal his prize. But not if he could take the drifter aboard, hide among the asteroids, and wait the heathens out.The prospector turned, grabbed hold of the tentacle, and pulled. There was no resistance. The far ends was free. Jyro swore, fired his thrusters, and caromed
HALF BREED Seven - IN SPACE
There were fewer asteroids now, a fact that allowed Jyro to see his pursuer for the first time. It filed the main screen. He fell through the pit of his stomach. The situation was worse than he had supposed. This construct was as alien as the drifter that occupied his hold, only a lot more frightening!The oncoming vessel had the free-form bulk of a ship never meant for atmospheric use. It consisted of three cylinders, all mounted side by side, and surrounded by a framework of metal. The force field that protected the hull shimmered as rock fragments made contact with it.The human watched aghast as still another asteroid exploded and the alien vessel pushed its way through the resulting debris field.The Pelocan shuddered as alien tractor beams locked onto her hull. The drives screamed as they fought to pull the ship free, and junk avalanched off the control panel.Jyro sat transfixed as garbage tumbled into his lap. The Shem ship, for that's the name
HALF BREED Eight - EARTH
The bar was located near the San Juan spaceport and catered to a wide variety of clientele. Smoke floated above the tables like neon clouds. There were patrons, plenty of them, including a group of cloned spacers, a pair of spindly Dwellers, something in a hab tank and some Cux legionnaires.Dancers, most of whom were humans, writhed within special designed holograms. The music, much of which was alien, throbbed within carefully engineered "sound cells".Legion Colonel Luton Arthur had been wearing uniforms for more than thirty years and felt uncomfortable when clad in anything else. Yes, there was some degree of correlation between civilian clothes and the status of the people who wore them, but you couldn't be sure.Not uniforms, though. Thanks to badges of ranks, service stripes, unit badges, decorations, and yes, the tattoos many choose to wear, a knowledgeable eye could read a legionnaire's uniform like a book. A single glance was sufficient to establ
HALF BREED Nine - EARTH
The office, paid for by the good people of Earth, was enormous. Carefully tended plants stood just so, each in a matching pot, arranged to complement the cane furniture. The early afternoon sun filtered in through gauzy white curtains, a ceiling fan stirred the slightest scented air, and music, one of the arias for which Dwellers were justifiably famous, wafted from unseen speakers.The android looked exactly as she did, and, over a period of time, Governor Sandral Usmos had come to regard the robot as an extension of her own persona. They wore the same kind of clothes, jewelry, and makeup, walked with the same determined strides, and spoke in the same clipped syntax.A clone might have offered a more elegant solution, but would almost certainly object to the role of professional decoy. No, the robot made more sense, and would provide a much needed alibi should anything go wrong. Treason can be dangerous, after all - and is best practiced from the shadows.Sandr
HALF BREED Ten - EARTH
The tone was cheerful, deceptively so, and Quinn responded with that in mind. "I don't blame you for being angry, sir, but I can put things right, and double the company's revenue within the next twelve months".It was an absurd claim, but delivered with such sincerity that Zuon was intrigued. He perched on a corner of the conference table. The sarcasm was obvious. "Really? How fascinating! Tell me more".So Quinn did, starting with the macro socioeconomic situation, and going on to knit the various pieces of the scheme together. Zuon, who didn't impress easily, found himself growing increasingly excited.The plan would not only improve the companies bottom line, but put the screws to Doug Douglas Enterprises, something Zuon had long wanted to do.The industrialist sent Quinn on his way, summoned his secretary staff, and ordered them to disrobe. The clones complied, which was nice for Zuon, and for those scheduled for the pit. Their presentation went off without
HALF BREED Eleven - EARTH
A check confirmed that a Midvalian seat frame had been flown in, a top-of-the-line holo tank sat ready for use, and there were plenty of refreshments, including some grublike creatures that wriggled in the bottom of a bowl.The staff, all of whom were androids, would be brain-wiped the moment the meeting was over, reduced to their component parts, and fed into an electric arc furnace. A rather expensive precaution, but necessary nonetheless.It took fifteen minutes to complete the necessary introductions and dispense with the small talk.The guest took their seats, all but the War Vaano that is, who loomed behind Vaano's chair, and stood ready to defend him. It was a relationship that neither one of Midvalians could break, and extended to the Egg Vaano, deep in her distant cave.The group had chosen Governor Usmos to act as moderator, a role that she relished. The politici
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HALF BREED Hundred Seventeen - THE END
Doug Douglas, already stunned by the magnitude of what was almost certainly coming their way, felt a terrible sense of hopelessness as the Thraki politician described how her race planned to sacrifice the Confederacy forces to the Shem and then, if convenient, turn and destroy them.But only if they fell for it. It was the Sector's hope that once the Confederacy knew about the Shem, they would force the Armada to resume its nomadic ways - something that would make Sector 14 and the rest of her party very happy.Doug Douglas listened, nodded, and asked the obvious question. "It's my understanding that you have approximately five thousand ships, all under Facer control. In addition to that, your race fortified one of our planets. How would we force the Armada to leave?"The Thraki hoped there would be a way, but wasn't sure what it would be.The human looked at the Dodvalian. Understanding jumped the gap. Nothing was safe. Everything was at risk. Death roamed the stars, an
HALF BREED Hundred Sixteen - PLANET BYRON
Marcus Doug Douglas stepped out of his cabin, paused to ensure that the hatch was locked, and stepped into traffic. It was brisk and carried him along.Earth, and the restoration of a legal government, were yesterday's news aboard the Unioncity, where most sentients were focused on both the problem and opportunities posed by the newly arrived Thraki.Many of the passersby recognized Doug Douglas and said hello. His elevation from historical curiosity cum lobbyist to planetary governor had raised his status from the C list to the B list, which he shared with other notable but nonvoting politicos.There was a stir ahead, and traffic parted to allow someone through. Doug Douglas spotted a Midvalian war drone and knew who would follow.Senator Vaano, along with Ambassador Ishimoto-Seven and Sensor Ishimoto-Six, had spent less than an hour in custody prior to being released on their own recognizance.Then, in the wake of vaguely worded apologies from their respec
HALF BREED Hundred Fifteen - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Usmos bit his lip. Luton had no reason to help, but who could tell? The asshole was an idealist and capable of damned near anything. A positive approach seemed best. "Luton! Thank God. Where are we headed?""To Los Angeles", Luton replied calmly, gazing out the window. "To turn ourselves in"."Turn ourselves in?" Usmos asked incredulously. "Why would we do that? I own a ship. She's small but fast. We can break out, make a run for the galaxy, and live like kings. I have friends out there, lots of them, and we can start over. What do you say?""I say no", Luton answered laconically. "There are rules. We broke them. We have to pay. It's as simple as that"."No!" Usmos shouted. "I won't go!""Really?" Luton inquired. "I think you will. Now shut up. I'm tired".The following minutes seemed to last an eternity, from Usmos' perspective anyway, as the fly form flew toward the sun. Plans stuttered through his brain, dozens of
HALF BREED Hundred Fourteen - EARTH (DIVIDED)
That was the moment when Shola managed to reestablish contact, ceased partial control of Quinn's mind, and squeezed with all her might.The executive screamed, grabbed his head, and staggered backward. Shola felt the connection snap, sent a warning to Sophie, and tried to recover.Sophie "heard" Shola's voice, rammed her hand into the briefcase, and felt for the hand gun.Quinn threw himself onto her back, felt Sophie collapse, and experienced a sense of triumph. She was his! The bitch was his!The 9mm spilled out onto the floor. Sophie grabbed it and tried to turn. Quinn straddled her, tried for the weapon, and felt the alien counter his efforts.It was then, as Quinn fought for control, that Sophie rolled onto her back. She remembered how he had leered from the bottom of the tanklike cell, the way the water had risen around her shoulders, and squeezed the trigger.The gunshot was loud, louder than Sophie had expecte
HALF BREED Hundred Thirteen - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Goya gritted teeth he no longer had, demanded full military power from the remaining engine, and chose the only possible crash site - smack dab in the center of the enemy complex. A tower whipped by, tracers up past his nose camera, and the ground rushed to meet him. Goya barely had time to yell "Five to dirt!" before his skids hit, absorbed some of the impact, and failed.The quad took the punishment after that, skidding fifty yards on her armored belly before the fly form hit the side of a building and finally came to a rest.The quad, a cyborg named Oluchi, knew things were bad. Rather than land where they were supposed to, a mile short of the complex, Goya had dumped them right in the middle of the damned thing! It was time to move, and move fast.Oluchi triggered the two way clamps, or tried to, but found they were stuck. No problem - explosive charges had been provided to deal with that very possibility. She "felt" the fly form shudder as 20mm cannon shells pounded th
HALF BREED Hundred Twelve - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Never mind the fact that Marco planned to drop in on Luton unannounced - and probably get himself killed. She was supposed to wait till the danger had passed. Why? Because business was a secondary concern - a perception that showed how little he knew. It was money that made the world go round, and, assuming the counter revolution was successful, the economy would be critical. Without commerce there would be no jobs, and without jobs there would be no taxes, and without taxes there would be no government services. Serious issues that couldn't be handled while sitting on her can.A tone sounded, the elevator doors slid open, and a pair of security guards appeared. They wore burgundy jackets, gray slacks, and thick soled shoes. The Zuon logo was embroidered on their pockets. The larger of the two stopped in front of the receptionist, listened to what it said, and turned to stare.Damn! Why couldn't they have been just a little bit slower? The executive opened her briefcase, p
HALF BREED Hundred Eleven - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Staff Sergeant Vista shouted, "Ten-hut!" Thousands of legionnaires crashed to attention, and Marco did likewise.Luton's voice boomed through the cavern's PA system. "At ease. We are gathered here to welcome a new commanding officer. Colonel Dooley Marco".An audible gasp was heard, servos whined, and Staff Sergeant Ward bellowed into the mike. "You are at ease! No talking. Corporal, take that soldier's name!"Nobody could tell who the sergeant had yelled at, and it didn't matter. What mattered was discipline, and it was intact.Luton continued, and as he spoke, Marco realized the comments were prerecorded. "Some of you are angry. You were betrayed by society, by the Independent Government, and now by me."Not because I doubt our ability to win, or the quality of our cause, but because we were wrong. If the a Legion is to be our country, it must be a just country, based on the rule of law and dedicated to more than its own survival".Luton paused, his v
HALF BREED Hundred Ten - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Kenny sent a swarm of fly cameras to cover the event and ran it live. Citizens not only saw the video, but made their way to the express way, and lined both sides. Frantic parents responded as well. Many walked beside the road, or tried to, since abutments, on-ramps, and other obstacles made it difficult to do so.Others climbed the fences and ran out onto the express way itself. The militia had been waiting for that. An aircar swept in from the east, braked, and hovered above. Machine guns rattled, the civilians fell like wheat before a scythe, and blood stained the road.Children screamed, batons crackled, and the march continued.* * *Leshi Quinn stood at the center of the pit. The spotlights pinned him in place. The meeting had been called by old man Zuon. "... And so", the industrialist continued, "not only have we failed to see much return from this arrangement, our expenses continue to soar. Please explain".Quinn was standing there, wondering wh
HALF BREED Hundred Nine - EARTH (DIVIDED)
Something, Huvy wasn't sure what, was definitely wrong. But before he could turn the car around, a heavily visored military police man waved the educator over and motioned him out of the car. That was when the nightmare began.The militiaman, a human in this case, examined Huvy's ID, checked his name off a list, and led him onto the school's grounds. A group of smooth faced robots stepped out of the way, and that's when the principal saw the fifty foot lengths of chain, the small ankle bracelets, and realized who they had been made for. The military policeman gestured to the shackles. The tone was casual, as if a matter of routine curiosity. "How many children can we actually expect? About five hundred or so?"Huvy started to answer, thought better of it, and closed his mouth.That's when the military policeman stepped in close, grabbed the front of the educator's shirt, and jerked the smaller man up onto his toes. "Listen, you little shit... which would you prefer? To answ
