1 day later, December 15th, 2264. 08:30 St. Mary’s Station – General Mizrahi’s Office
That John was called into his commanding officer’s office was no surprise. Especially after his outburst in front of several admirals and generals. While John’s argument came from a position of ethical strength, it was far from the smartest thing he’d done.
“That wasn’t wise son,” the gravely voice of General said slowly.
“Sir, I regret nothing,” John said in a defiant tone.
“Drop the act with me. I’m not your enemy,” Mizrahi said sternly, “Admiral Karlsson wants your commission.”
“He’s in no position to request that, not after what happened here.”
“Son, you aren’t wrong. But you are playing the long game wrong. You can’t be a bull in a China shop,” General Mizrahi stood up from his desk and looked out the viewport, “I understand why you did what you did. But if you want to succeed you can’t be like that. You have to keep that anger and hate chained up and unleash it only when it is really needed.”
“Am I off the operation, sir?”
General Mizrahi turned to face John and shook his head, “No, you are not. But were I you, I’d tread water carefully.”
3 months later, March 17th, 2265. 08:00 St. Mary’s Station – Fleet Communications, Office 2A
John was spinning around on his chair as he waited for the call to connect. Boredom was setting in. That usually wasn’t a good thing. John was an individual that required a specific structure to keep him from doing anything destructive. He stopped the spinning and began looking around the room just as he was about to try and pry a panel off the wall until he saw a familiar face.
“Aaron, how the hell are ya?” John said smiling as he looked at the Mercantilist Union intelligence agent.
“God dammit. Why does it have to be you?”
“Dude, that’s… Just really rude,” John tried to look like he was hurt.
“What do you want?” Aaron’s perturbed look had not changed.
“I presume you and yours are aware of what happened?”
Aaron nodded but remained silent.
“I need his location. Try as we might, Dr. Norman has done an excellent job keeping his location secret.”
“Fuck. Do you know where I am?”
John nodded, “Unless I’m mistaken your heading to your bureau’s headquarters to work.”
“I don’t even…” Aaron paused for a moment to collect himself, “Why do I even ask questions that I think you won’t know? What makes you think I can pull that information?”
“Oh hell, I know you can’t. Your sway and influence don’t reach that far, especially since Norman has it out for you. But you know someone that can.”
There was an uncomfortable amount of silence on the line. Aaron was rubbing his forehead as he played out several different scenarios. John kept the village idiot acting up.
“We don’t have to meet again, but I need to talk to her. You can probably set things up,” John said with a grin.
“And if I refuse you’re going to try and use your leverage against us, aren’t you?”
“Look, I’m trying to not bust your balls here, but you aren’t exactly in a good position. And you know damn well that Dr. Norman is a state agent for you, irrespective of his nation of origin. Said state agent provided explosive materials and know-how to dickheads with a grudge against us and hired a Mercantilist Union based and militarily recognized mercenary unit to attack a Confederate space station to bust out a prisoner we lawfully acquired.”
“When you put it that way it sounds bad,” Aaron said sarcastically.
“It looks and smells bad dude,” John’s act dropped, “I don’t know her schedule. But you have twelve hours to get her on the horn with me.”
“You know something don’t you?”
“I was tipped off. I won’t say what specifically they are going to do. I strongly suspect you won’t enjoy it though,” John said seriously.
Aaron closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I need some time, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Adios!” John said cheerfully.
The lights returned to their normal operating luminosity. John leaned back in his chair with a smirk on his face. The other, up to this point silent room partner, simply shook his head and sighed. Director LeCroix didn’t care for anything that was just done.
“You know damn well we’re not planning to announce anything,” Director LeCroix put his hands on his hips, “We’re not even having those conversations yet.”
“I know, that’s the point. When he reports this to his bosses, they will begin looking for intel about private conversations, of which they believe to be many, but they will find nothing,” John sounded cold and calculating, “Which will amplify their hysteria. A credible source just said something is going to happen in twenty-four hours. Something bad.”
“Your cavalier attitude and blatant disregard are one of many reasons I had to cut you loose from the organization.”
John snorted, “Yeah, fat lot of good that’s done for y’all. Had you just chilled the fuck out you’d have your mole in the Navy? In a fit of irony, you know that I’m still far more effective than anyone else you have. I’ll concede the point that I cause an inordinate amount of paperwork.”
John then stood up and was about to leave.
“Where are you going?”
John turned to face Director LeCroix and frowned, “I’ve been on duty for twenty-four hours. I’m going home to clean up and have a good meal. Probably take a nap too. I won’t hear back from Aaron for another six hours at the earliest, more likely nine to ten hours.”
“John, once again you are playing a very dangerous game. If this doesn’t work…”
“Then I destroy the reputation of the Iron Bitch of the Mercantilist Union. I’m pretty sure one of the other cabinet members will give up the base location, especially when they found out we did that to her.”
“Without her, we aren’t going to get a military operation authorized.”
“Au contraire, I disagree. We can force that information out of them with a larger threat. It won’t take much convincing to get them to see our way of things.”
“And when they call our bluff? What then?”
“Then I request to go on the offensive, secretly. After two kills I’m pretty sure they’ll come around,” John smiled as he waved at the director as he left, “You know where I live. You’re welcome to stop by when the next call happens.”
John could hear the director curse at the situation. Worse still the director knew that irrespective of what he felt, John’s plan of attack was the most effective one not to mention the only real plan forward. Dr. Norman had expertly hidden the location of his base. Nothing they had done, using virtually all of Naval Intelligence’s resources, had gotten them any close to locating the good doctor.
13:22 St. Mary’s Station – John and Alice’s Condo
John was sitting on the couch watching the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The race had settled after a manic start that resulted in a safety car and four of its thirty-two entrants retired from the race and another six with varying states of damage to their vehicles. The cars were now lapping through the circuit with the occasional overtake done here and there.
Andern’s dumb and goofy face appeared on half of the screen, “Yo! What’s up buddy?”
“Hey man,” John said with a smile, “Doing well. Threatening superpowers with war. Same old same old.”
Andern cocked his head and quietly said, “Not sure if serious.”
He then laughed and threw up his hands to shush John.
“You know what, don’t. I really don’t have a need or want to know. Sounds like things have been spicy for y’all.”
John nodded, “We’ve shifted from combing through outposts to just pulling up in orbit and conducting orbital bombardments. If one base was booby-trapped, they all were.”
“Jesus, that has to be hilariously expensive for the bad guys, doesn’t it?”
“Not only in credits but manpower. Can’t imagine they have enough supporters willing to be nuked from orbit. Can’t say that I’d sign up for a shit job like that.”
“Right? Hey, we need to meet up again. Kristin and I have left together coming up in a month or so. We’ve got a cheap way to get to Manchester.”
John nodded, “I’ll message you with the dates. If all goes well next month should work.”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Hot damn. I’ll see if K-dog and Theresa can make it.”
John sighed and rubbed his forehead, “Kevin is not K-dog, and you know it.”
“It can work.”
“It is way past the point of working. Like centuries too late to be calling people that.”
“Oh shit, CO is coming. Message me with the dates.”
Andern hastily signed off while appearing to look busy. John grinned at this temporary distraction. A sense of normalcy was needed to keep him grounded, and for him to have something to look forward to after the, hopefully, a battle that was fast approaching them.
16:50 St. Mary’s Station – John and Alice’s Condo
John wasn’t happy that Director LeCroix was in his home. The respect he had for the man at one time had largely been lost as a result of several dumb decisions made against John. Nothing would ever heal the wounds of that relationship. For now, John had to grin and bear it.
“He’s late,” Director LeCroix said impatiently.
“Yeah. He is,” John said as he poured himself a drink, “Want one?”
“I’m working.”
“So… Want one?” John asked again.
“No. No, I do not want a drink.”
John shrugged as he dropped a bar spoon’s worth of water into the bourbon, “Your loss. Not very often do you get a chance to drink forty-year-old bourbon? This stuff is the tits.”
John sauntered over to his couch and sat down. He kicked off his slippers and set his feet on the coffee table and took a drink. Almost on queue, a secure call came in. John made a gesture with his hands and the call connected.
“Howdy. I’d offer you a drink but you ain’t here,” John smiled as he pointed to the Director, “My old boss didn’t want to drink and work. Director LeCroix, this is Agent Aaron Voss of our rival intelligence bureau. Brian Frederickson is the chief of the madame secretary’s security detail, and the guest of the hour is Secretary Merissa Bandernan.”
“I appreciate you accepting the call ma’am,” Director LeCroix sounded entirely work-like.
“If I was told correctly, you want his location. What good will that be?”
“Well, we need that to come in and kill the asshole, obviously,” John said, “We’re also going to need you to convince your chancellor that the Confederate military operation is not an act of war but a pest-cleaning operation for the betterment of both nations.”
Merissa looked like she wanted to jump through the screen and strangle John. Aaron and Brian did nothing to hide their annoyance with the request. John was simply being himself, speaking bluntly, and not giving a single fuck.
“How on bloody Earth is that going to benefit us?”
“Well, we aren’t going to air any dirty laundry for starters. And the festering cancer you are infested with gets excised. Win-win,” John shrugged as he took a drink, “It also ensures we don’t start a war that neither side wants, and ensures that your side continues to exist, just without the Doctor being a financial blackhole for y’all.”
“Director, I’m having a hard time understanding why a twenty-something-year-old is running the show. Why aren’t you leading these conversations?” Merissa asked.
“John has a unique set of skills, aside from possessing one of the most abrasive personalities I’ve had the misfortune to know personally. Frankly speaking, he knows more about this operation than anyone else and his intellect, which is sadly peerless, allows him to perfectly recall everything. In the simplest of terms, he’s sadly the best person to speak to about it.”
“And a believable patsy should your cards fall incorrectly,” Merissa said, “The Intelligence Bureau has intercepted no records of any forthcoming actions, nor is there a massing of ships to suggest an attack is coming. They may be panicking but I am not. You are bluffing.”
Director LeCroix looked like he saw a ghost. John took a drink and smiled. He then made a gun with his hand and gestured as he shot it.
“It’s too bad you aren’t friendly. Your intelligence folks were shitting the bed, weren’t they?” John said calmly.
“They were,” Merissa stared down the young man, “What game are you playing?”
“Well, I had hoped you’d just give me the location and ensure y’all don’t start a war over doing the right thing.”
“I’m not going to help you. This is…”
“You really are the Iron Bitch. Well, Iron Cunt is probably more accurate. You don’t want to end this conversation until I’m done. It won’t end well if you cut this short.”
Merissa glared at John, “No one calls me that and…”
“Here’s what’s going to happen in short order if you don’t become compliant,” John took a drink and deep breath, “Some really damaging, embarrassing, and mildly illegal things are going to be leaked about you. Then some more aggressive things. Most of the items are true, but the ones that aren’t are just believable enough to be accepted, and your insistence that they aren’t will further erode the faith in your people have in you. In the end, the damage to your character will be done. Your allies will abandon you in droves and I’m sure you’ll be asked to resign.”
John held his hand up to take a drink, “Then we’ll find someone that will play ball with us. Absent that, then people are going to start dying. By the way, I was really good at my job, so I had a lot of free time. It’s amazing the things adults do at resort planets, isn’t it Merissa?”
Merissa spoke up without skipping a beat, “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Good on you for calling my initial bluff. I don’t care how much blood runs in your streets or how many people I butcher until I get what I want. The real question is whether or not you’re willing to risk it all. Sure, you’ll live but what will you have left when all that sketchy shit you’ve been involved in over your life is leaked. You’ve done a good job of burying the serious accusations. But you’re not invincible.”
“Nor are you.”
John nodded, “Yeah, that is true. If I’m captured, I will absolutely be disavowed and y’all will send me to that asshole. What do you think I can do if I have direct access to your systems? Or your people? The director here will confirm I can almost be inhuman. Now, I try to not let that side of me out anymore.”
Laughter could then be heard filling John’s home, “Oh hell, who am I kidding? I decapitated Lisa earlier this week and crushed her skull as I was threatening that old asshole.”
Aaron and Brian looked at one another. They mouthed something but John didn’t make it out. Merissa cocked her head and looked at John warily,
“The surviving twin is dead. You’ve confirmed this?”
“The frosty bitch is most certainly dead; she was in literal pieces when I was done killing her. I broke into a meeting Fleet Command was having on the station. I’m sure your intelligence boys knew something was up when there were that many private vessels and naval carriers around Manchester.”
“She’s dead,” Merissa said once again.
“Yup.”
“Director, is this part of some game you’re playing?”
“Honestly ma’am I have never had any ideas on whatever the hell games the Lieutenant has played. The attacks on St. Mary’s station were because Lisa Benning was being transferred over to personnel here. She was captured in the unclaimed territories.”
“This changes everything,” Brian said.
“And it explains the urgent rush for development aid,” Aaron added, “He’s panicked now that his strongest agents are gone.”
“Hold a moment,” Merissa said.
The call was still connected but the video was paused, and the sound was muted. John took another sip of his drink and sighed. Director LeCroix began pacing behind him.
“You’re making me nervous,” John said after stretching on the couch.
“God dammit John,” LeCroix spat out, “Once again, your cavalier attitude has put us in this position.”
“I wasn’t lying. I’ve seen their high-security safe houses. Wouldn’t take much to get in and out unseen.”
“Do you even have the slightest idea how badly you’ve handled this? We are at the precipice and the only way we don’t fall to our death is if they buy this bullshit.”
“What bullshit?”
“You go around on a murder spree in foreign territory? What in the hell are you thinking? No one…”
“Fleet Admiral Karlsson would love that. If I succeed, we weaken their government and we still get what we want. If I fail, I get disavowed. Wouldn’t be his headache anymore.”
“You have a life here. What would your wife say to that?”
John laughed, “Oh she’d be pissed. It’s not going to come to that though. They now know that Dr. Norman’s biggest trump cards are gone. They can move openly against him with less worry and concern.”
“John…”
Director LeCroix was interrupted by the video unpausing itself.
“For the moment let presume what you say is…”
John then began playing back the video of the kill.
“Yeah, it’s true as you can see.”
Merissa had her hand over her mouth as she was watching the video and thinking. Brian looked a little queasy when John decapitated Lisa. He almost got sick when he saw her head get squished like a jellybean.
“You are telling me this is not doctored. That it’s legit,” Merissa said quietly.
“I just told you I was initially bluffing then outright threatened to humiliate you and murder your compatriots. Why would I lie now?” John answered calmly, “There’s no need to bluff anymore.”
“Everything has changed now. The power that he wields has dropped significantly,” Merissa muttered, “Now that both his weapons are no more.”
“He has no leverage anymore,” Brian said, “He can no longer extort the government for anything.”
“How would you ensure your attack wouldn’t cause civilian casualties?” Merissa asked.
Director LeCroix stepped forward, “It’s impossible to answer that question without knowing first what planet he is on and secondly where on the planet his base of operations is located.”
John just pointed at the Director.
“Nyx Prime. I have never visited his site, but I know it’s there,” Merissa said.
John hadn’t even brought up the planet when he said, “I know where it is. There’s a campus that’s visible from orbit. Gotta be his.”
A recent satellite image of the planet was displayed. John scrolled around on the planet before zooming in to see a fairly large campus a couple of hundred miles south of the largest city on the planet. He shook his head when he looked at the site.
“You don’t look happy,” Merissa said.
“Well, here’s what’ll need to happen to pull this off. Our fleet will need to jump to the planet as close as possible, well inside the gravity well, and unleash a lance strike to take out the ground-to-air weapon systems that are surrounding this place. Fighter escorts and dropships will then need to avoid whatever defenses Dr. Norman has hidden.”
“Jesus,” Director LeCroix said as he looked at the expansive site, “We’re going to need reinforcements.”
“I suspect Fleet Command already has some ideas,” John took another drink and looked Merissa in the eyes, “Does this mean you are amenable to our generalized plan?”
“You haven’t answered the civilian question.”
“Anyone who works on that site is as good as dead. I can’t imagine any civvies want to be within eyeshot of a site like this. Which means the risk to innocent civilians ought to be minimal to non-existent.”
“Madam secretary, how much influence does Dr. Norman have on the planetary government?”
Merissa shook her head, “It’s tough to tell. I’d presume some.”
“Then we’re also going to have to worry about the planetary militia,” Director LeCroix sighed.
“True, but their army isn’t going to move out in the open with warships orbiting the planet. The risk versus reward on that is shitty,” John said, “They could scramble fighters though.”
“Lieutenant, I still find you to be a most disagreeable man. You may contact me when you are ready to attack them. Know this though, the Confederacy will be held to fire if any civilians die as a result of your attack.”
“Understood but recall that Dr. Norman may not care one way or the other. He’s already blown-up bases in our territory. What makes you think he’s not above nuking his adopted world?”
“Tread carefully,” Merissa said as she ended the conversation.
Director LeCroix stared at the expansive campus and sighed, “This is going to be a fucking meatgrinder of a mission.”
“Agreed. Thirty percent casualties at a minimum. And that’s if we can land most of our troops on sight. I would suggest we get some friendly eyes installed on that planet. Before we attack, we’re going to need to understand the political landscape.”
“Agreed,” Director LeCroix said as he stared at the base, “Fleet Command may want to adjust its plan and…”
“They aren’t going to bomb it. Enough elements within it still want the asshole. Fleet is going to call up and divert every last special force assets they have under their umbrella and deploy it with us. That’ll give us roughly double our current manpower. Not to mention additional orbital ships.”
“That’ll be nearly a quarter of a full Confederate fleet orbiting one planet. They don’t have near the resources to defend against something like that.”
John shook his head, “No, no they don’t. Pretty much each platoon worth of Marines is going to get a helper platoon from Fleet to ensure their will is done. We’re going to have to hit every last building at once. With multiple platoons hitting the central building here.”
“I’ll leave you to the planning, but I don’t approve of your frankly reckless way of negotiating.”
John disagreed, “Adios, but the ends justified the means.”
Director LeCroix shook his head and began walking out of John’s home but paused before the door, “One day it won’t work, and you’ll find yourself in bigger trouble.”
“I’m sure it will Director. But it wasn’t today.”
Director LeCroix caught his tongue and spoke no more. Nothing he said would convince John of the error of his ways. But the director wasn’t wrong, John’s style of playing fast and loose with orders, rules, and norms will sometimes come back and harm him. But today was not that day, John’s plan and even more ridiculous backup plan achieving the desired outcome.
Now they were beginning the final stretch of the operation. The attack would not be a simple one, nor would it be one where everyone would go home once it was finished. Dr. Norman’s organization would make them bleed for every inch of the compound they take, but if the plan works that very same organization would be ground to dust.