A Very Good Reason (Part One)
Admiral Williams stood at the conference table. He was growing old in the Human Defense Force, quietly making damn sure that this great new galaxy didn’t swallow the human race whole and spit out the pips. Wryly, he acknowledged that the government had relentlessly pushed the positive, the opportunities. He had to stand in the shadows, holding the big stick and, on days like today, using it. It was an article of faith for humanity that first contact was with the Library ships. A lie, a white lie to persuade the people of the benevolent forces waiting out there for Humanity. He was aware of the reality that Earth's first contact had been with an Intec pirate ship that had attempted to destroy the early international space station, before being aggressively dismantled by an unexpected engineering response. Looking back on it, it seemed more like a billion dollar fighter jet being destroyed by a flight of pigeons. Still, here they were again.
His Second was finishing his presentation.‘ Sir, the records from Oz are clear. The Intec seized thousands of people from the Earth. Only luck gave us back their descendents. We have sold the ...idea that some obscure alien culture rescued them from the middle of that shitstorm, but that's two attacks we know about. We need more intel. If those Intec slave-worlds we are hearing about contain humans, well, that's our job, right?’ The atmosphere in the room was clear. He was in complete agreement. The Intec had been hanging around the edges of civilised space, attacking anyone or anything they could get away with for generations. Never the strong, never an even match. Always the weak or innocent. The rest of the galaxy treated them like humans regarded mosquitos, an inevitable and mildly annoying consequence of being in space. But not us, not anymore, thought the Admiral. Occasionally you have to show your teeth, otherwise you're not a danger. You’re a pet. Here was a very good reason.
He looked around him, he could smell blood in the water, ‘We find them, get the locations of these slave-planets of theirs and release them back to their home species. No publicity, no crusader crap. This, if anyone asks, is a search and rescue. No need to mention that it will be the full Fleet searching, or that it's the Marines doing the rescuing. I expect you to keep a lid on this, at least from the Xenos. We have too many of our people out there that believe in all the peace and goodwill stuff, and I don't want that disturbed. Go to work, get me a place to start. Find out where these slaving bastards are hiding.’
The Pyro and the Noctema were the first to find out about this ‘Search and Rescue’ mission. Tay had been spending her days chatting with Ben, building up a relationship that could bridge the years he had lost to despair. Only now was she really appreciating the sheer force of will that it had taken to watch the stars, hoping beyond hope that someone was out there. The constant low-grade war between the People and the city. She was in the middle of explaining how peaceful humanity had become when the entire Human Offensive Fleet burst into orbit. She had been showing him around the bridge when they arrived. She watched as four thousand dark, unlisted and dangerous looking ships appeared ‘...and completely peaceful. Shit. Captain, you need to see this.’ The Captain of the Noctema was not a creature to be easily surprised. He regarded the massive fleet calmly. If they were here to destroy his ship, well there was nothing to be done. He didn’t recognise them, they were unfamiliar shapes, but still...there was something. Those two ships, the ones that had arrived with the Pyro, they were falling into formation with the rest. He turned to the Humans, ‘ Tay, perhaps you would explain why I seem to be at war with the human race? And, perhaps explain why I am being permitted to see something that is, or was, a closely guarded human secret? Why is the HDF here, and why in such numbers?’ Tay was scrambling for answers herself, ‘ Sir, That’s not the Human Defense Force. That's the name we use in our own space, or on minor missions. That's the Human Offensive Force, and that means we’re at war, or going to be. And, Sir, I’ve never seen it assembled. Even when I was in the HDF, we never saw more than twenty ships together. Policy.’
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They all watched as a few shuttles left the Fleet, descending to the surface. The Captain waited for someone to call him. Then the call came, but not to him. ‘Engineer Tay, This is the Human Offensive Force. You are required for duty. Please inform your Captain of your resignation, as per human engineer contract, regulation 39A. As of this moment you will resume your previous rank as Engineer, First Class and will report to the Flagship for debriefing. You may not discuss this any further with your previous Captain.’ After a pause the Captain himself received a call from the Fleet, ‘Captain, we are grateful for your help in re-uniting our people. You may continue your work, with our blessing and support. We hope we can rely on your discretion as we pursue those responsible for enslaving our people.’
Captain Zac’Hary nodded, mostly to himself. The Intec were slaver’s, abusers and pirates. Very little would have persuaded him to stay silent about such an Armada suddenly appearing, but that was the best reason he had heard yet. He also had his own reasons. ‘Human fleet, in the event that you recover any of my species, may I rely on you to inform me directly? I will, in any case, be discreet about this meeting. Might I also ask where I might find a new Engineer, since you appear to have stolen mine?’
The connection suddenly changed, as Admiral Williams appeared. ‘Captain, my apologies. My men are descending to the surface to excavate the Intec ship. I require Engineer Tay for the obvious reasons. You have my deepest apologies for this interruption. As I’m sure you realise, we don’t show such force without reason and we prefer our friends not to fear us. We walk softly, Captain, but this was not the first attack by the Intec on our people,’
Captain Zac’Hary interrupted, ‘Admiral, I understand. You have the benefit of never losing to them. Our people weren’t so fortunate. Many of our earliest colonies were lost, long before we met you in the stars. I’m sending you the details. I don’t hold much hope, we are not a people to be made slaves of, but there are still families that require answers.’
The Admiral nodded, ‘We will free everyone we find. They will pay heavily for what they have done, not just to our people but to anyone. The Intec will burn for their crimes. I’m sending you an Engineer, with my compliments,’ The connection ended as abruptly as it had begun.
Tay had gone to pack, a job complicated by trying to remember what belonged to the ship and what tools were her own. Fuck it, the Admiral could replace them. She was going to have words with him.
The Doctor had felt the commotion in the ship and was driven by sheer curiosity had entered the bridge, just in time to pass the human stomping off the deck. Then he looked at the screen, at the wall of ominous ships surrounding the planet. ‘Captain…’
The Captain turned to the good doctor, ‘Excellent timing. We are honoured by the Human Offensive Force, out looking for the Intec slavers. A beautiful sight, is it not?’
Doctor Reten was counting the ships, revising, yet again, his paper on ‘Humans, Not What You Think.’
The dark ring of ships sat in orbit until the Intec ship was dragged from the dirt and brought to the Flagship, along with a reluctant engineer. Then they left as quickly as they had arrived. The human Ben, who had stood silent and awestruck throughout the events turned to the Doctor, ‘Mate, is it always like this up here?’