Earth.
The shining blue sphere in the absolute void of space and the primary home of Mankind. Even with the scars from The Reformation and The Unification Wars she was and would still be the primary home of mankind.
The vessel that carried the Freyan diplomatic delegation from Kennedy to Earth was a first generation tramp freighter that was independently owned and operated. And it clearly showed, no major corporation wanted to perform a direct run from Earth to Kennedy. As a result the level of service aboard the ship was simply appalling.
James March would go as far as to describe the level of service onboard as being at the old Soviet Communist level, which was essentially bad. Although one would have to be a serious student of history to understand the reference. As it was an elderly first generation space liner the vessel had taken two weeks to reach Earth. The news of the situation on Kennedy was in turn brought to the Earth on a newer ship that had taken only a single week to make the jump.
March was met on the ground at Phoenix Starport by Beth Adams, the executive officer of the embassy. The traditional title for the position was Charge D’affaires, but use of the French language for the traditional terminology had gone out of fashion after The Unification Wars.
She was also an old friend from their childhood days.
“You’re in deep trouble.” She said. “The boss wants you to bypass the press here at the port. Not one word to them.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” She replied.
March had known Beth Adams since their basic school days. She had always been her own woman and would never cut a corner on any situation.
“And you expect me to not comply?” Said March.
“Of course,” she said, “you’re absolutely predictable that way.”
“Right.” He replied. “So where’re the maggots?”
“Follow me.”
Adams led him to the public press area of the starport. There March was met by a vast swarm of reporters. He briefly thought about shooting the lot with an infantry weapon, but that act was considered to be very bad form here, even for a diplomat. A reporter had a question.
“Mister March, would you comment on Ambassador Wood’s statement that there’ll be no effort on the part of the Freyan government to bring about the return of Judith Stern to her family?”
James March looked out at the mob of reporters. Even though he would answer in a level voice he didn’t bother to hide the expression of anger on his face.
“The Ambassador to Earth, William Franklin Wood, Junior, is clearly wrong. The fact is that Judith Stern’s been forcibly separated from her parents for absolutely no reason. The Republic of Freya will return her to her family and will do so by force if necessary.”
Another reporter spoke.
“Mister March, we’ve received the report that Judith Stern has been indicted by the government on Kennedy for the murder of Father Ernest Kirkman. Can you comment on that?”
He looked directly at the reporter and answered.
“Ernest Kirkman is the witch doctor directly responsible for the kidnaping of Judith Stern and his death doesn’t under any rationally valid circumstances qualify as a murder. The death of Miss Stern by an act of state on Kennedy clearly will be an act of murder and we will hunt down and negate those responsible for it.”
The reporter asked another question.
“By negate, you mean murder?”
James March replied with absolute firmness in his voice.
“No, negation is not murder. When a predatory animal attacks a human being the proper response is to hunt it down and kill it. The present rulers of the planet Kennedy have chosen to behave as predatory animals and as such are vermin fit only for extermination.”
Another reporter had a question.
“Does that include the operations team that was left back on Kennedy?”
James March raised an eyebrow before answering.
“As normal, I can’t comment on an ongoing operation.”
He then made a final statement to the mob of reporters.
“That will be all.”
As they walked away Beth spoke up.
“That idiot should be boiling over afer that.”
“Beth, did that idiot tell the press that we left a team on the planet?.”
“Yes,” she said, “and not only that, he privately promised the ambassador from Kennedy that we’d cooperate in arresting them.”
“You know that’s treason?”
“Of course I know.” Adams replied. “I’ve already filled out the paperwork and made the arrangements to transfer him back to the home world for trial. But I thought you needed a chance to speak to him before we place him under arrest.”
March stopped, stood dead still, and spoke directly to her.”
“Beth my love, will you marry me?”
This was not the first time he asked the question.
She replied.
“Punch out the bastard and I’ll think about it.”
It was an accident of history that the city of Omaha in the former American State of Nebraska would become the capital of a world spanning state. The Strategic Command of the United States, the nuclear part of the American armed forces, was based at a facility outside the city. At the beginning of the internal phase began of The Unification Wars, the commander of the strategic nuclear forces of the United States chose to back the faction led by President Evelyn Stone.
President Stone had moved his temporary headquarters to Omaha. It was then under the command of President Stone that an internal civil war in the United States suddenly turned into a global nuclear war, and when the rubble stopped bouncing Evelyn Stone was the effective ruler of the Earth.
The former diplomatic delegation had taken the express train to Omaha. James March watched calmly as the desert outside the window had changed into the still green and growing Great Plains. He needed the break. He expected the confrontation with the ambassador to be fully loud and abusive.
Beth sat next to him. He was surprised when she took his right hand into her left hand.
“I should have said yes the first time you asked.” She said.
They were both eighteen standard years old and in their first semester of college. He didn’t blame her at all at the time.
He softly laid a kiss on her forehead and replied.
“No one’s infallible,” she said, “and I’m certainly not.”
A fundamental fact of reality. He thought. The refusal to accept has led to so much destruction and bloodshed.
The Sun was setting as the train pulled into the central station. The station police kept the crowd away from the delegation and escorted them to the motorcade. The capital police then escorted the motorcade to the Freyan Embassy. They were met at the entrance by the head of the Marine security detail.
Miss Adams spoke first.
“Gunny, is everything ready?”
“Ready to go, ma’am. The Ambassador’s in his office.”
“Let’s do it.” She commanded.
As they entered the ambassador’s office March casually sat on one the chairs before the official desk. Adams and Gunnery Sergeant Hill stood in back by the door.
The Ambassador shouted.
“I didn’t give you permission to sit!”
James March calmly replied.
“Bill, your authority ended the moment you committed treason.”
The Ambassador of the Republic of Freya to the Federation shouted in what was once a well polished voice, he was beyond the state of outrage. The report of the Freyan Consul to the planet Kennedy was beyond his ability to comprehend.
“HOW DARE YOU! I WAS TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS CRISIS PEACEFULLY!”
He paused for a breath and spoke again.
“Are you people out of your goddamned minds? You Core Group people are insane! You simply don’t make outrageous demands on the government of a sovereign world. And you absolutely don’t leave behind a covert operations team when you’re properly kicked off planet for making such a demand!”
March replied.
“You’re attempting a peaceful resolution, that’s so very like an umbrella man of you.” Said March. “But at least Neville Chamberlain didn’t hand over Princess Elizabeth to that damned Austrian Corporal.”
The Ambassador blinked, he didn’t actually understand the historical reference, but March spoke again.
“You’d understand what I said if you were taught some real history in the school you attended.”
The Ambassador shouted again in response.
“I attended a real school here on Earth! Not one of those political brainwashing centers you Core Group people are sent to!”
The Ambassador had referred to a social divide on the home world. The divide between the Core Group who originally colonized Freya from the habitats on the planet Mars and those who emigrated directly from the Earth.
March replied.
“Bill, my family and others in the Core Group spent three generations on the planet Mars. When the atmosphere of your home planet qualifies as an industrial grade vacuum back on Earth you have no choice but to treat Reality as being real. And your father did you a basic disservice by sending you to that boarding school here on Earth.”
“Leave my father out of this!”
March lifted his right eyebrow slightly before his reply.
“Bill, by bringing social origin into this you brought your father and the family fortune into the discussion. That’s basic logic, something else that’s taught in an actual school.”
Ambassador William Franklin Wood, Junior now stood silently behind his desk.”
“Sit down Bill, you look like an idiot.”
Without a word Wood dropped to the chair behind his desk. He then spoke.
“You Core Group people are insane for starting a war to recover that little girl?”
“No Bill,” March replied, “they started the war by judicially kidnaping Judith Stern. They’ll escalate the war by judicially murdering Miss Stern. And by simply telling them we have a team on planet to rescue her you've given them aid and comfort. You’ve committed the act of treason.”
Wood now silently stared at March. March spoke again.
“I mentioned the existence of the team in the encrypted message sent to this legation as a courtesy to you. I didn’t include identities of the team members, locations of safe houses, or the identities of our friends on planet, to save space on the message. The fact you haven’t given the critical information away yet means you may avoid the death penalty and be simply sent into exile.”
“What do you mean? You can’t arrest me, I’m the ambassador!”
“Bill, I don’t have to arrest you.” March replied.
Beth Adams turned and spoke to Gunnery Sergeant Hill.
“Gunny, he all yours.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am!”
Gunnery Sergeant Hill opened the door to the office and shouted.
“Marines! Place Mister Wood under arrest!”
Two Marine corporals quickly entered the office and charged at Wood. As he was knocked down to the floor Gunnery Sergeant Hill stepped over to him and spoke.
“William Franklin Wood, Junior, you’re under arrest for the crime of treason, this is a capital offense. You have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel. And if your daddy won’t provide one then an attorney will be provided for you. Do you understand?”
Wood shouted back.
“I’LL HAVE ALL OF YOU PUNISHED FOR THIS!”
Gunnery Sergeant Hill responded.
“Absolutely no way, asshole. Let’s go.”
The Marine corporals handcuffed and picked Wood up off the floor and followed Gunnery Sergeant Hill to the detention area.
Beth spoke.
“You didn’t hit him?”
“He wasn’t worth it.” James replied.
Beth shook her head.
“No, I guess not.”
Beth then stepped forward and embraced James.
“We’re getting too old for this.” She said.
“Yes.” He nodded and replied.
“There’ll be a meeting with the Sterns in the morning.” She said.
“Of course.”
Over the night couple shared a guest bedroom on the embassy grounds.
At the end of breakfast a junior clerk stepped into the embassy mess hall and spoke up.
“Ma’am, we’re ready in the conference room.”
In the main conference room of the embassy were Andrew and Kira Stern with Derek Strand, the head of operations for Freyaspace on Earth. Also in attendance was Gunnery Sergeant Hill. The men greeted by shaking hands, the women by a hug. Then everyone sat down. Beth Adams would chair the meeting. She began with an update on the overall situation. Then asked the question.
“So what do we do now?” She said.
Gunnery Sergeant Hill spoke up.
“Ma’am, every member of the Marine security detail has volunteered to perform the insertion and rescue mission. Given that there’s a team presently on planet what we can do is to contact and support the existing team.”
“Support?” Said Andrew Stern. “How?”
“It will be at least six months before the relief expedition shows up, sir. That’s a very long time for two Marines, a navy medic and a civilian to keep watch on their safe site as well as pull off a rescue.”
Stern had another question.
“So how would the second team contact the first?”
March answered.
“We brought the physical and local internet locations of the team when we were deported to Earth. Of course we expected unconditional support from this legation.”
“Well, you have it now.” Said Adams. “So how does the second team get in?”
“My guess at this time,” said March, “would be to infiltrate through the spaceport with false ID’s.”
Gunnery Sergeant Hill simply nodded in agreement.
Adams them asked the next question.
“Gunny, is the second team ready to go?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Adams then turned to Mister Stern.
“Can Freyaspace arrange a ride for the team?”
“Yes, ma’am.” he said, “we have contact with a number of free traders that we use to pick up slack or carry special loads. It shouldn’t be a major problem.”
Beth Adams then turned directly to James March.
“Jim. I think you should return directly to the homeworld and make the case for the relief expedition.”
“I’m afraid I have to agree with you.” He replied.
Andrew Stern spoke up.
“There’s a way to go home that’s faster than a scheduled flight.”
“There is?” Adams replied.
“The Freyaspace Concord had tanks for additional jump fuel installed in the hold and she’s set up for making deep space jumps outside a system. That way it’s seven jumps to go home. It will be seven weeks minimum time and this situation clearly qualifies.”
“You can authorize such a mission?”
“I’ve already done so.” Stern replied. “The ship’s ready to go whenever you are, sir.”
March nodded in reply.
“I’m still packed for travel,” he said, “I just need a moment with Miss Adams.”
“Okay,” said Stern, “Let’s do it.”
For the return trip to the Phoenix Starport everyone rode on a g-bus owned by Freyaspace. The first stop within the port was to drop off the support team at their transport. The ship was a free trader, her name was Reliable. The team was led by a junior member of the legation to Earth, Mara Winter. With her were seven members of the Marine security detail, two sergeants, six lance corporals, and a Navy medic.
Then it was time for March to depart for home. Before he boarded the Freyaspace Concord he had one last meeting with Beth Adams.
“Beth...” he said.
She cut him off.
‘Yes.” She said.
He blinked.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He was speechless.
“Now let’s get this mess cleaned up, first.” She said.
“He nodded and replied.
“Yes.”
Judith once asked her father why evil exists.
“Evil people seriously believe they’re the good guys. The members of the SS, the CET, the Jackass Party, and the Muslim Brotherhood, believed they were good people and doing virtuous acts, even though many of those acts were kidnappings, murders, along with oppression in general. Members of the Center for Eternal Truth believed they were superior people and exempt from the American Constitution and laws. Apart from a handful of psychopaths the ones who carried out the Holocaust were under the belief that what they were doing was for the good of the German nation, and every effort was made to construct and maintain that illusion. The mustache twirling villain is essentially fictional.” He responded.
“Seriously?” She asked.
“Yes, seriously.” He responded.
It took slightly more than eight weeks for the Freyaspace Concord to return to the homeworld. It took the better part of a day to check the jump drives on the Freyaspace Concord. It also took time to scoop deuterium fuel from numerous gas giants on the way. The 10 Ursae Majoris system included two sunlike stars, the Earthlike planet Freya, and the less habitable planet Eos. Both Freya and Eos had first class starports. The planet Freya was named after the old Norse goddess of love, war, birth, death, magic, and wealth. H. Beam Piper, who was third in Evelyn Stone’s personal hierarchy of favorite authors, named a planet in his own future history series for her.
There wasn’t much of an argument, and most of that was economic, against the relief expedition in the Freyan Congress after James March returned to the homeworld. The last peace activist, named Nicole Sorens, was sent into exile for treason shortly after Freya was granted independence by The Federation. The trial of Ambassador Wood for treason would be held after the relief expedition left the 10 Ursae Majoris system.
Valerie Sterling was one of rare people on Freya who had an known African-American ancestor. On a rare rainy day President Valerie Sterling of Republic of Freya looked out of a picture window over the south lawn and gravitic pad of the executive residence. Beyond the Executive Compound was downtown Landfall which was dominated by the Freyaspace Corporation tower. An aide stepped into the room and spoke.
“The relief expedition is ready to break orbit, ma’am.”
“Go.” President Sterling responded.
“Yes, ma’am.” The aide said.
The aide turned around and stepped out of the room.
Near the top of the Freyaspace Corporation tower Valerie Stone stared down at the Executive Compound .
The relief expedition consisted of a battalion of Marine infantry, a troop of sixteen Marine tanks, a battery of sixteen Marine 155 millimeter howitzers, with a squadron of fifteen Kurnass fighters, and their supporting naval ships. The senior non commissioned officer of the expeditionary force was Marine Sergeant Major Emil Hastings.
The Marine transports were escorted by a Freyan Navy task force. The RFS Loan was a Heinlein class frigate that was assigned to escort the Marines. The ship was named for the originator of the Saigon Special. Lieutenant Commander Susan Glasgow was one of the rare women in her family to pursue a military career. Although she wasn’t observant Susan could trace some of her ancestry back to several Israelites who fled to Scotland after the fall of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The nearest Marine transport in orbit around Freya was too far away to be seen by the naked eye from her ship. Commander Glasgow sat down in the pilot’s seat.
“We’re ready to break orbit ma’am.” The Executive Officer of the RFS Loan said.
“Right.” Captain Glasgow replied.
Pope Francis the fifth hated traveling. He hated going from Mexico City as a cardinal to the Vatican to be elected as pope. Pope Francis V now hated going from the Vatican to the Federation capital in Omaha. Pope Francis V hated the Federation because their officials treated him as an ordinary human being subject to their rules and laws. American Marines stepped over the dead bodies of the Swiss guards that protected a predecessor of the pope because he supported the usurper Wheeler before and during The Reformation. Pope Francis V was shown the executive office in the executive residence by a staff member. The pope sat down and president of The Federation Roger Martin walked in.
President Martin held out his hand and expected it to be shaken. Pope Francis V refused to move. Then President Martin sat down and spoke. The conversation was held in the English language by the two men. President Martin spoke.
“Evelyn Stone could invite Father Spears into his own home and dated a Catholic girl before he was kicked out of high school. He married another Catholic girl shortly thereafter. President March asked Pakistan to turn over their nuclear weapons. Pakistan refused, they were then nuked. The Federation suppressed Islam and the Eternals because the false prophets Mohammed and Herald refused to follow ‘man made laws.’ Why shouldn’t we forcibly suppress Catholicism?”
Pope Francis V looked at President Martin and spoke.
“Evelyn Stone murdered Robert Lee Herald.”
President Martin responded.
“The killing of the false prophet Herald wasn’t an act of murder, and you know it.”
Pope Francis V asked a question.
“Will you save my people on Kennedy?”
President Martin responded.
“No, the government of Kennedy broke a fundamental law of Humanity, and now they’ll pay the consequences for their actions. The Freyans and ourselves in The Federation see Judith Stern as a child in mortal danger. A kidnaping carried out under the color of law is still a kidnaping. And a murder carried out under the color of law is still a murder.”
Pope Francis V frantically again asked a question.
“You won’t save my people at all?”
President Martin responded.
“Of course not, your people on the planet Kennedy did something stupid. I’m not about to sacrifice good people for them when the Freyans show up. ‘Reality is real, live with it’. That’s all I have to say.”
President Martin motioned for the pope to leave. Pope Francis V quietly followed as a presidential aide led him back to his grav vehicle.
The president of the most powerful state that ever existed wasn’t about to intervene in the pope’s dilemma.
As he rode back to the Vatican he spoke in Latin.
“Evelyn Stone once said the proper way to deal with a pack of predators was to hunt it down, we’re about to see that happen on Kennedy.”
“Why?” Asked a aide.
“Because as far as the Freyans are concerned, our people on Kennedy are the predators.” Responded the pope.
A meeting was held at the Vatican in the Latin language chaired by the pope.
“The Federation will do nothing?” Asked a cardinal.
“The Godless filth in Omaha won’t do anything!” Replied Pope Francis V. “The Federation was founded by Godless filth like John Andrew March. So why should they intervene?”
As far as Pope Francis V and his followers were concerned Objectivists and Protestant Christians were Godless.
“The Federation will do nothing? Nothing at all? Without God they have nothing, so how could they act that way?” Asked another cardinal.
Pope Francis V answered.
“The Romans put their children into plate armor, the Carthaginians put their children into sacrificial fires. Who won the Punic Wars? It’s why Stone had ‘The Last Resort Of Citizens’ engraved on his guns in Latin. That’s why we’re having this meeting in Latin instead of another language.”
Pope Francis V also said. “Evelyn Stone was once asked why he hated God. He answered the question with a question. ‘How can anyone hate something that doesn’t exist?’”
The pope wasn’t the only person angry with The Federation.
The Terrestrial sky was overcast as a blonde haired woman in her midthirties looked out the large window at the ruins of the castle her family was named for. Every waking moment of Diana Windsor’s life was taken up by the restoration of the British monarchy with herself at the head of it. Although there was someone ahead of her in the line of succession, he was a Federation loyalist and swore like a Marine. The Federation was founded over the dead bodies of two of her ancestors. Diana wanted to get back at The Federation for their deaths. Someone once told her that there was a planet named Windsor and that she could be queen of it. But Diana didn’t want to be queen of a Federation member planet, she wanted to be the British monarch.
A servant quietly stepped into the room and spoke.
“It’s time for the meeting ma’am.”
He led her out of the room.
Near New Boston on the planet Kennedy it was raining during the transfer to the site of execution at the central prison. The show trial of Judith Stern took about a week and, of course, the verdict was guilty.
Now Judith was quietly riding in the back of a van and a guard was seated on the bench seat opposite of her. Judith’s ankles and wrists were cuffed. The convoy that was taking her to the execution site consisted of three vans.
There were three explosions. Judith then heard several bursts from advanced combat rifles issued to Freyan Marines.
The advanced combat rifle was the latest generation of assault rifle issued to infantrymen. The advanced combat rifle was in the bullpup configuration and came in the calibers of seven or nine millimeters and used caseless ammunition. All versions of the advanced combat rifle came with twenty round magazines.
The guard spoke.
“I’ll take care of this.”
The guard stood up with a pistol out and opened the back door of the van. As the door was opened the guard was shot down in burst of gunfire by a Marine. The black clad Marine was armed with an ACRS, the short version of the advanced combat rifle, with a forty millimeter grenade launcher attached to it.
The Marine spoke to Judith.
“Come with me if you want to live.”
Judith stood up and stepped out from the back of the van. A navy medic, clad in black, carried a set of bolt cutters and cut the chains holding Judith’s wrists and ankles together. Once the chains were cut Judith turned around and saw that all three vans were on fire. Judith also saw several guards dead on the ground. Judith Stern and her rescuers disappeared into the rainy night.
The next day the prime minister was informed.
Thomas Gratton, the prime minister of the Planetary Republic of Kennedy spoke.
“What happened?”
An aide replied.
“Judith Stern was rescued while she was being transferred, and all the guards are dead.”
Thomas Gratton went to the house of George Cross. In the place of the sound of laughing children there was only silence. In the place of books and furniture there were only boxes.
The prime minister asked a question of Cross.
“What do I do now?”
George Cross turned and answered the question.
“Let Judith Stern and the people who rescued her go. Let the lot of them escape to Freya.”
Thomas Gratton asked another question.
“Why?”
Cross answered the question.
“Because the Freyans are clearly in the right.”
The church would be angry and Gratton responded.
“I can’t do that.”
After the relief expedition broke orbit the trial of William Wood, Junior for treason began. The trial was televised and the head of the jury stood up and spoke to the judge.
“Your honor, there’s been an attempt to bribe the jury and throw the trial by father of the defendant.”
“Thank you, sir.” The judge replied. The jurors were dismissed.
William Wood, Senior was watching the trial from a sitting room in the family home.
That idiot should’ve taken the money and kept his mouth shut. The senior Wood thought.
As William Wood, Senior stood up a butler barged into the room.
“The police are already here!” He said.
The police may’ve already known. William Wood, Senior thought.
The senior Wood ran across the ground floor of the family residence and exited the building in an attempt to escape. Police gravitic vans and other vehicles were already on the grounds of the estate. As the senior Wood ran across the grounds to the garages he was tackled by several police officers. A police captain he didn’t recognize slapped the cuffs on him and spoke.
“William Franklin Wood, Senior, you’re under arrest for the crime of jury tampering on a capital case, this is a capital offense. You have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel. And if you can’t afford one, which I doubt, then an attorney will be provided for you. Do you understand?” The police captain said.
Wood shouted back.
“I’LL HAVE ALL OF YOU FIRED FOR THIS!”
The police captain responded.
“Absolutely no way, asshole. Let’s go.”
Several police officers picked Wood up off the ground and followed the police captain to a waiting van on the grounds of the estate.
William Franklin Wood, Junior was tried for treason and convicted. The sentence was death. There was a separate trial of William Franklin Wood, Senior for jury tampering and he was convicted and sentenced to death. The Wood family estate and fortune was confiscated by the Freyan state. The executions were carried out separately.
William Wood, Senior rode silently in the back of the police van to the execution site.
This shouldn’t be happening. He thought.
The execution site was a basic garbage dump landfill.
Wood was dragged out of the van by several police officers. The executioner was completely clad in black.
The executioner stepped up behind Wood and shot him in the head with a military issue pistol.
Wood fell forward.
The bodies of William Franklin Wood, Senior, and William Franklin Wood, Junior were dumped in the landfill.
There wasn’t any question now that the Core Group was in political charge on the planet Freya.
Back on the planet Kennedy the seated commandant of the Space Guard shouted to a bishop in his office.
“What part of the word NO didn’t you understand? We won’t be vaporized for the archbishop!”
Bishop Peter Donnell stood tall and responded with a level voice.
“You won’t die for the archbishop. You’re defending our world for Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The commandant remained in his seat and spoke with a level voice.
“Speaking of defending our world, we sent out a craft to intercept the Concord, she was vaporized and the government hasn’t funded a replacement for her yet.”
The bishop spoke.
“You’re not sending anyone out in order to stop the Godless filth from invading our world?”
The commandant replied.
“I won’t give that order.”
The bishop replied.
“You won’t have to, you’re fired!”
The commandant answered.
“You don’t have that authority!”
The bishop responded.
“I don’t have to!”
The bishop angrily turned around and stomped out of the office.
The commandant of the Space Guard on Kennedy was eventually replaced by the politicians. And the Space Guard cutter wasn’t replaced by the politicians.
The Freyan relief force refueled at a nearby large gas giant. Several ships were in the high guard position, this included the carrier RFS Evelyn Stone with her fighters and the RFS Loan. The three nearest ships to the RFS Loan were the destroyers RFS Reckless, RFS Resister, and RFS Republic. All three destroyers were too far away to be seen from the RFS Loan by Commander Glasgow’s naked eye. The sky from the bridge of the frigate RFS Loan was dominated by the gas giant. Commander Glasgow could see the flashes of lightning in the clouds below her. The flashes of lightning that could be seen from this orbit would put the electrical output of a Terrestrial hurricane to shame. Other cruisers, destroyers, and frigates, scooped deuterium fuel from gas giants to refuel the unstreamlined vessels of the relief fleet.
George Cross and his family moved to the planet March. The planet March was a sublight journey and across the Alpha Centauri system.
A Freyan safe house in a suburb of New Boston was eventually found. A SWAT team from the New Boston police tried to assault it. The chief of the New Boston police walked at the site. The smoke cleared and the bodies of several police officers lay on the ground. No Freyan bodies were ever found.
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