War in the Galaxy
A Science Fiction Novel
Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
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29
As they charged around the corner, Gurney was mentally preparing himself to die. It wasn't a sure thing, but he had counted a dozen fighters and his armor had taken a beating.
But at that moment, the rear wall blew in and fifteen Merian marines stormed inside. Gurney felt a thrill of relief. It had taken them long enough to blow the wall. It must have been reinforced with carbon fibers to prevent explosions.
Three of the Front fighters went down in the blast and the others were cut down as they turned to face the marines behind them.
Within minutes, the additional marines had made short work of the remaining insurgents. They also destroyed the generator for the shield surrounding the building. Gurney and Heni helped sweep the building, and then everyone evacuated in case the roof collapsed. Once all Merian forces were safely out, Kridalian artillery leveled the warehouse just in case.
It turned out that this had happened simultaneously to the remaining warehouses. And that appeared to be it for the Raathi Front fighters. No new attacks sprung up anywhere in the city. No suicide bombers attempted to breach the space bases. Cautiously, Merian commanders let out a collective breath.
Day had broken by the time Gurney and Heni were taken back to Darthur Space Base and sent to one of the infirmaries. The infirmaries were overwhelmed, but a medic came and looked at them. They were told to come back the next morning, since their injuries were not life-threatening. They showered at the barracks and went to the mess. When they left the mess hall, it was nearly ten. With nothing to do, they went back to barracks and slept until dinnertime. Then they slept again all night.
They spent the entire next morning being patched up. Heni was given an anti-concussion drug and told to take it daily for two weeks. After a medic applied a myofascial patch, Gurney was told his shoulder would heal itself within the week.
​All across the Kridalian Republic, joint Merian and Kridalian forces were finishing putting down the uprising. There was still a small cell holding out on one of the moons of Jaret, but this was eventually flushed.
For several days, the joint forces waited for the next attack to come. But none did. Gurney and Heni resumed their usual patrols in the city, which had been devastated by the fighting. Some streets had escaped unscathed, while others had no buildings left on them. Many of the residents who hadn't managed to escape during the fighting fled in the days after. Even with reassurance from local law enforcement that the city was safe and that patrolling would be doubled for the foreseeable future, most citizens didn't feel like staying. The ones who did stay were timid. They stared at Gurney and Heni when they patrols passed through. They hid in their shattered apartment buildings and broken homes. Construction crews operated around the clock as the project of rebuilding city hall and many of the public buildings began almost immediately. Private residents who could afford it began rebuilding their homes, but the price of construction labor had tripled. When not on patrol, Gurney and Heni and many of the marines were put on construction duty and sent out into the city to help the rebuilding efforts.
Eventually, the residents who had fled began to trickle back. They were hesitant. Occasionally, someone would be bold enough to come up to a few of the marines and thank them. But the marines were equally hesitant to talk to them, given fears of suicide bombers. Locals were more likely to talk to their own – either the city's law enforcement officers, whom they knew, or the Kridalian soldiers.
All this time, Kridalian and Merian intelligence were working to assess the state of the Front's forces. It was estimated that the fighting must have degraded them almost to oblivion, but nobody had expected an attack of this magnitude, and perhaps there was more to come. The scale said something about the sympathy in the local population for the Raathi Front's position, which had been assumed to be next to nonexistent. It did not bode well. Most of the slain insurgents had been young and not all of them had been men. A number had been students. Many had been racially Kridian.
Thus far, no Xing Coalition fighters had been turned up, but it was assumed that they must have been giving the Front massive assistance. It was in the Coalition's interest to have an attack as spread out as this one was, even if it had reduced the Front's chances of success. The Coalition must have been providing most of the weapons and logistics.
30
Lilia expected that Haffenswen might try to make contact with her, and she waited in her room that night in case she was right. Sure enough, around eight, there came a knock on the door.
They had come together. Lilia smiled when she let them in, keeping one hand in her pocket to let them know she was armed. There was only one chair, and she motioned to indicate either of them could take it. Haffenswen bowed and accepted. Sideney leaned against the wall.
Lilia sat on the bed and faced them. She pulled the gun out of her pocket and set it next to her hand on the bed.
"There's no call for that," said Haffenswen. "We aren't armed."
"I don't play around with those things myself," said Dr. Sideney. "I don't much care for firearms." Lilia didn't believe him.
"What's your real name?" asked Haffenswen. "It isn't Huria Sackleton."
"What's yours?" Lilia asked Sideney.
He smiled. "Dr. Quentio Sideney," he said.
​"My name is Sackleton," said Lilia.
"You were watching us," said Sideney. "Why?"
"I've seen your program once or twice," Lilia said to Haffenswen. "I recognized you. You were at the presentation earlier."
"Yes, I saw you there."
"It was hard not to miss your exit."
Haffenswen smiled. He did that a lot. "You're a fan?" he asked.
​Lilia actually smiled. "I wouldn't say that."
"What would you say?" asked Haffenswen, leaning his seat back and lacing his hands together behind his head.
"I think you're a fraud. I don't believe you believe half of what you say. You think your fans are suckers," she replied, then added, "You're probably right."
Haffenswen grimaced. "That hurts," he said. "Harsh."
"Don't try to pretend it isn't true," Lilia replied.
Haffenswen shook his head and laughed a little. Sideney slouched awkwardly against the wall and kept moving his hands as if he was unable to figure out what to do with them."
"What did you come here for?" asked Lilia. "It wasn't to get my opinion on whether the Merian Federation is doing genetic testing on enslaved babies on the Moon of Earth, or whatever it is you're peddling these days."
"We wanted to find out who you were," said Haffenswen.
"Dr. Sideney already knows," said Lilia.
Now Sideney smiled. "That," he said, "is the truest thing you've said since I met you."
Lilia felt fear for the first time. She wondered who the mole was. Maybe this second agent the director was sending out to join her. For all she knew, Sideney himself was that agent. If so, she would report to the director that he'd turned sides.
Except maybe he hadn't. Lilia considered the possibility that this was part of the plan. Perhaps her identity had been given to Haffenswen as proof of Sideney's loyalty. Perhaps he was an agent pretending to be a double agent. She didn't like that possibility. It would mean the agency was using her. That she was expendable.
"We know you aren't an academic," said Haffenswen. "We know you work for the Merian Intelligence Services."
Lilia said nothing.
"You won't find what you're looking for here in Wildprong," said Sideney.
"What do you think I'm looking for?" asked Lilia.
"Me," said Haffenswen.
"I'm here to attend a conference," said Lilia.
"Yes. But not because you're a scientist."
"If you know who I am already, why come here tonight?" asked Lilia.
"To confirm," said Haffenswen.
"Well, you're wrong. I'm not some sort of secret agent."
Haffenswen just smiled. He pointed at the gun, as if to indicate that there would be no reason for an academic to carry a gun.
"Is there anything else you want?" asked Lilia. "If you're just going to sit there, I need to get some sleep."
​"Just this," said Sideney. "Leave us alone. Tell your boss that if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of Wildprong Province."
Lilia nodded. "Maybe I just like carrying a gun in case strange men come into my room at night and try to threaten me," she said, sliding her hand over to the gun. "You can leave now."
Haffenswen stood up. "A pleasure meeting you," he said with a bow.
"Good night," said Sideney with a nod.
Lilia said nothing. She watched them until they had left the room.
Read Chapters 31 and 32.