When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) (52 page)

             
The High Chancellor sat in his room, still wearing his robe from waking an hour before. His face was
n’
t yet shaven, and gray stubble covered his cheeks. H
e’
d lost weight, which would have been considered something to celebrate only months before. Now Jerry just worried his friend was losing his grip. Staffers and advisors crowded the space, all trying very hard not to be noticed. Adeline hung back by the Chief of Staff, her vibrant green eyes wide in alarm.

             
“Alexander
,”
Jerry said
.“
We need to discuss options. The
y’
ve started calling for an emergency parliamentary session on Earth. Jonah has planted the idea that there needs to be regime change
.
”

             
Alexander ground his teeth
.“I’
m sad to say it, but I agree
.”
Jerry seemed shocked
.“
How can I trust Ambassador Jordan if all this is still going on under his watch? And what the hell is Gilroy thinking
?
”

             
“H
e’
s worried about the thousands of innocent bystanders between him and Jonah
.
”

             
Alexander scoffed
.“
H
e’
s worried about his job
.
”

             
“Actually
,”
a voice said from behind
.“I’
m worried about yours
.”
Admiral Gilroy entered the room, shutting the door behind. He looked tired more than anything. His face was drawn and black bags hung under his eyes
.“
We should have struck first, sir. Now Jonah has popular support. Killing him would embolden their cause and only speed up the inevitable
.
”

             
“And what is that
?”
Alexander spat out.

             
Gilroy did
n’
t mind the attitude
.“
He wants to depose Jordan. Put up some stooge of his own. Kerrigan, most likely
.”
He sat down on the couch, grabbing the decanter of scotch from the coffee table and pouring a glass
.“
He wants to take Earth without firing a shot. Or at least any more shots
.
”

             
That stopped Alexande
r’
s thought process cold. The idea of losing the Homeworld in a peaceful election had never even crossed his mind. How could the people fall for it? Why did
n’
t they see Jonah for who he really was
?“
But how can he hope to pull it off
?
”

             
Jerry paced the room
.“
He would
n’
t have to put up much of a fight. All he needs are the right pieces in place
.”
He turned, his hands moving frantically as he talked through the possibilities
.“
A few senators here, an under counsellor there. The armies would
n’
t know whom to swear loyalty to. By the end, the majority control will be in his favor, and anyone who resists will have the might of the Earth military against them
.”
He laughed
.“
I
t’
s the Imperial War all over again
.
”

             
Adeline gasped
.“
It ca
n’
t really be that easy, can it
?”
She withered under a sudden glare from both her boss and the High Chancellor
.“I’
m sorry to speak out of turn, but this seems at the edge of possibility
.
”

             
“It happened before
,”
Jerry replied
.“
And history has a funny way of coming back around
.
”

             
“The commanders should know better
,”
Gilroy said
.“
Soldiers are under orders of the Federate
.”
He downed his scotch
.“
We could stage a coup, put the planet under military control
.
”

             
“And risk another world-wide rebellion
?”
Alexander rose, a sheen of sweat on his face
.“
He does
n’
t even have to win. He just has to make sure we cause enough collateral damage to bring more people to his side. W
e’
ll have the citizens of Earth wearing the red fist
.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and swore.
Damn it. Stop thinking like a politician, asshole
.
“
We need to take him out before he gains control of the American continent. Get him out of that tower and run our own smear campaign
.
”

             
Jerry frowned at the comment
.“
Controlling America is not the same as controlling the planet. And even if he takes Earth, tha
t’
s only one chunk of one pillar of government
.
”

             
The chief executive shook his head
.“
If we lose Earth, even for a moment, the sharks will smell blood. There will be a hundred groups like the Hammer trying to take control. We do
n’
t have the military presence we used to, during the war. Not yet. By the time the dust settles, w
e’
ll be looking at taking back the planet one continent at a time, with civilian deaths in the billions
.
”

             
Adeline shifted on her feet, fighting the urge to speak up. Her resolved quickly gave away
.“
Sir, the Ambassador of Earth is just one man. He does
n’
t rule with impunity any more than you do. W
e’
ll still control the Planetary Congress, and Jonah has
n’
t made any moves against the courts
.
”

             
Admiral Gilroy rolled his eyes
.“
We lose the Ambassador slot, we lose Earth
.
”

             
Alexander looked at the young woman as though seeing her for the first time
.“
Miss Quinn, how old are you
?
”

             
“Twenty-six, sir
.
”

             
The High Chancellor nodded knowingly
.“
Then do
n’
t try to listen first. Each person in this room has decades of experience over you
.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders
.“
Jerry told me you were smart, and I can see that. But smart people often ignore one of lif
e’
s harsh truths
.
”

             
Adeline trembled, her voice faint as she spoke
.“
And what is that, sir
?
”

             
Alexande
r’
s eyes burned with a sudden fire
.“
Monsters like Jonah do
n’
t obey the laws we set. If he has control of one Pillar on Earth, he controls Earth. Simple as that. Within a few weeks, every judge and council member will be dead
.
”

             
“Tell me
,”
Jerry said
.“
How could he hold on to it? We would take Earth back within a few years, and with far fewer lives lost
.”
He watched the High Chancellor cross the room, oblivious to his words
.“
Damn it, Alexander. We do
n’
t have to think of this as all or nothing. We can give him a little slack and then reel him in
.
”

             
“A fractured civilization will invite its own ruin
,”
Alexander said, turning to face the room. No one spoke for a long while as those words resonated.

             
“Who said that
?”
Gilroy asked.

             
“Norton
.”
Alexander walked to the TV and turned up the volume
.“
The first Emperor of America
.
”

             
The anchor, a square-jawed man with tightly combed hair, continued reading from the teleprompter
.“
No word yet on Ambassador Jorda
n’
s take on the proposed meeting, but rumor has it that Arnold Rothsburg, CEO of Galactic Media and Chairman of the Earth Defense Committee might call for a vote of no confidence in the two term counsellor
.
”

             
Alexander shut off the set. He turned to face the two men, his face no longer weak but determined
.“
Jonah wants a fight. No matter how he starts this, h
e’
ll look for blood before its finished
.”
He turned to Jerry
.“
I need to know how that crazy doctor-friend of yours is doing
.
”

*              *              *              *              *

              Josh opened his eyes and immediately regretted the decision. Pain racked his body, keeping him locked to the bed. He moved his head slowly in each direction, every inch accompanied by painful clicks. The lights were dimmed in the room, but seemed unbearable all the same. Even his skin hurt, as though it were suddenly too tight or too sensitive to the air around it. His mouth tasted of metal and cotton.

             
He could hear groaning coming from the beds around him, but did
n’
t dare try to sit up. When he went to speak, his parched lips burned and his throat seized. He coughed, and it felt like his lungs were bursting. A nurse appeared suddenly, putting gentle pressure on his chest that nonetheless felt like fire. Tears streamed down his face, running toward the back of his head. Something must have gone wrong, he thought. The procedure backfired, or a complication from the injection. Maybe he was having an allergic reaction.

             
“Please
,”
a voice said
.“
Do
n’
t try to move
.”
Marko
v’
s face materialized a foot away, his mouth covered by a mask
.“
You have been in recovery for some time, and your body needs to rest. I do
n’
t want you to hurt yourself
.”
He pulled a sponge from a cup by the bed and stuck the corner in Jos
h’
s mouth, letting the soldier sip eagerly.

             
Josh swallowed enough water to wet his tongue
.“
How long have I been out
?”
Josh asked.

             
Markov shrugged
.“
Almost five weeks
.
”

             
Josh struggled to move, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest, but pain and the steady hands of the nursing staff kept him on the table. A needle jabbed into his arm, and he could feel the chemicals surge into his body. Almost immediately the pain eased, replaced by a sensation of warmth and peace.

             
“I know it must be a shock
,”
Markov said. He sounded truly sympathetic
.“
There were some necessary adjustments that needed to be made during the operation. The nanomachines needed to...restructure things so that you would be a more durable host. The process was intense and painful. We had most of you in medically-induced comas for the duration. The others came to after 72 hours
.
”

             
Josh fought through a wave of fatigue, his words slurring together
.“
What did you do to me
?
”