Interesting Times - Chapter 40

October 24th, 2173

01:54 Local Time

Illium, Tesale-System

Nos Astra

Ad Astra Branch-HQ

I walked into the command room with purposeful steps. The shower and fresh clothes helped me feel truly alive again. Even the remaining vestiges of my headaches had disappeared. 

Perhaps it was the pills I had been given by Dr. Hermann or the hot shower followed by a cold one. In the end, it didn't matter why, and I was just happy that the annoying fog that had impeded my thoughts wasn't around anymore. 

Vice-Commander Sheryll Olivier had waited for me outside the room with two Ad Astra security guards and escorted me to the command room. The Vice-Commander led the way from the front, and the two guards were only half a step behind me to my left and right sides. They weren't taking any chances with my security, and a discreet look from me revealed that they were hyper-vigilant about anything that was going on around them, even inside the building. 

Perhaps, they acted a bit too paranoid. An attack on me inside the heart of Ad Astras' building was almost an impossibility, but I couldn't hold it against them. 

After all, an attack outside the building had been improbable too, yet the events a few days ago showed them that improbable didn't mean impossible. I would give it a few weeks before this new level of vigilance returned to the previous one. Well, a few weeks after the Illium situation got resolved. 

On our way to the command room, I got a grasp of the general atmosphere inside the building. Everywhere we passed, there was tension in the air, and the closer we got to the command room, the thicker it became. 

Yet, I could also feel how some of that tension disappeared whenever some of my employees got a look at me, walking tall and uncowed through the halls. I had made sure, even before I left the bathroom, that my expression showed no signs of worry and that the only emotion anyone could glean from it was the steely determination to bring the situation to a satisfactory end. 

When I entered the command room, the hairs on my arm stood up, and I could feel the electric tension of the room washing over my whole body as if I had just another shower. 

The first word that came to mind when I observed the ongoings was "controlled chaos." 

On the left and right sides of the room, people either sat at holographic workstations analyzing the incoming pieces of information or running around coordinating with their fellows. 

The far side was dominated by dozens of smaller video screens centered around another much bigger screen where information about the ongoing operations on Illium got displayed. At the same time, several live video feeds played, showing ongoing operations on the lower streets. 

The middle of the room was slightly elevated, and a table displaying a holographic model of the operational area filled most of the space. 

Standing right in front of the table with her back turned to me stood a woman with short-cropped blond hair. Her head moved up and down to look at the holographic display and the video feeds in front of her, probably comparing the two sources of information. 

I could only see her back, but I recognized her immediately. Anything else would have been embarrassing for me. After all, if I didn't recognize the Commander of the local Ad Astra Security Forces, it would mean that I wasn't in the condition to make decisions that could cost people's lives. 

As I walked toward the center of the room, I got a better look at the Commander of my security forces, and a small frown appeared on my face. 

If Commander Cathrine Abebe had to be described in one word, the word I would choose would be stern. She was a no-nonsense woman that didn't take kindly to people joking around on duty. Yet, there were also instances where she overlooked people breaking regulations, especially whenever she recently talked with her daughter, that was living with her ex-husband on Amaterasu. 

In the same manner, the people under her command knew to give her a wide berth when she talked to her ex since doing that always put her in an unforgiving mood. I didn't know if it was true, but rumors were floating around that she made people run laps around the whole building for breathing too loud. 

"Commander Abebe, what's the situation up here?" I asked as I got closer.

She turned her head and looked at me with her poison-green eyes, that somehow meshed very well with her slightly darker skin tone. 

"Could be worse," Commander Abebe grumbled, her voice a soothing alto. "Our forces are still getting pushed back at the Lelei-docks, but they're holding the line better now than a few hours ago. Our current position is well-defended, and it will take the enemy more than a few tries and dozens of people to dislodge us from it. I won't lie and say it will hold indefinitely, but our men will take their pound of flesh before they're forced to give it up." 

"Very good. We will need the docks to keep the company running," I commented, scratching my chin with my index finger as I thought about the situation. "Furthermore, the Lelei-docks are much too close to HQ, in my opinion. If the enemy takes them, it will take too much time for additional forces from outside the system to land and make their way here. By the way, what is the response from Illium's government? I can't imagine that the police forces are doing nothing after this sudden outbreak of violence." 

"In that regard, you would be wrong, Mr. Denebren," responded Commander Abebe negatively while shaking her head. "Officially, this isn't more than a minor altercation between two rival gangs, and the government officials only released a travel warning to the area. The Illium Police Force sent three teams to investigate, and only two returned. And those two swear that they saw nothing that would require any obvious show of force from the Police department and that they didn't know what happened to the third team. In their words, this gang war should be over in less than two weeks, and the best they could do would be to let it happen." 

"Somebody is making sure the conflict stays under the radar. Someone with enough influence in the government and police circles. Else, the police wouldn't sit on their thumbs. They got a slew of bad press last year, and they wouldn't miss this opportunity to present themselves in a good light otherwise," I deduced. 

Commander Abebe grimaced, and the tightening of her face highlighted the small scars that were all over her face from the dozens of conflicts she had been in. 

"Whatever the reason," she said," on the one hand, I'm glad that we won't have to worry about their involvement. After all, they could hinder us just as much as our opponents. On the other hand, they probably would have been decent help." 

She thought for a moment about her statement before she scoffed quietly. "Well, there would be more people, at least. I know what their equipment is like. Good enough for the smaller gangs around the plant, but since we're dealing with a platoon of Eclipse mercenaries here, they wouldn't be more than a short distraction." 

"What is your recommendation?" I asked, turning the topic away from Illium's police force and their nonexistent help. "How should we proceed? I don't know all the details, and military tactics and strategies are your area of expertise anyway." 

"Having more men on the ground would be a good first step. But I don't know where I should get them from. There is unrest at all our branches after the news about the attack on you got released, and most could only spare a few men. Not enough to justify sending them here, and traveling around to collect them all would have been a time-consuming endeavor. Furthermore, most of our forces are bound to the border between the Alliance, the Batarian Hegemony, and the Terminus Systems for anti-piracy operations and to keep our interests safe."

"Any projections on how my appearance on the news would change that?" I asked. "The slight unrest should calm down after that, at least, I hope so. It would free up more people." 

"While that is true, we can't bank on that. And even then, with the fighting happening in the Batarian Hegemony, we still can't get our most experienced people from the border. After all, the fighting could easily spill over into the Alliance." 

Fighting inside the Hegemony? It seems like some important events happened while I was unconscious. 

The confusion I felt must have appeared on my face as Commander Abebe was about to explain, but before she could utter a word, I held up my left hand and shook my head negatively. 

Getting the abridged summary about the galactic events of the last few days could wait for a few moments more. The problem at hand was far more important right now in my eyes. 

"So we need numbers and people with experience," I mused. 

"In the best-case scenario, it would be numbers with experience. If we sent for every person the different branches could free up, we would have the numbers at least. And among them, there will be people with experience. But it won't do us much good. Most of them will get slaughtered if they encounter trained Eclipse mercenaries. They're trained as guards and for policing actions, not for fighting like soldiers. Our forces here had the same problem. The people under my command are slowly adapting to the challenges they face, but it cost us good men." 

I pondered on the question for a few moments. We needed more people on the ground, and they needed to have some experience in battlefield tactics and going against opponents that knew how to handle the weapons in their hands. Sadly, Commander Abebe was right. Most of Ad Astra's forces were simple security guards, and even our Strike-Teams wouldn't be enough to turn the tide by themselves. Besides, there weren't enough of them, and almost all were in positions where withdrawal could spell disaster. 

Furthermore, it wasn't just people we needed. We needed equipment too. The Commander hadn't spoken of it yet, but I knew the equipment our troops here on Illium used wasn't the best we had in stock. 

In an ideal world, our troops would use the newest generation, but those were reserved for the Alliance military. 

To prevent the accusation that I was building a private army, I signed a few agreements that prohibited me from equipping my security forces with the same gear I supplied the military with. Not that a single generation between the models would make a significant difference, but it kept my detractors quiet. It created an illusion of superiority for the Alliance military, and that image was important. Besides, it also created the image that I put the protection of the Alliance as a whole before my own self, and that kind of image would only further help me when I started to concentrate fully on politics. 

Yet, as my thoughts turned to the equipment issue, an idea suddenly popped into my head, and a sly smile crept onto my face.

"Sir?" questioned Commander Abebe when she saw the smile on my face. "Do you have an idea?" 

"I would like to think so," I answered cryptically and turned to one of the communication officers running around, identifying him by the color of the border of the Ad Astra Security Forces patch sewn to the right shoulder of his uniform. "Please open a connection to Commander Svenson on Praxium III. The security code is XX23A-453GF-SPARTA." 

The communication officer acknowledged my order with a salute and ran to his station to open the connection as fast as possible. 

Commander Abebe looked at me with a questioning look but decided to stay quiet for the moment and trusted that I knew what I was doing. 

I stood to Commander Abebe's left and leaned slightly forward with my hands on the holographic table to support my weight as I looked forward at the biggest screen on the opposite wall. At first, it still showed the bird's eye view of the current operational area before it turned into a black screen with the writing "Establishing Connection."

It didn't take long before the screen changed once again and showed the bored face of a man in uniform. He wore a pair of black glasses and the brown eyes behind it were half closed. All in all, the person I suspected was Commander Svenson's secretary looked like he had just woken up. Since I didn't know the time on Praxium III, that could very well be true, but it still somehow annoyed me to see such a lax attitude. And the moment when the secretary opened his mouth didn't help in the slightest to reduce that feeling. 

"You reached Commander Svenson's office. How can I help you?" he asked, yet didn't look up from whatever he was reading. 

"I would like to talk to the Commander," I said and did my best to not let the annoyance I felt influence my tone. Apparently, this so-called secretary hadn't even checked the connection code, or else he would have seen that it was a priority one code, specifically my code, and he would have put me straight through to the Commander. 

"Do you have an appointment?" 

"No, I wasn't aware I would need one," I responded. 

"The Commander is a very busy man. If you leave your name and a preferred time, I will check if the Commander is available then." 

I could almost physically feel how my thread of patience snapped, one fiber after the other. 

"How about now?" I growled, the aggression and annoyance clear in my voice. "And my name is Oscar Denebren. So put me through to Commander Svenson, or I will make sure that you won't find another job inside Alliance and Citadel territory for the rest of your pathetic life. I neither have the time nor the patience to deal with this kind of shit." 

The secretary finally looked up, and I felt a good bit of satisfaction in the way his eyes widened in shock and fear at my words. His whole demeanor changed in the blink of an eye, and he choked out a fearful: "Of course, sir. At once, sir." He pushed a few buttons on the keyboard in front of him, and the screen changed again to black before the picture of another man appeared. 

This one looked far more awake and ready than the previous one. And that was one fact that I was glad for, else I probably wouldn't be able to calm down in the slightest, and the Commander wouldn't hold onto his job for much longer. Yet, I knew that Commander Svenson wasn't the kind of person I would have any problems with from here on out. 

Commander Svenson was a man in his late fifties with dark blue eyes and blonde hair with dozens of grey streaks. His weatherbeaten face spoke of a life that was by no mean easy, but the deep laughter lines that looked like they were carved into his face, also added to the story that there had been enough happy times too. 

He looked up the moment the connection was established, and his eyes widened minimally when he saw who was calling him. 

"Sir, it's good to see you awake," Commander Svenson greeted me and threw a hasty salute. "My men have been a bit restless since they got the news. They already wanted to pack their things and travel to Illium to give whoever's behind this situation a piece of their mind." 

There was a joyful glint in his eyes, and an easy smile played over his lips. 

"Glad to hear that," I answered with a smile, thankful that it seemed like I choose correctly. "In fact, I would like to see that happen. And as fast as possible, too. We could use the help here on Illium." 

"What's happening on Illium?" Commander Svenson asked. Any hint of joy at seeing me unharmed disappeared and got replaced by seriousness. 

"A gang war and some tussles with Eclipse mercenaries. All staged by whoever's behind the attack on me. We need more people with experience on the ground. That's why I called you." 

"I definitely have more than enough people that know which end of the rifle to point at the enemy. And I don't even have to ask them if they're willing to come, but to relocate my people will ruffle some feathers. And not just of those in the military, some desk jockeys in the government will also try to get in the way." 

"Leave that to me," I declared with finality. "While some will try to get in the way, the people I know that will help me are better placed than those. Furthermore, when I call my associates, I'm going to call it a live-fire exercise or that we're going to test the equipment in high-stress situations." 

Commander Svenson blinked a few times before he started to laugh loudly. 

"Live-fire exercise, huh? The men are going to love this. While our staged battles are great training, and we learn every kink and quirk of our equipment, nothing can replace the experience of an actual battle." 

"Any doubts that your men can handle this? As you said, they're very well trained, but they don't have any actual experience." 

"They won't hesitate if that's what you're worried about," declared Commander Svenson. "It is true that they're not real soldiers, but they won't lose to anybody else in the Ad Astra Security Forces." He scratched his head with his right hand, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, except for those guys on Anti-Piracy duty. Those guys are pretty hardcore when they get going. My guys can hold their own on the ground, but they got put down -and hard at that- when it came to boarding exercises." 

"Then it is good that we will need them on the ground. How fast can you redeploy?" 

"It will take a day to get everything ready, so I estimate that we will be on Illium in 72 hours from now on." 

"Alright, 72 hours is the deadline. I believe we will be able to hold out for so long," I said while glancing to the side to see Commander Abebe's reaction. She responded with a nod to my unasked question, but I noticed that she looked a bit tense, so I guessed that while we would be able to hold onto our current positions for so long, it would take a lot out of the men defending them. "Try to be faster than this if it is possible. Or send in a vanguard, and bring the newest toys in with the second wave. We need those men as soon as possible." 

"I'll do my best, sir," responded Commander Svenson with another salute and ended the connection, to begin with his work. 

As far as I knew him, he would get to work right this moment, and it wouldn't take more than an hour or two until all units under his command would scramble to get their things ready as fast as possible. 

And me? I was just happy that the manpower issue got solved. It was one less problem on my list. 

I turned my attention to the communication officer who established the connection to Commander Svenson and said: "Please check which transports are the closest to Praxium III and redirect them there. They will need more than the two frigates that are there. Use the priority code OLEG-4435-DEN. It should make things run smoothly. As long as their operators aren't as dense as that secretary." I whispered the last sentence more to myself to vent the remaining annoyance I felt, but Commander Abebe heard me and agreed with a grunt. 

Apparently, she felt the same as I did. Not very surprising as she was a stickler for the rules, but since that guy wasn't under her command, she couldn't censor him for his conduct. 

Instead, she asked me the question that had been burning on her tongue since I asked to be connected to Commander Svenson. 

"If I may ask, Mr. Denebren," she began, hesitating momentarily before she continued, "but who is Commander Svenson? I haven't heard of him before today." 

"Not very surprising," I answered. "Commander Svenson has been in Ad Astra's service as the Commander of the Testing Corpse for nearly a decade. He lost his leg during his time in the Alliance military, and can't act as a regular commander anymore. Yet, his mind is still as sharp as ever, and he has a knack for finding new and inspired ideas to use tactics and equipment outside the usual standards. He's heading the Testing Corpse, a unit that is charged with testing every piece of equipment that comes out of Ad Astra and its subsidiaries' factories before the Alliance gets the chance to add them to their arsenal. They test everything, from weapons and vehicles to mundane things like backpacks. 

Furthermore, they do it in every environment possible. Urban, mountains, deserts, jungle, and grassy plains. While Praxium III doesn't have all those terrains on the planet itself, the surrounding moons and planets have them. The star system is perfect for the testing process." 

"And how many people does he have under his command?" 

"Around 200 people," I said, noticing how her eyes widened at my words. 

"200?" she repeated unbelievingly, especially since she hadn't heard of the unit before today. 

"It only got to this number two years ago. Before that, they only had around forty, but Svenson came up with some good arguments during a meeting with some Alliance brass to get permission to increase the number. It is to simulate ground warfare more realistically and whatnot. In exchange, they are not allowed to operate outside the Praxium system, but since these are extraordinary circumstances, I'm sure I can bend the rules for some time before anyone tries to use the situation for their benefit. I will use up some goodwill for that, but that will recover in time." 

"Right now," responded Commander Abebe after pulling herself together after learning about Ad Astra's hidden strength, "I don't really care. I just want those men here and finally get back at Eclipse." 

"Agreed," I added before changing the topic. "And since our manpower problem is now solved, what can you tell me about the situation in the rest of the galaxy? Your second-in-command mentioned something about the Batarian Hegemony?" 

"There is conflicting news coming out of there, but most speak of a planet up in arms because of the assassination of some kind of religious man. Apparently, some Batarian noble ordered his execution, and the lower classes are up in arms about it. The most outrageous rumors claim that the whole planet is rebelling against the ruling class." 

"Oh," I said, interest shining in my eyes, and I could feel how a smile started to stretch over my face. "Please tell me more. It sounds interesting." 

And it was interesting. I didn't know if that was Andrew's intention or just a beneficial side-effect, but everything that caused the Batarians trouble was sure to benefit the Alliance.