Never Surrender (The Empire's Corps Book 10) (27 page)

“Don’t say anything unless asked,” she told Gary and Kailee.  The official files stated that they were both trainees, who had bribed someone to be allowed on the ship, but their accents were too hard to change.  She'd gone to some trouble to devise a cover story for them, yet she knew it wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny.  “And then try and stay out of sight.”

It was nearly four hours before the customs boat came alongside.  Jasmine studied the ship with some interest; it wasn't much bigger than a standard heavy-lift shuttle, but someone had refitted the drive section to give it additional thrust at the expense of comfort.  She had a feeling, based on prior experience, that the boat couldn't carry more than thirty crewmen at most; indeed, if they’d automated as much as possible, she might only need one or two crewmen.  Indeed, there was no reason why the ship couldn't be largely automatic ...

Unless they run into trouble
, she thought. 
Or the unions start getting pissy about computers taking jobs from decent hard-working spacers.

She shook her head.  The Empire had tended to use larger ships, but they’d been deliberately designed without a phase drive, ensuring they could never leave their home system under their own power.  Wolfbane - and the Commonwealth - considered such designs inefficient.  But on the other hand, she had to admit, the reduced drive section gave the ship room for additional weapons and sensor blisters. 

And they were cheaper to build
, she recalled, as she strolled down to the airlock. 
The Empire considered them suitable for system defence as well as customs duties.

A dull thud echoed through the freighter as the two ships joined docking tubes.  The airlock hissed open a moment later, blowing a wave of cool air into the freighter.  Jasmine refused to shiver as four men appeared; one clearly old enough to be her father, the others not much older than Carl Watson.  Two of them had the pointy noses favoured by the system’s aristocracy, if Stubbins was to be believed.  Had they requested this duty because they believed it would be safer than serving in the military?

“God,” one of the younger ones muttered.  “What an ugly bitch.”

Jasmine pasted a smile on her face and stepped forward.  “Welcome to
Wandering Soul
,” she said, holding out a hand.  “I'm Captain Magana.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the old man said.  “I’m Lieutenant Roscoe.  If you’ll show us your manifest, we’ll get started.”

“Of course,” Jasmine said.  She pulled the chip from her jacket and held it out to him.  He took it and slotted it into his reader, while the younger men glanced around with the air of bored youngsters everywhere.  “I think you’ll find we have everything you need.”

“We’ll be the judges of that,” one of the younger men sneered.

Jasmine felt a flicker of sympathy for Lieutenant Roscoe.  It couldn't be easy riding herd on a trio of brats, particularly well-connected brats who couldn't be disciplined.  There was a reason, after all, that any aristocrats who entered Boot Camp were expected to change their names.  Roscoe glowered at his nominal subordinates, then glanced back at Jasmine as he released the chip.

“You have prospective immigrants onboard,” he said.  “You’ll have to take them to the planet for decontamination and registry procedures before they can take up any form of employment.”

“I understand,” Jasmine said.  “However, they were intending to seek employment on Prospero.”

“Should aim for Wolfbane,” Roscoe commented.  He didn't sound as if he really cared, or believed what he was saying.  Somehow, Jasmine wasn't surprised.  People like Roscoe rarely cared about anything beyond their work.  “There’s lots of jobs here for those willing to work.”

He smiled at her, tiredly.  “We have to give your ship a brief inspection,” he added.  “My men can see to that, while we wait here.”

Jasmine nodded, hoping that everyone stuck to the plan.  If the shit hit the fan ... she knew they could capture or kill all four inspectors, but she wasn't sure what they could do next, apart from try to take the customs ship.  And then ... an idea started to gestate in her head as she waited, silently planning out her next move.  It was nearly forty minutes before the three inspectors reappeared, looking amused.

“Nothing to report, sir,” one of them said.  “Just a pretty girl who refused to come with us.”

Jasmine couldn't help another stab of sympathy.  She’d been insulted to her face in a more respectful manner.

“What a smart girl,” Roscoe said.  He didn't seem inclined to care.  “Thank you, Captain, for your time.”

He led his subordinates back through the airlock, which slid closed and sealed after him with a sharp
bang
.  Jasmine shook her head in some amusement - the man hadn't even demanded a bribe - and then headed back to the bridge.  Kailee was sitting just outside the hatch, looking torn between amusement and irritation. 

“I could have hit him,” she said.  “He grabbed my butt and I could have hit him.”

“Good thing you didn't,” Jasmine said.  She understood the impulse, but it would have been disastrous.  At best, Kailee would have been beaten and she would have had to stand by and watch.  “Just think of it as pulling one over on him.”

“I know,” Kailee said.  She grinned, brightly.  “I could have been an actress after all!”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Furthermore, the Empire - by its own logic - was not only the dominant human power, but the only one.  All independent states had no right to exist.  If they wished to assert their independence, they were rebelling against the sole legitimate power and could be legally crushed. 

- Professor Leo Caesius. 
The Empire and its Prisoners of War.

Medusa,
Wolfbane System, Year 5 (PE)

“
That’s
an asteroid colony?”

“A mobile one, yes,” Frazier said, as the shuttle headed towards the colony.  “What were you expecting?”

Gary shrugged.  He’d seen a mining camp on Meridian, but that had been on the planet’s surface.  It had really been nothing more than a hole in the ground, surrounded by a fence and armed guards, while the workers were prisoners paying their debts to society.  He’d never really thought about what an asteroid mining station would look like, or how it might function, even though he would have liked to work on one.  It would have taken him away from Earth.

Medusa
looked rather like a crude spider, metal legs clinging to the asteroid’s rocky surface while the main body hung above the asteroid, as if it were preparing to start gnawing on the rock.  A pair of men in spacesuits were scrambling over the asteroid, which was larger than the entire freighter, while a small craft orbited above them, beaming lights down to the surface.  Pieces of rock were pulled free of the surface and launched up towards the spider, which caught them and sucked them into its maw.  Gary couldn't help admiring the precision of their movements, even though the whole station looked alarmingly simplistic.

He looked at Frazier, who was staring at the colony wistfully.  “What does it do?”

“The prospectors suck in ores - everything from simple iron and water to rarer elements like gold, palladium and suchlike - and either refine them themselves or forward the stockpiles to centralised reprocessing facilities,” Frazier said.  “You can make a good living if you find enough platinum group metals, enough to pay off your debts and mine without obligations to anyone.  I imagine even the Wolves pay considerably over the odds to get uninterrupted supplies to their shipyards.”

“They probably do,” Jasmine agreed.  “I would have thought the large-scale mining programs would be more efficient, though.”

“Depends what you want,” Frazier said.  “You still need to test prospective asteroids for mining prospects before you start work.  An independent can do that far more effectively than a bigger corporation.  They can also haggle over the price, which helps competition.”

“I bet the Governor loves that,” Jasmine observed.

“Probably,” Frazier agreed.  “Competition also helps efficiency.”

Gary sighed inwardly as the shuttle docked with the mining colony.  There was a faint hiss as the airlock opened, allowing the colony’s atmosphere to flow into the shuttle.  He gagged as the stench of too many unwashed humans greeted him, then swallowed hard to keep himself from vomiting.  Frazier looked far too amused at his plight for Gary’s peace of mind.

“I thought you said these people were
clean
,” he protested.  But then, the freighter hadn't smelled too good either, when they’d boarded the craft.  “Why do they smell?”

“Too much reprocessed air, I fancy,” Frazier said.  He paused.  “I wouldn't say anything about it if I were you.  Not only will you get used to the smell if you don’t think about it, they will regard it as an insult.  It’s going to be hard enough to convince them to help without you insulting them to their faces.”

He led the way through the airlock and, after a moment, Gary followed him, with Jasmine bringing up the rear.  The sound of something flapping in the distance caught his ear as he entered the colony, then he blinked in surprise as he saw a young boy standing in front of him, wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts.  He couldn't have been any older than eight.

“Hi,” the boy said.  “Dad wants me to bring you to him.”

“It’s been a while, Brian,” Frazier said gravely.  “You were five when I saw you last, I think.”

Brian nodded, then turned and walked towards a solid metal airlock, which hissed open as he approached.  The temperature rose rapidly as they stepped through - Gary felt sweat tickling down his back - suggesting one reason why everyone was scantily-clad.  They passed two older boys and a girl, the latter wearing nothing more than a pair of shorts herself; Gary had to remind himself not to stare as they walked past.  Public nudity had been unknown on Earth, at least without compulsion, while no one in their right mind went naked on Meridian, when it was easy to get scratched or bitten.  The idea of casual public nudity was alien to him - and more than a little disturbing.

“It’s a different place,” Jasmine said, very quietly.  “And it is also very safe.”

Gary sighed, feeling a stab of bitter envy.  Children on Meridian were safe because they were taught to fight, to defend themselves, to use weapons; children on the asteroid were safe because there were no threats in their tiny community.  Earth ... he shook his head bitterly, understanding - once again - why Kailee wanted them to learn how to defend themselves against all threats.  The universe simply wasn't safe.

“I know,” he muttered back.  He glanced into a side room and saw three children, perched in front of a teaching machine.  “What happens when this place is attacked?”

Jasmine shook her head.  “You don’t want to know.”

They stepped into a command centre, where a dark-skinned man was standing next to a lady with blue skin and a single green eye.  The other had been replaced with a prosthetic sensor that spun constantly, fixing on something for a long second and then moving to the next shiny thing.  Gary couldn't help feeling uncomfortable being near her, even though it was hard to keep his eyes off her bare breasts.  There was something about such casual mutilation of the human form that sickened him.

“Jim,” the man said.  He sounded pleased to see Frazier.  “You’re back!”

“Pete,” Frazier said.  He nodded to the girl.  “And Andor.  It’s good to see you both.”

“You sound tired,” Andor said.  Her eye implant froze, studying Frazier’s face.  “What happened?”

“It's something of a long story,” Frazier said.  He took a breath.  “Last time we spoke, you told me you wanted out of this system.  Is that still true?”

“Yes,” Pete said.  “This is getting to be an awkward place to raise children.”

Jasmine took a step forward.  “In what way?”

“They’re no longer as intrusive as Earth used to be,” Andor said.  “But we do get regular inspections and ...”

She shrugged.  Gary understood and he was sure Jasmine did too.  The children must be their sons and daughters ... and they were running around, nearly-naked, in front of intruding customs officers, one of whom had grabbed Kailee’s butt during his inspection.  Who knew what atrocities would be committed on a defenceless mining platform?  He could see the value of not bothering to get dressed, when there was no reason to wear anything, but he wouldn't do it on Earth.  It would leave him utterly defenceless.

“Then we have an offer for you,” Frazier said.  He leaned forward.  “We can take you out of this system, in exchange for a service.”

Pete and Andor exchanged glances.  “And take us where?”  Pete asked.  “We have little interest in going somewhere we would be separated.  Or regarded as deviant.”

“The Commonwealth,” Jasmine said.  “Or the Trade Federation, if you wish.  You would be rewarded with enough money to buy a whole new asteroid miner, or a starship, or even a small fleet of starships.  But we will expect you to work for us until we leave.”

“We need to talk.” Pete said.  He pulled his wife into the corner of the room, then looked back at them.  “And I may need to run it past the others.”

Gary looked up at Jasmine, who looked unconcerned.  It had to be an act, he was sure, yet he couldn't see any cracks in it.  This was the one moment when they risked total exposure; too deep in the system to escape, too far from the shipyard or anywhere else to do any real damage before they were killed.  And yet Jasmine looked completely calm.  What did she know he didn’t?  Or was it merely an act?

“They’re not monsters,” he muttered.  “Why would anyone see them as deviant?”

“They’re a group-marriage,” Frazier explained.  “Pete is married to four other men and five women.  The children they have are a mixed group; some of them are biologically Pete’s, but he’s one of the fathers of
all
of them.  Even the Rim has problems accepting such an arrangement, son.  It tangles up the normal inheritance and breeding standards something awful.”

He sighed.  “The Trade Federation would probably be happy to have them,” he added, “but there would still be issues.  It wouldn't be a pleasant problem to resolve.”

Pete stamped back over to face them.  “You’ve put me and my family in awful danger,” he snarled.  “I assume you have a plan to keep us under control?”

“It will look as though we have occupied your asteroid,” Jasmine said.  She held up one hand before he could say a word.  “I apologise for the necessity of our actions, but ...”

“My family could be slaughtered if this goes wrong,” Pete snapped.  “And you haven't given us much of a choice, have you?  How are you any better than the bastards holding Jim’s daughters as hostages?”

Gary saw Jasmine’s eyes flicker, just for a second.  It wasn't a pleasant thought.  He'd learned, at school, that the abusers were often people who had been abused themselves.  It had given him some pleasure to think that Barry or Moe might have been beaten by their parents, but he hadn't really believed it.  How could he think otherwise?  Big strong assholes like them couldn't be beaten to within an inch of their lives by anyone.  And yet ...

Jasmine
had
been a prisoner.  And she
had
taken hostages herself.  Had she crossed the line already, assuming there
was
a line for the marines ... or was she
worried
about crossing the line.  He wondered, absently, if there was anything he could do, but he couldn’t think of any options.  Everything she’d done could be justified far too easily.

And perhaps that’s the problem
, he thought. 
We rationalise everything we do far too easily.

“Wolfbane has to be stopped,” Jasmine said, finally.  “You want to leave this system, with enough money to ensure you don't ever have to split up.  The Commonwealth will grant you that, if you assist us; even if you want to be treated as prisoners, we will still pay you.  But we cannot leave, or go elsewhere.  There’s no other way to get into the system.”

Pete bunched his fists, as if he intended to take a swing at Jasmine.  Gary hoped - prayed - he wouldn't do anything of the sort.  Jasmine was probably faster than him, perhaps stronger ... and she had armed men within five minutes of the asteroid colony.  She didn't want a fight, but she could win one if she had no choice. 

That’s why she’s confident
, Gary realised. 
She’s covered all the bases in advance
.

“You’d better make damn sure we get the family out before the shit hits the fan,” Pete growled.  “And that you pay us enough to make it worth our while.”

“We will,” Jasmine promised.  “Now, call in your crew and I’ll call in my people, then we can sit down and have a long chat.”

It took longer than Gary had expected for the asteroid miners to finally come to terms with the unexpected visitors.  They were a diverse lot - at least one of them sounded as though she was from Earth - and not all of them liked the idea of taking sides.  The more he thought about it, the less Gary blamed them.  They’d been dragged into the middle of a war that could easily cost them everything.

“Make sure everything is secured,” Jasmine ordered, once the asteroid miners had finally surrendered to the inevitable.  “I want all weapons and long-range communications gear rounded up, then stored on the freighter.  Once that’s done, we can start preparing to take the children out of the system.”