Arla arched a brow. “But ‘queen’?”
“Has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?” Tremon’s face split into a grin. “And we’re in no place to have Genevia-wide elections.”
Oda’s customary grimace deepened. “For all intents and purposes, this is Genevia.”
“I think the people of Blue Ridge, Iberia, and by this point, Parsons, would all disagree with that. They were liberated before Genevia, so why would they have no voice in this?”
Arla and Oda shared a look before Arla spoke. “Because this is the capital.”
“The capital of what?” Rika asked. “The only reason Genevia was freed before a host of other systems was because the Nietzschean emperor was here. And he was here because of the Capeton shipyards. None of this had anything to do with Genevia being inherently special—politically speaking, that is.”
<You know that’s not true,> Niki admonished.
<I do, but I’m not going to cede that point without a fight. It’s not instant leverage they get to use against us.>
“Surely you can’t be serious,” Arla said, rising to the bait. “There is huge significance to freeing the Genevia System. I can’t believe that someone who has made it as far as you wouldn’t be able to see that.”
“I see that it’s a big symbol to you,” Rika replied. “But I grew up far from here, was enslaved by people who ruled from here, and then was their slave in a war that they botched and lost.”
Tremon looked uncomfortable at Rika’s words, and she wished that they didn’t include him in their accusations, but they did. There was nothing either of them could do about that part of their respective pasts.
“I wouldn’t say we botched—” Arla began, but Rika interrupted her.
“Are you going to look at what my Marauders have done in the past year and tell me that the GAF used us properly during the war? Because I’ll tell you this, if I had been in command, we would never have lost. Genevia would have defeated Nietzschea, without a doubt.”
A look of innocence settled on Oda’s face. “The man responsible for all of that sits beside you.”
Rika shrugged. “He apologized, and I believe him.”
“And yet you blame us.” Oda spoke the words as a statement, not a question.
“I think that’s your guilt speaking.” Rika fixed him with a steely-eyed stare. “What I was getting at was not that I have a list of people to blame, but that Genevia holds no special place in my heart.”
A scowl settled on Arla’s brow. “Well, you’re going to have to forgive us for being a bit nervous talking to a woman who is carrying enough weaponry to kill us a dozen times over.”
Rika laughed. “That must be a part of why we lost the war—you don’t have the most basic understanding of a mech’s abilities. My weapons could kill you a thousand times over.”
<That probably didn’t help,> Niki commented.
<No, but it sure made me feel better. Any word on where Arla’s been hiding?>
<Still working on it.>
“OK,” Tremon’s tone was mollifying. “None of us are here to do harm to the others, but let’s set aside that talk.”
“Fine.” Oda nodded. “Then we can discuss the interim government that will take care of Genevia until such time as we can hold elections.”
“I’ll listen to your thoughts,” Rika replied with a casual swipe of her hand. “But we already have our own plans in motion.”
As Oda launched into a spiel about how he and Arla were uniquely qualified to manage Genevia’s affairs, Rika reached out to Leslie.
<I feel like things will come to a head today. Where are we on Oda’s messages?>
<Piper and I are certain that we have the location of the trigger device, my liege.>
<You’re so funny,> Rika drawled. <I’m going to put a filter on our conversations to change words I don’t like.>
<Oh where’s the fun in that?> Leslie complained. <I’m working up quite the lexicon. I’ll be the most well-versed lady of your court in all the proper manners, pomp, and ceremony.>
<Sure,> Rika sent a derisive sound along with the word. <I’d actually pay good credit to see you do pomp and ceremony. Oh core. He’s talking about changes to the currency now. We just finished establishing a system-wide bank to stabilize the economy. Where’s he been?>
<He’s ignoring what you’ve done to undermine you.>
<I’m going to undermine him right out the window,> Rika grunted. <I should probably pay attention again. Keep me posted.>
<Will do, Your Highness.>
* * * * *
“OK,” Leslie addressed her team after closing the connection with Rika. “Our baddies are in here somewhere. They’ve got the signal trigger, so we just have to find them, disable it, and then we can go for hot dogs.”
“Wait, Captain,” Kor held up a hand. “Why hot dogs? I like burgers.”
Leslie shrugged. “It just sounded good. You can have a burger if you want.”
“Awesome, I—”
“Kor, would you shut up,” Sergeant Alison grunted. “Just cover Jenisa’s six, or I’ll make you eat your own hot dog.”
He cocked his head, and Leslie knew he was grinning. “I’d rather have Fred’s hot dog.”
Fred slapped away Kor’s outstretched hand. “You touch my hot dog, and I’ll cut off your hand and swap it out for a toaster.”
“I’d rather have a pot for boiling hot dogs.”
“Wait,” Jenisa shook her head. “I thought you preferred burgers?”
“Damn, I do.”
Jenisa clapped a hand on his shoulder. “And now you’re gonna eat Fred’s dick.”
“Like hell he is.”
“People,” Alison hissed. “Can we focus?”
“I’d just like to say,” Randy chimed in, “that I’m a vegetarian. But Fred’s hot dog doesn’t have any meat, so I think I could eat it in a pinch.”
“Maybe a corndog,” Kor mused.
Alison took a step toward him, and he backed away.
“OK, OK. Sorry, Sarge. Just having a little fun.”
“Yeah, well, go have fun on the route I assigned you. Wait…no. No fun. None of you have any fun. Just do your damn jobs.”
The four mechs in the fireteam split up, moving out of the small loading bay and into the building beyond. Kor was still laughing softly, and Leslie couldn’t help smiling along with him.
“I love working with your team, Alison. I’m really glad you didn’t all die back at Iberia.”
“Uhh…thanks? I think?”
“Kidding, Alison. Well, about joking about you dying. Not about working with your team.”
The sound of a low sigh came from the SMI-4. “Well, someone has to.”
“The words of someone who needs a vacation, I think.”
“What?” Alison lifted a hand to her shoulder and checked a charge cylinder pouch. “I suppose, maybe. It’s just hard being in Genevia—especially on Belgium.”
“Is it?” Leslie asked. “Why?”
“It’s where I was mechanized,” the SMI-4 said with a shrug. “It’s nuts. I’ve walked battlefields where comrades have fallen, and not been as fazed as I am just sharing a planet with the facility that turned me into a mech.”
“OK…that is a bit odd.” Leslie’s tail whipped from side to side as she considered the rationale behind the sergeant’s statement.
“Sheesh, Captain, I was looking for support.”
“Oh! Sorry, at first, I thought this was the ‘here be the crucible that forged me’ speech. I’m still catching up.”
Alison snorted. “Barne’s wearing off on you.”
“Hey,” Leslie growled. “That’s not the sort of thing you say to your CO.”
“You’re not my CO. Captain Chase is.”
“Yeah, well, I used to be, so don’t forget it.”
Neither woman spoke for several minutes, watching the feeds on their HUDs, which showed
the two teams moving around the perimeter of the building’s first floor while drones began to sweep through the interior.
It was most likely that their target was on an upper floor, but they needed to ensure that each level was clear—or at least flag any enemies—before climbing to the next.
In all honesty, the mission wasn’t that important in Leslie’s eyes. Worst-case scenario, a broadcast would go out informing the system that Oda was the leader of Genevia, and Rika would counter that with a simple message that Belgium was the capital and to continue to direct requests through her.
It would have been nice if they’d already been able to perform the complex dance that David, Niki, and Piper had worked out, but it was still in progress—though by day’s end, Vargo Klen should be in command of a host of ships that had been captured in the battle or taken from the shipyards. Once that happened, a smooth progression of events would lead to Rika’s inevitable assumption of power.
“What do you think Rika really makes of all this?” Alison asked.
“You reading my thoughts?”
“I suspect it’s what every Marauder is thinking already. We all want to keep Rika as our old lady. Being queen suits her, so long as she gets to remain the warrior as well.”
Leslie remembered the first time she’d laid eyes on Rika. The woman had been shipped to Berlin in a cryo tube, and it had been up to the members of Team Basilisk to reassemble her, which they had, only to learn that she’d been purchased at auction.
Leslie had never told Rika, but when the woman’s blue eyes had first snapped open in that cryo tube, they’d been filled with fear, loathing, and regret. These had been replaced with anger and a fire that only Rika possessed, but one that had lessened over time.
Even her personal growth is inspiring.
“I guess you’re right,” she finally replied to the SMI-4. “Rika’s our warrior queen. Accept no substitute.”
<You two seeing this?> Jenisa asked a moment later.
Leslie tapped the private’s feed and saw that she’d come upon a makeshift comm array near the northeast corner of the building.
<And here I thought it would be on the roof,> Leslie said. <But it looks like the antenna is right there.>
<It’s kinda big, though,> Jenisa said. <Why’s it so big?>
<Piper?> Leslie reached out to the AI. <I hate to always be pestering you, but we have a bit of a curiosity here.>
<Leslie, you were instrumental in freeing me from eternal slavery. I will always answer your call.>
<You have a thing for me?> she asked with a laugh. <Wait, no, don’t answer that. Barne would not go there.>
<You had a question?> the AI asked.
Leslie sent him a feed of the comm array, while Alison asked, <Why is it unprotected?>
An explosion rocked the building, and Leslie swore as the two rushed inside.
<You just had to say that.>
* * * * *
“…so you see, that’s why we need to restructure the military complex to support that type of defense buildup.” Arla spoke the words slowly, as though she were instructing children. “Does that make sense?”
<Tremon, it didn’t make any sense at all. Is that on me or her,> Rika asked privately.
<I couldn’t say. I fell asleep halfway through. I used to think she was shrewd…. I wonder if she just bored people to get her way. I mean, seriously. We don’t need to worry about a ten-year plan for defense buildup against Nietzschea.>
Rika resisted the urge to nod. <And you’d think we hadn’t told her that five or six times.>
<I think it was eight.>
<Leslie,> Rika hoped the woman had good news. <Have you got that trigger device squared away?>
<Working on it.> The captain’s tone was clipped. <More baddies here than we expected, and we’re still working out exactly what we have. I think it might be a system that will allow wide-band Link takeover so that everyone will get the transmission. I’m not sure it would work that well, but Jenisa is planting nano on it so Piper can take a look inside.>
<I have an initial interface,> Piper joined in the conversation. <The system identifies itself as KK100, whatever that is.>
Rika could feel Tremon stiffen at her side, and she glanced at him. He was still talking with Arla and Oda as though nothing was wrong, but there was a tightness around his eyes.
<Are you sure,> he asked.
<It’s stamped into the console,> Leslie replied. <What is it?>
<A device…a device that’s used to drop mechs where they stand. We built a vulnerability into all of you that could be used to seize control of your bodies and render you unconscious.>
Rika’s lips pressed together, almost disappearing entirely. <Tremon, we have to talk about secrets later.>
<I thought they were all destroyed! We didn’t want them to fall into the hands of the Niets when they took Genevia. We still hoped we could hold onto a few systems at that point, and mechs were key to the strategy. In her position, Arla knew everything about the mech program. She must have grabbed one or knew where one was stashed.>
When she didn’t reply, he added, <There are…a lot of things I wish I hadn’t done. I’ll try to think of others I need to bring up. I’ve just spent a lot of time repressing them.>
<No.> Rika’s thoughts briefly touched on several memories she’d rather not have. <Don’t go sifting through your recollections for a litany of sins. We all have them, and dragging them up isn’t helpful.>
<OK…but I’ll try to think of ones pertinent to the mech program. It would be good to get some of it off my chest.>
Rika and Tremon had shared their last few thoughts privately, and she quickly addressed Leslie and Piper, who she knew would be waiting.
<Looks like that thing knocks out mechs. A bit of a final solution for us, should we go rogue.>
<It won’t work,> Niki said with a laugh. <What a bunch of idiots.>
<Are you sure?> Rika asked her AI. <I assume you think that with our Mark 4 upgrades from the ISF, we’re no longer vulnerable to whatever the KK100 does.>
<Yeah, they left your bio interfaces the same, so your bodies feel the same as they did before, but for all intents and purposes, the ISF rebuilt all the mechs from the ground up.>
<But they didn’t exactly put full-scale ISF tech into us,> Rika countered. <They had to make sure that we were still field-repairable by our own people.>
<True…>
Piper sent what he likely thought was a throat-clearing sound, but which came across more like a chair being dragged across the floor. <We need to treat it like a threat. Maybe it does nothing, maybe it kills you all. I’m working on disabling the device.>
<And we’re still searching for who or what might be the message trigger, if there is such a thing. We might have misinterpreted the intel—Shit! Contacts!>
Leslie sent a ‘hold’ signal over the Link, and Rika turned her focus back to Arla and Oda, trusting her team to do their jobs without her mothering them.
<Piper, let me know the second you have the KK100 disabled.>
<Think I’d keep it a secret or something?>
Rika suppressed a groan. <You’ve been around us too long. Your sarcasm is showing.>
<Never.> The AI’s tone was resolute.
<You never show sarcasm?>
<I could never be around you too long.>
Something in the AI’s tone set Rika to wondering if there was a double meaning she didn’t quite grasp. Then Oda drew her attention with an especially ridiculous statement.
“It would be best for the Genevian people if you stood down, Rika, and turned over command of your mechs to a proper military authority.”
She didn’t even bother holding in the laugh that burst past her lips. “Are you serious? Is there something in the water
the servitor brought you?”
Oda’s ever-present frown deepened. “Yes, I am serious. So far as the GAF is concerned, you are not an officer. You cannot command your forces.”
Rika leant forward, knowing the menace her armored and armed body portrayed with such a gesture. “Oda. There is no GAF. At present, I represent a mercenary company that is employed by the Scipio Alliance to defeat the Nietzscheans. I’m a Theban citizen—all my mechs were granted citizenship there after we helped save them from the Niets. That means I’m not under your jurisdiction in any way, shape or form.”
“But you’re Genevian,” Oda protested.
“There is no Genevia.” Tremon’s voice was calm and measured. “At least, not yet.”
<Don’t tip our hand too soon,> Rika cautioned.
<I’m not, I’m distracting him. He’s going to try to ferret out what I mean before he does anything drastic.>
“What do you mean by that?” Oda demanded of Tremon, as predicted.
The former president shrugged. “I just mean that there’s no actual nation yet. No one is legally a Genevian citizen. We’re also going to need to think of what to do regarding people who were born in Old Genevia during the Nietzschean occupation. Are they Genevian? Does parentage denote citizenship for those people? The letter of the law—the laws we had, at least—was not entirely clear on situations like that.”
“We have enough to go on,” Oda replied. “And don’t forget, The Refuge maintained a government in absentia during the occupation, which is why it makes the most sense to officially declare it to be the interim government.”
<I’ve been re-examining the intel that landed Leslie at that warehouse,> Niki said to Rika. <It was all talking about ‘the signal’, which we interpreted as a trigger for his announcement that he was the new president, yada yada. It always seemed odd that he’d need it—unless he wanted to make sure that his proclamation would get onto all the feeds.>
<Which he could do with a bunch of queued messages on the networks,> Rika responded. <One doesn’t really need a dedicated device for that.>
<Exactly. And it’s not like anyone is going to censor this information. If he makes the announcement, it’ll spread like wildfire.>