“Just something to ensure you didn’t have any tracking devices lurking anywhere in your body,” Ben said.
At least he still had his handheld. “You put nanites in me?”
“Yes they’re designed to find and neutralize any inorganic material—you have none—so they’ll self-destruct. Quite harmless. In case you wondered, the dampening field rendered your personnel device useless. Only rescue personnel will have working devices, and no one’s looking for you, Commander.”
Aaron glanced over at Rachael to his left. She kept her head straight.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
She nodded, but still didn’t look around.
He turned back to his captor. “You still haven’t told me who you really are, and what you want with us.”
“I told you who I am. I’m Ben James. What do I want with you? Nothing. Just to stop your meddling. We can’t have you running around with misplaced ideals and continuing any efforts—late as they may be—to disrupt what my associates and I have set in motion.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “What have you really set in motion here, James?”
Ben James snorted a laugh.
If a pig could laugh, Aaron felt certain this was how it would sound—a dark and evil pig. This James character’s expression exuded pure contempt—and arrogance. His eyes black as the void, without any kind of feeling behind them.
“First, Commander, we attacked Imperial and USSF assets along the border. Each side blamed the other, and then you have the separatists in the middle. Our attack here on Atlas has ensured the separatists will be implicated. They will lose all support and there’ll be no fracturing of the United Systems. We’ll be as strong as ever when we launch our assault on the Empire.”
Aaron snickered and then threw his head back and laughed.
The buffoon in front of him wasn’t expecting that reaction and clearly looked puzzled. His smug look replaced with a slight frown.
“False bravado won’t save you,” James said. “Your life is over. We’re waiting on a final confirmation before we expire you.”
Aaron continued laughing, even if a bit forced.
This irritated Ben James even more. He clenched his fists tightly at his side. “Stop!” His smugness now completely washed away. “What are you laughing at? Your superiors were right, you definitely are insane.”
Aaron shook his head.
“They said that? And I thought they only wrote negative things on my file. In that case it seems only polite I share my joke with you. Who do you really think is going to believe the separatists are responsible for this madness on Atlas? And you think the Empire is going to go to war over unconfirmed and unproven acts of aggression against Imperial assets along the border? The response fleet is posturing at best.” He wasn’t sure he believed that last bit but no need to give this fool the satisfaction. “Anyone with any inkling of intelligence—that obviously excludes you—knows the Empire didn’t become a galactic power by being foolish, rash and quick to self-destruction. If the Empire wanted to start a war after 70 years, they’d execute a definitive pre-emptive strike, which would instantly give them the upper hand.”
James dropped his frown and slowly returned to his smug expression. “I, nor my associates care what they believe. We will be at war. The USS will fight or die. Elements of the Empire colluded with my associates to bomb Atlas. They jumped at the opportunity. Believing all the while they were working with separatists, and somehow contributing to the destabilization of the Border Worlds. Possibly even a civil war.”
“I think you were played,” Aaron said. “If you think they believed this attack would be a catalyst to a civil war in the Border Worlds,” he laughed. “This is your grand plan . . . have you people learned nothing from history? Is this what it’s come down to in the twenty-fifth century? Petty people with petty ambitions?”
Ben scoffed. “A simple mind like yours would never understand the responsibility to ensure the continuity of your way of life. The sacrifices and necessary decisions that great men make to protect our society. The goals of men throughout history have not changed. Only their scale. Men fought to lead Tribes, then Nations. They fought for Continents, then Sol. In this interstellar era, they fought over several planets, and now men wish to control the destinies of all worlds.
“Seventy years ago the Empire threatened USS ideals, they invaded our space and we fell back. They attacked and occupied countless worlds—brought us to the brink—until a fluke in technological development pulled us back. Now, they carry out raids under the guise of pirates operating inside our borders. They kidnap our citizens and sell them as Imperial Slaves. They subvert and destabilize our border territories, to weaken the USS. All the while, we sit idly by, guided by people with your sense of morality, while our military might slowly erodes. Another generation at this pace and the USS will be weak, fractured and unable to stand against the growing might of the Empire or anyone else. The people are blind to this, you are blind to this, and sadly, you people are the majority. But after today, they will fight for a cause that was destined to come, we’ve just shortened the timeline, and by doing so, we start this fight, while we have the capabilities to win it. It will be arduous and it will be costly, but we will prevail.”
“You see,” Aaron said, “before I thought you were just misguided. Now I know you’re completely off the deep end. You’re going to ignite an interstellar war because of half-truths, and unconfirmed information on those raids. The USSF has significantly cut those raids by increasing patrols on the frontier. We’re protecting our citizens. In fact, United Star Systems Fleet Intelligence has confirmed in some instances that free lancers are behind the raids, who are seeking opportunity with illegal slave trades. The Empire has a long-standing policy against buying slaves in this manner. Imperial Slaves give themselves into service to pay off debts and for other reasons.”
Ben James put his hands on Aaron’s shoulders and leaned to look directly into his eyes. “The more you spout, the more apparent it is how the information war was lost long ago. You believe Imperial Slave Traders carry out due diligence on their source of slaves? And you dare to ridicule me? But enough with your ignorance.” Ben James drew a projectile pistol and placed it against Rachael’s temple. “The code to enter your vessel which is landed outside the city, what is it?”
Aaron swallowed.
“I’ll give you three seconds,” Ben said.
Aaron began to fight the restraints. They cut into his wrist area, and although it seemed as if they were loosening, he wasn’t getting anywhere.
“Two.”
He rocked his chair back and forth, and finally it fell, he held his head forward to avoid the impact, but at least his back stopped hurting.
Ben’s comm chirped and went silent. He looked at it and smiled a thin smile. It seemed the executioner had received a pre-arranged signal of his own.
After the comm signal Rachael raised her head and spoke. “These things are hurting my wrists . . . just shoot him now and take these off me. He won’t give you the code. Threatening me won’t help you. The bastard doesn’t like me. He just hates to lose.”
Ben James dropped the pistol to his side, stepped forward and released her restraints. She stood and twisted around to face Aaron, standing to the right of Ben James.
“Rachael?” Aaron asked blinking in disbelief.
“I would be one of those associates Ben referred to earlier,” she said.
He dropped his head to the floor and squeezed his eyes shut. The memories of Trident flooded his thoughts. A single tear traced the corner of his eyes and down the side of his cheek and onto the floor.