Jarrod Kane hurried into the command centre of Rand's underground bunker. "We've gone to high alert, what's happened?"
Lieutenant-Commander Horren glanced over from the tactical display. "The Caledonian Federation has begun amassing troops along the borders of the buffer zone. We believe they are preparing to move their ground forces to invade Rand territory."
Jarrod wanted to have faith in the Lieutenant-Commander's judgement. He'd worked under Pernaux, but unlike the Commander, a life time of war had left him inured to violence and suspicion. Besides, it was hard to have faith in anyone these days.
Jarrod went over to examine the tactical display for himself. "They could just as well be seeking access to the Stargate. Sending trained personnel ahead would allow them to secure their new home planet before bringing over civilians. Have we contacted them?"
Right now it didn't matter how flimsy the reason, just so long as there was one. Peace was worth giving a little lee-way.
Horren narrowed his eyes at him. "They've offered no explanation of any kind. Even if they did, you would allow the Caledonian's to march armed troops through our country and into our capital? The Prior's orders are to assume they are preparing a strike, and to fire the satellite if they don't disband within the hour."
"The Prior's orders?" Jarrod demanded.
"The heads of state have all voted to grant the Prior political and military control on behalf of the Rand Protectorate," Horren explained impatiently.
"We haven't lost the ability to govern ourselves. We shouldn't have given up our freedom so readily," Jarrod said bitterly. "Isn't it enough we've bartered away our beliefs, now this Prior has to rule us as well?"
Horren's expression tightened with pain, and then sagged into defeat. "Our President and our Commander died only days ago. Rand is falling apart. We haven't given up anything, we just need someone to guide us right now."
"We don't need someone else's guidance, what we need is to start acting on reason," Jarrod insisted. "Think on it a minute, what right does a Prior have to our faith?"
"He gave us the means to destroy our enemy. If we use this satellite as the Prior commands we can stop living in fear of the Caledonians," Horren's worldview didn't leave room for any solution outside of the total destruction of one side or the other.
"How many people said the same thing about the missiles?"Jarrod pointed out. "Or the weapons that came before that? Enough people have already died, another attack isn't going to make it better. All I'm asking is that you give peace a chance."
Horren ducked his head as an aide whispered in his ear. When he straightened and looked at Jarrod again, his expression had gone cold. "I'm afraid it's too late for that. It seems someone has told the Caledonians to expect a satellite attack. They're preparing a large scale missile launch as we speak."
"Contact Minister Chaska. Ask her to stand down, tell we'll do the same." Jarrod ordered.
Horren put a hand up to stop the communications officer from carrying out the task. "You consistently show a concern for the Caledonians, especially at a time when we have the advantage over them."
Jarrod refused to back down. "Whatever else you may think of me, I'm not a traitor."
"I'm glad to hear it," Horren's voice didn't lose its accusatory tone. "That should make it easy for you to stand by the decisions made by your country."
"The decision made by our country was to negotiate a cease-fire with Caledonia, under Commander Pernaux. It's his orders we should be honouring." Jarrod couldn't believe the man's bravery and sacrifice could be forgotten so readily.
Horren chose to look on it in a different light. "The Caledonians were supposed to leave. Instead they're assembling for an assault. I have no choice but to fire upon them."
"We agreed to talk!" Jarrod shouted.
"You would trust an agreement brokered by the off-worlders from Earth, the same people who tried to destroy our defense satellite? The very people who led our world into collapse and chaos only a few years ago?" Horren dismissed the possibility of cooperation without a second thought.
"All of this was our doing," Jarrod pointed out. "All we wanted for generations was to destroy each other. When strangers came to our world, Dr. Jackson, the Prior, all they really did was create the excuse to give ourselves permission."
"Excuses or not, this is what's happening now, and I don't have any more time to discuss it," Horren turned back to his aide. "Get him out of here. Don't allow him anywhere near the Stargate." He added, gesturing at Kane. "I'm sorry, but after everything that's happened I can't trust you not to bring outsiders to interfere with our affairs again." He said to Jarrod's hard stare.
Jarrod didn't resist as the young man took his arm and steered him from the room. Talk only worked on people who wanted to listen. They hadn't gotten far when the rumble of bombs sounded over their heads. He suspected the satellite was firing as well, and if it wasn't already, it would be soon enough. It was strange to think people who had lived through this before would want to try it all over again. Neither side could win. They could only destroy each other. The Caledonian's had enough bombs to kill everyone in Rand, but they couldn't stop the satellite. This command bunker was the only place that could control the Prior's weapon, and it had survived bombings and sabotage before.
"Horren is going to need you more than I am," Jarrod told the young aide.
The man hesitated, but Jarrod said nothing more. The aide's natural inclination to be with his commanding officer did the convincing for him, and he rushed back down the corridor without stopping to secure Jarrod. There was no point in going to the Stargate anyway, it was kept under armed guard now.
The path he chose instead lead to a series of safety hatches paired with a leaky and unreliable fire suppression system. Caution signs were affixed along the walls. One read "Keep doors sealed at all times" and the other "No sparks or open flames". These rooms collectively held enough explosives to blow the entire facility off the face of the planet, which was why they were kept so deep underground no Caledonian missiles could set them off with a lucky shot. No guards were wasted in this sector; only an idiot would fool around here. He deactived the fire safety and opened the series of doors.
If this didn't bury the Stargate and destroy the command bunker, nothing would. It meant sacrificing his own people, but they had shown little value for their own lives, let alone that of others. There would be no peace so long as this bunker, and those inside who embraced Origin, remained. It was too late to stop what this Prior had done, but he could keep more from coming. As for the loss of the Great Ring they once worshipped, no good had come to them through the Stargate, and it looked like no one was leaving either. Religion had brought nothing but suffering and death. If there were gods out there, he didn't need their forgiveness.
All he needed was to activate a single explosive to set off the rest, and there was plenty to chose from. Without orders from the command bunker the satellite would never fire again. That might be enough to get both sides to stop fighting. Maybe there would be survivors somewhere on this planet, and by time they dragged themselves out of the rubble they might finally forget why they wanted this in the first place.