Chapter 29
May 20th, 3025
Parliament Hall
The shouts from the press reporters was deafening. After over a thousand years of investigative journalism, the tried and true method for getting someone's attention was still to be as loud and obnoxious as possible. Some things never change, I suppose. Prime Minister Huyck was silent as she waved for them all to quiet down, so she could address the dozens of people gathered in the deliberately cramped and stuffy room. Cameras of every size, shape and design all had various lights pointed at her.
A small footstool was provided to bring her up to a normal height to address the crowd. Her 165cm frame normally only showed her head above the podium.
"Thank you for coming. As of seven-thirty last night I have enacted martial law, as you all well know. At five fifty-five Alshayra central time last night, unidentified commando teams carried out raids against every single water treatment plant that filters amounts of water over one million cubic meters of water per day. The primary cause of destruction were the pump stations themselves, and not the hazardous chemical storage used to treat the water."
Her voice was soft, but powerful, thanks in part to the amplifiers of her microphones. The slight gravely nature of her voice helped keep her motherly persona going strong, but a small device against her throat, held there by her traditional collars she wore, kept her voice from breaking or becoming too hard to understand.
"It is important for everyone to remain calm. Suk II will not go thirsty. This act was in direct connection to the planetary assault due to begin sometime tomorrow morning." She took her glasses off, letting them hang by the chain around her neck. No one in the civilized Inner Sphere had a need for such an archaic thing as glasses, but some people still preferred them cosmetically. "It's time the people know the extent just how much water we have in reserve underground. It's been a long-time rumor and nobody has ever confirmed the true amount stored below."
She locked her arms against the corners of the podium and leveled her gaze across the entire room. "The amount is approximately three point seven trillion liters." She paused for dramatic effect.
"I'll spare you all the mathematical details, but an until-now top-secret facility will keep Suk II from going thirsty for two whole months at the industrial level, three months at the commercial level, and four months at the residential level. Needless to say, because we're about to have a war on our hands on our lovely little planet, martial law is now in effect.
"Most non-essential businesses are closed, and people are urged to stay safe until this conflict ceases. This is not the first time our planet has been invaded, and it won't be the last. Our people have flourished here for almost eight hundred years, and almost seven hundred years under the Lyran Commonwealth. Now is not the time for petty bickering over who's flag is flying over our heads."
She unlocked herself from the podium and returned to her previous calm posture, hands clasped gently in front of her. She smiled. "Now is the time for taking care of your neighbors, your family, your friends. Make sure everyone gets home safe tonight. We don't know exactly where the Combine forces are touching down, but it's somewhere on Alshayra. Despite that, they have plenty of aerospace forces that could make it to any continent within an hour, so don't assume you're safe just because you're somewhere else.
"We will rebuild the treatment plants shortly after the conflict is over, and plentiful amounts of water rations will be given to everyone as long as you stay safe." She added emphasis to persuade many of the rioters and looters to give it up and go home. "Water stations will be set up in every city, suburb, and along every major roadway the battle isn't currently being fought at."
Huyck darted her eye to one camera in particular with a pulsing blue light above it. "With regards to Minister Alvarez from Safekeeping. Denouncing our defending mercenary garrison forces the day enemy makes planetfall is ill-advised and foolish. They have a planetary campaign to fight, and information about our water reserves was passed along to the RoughRiders in order for them to plan for the eventual Combine forces landing tomorrow."
She shook her head slightly and looked down for a moment, as if Alvarez was her child and she hadn't done her homework the night before. "Based on this information, they were able to plan accordingly, instead of spreading their forces too thin to engage the Combine while also guarding all the treatment plants. The loss of life is again horrendous, and I accept full responsibility for that, but also forcing our own people to fight a losing battle on the off-chance the commandos would make another move is a sure way to lose the entire planet, and our way of life.
"There are two ways you could look at how this was handled. One," she said, holding a finger up. "I am an idiot and have failed at defending a critical source of life on this planet in order for our RoughRiders to fight a decisive engagement, sacrificing hundreds of lives."
She held up the second finger. "Two. I had prior knowledge of something that vastly affected how forces would be distributed on the planet, and the commandos did not. They then tried to act without knowing the extent of our water reserves, killing hundreds in an attempt to shame myself and the government. You can choose to believe whichever of these you like."
"I am willing to resign after this campaign is over, if that is what is necessary. But for now, we have a war to fight. Everyone get home and get safe, and we will ride out this storm like we always have before and emerge stronger than ever. Thank you."
The chorus of shouts again filled the room as Huyck hopped off her small footstool and left the room without another word.
Parliament Hall
Suk II
Alvarez blipped the screen off with the standard circle-dot gesture and laughed out loud. She was alone in her office this time. The screen had come on automatically while she was in the process of changing into something less formal as highest Planetary government officials were to be escorted underground while the conflict got under way tomorrow. She casually removed her rubellite earrings and tossed them on the table with a clatter.
"You just crucified yourself, you dumb bitch. Once I save this planet, your seat is mine." She resumed removing her ceremonial toga for some cotton business slacks and matching blouse. Earth-tones. Gotta look appropriate for underground life. She had publicly denounced the RoughRiders for leaving "so many innocents alone to die a gruesome death" with the intention of causing pro-Combine support to rally around their new martyrs.
The result was almost equally gruesome. Mach 'Beh was on fire in multiple parts of the city, despite newer fire suppression foam that was safe to breathe containing many of the blazes. Over four hundred commercial businesses had been looted, mostly pro-Lyran, once people had heard the news. Banners with things like "Go home, RoughRiders!" "My wife worked at Langley!" and more were laying on the city streets, trampled by everyone. Another one thousand twenty-eight were injured, and unconfirmed dead numbered between one and two hundred.
And that was just the capitol.
Alvarez slipped on some more comfortable athletic shoes, silently mourning the loss of her high-heels for at least a week or two, despite the added comfort. Dressing-down usually didn't really affect the sexual power she had over just about every male and even some females in whatever room she was in, but she always appreciated being at full-power whenever she had the chance. Even one-on-one encounters with her head agent who she knew was faithfully married was enjoyable, knowing she could watch him struggle with his vows.
As it was, she had almost half the entire Ministry of Finance in her back pocket if she ever wanted to let out a sweet scandal or two, and every single one of them were married.
She tossed her suit jacket over her shoulder and grabbed her briefcase, walking out with her aide waiting outside. She glanced back in, smiling. Hopefully the next time I walk in here is to grab my earrings to take to the Prime Minister's office for good.
Location unknown
Suk II
J.J. heard the door open before he heard anything else. Days of confinement with almost zero human interaction had made him jumpy lately. The guards would chatter amongst themselves, but for the noise generators that muffled their conversations made him hunger just for a coherent sentence more than once per day when they brought food in.
A bed, a toilet, and a carpet with more than a few fibers pulled out from his constant circling. The room was bigger than your average jail cell, but it still felt like one. Maybe even more so because there were no bars you could see through to get a glimpse at someone, anyone that might want to talk to you.
On the bright side, his pecs never looked better. He was past his old record of eighty-two pushups. His elbows could be better off, though.
This wasn't around his scheduled meal time, so it had to be something more promising. An older man, who most people would mistake as frail-looking, and two much-larger fully-armed guards with the same clothes as J.J. walked in. The door closed behind them, and one of the guards moved J.J.'s chair so the older, much shorter man could sit down. He had an oval-shaped cigar and a combover that almost looked so much like a comical movie villain that it had to have been done purpose. Most people that wanted to look like something in his line of work, typically went for the most generic look possible.
This man stood out more than anyone he'd ever met.
The man held no military rank. He was a major underground crime boss in the Combine, probably the highest-ranking on Suk II by the looks of it. Only someone with such flair and disrespect for authority would be willing to be driven to an apartment complex full of armed thugs without a care in the world.
J.J. didn't care who it was, as long as he got to have a conversation. He didn't even care if his guards beat him senseless afterwards. He had never been so alone in his life until now, and it was only a few days.
"You know who I am?" The man moved his cigar hand a lot, always keeping the unlit prop level to the ground.
"I think I have an idea."
"We have some friends who are interested in what you are interested in. It's in your best interest that you stop being interested in it. We know you work for a Warlord. We here on Suk II represent a changing of the guard, and it's going to happen with or without your intervention, my curious friend."
J.J. simply sat on the small bed with his back against the wall, arms crossed. He could be talking about the Combine moving in, or he could be talking about something more local. "I'm trying to find out why the people changing the guard are alright with taking out hundreds of innocent people at Langley and the other plants in the process. And why are people taking out the main water supply of a place they want to set up shop?" He uncrossed one arm with his palm up in a casual manner, almost physically under handing the question back to the crime boss.
"Drops in the ocean, curious one. Nobody gives a damn about losses on an interstellar scale unless you have at least more than one comma. Kentares. Santiago. Capella." He ticked off some planets well-known for loss of life in one form or another. "You think you or I would be mourned if we got knocked off tomorrow as part of some big wig house leader's power scheme? Please. We're all in this for ourselves."
I'd like to think I would be. "So why come to me instead of just killing me? What's so important about my investigation that I get to stay alive and very bored for over a week?"
The older man nodded. "You live because of who you represent. Our organization, while happy with the changes that are about to come, have no grudge with your Warlord, and have no desire to start one. Your life continuing is a gift from us to him, one you must deliver to him personally. A message will be sent to him, informing him of what's going on here, as well as giving him your itinerary." He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards pulled out a small datapad, tossing it to J.J.
Catching it, he pulled up the handful of files on there, with one clearly labeled as "ticket." A pass on the passenger dropship Carpe Diem, Princess class. He made no expression on the outside, but on the inside he was practically clicking his heels. A luxury cruise back to his Warlord simply to report he was still alive to deliver a message? An temptingly easy offer.
One he knew would have only one result. With his belly slit open and no one to call a friend there to cut his head off to end the pain while he reclaimed his honor in Seppuku. No, I have a duty to fulfill before I can go home.
Making the decision in his head within a matter of seconds, he finally allowed his face to be visibly impressed with the offer. "All this for me? What's the catch?"
The crime boss shook his head, looking incredulous that he had to repeat himself. "No, not you. This is for your Warlord. With good tidings from Aizukotetsu-Kai and Alvarez for a prosperous future with the Combine. And if you tell anyone but your Warlord about the names I just dropped, your family back on Rasalhague will be hanging by their intestines and burned alive before you even reach home."
Unfortunately for him, I have no family. They're just made-up names to screw with vindictive assholes like you. He simply nodded. "Hai, wakarimasu."
"Time for the British goodbye, then." The old man clapped his hands on his knees loudly, saying "right," and walked out slowly without even another word to J.J. who remained seated on the bed for now.
Alvarez, eh? Wait, that Alvarez? The other name was a long-running syndicate within the Yakuza. It didn't mean as much to J.J. as the other name. He finally had his major player, who was likely responsible for everything on Suk II that was about to happen tomorrow.
Including hiring him and the Coyotes for guerilla operations to buy time and space for the 2nd Legion of Vega to make planetfall. Though due to her own miscalculations, that same force now stands in the way of her goal.
He had no idea on the planet where they were. He barely had any idea where he was. But he had to get a message to them. The lady who hired them was going to place them in a meat grinder just to get rid of them.
