"Mule…"
Summary: My AU version of the Asimov tale from his collection of Foundation and Second Foundation tales.
Even as civil war threatens the mighty but flawed Foundation, the Galaxy's greatest power since the Fall of the great Galactic Empire, its road to eventual triumph as the reuniting force in the Galaxy yet (supposedly) guaranteed by the quasi-mystical Seldon Plan, a mysterious warlord of a new and rapidly rising power is maneuvering to seize domination of the Galaxy in defiance of Seldon.
Part II…
Elcaria Transport Station…10 light years from Sagosa and the official boundary of Foundation territory in the sector.
"Look…" a frustrated Toran addressed the holoform in the control room, that of a frowning customs official…In a uniform that would have suited either a holocomedy comic general or a fancy hotel doorman.
"We didn't have any trouble when we entered Sagosian space."
"Mr. Dartell." The official, hair carefully coiffed in the style of Indbur III's, solemnly. "Sagosa is an ally of the Foundation, not officially integrated into it. Rules and regs there are different." He stroked ends of a mustache, much in the style of Indbur II. "You're listed as a citizen of Haven Trading World who has received dual Foundation citizenship…Wise, if I may say as we'll be dealing with that nest of criminal traitors sooner or later…"
Toran offering grim stare.
"And your wife is, admittedly a Foundation-born citizen…"
"I am." Bayta acknowledged firmly.
"But this passenger of yours…" he eyed Magnifica who drew back nervously. "With no stated nationality?"
"The Galaxy's full of unknown worlds with no diplomatic ties to the Foundation." Toran noted.
"He reminds me of the Mule's steward, most unkind of men…" Magnifica noted in whisper to Bayta.
"Don't worry, Torie'll handle it." Bayta whispered back.
"If they take me away…" Magnifica began…
"Shhh…" Bayta silenced her.
"Officer Palldox." Toran, sternly. "My wife is a Mallow and a niece of Dr. Ebling Mis. I don't think you need have any question of her loyalty."
"Hardly a question of that, sir. Though the woods are full of traitors these days, most hiding behind a noble ancestry." Palldox sternly. "The question I have is…" he turned at a buzzing signal near him.
"Yes, sir?" the officer spoke to a handheld communicator.
"All right, sir." Palldox nodded and closed the communicator.
"Seems you do have connections, Mr Dartell. My superior has cleared you for entry. Please don't think that means you're being done a favor. It seems your paperwork was completed earlier." Careful stare.
He can't be one of us? Bayta thought.
Or, could he?
"Great." Toran noted. "So can we…?"
"My orders are to clear you but request you maintain your position while we find docking space for your ship."
"What?" Toran frowned. "Why can't we proceed?"
"Those are my orders, sir. You're cleared to dock 16A11. Proceed immediately on the guide path. Do not deviate from the guide path or you will be subject to seizure and arrest and confiscation of your vessel."
"Fine." Toran sighed. "We're locked on your path."
Torie? Bayta hissed.
"Nothing we can do right now." he noted.
"Hey, there…" A new figure had appeared in the control room.
"Sir, your transmission is not…" Palldox's figure frowned at the new image. Bayta beaming at the sight…
"Cleared by order of Terminus Science Institute, you little pissant." The hearty voice of the figure.
"Uncle Eb!" Bayta, delightedly.
"Hello, Bay…Hello Toran!" the figure of Ebling Mis, Terminus' most distinguish scientist smiled at them.
"And you must be the famed Magnifica Gigantica." The figure of Mis smiled at the nervous Magnifica, wearing a light, somewhat better fitting than her old clown costume, tunic from the ship's stores.
"Ay, great one." She nodded hastily.
"Dr. Mis…I must protest that insult and demand…" Palldox, sternly.
"Why does that idiot Indbur give jobs like this to fools like you?" Mis frowned. "Or at least to fools who hire fools like you?"
"Sir, I will go to the Mayor's official complaints board about this…As well as my own superior." Palldox fumed.
"Do that." Mis nodded, with smile for Bayta. "Meanwhile get 'em parked at the docks. How'd the tests of the young lady here go?" he smiled at Magnifica.
"Fine." Bayta, guardedly.
"What 'tests'?" Palldox, suspicious and triumphant, at once.
"Nothing that concerns you, you buttend of a windbag." Mis noted.
"Dr. Mis." Grim tone. "Such repeated insulting of a Foundation official is tantamount to…"
The image of the officer went blank.
"There's that better." Mis smiled.
Uh-boy…Toran sighed.
"Uncle Eb? Won't he just…?" Bayta began.
"He'll be as big a pissant as he was a moment ago." Mis' image shrugged. "But dock yourselves and I'll be over shortly. Don't worry about him." Mis' image vanished.
"Fine…" Toran eyed Bayta. "But 'Uncle' Eb had better have a lot of pull here as well as Terminus." setting controls. Magnifica looking anxious.
…
"Bay! Toran!" the real-life figure of Dr. Ebling Mis, fifty, tall, bearded, and wearing what amounted to almost a caricature of a famed scientific genius' dress, complete with beret and cloak, stood on the dock as they emerged.
"Good to see you. Bay, I see you didn't waste any time on your honeymoon." Mis grinned. "About three months, eh?"
"About." She nodded, moving to hug him. Pulling back to frown… "Uncle Eb…" she eyed him. "I hope you didn't get that man too riled. We need to get to Terminus, not arrested or exiled out of the Foundation."
"Eh, that idiot's the one who should worry. I'll see him called up if he makes trouble." Mis noted.
"Called up?" Toran stared.
"Hmmn…Oh, yeah. Another general or warlord's making noises. Filed a diplomatic protest a week ago and now is threatening war. The idiots in uniform are calling up the troops just in case. Usual nonsense." Mis grinned.
"The Mule, from Kalgan?" Bayta asked.
"Hmmn. Sounds right." Mis shrugged. "Wait." He paused. "Was that the one you two were sent to meet, more or less?"
"Eb." Toran cautioned, Bayta frowning a bit as well. As a broadcast hologram opened before them…
"This is a Special News report from the Mayor's Office. The Kalganian Union of Worlds has announced it is breaking all current diplomatic ties with the Foundation and will consider itself at war with the Foundation unless it receives the return of its ruler's servant, claimed to have been kidnapped, the persons involved in her removal from Kalgan, and a formal apology. The government of our glorious Mayor, Seldon bless him, has denied the charges. Classes one through six of the armed forces should report in for possible orders. Classes of active reservists should likewise check in with the local command. More at the regular news broadcast at seven. All hail our beloved Mayor Indbur, third of his line!"
"Indbur rallying the troops." Ebling, wryly. "Though I've heard he hopes yet to use this mess to act against our friends in the Trading Worlds if he can, once the Mule's crushed."
"So much for our 'lightening rod' effort." Toran sighed to Bayta.
"Seems to me you succeeded just fine." Ebling grinned.
….
Kalganian solar system...
Where Han Pritcher, in his one-man ship had just emerged from hyperspace in the normal trade route channel and offered his credentials, the best Foundation intelligence could create, altered to indicate his destination as Kalgan, his purpose, trading in high quality technology…Something he'd guessed, rightly it seemed, would be of considerable interest to the rising new military power in the Galaxy. Holding his position as instructed by Kalganian Traffic Control, he was awaiting instructions while scanning the local holonews broadcasts.
"In Union news, the government of Our Sovereign has demanded an immediate reply to our ambassador's request for the safe return of the junior Court functionary kidnapped five days ago from the capital by members of the Terminus Foundation state. Unless a satisfactory reply is offered and the missing official returned, the foreign ministry has announced that the government will take all measures necessary."
Hmmn…Pritcher considered. While a flimsy excuse for a war, it's rather bold, considering they've just gone from a few hundred planets to over a thousand and they're offering to take on a power at least ten times their size.
Either this fellow the Mule is crazy or…
And from what I've learned so far, he's anything but crazy. Though perhaps amazingly lucky.
"This is Traffic Control, your documents have been reviewed and you may set down at one of the following port areas…" a young woman's holoimage appeared before him, she in the current trademark black and silver of the Union of Worlds forces.
Hmmn…Rather miss the old tropical colors of the customs office officials from the prewarlord days, Pritcher thought, acknowledging the officer's statement and selecting the nearest, least busy docking port. He brought the ship carefully in and it was magnetically locked in its assigned port spot.
Well, time to see about this 'Mule'. He unlocked his seat straps and rose out of his chair.
Pity and somewhat concerning none of our planted agents has checked with me or with Intelligence back home on Terminus.
But after all, that's what confirmed me on my choice of assignments.
Though I seriously doubt Mayor Indbur will approve my change.
…