"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 XXVI…
Sesa spacedock area near the refining area for fuel oils and natural gas…Perhaps not the most attractive area for a spacedock, but Sesa, founded as a mining colony, was always geared for the practical, not the attractive and land and sky zone area was cheaper here, so no Sesan had ever raised much in the way of objections to putting the primary ground docking area for the planet here.
A figure in dark clothes, sealed at limb ends, with warming pack on back, head shield to protect head and face as well, against the rather frigid cold of the surface, carefully making his way among the docked ships, far fewer in number since the great trillium days, but enough to cost him a bit of effort to locate the specific ship he'd been interested in, despite its modern sleekness marking it out, the Herve.
"Can I help you, friend?" Goldan's voice from the ship as the figure paused before it, triggering a surveillance field.
"I think you might be able to, Giel." The figure smiled at the holoimage facing him, of Goldan's head. Nice tech these boys have. Gotta be Foundation.
"It's Trev Logu, we met at dinner this evening."
"Oh, yes? Bit late for a social call."
"Strictly business. Is your brother there?"
"No. He's at our hotel, where we told you folks we'd be."
"I promise you I'm not here to take anything or copy tech. I figured one or both of you would be onboard. We were a little too eager to poke into your affairs earlier. I'm just glad you two didn't decide to haul ship."
"No need that we saw. I'm just tending to a few things medical. Anything I can help you with?"
"I was hoping I could help you and your brother." Trev noted. "He did say you were looking for investors."
"Odd hour to come to for a business discussion." Goldan's voice calm.
"I get that. But I believe in moving quickly and wasting no time."
"Fair enough…And as ex-soldiers we believe in keeping blasters ready."
"Quite right, brother." Pritcher's holographic image of a head appeared. "But in this fact, our friend did ask me a short time ago to join the meeting."
"Well, good. Now you're both here." Trev nodded.
"Is it?" Goldan's head noted.
"It's fine, brother." Pritcher ordered. "He laid out his proposal to me a few minutes ago…Have a listen."
"Really?" Goldan's head eyed Pritcher's.
"I pledged to nothing, Giel, just hear the man out."
"Well…? Can't say I love this sort of negotiation, brother." Goldan's head noted.
"What can I say…?" Trev smiled. "I'm a man who believes in striking while the ore's hot."
…
"So…" Pritcher had joined Goldan and Trev at the Herve, he and Logu boarding together only after his own arrival, his "brother" insisting on the delay, to Trev's amusement.
"You and your friends do believe it's worthwhile to mine the Borealis system?"
"Well, I do. Hainan does…Some of the others, well. They're fearful…Yes, of the old legends. Perhaps with reason. But now we're together, Gilese, let me put cards on the table." Trev eyed Pritcher. "You're quite right. Gaia was destroyed by the Empire and its people scattered. We're not fully sure why or what they had or knew but we know that. In part because a very few Gaians came to Sesa. Very few, we're not a colony of Gaians." He eyed the two men. "But they escaped by themselves and their story was passed on, though the Empire did catch most of them, eventually…Often, I must admit, with the help of a few Sesans, including my own ancestors who feared them as much as the Empire."
"This isn't about mining, is it?" Pritcher noted carefully.
"Oh, I'll never turn down a chance to profit. It can be about mining if that's all you truly care about. I hope it will be, in part at least. But I and others, think you care more about Gaia. And maybe its links, if any, to the Mule. I'll be frank. I'm speaking for the Mayor within limits, though she would deny that. We know there's something to the Gaian legends. We're afraid the Mule may take an interest in finding out. If you boys are Foundation…And we believe you are, we're willing to help. I'll go with you to Borealis and try to help with what I know, in exchange for being kept informed on what you find."
Pritcher eyed Goldan… "We stick by our story. Seeking mining opportunities."
"And officially that's fine by me…And my colleagues. And I'm representing local investors who want to back you up in your quest, for a fair return of the profits, naturally. Unofficially…Up to you boys." Smile.
"What can you offer on Borealis we don't already know?" Pritcher, carefully.
"A bit. Not much. I can help you navigate through the early levels of the debris field. It's not your typical cloud of ice dwarfs, comets, and rocks nor your typical asteroid belt. The Empire went to some trouble to maintain the secret." Trev nodded. "At least you'd be able to make a fair stab at the place."
"Giel?" Pritcher regarded his aide.
"Up to you, brother. But I'd say…So long as it's just our friend here, I'd be ok with it. We don't know the system and if the Empire laid any traps or just made probing difficult, we need to know."
"All right, then." Pritcher nodded. "Logu, you have a deal, but we admit to nothing."
"A mining expedition it is." Trev beamed. "May the Powers Profit Us All, an old saying on Sesa."
…
"Victory!" the holoprojection proclaimed in the morning sky about Terminus City. "Victory for our heroes at Tervel. The Kalganian Union of Worlds so-called's fleet has been defeated. The Tervel system remains in Foundation hands. Nearly one hundred Kalganian ships have been destroyed, along with their landing force. Kalganian forces are in retreat to Horleggor. Stand-by for a report from our military expert, retired Admiral Rathier Goss on the strategic significance of this great victory!"
Bayta, looking up into the sky on the balcony of Mis' apartment, two guards standing respectfully near…What is the pregnant lady gonna do, fellas? She eyed them. Climb down the fire escape to the ground so your buddies down there can jump or stun me?
Magnifica by her left side, also looking up happily…
Toran to her right, annoyed expression. "As if we don't know this was mainly a Trader victory." He hissed.
"Well, victory's victory…" Bayta shrugged. "And it seems like the Mule took one on the chin."
"He's still well entrenched at Horleggor and Siwenna. It's going to take a lot to drive him out of Foundation territory yet. Let alone advance to Kalgan." Toran sighed. "Indbur's blowing this one a little out of proportion."
"Is this not good that the Mule has failed?" Magnifica, anxiously, glancing to each.
"It's still good news." Bayta noted. "Torie just thinks it's too soon to declare victory."
"I see. Then the Mule still threatens." Magnifica, cautiously.
"Well, we can hope the Seldon Plan is really starting to kick in…" Bayta noted, with smile.
"We can hope." Toran sighed. "Bay?" he began, carefully, eyeing her.
"Don't even consider it, Torie." She frowned. "If I can't go, you can't. Besides Mis wants you here, watching out for me and Magnifica and Mylin. Especially Magnifica…And you have important contacts with the Traders. That's your war duty."
"Maybe, but I don't see how I'm useful here. Indbur's not bothered us since that initial imprisonment and anyway Mis is a far better protector than I could be. As for my 'important contacts', my dad's back on Haven and my uncle's got things in hand with the Foundation. I'm a pilot, I should be with the fleet."
"Lord Toran wishes to go war?" Magnifica, frightened tone. "No,my Lord, no! My Lady needs you! And if the Mule captures you, he will use pain, he even may suck the mind from you as cruelly as only he can in wrath for rescuing the one. I could not bear this! My Lady!" anxiously twisting her odd frame.
"No one's going anywhere, Magnifica." Bayta patted her arm. "Torie, you're scaring her…And, me." She hissed at the end. "Please, you're doing enough, you're needed here. Your uncle would agree." She whispered to him.
"The broadcast's over, folks." The lead of the two guards noted. "Lets head back inside."
"Toran!" Mylin's voice from within, at her console, where she'd been busily managing the work of Eb's team of students and academics, as the others reluctantly re-entered. "You've a call from your uncle Randu!"
They looked to see the small holoimage of Randu above the living room table display.
"Speak of the devil."Toran sighed. "Hey, Uncle Ran. Private? Or private as the folks here with guns…" Noting the two guards… "Will allow".
"Yes. No offense, Bay, girls." Randu's image noted. "I'm sure Toran will spill all later, Bayta." Smile.
"I'll take it in the bedroom." Toran noted. "Yeah, I know…" he eyed a guard who moved to speak. "You're coming with me."
…
"Congrats on the win at Trevel." Toran told the image of Randu, in smaller form on the master bedroom's holodisplay.
"It was a bit touch and go for a second, despite our supposedly having larger numbers and some element of surprise." Randu's image frowned. "Part of the Foundation fleet was ready to buckle right at the start."
"Damn…" Toran shook head. "Again?"
"If this is the Opposition, we need to know, Toran. We can't risk the lives of our men and women for people trying to position themselves between the Mule and Indbur." Randu, sternly.
"I'm sure it's not that, Uncle. The Opposition believes the Mule is the greater threat, they wouldn't weaken the fleet."
"Even if they thought the Mule was in some trouble?" Randu asked.
"They're not fools, Uncle. They know holding on to part of Siwenna and such isn't cause for a victory parade. Either some in the Fleet are panicking legitimately…And some of Indbur's folks are idiot sycophants. Or they've been won over…By bribes or…Well, you know how dangerous we think the Mule is."
"And no one is working to counter this? Screen the fleet command?"
"It's because Indbur's been purging left and right that the Foundation fleet's been so inactive till now." Toran sighed. "But if the Mule is what Eb Mis thinks he is and is affecting some of the Fleet…"
"But not our people?"Randu eyed him. "Why aren't our folks running or surrendering at the first sign of trouble?"
"Maybe they've not been exposed to the Mule long enough, maybe he got to some in the Fleet earlier or in other ways, I don't know." Toran shook head.
"I can tell you, some of our people are getting antsy about this alliance. They didn't trust Indbur from the start and they're not all that sure about the Opposition."
"Unc, Bay is part of that opposition. They're legit." Toran firmly.
"All right…" Randu's image raised a hand. "Has Mis found anything? Any ideas on defense or at least more about the Mule? We have to know what we're fighting."
"He and his people are hard at it." Toran noted. "He's convinced the Seldon appearance in about seven weeks at the Time Vault will help to settle things."
"Awful long time to let the Deal cook." Randu frowned. Toran smiling at the old Trader saying… "But nothing practical?"
"His people have proposed countermeasures for the Kalganian dampening field. You have the specs."
"And it was a help but why the blazes didn't the Foundation fleet use it? They pulled up and waited for the Mule's fleet to disable them. A part of them, anyway. It was disgraceful. Tervel could have been twice the victory it was. And our assault on Horleggor was a fiasco, we barely damaged fifteen light ships and only escaped by the skin of our teeth, dragging half the Foundationers back by tractor beam. We want those twenty commanders replaced. Immediately."
"Uncle?"
"I know." Impatient wave of hand. "I'll speak to Indbur about, diplomatically as possible. At least, he's always happy to fire or hound some accused fellow. Toran, boy? I know you're doing your best and you have only so much influence."
"None, except though you and Bay, Uncle."
"Nonsense, the Foundationers and the Opposition respect what you did on Kalgan."
"Started a war." Toran shrugged.
"That war was inevitable. You prevented us from allying with the Mule, or least keeping neutral till he overwhelmed the Foundation. And you brought us vital information on him. Information we couldn't have gotten any other way."
"I hope so." Toran sighed.
"Well, buck up, boy. Tervel was, after all, a victory, and hopefully it gave us leverage with Indbur again. He was getting arrogant after the front started holding. See what you and Bay can do though to be sure the Opposition isn't involved. I don't believe it but I promised to have you inquire. And if, by any chance, they or some them are, make them stop…Convince them the war is far from won and we can't be handing the Mule help."
"They're not, Uncle. But we will speak to those we can. Though you realize…" Toran indicated the guard nearby, standing quietly.
"Just as long as he reports to Indbur that we're willing to fight with him, if he heeds our advice and stays true to our alliance. And that we oppose traitors and treason as much as he does. All right boy, I'll let you be…Just, how's my grandnephew and my niece?" Smile.
"Torie and Bay are fine. She expects delivery in a few weeks."
"Good, good. Give them a kiss and greets from ole Unc Rand. Remember, boy. In the end, that's what really matters. Life going on. Randu out."
"Bye, Uncle. I'll be in touch and I'll pass your message on to Bay and her passenger." Toran grinned. "Out."
…