CHAPTER ONE 1 Kesya: 376 Gubgalar, 7415

1 Kesya-enitas-Verya is perhaps the single most important gure of the age of Unication. Her moral courage became legendary, amplied by her early and unjust death. However, there are relatively few veriable facts regarding her life after the mutiny aboard the varkeg. The Union Naval Command Ship varkeg was the advance prototype of the D23 Command Destroyer class warship. The D23 could, with an experienced captain and crew, take on the latest Adramari Battleship with a chance at victory. It had a main bridge, and a tactical or secondary command center, from which an entire eet could be directed. On 376 Gubgalar, 7415 VC, the varkeg made its way to Kazdhar, a major city of the island nation of Menos. Two major ideological groups were ghting for power there; a government, made up of capitalist oligarchs, and a group of communist revolutionaries. Both major powers had blockaded the island, to prevent the other from inuencing the civil war, and neither side broke the blockade because they didn't want war. However, the war on Menos had begun to reach a conclusion, with the guerrillas in control of most of the island, and moving in on the capital. Near Kazdhar, the varkeg met with a Union eet. Not far away, a similar eet of Adramari ships waited. In the interest of peace, the commanders of both eets agreed to a meeting. The varkeg and the Adramari Battlecruiser Teloran Kel docked at Kazdhar. While the two leaders met, Kesya, the varkeg's rst ofcer, took the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks at a local tavern. While there, she met an Adrama lieutenant, one Asva Ilak. It is through Asva that we have a brief account of their conversation; "I was wary at rst, but Kesya had a personable way, and I came to trust her. Her knowledge of Adramar surprised me--though in retrospect it shouldn't have-and helped to draw me out. We talked of life, politics, childhood--nearly everything. "By morning, and we did spend the entire night talking on that terrace, she had become the rst real friend I ever had. I saw in her the person I wanted to be, the person who her actions demanded that I become. I have often wished I could thank her." The decision Asva mentions is Kesya's mutiny against the varkeg's captain, Talek Sndral. Here we can rely on the testimony of witnesses, including the captain, and several ofcers on both sides. The battle with the Adramari eet began on 378 Gubgalar. Computer records from the Union's secondary command ship show the tactical situation, and both sides agree that an Adramari ship red the rst round. During the battle, a shell struck the varkeg's bridge, killing an unknown number of ofcers and damaging the systems. Kesya and the remaining ofcers evacuated to Tactical. With the memories of dead friends still fresh, Kesya refused the captain's direct order that she return to her post. Illar Tomas, the chief of security, instead of throwing her in the brig, engaged her in conversation. Captain Sndral later remarked;

2 "I joined the navy to protect the Union, but Tvlkesya and I both knew we were at Menos to provoke a war with Adramar, not to prevent one. It was hard not to be impressed when she limped into Tactical, bleeding and holding a broken arm, and still insisted on challenging me for command of the varkeg. "I remember that I felt betrayed. I was wrong. We were all betrayed by the people who we trusted to lead us, the Union's elected ruling Councils. Raising questions of international law, duty, and the Union's role in world affairs, she was able to convince enough of the ofcers to support her. With Captain Sndral gone, she ordered the eet to withdraw. Soon after, she ordered the ship to make port in Ilata. According to the document of Tra Altya, Kesya knew her, and most likely intended to make contact. Instead, she found Tra dead, and Sa in her place. At that time, Kesya made her sole public appearance, announcing her intentions and reasons to the world. **** Kesya stood tensely on the bridge of UNC varkeg, watching as one of the Vrnthorg Union's newest warships cut through the waters of the Archipelago. She straightened the thin fabric of her uniform, and brushed her hair back from her face. To the North, she could see the distant coast of the Zendrian Peninsula, and to the west a Union passenger ship move south from Zendros City. "Status, Tvlkesya," said the rich, cool voice of Captain Talek Sndral. "Maintaining patrol speed, sir. All scanners are clear," she replied. Talek made a good captain, as far as they went, but he did prefer all things according to protocol. "Good. We have a change of orders. Set course for the island of Menos. The Umaveka Council believes their civil war is coming to a close, and we're to join the blockade." "Sir, which side do they believe is winning?" To which she received the expected reply; "That isn't our concern, commander." "Yes, sir," she sighed. Kesya had a duty to accept and carry out the orders of the War Council, and she would do so, but she would have liked to know just what they expected of her. "Helm, set course for Kazdhar etr Menos. Set engines at cruising speed. All stations, prepare for blockade duty." The bridge ofcers acknowledged her commands in their proper order, and began to pass the new orders on to their crew. The deck guns powered up, as the gunner crews prepared to test their functions. "One more thing, Kesya," Talek said, walking close enough to converse privately. "The Adramari will look on a Union-friendly nation this close to their shores as a direct threat. We are to expect a confrontation with the Adramari Navy." The Union of Vrnthorg and ras-Mhuran Republics had not aggressively engaged the forces of the Republic of Adramar since the end of the rst Petroleum War, more than two hundred years earlier, a conict which ended with the use of nuclear weapons. If the two nations stopped dancing about each other, the result could mean the end of all human life. Even the best outcome would leav millions dead. "Sir..." "Take your station, commander," Talek sighed.

3 Kesya swore to herself as she turned away. The largest of the Jewels of the Archipelago, the island of Menos had lush forests and long, sandy beaches, all set to the backdrop of a picturesque, snowcapped mountain range. Sugar, grown commercially in the interior, was the island's main export, and for many years it had supported a thriving tourism industry. Kazdha had grown from a tiny shing village to the island's main harbor. Resort hotels sprawled along the coast in both directions, many of them falling apart, like much of the city itself. The chaos of a twenty-year civil war had diverted most of its tourism to the less developed island of Solenos, or windy Tekros. The varkeg held position ve kilometers outside the city. The tactical display showed the small eet of Union cruisers and frigates which made up the blockade. Gathered about ve kilometers away, an Adramari eet made up the other half of the dance. That either blockade worked at all seemed a fair indication that neither side wanted to start the war, at least not yet. "Well," Talek said, frowning at the display, and indicating a battleship which had only just joined the Adramari eet. "Set condition yellow, commander, and get me a line to whoever is in command over there." "Yes, sir," Kesya nodded. "Ops, set condition yellow. Communications, send a priority message to the Adramari command ship, using International Protocol. Tell them that Captain Sndral of the UNC varkeg wishes to speak to the ofcer in charge." It did not take long for the cruiser to respond. Talek moved the conversation to his ofce, leaving Kesya to pace across the high-traction deck plating. If the computer's tactical analysis could be believed, the Union had a clear advantage in maneuverability and repower. Even so, she did not like their prospects. She, like most of the crew, had never fought in a real battle, only simulations. It worried her that they might fail somehow. Talek cut her concerned thoughts off, returning to the bridge with a relieved expression on his narrow face. "Take us into port, Tvlkesya. My opposite has agreed to a temporary peace, and a discussion in the hopes of making a longer one." "Helm, you heard the captain. Set course for Kazdhar, cruising speed. All decks, stand down from combat alert. **** Kesya sipped tea from a handmade mug, watching the beach from the candlelit balcony of a seaside tavern. Kazdhar itself, though battered by the loss of tourism, had suffered little other damage from the civil war. She heard gunre from outside the city, but only briey. With the government forces losing to the Union-supported Freedom Brigade, most of the remaining ghting took place around the island's capital city, Izandhar. Behind her, two warships oated alongside piers meant for passenger ships. The Adramari battlecruiser, the Taloran Kel, looked large and dangerous, next to the smaller Union destroyer. Kesya found it hard to believe the two were a match in repower, but even if Union Intelligence had underestimated Adramari hardware, they still had the advantage in speed and maneuverability. As she contemplated the ships, someone wearing a dark blue Adramari ofcer's uniform entered the balcony from the street and walked to the railing, not far from her table. Flashing a friendly smile, Kasya waved him over. "Join me, Commander."

4 The gure returned her smile. "Lieutenant, actually," she said, in a voice too high for a man. "Oh, you must be an ofcer off that Vrnthori destroyer, the vakeg." "The varkeg. I'm its second." The woman sat across from Kesya, and leaned in over the small candle. "You're rasMhuran, aren't you? Perhaps from the Tthani plains?" "That's right," Kesya nodded. "My name is Kesya." "Well, Kesya, what do you want of me?" The candle illuminated the round face of a woman of not more than thirty, brown eyed and pale skinned, with the shimmering black hair most common in the northern part of the Adramari homeland. "You're from one of the northern territories." "From a village called Yamir, at the spring of the Mr Kanora, in the Erosan Mountains," the woman nodded. "I am Asva." "Asva. I like that. Perhaps, before the night ends, you will tell me the rest of it." The Adramari ofcer looked skeptical, but she didn't leave. Kesya considered that a good sign. "I've served in the Union Defense Forces for fteen years, Asva. I could have found some better use for my time, but I didn't. I served, and I'm here, now. Sitting across from you. If I'm crossing some line, tell me, but all I want is someone to talk to." "I'll talk, just don't think you'll get me to betray my homeland. I may not like this job, but I keep my oaths," Asva stated. "Fair enough," Kesya replied. "Asva, if you don't like serving, why are you here? I didn't think Adramar had a peacetime draft." "Oh, there isn't, but sometimes there aren't many good options. You see, Yamir only had about four hundred residents, nothing to trade and no one to trade with. We were almost self-sustaining, and far too poor to pay for electricity. I wanted out, and the military offered a good education and a better wage than the factories." Much of Asva's tale reminded Kesya of her own childhood on the plains. Some two hundred people lived in Erkal, her home village. Unlike Asva's people, they had access to all the technology of the Union, and chose a low-technology life because they preferred it. The also provided their children with as good an education as anyone from the Vrnthorg regions, and plenty of opportunities to choose a more modern lifestyle. "I've heard stories," Kesya said, deciding against offering sympathy. "I thought them false, but yours is worse, so perhaps they are true." "Oh, that isn't the worst of it. I'm what they call a peasant, an unmodied human. Most of the ofcers have some kind of genetic or developmental enhancement to intelligence, among other things." Every Union child could tell you that Adramari parents had their future child genetically modied before conception, if they could afford it. The children of the middle income management class made up most of the country's commissioned ofcers. The working class--mostly unmodied, but above the peasants--lled out the ranks of the common soldier. The True Elite--the wealthiest few percent of Adramar's population--did not serve at all. "How did you earn your commission?" Kesya asked. "It couldn't have been easy." Asva laughed. "Well, no. The middle-class is surprisingly bigoted, when it comes to us peasants. It helps that I'm smarter than most of them. Selecting for super-human intelligence is still a challenge. That's why the nobl--" Asva cut herself off-- "That's why the wealthy favor DevCon, developmental environment variance control. They can

5 produce some damned attractive men." "And can thereby lay the foundations for a permanent upper class. Tvlasva, you are losing the class war, and badly." "That's exactly what they told us you'd say," Asva said. It didn't sound like a dismissal, but silence lingered between them, growing heavy. "The truth is, most of us don't even realize that a war is being fought, and they like to keep it that way." "I guess you should ght back," Kesya muttered, thinking back to history class, and conditions in the Vrnthorg lands prior to the Union. The level of social and economic disparity never reached those present in Adramar, but it got bad enough to ignite a revolution among the ras-Mhuran tribes. Asva answered this with a shrug. "I see myself as more of a soldier, on that front. Twin's forgive, I'm talking about revolt with a Union citizen. If my CO heard me, I'd face a tribunal for sure. Hell, just talking with you would probably do it." "S. The more you talk, the more I'm glad I don't live in Adramar." "Mm," Asva replied. "Consider this, though; our two societies, as different as they are, have created nearly identical foreign policy." Identical enough to turn an otherwise unimportant island into the center of a global conict. "It has to do with governmental structure. Control of military assets is not restricted enough, but that wouldn't be such a problem if the electoral system worked to increase the number of candidates. "It limits the debate, and binds those with power into a self-perpetuating circle, interested only in itself. Give them an antagonist only too happy to take on the role, and they can twist any attempt at real change into treason." "You seem to have given this some thought," Asva said. "I studied anthropology and politics at Starower University," Kesya admitted. "Pointing out the aws is easy. I just can't see the solution." Though, from her studies, she knew how Marya-sayna-Tvari, the leader of the movement which created the Union, would start. She said, during a live broadcast, that if the new government had any aws, the people should force their repair by threatening, and if necessary carrying out, a revolution. "I'm just lost, it seems. Maybe I'm here because I'm running away from my own failure." "Kesya, that's not fair," Asva insisted, reaching across the table. Her hand felt dry and warm. "If you're faced with a problem you can't solve, you just need to learn more, and someday you'll nd a solution. You can't always do that by reading theory." Kesya clutched the young ofcer's hand as though it were a link to her future, a way out of a career that part of her could not stand. A part long buried, smothered like a good soldier beneath duty and honor. "Damn," she whispered. "Ilak. My name is Asva Ilak." Rolling the name on her tongue for a moment, Kesya contemplated it. The Adramari were supposed to consider their chosen names, what they might say to whoever learned them, how they sounded and felt. As a system, it worked better in theory than in practice. "I'm sorry, but I prefer Asva," she admitted, hoping she could say it now, with few consequences and no lies. Asva laughed, a good sign as Kesya saw it. "I agree. I would have chosen something else, if things were different. Ilak is old Adramari for an indentured tenant farmer."

6 "I see," Kesya said. It sounded like the name of a class-conscious individual, not the loyal, unconcerned ofcer Asva had claimed to be. "S, I still prefer Asva. Ilak is a good, pointed name, though, if people know what it means." "I've learned to be wary, as to who learns it," Asva nodded, but her expression, distorted by the darkness, grew strange. "Oh, gods, I'm an idiot, Kesya. I'm going to assume you're really an ofcer on that Union ship, not an agent of the AII, though if I'm wrong then I'm already done." "I appreciate that," Kesya muttered, bothered by Asva's uncertainty, but able to comprehend the fear and doubt that drove it. "I wish I could do something to convince you of my sincerity." Even the candlelight could not turn Asva's forced smile into a genuine one. "I am going to trust you," she asserted again. It had crossed Kesya's mind that Asva might be an agent of the Adramari Intelligence Institute, seizing upon an opportunity to inltrate the Union. Her instructors at the Tmikan Military Academy had warned of such cases. At the time, she had considered it an obvious attempt by the AII to make the Union distrustful of defectors. Now she wondered if it didn't serve the Union's leadership just as much, and wished she hadn't even remembered it. Those who sought justice did not make accusations without proof. "Then I'll trust you," she stated. Saying it aloud did not assuage her doubts. Asva appeared to share the same problem. "I can probably make a good life in Adramar. With enough work, I could become Consul, or executive of a company. That's what makes Adramar great." The great Adramari dream, to rise from oppression, only to become the oppressor. Kesya recognized it as one held by many citizens of the Vrnthorg states prior to the formation of the Union. "I'm sure you could. Is that what you want?" "Oh, it's more seductive than any man could ever be," Asva said. "I'm drawn in on so many levels, I just don't know how to react. Twin's know if I'd even survive the kind of power that can turn the world to ash." Kesya felt that Asva would survive the pressures of Adramari politics. Adramar's corrupt system made the point irrelevant, however; anyone with a real desire for change would need some other means of creating it. "Go on." Asva straightened, looking over her shoulder before she spoke. "I'd like to attend a Union university, and get a degree there. What resistance there is to Adramari policy could use the help." Doubt again twisted itself around Kesya's stomach, and again she pushed it out of her thoughts. The Union's Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Department had entire complexes full of people who made a career out of investigating foreigners. She had no need nor desire to do their job for them. "I'll see that you get the chance." "Really? Is that it?" Asva sounded doubtful. "No bureaucratic beast to feed? I'm told the Immigration Ofce of Adramar requires a novel's worth of paperwork, signed in blood, to even acknowledge you exist. Every government service is mired in bureaucracy, to--" Her lips curved into a smile. "What I mean is, thank you, friend." "I'm pleased to help, for a chance to change things." Union Intelligence would not be so pleased. They had little control over student visas, if they could not prove someone a threat. Asva's les would give them something to poke through, at least.

7 "Tell me more about the Union, Kesya," Asva said, leaning forward again. maybe something about this better world of yours. "And

**** Kesya arrived on the varkeg's bridge the following morning, without even visiting her quarters since boarding the ship. Fortunately, she did not feel her fatigue so long as she kept her mind occupied. She accepted a report of an eventless night from the fourth watch's duty-ofcer, at the dawn shift change. Captain Sndral arrived soon after. He did not appear to have slept. "Helm, bring us out of port, and set course for the eet. Tvlkesya," he paused for breath, or perhaps to decide what he should say. "Sir?" Kesya said, tilting her head curiously. "Ambassador Kerineg e Senya once said that if those who rule a nation desire war, they will invariably get it. I think it is safe to conclude that the Consul of Adramar desires war." Kesya did not ask his opinion of the Union's leadership. A war provided them with the opportunity to eliminate their ideological enemies, including those with Union citizenship. Regardless of which power won, the world would look much the same. If, however, the military refused to ght--their protected right under the Charter of the Union of Vrnthorg and ras-Mhuran Republics--the conict might be avoided. Unfortunately, Kesya could not think of anyone with the authority, willpower and foresight to manage such a feat. "Then we should not provide him an excuse," Kesya suggested. "That would be ideal, if I could think of some way to do so without violating orders. Give me an alternative." Even rested and alert, Kesya doubted she could do so. "I don't have one, sir." The captain transferred his attention to his personal display. Kesya retreated to the computer console, and called up every bit of information she could on the Adramari eet, its capability and commanders. She studied descriptions of artillery impact assessments and tactical analyses as well as she could, but she struggled against exhaustion, and the general dryness of the material. Certainly, no nonmilitary solution clambered for her fraying attention. She saw no alternative but to wait, and hope that some better opportunity presented itself **** The varkeg reached the eet before midday. Captain Sndral ordered all crews to prepare for combat, while he attempted to decide on a strategy. Both sides knew that the longer they delayed, the more time reinforcements would have to arrive. The catalyst they both required, before they would commit their forces to war, arrived at dawn the next day. An Adramari freighter, registered to a small-arms manufacturer, appeared on their scanner, on a direct course for Kazdhar. Sndral did the only thing he could, within the limits of his orders, and sent ships to intercept. The Adramari responded by sending an escort. Then, through a predictable series of events, the two eets had engaged in a battle of maneuvers. Soon, the rst shot would be red.

8 Kesya had spent most of her time, when not on duty, talking to the Bridge and Tactical ofcers. They did not want war. Most did not even think it necessary. She would have taken their trepidation as a good sign, but none could offer an alternative. The battle began with little warning. She knew why; Sndral had opened a gap in the eet's frigate screen, leaving one of their cruisers open to a missile strike. It took one of Adramar's advanced cruise missiles eighty atak to cross a hundred kilometers. She counted them in her head. The varkeg's defense turrets had spun up by the time she reached ten. They were fully automated, capable of taking out a missile traveling at ten times the speed of sound with a single round. These had half that velocity. Twenty. The varkeg had four defensive turrets, two on each side. Each one could independently target a maximum of three objects per atak. The missiles would in range for half that time. Given the necessary delay between missile launches from an Adramari cruiser, it would take three ships to overwhelm the varkeg's defenses. Forty. Shells began to explode around them. Even at a hundred kilometers, both sides could easily hit a target as large as a warship, if they could locate it. Sixty. Sndral had issued the order to return re. The varkeg's two main guns turned on their heavy mounts. Unlike the larger batteries of the Union cruisers, they were at the limit of their range. Eighty. A brief burst of gunre and the missiles were gone, exploded in ight, or crashed into the ocean. The battle had begun in full, and Kesya's fear faded into the background. She felt emotionless, as she carried out her duties. With the combat shields closed, she could almost convince herself that they were in a drill. That comfortable fantasy collapsed with an explosion that threw her to the deck. Her rst attempt to regain her feet failed, defeated by a wave of agony from her arm. Her second succeeded, and she looked about the bridge with disbelief. Cries of pain mingled with the sound of sparking electronics and exploding shells. Daylight streamed in through the starboard window. Its metal shield had a large hole through it, and hung awkwardly, half twisted from its mounts. A chance shot must have penetrated it. The air stank of chemical explosives, burnt esh and singed synthetics. Only the pain of her broken arm kept her nausea subdued. At least one ofcer had died... parts of his body lay scattered among the debris. Others, badly injured but perhaps still alive, lay unconscious where they fell. She turned away, and slammed her hand angrily against the nearest station's com panel. "DC and medical teams to bridge." What she had just witnessed, the men and women of both eets were experiencing, with each hit. So many deaths, and for what? Kesya didn't know, though she felt certain that she had. They didn't seem convincing with the smell of burning esh lling the air. Once, she had believed in the Union, and that it was worth dying in defense of it. If she still believed in it, or even her people, she would end the war now. Anything less would mean their end, either by the guns of the Adramari or the politics of their own leaders. In the end, it did not matter which. The decision made her feel small, insignicant, as one who tried to take a place in the ranks of giants--or among her personal heroines and heroes. It almost froze her into inaction.

9 She felt absurdly insignicant, a creeping insect who had decided to claim a place among giants. Who was she, to take it on herself to stop a war? It was a feat worthy of heroines like Mariya, who averted a civil war at the beginning of the Union. These were deeds best left to better people than her. The is no one else. She repeated the thought to herself. Besides, she reminded herself, Mariya was exceptional, but still human, with a full set of aws that nearly destroyed her. She quietly loosened her sidearm--standard issue in a combat zone--and stepped into the lift. Union Naval Command vessels like the varkeg had a main bridge, and a secondary, tactical bridge set up to use as a eet command center. Tactical was nearly at the center of the ship, well-shielded from attack, but cramped like everything else on the destroyer. Captain Sndral stood at the main console, at the center of the room. Kesya had stood there before, though only in simulations. Even now, it seemed so distant from the battle. Even now, as men and women died. "Captain, we must stop this war. It is wrong." She made her rst attempt at a whisper. Her arm throbbed as she let it hang free, trying not to let him see that it was broken. Talek looked up, his eyes narrowing as he saw her. "Return to your post, Commander." "Captain--" "Don't even say it, Kesya," the captain stated. He had a detached look on his face, as he turned back to the display. One of the Adramari ships had just ickered out of existence, and she found herself wondering how many people had died with it. Some other ships, on both sides, showed signicant damage, and could soon be lost. "I'm sorry, sir, but I must," Kesya announced, this time taking care to let the other ofcers hear her. "We are acting in direct violation of the Charter of the Union of Vrnthorg and ras-Mhuran Republics, the Union Service Contract, and the Treaty of Kyssar1. We must withdraw." The captain looked up again. His expression yielded nothing about his thoughts, as his steady gaze extended uncomfortably into the new silence. When he spoke, he did so at a whisper. "Security, escort Tvlkesya to her quarters." Kesya wished they could have made the decision together. She had no other choice but to attempt to convert the crew to her cause, during a battle. The absurdity of it might have made her laugh, if she weren't living it. "Stand down, lieutenant," she said. "I'm taking command of the eet." The security ofcer, a Sravnari man named Illar Tomas, had served loyally under Talek's command for longer than Kesya's three years. He performed his daily duties well, and had a quite personable manner. She did not know him well enough to predict how he might act. "I'm sorry, Commander. It is not the duty of the military to set policy. That's why the War Council is made up of civilians." Kesya could almost hear the captain grinding his teeth. He knew that Illar had given her a chance to debate, disrupting Tactical, and maybe, if she chose her words and arguments with care, take control of the ship. "If we also fail to realize the dangers of blind obedience to authority, then what we call our leaders is irrelevant. Our contracts require us to refuse illegal orders, even if they come straight from the War Council," Kesya argued, throwing all of her passion into her

10 words. "It is our duty to protect our people by preventing this kind of needless war." "Lieutenant Tomas, I gave you an order. Remove the commander, or I'll have you both thrown in the brig," Talek said. His hand drifted to his own holstered gun. "What about the Menosans?" Illar asked, ignoring the order. "They aren't citizens, but they deserve our protection." "To them, it won't matter which side controls their new dictatorship. Look at Durok, or Ersyn. Nothing has changed for them." The Union's news services usually ignored the embarrassing details of its allies' governments, when at all possible, so Illar's ignorance did not come as a surprise. "Let's go, Commander." It was what she expected, even what she wanted. She couldn't expect anyone to follow her, when she had so many doubts. She couldn't let it go, either. Aside from the Captain and Illar, only three ofcers served in Tactical, and she tried to make eye contact with each in turn. She started with Elda, her closest friend on the ship. He evaded her gaze, studying his station intently. Maran-sayna-Tenan, Tactical ofcer, who would take over from Sndral if he were disabled, ignored her as well, though he look less uncomfortable doing it. "The Commander's right, Lieutenant," said the last ofcer, leaving his post to better join the debate. His name was Salan Yar, a recent addition to the crew, who mostly kept to himself. "I'm from Ersyn. The Union supported our revolution, but the government they helped us build was just brutal as the last." "The same will happen on Menos, Illar," Kesya said. "If we win this war, what will change? Maybe the Republic of Adramar won't exist, but we can't control them without force. They'll end up with fake elections and oppression, like so many of our other 'allies'." "'Wars empower the wealthy, and suppress the powerless. For us, victory comes when we set aside our weapons, and let our rulers stand alone,'" Maran added. Kesya recognized it as a quote from one of the Union's founders, Marya-saynaTvari, and nodded in agreement. "This is not our war, Lieutenant." Illar brushed a hand through his black hair. Kesya realized, as he looked at her again, that he had made his choice. "I'm sorry, Talek," he said, not turning around, "but she's right. I think you know that." "The ship is yours, Kesya," Talek conceded. He walked to the door, and turned to face her. "I hope you're right in this, or things could go badly. "I'll be in my quarters, Commander. Perhaps the Lieutenant would care to escort me, in case I decide to betray you." Kesya tightened her jaw, and wished she could think of some way to respond. Whatever good she had done, she might also have destroyed the two men's friendship. Looking away, she took the captain's place at the main console. It was hers, now, as was the varkeg, and maybe the eet. She had won. "Commander?" She looked up. Maran was staring at her. He looked as uncertain as she felt, but a good ofcer did not reveal doubt in front of her crew. She had to do what she had come to. "All ships," she began, activating the eet-wide channel. "This is Commander Kesya

11 of the varkeg. I am taking command of the eet. Set condition blue. Cease re and withdraw. All ships to condition blue. Cease re and withdraw." For a horrifying moment, she wondered if the other captains would sense something wrong, and refuse to obey, but the console showed their status change from red to blue. "Elda, contact the Teloran Kel. Tell the Adramari we're withdrawing." "Yes, Commander," he replied. "Good," Kesya sighed. "Maran, order all ships into Zendrian waters. Take us out of range. Salan, disable all transponders, and shut down the communications array. "I... I'm going to take a closer look at the damage." **** Kesya sat in darkness. Her arm ached, the only clarity in her tired mind. The silence of her cabin was soothing, but she couldn't sleep. She had led a mutiny against her commanding ofcer. Right or not, she had violated much of what she believed, and it weighed on her. She didn't want the choice of what to do next,of whose life to sacrice for what cause, but fate seemed determined to thrust the role upon her. There were two paths open to her. She could turn herself in, and use her trial to explain her views. If things went badly, she would serve time in corrections. Then again, she could keep the ship. The varkeg was a powerful tool, not just as a weapon of war, but as the former agship of the Union eet. For her people to see it inn opposition to their government could have more impact than her trial, and she could do more to hold off the war. It was also far more dangerous. The Union would want her gone, not because a lone destroyer could threaten them, but for the same symbolic value that made the risk worthwhile. If evading the Union's eet would not be problem enough, they would also nd themselves targeted by Adramar. An opportunity to capture and investigate their enemies' advanced technology was not something they would pass up. Then, there was the problem of supplies. Basic things, like food and clothing, would come easily compared to replacement parts and advanced tech. There were antiwar groups with extensive resources, but she had no way of contacting them. She had no idea how to accomplish either one. Maybe it didn't matter. She was captain, now, which meant the crew obeyed her orders in battle. For routine operations, she was more like the chair of a committee, and this decision was properly theirs. For her part, she knew what she would say. The worst part of the tension left her, enough that she was able to still her mind. As much as she wanted to keep constant watch over the crew, she knew they could handle the ship while she slept. <<<<>>>>
A result of the First Petroleum war, a document signed by both the Vrnthorg Alliance(precursor to the Union) and Adramar, along with many other nations. It attempts to dene the limits of acceptable behavior in war, and for what reason a nation might go to war.
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