Colonial Union that instigated this rebellion, not the government of Khartoum,” Okada began.
“Oh, that is it, ” Powell interrupted, and stood up. “Time for you to breathe some vacuum, motherfucker.” Okada visibly shrunk away from Powell.
I held up a hand. Powell stopped advancing on Okada. “New plan,” I said. I pointed to Okada. “You don’t say another single word until after we dock with the Chandler, ” I glanced back to Powell, “and you don’t toss him into space.”
Okada said nothing more, even after we had landed and some of the Chandler ’s crew took him away.
“He seems quiet,” the Chandler crewmember who approached me said, nodding over to Okada. Unlike all the others, he was green, which meant he was CDF.
“He was sufficiently motivated,” I said.
“It appears so,” he said. “Now, then. Do you remember me, Lieutenant Lee?”
“I do, Lieutenant Wilson,” I said. I motioned to Powell. “This is my sergeant, Ilse Powell.”
“Sergeant,” Wilson said, and turned his attention back to me. “I’m glad you remember me. I’m supposed to debrief you and catch you up with things.”
“What we’d really like to do is get back to the Tubingen, ” I said.
“Well,” Wilson said. “About that.”
“What is it?”
“Maybe we should find someplace to sit down and chat.”
“Maybe you should just tell me right now because otherwise I might punch you, Wilson.”
He smiled. “You definitely haven’t changed. All right, here it is: The Tubingen survived the attack on her, but ‘survive’ is a relative term. She’s essentially dead in orbit. She might have been entirely destroyed but we managed to get here in time and help her fight off the ships attacking her.”
“And how did you do that?” I asked. “Arrive in the nick of time.”
“We had a hunch,” Wilson said, “and that’s all I can say about that right now, here, out in the open in a shuttle bay.”
“Hmmmm.”
“My point is that if you really want to head back to the Tubingen you may after we’re done debriefing. But you won’t be staying there. At best you’ll have time to collect any personal belongings that weren’t destroyed in the battle before the John Henry and other ships arrive to take you and all the other survivors of the Tubingen back to Phoenix Station for reassignment. You might as well stay here. We can have your effects brought to you.”
“How many people died in the attack on the Tubingen? ” Powell asked.
“Two hundred fifteen dead, another several dozen injured. That’s not counting your platoon. Sorry about that. We’ve retrieved them, by the way.”
“Where are they?” I asked.
“They’re in one of the mess coolers at the moment.”
“I’d like to see them.”
“I don’t recommend that. It’s not very dignified. How they are being stored, I mean.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’ll have it arranged, then.”
“I also want to know about the two Rraey I sent back.”
“They’re in our brig, and receiving medical attention, inasmuch as we can give it to them,” Wilson said. “Their injuries were substantial but thankfully not terribly complicated. Mostly broken bones, which we could set and tend. Which one of you did that, by the way?”
“That would be me,” Powell said.
“You’re fun,” Wilson said.
“You should see me on the second date.”
Wilson smiled at this and turned his attention back to me. “We received your instruction that they were not to be further harmed. That was not a problem because we had no intention of doing so. You do understand we will need to question them.”
“You can question them without harming them,” I said.
“Yes we can,” Wilson said. “I just want you to be clear that the questioning is likely to be aggressive, even if it’s not physical. Particularly of Commander Tvann, who is interesting to us for other reasons than just his involvement here.”
“Who’s going to do the
“Oh, that is it, ” Powell interrupted, and stood up. “Time for you to breathe some vacuum, motherfucker.” Okada visibly shrunk away from Powell.
I held up a hand. Powell stopped advancing on Okada. “New plan,” I said. I pointed to Okada. “You don’t say another single word until after we dock with the Chandler, ” I glanced back to Powell, “and you don’t toss him into space.”
Okada said nothing more, even after we had landed and some of the Chandler ’s crew took him away.
“He seems quiet,” the Chandler crewmember who approached me said, nodding over to Okada. Unlike all the others, he was green, which meant he was CDF.
“He was sufficiently motivated,” I said.
“It appears so,” he said. “Now, then. Do you remember me, Lieutenant Lee?”
“I do, Lieutenant Wilson,” I said. I motioned to Powell. “This is my sergeant, Ilse Powell.”
“Sergeant,” Wilson said, and turned his attention back to me. “I’m glad you remember me. I’m supposed to debrief you and catch you up with things.”
“What we’d really like to do is get back to the Tubingen, ” I said.
“Well,” Wilson said. “About that.”
“What is it?”
“Maybe we should find someplace to sit down and chat.”
“Maybe you should just tell me right now because otherwise I might punch you, Wilson.”
He smiled. “You definitely haven’t changed. All right, here it is: The Tubingen survived the attack on her, but ‘survive’ is a relative term. She’s essentially dead in orbit. She might have been entirely destroyed but we managed to get here in time and help her fight off the ships attacking her.”
“And how did you do that?” I asked. “Arrive in the nick of time.”
“We had a hunch,” Wilson said, “and that’s all I can say about that right now, here, out in the open in a shuttle bay.”
“Hmmmm.”
“My point is that if you really want to head back to the Tubingen you may after we’re done debriefing. But you won’t be staying there. At best you’ll have time to collect any personal belongings that weren’t destroyed in the battle before the John Henry and other ships arrive to take you and all the other survivors of the Tubingen back to Phoenix Station for reassignment. You might as well stay here. We can have your effects brought to you.”
“How many people died in the attack on the Tubingen? ” Powell asked.
“Two hundred fifteen dead, another several dozen injured. That’s not counting your platoon. Sorry about that. We’ve retrieved them, by the way.”
“Where are they?” I asked.
“They’re in one of the mess coolers at the moment.”
“I’d like to see them.”
“I don’t recommend that. It’s not very dignified. How they are being stored, I mean.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’ll have it arranged, then.”
“I also want to know about the two Rraey I sent back.”
“They’re in our brig, and receiving medical attention, inasmuch as we can give it to them,” Wilson said. “Their injuries were substantial but thankfully not terribly complicated. Mostly broken bones, which we could set and tend. Which one of you did that, by the way?”
“That would be me,” Powell said.
“You’re fun,” Wilson said.
“You should see me on the second date.”
Wilson smiled at this and turned his attention back to me. “We received your instruction that they were not to be further harmed. That was not a problem because we had no intention of doing so. You do understand we will need to question them.”
“You can question them without harming them,” I said.
“Yes we can,” Wilson said. “I just want you to be clear that the questioning is likely to be aggressive, even if it’s not physical. Particularly of Commander Tvann, who is interesting to us for other reasons than just his involvement here.”
“Who’s going to do the
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