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Two weeks had passed, and no action from Artemis City.
Two weeks of preparation for either an assault on Artemis, if Nicole and Stone had their way, or a desperate defense, if Mike’s most dire predictions came to pass.
Two weeks of waiting had the leadership of Free Luna on edge. Calling their condition ‘nervous’ was in contention for ‘Understatement of the Millennium.’ Worse, the fragile unity of their popular support was fraying as well.
Their core supporters, the ones Stone called the ‘True Believers’, hadn’t wavered. They were committed to the revolution, to reforming and replacing the current government for moral and ethical reasons. They were also more likely to have been closely connected to the original cabal and owed a personal fealty to them.
The most recent converts, the bulk of the general population, were also fairly steadfast in their support of the revolution. While they recognized, intellectually, the danger they were in from the current government, as long as they themselves were in no immediate danger they were more than happy to go along. This condition might change should Tycho and the other warrens face a credible threat. Until then? If there was work and money and food, they’d be happy.
It was the middle group which was most dangerous. These were the visible leadership of Tycho Under and the rebel warrens, the ones persuaded to come over to the revolution’s side. Politicians, business leaders, influencers, the common denominator was their public exposure. If, no, when Artemis attacked, and if Artemis prevailed, they were the ones most likely to face the consequences if they survived. Their support wavered as their perception of risks shifted. While none spoke openly against the revolution, their silence was message enough.
They hadn’t wasted their two weeks, though. All of the members of Autumn’s ‘inner circle’ had made the trip to Njord and gotten their implants and a crash course in how to use them. They’d also, with the urging of Nicole, signed off on the plan Kendra and Autumn had cooked up for the integration of Free Luna into the Terran Federation. They hadn’t yet announced it to the population, which was one of the subjects of today’s meeting.
“We gain nothing by keeping it under wraps,” Nicole was arguing. “Kendra made sure the Union knew as soon as you made the agreement! I don’t know why they haven’t turned it into propaganda yet but I’m not going to argue with their incompetence! Unfortunately, I know most of the people who are still on the Empress’s Council, and they’re not going to stay incompetent forever. We need to get ahead of this, not react.”
“And I say we hold it in reserve until things get bad,” Caitlin shot back. “Politics 101. You don’t play all your cards right off.”
“And things aren’t bad? The Right Honorable Randal Revay has been privately circulating a petition among the Tycho leadership to withdraw their support from us, and if Tycho folds where does that leave us? I’ll tell you,” she continued before anyone else could speak. “The only way we have a chance in this war is if we hold Tycho, right, Nicole?”
Nicole was surprised to be brought in to support the opposite position, but she hadn’t spent a year as Minister of War without learning a few tricks. “You’re absolutely right, Mistress Novak. We have to hold onto Tycho; it’s the central hub on Luna for all transshipments, far more so than Artemis City. But you overlook one important point, Mistress Novak.”
“What point, Mistress Crozier?” Caitlin returned the polite term of address, dripping with venom.
“We need the people to be vocal about supporting us, not merely passively supportive. When they’re passive, scum like Revay can work the edges, and you can see exactly how that’s going!”
“I agree with Nicole. Sorry, I mean Mistress Crozier,” amended Stone. “I’m just a retired SEAL; I don’t play in political circles.”
Jordan managed not to snort.
Bullshit, Chief.
Shut up.
“What she’s saying is correct, though. You use a weapon when it will be most effective, yes, you’re right, Mistress Novak. But sometimes you can’t wait for the most effective time; sometimes, you simply have to use it when it’s necessary. Now, your people are doing well with their training to be ground forces, but they’ve only had a few weeks. They’re not ready to do much more than die valiantly. As I understand it, if this Revay gets his way he might destabilize the situation here?”
“That’s putting it mildly, Chief.” Nicole was used to Stone by now, having worked with her for several months, and she thought she saw where she was going.
“Then we have to stop him. Now, I’m sure we could put together a plan to remove him from the equation, permanently, but, ah, let me finish,” she said as Novak and Newling both started to object. “But we’re not going to do so. That’s what the Empress does, and we if we start doing what she does why are we bothering in the first place? No, we have to stop him another way, and the only way I can see is to get the people fired up like they were on July 4th. You do that, and no politician will put their lily-white ass on the line, at least until the tumult dies down again.”
“Makes sense,” Jordan added in support. “I know when the folks in Houston got riled up about a law the mayor was trying to pass, they didn’t give him no peace until he backed down. The power of the people, you know? I figure it’s the same here as on Earth.”
“I’d like to tell them.”
“Then do it!” urged Stone. “I heard your broadcast on your Independence Day. You give a great speech! You want to bring them all back under you? Then announce joining the Federation and put your spin on it. Hell’s bells, I’ll bet Kendra would come down and deliver the speech with you if you asked her.”
Are you nuts, Chief?
Shut up, Alyssa! I’ve known Kendra lots longer than you!
Exactly! She’s crazy enough to do it!
One problem at a time.
“What do you think, Nour?”
“It’s a security nightmare right now, Autumn. Everyone’s scared, worried about what’s gonna happen next, which makes them unpredictable.”
“And unpredictable sucks,” Stone said.
“So, yeah, I agree with her. Make the announcement, do the speech. Let’s recapture the magic if we can.”
“Caitlin?”
The former and current diplomat was unhappy. “I wish we could use it later, but if we lose the people we lose the revolution. I agree.”
“Good. Chief, will you make the arrangements?”
“Naah, I’m not a secretary. Besides, you can just send Kendra a message now. Your ‘plant. Remember?”
Autumn had the decency to flush. “Nope. I didn’t. It’s a brave new world, isn’t it?”
“That it is, Autumn. That it is.”