Episode 37

Chapter 152

Major Daniel Stone,

6:42 pm, November 3^rd, 2006

12:42 pm November 4^th, 2006 (local time)

I turned and thought about what else I should be doing about the situation. Then I remembered that I better make sure the surrender took hold and that Colt had no more fanatics on the base. "Get me the Flying Dutchman."

"This is the Flying Dutchman, Mister Mason speaking."

"This is Major Stone. Stand by for new orders."

I hit the mute and asked the crew if the Hades had been recovered yet.

"Nope."

"O.K., Flying Dutchman, your new orders are to locate the Hades and recover it. You are authorized to bring it down."

I heard Tiffany's voice in the background moments before the screen shifted to her. "Did he say what I thought he said?"

"You mean about bringing it down? Yes I did. The Hades is in the hands of the Association. The Association was a serious threat to our country to start with. With my son's technology, they are a threat to the entire world. You will probably have to fire on the Hades."

"And if they refuse to stop and give up?"

"Then destroy it. My son would agree with me."

"Okay. We'll get on it."

I heard General Smith receive a message on his walkie-talkie. He acknowledged it and turned to me. "The surrender has worked out. All fighting has ceased."

"Good. I really hated the thought of my fellow Marines getting hurt unnecessarily. Next we need to do damage control. General, I need you to organize repair and recovery teams. Do not worry about air traffic yet. The Density Force will maintain a no fly zone for some time in the hopes of catching Colt."

Now I took a slow look around. Everything seems to be running as smoothly as possible.

Which meant I had no more reasons to postpone my next call. "Open a channel to the Situation Room. Get me the President."

I was surprised at the reaction I got.

I thought that teens thought they had some sort of biblical command against teens showing shock at anything an adult said.

But I swear the teen did a double take before staring at me in utter shock. "The President? Our President?? Of the United States??? That President????"

"Yes, that President. There's no need to look that shocked. Need I remind you that nothing they've thrown against you and your friends has worked yet? You did need to be impressed. Or worried for that matter."

A few minutes later the watch officer came onscreen. "Why are you calling, Major?" He said my rank as if it was too low to have the right to speak with him.

I was not intimidated by a mere Colonel. "To speak to the President."

"Why?"

I decided to start shocking them right off the bat. "Colt has been deposed and the base is in my hands."

That was enough to fluster the watch officer. "One moment. I know the President will want to speak to you about that."

A few minutes later the President came on screen. "They told me you deposed the rightful commander of that base. I'm ordering your court marshal for that."

I stood up straight and tall. Then I took a page from Jacob's book. "No Mr. President, you will not. Your General Colt is responsible for piracy, assault, unlawful detention and probably a host of other crimes that the Judge Advocate General will be glad to list. He has fled the base."

The President's tone went defiant. "None of those charges will stick. I sent his pardon over there already."

"Now there's a subject we need to speak about. You will immediately issue a pardon for each person involved in the attack on the base to rescue my son."

Now the President's face screwed up with rage. "Your son? You're the father of that treasonous teenager?"

Time to show exactly where Jacob got his mannerisms from. My face showed absolutely nothing of how I felt. "No, I'm the father of a man who can think for himself and decided he did not want his work supporting your fundamentalist views."

"And if I refuse? I'm proud of Colt after all. He's the example of what I wish all Americans would be. He knows the American needs are more important and he does not let such meaningless things as liberal ethics stand in his way. None of us should."

"You know, the fact you are our President shows without question God's involvement in affairs. We are obviously being cursed. As for your question, if you do not do as you should to clean up the mess you made, then I will call a press conference where they can see what Colt and his agents did to Jacob. Then I will order the Density Force to attack Washington and arrest you."

Finally he showed a little fear. "You can't be serious!"

Fear. It looks like he's not as self deluded as his actions would lead me to believe.

I let him wait a bit before answering. "Can't I? Your orders have dishonored the uniform I'm wearing. Your betrayal of the Palestinians to earn brownie points with right-wingers at home shattered our credibility internationally. Rumor has it there were plans to try to impeach you before today for abuse of power. What do you think will happen when this story breaks?"

He tried to be defiant. "I don't care."

"As you wish. Will you care that I've detached a ship to protect Palestinian space? Or that I've dispatched a ship to recapture the ship Colt's friends stole from my son?"

"Your son had no right to refuse us anything. Our destiny is always to be supreme. God made it so."

"Spare me the bullshit. Either the Hades will be recovered, or it will destroyed. We have more density class ships. Either you prepare the pardons now, or your successor does. At least this might look good when you are impeached. I'll ask the Judge Advocate General's office to send an officer to pick them up."

Chapter 153

Fred Dash

Personal log (voice), Fred Dash, Captain of the Princes of the Universe,

7:25 pm, November 3^rd, 2006

1:25 pm November 4^th, 2006 (local time)

"Approaching assigned position." Mindy announced.

My great grandfather would probably be turning over in his grave if he knew what I was about to do. He had nearly lost his life in a concentration camp for helping those people the Nazis claimed were undesirable. When interrogated by the Gestapo, he was rumored to have said 'it's not the blood, but the behavior that condemns a man'. So why does everybody ignore the actions of Israel against the Palestinians that provoke the Palestinians? More to the point, why doesn't the world realize that as long as the Israelis support violent organizations in Palestine, that they have no claim to the moral high ground? Are we so wrapped up in the guilt of the past that we can't move on?

I looked at the screen. Hopefully this would be the last time we'd be called to do this. "Yellow alert. Raise shields."

"Done." Murphy said.

I really didn't want to fight any wars.

Christine turned in her seat. "Do you honestly expect to have to fire on the Israelis?"

"Expect to, yes. Want to, no. Our country made an agreement though. American pride requires that we honor it."

"Incoming fighters." Murphy announced.

"How many?

"Eight."

"Red alert. Raise secondary shields. Arm primary weapons."

"Incoming call." Carl informed us.

"On speakers."

"Attention craft. You are violating Israeli airspace. Withdraw at once."

"Are we, Mindy?"

"No, we are still over Eastern Jerusalem."

"Very well. Then here we remain."

"If you remain here, we will fire on you."

"Incoming missiles!" Christine called out.

"Ignore them."

The missiles hit our ship.

"Report." Murphy.

"Sixteen missiles impacted on outer shields. Shields at eighty seven percent."

"My God," Mindy said. "I don't know what Jacob did when upgrading to this model, but whatever he did was great."

"Tell me about it. Open a channel to the pilots. Attention attacking pilots. You should know that your attack was futile. Remain on your side of the border."

"What border?" A pilot snarled. "God gave this land to his children. All of it. The Arab's only right is to serve us."

"Oh, shut up. If you cross the borders in those jets, you'll have to walk back."

"You can't do that. We're the agents of Almighty God."

"I have had enough of this bullshit. Battle stations. Arm all weapons. Murphy. Target the fighters if they cross the border. Shoot them down in such a way as to let the pilots escape."

"Done."

"Now, Carl, open a channel to the Israeli Ministry of Defense."

Carl opened a channel and had a quick conversation. His voice grew tighter. Finally Carl looked over. "Channel open."

"On screen."

"Done."

Suddenly I had the feeling this wasn't going to go too well. "This is Captain Fred Dash of the Density Force vessel Princes of the Universe. To whom am I speaking?"

"I am Colonel Maddok of the Israeli High Command. What do you have to say?" I saw a paper handed to him. "And what makes you think that I'll listen after you killed so many of our brave pilots?"

"First, you'll listen because nothing you possess can dislodge us. We have been ordered to defend the territorial integrity of the Liberated State of Palestine. Before you get any ideas, that includes their capital here in Eastern Jerusalem. Secondly, we didn't kill the trespassing pilots. I specifically ordered they be shot down and not killed. You will of course have to deal with the Palestinian government over your outright act of war."

"But what about the fighter pilots you killed last week?"

"They called the grandson of a concentration camp survivor a Nazi. What you think I was going to do? Invite them out to dinner???"

Maddok looked furious. "I ought to order a mass attack to wipe you and those infidels you protect out of Occupied Israel."

I sighed. So much for reasonability. I guess hanging around Jacob has made me an optimist.

"So are you going to give up and leave? Your President came to his senses. Soon all foreign meddlers will leave God's Country."

"Not likely. What I'm telling you is that this ship is at least forty times more powerful than the one I had last week. I have been given complete leeway to handle this situation as I see fit. You know what that means to a teenager like me? It's a hunting license. Christine, arm all weapons. I'm asking you right now, will you obey international law and cease meddling in Palestinian affairs?"