Expedient Measures

Expedient Measures

by James Matt Cox

The story presented here is fiction.

Any similarity to any person, group or entity living, dead or virtual is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2013 by James M. Cox, Jr.

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art by: www.viladesign.net

Version Code: 201011

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Books by James Matt Cox

A Pattern of Details

The Dungeon Crawl Unlimited fantasy RPG system

Open Source Tools for Independent Authors

Vortex Portal

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The Children of Wisdom

The Dawn of Wisdom; Beyond Wisdom; Flashes of Wisdom

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Books in the Stone Blade series:

Stone Blade; Double Bait

The Radical Factor; The Burning Crown

Expedient Measures; Lethal Max

The Border Incident; The Blatant Prey

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The Moons of Epigaea

Sage's Moon; Reaper's Moon; Hallow's Moon; Planter's Moon

This book is dedicated to Joshua and Casey Blackledge.

My youngest son and daughter-in-law.

- - - - -

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

-The First Amendment to the

Constitution of the United States of America

Chapter 1. The Assassin!

Author's Note: Due to the immense number of unions present in the Grakis Major Coalition noted League historian and archivist Dr. Ferdinand Kincaid has graciously provided a list (Chapter G) of the unions cited in this work.

Micah Stone drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. Things could have been different. A wash of noise through the closed and sealed window told him the time drew near. Occupying this room at this time took a lot of effort especially with such short notice. He had other arrangements, equally hurried, for afterward. The noise level climbed and peaked then diminished a little. Though he couldn't see it directly, yet, Micah pictured the crowd below. He knew it waved and rippled in a thousand colors and sounds of celebration. Things would have been different. They had been. Now, though...

Micah checked the small holovee beside him. It showed the crowds and, surprisingly enough, they did indeed mill and rustle about. Given the number of people packed into the area he didn't see how they could breathe much less move. The casterman panned around the crowd a moment before zooming in on the man just now climbing to the stage.

The noise redoubled. It caused Micah a brief moment of concern as it shook the heavy seal against the window frame. He worried less about his work than that of others. If their connections vibrated loose early it would certainly complicate his plans. They didn't so Micah took another breath. The man on the stage paused a calculated moment to survey the crowd with his characteristic smile visible on his face. He raised his arms and waved and the noise increased yet again.

Many people thought they made sacrifices for the man. More than a few actually had. Some of those even made the ultimate sacrifice. The responsibility lay on Micah's shoulders to ensure that those sacrifices had meaning. That those unknown few did not make their sacrifice in vain.

My fellow citizens.

The noise surged past the ability of the many amplifiers and repeaters to overcome it. Silenced by necessity the man simply smiled and raised his arms again. Then he moved slowly to the podium awaiting him. Micah's burden now weighed on him as heavy as the noise outside. The necessity of that burden only made it worse.

My fellow citizens.

Micah braced his sniper-accurate heavy pulse rifle on its tripod and sighted down it. Calculating a shot against an unseen target presented many problems but he would have a few seconds to act. Only a precious few so he had to make each one count. He recalculated the range and dispersion again. Then he took another slow breath. Then another.

I stand before you today with a glad and proud and humble heart.

The crowd again cheered past the amplifiers. Once the noise peaked Micah thumbed a button next to the rifle's safety and several things happened. A carefully-set thermex charge melted through the anchors holding the seal to the window. He blinked past the flash and gritted his teeth against the concussion as the thrusting charges blew the seal away. He carefully removed the window panes earlier and now the seal itself fell, assisted by the charge vectoring.

Though the noise of the explosion fell far short of that the crowd generated Micah knew he'd just triggered numerous alarms. He acted before anyone watching them possibly could. A slight adjustment gave him the perfect shot. He slowly squeezed the trigger.

Time slowed. The speaker's cloak flared as the shot hit. The impact and concussion threw him backward and off the stage. To Micah he followed a slow, gentle arc. In the half-second it took for the crowd to encompass what had happened Micah squeezed off another shot. This time he hit only a bank of repeaters but they shorted spectacularly and showered the crowd with sparks. Micah fired again and hit a few stage decorations but the man he barely missed jumped in surprise, dropped and rolled off the stage.

Panic spread through the crowd now. Those near the stage tried to flee faster than the mass behind them would allow and chaotic patterns of movement began forming. The crowd as a whole quivered and Micah saw a few individuals fighting the general flow and trying to move toward the stage. He wished them well.

The image on the now-ignored holovee jumped and twisted as the casterman tried either for safety or for a better angle. Truculent men and women with pulse pistols, lasers and heavier arms now swarmed the stage. Some few of them opened fire at the single unsealed window but to no good effect. Yet. Micah sprayed a quick half-dozen shots before dropping to the floor and rolling toward his own safety. Time to leave.

***

People in small groups and lesser crowds swirled around the front of the building by the time Micah reached the exit. They all knew something had happened, some of those knew something bad but no one knew exactly what. Three major panic-flows rushed away from the building and collided with uncertain masses and even a few people trying to get in.

Micah's hud showed his initial optimal route now too clogged to use so he switched to number two. People pointed and shouted as he ran. He drew his GIL carbine and knocked a few down, careful not to trample them. When he spied a pair of GSSU workers trying to sight in on him he reversed the carbine and fired a CAS round into the lead man.

The concussion and smoke started a sudden panic away from him and blaster bolts emerging from the obscuring cloud only encouraged it. Micah avoided the shots easily but now gave less attention to not running over the hapless people around him.

A knot of SEU troops improvised a rudimentary emplacement outside the subsurf station and they opened fire as soon as one spotted Micah. He dropped, rolled and lobbed a pair of concussion grenades and one smoke. As soon as all three detonated he followed them in. One of the troops tried to fire so Micah sent a CAS round into his chest armor.

The crowd inside the station, now panicked but uncertain why, screamed and ran away as Micah entered. Good enough, he thought, firing a few more rounds into the ceiling for inspiration. One lone guard stood between him and the stairway down. The man faced Micah uncertainly before deciding to go for his blaster. He wore no armor so Micah popped another CAS on the floor right in front of him. The blast knocked him back into the wall and out of Micah's reckoning.

Though the station was in security lockdown the doorway opened to the code Micah burned into it before. It locked as soon as he passed and would, he hoped, not open for its regular codes or overrides. He hurried down the empty escalator to the boarding platforms. He did a quick shoulder-roll at the bottom and, without rising, shot the four ATU guards and SEU troops waiting there.

A linear stood on the rails grounded on its track and full of anxious people staring out at him. Heavy security barriers blocked every tunnel out. Without breaking stride Micah slapped a button on his belt. Heavy thermex charges detonated, melting through one of the barriers and fusing it solidly to the tunnel wall and platform. The ATU would have fun clearing that but, most importantly, they wouldn't do it quickly. Micah jumped over the semi-molten metal and ran into the darkness of the tunnel itself.

After a few dozen meters the tunnel opened to one side. Micah heaved a sigh of relief now. Of all the places his plan could fail this one concerned him the most. Fail it did not, though. Micah heaved a heavy tarp aside to reveal a fast hovercycle with extra headlights.

Micah worked quickly to wrestle the cycle into place. He activated its modified autopilot and synchronized it with the exact time and location. A quick look back down the tunnel showed no one approaching so he took the time to check and re-sync the program again. A few seconds from now it would need to fly down a tight, closed path too quickly for even his reflexes so he took extra precaution now.

Micah's helmet sensors reported noise now and when he looked back along the tunnels he saw the flickering of lightstaves or flashlights. When he saw the shadowy figures approaching, he powered up the hovercycle and sent it whooshing on its way. There was nothing now but to let the cycle fly.

Micah took a long, calming breath and sent his mind back down the chain of events leading up to this point.

Things should have been different.

***

The red sun of the String-of-Pearls system rode high in the sky of Azure, its fourth planet. Puffy long ribbons of cloud encroached on its domain but the star stood challenge to them all. It shone past the clouds, down to the surface of the planet where so many of its inhabitants bustled busily. When they dared walk outside the sun bathed them with its light. Some took the time to appreciate this while others ignored it. Still more walked into and out of buildings both large and small.

Inside one of these impudent structures at a table beside a very large window sat two men and two women, all chatting happily. Warmed, thought the sun, by its generous rays.

Gunter Rene du'Charle 'Charlie, burnit!' Ferrel, who refused to answer to either Fyrelm or Prince Elmer, sighed in exasperation.

Jennifer, he said, since my brother is so resolutely ignoring me perhaps you will listen.

Jennifer Harling, who sat snuggled in Micah's arm, grinned impishly. Of course I will, your majesty. Speak.

Across the table from her Vera Kidwell giggled and reached for a nibbler. The movement made her now-spring-like lavender and tan curled hair jump and oscillate across her head. Ferrel shook his head.

As I was trying to say Father messaged me yesterday. He sent my cousin Sir Gerald, Sir Karr, Lady Blue and a contingent of Elder Guards to Caustik. Blake Glade said he'd be there to welcome them and that there would be no problems whatsoever.

Glade wrote me, said Micah, eyes still on Jenn. "Mother and Father were overwhelmed at first. Then they decided they really could leave. For truth, once they saw such highcarder words as royalty and noble scion I don't think they thought they had a choice."

We shan't enlighten them, then, said Ferrel. They'll have their choice of planets, no problem there, but I told Father to guide them toward Faircoast or Haembrecht. They'll be easier to visit that way. If you have a preference I'll send it along.

Either place would be wonderful, said Micah. Thanks, brother. My choice would be Faircoast because it'll be easier for Deke to visit there.

Done, then. What about you, Jenn? We have your aunt, uncle and three cousins. Once you speak your vows they'll be a part of the family, too.

After a moment of thought Jenn shook her head. That's really all the family I have and we're not that close. Deke has some friends there but I doubt they'll leave.

You'll have plenty of both now, dear, said Kidwell. "House Brightcrown is huge and Houses Edders and McReely aren't small either. That's just the three close ones. There are dozens of others besides them."

Ferrel lifted an eyebrow at that but the arrival of the waiter and a slightly older man stopped any reply he might have voiced. The waiter handed Jenn a go-box and indicated a chair for the other man.

Ted! Hey, Ted.

Ted Ionoski, Micah's team leader and friend, sat with a smile.

We waited lunch on you, said Ferrel. Except Jennifer of course.

Hi Ted, said Jenn, and bye, Ted. Work calls.

Of course, said Ionoski, rising when Jenn did. Congratulations on your promotion. It is well-deserved and Rippins & Coleman will know that soon enough.

Thanks, Ted, said Jenn. Then, to Micah. Love you, pumpkin.

Love you, darling. Micah rose to kiss Jenn goodbye and watch her walk out, still warm inside from it.

Ferrel broke Micah's reverie by rattling the menu.

So things are still well? asked Ionoski.

Very much so, said Ferrel quickly. We'll give you the details after we order.

Even the waiter chuckled at this and soon they had him on his way. Ionoski slipped a garble onto the table.

I have news, he said, "of a pleasant and non-critical nature.

"I'll start with the Unity of Triumph. They've established solid trade with the Semid Federation and are working on the Mekhajan. The Circle approved a very long list of exportable items and their overall economy is starting to improve. They've basically finished everything we suggested and the advisors, ours and the Semids', have left now. Orris sent privately that Frond is still grumbling but also adjusting nicely.

Here's more progress on your plate. Ionoski chuckled. First Brellin requested, on behalf of the Circle, a SPEW upgrade to their LINC terminal cores.

What? Micah said it because Ferrel nearly choked on his tea. Even Kidwell looked shocked.

No blather, continued Ionoski. They plan to set up an automated messaging module to dispense daily doses of Writ throughout LINCspace.

Micah and Ferrel both shook their heads. The Simple Precise Electronic Writing protocol mostly served to allow teenagers to exchange inane and banal messages. Intelligence also used it for simple text and they all had multiple handles.

Queue and SPEW, said Kidwell acerbically. I hope the Unitites still like us next year.

Ionoski's expression turned serious. "We also have some initial results from the Esavian worlds. Things are pretty grim there now. Dhu still isn't speaking to any of them and that's having some very profound effects. There's a lot of turmoil but since they can't get approval for any holy wars it's turning inward. We have at least three reports of festivals outlasting their given limits or starting too soon. As best we can determine the cure has reached maximum saturation.

"We identified a lot of Mekhajan influence and so far we've managed to counteract it. Sneaky Weak Sally has well and truly lost her grip but Beefy Brawler is missing her sorely. I also wish you'd come up with better names.

"The last item is for you, Micah and Charlie. The Nebula Worlds Federation has officially requested that we upgrade at least one of our legations to a full embassy. According to the lady who took the request, the requester heavily emphasized the at least, and with the implication that more would be better."

Polarity, said Ferrel to which Micah added Plus-plus.

There was also a personal message from Samantha Taw. 'Tell Robert and Carl that things are going well here. Thanks again and good luck.'

Robin? asked Kidwell.

Yes, said Ferrel. I'm no-blather happy about that, too.

How are the Semids doing? asked Micah.

Better, said Ionoski, but they still have a long and rough path ahead of them. Also, while I can't speak facts, rumor says SIF7 is starting long low-slow operations on both the Vezieri and the Jengiil.

The others nodded.

Now for business. Ionoski handed them datacubes. Review the material here and I'll see you all at 0930 tomorrow.

They nodded again and the waiter arrived with food which took priority over everything else.

***

One of Azure Central's most prominent landmarks, the Clarke-Harrison building, rose an impressive twenty stories above any of its neighbors. Several myriads of businesses both large and small operated out of it making it one of Azure's busiest buildings. Unbeknownst to the businesses there and the citizens who worked for them six entire floors housed League Intelligence. Intelligence also accounted for a few of the businesses there but the rest were totally legitimate.

Micah, Ferrel and Kidwell, who once approached the building with considerable trepidation, now considered it a second home. They called it The Office. They greeted the people they knew there and soon sat, comfortable in a nondescript but highly-secure conference room.

Good morning. Ionoski entered and took a chair. I take it we are all recovered from our most excellent repast yesterday?

He flipped a switch and activated a room-sized garble.

As you might infer from the material I gave you our current assignment involves the Coalitions of Grakis Major and Grakis Minor. They're a little farther from the League border than the Semid Federation and are, mostly, close allies. Grakis Minor less so but our assignment is for Major. Their economy is suffering severe problems. Take a moment and tell me why.

Grakis Major is a disaster in progress, said Kidwell without preamble. Their economy is horrible because their employment rate is low and their capital structure is terrible.

I agree, added Micah. Their taxes are disproportionately high and mostly fall on the middle class where they should be lowest. Government doles and deficit spending are only making things worse. Add in mandatory redistribution and you have the perfect formula for wiping out their tax base. And their taxpayers.

Look at the unions, said Ferrel. Flames. Do they have a separate union for every single worker? That's insane. That can't possibly be good for the economy.

Not quite, Charlie, said Ionoski, and it isn't. Respectively. They do pose a serious problem, though.

Organized crime cartels and syndicates are running wild, too, said Kidwell after checking her data. "I'm surprised they don't have a union."

Profit draws poachers, said Micah dryly. Especially when you have massive numbers of unions, massive government and a massively-broke economy. Just like rot draws rotgrubs.

Things took a critical downturn two years ago, said Ferrel. Why?

You tell me, said Ionoski. Check Major's relationship with Minor.

The People's Coalition of Grakis Minor, said Micah. Better known as Erin's Worlds. Originally started as colonies from Major. Good wealth, good economy and none of mommy and daddy's problems.

That's because of Erin's, said Kidwell. Based on and operated from Erin in Grakis Minor. Ubiquitous throughout both and expanding outside the Grakis coalitions. Heavy saturation in regions outside Grakis minus Unity and the Esavians of course. Considerable penetration in the League Windy and Sanamaki sectors with inroads into others. We have one here. I like shopping there.

So does Jenn, said Micah.

Minor is bringing in a lot of wealth, said Ionoski, and they're supporting a lot of Major's debt.

Supporting and exploiting, you mean, said Kidwell.

Truth and pure, said Ionoski. Just over three years ago they adjusted their currency and debt ratios. That rippled through Major's economy and basically wrecked it.

That is plus-plus not good, said Ferrel. Major is dangerously dependent on Minor's support. They haven't hit the spiral point but they're not far from it either. Is this a tail-and-dog?

Close to it, replied Ionoski. Erin's provides a broad spectrum of goods, consumer and household, wherever they happen to be.

Which they produce by exploiting cheap labor from Major, said Kidwell. Forced into place by their economic leverage. That reeks. It's probably a good thing Major doesn't have much military. That would go from economic disaster to total catastrophe fast.

Or not, said Micah. Don't forget, Vera, attacking your creditors is a Very Bad Idea. Even the Esavians knew that.

Kidwell raised him a finger.

That would level the economies, no blather there, by flattening them totally. Is that our goal, Ted?

"No. Ionoski spoke that instantly and emphatically. Absolutely and unequivocally not. That is the last thing we want. We don't even want it. If their economy collapsed it would ripple through at least five League sectors and all the independents too. Hades no."

So we want them strong, said Ferrel. Both for ourselves and for others. And themselves.

Six-sigmas on the beam, said Ionoski. "Major's government has some wretched policies in place, for truth, but since they keep the unions happy and the unemployed fed and entertained they aren't likely to go away. Nor can they be removed easily. Impossible is a word I might use if I didn't hate it so much."

Micah checked Ferrel's numbers and did a quick calculation of his own.

Ted, the League could fix things if their economies did crash flat.

Not without a full takeover, said Ionoski. "That entails an eighty percent likelihood of military action too. We'd have to emplace some strict and severe measures and they would not be popular. Nor would they work instantly or even quickly. Both economies would go worse before they got better, even taking the initial crash into consideration.

No, Micah. Aggressive League intervention would be just as bad as internal collapse, possibly worse, and we'd have hostility toward the League for sauce. That assumes they'd even have anything to do with us afterward. We also have to consider the amount of debt Erin's holds within the League.

Uncryo, said Ferrel. They've collected a lot of that in the short time they've been here.

In case you gentlemen have overlooked the fact, said Kidwell. Aggressive intervention is also very much against League policy and practice. Especially against a long-term ally.

Micah called up the notes he made.

I don't suppose it's coincidence that they're gearing up for an election, he said.

Correct, said Ionoski. Then he released more data.

Kidwell scowled at Micah as she reviewed the data. Apparently she reached that conclusion as well.

Allow me to present citizen Joseph P. 'Working Joe' O'Barrick, said Ionoski. "Born to a fairly wealthy family, school, awards, college, degrees in political science and local history. Subsequent graduate work at law school, exams and certifications passed. He could have become a solicitor but chose instead to seek a career with the Workers' Affirmative Democracy Party.

"He made a name for himself doing a lot of legal work there and he spearheaded campaigns for several of its more distinguished members. He also made friends inside the unions. All of them like the Work-Dem party as they call it. He built a solid foundation with a lot of support so when he ran for continental, then regional and finally planetary senator of his homeworld Javiiu, he made all three.

He served several terms as Javiiu's planetary senator, consolidated his power base, expanded it and set his sights on a presidental run. He's knowledgeable, charismatic and very friendly toward the League.

Which is why we've helped him in the past, said Ferrel. Under the garble, of course.

Under and above, said Ionoski. We don't make a secret of the usual things we do to help the candidates who favor us.

Ted, this is at least two-sigmas insane, said Kidwell. You've all but said we'll be working to help this O'Barrick win the election. Several of the other candidates are as pro-League if not more so. Bailing, for instance. Her New Economy Party is plenty more favorable toward League trade and they're not nearly as shackled to the unions.

I agree, said Ionoski cheerfully. "She's exactly what Grakis Major needs and we want and we're giving her all the support we can. Lots of people like her, she has solid working-class roots, a good grip on the situation there and an even better understanding of the economics. Unfortunately she isn't winnable. She'll probably come in a solid second or third but it will be a distant place at best.

Strategy and Planning suspects but can't prove that her main goal is to establish and inject into the election some good, sweeping reforms. Measures that will stick past the election and the new president's first two or three years.

What about Hrobert? asked Micah. He's almost as good.

Almost as good but twice as bad, said Ionoski. "He may be warm toward the League but he's only warm at best. He wouldn't decrease League trade but he also wouldn't give us much more than we have now, if anything. Besides, with his current numbers he'd need full union support and they're split toward him. That makes him not winnable either.

His tax policies may resonate with a lot of independent potential voters but most of the public-sector unions hate him as do a significant portion of the others. That alone is enough to prevent a clean win and the organized crime cartels and syndicates absolutely hate him. Not enough to assassinate him, truth, but enough to sabotage him at the polls.

Slib, said Micah, dismissing the other candidates. Are we trying to dredge and wedge the economy?

That would be ideal, said Ionoski, but not possible under the current constraints. We're trying more for a safety net. Even S&P's most optimistic projections don't give Major's economy anything close to enough time for a low-slow. That's why we need O'Barrick elected now. If he wins then he'll be able to aggregate some of the worst economic drains. Possibly even mitigate them. He has a lot of support across the middle-class and poor demographics, a fair amount across the rich ones and a workable appeal to students close to or just past voting age.

Plus the unions, said Ferrel. They'll support him but they will also expect a lot if he's elected.

No blather there, said Ionoski. They'll get it too. He'll basically do whatever they want but he can convince them that what they think they want they really don't. He can also persuade them to share in the misery once economic reality sets in. None of the others can do that.

Kidwell shook her head. I don't like this, Ted. Just from the data we have here it's bad. Unless they have a miracle or three hidden it's going to splash narsty, galaxy-wide.

It is grim, said Ionoski. "It's likely to turn more grim before it improves, too. Grakis Minor and Erin's are all more dependent on Major than they realize. Or than they've indicated they realize. Anything that cold-sevens Major's economy will ripple into theirs