"Madam Director, please!" said Reid. "We have to stop this tragedy before it's too late!"
"It's already too late, Captain," said the director, the very picture of cold impassivity. "These rebels have had their day, and it's over now. We are going to crush them here, now, for good."
"But ma'am—" Reid bit out before he was interrupted by the director.
"Don't 'but ma'am' me, Reid. Until you're the one making decisions on this level, there's nothing more I need from you. You are dismissed to return to your ship."
Reid left without a word or a backward glance. On his way back to the airlock he called Swan and asked her to start the calculations for a jump to Earth. If the director wouldn't listen, there were only two other people with more authority. It was time to see if he could get in to see the president.
On arrival at Earth, Reid, Kosmenko and Swan took a shuttle down to the UE capitol complex in Casablanca. When they landed, they were met by CapSec officers who demanded identification and the purpose of the Phoenix trio's presence. After being cleared to disembark, they headed directly for the Blaine Executive Office Building, where the president and her cabinet and staff had offices. Clearing security there, they were ushered in to see an aide. The aide took them upstairs to see a deputy minister. The deputy minister directed them to the minister of defense, a small fellow named Jorge Aguilar. Finally, Reid had someone to whom he could address his grievance.
"You say Director Wu is pressing the attack on Mars and causing mass casualties to the rebels?" said Aguilar, making sure he'd heard correctly. "Forgive me, Captain, but I fail to see how this is a problem of any sort, let alone one to get President Okoye involved in."
"But sir," Reid pressed, "the rebels have already retreated. There is no need for the continued loss of life, nor for the director's obsessive desire to utterly crush the rebels. This shouldn't be—can't be—personal! We've already won a tactical victory. Anything more makes us no better than the power-abusing autocrats the rebels accuse us of being!"
"Perhaps," allowed Aguilar, "but they have already declared themselves enemies of this legitimate government, and as such have forfeited any right to mercy or special considerations. We must make an example of this movement, Captain, lest the colonists ever get it in their heads to try again. We cannot afford any appearance of weakness at this critical moment."
Reid was appalled, and a quick glance at Kosmenko let him know that he felt at least as strongly.
"Sir, I believe we must apprise the president," said Reid. "She is the final authority here."
"Technically, you are correct," said Aguilar, with just a hint of a smirk on his face. "The law gives President Okoye the last word on matters of defense. In reality, though, she will listen to her trusted advisers—that's me and Director Wu—and you already know where we stand. Now I am ordering you to go back to Phoenix and jump back to Mars and report to the director. If you do that, there will be no record of today's...inappropriate outbursts. You are dismissed, Captain Reid."
Reid's jaw was working as he tried to rein in his temper. He wanted nothing more than to give Aguilar a piece of his mind. Kosmenko grabbed him firmly by his upper arm and, with a whispered "let's go, Win," steered them both out of the minister's office.
In the hall, another man, tall and distinguished looking, fell into step beside Reid and Kosmenko.
“Captain,” he said, “may I walk with you?”
Reid hadn’t really noticed the man’s approach, but now he looked over at him and recognition dawned.
“Minister O’Neill,” he said, “by all means.”
“Thank you, Captain. I confess that I overheard your conversation with Minister Aguilar. I would like permission to come aboard your ship as an observer when you leave orbit.”
“Minister,” Reid began cautiously, “surely the Ministry of State needs you here. And we may be facing combat situations, which I could not in good conscience subject you to.”
Reid knew that with a cabinet official aboard, he would be all but unable to carry out the plans that were forming in his head.
“Captain, you misunderstand me,” said O’Neill. “I wish to get away from here.” He let a significant pause hang in the air between them.
Oh.
“I see,” said Reid. “It would be our honor to have you aboard Phoenix when we depart. Mr. Kosmenko and I were just heading to our shuttle. Is an hour enough time to get what you need and join us in orbit?”
“It is,” said O’Neill. “I shall see you within the hour.”
Back in the shuttle, Swan didn't really need to ask how it had gone. Reid ordered her to take off and get back to Phoenix, and she could hear him and the first mate having a heated, though muted, discussion all the way back to the ship.
Once aboard Phoenix, Reid and Kosmenko disappeared into the briefing room. Eventually, Reid requested that the rest of the senior staff join them there.
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