Starship Armstrong - Season 1

Part 30 - Alas, Babylon (XIII)

"We're being hailed from the surface on our priority ansible channel," said Marceaux "It's Lieutenant Commander Mitzner."

"Do I really need to say it?" asked Captain Littlecrow "On screen."

Both the audio and video were plagued by artifacts and static, but the image that appeared on the main screen was Mitzner alright. Behind her in the background was McAfree.

"Starship Armstrong, do you read?" asked Mitzner.

"The signal's a bit rough but we read you Mitzner," said the Captain "It's good to see you again."

"Alright, good. I don't have a screen to hook this ansible into so I can't see anything. We don't have a lot of time. I hope you're tracing this signal because I know the Hegemony is."

"We've already got a read on their location," said Marceaux, without having to be asked.

"Scramble the Shenzhou and get to those coordinates as quickly as possible," said the Captain.

"Captain," said Gibson "There's no way our shuttle is going to be able to beat the Babylonian air vehicles to their location. They're too much closer."

"I miss you too, Commander," said Mitzner.

"Mitzner, listen to me," said Captain Littlecrow "I am ordering you to-"

The amount of static on the screen quickly increased to the point where the picture was consumed by it, and the audio became a hiss.

"The War Sun is jamming the signal," said Marceaux.

The Captain swore.

"When the War Sun hails us," she said "Put it on screen."

The War Sun hailed them moments later, and Marceaux put it directly onto the screen. The familiar image of Captain Zahawi appeared.

"I assume you intercepted our message," said Captain Littlecrow.

"Of course," said Captain Zahawi.

"So you know that all we want to is to get our people out of there. They'll leave and never trouble you again," said Littlecrow "We can help each other."

"Captain Littlecrow," said Zahawi "I have gone out of my way to be accommodating to you in our previous encounters but what you're asking is ridiculous. We will rid ourselves of your people on our own. They will be tried for their crimes and executed, not necessarily in that order."

"Believe it or not, Captain Zahawi," said Littlecrow "I'm giving you an out. Right now you've had a little taste of what Mitzner is capable of, but she's been trying to play by the rules. You'll notice she hasn't really hurt anyone. Yet. But you have her backed into a corner now. At a certain point she's going to stop caring about the rules and you're going to get a sense of what you're really dealing with here. Could you kill her eventually? Sure. But you'll lose a lot of good men and expensive equipment in the process, or else blow up a large portion of your own colony. You should quit while you're ahead and let me call her off."

"I really thought better of you, Captain Littlecrow. That is, without a doubt, the single weakest bluff I have encountered in all my years. We have traced your people to their location and they will be apprehended shortly. Once this has been accomplished we will release you from the tractor beam and allow you to leave. If you attempt to launch any of your shuttles before this time they will be fired upon. That is all I have to say. End transmission."

A little more than a standard hour later, the War Sun hailed again.

"We are willing to agree to your terms," said Captain Zahawi "You may remove your people from our planet. Call her off."