Read Cassandra Kresnov 04: 23 Years on Fire for Free Online

the cold dawn, upon the landing pad within the bowl-shaped rooftop of Anjula’s Parliament, with engines screaming and thermal scales popping from reentry heat. Assault shuttles were always a menace to the eardrums. On polite official visits, VIPs would land at the spaceport and take an atmospheric shuttle to the Parliament, and not bring their direct-from-orbit beasts down on the roof to frighten local residents and damage their windows. But this was no polite visit, and Vanessa was there to meet him, thankful her helmet would save her senses from damage.
    The admiral wore a spacer’s jumpsuit, jacket and a uniform cloak, swirling out the back in a blast of frigid air amidst his armoured Marine escort. Vanessa popped her visor and saluted. The cold on her face was enough that she wished she hadn’t.
    “Commander Rice,” she identified herself. The admiral saluted, and she gestured him to walk with her.
    “Sitrep,” he requested.
    “We have Anjula for now,” she said, leading him through the blast doors into the holding area, signaling whoever was watching the monitor to cycle the doors. Probably it was one of their AIs. “Anjula rebels hold much of the Parliament network function, and now we physically hold most of the building . . .”
    “Most?” Alemsegad interrupted.
    Vanessa shrugged. “A few quarters holding out. We haven’t the manpower to mop up completely, they weren’t attacking us so we sealed them off. Now that you’re here, feel free to finish up.”
    The admiral nodded, and gave a signal to the Marine captain at this side. The captain relayed something, and four from the admiral’s ten-strong contingent hurried ahead as the inner doors squealed open.
    Vanessa led the admiral after. “Parliament wants to speak to you,” she continued. “They want to know by what right the Grand Council attacked their world.”
    “President Tao?”
    “Vice President Hakana,” Vanessa corrected. “Tao’s wounded.” The admiral looked at her. “We had to shoot our way in. They were trying to reestablish network control. Shit happened.”
    The admiral made a face. “Hakana then. Who’s in charge now?”
    Of the rebels, he meant. It was necessary protocol. The Fleet wasn’t allowed to intervene in any Federation world’s affairs except in exceptional circumstances. One of those circumstances was the event of civil uprising and loss of governmental control.
    “His name’s Moon,” said Vanessa, as they walked down a wide, gently bending corridor, office doors on the right, windows offering a view across the Anjulan skyline to the left. Smoke rose in columns, across a cityscape unusually clear of air traffic. “University professor and tech wizard. He’ll be acting president.”
    “Well,” said Alemsegad, “now I am. As the senior Federal representative, I’ll be acting president until a governor arrives, and you’ll be my security chief.”
    “Yes sir. You’d not rather use a Marine?”
    “You’ve been planning this for months, we just got here. I’ll need your knowledge.”
    “Yes sir.”
    Alemsegad smiled. “Don’t worry, Commander, I’ll not keep you long. Just until relief arrives, maybe a week.”
    “Damn,” said Vanessa. “I’m gonna miss Tanusha fashion week.”
    “Seriously?” asked the admiral.
    “No,” said Vanessa. Alemsegad actually grinned. Word was, he didn’t do that often.
    The planning/debriefing session in the ex-president’s office that evening was of informal attire, but as deadly focused, as one would expect from a bunch of war veterans who cared less about procedure than results.
    Sandy sat by the big, bomb-proof windows with her feet up, in a reclining chair with just a jacket over a bra-top, her side swathed in bandages. The DA building defences had indeed taken a rib, which had stopped them from taking a lung. The rib would heal, she was assured, but it needed to breathe, and have as little pressure on it as possible. A straight human, of course,