Chapter 98. Killing General Frigg
Frigg carefully closed the door. To ensure safety, he double-checked that the door was locked. Then he quietly walked to the computer on his desk. As he sat down, he realized how strange he was behaving. Why was he trying to stay as quiet as possible? Why did he just dim the lights? He was in his own office, in his department, surrounded by the offices of other senior Earth officers. Here he has the final say. Why is he acting so ridiculous?
He activated the display and found himself looking around again to make sure he was really alone. He shook his head mockingly. But his heartbeat did not calm down.
Using the keyboard, he entered his password. If his cronies in the Interstellar Communications Division had done their job well, he would be able to implement his plan by now. Oh, how he looked forward to revenge on Sukosan. She should pay the price for the influence he has gradually lost in recent months. She should be punished for slandering his name.
Since the existence of the intelligence fleet was announced at the hostage crisis meeting on Taurus half a year ago, the Earth's military has not participated in any operations. Since then, they have patrolled only within Earth's solar system. The official reason is to protect the planet. But Frigg knew the real reason. He knows that he and his Earth forces have been pushed to the edge. He also knew that the intelligence fleet had completed multiple missions. Although on a smaller scale, they always achieved positive results to the satisfaction of Earth's government. Therefore, Earth's government has no reason to change the status quo.
Although Frigg's officers were dissatisfied, no one dared to say anything. Everyone fears for their own lives and the lives of their families. There's a good reason for this. General Morron, a senior officer in Earth's military command and a close confidant of Frigg, had publicly complained about the Intelligence Fleet's existence and demanded its immediate disbandment. He pointed out that according to the constitution, the Earth's military has the right to carry out military missions. No one has seen him since that speech. His wife and daughter also disappeared without a trace. This was four months ago. Frigg had no doubt that these missing persons were being held in intelligence prisons, from which there was no possibility of escape.
From then on, people only dared to express criticism in whispers and behind their backs. Most people have accepted their fate and just hope that things will get better sooner or later.
Externally, Frigg also acknowledged this fate. Although he still hoped that some action could be taken, in reality he was at his wits end. His influence declined dramatically. He was completely excluded from decision-making. Only through relationships and requests for favors can he learn things that others want to hide from him. And whether he really understood everything, he himself didn't know.
General Frigg's once unconditional support of Earth politics has completely transformed. Half a year ago, he believed that the Earth and humanity must be protected from any threat and that there was no other alternative way. However, Captain Noah's statements while in captivity made him suspicious. The revelation of the intelligence fleet and the subsequent decisions of the Earth government made it clear to him that it was no longer for the benefit of the Earth, but only for the benefit of a few rulers. The goal is simply to maintain and expand their power. Although he refuses to see this at first, over time it becomes so obvious that he can no longer defend it. This no longer fits his worldview.
And the latest news he received required immediate action. While there was still a voice in his head trying to stop him from doing what was necessary, he decided to simply ignore it.
So far, everything is going smoothly. The required connection has been established. He quickly typed in some commands and combined them in a personal code. Just in case. If something goes wrong, then this will be his gift to Earth's government.
Captain Noah's face appeared on the screen. He seemed a little tired. It was clear that he was tired of his situation and the constant search for his way home. Still, he looked better than when he was captured.
At that time. To Frigg, it all seemed like it had happened a long time ago. A lot has happened since then. It’s hard to believe that only half a year has passed.
"Mr. Frigg?" Noah asked in surprise. His voice is slightly distorted, as is the image. The transmission quality is not very good. This is because the Republic is far away and the connection is through a secret channel that doesn't meet standards.
"Captain. It's so good to see you again," Frigg said, still speaking softly. "But we don't have time to waste on etiquette. I must warn you. Something strange is happening on Earth. There is a new fleet, under the command only of the Earth Government. This fleet is heading to Taurus, preparing to attack the inhabitants there. punish."
"You're not serious, are you?" Noah's voice was suspicious. He was right, Frigg shouldn't expect the captain to believe him easily.
"You must trust me," Frigg urged. "They were just waiting for you to leave that colony. Maybe they even made a deal with Cindy, in order to lure you away from there. I don't know. But now the entire population has to pay the price for their alliance and their fight against the Earth. All other colonies and enemies of Earth's government are warning that they will destroy that colony completely. The troops are ordered to leave no one alive. You must take action."
"Why should I believe you?" Noah asked coldly.
"Captain, you must trust me. The lives of the colonists are at stake. I swore an oath to defend Earth from all threats. To that end, I have supported some questionable decisions. But this order goes against everything I believe in. These colonists They are not a threat. Killing them is a massacre that I cannot identify with."
"So when will this attack be carried out?" the captain asked. That's a good sign, he's clearly interested.
"In six hours, the fleet will arrive at that planet. There will be a bloody battle." He paused. The image becomes blurry and then cuts off suddenly. The sound also disappeared. He quickly checked the settings, but to no avail. Communication was interrupted. It's possible they've discovered his whereabouts.
He heard the door to his office being blown down by a small explosive device. He turned around sharply, just in time to see several heavily armed soldiers rush into the smoke-filled room and surround him. They had weapons pointed at him. Through the blown-out door, he saw Sukosan enter. She held a pistol in her hand and walked towards him leisurely step by step, with a victorious smile on her lips.
Frigg slowly took a half step back, but he bumped into the table he had just been standing on, so he half sat on it and accidentally put his right hand on the computer keyboard.
"Finally I caught you." Sukoshan looked down at him with a vicious smile, "You are a traitor. You colluded with the enemy, violated your oath to the earth, and became a terrorist. How deep have you fallen."
"It was you who betrayed the Earth." He replied confidently. He knew he had failed. This time there was no possibility of escape. But strangely, he didn't feel worried at all. Instead, he felt an inner peace, as if he had felt it a long time ago. “You have betrayed the planet because you no longer represent its interests and instead blindly follow dictators who usurp power and never let it go.”
"You don't understand." She shook her head contemptuously. "So you failed too. You chose the wrong side. You chose the loser's side. I will personally supervise your interrogation. After you ask us to end your Before you die, you will tell us the names of all your co-conspirators and allies."
"Then we'll see." Frigg smiled, knowing that at least he had helped the colonists of Taurus. Perhaps by doing so he could atone for some of his sins.
She seemed to understand his thoughts. "Don't get your hopes up. You failed as well with Taurus. And with your help, we will now track the Republic as well. It's heading straight for us. With their technology, there's no way People can stop us. We will be able to win humanity its rightful place in the galaxy. Then nothing or no one can stop us anymore." Her eyes flashed with evil. "Take him away."
Before the first soldier could reach him, Frigg turned quickly and typed two letters on the keyboard. He had no time to do more. Sukosan quickly raised the weapon and pulled the trigger.
"Bang" sound. Frigg felt the bullet penetrate his skull. He slumped onto the table and slowly slid to the floor. Then he died.
Sukosan stepped over his body nonchalantly and rummaged through her keyboard, hoping to find out what Frigg had just done. However, the computer did not respond. Frigg's final command seemed to paralyze it.
She looked down at the body thoughtfully. "What are you trying to hide from us?" she asked softly. "Your plan? Conspirator?"
But the deceased did not answer her. She would order a team of computer experts to save what was still salvageable. Maybe you can find some answers in it.
Just as she was about to order the body to be taken away, a soldier approached her and handed her a radio. "Here you go, ma'am," he said.
She frowned, but took the device anyway. "Sukosan," she called.
"This is flight control." A male voice answered. Flight surveillance monitors traffic within the solar system so suspicious vessels can be reported immediately. This reduces threats to the Earth. "Ma'am, all Earth battleships are gone," the man reported.
"What do you mean?" Sukoshan wanted to know more details.
"They were all gone. They went into warp mode a minute ago and disappeared."
Sukosan, filled with rage, stared at the general's body. This guy refused to give up even after he died. She said into the radio: "What's the goal?"
"Unknown," came the unsatisfactory answer.
Annoyed, she handed the radio back to the soldier. She must now do whatever it takes to find this fleet. Then she would quickly deal with the officers. They had given her enough reasons. They violated orders to defend the Earth. Someone will definitely be punished.
But first, she must consider the fleet's intentions. She didn't know what would happen next. She has no influence or control over it. She had hated this state before and couldn't stand it. And she hasn't had it in a long time. It's even more unbearable now.
...
The trial in Rasekhai's case has been going on for a long time. His case has been in court for half a year. The assigned mandatory defense attorney was very aggressive. He has been delaying the court's decision, bringing in new identifications and new evidence that appears to exonerate his client. Obviously, Rasaka still needed to prove his ability, but he got this case. The judges compromised every time. This suggests that judges are also unsure about the decision they should make. The laws of Earth clearly provide for the death penalty. However, since the people in the colonies did not accept this law in principle, everyone even on this planet believed that this case should be punished with the death penalty. However, the justices also considered the political implications of their ruling. After all, the Earth government still demands that the prisoners be extradited back to Earth. They will certainly not agree to carry out the judgment. So all that's left is to extradite the prisoners to Earth, which no one even in the colonies thinks is the right thing to do. In response to a possible change, judges delayed rulings in hopes of finding an opportunity to make their decision easier. Not seeing such an opportunity presented itself, the trial gradually devolved into a farce.
Rasekhai is now very thin. Although he had never been fat, now he was almost skin and bones. Although he eats regularly every day, he refuses to eat most of the time. His skin was gray and his eyes were sunken in their sockets. A thick beard covered his face and his hair was long and messy. The whole person looked not only unkempt, but also in poor health.
He appeared in court mostly in a daze. He was barely aware of anything around him. He just wanted to hear the verdict and be done with it. He repeatedly asked his lawyer to give up, but the lawyer never considered it.
During this time, Rasekhai had not seen his children for a long time. Even his wife no longer appears in court. A few weeks ago, a court attendant told him his family had left the planet, to an unknown destination. Rasekhai was shocked. They didn't say goodbye to him or even leave a letter. From that point on, he became even thinner and lost interest in everything. He initially tried to explain his actions and get people to open their eyes, but has now given up. No one wanted to listen to him. It seems like everyone on the planet believes the senators’ propaganda. As his incarceration grew longer, he even began to doubt himself. Maybe, like everyone else, he should have done nothing. Although he still believes that otherwise the colony might have been destroyed long ago, he could have been reunited with his family. He didn't need to lose them this way.
What's worse is that, to this day, he still doesn't know if he is just a puppet being used. Noah, the captain of the alien ship, had told him that the person who put the idea into his head was one of the senators. But he couldn't prove it. His court statements were seen as attempts at diversion and slander. So he still doesn't know what's going on.
However, this no longer matters. No matter what they did to him, it didn't matter to him. As long as everything ends as soon as possible.
It was like hearing a distant alarm bell in a dream. He looked up with little interest.
He hid in the last corner of the cell and sat on the wall. The cell was rather dark, with only a small light source flickering faintly on the ceiling. The gray steel door has no windows and no way to see outside. The cell is several meters deep underground.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake and dust fell from the ceiling. Then there was a dull rumble, then calm again. Rasaka lowered his head again, and then the rumble sounded again. After a while, the cell shook again. The vibrations were stronger than before, and even the lights began to flicker. The cell was shaking and rumbling at irregular intervals. Finally, the lights went out completely.
Rasaka finally recognized the rumble. It must be an explosion and a blow from a large weapon. There can only be one conclusion. The colony was attacked. The rumblings grew closer and closer, eventually becoming apparent as an explosion.
His last thoughts were with his family. Apparently, he didn't do anything wrong. His goal has always been to save his family. Although he now achieves his goal in a different way than expected, he did achieve it. If it's true and his family has left this planet, then they are at least safe. They will move on with their lives and maybe one day realize that he was not the monster they surely thought he was now, but instead saved their lives.
When the prison building was hit, when everything turned to rubble and ashes, Rasaka died with this comforting thought.
At top speed, the Republic ship returned to the colony. Noah sat on the command chair, staring at the screen with a gloomy expression. He felt deeply betrayed. Although he wasn't sure if he was actually betrayed. Because he doesn't want to believe in the earth government's conspiracy. However, General Frigg's news undoubtedly brought them a bad surprise. There is no doubt about the authenticity of this news. However, Noah remains hopeful that this is just a piece of false information.
After receiving the news from the general, it was not only Noah who expressed doubts. After the conversations he had with the General while in captivity, he no longer trusted the General. The general was clearly shown to be narrow-minded and principled. He couldn't believe he would betray. And his leadership team feels the same way.
However, Jeffrey still verified the news. When verification is confirmed, there is a good chance that the message did indeed come from Frigg. However, this does not mean that he is telling the truth.
However, now that the colony is being attacked nearly half a year after kidnapping the envoy, it is simply ridiculous. But since they could no longer make any progress on the planet Cindy anyway, Noah decided to return to the colony to see what the situation was like there. And they don’t know who to go to.
The failure at Creeping Cindy is still etched in the minds of the crew. That action was so pointless. Fifteen members of the security team never returned. The others lay injured in the infirmary. Gladys was the most seriously injured. Her right thigh was severely injured, with fragments of the wall from the explosion piercing her right thigh deeply. Even in this misfortune she was considered lucky. However, Dr. Celia still isn't sure she'll make it through this unscathed.
At first, everything seems to indicate that this is Cindy's trap. They reached the planet easily. They were stopped too little. However, the small amount of data Noah saw in Crawling Cindy's computer network led him to believe the opposite. First, the direct path they travel is better guarded by the Crawling Cindy. Their two-day detour proved its worth. Second, Humanoid Cindy launched a massive attack a day earlier, forcing Crawling Cindy into action. They devoted all their strength to counter this offensive. And this just gave Republic some opportunities.
