Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.17

Chapter 17

Council Meeting.

“It seems Marshall Crush has caused another problem,” Nancy said, her face twisting in distaste. 

“This was clearly not his doing,” Duke countered. “The problem is with my sister’s crew.”

“We only have his word for that,” Warrick said, sitting forward. “We all know the kind of punishment Crush, and his people hand out. Can we honestly be sure that the crew of the Last Chances was even involved?”

“Crush did not kill them,” Brix snapped angrily. “We have dozens of witnesses to the death of the prisoners and plenty for the incident at the supply depo as well.”

“I think the matter is up for discussion for a reason,” Hadrian said in a calming tone. “I am sure no one is going to make accusations without proof?”

“The facts speak for themselves,” Brix said. “There are two murders in the Chances’ Enclave, and they are being willfully hidden.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Nancy asked. “That we storm the place? Then what?”

“I am suggesting that we allow Crush-Cha to do the job you all appointed him to,” Brix said, visibly forcing himself to speak calmly. “Or else, why have a Marshall in the first place?”

“A good question,” Nancy smiled. 

“We are getting sidetracked,” Duke snapped. “The issue here is the actions taken by Crush, our duly appointed Marshall, in the pursuit of alleged murderers.”

“Alleged?” Brix asked. “Do I need to bring you the bodies?” 

“That is not what I meant–” Duke started to say.

“I think that would be wise,” Hadrian cut in. “An external investigation would remove any appearance of collusion or cover-up of evidence.”

“That is complete bullshit,” Brix said with a huff.

“It would also,” Hadrian went on, “Remove any possibility of the Last Chances’ Captrain being able to question the results of the investigation.”

“And if we are to do this every time Crush has a run-in with the Chancers, what is the point of the Marshall’s office?” Nancy offered again, seeming to have latched onto the point.

“Drop it,” Duke said sternly. “We have a Marshall because everything was going to anarchy without one, and you know it.”

“Perhaps a different Marshall?” Nancy offered. 

“People trust Crush-Cha,” Brix said simply. “They don’t trust many people.”

“I agree,” Duke said before Warrick could say whatever he had sat forward for. “Crush-Cha is an excellent Marshall.”

“He won’t let this go,” Warrick said with a sour look on his face. “The man does not know how to let something go.”

“Every interaction with Captain DeVore’s crew would be likely to explode,” Hadrian nodded. “I suggest we make a small amendment to the Marshall’s duties.”

“Such as?” Duke asked while Brix looked at the Council with evident distaste.

“The crew of your sister’s ship is simply put out of his purview, with her good self to punish as necessary when she returns.”

“This is a mistake,” Brix said, his voice shaking with anger. “They will effectively be above the law until she returns.”

“I’m sure my sister is capable of keeping control of her people,” Duke said hotly.

“Capable? Certainly,” Brix said, standing. “Willing? I fucking doubt it.” 

“That will be enough,” Duke said, standing as well. “She is my sister, remember.”

“Look at her crew!” Brix snapped. “Bandits, criminals, and pirates! Every one of them. Who has a crew like that?”

“Enough!” Duke yelled. “I will not have this!”

“Spare me,” Brix shook his head. “This is supposed to be your colony, Duke! Now it is at the mercy of these thugs, and all because you refuse to accept the Last Chances’ crew are a bunch–”

“Get out!” Nancy yelled. “You will not simply state what happens here. We are the Council; we decide.”

“For now,” Brix shook his head. “Until Brenda decides otherwise.”

“I think a small break to let tempers cool would be wise,” Hadrian said. “Perhaps we could reconvene in an hour?”

“Yeah, I’m going,” Brix shook his head again before storming out of the Council room.

“I think we might need to make some changes regarding the Mayor as well,” Nancy said, straightening her dress as she sat back down.

“Stop it,” Hadrian said with a tired sigh. “Changing either of them so soon would just make everyone think us incompetent.”

“The investigation of the deaths at the supply depo and the resultant public interrogation,” Warrick said, “It has to be taken over by this Council.”

“I trust Crush-Cha,” Duke said, red in the face but trying to seem calm. 

“Nevertheless,” Hadrian said. “It is important that this does not spiral into a larger issue. This will prevent it from being a case of Crush versus the Last Chances. It protects everyone.”

“Only if he accepts it,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “Has it occurred to you that he might just say no?”

“Why would he?” Duke shook his head. “It would only make him look guilty of a cover-up.”

“He might think we are trying to cover things up,” Nancy said simply. 

“Aren’t we?” Warrick asked.

“What?” Duke snapped, “Of course not.”

“So if your sister’s people did all this,” Warrick asked carefully. “You expect her just to accept us killing at least four of her crew?” 

“It won’t come to that,” Hadrian offered. “We could expel them from the Colony instead.”

“Still, it is something to think about,” Warrick said, raising his hands in an exaggerated placating gesture. “Just saying.”

“No,” Duke said simply. “That is not how this will be handled. Honesty and open communication are the way to go here.”

===<<<>>>===

“He can’t be this naive,” Cara said as she watched the Council Feed with Crush-Cha and the others. “He’s never have made it out of kindergarten.”

“It’s more common than you think,” Crush said with a small chuckle. “They are raised with their wealth and power behind them. People don’t fuck with them because the ones coming to deal with it would be troubles no one wants.”

“Look at how he got screwed over with the arc,” And-Aran said. “They must have seen him coming AND going to get so many defective parts.”

“Too late to worry about that now,” Crush said firmly. “Get the bodies ready to hand over.”

“We are going along with this?” Cara protested. “Why?”

“Because they are right about one thing,” Crush said with a shrug. “We don’t want anyone to be able to say we refused to.”

“They are going to fuck it up,” Cara snapped. “Or worse.”

“Of course,” Crush agreed. “That doesn’t mean we should stop them; we just need to start planning ahead.”

“Like how?” And-Aran asked.

“Like using the fact they want something from us to get something in return,” Crush nodded to a list off to one side of the table. “Something that they would not normally want us doing.”

“You have a plan?” Cara asked, starting to smile. 

“I have several,” Crush laughed. “I always do.”

“Mayor’s coming,” Bil-Tor called. “And he looks pissed.”

“Get rid of this,” Crush said as he got to his feet. “We don’t want him to know about it yet.”

“Why?” Bil asked. “Isn’t he on our side?”

“Of course, he is,” Crush replied. “But he can’t hide anything and couldn’t lie believably to save his life.”

Crush met the raging Brix outside the Marshall Office to give the others more time to hide the screen and surveillance gear. Brix was ready to spit nails, so it took him a while to get around to why he had actually come.

“It’s a load of shit!” Brix said, punching a wall and leaving a dent in the cheap metal. “They can’t just take the damn investigation if they don’t like where it’s headed.”

“They kind of can,” Crush said with a laugh. “They run the place, right?”

“Dragon’s balls, Crush,” Brix huffed. “You don’t really believe that?”

“Not a little,” Crush admitted. “But they sure seem to.”

“So, what do we do?” Brix asked.

“Well, first, we do as they ask,” Crush said somewhat bitterly. “Because they are right about one thing: I say no, and it immediately looks like a cover-up.”

“So I just go and say, fine,” Brix asked. “We just roll over and take it?”

“No,” Crush laughed. “And you need to calm down, my friend. This is going to be a long game, and you need to keep calm for us to come out on the winning end of it.”

“This is no game,” Brix huffed. “Or it shouldn’t be.”

“Oh, games are important,” Crush said soothingly. “People die over them all the time. And that Council are playing several at once.”

“So your plan is what?” Brix asked, throwing his hands in the air.

“Get in the game,” Crush said with a laugh. “They want me to be out of the way for a bit? Fine, but it will cost them.”

“How?” Brix perked up.

“First, I want a decent-sized transport. Second, the Marshalls are cleared to go out on patrols outside the colony. Make sure there are no dangerous animals encroaching.” Crush said.

“Why would they agree to that?” Brix asked. “Just to get something they can already take?”

“You’ll see, Brix,” Crush winked. “You’ll see.”

===<<<>>>===

“Thank you for returning again, everyone,” Hadrian said with a smile, although no one other than Brix had ever left the room. “I believe the matter at hand has been settled at least somewhat.”

“How’s that?” Brix asked.

“The investigation into the murders will pass to this Council, with all bodies and other evidence to be turned over to us immediately,” Warrick said smugly. “We can take it from there.”

“You are in agreement?” Brix asked Duke.

“I think it is for the best,” Duke said coldly, clearly still pissed at Brix. “Whatever you think of my sister.”

“So,” Brix asked. “Why are we still here?”

“We thought it would be wise to have you approach Crush,” Hadrian said smoothly. “Both as Mayor and as a friend.”

“I just did,” Brix said, secretly reveling in their clear discomfort. 

“That was foolish,” Warrick said gravely. “He now has time to hide–”

“He agreed to hand everything over,” Brix said through gritted teeth. “In exchange–”

“There is no ‘in exchange’ involved,” Nancy hissed. 

Hadrian shushed her and gestured for Brix to go on.

“In exchange,” Brix glared at Nancy, “Crush asks that the Marshalls be given a reasonably large transport and authorized to make patrols of the surrounding countryside to clear out any dangerous animals.”

“I see,” Hadrian sat back, exchanging surprised looks with Warrick and Nancy. “I am glad he has chosen to be reasonable.”

“I don’t trust it,” Nancy said suspiciously, “What does he want to do that for?”

“Whatever the reason,” Warrick said. “It neatly solves the problem.”

“I don’t see how it has anything to do with the murders?” Duke asked.

“Not that problem,” Warrick shook his head, “The problem of run-ins between the Marshalls and the Last Chances crew. If the Marshalls are out on an extended patrol for a few days….”

“I agree,” Hadrian said. “I suspect this will also help to alleviate any suggestion that the Council is showing Crush and the others a lack of trust or respect.”

From there, everything went surprisingly smoothly. Brix was stunned and still clearly pissed off with how things were growing, but there were no further arguments.

Nancy drug it out for a while, trying to figure out what Crush’s angle was, until Duke lost it and reminded her they were not there to distrust Crush, which made Brix laugh before he left.

The Council called everyone to a Colony Meeting and proceeded to announce that they would be ‘assisting’ the Marshalls with the investigation given the ‘sensitive nature’ of the events and the groups involved. It went down a lot less well than they had expected, as Crush had ensured everyone in the Marshall’s Quarter had been spreading the news of them taking the investigation over against his will. 

By the time the Council had broken up, half the Colony knew what was going on, and the area around the Last Chances enclave had become suspiciously quiet as people began to avoid the area as much as they could. 

Crush got on stage and told everyone he had done as the Council ‘ordered’ and would be taking the other Marshalls out on an extended patrol outside the Colony at their urging.

The look of shock and outrage on the face of Nancy as he landed that in their lap was something he knew would give him warmth on cold nights for years to come. 

Combined with the fact that they had taken the investigation from him, the Marshalls being sent out of the Colony made the entire thing look like a massive attempt to cover up the murders on behalf of the Council.

Crush paused before leaving the stage and nodded to Brix, clearly showing who supported him, while Nancy and the others fielded accusations and questions before he walked out, breaking into a wide smile as he left the chaos he had caused behind him.

“You got plans,” Cara laughed.

“Always,” Crush confirmed. “Let’s go get on with the next one.”