Chapter Eleven

No mustelid had slept all night. Many had been rejoicing the return of their lost companions, but to a few it had been a night of fear, hard work, and quiet brooding.

David had been cooped up in one of the old cells, attending to Phil’s injuries with the very few tools he had at his disposal. There was little he could do but set a rudimentary cast to the broken bone and hope he could get access to the Harvester’s medical bay before too long. He didn’t even have anything to staunch the flow of blood or ease the poor mustelid’s pain.

Though he had been taken in by the celebrations for half an hour, Rhys had spent most of the night planning with Leandro and Twitch. He expected some form of retribution from Cardinal Erik and, once he had been made aware of the night’s events, Captain Rivers. Rhys was in no doubt that the port’s captain would take the rescue of the two mustelids as a personal affront. He wouldn’t care about the slight towards the Vatican. It would be a matter of personal pride. Cardinal Erik, naturally, would not rest until he had punished Rhys most severely for his actions and continued resistance to Vatican ways.

Very soon after Rhys’ return, Leandro had voiced his opinion that Captain Rivers and Cardinal Erik would wait until after dawn to assault the jail. Though Rhys had initially been sceptical they would wait the few hours left until morning light, a pink tinge on the eastern horizon had quickly grown to a red dawn, and still silence reigned across the port.

At first light, Twitch, William, and Richard had armed all the mustelids again, taking the unused weapons from the small cell they were using as an armoury. Rhys had again equipped himself with an ionic rifle, which he kept against his knee as he sat.

Leandro had been very eager to hear all about Captain Uwele’s reluctance to assist Cardinal Erik; in fact the grey-furred mustelid had perked right up and grinned from ear to ear at this news.

 In contrast, Twitch had been quite downbeat the entire time, and had voiced his doubt that Captain Uwele would be willing to publically voice his willingness to help the mustelids. As Twitch had pointed out, adhering to the port’s command hierarchy was completely different to backing an open rebellion. However, Leandro waved Twitch’s concerns away with barely a second thought.

With the coming of morning light, the jubilant mood that had permeated the jail slowly began to trickle away. A few mustelids approached the trio of planners and sat by their table, listening in as they worked out the best way to tackle the coming retaliation. None made any contribution to the discussion, but Rhys noticed they seemed to be comforted simply by hearing the plans being made to counter the humans.

Slowly the crowd grew larger, until, by the time Captain Rivers began banging on the front door of the jail, every mustelid was gathered around the table. Even David and Phil had returned, though they sat alone a little away from the others. Once again all eyes turned to Rhys. Once again they looked to him for the inspiration they needed to secure their freedom. He stood, self-conscious of the attention.

 “You have been waiting for this moment for years,” Rhys said softly, his voice barely audible over the distant hammering. “Now is the time for action. You may look at me as a saviour, Leandro says he believes me to be the greatest mustelid, but I am not. I am the same as you all, no greater than the youngest kit, no better a leader than any of you, so I ask you not to look up to me.

“You must follow the one responsible for all this. Look to Leandro for courage, not to me. He has led you to this point, not me. He is the greatest of us, and you must all fight not just for your freedom, but for him. You all deserve more than this, so let us stand together and show humans everywhere that mustelids are strong, mustelids are brave, and most of all, mustelids want their freedom!”

“For Leandro!” came a cry from near the back of the hall.

“For Leandro!” Rhys repeated, raising his rifle above his head.

The gesture was repeated by all but the grey-furred mustelid, who stood with tears in his eyes as “For Leandro!” reverberated around the jail.

“Captain Rhys, you do yourself an injustice. You are the hero of this hour, not me,” Leandro said.

Rhys shook his head. “Let’s just go and see if Captain Rivers has changed his mind.”

With Leandro and Twitch by his sides, and a horde of mustelids at his back, Rhys once more headed for the guardroom. As he expected, Captain Rivers was stood in front of the door, again with about two dozen men from the various crews about twenty feet away. This time though, Captain Sykes and Captain Uwele were stood by Rivers’ side.

Cardinal Erik was stood with the various crew members. The brim of his hat obscured his face, but Rhys didn’t need to see the cardinal’s expression to know how livid he was. The Martian’s outline was blurred, such was the ferocity at which he shook, barely keeping in check his rage.

Rhys almost quailed upon seeing the cardinal, but Leandro was not phased.

“Captain Rivers, are you willing to talk today?” the grey-furred mustelid called out.

Rivers looked like he had swallowed something very unpleasant, though his face was as red as it had been the previous day.

“I will talk,” he said, though the glare he aimed at Captain Sykes suggested that it wasn’t his preferred option.

“However, we wish for you to come outside so we may speak to you directly,” Captain Sykes continued. He seemed perfectly calm and at ease with the situation. Rhys knew they would have better luck swaying Sykes than they did Rivers. If Leandro was correct, and they were able to persuade Uwele too, then the pressure of numbers may be enough to force Rivers’ hand.

Rhys glanced across at Leandro.

“Let’s go and meet our destiny, shall we?” Leandro said, before turning and selecting a number of mustelids to brave heading out of the jail.

Rhys’ tail thrashed wildly as he took several deep breaths. This meeting was a culmination of almost a month of direct planning, and many years more of hopeless dreams. It could alter the very future of TIE. Twitch, David, and William all volunteered to come. Leandro also chose a couple of mustelids to join him; Rhys knew their names to be Marie and Lucas. All had an ionic rifle on their back.

The crowd of mustelids shrank back as Leandro opened the door, their courage failing them for the moment. Even Rhys felt the natural instinct to turn and flee from the sight of so many stony faced humans, with Cardinal Erik standing barely two dozen feet away, but he stood his ground.

Captain Rivers ground his teeth as he quietly seethed away. He didn’t seem capable of speaking, so it was Captain Sykes who stepped forwards to meet the mustelids.

“Under the protocols of the London Convention, we are required to listen to your demands,” Captain Sykes said, enough volume in his voice to be clearly heard by everyone present. He peered down at the mustelids with a sense of intrigue in his eyes, which greatly relieved Rhys when he saw this.

“Captain Sykes, my name is Captain Rhys Griffiths and I am here to represent the mustelids of the Mount Cotton spaceport,” Rhys said, stepping just ahead of Leandro. “For two hundred years mustelids have been treated like slaves. The time has come to change that.

“Since I became a mustelid little more than a month ago, I have come to realise that so many human perceptions of them are wrong. They are intelligent, they are caring, and they deserve so much better than what they’ve got. I urge you Captain Sykes, you must reconsider how you treat mustelids, because they are not unthinking slaves.”

Captain Rivers made a noise somewhere between a bark of laughter and growl of frustration, but he was silenced by Captain Uwele.

“So what exactly are you asking for?” Captain Sykes said, ignoring Captain Rivers’ small outburst.

“Equal treatment. We want somewhere decent to live. We want to be treated with respect and to have opportunities within Spaceways. And most of all we want to be paid for the work we do,” Rhys said, which drew a raised eyebrow from Sykes.

“Regardless of whether or not I agree with you, it is not in my power to give that,” Captain Sykes said uncertainly.

Rhys felt a touch on his shoulder, and he turned to make way for Leandro.

“We understand this, Captain Sykes,” the grey furred mustelid said. “We do not ask for change to come instantly, though we would very much like that. We are asking for awareness of our plight, and for support from the human captains. Captain Rhys has done so much for us already, but he can’t do it alone. We ask for people like you, Captain Sykes, or you, Captain Uwele, to listen to us, and to help us.”

This time Captain Uwele stepped forward. “I don’t understand. You’re not meant to be acting like this. What I saw last night... I witnessed a daring rescue, something I didn’t know mustelids were capable of. You’re not...”

“What? Brave enough? Intelligent enough? I know what you all think. You think we’re just dumb animals, cowed into submission so we’re too afraid to put a single thought together, other than to obey your every beck and call.” Twitch snarled as he stood forward.

“You were designed to serve humans. That is your role,” Captain Uwele said with a hint of desperation in his voice, as though he was firmly trying to cling on to his beliefs.

“I was not designed for anything. I was born, just the same as you were. All of us were. We’re not designed to serve you or anyone. We are not your slaves,” Twitch replied. Then he took a deep breath and said quietly, “I’ve been wanting to say that for a long time.”

“We are not simple animals, and we are not inferior to humans, destined to live as slaves. You of all people should understand that, Captain Uwele,” Leandro said, turning to the dark-skinned captain.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Captain Uwele said, his voice turning suspicious.

“Your heritage was one of oppression and slavery. Your people have risen up from that. Will you not give us the opportunity to let us do the same?” Leandro said softly.

“Preposterous! It’s not the same...” Captain Rivers said, finally breaking his silence, but Captain Uwele raised his hand to stop his companion from speaking.

“If you really are as intelligent as you claim, then why do you always appear so dull-witted, so cowed, around us?” Captain Uwele asked. Rhys had to suppress a smile. He already knew that they had managed to get the young captain on their cause.

“Fear, mostly,” Leandro said. “As much as we wanted to change matters, we were powerless to do so, over two centuries of oppression stood in our way. Captain Rhys gives us a voice we have never had before. He gives us the authority amongst humans to truly stand up and fight. With a leader to guide us, you’ll find that we’re very capable of doing just that.”

“So with authority, with someone to stand up for you, you will fight for equality?” Captain Uwele asked with an intrigued gleam in his brown eyes.

“Don’t even think about it!” Captain Rivers warned the younger captain.

Captain Uwele turned to Captain Rivers. “They’re right. When we grew up we were always told mustelids can’t think for themselves, that they are just there for our benefit. But if they’re not, then perhaps we should be doing something to help them.”

He then addressed Rhys. “I will back you in this. You showed bravery I could never have thought possible last night by taking your companion from the cardinal, and today you have shown me that mustelids are capable of much greater acts than I gave you credit for. You have opened my eyes to the truth,” he said, holding out his hand, to which Rhys stepped forward and shook.

 “And I too will offer my support,” Captain Sykes said. Though there were a few shocked faces amongst the humans behind, not a single protest was raised, though Cardinal Erik looked like he had swallowed a grapefruit. For a moment Rhys dared believe they had done the impossible and swayed the minds of two captains.

“I don’t believe what I’m hearing,” Captain Rivers snarled, pushing Captain Sykes to the side and storming towards Rhys. In his hand was an activated plasma pistol. “I don’t care who you are, or who you say you were, you are an animal. I will not reason with you and if I have to create an example of you, then so be it.”

“Captain Rivers...” Captain Sykes warned.

“Enough! I don’t know what’s gotten into your heads, the both of you. These are fucking rodents, and we do not go treating them with bloody equality,” Captain Rivers said, turning on his companions and waving his pistol around.

“Cardinal Erik, do you have anything to say?” He beckoned to the cardinal, who had taken a few steps forward from the rest of the humans. Edgar Scott was stood right behind the Martian.

Cardinal Erik, his face as red as his robes, stalked forwards and stood directly in front of Captain Sykes, his nose less than an inch away from the captain’s.

“Hear me now when I say that if any man dares to offer allegiance and support towards these beasts, then I will personally excommunicate them from the church. I will give you both one chance to take back your words, for I am feeling particularly generous this morning, but you shall both have one chance only,” the cardinal growled, his voice remaining ominously quiet.

“No Cardinal, my conscience will not allow me to bow to your pressure, not this time,” Captain Uwele said, bravely facing down the livid cardinal.

Cardinal Erik’s features twisted in a grotesque display of apoplectic fury. Even Captain Rivers took an involuntary step back lest he be caught in the oncoming storm of rage, but Captain Uwele stood firm. He serenely stared at Cardinal Erik, his eyes unblinking, a calm half-smile forming on his face. This only seemed to enrage the cardinal further.

“You dare... you dare! You dare oppose an emissary of the Vatican! I would see you explain your blasphemy to His Holiness would he demean himself to deal with scum such as yourself,” the cardinal screeched, but still Captain Uwele did not step back.

“I dare, yes. I dare because Captain Griffiths has shown me the error of our ways. I am a champion for his cause now, and if that puts me against the might of the Vatican then so be it,” Captain Uwele said, his calm, melodious voice a stark contrast to the discordant shrieks the cardinal was still emitting.

Captain Sykes, less composed than Captain Uwele, stood forward again to face the cardinal. “I too will stand against the Vatican, if I must.”

“These creatures are intelligent,” added Captain Uwele. “They deserve the right to be treated as such, regardless of the origins of their species. Yes, the first mustelids were created in a laboratory, and against the Vatican’s wishes, but that was centuries ago now. Times have changed, and the mustelids are as much a part of this Empire as humans.”

“Fools,” Cardinal Erik hissed. In both hands he grasped the crucifix that hung on a chain at his neck and raised it high above his head. “By the power granted to me by His Holiness Pope Adamantius, I sever the two of your from the Holy See, and brand you enemies of the Church. Never again may you seek guidance or assistance from those of the faith. Revel in the company of beasts and blasphemers, for that is where you now belong.”

Captain Uwele puffed out his chest in pride. “If that is the price I pay for choosing what my heart deems right, then I accept my fate. Together with Captain Sykes and Captain Griffiths, I will attempt to change this Empire for the better. If the Vatican wants no part in this future, then I have no time for it.”

Turning his back on the humans, Captain Uwele moved to stand by Rhys and Leandro. He folded his arms across his chest as though he challenged anyone to argue his position. Rhys knew this to be a decisive moment. Under the London Convention, no man was permitted to open fire against any peaceful protest. Even if Captain Rivers refused to believe mustelids were bound under that treaty, a human now stood against him. No matter the captain’s standpoint, they were all protected from violence.

A few seconds later Captain Uwele was joined by Captain Sykes, and the migration did not end there. Led by Edgar Scott, all of Rhys’ crew present joined the mustelids to face down the cardinal, along with nearly a quarter of Captains Uwele’s and Sykes’ crews. In all about half the humans present had sided with the mustelids, a number far beyond Rhys and Leandro’s wildest expectations.

“So the lines of battle are drawn,” Captain Rivers spat as he glared at each and every one of the humans who lined up with the mustelids.

Leandro stepped forward, his back straight and ears perked high. “We do not wish for a battle, Captain Rivers. We have no desire to spill any blood today, nor ever, though we will defend ourselves should the need arise.”

“You will do nothing of the sort,” Captain Rivers spat. He raised his plasma pistol and targeted Leandro, who stood unflinching.

“Captain Rivers, you will stand down,” Captain Sykes warned.

“Leandro, step back,” Rhys cried out at the same time. He had seen the murderous ambition in Captain Rivers’ eyes. It was clear he still didn’t believe himself to be bound by the London Convention. There was only one way this could go.

 “This is what happens to all rodents who defy their place in life,” Captain Rivers crowed. Both Rhys and Captain Sykes lunged for him as he took aim at the regal, unflinching figure of Leandro.

A crackle of plasmid energy.

Captain Rivers collapsed to the ground under the combined weight of Rhys and Captain Sykes, but the cries of anguish from the mustelids set Rhys’ fur on edge. He looked back, knowing and dreading what he’d see.

Leandro was lying on the grass, struggling to breathe. Blood leaking out of the terrible wound in his chest. Captain Uwele knelt by the mustelid’s shoulder.

“David! David, get here now!” Rhys shrieked as he slid to Leandro’s side, all the while knowing it would be too late. He gently lifted Leandro’s head and cradled him close to his body.

Leandro stirred and placed his hand on Rhys’ chest. “Captain Rhys, never give up this goal of yours, do you hear me?”

The other mustelids had knelt down beside Rhys and Leandro. Edgar Scott and Aleksandr Chekov had restrained Cardinal Erik, who, perhaps understanding that a line had been crossed that should not have been, had tried to make a silent getaway. Captain Rivers was continuing to hurl abuse at the mustelids, even as Captain Sykes held him firmly against the ground.

None of this mattered to Rhys.

“Stay strong Leandro. You have to see this through. Without you in it, then what’s the point to this story? This is your greatest tale, you can’t end it here,” Rhys said, tears forming in his eyes. David put a supporting hand on Rhys’ shoulder.

“Let me be, Captain Rhys. The story doesn’t end here. This is just the end of my chapter. It’s up to you now. Now it’s your turn to tell the stories. The tale continues still,” Leandro whispered before his eyes turned dark and his head rolled against Rhys’ chest, gone forever.

“No!” Rhys snarled, gently resting Leandro’s body on the grass. He shrugged off David’s hand and stalked directly for Captain Rivers, who was still lying prone on the floor. Rhys shoved Captain Sykes to the side and grabbed Rivers’ collar.

“You killed him. Murdered him. And for what? What had he ever done to harm you!” he shrieked into Captain Rivers’ face, and for a moment the human appeared very concerned. “This was his story, and by God he wanted to live out its final chapters. He wanted to see it through, and you took it from him!”

“He’s a fucking rodent, just like you. Learn your place,” Captain Rivers spat, to which Rhys responded by striking the human in the face.

“You don’t know anything about us, nothing!” Rhys yelled, hitting the captain again and again. Tears flowed freely from his eyes as he felt a massive pressure around his chest.

Edgar Scott picked Rhys up and carried him away from Captain Rivers. “Captain Griffiths, please just calm down for a moment,” he said gently.

Rhys caught sight of Marie and Lucas fawning over the body of Leandro and held back another sob. Twitch and David were holding on to them, fighting back tears of their own. It was impossible to think that Leandro was gone, it just couldn’t be so. And yet the evidence before his eyes proved to the contrary. He buried his head in Scott’s chest and cried.

Deep down he knew he was acting in a way unbefitting of a Spaceways captain, but at the same time he just didn’t care. He was no longer sure if he wanted that anymore, not if it associated himself with people like Captain Rivers.

“Come on Captain, you need to pull yourself together,” Scott said as he placed Rhys back on the ground.

“Fuck off.”

Scott sighed and sat down on the grass, looking out over the expansive land of the spaceport. With a gentle tug on Rhys’ tail, he pulled the mustelid down to the ground too.

“This can’t be the first time you’ve lost a friend,” Scott said.

Rhys gasped for air. “No,” he managed to breathe out, choking back a fresh wave of tears. “I’ve lost people before, but never like that.”

“Tell me about him.”

Rhys shook his head. “He had all these stories. He had seen so many places, and he never had chance to tell me them. I hardly knew him at all. It’s those inside that know him. They know and love his stories, and this was meant to be his greatest of all. Not his last.”

“He died proud. Even I could see that, Captain. There aren’t many mustelids who could do that. I don’t know what you have done since this whole fiasco began, but I know you’ve been involved in all this. If he had to die, then at least it was because of you he died happy and proud.”

Rhys said nothing. He didn’t trust himself to speak any further, but he was spared by Twitch, who had come over unnoticed. “He’s right you know Rhys. He died knowing that his dream could still live on through you. You told us this morning we had to fight for Leandro. Now it’s your turn. Fight for him so that cowards like Rivers don’t win.”

“When did you become such a thinker Twitch?” Rhys said, in spite of everything managing a slight laugh.

“I’m learning a lot from you,” Twitch replied as he squeezed in between Rhys and Scott. He gripped Rhys’ hand tight and leant against his shoulder.

Behind them the prison doors had been opened again, giving the mustelids the chance to mourn their fallen leader. Rhys couldn’t bear to be amongst them. He felt like he was intruding. For all that he had cared and respected Leandro, these were the mustelids that truly knew him, and he wanted to respect their last farewells.

He wandered away with Twitch, leaving Edgar Scott behind, and with no destination in mind. It wasn’t long before the other mustelids of his crew caught up with him, and they found an isolated spot under the perimeter wall to sit in each other’s company. Rhys found himself holding Steph in his arms, mirroring Twitch and David opposite them. Richard lay face down in the grass, with William sat beside him, gently stroking his prone companion.

“So what do we do now?” Steph asked.

“I’m sure Admiral Garter will be on his way here soon. We’ve probably made a lovely mess for him to clean up,” Rhys said, looking up at the clear blue sky as though expecting to see the Europa descending into the Terran atmosphere, but there was nothing to be seen.

“Captain Sykes and Captain Uwele will fight for us now though. You heard them both before...” Twitch said before choking up.

Rhys nodded and clung that little bit tighter to Steph. “They’ll fight for us.”

“They’ll fight for Leandro,” David corrected. It was a dull echo of the passionate chant that had run through the jail such a short time ago.