The Fringe Wars

5.6

Collective Gridlock

Parliament, Myr

Corps General Barrett Anders stood at the podium before Parliament. The last time he'd stood in that place, he'd been stripped of his command and they'd declared war on the colonies. While he knew they had far less power this time, he didn't set his expectations very high. Parliament had been ineffectual two years ago, and the news showed it'd only worsened since the colonies left the Collective.

"The Collective is failing," Anders began. "In the past year, the colonies have broken off to create the Alliance of Free Colonies. Our economy is the weakest it's been in over two hundred years. We're not failing because the colonies became independent. We're failing because we didn't plan for that inevitability. Even now, we're still focused on the colonies. You're spending all your debates and energies on how to use the colonies—through trade and negotiations—to make the Collective strong. You're searching for water in a dry creek bed."

Murmurs arose from the senators.

"And just what do you propose we do?" a senator yelled out.

Anders continued. "You need to quit clinging to the past and look outward to a sustainable future."

The discontent grew in volume.

Anders tamped down the air. "The Collective began with two planets. The two then grew into three, then four, and eventually to six planets. Now we've returned to two."

"Get to the point," someone yelled.

"We grew through colonization," Anders said. "There's nothing from stopping us from colonizing once again."

"It's impossible!"

Anders scanned the crowd to see the senator who'd spoken now standing. "How so?"

"All the colonies are within our star system. To colonize into another system would take years and resources we don't have."

"Colonization missions would take years, yes," Anders said. "Longer now that nearly all fuel production facilities were destroyed in the war. But we have more than enough resources. We have many times the resources the first colonists had when they reached Alluvia. In fact, we have an entire armada of resources."

Senators laughed, yelled, and complained.

A senator slapped her microphone until the room quieted. "Corps General, are you proposing we give up the only thing we have that keeps the Alliance from seizing our lands and people?"

"I'm not proposing leaving the Collective without a peacekeeping force," Anders responded. "Although I believe you are making a rather large and misinformed assumption if you believe the colonies will turn around and do to us what we did to them."

More murmurs of discontent ensued.

"As its leader, I understand the capabilities of the Collective Unified Forces better than anyone else. The truth is, we have more ships than we have dromadiers to crew them. I propose the CUF be split into two branches: the Collective Unified Forces, the peacekeeping force as we understand it today; and the Collective Exploratory Forces, for establishing colonies in new systems."

"That's ludicrous!" a senator shouted.

Anders cocked his head. "Really? Yet, the Alliance has already sent a colony ship beyond our system."

Complete silence fell over Parliament. He found some level of satisfaction at realizing they hadn't known.

"The Alliance of Free Colonies is looking at expanding their empire. If you don't look at expansion, then you'd better get comfortable with the idea that your children and your children's children will be part of a fading Collective and will one day beg to become a part of the Alliance." Anders took a deep breath. "I'm not asking you to make a decision today. I'm asking you to consider the proposal. Now, how many of you are open to discussing the Collective's expansion through new colonies?"

Only a few hands raised before a cacophony of complaints and disagreements erupted.

"You're too focused on maintaining your current standard of living rather than looking at what's needed for the future," Anders said, though he suspected none could hear his words above the bombardment. After watching the crowd of monkeys slinging shit before him, he scowled. "You're useless to me."

Another thing Parliament didn't yet know was that Anders had long since pulled all the strings he had across the armada to claim and quietly retrofit seventeen CUF ships for a long-term mission. He stepped down and strode from Parliament without a single glance over his shoulder.