Southbound: 1

White streaks lined the sky. The first in weeks. Maybe activities had returned to normal at the star port.

Heinrich doubted it. He'd arrived here the previous night and it was only late afternoon now. More troops? No, that didn't make sense either.

He watched the shuttles bank as they descended.

Bank? They're less than fifty klicks from destination? What the...

All three shuttles lazily came to a full turn.

They're not headed for the port. Here! They're going to land just in front of the damn city!

He flicked on his sensors and turned magnification to max. His readings would be analysed and an answer given long before he could search his own memory for the origins of those shuttles, so he satisfied himself with giving his suit computer as much data as possible to use. It only took a few seconds, would have taken far less but for algorithms checking against possible countermeasures. When he got the requested information he drew in a long breath of air.

Red News. Wallman's Bloodhounds. They were infamous. Arthur may have been a genius in holo casting, but someone had to dig up whatever dirt the newscaster no longer believed should stay hidden. He was rumoured to have personally trained them in the digging part of the job. There were other exaggerated rumours surrounding the news team as well; like being able to land a shuttle on a mountaintop—and still have the pilot on the ground with holo cams ready before the shuttle came to a full stop. That was ridiculous of course. Only TADAT did that. Then Heinrich remembered that a full third of the Bloodhounds were retired TADAT. Well, he thought, there's a reason we retire at fifty. Pilot's gotta stay in cockpit until the thing stops. He smiled and silently agreed that in most cases that overblown reputation had been hard won.

He called to Chang over the com. There hadn't been time to destroy the transmitters before they headed here. A violation of the law, but he believed Keen would find a way to overlook his transgression this time. With sixteen hundred trigger happy maniacs based at the star port they really had little choice in the matter.

Above him a few birds veered away from the unexpected intruders and he hastened out into the training grounds to make sure the illegal landing at least didn't cause any casualties.

There was no need to. Whoever piloted those shuttles were experts and they came to ground with a minimum use of thrusters. To his disappointment the crews took their time to open and unload their cargo as slowly and securely as any civilian trader.

Three shuttles, a team of eighteen. Two shuttles for cargo only apart for their twin pilots. The crew transport unloaded and men and women went to work offloading cargo with an efficiency that told of long years of work together. The first to come out was a small hovercraft, and by the time Heinrich arrived ready to give them a verbal bashing they were already busy loading the tools of their trade onto it.

"You are violating just about every agreement with a foreign government," he started. He searched the faces as they turned. "Who's in charge here?"

"I am, Heinrich," a female voice came from inside one of the shuttles. "We're violating nothing. Red News is registered with the Republic of Mars."

That voice? Where have I heard it?

"We haven't signed anything for the simple reason you federation people kept us away from here and we, until now, accepted that one sided agreement."

But who the...

"And let go of the supremacy play. Only Erwin ever got away with it, and you know it!"

"Gran? Granita?"

"Old Juanita indeed. Wipe that snotty smile from your face and show some respect!"

"Yes, Ma'am," the answer came out as a reflex he couldn't stop. Granny Jita was one of the ugliest women he had ever had the honour to serve with and a full twenty years his senior.

"That's better! Now, will you give us a hand?"

He got his bearings back again. "Now what the hell! You're TADAT no longer, and if you were I'd pull rank to begin with."

She showed a toothy smile. "Had to try."

"What are you doing with them?" He pointed at the news team who were still loading the hovercraft. They barely looked back.

"Declined officer's training. Never wanted driving a desk, and when they allowed bat commands back in the field it was too late," she said as if it explained everything.

He stared at her. Still strong as an ox, and still looked like one. "I mean Mars."

"Made citizen. Feds had me stationed around that red ball of dust for so long I thought I might just as well make it home." She grinned at him. "Good to see you too."

Heinrich blanched. "Sorry. Eh, welcome, or something. Still a damn stupid thing to do," he added and pointed at the shuttles. They'd have a few minutes before men from Keen's cavalry reached them. The shuttles had touched down at the southern end of the fields.

"We think not. By the way, say welcome to our official reason to come here. Mr William Anderson, meet," she eyed Heinrich's body walker, "Major Heinrich Goldberger. Heinrich, meet Chief of Finance Anderson."

A tall Martian jumped out of the shuttle as she spoke. It was, Heinrich thought, time to bring Erwin in on this. Red News made news. With a member of the Martian government on the passenger list it was going to be big news. Too big for a simple major.

He turned his caster on again. "Chang, belay that. Get Erwin. We've got a diplomatic envoy for dinner."

"Oh shit! I mean, yes Major"

"Oh shit is good enough for me. You can tell the admiral that from me. And tell him old Granita decided to pay us a visit as well. You may have heard of her."

He only received a long stream of curses in return. All of them made him smile. Chang didn't look anything like Juanita, but they definitely shared the same colourful language.

He sighed ruefully as the crew made the hovercraft ready and watched the arriving horsemen. Imperial Guard, Erwin had told him. Supposedly the best of the best in Keen. Heinrich didn't doubt it. He knew next to nothing about horses, but anyone handling several hundred kilos of biting and kicking flesh like a body walker had to have received a thorough training. For all their fancy uniforms the riders looked like they ate and slept in the saddle. From the looks on their faces they probably ate those saddles for breakfast, and now they had come out for lunch.

He settled back as comfortably in his straps as possible. He intended to enjoy the shouting about to start. Of course neither party knew the language of the other, but he suspected the choice of words would be rather limited, and that they really needed very little in the way of translation.

He was right. Juanita made no secrets about her opinion concerning the cavalry commander's probable heritage and Heinrich had heard the word gherin enough times to know that the replies were as flattering.

Guard commander and Juanita went through the fauna of Earth and Otherworld and made certain no bodily orifice was forgotten in the verbal exchange.

At his side the Martian minister grinned and laughed. Heinrich looked at him. In his pink, of course it had to be pink, jumpsuit he looked nothing like the powerful government official he was.

"A pity they don't understand each other," William said. "The conversation would have been so much more colourful if they had."

Colourful? They're armed and dangerous, and you think it's a joke. "I think they get the basic meaning," Heinrich said instead. He looked at the tall Martian. "You're the official contact then?"

William just nodded and continued laughing.

Heinrich grinned back. Not his problem. Erwin would have to handle this. As long as the exchange of insults didn't turn violent there was little reason to do anything but enjoy the show. Besides, Granita had been an insubordinate old bastard as long as he could remember. No point in telling her officers training would have been a bad idea anyway. Old harridans from the old school didn't have much of a future with the TADAT after they were reformed into an independent organization. The naval version hadn't turned out too successful, even though the disasters could hardly be blamed on the poor troopers in their shuttles.

He shrugged. Three out of the first eight back here. Almost cause for a celebration. They were legends and idolized. He knew that and had no problems with it. Being a hero sometimes made life easier, and in difference from Erwin his life wasn't visible enough to bring much of the disadvantages that came with fame.

No matter what. Until a few days ago he'd joined the choir screaming bloody murder at the thought of an entire news team landing here. Now, well, it would make his life safer if not easier. They had to get Arthur Wallman away from the city, and it would fall to him to make that escape come true. With Red News present he saw a possibility to change his plans. Why sneak away when they could leave to the sound of blaring trumpets?