ANALYSIS

It was the end of the Golden Age of human colonization. As of 2494 CE it was still a time of peace and prosperity, but Earth had begun to overreach its logistical ability to control her colonies. Several factors led to the destabilization of the more distant, or as later called, ―Outer" Colonies.

1. There were widely varying standards for recruitment to the Outer Colonies. ―Colonization contractors" were more interested in staking claims to valuable resource rights than providing the most-skilled personnel. Some people were illegally conscripted, and others were law-breakers granted pardons if they agreed to go—all of which led to these colonists being less than absolutely loyal to Earth.

2. Some colonists struck out on their own, procuring by legal or illegal means transport to farther-flung worlds, partially or wholly outside Earth‘s control.

3. Continued taxes, levies, and restricted trade practices by the CMA increased friction as the Outer Colonies received only a fraction of the benefits they were taxed for.

The situation was a problem of physical as well as psychological dimensions. Mathematically the volume of the sphere increases as its radius cubed, and so the number of Outer Colonies grew.

Given such a numerical advantage and the fact that they encapsulated the Inner Core worlds, there was the belief that Earth and her close colonies were literally surrounded by increasingly hostile forces.

Many now think this was a skewed perception, and that given diplomacy and enough time, Earth and her Inner Colonies could have established more harmonious relationships with her farther-flung cousins. Others point out, however, that had there been no military action, the Outer Colonies might have risen to power and threatened the core worlds at the worst possible moment in human history.

All theoretical analysis aside, the United Earth government and her colonies developed new

policies and an increased military presence that would provoke further unfortunate responses from the Outer Colonies . . . and lead to an undeclared Civil War.

For that, Earth would need more ships and crews . . . and officers to lead them.

SECTION THREE: LUNA OFFICER CANDIDATE

SCHOOL (2489–2493 CE)

Cole’s academic record at the Academy at Mare Nubium speaks for itself. He graduated magna cum laude with high degrees of excellence and specialization from the Rutherford Science Magistrate. Apart from minor hazing incidents, and the usual swept-under-the-rug blemishes that are on any cadet’s record . . . there is only one incident of particular note.

During Cole’s junior year, there was a series of incidents with Admiral Konrad Volkov’s daughter: her overnight disappearances from family officers’ quarters located on base, sightings of the young lady in the company of a young man, and the biological consequences of these liaisons.

The scandal culminated publicly when six cadets were brought before a Board of Inquiry.

{Excerpt} Transcription of Cole, P. J. (UNSC Service Number:

00814-13094-BQ) testimony before Board of Inquiry, Academy

at Mare Nubium

JAG Incident Report (local) 475-A \ June 7, 2492 (Military

Calendar) \ Log (video, spatial, psychological enhancement =

TRUE)

FILE *SEALED* (UNSC-JAG ORD: 8-PD-3861), June 13,

2492 (Military Calendar)

Seated Board of Inquiry: Colonel Mitchell K. Lima (UNSC Service Number: 00512-5991-IX),

Captain Maria F. Gilliam, JAG officer in residence (UNSC Service Number: 00622-7120-RJ), Frank O. Welker (Civilian Liaison to the Academy at Mare Nubium, Civilian ID#: 8813-316-0955-G)

[Crewman Apprentice Preston. J. Cole is sworn in before the Board.]

COLONEL LIMA: State your name for the record.

CREWMAN COLE: Cole, Preston J., sir.

CAPTAIN GILLIAM: Tell us, Cadet, where exactly you were between 1900 and 2300 hours three days ago?

[Cole remains standing at attention and stares up and to the right. Since Cole is right-handed this indicates he is accessing the visual memory portion of his brain (and not lying).]

COLE: I was on watch duty on Shadow Perimeter Three with Cadets Parkins, Haverton, and

Tasov, ma‘am.

MR. FRANK O. WELKER: Describe ―shadow perimeter three" for me, Cadet.

COLE: Yes, Mr. Welker. Shadow Perimeter Three is the colloquial term used for the series of tunnels and surface tubes that run across the Mare Nubium, connecting the Academy to the civilian sectors of Asimov Center. The ―shadow" part of the name comes from the shadows cast from the nearby crater walls.

WELKER: Why guard that particular section?

[Cole‘s eyes now lock forward.]

COLE: I was ordered to do so.

GILLIAM: Cadet, speculate as to the reason required for guarding Perimeter Three.

COLE: Yes, ma‘am. There are two reasons. First, we always maintain a guarded perimeter against unauthorized civilian incursions on Academy grounds. Second, there have been recent reports of unauthorized military personnel and supplies moving into the civilian territories.

[The five other cadets who await questioning in the tribunal chamber shift in their seats.]

LIMA: Do you know of any such unauthorized crossing of our military personnel?

COLE: I have not read of any such occurrences in the incident report, sir.

LIMA: That was not my question.

[Cole pauses, looks straight down.]

COLE: I have never seen any such incidents, sir. If I had I would have attempted to stop them from occurring. If I could not, I would have immediately reported it and been required to make a note of it in the incident log.

[Gilliam leans forward and removes her glasses.]

GILLIAM: You say ―never seen," but have you heard rumors or otherwise received any indication of such illegal base crossing on or off your watch?

[Cole swallows, eyes back up, staring past Captain Gilliam.]

COLE: I cannot substantiate any rumors I may or may not have heard, ma‘am. I have insufficient evidence to do so.

LIMA: I‘m going to remind you once, Cadet, and only once, that obstructing any military

investigation is a serious offense that carries a minimum of five years of hard labor.

[Cole gives no response.]

LIMA: I am now ordering you, Cadet, to tell me everything you know about any military personnel crossing the perimeter the evening of the twenty-fifth—or any tampering with security devices or recordings of the region during that time—or any detail of anything unusual that evening.

[Cole inhales deeply, looks directly at Colonel Lima.]

COLE: Sir, no. Nothing . . . unusual.

[Captain Gilliam, Mr. Welker, and Colonel Lima confer among themselves.]

[Cole remains standing at attention.]

GILLIAM: If you are trying to protect a fellow cadet through some sense of camaraderie or

honor—it is misplaced. Do not throw away your otherwise sterling service record to protect

someone who, to be blunt, does not deserve to be an officer.

[At this time, Admiral Konrad Volkov enters the room and sits.]

[Cole faces the tribunal and cannot possibly see the admiral, but nonetheless stands straighter and begins to sweat.]

COLE: Sir, what kind of officer would I make if I said what you wanted me to say just to avoid trouble—regardless of whether it is the truth or not? Or if I guessed at any wrong-doing to make myself look better? I will not do such a thing.

LIMA: Crewman Cole, you are in contempt of this Board of Inquiry. I‘ll deal with you later.

[(Colonel Lima motions for the court guards. The guards move to escort Cole).]

[Cole salutes the presiding officers, turns, makes direct eye contact with Admiral Volkov, and is marched from the tribunal chamber.]

Certificate of Marriage

The State of Mare Nubium County of Newton

To any Judge, Justice of the Peace, or Minister:

You are hereby authorized to join:

Preston Jeremiah Cole, age 21, and Inna Volkov, age XX

In the Holy State of Matrimony according to the Constitution of Luna Confederated States and for so doing shall be your License. And you are hereby required to return this License to me with your Certificate herein of the fact and date of Marriage within thirty days after said Marriage.

Given under my hand and seal this 17 August, 2492.

Quinn Lloyd (Licensing Officer, Newton County), Ordinary.

CERTIFICATE

I Certify that Preston Jeremiah Cole and Inna Volkov were joined in Matrimony by me this

Seventeenth day of August, Two Thousand Four Hundred Ninety-Two.

Recorded 21 August, 2492.

In presence of Witnesses:

Michael H. Cole

Admiral Konrad Volkov

Behold by my hand and with my seal, Harold Yates, Ordinary.

Certificate of Live Birth

The State of Mare Nubium Department of Health

Certificate No: 4216

Child‘s Name: Ivan Troy Cole

Date of Birth: December 12, 2492 Hour of Birth 0445

Sex: Male

City, Rural Plot, or Station of Birth: Azimov Center

County of Birth: Newton

Mother‘s Maiden Name: Inna Volkov

$$$$$$

Mother‘s DNA Trace: SUY-OOU-WYED

Father‘s Name: Preston Jeremiah Cole

Father‘s DNA Trace: SUY-OOU-WYED

Date Filed by Registrar: December 16, 2492

This copy serves as prima facie evidence of the fact of birth in any court proceeding {HRS

550-45(b)}

ANY ALTERATIONS INVALIDATE THIS CERTIFICATE

ANALYSIS

Colonel Lima dropped his charges of contempt and obstructing the tribunal‘s investigation against Preston Cole two days after the inconclusive hearing.

The record shows Cole married Admiral Volkov‘s daughter, indicating (at first glance) that he was the cadet who had the illicit liaison.

But why would Admiral Volkov allow such a cadet to marry his daughter instead of having him summarily thrown out an airlock?

DNA analysis of Ivan Volkov (done at the request of the admiralty and codeword classified:

NIGHTINGALE) provides incontrovertible evidence that he was not Preston Cole‘s son.

There are three possible explanations for these facts.

1. The admiral knew which cadet was the true father and didn‘t like what he saw. He found a suitable replacement for his daughter: a cadet who would stand up for his principles even if that meant going to jail.

2. The child‘s DNA did not match any suspected cadets or other military personnel (civilians transferring to and from Luna were not required to provide DNA samples in their CMA screenings).

This would have left the admiral‘s grandchild still fatherless.

3. Cole was indeed the cadet who had the liaison with the admiral‘s daughter, but not the father of her child.

Many questions, however, central to understanding Cole remain unanswered. Did Admiral Volkov make him marry his daughter or did Cole—compelled by a sense of chivalry—offer to marry the disgraced young lady and provide a father for her unborn child?

Cole‘s admirers would say that he stepped up and did the noble thing: a young man with a sense of honor and morality (regardless of any possible indiscretions).

Cole‘s detractors, though, would claim this incident highlights his strategic and opportunistic nature: a cunning junior officer currying favor with the admiral at his most vulnerable moment, which would result in rapid promotion and assignment to choice (if remote) postings.

Or could it have been a little of both?

Whatever the reasons, Cole remained married to Inna for many years thereafter, fathering two more sons and one daughter (DNA analysis proves these were his), and he remained a loving father to all four children, writing to them often, and providing birthday gifts and support to them for the rest of his life.

After a two-week honeymoon, Cole was reassigned for duties in the Outer Colonies aboard the UNSC destroyer Las Vegas .

SECTION FOUR: THE OUTER COLONY INSURGENCY:

THE CALLISTO INCIDENT (2494 CE)

For decades prior to the end of the Colonial era (c. 2490 CE) Earth-based military forces had focused on colonization logistics, settling minor trade disputes, and perhaps chasing off the odd pirate. UNSC officers had studied how to engage in glorious, large-scale (but as yet hypothetical) battles against enemy states—not how to cope with an emboldened insurgency that could hide in the very populations they were sworn to protect.

One event in particular (among a dozen similar incidents in the Outer Colonies),

the Callisto Incident would shape Preston Cole’s early career.

The distant colony Levosia had been suspected of diverting refined selenium and technetium (used in the manufacture of FTL drives), which would yield huge profits on the black market.

Apart from lost taxes, however, Earth realized it could not allow insurgent forces access to FTL

engine components. Therefore, Central Command (CENTCOM) ordered the Navy to blockade and search all ships in the system for suspected contraband.

The UNSC corvette Callisto stopped and boarded a trading vessel. The merchant crew was skittish due to rumors of impressments during similar searches in the Outer Colonies (a rumor started, we suspect, by insurgent sympathizers). A weapon was drawn and shots exchanged, resulting in the death of three naval officers and twenty-seven merchant crewmen.

No contraband was discovered.

This sparked outrage throughout the system. Thirty-seven days later, the Callisto ordered a similar merchant vessel to stand to and be searched. The merchant ship allowed the officers to board with all due courtesies. When the officers entered the cargo bay, they found it empty. The bay doors opened and the officers were blasted into space. The merchant crew then swarmed into the unsuspecting Callisto and murdered the remainder of the its crew.

The Callisto was taken and its computer system gutted and replaced.

The insurgency was now armed.

In response, a UNSC battle group of three light destroyers was sent to hunt down the Callisto. They had weapons that had never been fired in conflict, nor had her crews engaged in any battle.

Leading the battle group was the UNSC destroyer Las Vegas under Captain Harold Lewis, with a new assistant navigation officer fresh out of Luna OCS, Second Lieutenant Preston J. Cole.

0315 HOURS, MARCH 2, 2494 (MILITARY CALENDAR) \ UNSC

DESTROYER LAS VEGAS PATROLLING 26 DRACONIS SYSTEM

BRIDGE LOG OF THE UNSC LAS VEGAS (PRIMARY, VIDEO,

SPATIAL ENHANCEMENTS=TRUE)

The bridge of the UNSC Las Vegas was a narrow oval of nav, ops, engineering, comm, and weapons stations. Green and blue icons winked on and off, illuminating the faces of the officers, while the shadows around them were full of the red glow of battle station lights.

Captain Lewis sat on the edge of his seat, nervously scraping his thumbnail. The first mate, Commander Rinkishale, stood near, her cap snug on her head, and lines of concern crisscrossing her face.

―Update on target vector," Captain Lewis said.

―Still decelerating, sir," Second Lieutenant Cole answered. His close-cropped hair spiked up with stubborn cowlicks. His gaze was cold iron and only the faintest lines creased the corners of his eyes as he squinted at the screen. Without looking away, he tapped in a double-check calculation of what the nav computer displayed. ―Enemy on a direct course into the asteroid field."

―We have to engage before they get in," Commander Rinkishale told the captain. ―We‘ll be able to maneuver around a few rocks, but too far into that field . . ."

―And they‘ll be able to play cat and mouse with us," the captain replied. He tapped in a message on his secure comm to the destroyers in his battle group.

Immediate replies scrolled across his screen.

―The Jericho and Buenos Aires concur," Captain Lewis said. ―So we go hunting. Set course to intercept the Callisto ," he ordered Lieutenant Cole. ―Flank speed."

―Answering 030 by 270, sir," Cole said.

―Reactor answering one hundred percent," Lieutenant Taylor replied.

The Las Vegas accelerated and the bridge crew crunched in their padded seats as the Callisto grew on the central view screen.

―She‘s slowing, sir," Cole announced.

―Because they have to navigate through the field," the captain muttered. ―What in God‘s name do they think they‘re doing?" He turned to the weapons station and Lieutenant Jorgenson. ―Range?"

―In twenty seconds, sir," Lieutenant Jorgenson replied. ―Firing solutions online for Ares missile system. The target might bank around that larger asteroid at the edge of belt, but we have a lock.

The missile tracking systems can steer around."

―In twenty, then," Captain Lewis said and started scraping his thumbnail again. ―Coordinate firing solutions with the Jericho and Buenos Aires , and allow computer control to fire at will—silos one through six."

Cole shot a quick glance at Lieutenant Jorgenson, who looked back at him and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

―Arming silos one through six, aye," Jorgenson replied. She opened the button covers and flipped off the safety mechanisms for six of the seven banks of missiles in the Las Vegas ‘s arsenal. She activated the automated control systems. Green acknowledgment lights winked across the board.

―They‘re a sitting duck," Captain Lewis said with great satisfaction.

Cole stared at the automated control system, the lines about the corners of his eyes deepened, and he frowned.