Greenies

'Let it be recorded then,' Billings said. 'We'll send a reply off to Whiting immediately and then get our staff to schedule a press conference for tomorrow evening in which we will announce recognition of Mars as an independent nation.'

WestHem Capital Building, Denver

May 29, 2146

'... and so it is with great pleasure that we welcome the planet Mars and all of her people to the brotherhood of independent nations in the solar system,' the image of Billings, EastHem Chief Councilperson, said on the view screen at the front of the room. 'We will begin working immediately to set up a diplomatic exchange within each other's capitals and to open the door to trade.'

'Those bastards,' spat Loretta Williams, her face actually red with anger. True, they had all been expecting this move on EastHem's part but it was still infuriating to have to witness the reality of the situation.

'Now now,' said the Chief Councilperson, 'this is not the time for useless emotional displays. This is the time to figure out just how this will effect our upcoming operations and just what our response should be. General Wrath? Perhaps you could help enlighten us.'

Wrath was dead tired. He had been working non-stop ever since the Martian revolt getting Operation Martian Hammer organized. There were large bags under both of his eyes and if not for the amphetamines that the medical staff had been plying him with, he would have collapsed days ago. Nor was he none-to-happy to have been called down from Armstrong to give this briefing to the Executive Council. Why in the hell had they insisted he come her in person when he could have given them the information they needed via videoconference? Still, he kept his poker face on and smiled at his bosses as he began to speak.

'This action by EastHem will make our job a little more difficult if the Martians decide to fight us,' he said. 'I don't know what kind of deal the Martians offered them but it was obviously enough to convince them to take it. So what we have now is the reality that the Martians will not be short on fuel for their tanks and APCs.'

'Will that affect the course of the battle?' Williams asked him.

'Not in the least,' he said confidently. 'When I planned this operation I planned for the worst case scenario of the Martians having a secure supply line. We will still outnumber them by more than four to one, we are still better trained and equipped, and we will still triumph in a matter of days. This move is meaningless. The only thing it will allow will be for EastHem to enrich themselves on our agricultural products for the duration of this crisis.'

'I see,' said Williams. 'And what of that? Is there anyway for us to prevent EastHem from taking advantage of this situation? A blockade around Mars perhaps?'

'That would be more Admiral Jules' area of expertise than mine,' Wrath said, although he knew damn well just what Jules was going to say.

Jules was, if anything, even more fatigued than his marine colleague. He had been up for nearly two straight days now trying to shuffle ships and get crews reassigned. The last thing in the solar system that he wanted right now was to have to tell the Executive Council something that it didn't want to hear. But that was exactly what he was going to have to do. There was no way to soft talk and ignore this particular problem. 'Well, ma'am,' he said carefully, 'the fact of the matter is that it would be a very bad idea to challenge EastHem on a point such as this.'

'A bad idea?' Williams asked, her glare burning into him. 'The public is going to demand that we do something about this situation. The media are probably already in a feeding frenzy over this recognition and trade agreement. Are you telling me that our navy is not capable of preventing EastHem ships from docking at Triad?'

'Those EastHem ships will undoubtedly be escorted by superdreadnoughts and stealth attack ships,' Jules told her. 'And while we ordinarily would be able to put up an effective blockade and defeat the EastHem navy in any conflict, the loss of so many of our ships to the greenies would make such a venture unacceptably risky.'

'Unacceptably risky?' Williams asked. 'Are you saying that they'll defeat us?'

He wavered for a moment, knowing he was treading on very shaky ground. 'Not defeat us necessarily,' he finally answered. 'But the advantage that our superior training and superior technology usually gives us will be somewhat negated by the numerical advantage that the EastHems will enjoy. We would still surely come out the victor if push came to shove but it is possible that we might take unacceptable losses of men and ships.'

The council looked at him thoughtfully as they pondered his words. 'So you're saying,' Williams summarized, 'that the possible losses we would take by challenging the EastHem navy is not worth simply allowing the trade to go unchecked?'

'As long as General Wrath is confident in his ability to beat the Martians while they are in possession of a supply line,' he qualified, tossing the ball neatly into his counterpart's court.

All eyes turned back to Wrath, who, anticipating such a volley, had already put an expression of confidence upon his face.

'My marines will make those greenies wish they were never born,' he told them firmly. 'With or without a supply line, with or without utilizing the equipment that they stole from us, we will beat them soundly in any battle. It is a mathematical certainty. The only thing that would change this equation in any way would be the inclusion of EastHem troops and equipment into the battle. If they send a few divisions of their own marines in one of those ships... well... then we might have a little larger of a problem to deal with.'

Williams nodded as she heard this, her face troubled but determined. 'Well then, we'll just have to make sure that they don't do that now, won't we?'

Early the next morning the WestHem ambassador left the embassy in downtown London and was taken by private aircraft to the EastHem Capital building. After passing through the usual security checkpoints and scans he was brought immediately before the ruling council. The customary period of pleasantry exchange took place and then the ambassador, following the instructions given to him by his own ruling council the night before, lodged an official protest on their behalf for the recognition and trade agreement with Mars.

'It is regretful that your government chooses to stand in the way of a new democracy,' Billings told the ambassador. 'In any case, our recognition of the Martians as the legitimate government of that planet will stand, as will our agreement to engage in trade with them.'

'My nation regards this act with great displeasure,' the ambassador told them.

'Nevertheless,' Billings returned, 'our decision will stand. Is it your country's intention to try to stop us?'

'I have not been told of any exact plans,' he replied. 'What I have been told is to inform you that we consider this to be an unfriendly act and to protest it in the strongest terms.'

'I see,' Billings said, suppressing a smile. In the nuances of diplomatic language, he had just been told that WestHem would do nothing to prevent the trade between EastHem and Mars.

'I have also been told,' he continued, 'to inform you that if your country were to give any military assistance of any kind to the Martians — supplying them with weapons, ammunition, and especially troops — we would consider that to be an act of war against us and we would respond accordingly.'

'We have no plans in that direction,' Billings said.

'That is fortunate,' the ambassador said. 'Because to do so would invoke the gravest possible consequences.'

Billings and the rest of the council nodded solemnly at these words. The gravest possible consequences was an allusion to nuclear war. The ambassador had just told them that WestHem was willing to allow the trade of hydrogen for food, but that they would start tossing warheads across the border if troops or weapons were sent.

'We understand,' Billing informed him, 'and you have the word of this council that no weapons or troops will be sent to Mars. Our interest is in the purchase of food products from this new member of the international community, not in arming them up.'

And with that, the ambassador had what he needed from the council. Though no contract was signed, an agreement had been forged and his job was complete. They spent another thirty minutes going through another exchange of pleasantries and then the ambassador headed back to the embassy to report his success on a secure Internet link.

The agreement was of course not made public in either nation. Most of the citizens of WestHem and