“On the other hand,” Overstreet said, “their objective was defensive. This was a retreat. I’ve had the technicians make a complete audit, and I’m prepared to certify that it’s safe for the Typhoon to make its transit.”
“You’re sure about that? Completely safe?”
“I think we’ve established that perfect knowledge isn’t possible in this context. But in order to pull off this last series of attacks, the underground had to spend a tremendous amount of its resources and capital on Medina. If they’d stayed here, they could have used the same knowledge of the station and agents within the civilian population to protract the struggle here for months. Maybe years. Instead, they burned it all in one day.”
“So this was a good thing?” Singh said.
“No,” Overstreet said. “But it was all the bad things they could throw at us at once. I feel confident that they didn’t hold anything back. So however bad this looks—and it looks very bad—we’re going to end with Medina carrying a smaller insurgent population, with fewer resources at their disposal, and the main body of the underground scattered to the colonial systems.”
“The colonies,” Singh said. “Yes.”
“The loss of the Storm … well, that’s not inconsiderable. If we hadn’t pulled most of the crew off to assist with other operations … Or if your XO had scuttled the ship once it was clear they couldn’t repel the boarders …”
“Talk to me about the colonies,” Singh said.
Overstreet blinked his too-blue eyes in something like confusion. “Sir?”
“The colonies,” Singh said. “That’s where the terrorists have gone. That’s where the next wave of this will take place, yes?”
“That matches my analysis, sir.”
“So how we proceed here should be considered in light of the colonies. We should examine how likely they are to cooperate with the enemy. And how we can affect those decisions.”
“Yes, sir.”
“An example needs to be made. Something that not only restores confidence in the safety of Medina and the gate network, but displays what Laconian civilization stands for. What we believe. What we are willing to do to ensure our control over this situation.”
Overstreet was silent for a moment. Singh paged through the lists of the missing. The faces of the enemy. There were pages of them, but not uncountably many. This was still a solvable problem.
“What exactly are we willing to do, sir?” Overstreet asked, and his tone told Singh that he knew what was coming.
“A white list,” Singh said. “I would like you to identify the people who we are certain are not involved with the insurgency. The people we know absolutely that we can trust.”
“And the others?”
Singh closed the image down. The enemy vanished. “An example has to be made.”
Overstreet went very still. For a moment, the only sound was the hum of the air recyclers.
“I see,” Overstreet said. “So a step up from counterinsurgency.”
“It’s been justified.”
“The official position of the high consul is that these are all Laconian citizens. That the terrorists are Laconian citizens who are also criminals.”
“I know,” Singh said. “But I also know that I was placed in command of Medina to learn from practice what theory can never teach. And this is the lesson that James Holden and his friends have taught me. Will you refuse to respect the chain of command?”
Overstreet chuckled at that. Singh didn’t know why.
“No, sir, I will follow the chain of command, as is my duty.”
“Good. Please prepare the cull, then. I will trust your judgment on who best belongs on the white list.”
“Yes, sir,” Overstreet said. “Only I have other orders. Sir.”
A thrill of confusion moved up Singh’s spine. “Other orders? From whom?”
“Standing orders I received from Colonel Tanaka when I accepted this position. So ultimately from Admiral Trejo. You see, sir, the high consul made it very clear to Admiral Trejo that the rule of the empire is permanent. And if history shows us anything, it’s that people hold grudges for generations. Whole societies have lived and died because of their antipathy born out of events that happened generations before. Or maybe things that got so mythologized, they were just pissed off about stories of things that never happened in the first place. The admiral was adamant that we hold ourselves to a higher standard. As we always have.” Overstreet spread his hands in a gesture that meant What can you do? His right hand held a gun.