Keene stood with Vicki, Sariena, Wernstecki, and Charlie Hu, some way ahead of an expectant crowd gathered at the edge of the area in front of the Terminal Building, which with orbital traffic now farther away had become the apron for surface aircraft and local flyers. Adreya Laelye waited a few paces in front of them, facing a podium with a microphone and draped with Kronia’s colors. On either side of the group, the honor guard stood in two detachments facing each other. A small procession of vehicles approached from the pads, bringing the first contingent to be shuttled down from the Kronian large-capacity interplanetary cruiser Gallian, now ten hours in Earth orbit after completing its maiden voyage from Saturn.
The onlookers included Shayle, who had supervised the shutdown of Agni and its return to orbit to recombine with the Varuna after the permanent power plant delivered by the Aztec was assembled and brought online. Also present were Jansinick Wernstecki and Merlin Friet, currently experimenting with using AG methods to transport cut blocks now that the basic lithoforming quarries were operating; Pieter Naarmegen and Elmer Luthis from the Aztec, joint-managing Serengeti’s biological research activity; Kerry Heeland, on a break from the Varuna, still involved with probe reconnaissance and surveys, along with Owen Erskine, patched up and fit again; and Beth, irrevocably stamped as a psychologist now, and Maria Sanchez, highly regarded as the medic who had dug the bullets out of Owen and stitched him up, and who had probably saved Charlie Hu’s leg. Adreya had somehow contrived to look formally professional in a dark business dress and shoulder wrap to perform her last function in the capacity in which she had been acting since Zeigler’s demise. This was a special occasion.
The vehicles drew to a halt ahead of them, and the arrivals began emerging. The officers of the two guard detachments called their units to attention, then to present arms. The rank on one side was commanded by Mertak and wore the dove-gray uniforms of the recently instituted Kronian Armed Service. With its record of uncertain loyalties and inadequate internal policing, the former Security Arm had suffered too much loss of confidence and prestige, and had been disbanded. Robin had been entrusted with command—by Adreya Laelye—of the Terran part of the operation, and done a commendable job with the restructuring and reorganizing; but he had departed two weeks previously with the repaired and refitted Trojan, resuming its original mission to Jupiter. A major from the Trojan’s SA complement who had refused to join the rebel faction and been incarcerated, had assumed temporary command pending the Gallian’s arrival.
The other guard detachment was composed of younger, dark-skinned members, equally crisp in their drill and smartly attired in navy-blue tunics devised for a new corps called the Auxiliary Guard. In command of them was Enka, with Rakki and Jemmo standing by to lend a native presence. The rulers of Kronia had accepted that their trust in the inherent universal goodness of human nature had been misplaced and not a little naive. As all of history had shown, elements would arise in any society which, when no other option is left, would seek to impose themselves by force, and could only be met with force. Kronia had made the mistake of thinking that since nothing existed on Earth to oppose its far-flung mission to return, there was nothing to protect against. Kronia had been very lucky.
Keene spotted Cavan’s lean form and Alicia with her blond hair among the first to appear. Cavan picked him and Vicki out at once, and even at that distance Keene could see the smile come into the pink face beneath the thinning hair, and the nod of recognition. An assortment of people in typical Kronian tunics, a few jackets and skirts, and more Armed Service uniforms came next—one of them Mylor Vorse from SOE. And then the arriving group opened up to admit to the front a robust, swarthy, silver-haired figure with vaguely Asian features, wearing a maroon robe-like garment. His eyes were as alive and alert as ever, scanning the crowd and taking in details of the base and the general surroundings even as he led the others forward. Kronians didn’t need to sag under sudden, unaccustomed weight anymore—they got acclimatized using Yarbat generators well in advance. Adreya Laelye smiled as she moved forward to meet him at the podium. “Welcome to Earth,” she greeted.