The other shoe

Things have been unusually settled now for several weeks. With the exception of a new bar opening, down in one of the old dug out storage areas under town, and some changes to some store fronts, it's been almost unsettlingly quiet. Even some of the locals have mentioned it. They're not so much angry with the ongoing Alliance influence, as confused by it.

With things so settled, why are they still here?

Silvermane tells me it's the same on the other colonies in her patrol space. No word from the Brass. No word from Parliament. Just wheels within wheels grinding onward for no discernible reason. My own contacts are either completely in the dark, or being very careful with that they're saying. Rather disconcerting, actually.

I'm in a position where I have the authorization and resources to know what's going on. For the moment though, I'm coming up empty. I'll have to bring more resources to bare but it will take time. Strangely, time is what we seem to have an abundance of now.

Even with the Alliance in power, the town seems to be doing well. The mines are operating smoothly, though Blue Sun "reclaiming" the Destiny compound has changed the face of the colony in some ways. Krenshar's 'Replicant order' has a greatly subdued presence, and many of Destiny's 'resident' population is having to face life under new management.

Not that they were ever as independent as they presumed. Their compound had always existed at Blue Sun's convenience, and Blue Sun's presence was with the blessing and ongoing good will of the town council. And the Town itself has, for a long time, at least tried to stay under the Alliance's radar - and to cooperate when it came down to it.

There was always the simple fact that a cruiser had more people sweeping the decks than we had colonists. If they'd wanted to destroy us, they could have. Our resistance would have been futile at best. Sure, some of our number could have escaped into the desert. But to what end? Hale's Moon didn't have the biosphere to support long term survival without support. It would have been for us as it had been for that Loyalist unit: a slow death from exposure.

Thing was, it seemed less and less like it would ever come to that. The opening of a new bar spoke to an odd sort of stability. Though, given the location, tucked under ground as it is, I suspect it caters to a less than savory clientele. That, in spite of the pleasant facade of its proprietor.

I'd keep an eye on him and his customers. I didn't actually mind having such a place in our midst. It served as a contrast to Firefly's and the small bar Sobi was arranging on the Orbital. A lot of business got done in bars, and the kind of business that got done in bars tucked away underground was often the sort of business that Spooks took an interest in.

So, rather than being put off by the place, I considered it an asset. I'd have to keep up my own 'protect the town' image. More honest attitude than image, really, but still. The bar could become another data point for the work I was doing.

Just wish I wasn't quite so alone doing it.