John Scalzi, "After the Coup"

The folks behind the Tor.com website have been putting out high quality science fiction bits for free for over a year now if memory serves.  I get the Tor emails in my in-box, and they either tell me to go read something on their website, or provide a link so that I can download it.  I always do so.

Tor's experiment is a bold one, in an industry where several high profile publications still refuse to accept submissions by email.  And where the internet is seen by certain members of the community as nothing but a collection of "pixel stained technopeasants."  I haven't heard any actual data, but the fact that Tor continues to publish free science fiction on their website certainly indicates that it's working for them.

Although for many people "free science fiction" is synonymous with "painfully bad science fiction," Tor does it up right, pulling in works from respected authors including Charles Stross, Michael Bishop, Jo Walton, Terry Bisson, and Mary Robinette Kowal.  And each story is accompanied by a full-color illustration, each of which is more striking and beautiful than the last.

I recently stopped by the site and caught up on the stories I had missed over the months, including John Scalzi's "After the Coup."  (According to a comment by Scalzi in the comments section, the story was inspired by the illustration.  I don't find this surprising in the least, because the illustration caught my eye immediately - it's quite beautiful and compelling.)

Harry reached over and took the PDA. On its screen was the image of a battle cruiser of some sort, floating near a skyscraper. Or more accurately, what was left of a skyscraper; it had been substantially destroyed, likely by the battle cruiser. In the foreground of the picture, small, vaguely-humanoid blotches seemed to be running from the ruined skyscraper. "Nice picture," Harry said.

"What do you think you're seeing there?" Schmidt said.

"A strong case for not letting trainees drive a battle cruiser," Harry said.

Harry is a military man aboard a civilian diplomatic ship, which has been trying to reach negotiations with the Korba.  Harry's boss Schmidt is incompetent, and a bit of a weasel besides.  When the Korba express an interest in seeing the Colonial Defense Force in action, Schmidt "accidentally" reveals the nature of Harry's presence on board the Clarke.  Next thing you know, they want Harry to fight one of the Korba in an exhibition match.

Unfortunately for Harry, as he points out to Schmidt, he hasn't been a soldier for a long time.  Harry is a technician, sent along with the Clarke to train her crew on how to use various pieces of defensive weaponry.  Luckily (?) the message comes down from on high that Harry is to lose his battle.

"After the Coup" is a light little piece, and a thoroughly entertaining one at that.  Although the general progress and final outcome of the match is unsurprising, the details of the match itself hold many surprises.  Suffice it to say that the combat skills of the Korba, a waist high race of aliens covered with overlapping flappy scales, may or may not have been inflated in the telling.