Merkiaari Wars: 03 - Operation Oracle (5 page)

How long that would take depended entirely upon how much the Shan were willing to sink into it. The planets needed massive reconstruction. The cities and everything needed to support them had to be replaced, and that meant diverting capacity away from war making material. Burgton had a feeling the Shan would surprise them though. They were very focused upon the military aspects of their treaty with the Alliance. When they became members, Burgton had the feeling they planned to be in the forefront of any action against the Merkiaari. Hard to blame them considering what had happened to them here, but it was very ambitious for any single system government to think they could take a leading role amongst over two hundred member worlds. Most of them had been members a long time, and were already politically and economically well connected.

“Very well, gentlemen,” Kuzov said. “I think that’s everything.”

Everyone murmured agreement and the meeting broke up. A few people took a last sip of their coffee before standing. Burgton thought that a good plan, and drained his cup. He ignored the warning flashing on his display. Caffeine wouldn’t kill him.

He moved to join Admiral Meyers. “Can I have a word?”

She nodded and walked with him out of the conference room and into the corridor. “About the Shan?”

He nodded. “Do you know those two?” Indicating the Shan males whispering together as they headed for the boat bay with the others.

“No, they’re new. Kuzov mentioned them though. Apparently the elders finally decided to assign him a full time liaison, rather than leaving it to random chance. I think one will stay up here with Kuzov full time eventually.”

Made sense. Until now there hadn’t been an official liaison with the fleet. Contact with the Shan had been between commanders on the ground and with the Shan elders through them. This liaison business was further proof that the Shan were taking steps, getting their ducks in a row so to speak. Burgton approved. He hoped it would make his life easier when trying to predict events. He was already starting to think the only way to guess what Shan would do in a given situation was ask one. Unfortunately, unlike Kuzov he didn’t have any Shan of his own.

“What do you think?” Burgton said as they waited for the elevator. They had let the others go first for privacy.

“About the liaison idea? I’m surprised they waited so long. Tei’Varyk and Wilder went down world months ago.”

Burgton frowned. “True, true... I was thinking of your opinion of them as individuals rather than their official designation.”

“How so? I can hardly boast of my extensive knowledge of them as people, and I only met these two today at the presentation. One thing I did notice.”

“Oh?”

“They’re not warrior caste,” Meyers said. “But they
are
Tei. No Shan would claim the title if they were not; I’ve learned that much about their culture.”

So, she saw it the same as he, maybe. “I agree, but why do you think so?”

“Nothing too complicated,” Meyers said as the elevator doors opened. They entered the car alone and selected the boat bay as their destination. “It’s silly really, but did you notice their harnesses?”

Burgton hadn’t and he said so.

“They weren’t new, yet both of them kept fiddling with the things as if unused to them. They were uncomfortable all through the presentation as if used to wearing the civilian kind.”

Burgton chuckled. “So simple I didn’t pick up on it. I’m impressed, Admiral.”

She shrugged. “Call me Alli, General. We’ve known each other long enough to be passed the rank thing.”

“Then call me George,” Burgton replied. “I felt they weren’t what they seemed, but I didn’t notice the harness thing. Mind if I lay out a theory?”

“Sure.”

“I think you’re right about them. They are Tei but healer caste not warrior. I think the elders want eyes on us, but they went a step further. You know of their mind healers?”

Meyers nodded but speculation was in her eyes. “You’re guessing of course, but it would be a smooth move on their part. I would have to applaud it if true.”

Burgton grinned. “We really shouldn’t. It’s tantamount to spying.”

Meyers chuckled. “If they did it to me I would call them on it, but they’re doing it to Kuzov. The Shan are allies, George. They won’t learn anything they won’t soon have a right to know anyway. If this gives them a leg up on understanding us, more power to them.”

“You admire them very much.”

“Hard not to, there’s a lot that’s admirable. If it was me and not Kuzov, I would invite them to come out into the open about what they’re doing. It wouldn’t offend me to host a mind healer as liaison, might be interesting, but doing it behind Kuzov’s back risks his anger. I’m not sure how he would react to learn of this.”

“Hmmm. I won’t out them to Kuzov, but I agree. I think we should suggest they explain this to the elders. They should find a warrior caste replacement for Kuzov before he does figure it out. He’s no fool.”

“Let’s catch up to them,” Meyers said and they increased their pace.

They caught up with the two Shan in the boat bay waiting for a shuttle to come free. Burgton had seen busy boat bays before, but to the Shan, the taxiing spacecraft and bustle of crewmen waving their batons to shepherd them into parking areas was still a novelty. Burgton took a moment, trying to see things through alien eyes.

The snub-nosed shuttles were white above and black below the point where their swing-wings attached to the fuselage, a result of the nanocoat used to protect them against the fires of re-entry. Nanocoat did darken with heat, but that wasn’t why the shuttles were painted two-tone. It was to differentiate them from civilian models. Civilian shuttles were white all over. The absolute zero of space had returned these shuttles to their default colour. Had they been in atmosphere soon after re-entry they would have been coal black all over reacting to heat.

A shepherding crewman crossed his glowing batons and the shuttle in his charge halted. The pilot raised a hand with up thrust thumb and went through his shutdown procedures. More crewmen ran forward, some connecting refuelling lines, while others went for the hatch to open it for boarding. Similar things were happening all over the bay.

ASN Lincoln
was an aging but still very powerful
Excalibur
class heavy cruiser. Its place as Fifth Fleet’s flagship was secure for years yet. Its replacement would probably be one of the newer more powerful Washington class ships like
ASN Victorious
, Admiral Meyers’ current flagship. Unlike Home Fleet, First Fleet, and Second Fleet, Kuzov’s Fifth Fleet was created for offensive punch not defensive holding actions. It contained no dreadnaughts. It should have been surprising that it was tasked with holding the Shan system, but Burgton understood why it was chosen. Its ships were fast and powerful, its units picked to complement one another, and its mission was to move out quickly and hit its target lightning fast. That meant it was always ready to move station, its fleet train ready and able to support it no matter the mission. Fifth Fleet was one of three like it that was constantly on the move in Alliance space. They were the hammer, the other three the anvil.

Burgton recalled the fuss the announcement to create a Fifth Fleet without dreadnaughts had caused. Back then the idea of handicapping Fourth Fleet that way was still being debated hotly. The screams of outrage when Fifth Fleet was announced with a similar configuration had resounded throughout the Alliance. Calls for an investigation into the pros and cons had been voiced in the Council. The fact of the matter was that the Navy could build ten light cruisers or five heavy cruisers for every dreadnaught it manufactured. It preferred numbers and manoeuvrability over slower tougher ships with huge crews. Besides, they were still building dreadnaughts albeit at a much slower rate. They were simply replacing older designs with the new ones and putting the old ships into a mothballed reserve, not sending them to the breakers like they did with smaller units.

Burgton rued that decision just a little. He had ah...
rescued
a few ships from the breakers with none the wiser over the years, but where he would find crews for a squadron of dreadnaughts he had no idea. Probably for the best that temptation be out of his grasp. The reserve flotilla was located outside Mars orbit. No way to jack a ship from there, he mused.

Meyers halted before the Shan who broke off their whispered but rapid-fire conversation in their own tongue. She bowed and gave the flowery greeting most conversation with Shan opened with.

“I greet you Tei’Xanthe and you also, Tei’Slavik. May you live in harmony,” Meyers said and waved a hand at George. “May I present General Burgton?”

Burgton inclined his head and repeated the greeting, but concluded it with, “We have met, but briefly.”

Both Shan bowed.

“Might we join you?” Meyers asked. “We have something of import to discuss with you. Your elders will no doubt require you to ah... assist them in a decision quite soon thereafter I should think.”

Shan ears went back and then twitched upright. Burgton’s smile widened as tails flexed and whiskers drew down. Shan were absolutely bloody fascinating to him. He really
really
wanted one of his own to observe and learn from. Damn it all, how was he going to slot them into his simulations!

Tei’Slavik tugged at his harness, and Burgton’s eyes narrowed. That was part of what Meyers was talking about. Slavik shifted the holster higher on the strap, and then tugged it lower in irritation, but when he noticed Burgton watching he snatched his hand away as if burned. Burgton grinned, and the Shan’s ears went all the way back, but they flicked straight again when he remembered Human grins did not indicate hostile intent. Burgton forced himself to show a closed mouthed smile to put the male at ease. He should have done that first.

“We are waiting to go down to Harmony,” Tei’Slavik said in very good English. His translator was on his harness but switched from broadcast to record mode, Burgton noted. “We are to watch the fighting at Shoshon.”

Meyers nodded. “That’s fine, we’ll wait with you and I believe General Burgton is also going down world. He will join you on your shuttle.”

Tei’Xanthe’s eyes widened a little. “Honoured we are,” his words came clearly from his translator, but Burgton did not need the translation. His processor handled the Shan language pretty well these days. “But what is this about the elders?”

Burgton took the lead. “As time is short, I will be blunt with your permission. Please do not fear I mean harm to you or your people.”

Tei’Slavik and Tei’Xanthe glanced at each other and then back to Burgton. Both flicked ears in the Shan gesture of affirmative, but then nodded for good measure.

“Good,” Burgton said and quickly looked around for eavesdroppers. No one was near. “It has come to our attention that both of you are healer caste, not warrior caste as advertised.”

Ears went back.

“No need for concern,” Burgton added with raised hands gesturing for calm. “Admiral Meyers and I have no intention of informing anyone else, but we feel you should tell the elders how this will be seen from Admiral Kuzov’s point of view.”

Tei’Slavik looked to Tei’Xanthe and took something from the quick exchange. Permission maybe and Burgton raised his estimate of Xanthe’s age. Between equals, Shan tended to defer to age.

“How will Admiral Kuzov react, please?” Tei’Slavik said.

So it was true. Burgton was pleased to be proven right, but that wasn’t the issue. How could he use this? Meyers had already indicated a willingness to help, but he would prefer to keep things within the regiment if possible.

“Admiral Kuzov will be angry. What you’re doing is spying upon one who is a friend. You dishonour him.”

Ears went hard back at that and stayed there. Shan, no matter their caste, took honour seriously. They were not that far from their clan and tribal origins after all. Just a few centuries ago they were fighting each other with spears and claws.

“We honour all Humans! No dishonour was intended!” Tei’Slavik said, clearly agitated now. “How can we make this right?”

“We know you meant no harm, and that you’re trying to understand us,” Meyers put in, keeping her voice low and soothing. “I’m sure when you explain to the elders they will send a warrior to take your place here on
Lincoln
. No need to say more to Admiral Kuzov than that the elders are reassigning you elsewhere.”

“But this does not erase the wrong?” Tei’Xanthe said uncertainly, his translator impersonal but his worry was clear upon his face. “Please, we must be clear, thank you?”

Meyers would have disagreed, but Burgton took his chance and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “This is unfortunately true, Tei, but it is easily mended. Admiral Meyers would like one of you to help her aboard her ship, if that is agreeable to the elders. She does not mind that you are not warrior caste. I would also welcome a Shan aide. As you know, my men have been fighting alongside your people. It would be a great help to me if one of you, or perhaps two of you—one a warrior—would agree to stay by my side to help me understand your people better.”

Meyers glanced knowingly at him, and her lips twitched as if fighting a grin.

Tei’Xanthe froze for a moment in surprise.

Tei’Slavik said something to Xanthe in Shan, but it was so fast that Burgton missed it. Surprised, he checked his log and realised he had heard it fine but couldn’t make head or tails of it. It had been Shan, but was spoken in an obscure dialect. Burgton hadn’t heard there were different dialects here, but there obviously were. Perhaps they were used along clan lines, or maybe it had something to do with caste. He had no idea. He shouldn’t be surprised considering the number of languages Humans had used in their time, but it was damn inconvenient from a nosy Human’s point of view.