* * *
I arrived fifteen minutes early for the meeting and was met by Ni'Shay. Admiral Kishi stood beside him.
"Good morning, Leader Reese. I understand you and the SAS are having a disagreement," Admiral Kishi said with a small amused smile as we entered the ground vehicle for the trip to the meeting.
"Yes. The SAS has trouble controlling its people—no tradition," I said with a grin. "Some junior officers believe they know better than their superiors. That's normal, but many of them would take independent actions against Riss or Freeland."
"Leader Reese, I assure you the UFN stands behind you unconditionally. Admiral Zhu believes Riss and UFN futures are linked together, and none of us would disappoint Imperial Fleet Admiral Zhu, out of respect and tradition."
"Thank you, Admiral Kishi. The SAS refuses to acknowledge the fact that without Admiral Zhu, the SAS would be under JPU rule today. The Alliance Committee would never have given in to Admiral Plimson without Admiral Zhu convincing the Emperor to support our MSA and visit Echo with me."
* * *
Sakaata arrived thirty minutes late with an armed guard of ten. Terril and thirty Kraits stopped them at the building entrance.
"I insist on having my security guard present," Sakaata said as she entered. "You are obviously hostile."
I lost it. "Get out. Take your security detail and your fleet and leave Freeland space. Tell Admiral Plimson he should retire to a planet he likes because the SAS military is now a peacetime force, broken beyond even his ability to repair." I waved toward the door, took my seat, and took a long drink of kaffa. "Commander Byer, Colonel Seng, and Commander Iglis, begin transferring your personnel to Sakaata's fleet."
"You're not serious?" Sakaata said, not sounding confident.
"You use to be a good officer, Sakaata, one I admired. I understand that keeping in check peacetime captains accustomed to being unsupervised is no easy task, but you are a vice admiral, and they are captains. I personally wouldn't trust your fleet at my back now. Therefore, I'm better off without you. So yes, I'm serious."
"We need to talk in private," Sakaata said after a minute of silence.
"I have no secrets from anyone at this table. Ironically, I trust everyone in the SAS attached units with my life. They know what the Riss have been doing to prevent the JPU from crushing the SAS. They understand they are supporting Admiral Plimson's commitment to the Riss. However, according to the wide-spread rumors circulating Freeland space, your officers and senior personnel don't have a clue. They don't understand they are in the military and subject to your orders, and that you are under Admiral Wattson and subject to his orders, and that he is subject to the orders of the SAS military commander, Admiral Plimson." I slammed my kaffa cup down so hard it smashed into pieces. "The Riss and their allies have been in JPU space risking their lives for you, while your troops sit around whining about how stupid their superiors are. Maybe they're right. You apparently think so."
I sat looking at my shattered cup, wondering if I should be replaced as Leader, if I was no longer a rational thinking person.
I shrugged in resignation.
"Admiral Sakaata, I believe it is best for you to take your fleet and go, before those captains decide they are going to attack Freeland or the Riss or Admiral Kishi's fleet. Go visit Wattson in Echo or Plimson in Eden. See what they say. But the SAS are not welcome back without a solution. Please transfer the Riss on your ships to the space station. I will inform Admiral Plimson that the Riss on SAS ships are to be returned to Freeland," I said while locking eyes with Sakaata.
She seemed to be in shock. Her lips moved, but nothing came out. Eventually, she turned and left.
"Commander Byer, Colonel Seng, and Commander Iglis, I leave it to you to arrange the transfers and determine whether anyone cares to remain on Freeland. I know Admiral Plimson will authorize the transfers, regardless of how this eventually gets resolved."
They nodded and followed Sakaata out the door, heads together talking.
"What do you think are the odds of Haddad attacking Freeland?" Kishi asked.
"I intend to harass Admiral Haddad. He won't be able to ignore me, and he doesn't have enough cruisers to defend the JPU, challenge me, and attack Freeland. Even if he were crazy enough to ignore me, I don't think the Supreme Council will let him," I said. I hoped I was right, because Freeland couldn't survive a hundred-plus-ship invasion. "Admiral Kishi, if you are interested, I will—with Elder Ni'Shay's approval—authorize your troops to visit Freeland. Coordinate with Ni'Shay and Captain Pavao."
"Thank you, Leader Reese." He gave me a low bow of respect.
* * *
The next several days were close to chaos. Riss were transferred to Freeland, attached units were distributed among the fleet, and a sizable number of attached personnel decided to remain on Freeland. I and the other Riss-humans interviewed each individual before approving the transfer. Only two of nearly three-hundred were rejected. We suspected they wanted to stay as spies for the SAS. I compiled a roster of the ones wanting to stay and sent it as an addendum to my message explaining my reason for sending Sakaata and the SAS fleet home. The next day, I sent Alena back to Alborz with four additional red-Wraiths, missiles, and instructions to return the Elpis and Druantia to Freeland so the attached units could be released.
* * *
"Well, Iglis, what's the word from Butler?" I asked.
To my surprise and delight, Iglis, Byer, and Seng had decided to become Freelanders.
"He decided to take your offer of sharing information. He lowered my clearance only one level, which was very generous considering I'm no longer in the SAS, and it allows me considerable access." Iglis smiled. "The Riss are the only action in town, and he doesn't want to lose it."
"What about Wattson and the SAS dark systems?"
"Wattson has visited five to date. In four, he found a typical JPU squadron and destroyed them. In the last one, ZigZag, the system was deserted."
"That's what concerns me. Haddad is pulling his available cruisers back into the JPU in anticipation of setting a trap for us, invading Freeland, or... And it's the or that bothers me. We can't afford surprises. Like the JPU, we are also spread thin."
I sighed. "Commander Byer, how are the new Wraith units coming? I talked with Commander Sorin. He is comfortable with you being the commander of the Wraiths, based on your experience."
"I like Sorin. We've spent a lot of time together the past few days, sorting out the new units and conducting training exercises. He's a good man and has done an excellent job creating the Wraiths," Byer said. When he looked back up, he was smiling. "I thought you were being a bit vague on the new missiles. I can see why now. Those red-Wraiths are awesome. I can understand you not wanting to share them."
"Neifeh taught me a lesson. I want to share with our allies, but I have to be careful that technology is not used against the Riss. That is one technology I don't plan on sharing."
"I understand. The chips are another." He laughed. "Back to your question, the Mnemosyne, Elpis, Eirene, Artio, and the Druantia have Wraith units with two reds and ten standard fighters each, although final assembly for the last five will have to be done on the cruisers. Lieutenant Katlin tells me the controls and the aerodynamics are a bit different but the transition won't to too bad. A couple more days."
"Colonel Seng, how are your units doing?"
"The units are formed and in place. Approximately half of the Scorpions agreed to stay. You're their totem. Our biggest challenge is integrating the two cultures, but it has been going surprisingly well. Gunny...Colonel Terril did an excellent job at selecting and training the Blue Kraits. The stories about her are a kind of glue between the two groups."
"Commander Iglis, what about Riss Intelligence?" I said, and couldn't help a small laugh. "You are now the Admiral Butler of the Riss."
Iglis stared at me for several minutes before talking. "I hadn't thought about it that way. You actually want me to start an Intelligence Unit?"
"Yes. We are a separate nation, one that is becoming more and more independent. Soon, our traders will be doing business in the other empires, and as Colonel Seng has astutely pointed out, neutral nations are not trusted. I'd suggest talking with Ni'Shay, Rares Ja'Oyrat and his granddaughter. Now that you are part of the Riss Nation, I can tell you there are hundreds of Freelanders in each of the empires. Once you get it organized, you will have the largest intelligence operation in the three empires."
"So that's how the merchants knew so much," Iglis said, shaking her head. She smiled. "But..."
"Your units will be responsible for staying informed, nothing else. You are not spies; you are gatherers of information. They are merely keeping Freeland, their homeland and clan, informed, just as you warned me about the rumors circulating the SAS fleet. If we are well-informed, we can avoid surprises." I looked around the room, pleased with the way things were working out. I loved these people, and it would have broken my heart to see them go. "We leave for Alborz in two days."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JPU – Usak: Hunting
"Welcome back, dybbuk. I see the Eirene is with you."
"I'll update you later. If you, Zhang, and Alena are ready, we'll leave for Usak in an hour."
* * *
"What do you expect in Usak?" Terril asked as the monitor clock showed two hours to Wave exit.
"From what intel Iglis was able to put together, Usak and Sarosh have major manufacturing facilities and platforms. Haddad can't let us continue to wreck the JPU manufacturing capability; otherwise, he has no way to replace his losses. He could gamble we'll go to Usak or Sarosh next and be waiting with his entire force for a knockout blow, or he would have to split his forces to protect both. And then there is Ormazd. The Supreme Council isn't going to let him leave it unguarded." I laughed. "So to answer your question, I'd hate to be in his position—too many options. But I'd expect a stealth cruiser at both Usak and Sarosh to get Haddad information quickly about our location, and a sizable force to slow us down while he brings reinforcements."
"Are we going to win?" Terril said, surprising me.
"You and I may not live to see it, my friend, but the Riss will win in the end. Haddad and many other military leaders look for a final battle, winner take all. Not the Riss. They take the long view. The object is to win, not to die heroically."
"That's going to take some adjustment for a lot of us."
"Ananke will help."
I hoped I was right about Haddad and his options as the ship prepared for war.
I watched as the VTH came alive. Nothing.
Immediately, the Riss ships appeared, tagged: R-1 through R-6. Then one tagged JS-1 and then JH-1, JL-1...twenty ships, all lying with only minimal power. I thanked Admiral Neifeh for letting Freeland upgrade his ships. I suspected these twenty ships had been part of his original invasion force. The question was how many unmodified cruisers were part of this reception committee?
"That bitch Ioana will live forever in the JPU gallery of infamy," Pavao said, grinning. "They might as well have their weapon systems hot."
"Let's ignore them for now and see what kind of entertainment Usak provides closer to the planet."
"That cruiser next the Wave exit is probably there to get help," Zhang said.
"I agree, Zhang. I wonder if it's to let Sarosh know it's next, or to get reserves. It seems that sudden Comstat silence would be faster in either case. We will talk again at two light-seconds from Usak." I cut the connection.
* * *
As we approached the two-light-second mark, the picture at Usak became clear: a space station, three manufacturing platforms, two super-Heavies, and two more standard squadrons.
"Another squadron and two super-Heavies protecting a space station and three manufacturing platforms. Any suggestions?"
"Take out the supers, station, platforms, and the two squadrons and leave," Jaelle said, to my surprise. Generally, she was laid back, observing.
"Yes, we are here to cripple their capacity first, then their existing force, all with the minimum losses possible. Damaass and Alena, get in position to take out the super-heavies. Afterward, you are to destroy the platforms while we entertain the closest squadron. You can use two red-Wraiths on each super-Heavy and one on each platform, because I want you to join us heading for the Wave two minutes after the super-Heavies are destroyed. I don't plan on engaging the other two squadrons or totally destroying this squadron, just to keep them busy for you. Destroy Usak's ability to build more cruisers and leave, is today's mission. Jaelle will engage JH-1, and I'll take JH-2, while Zhang and Pavao split the Lights. We'll skip toward the Wave on Damaass's done-signal and proceed in stealth mode to rendezvous at the Wave exit." Hearing no questions, I cut the connection.