“Do you wish me to speak bluntly, Madam President?”
Iceni leaned back, smiling tightly. “Please do.”
Bradamont nodded toward Iceni’s data pad. “Your entire force of warships is insufficient to defend this star system if the Syndicate Worlds sends another flotilla of the same strength as that CEO Boyens came here with. The one thing that will place you in a decent defensive position is your battleship, but only when it is completely outfitted, all of the weapons operational, and is properly crewed. You can outfit that ship, you can get the weapons operational, but can you find enough trained personnel to crew her?”
Drakon, who had seemed to be understandably preoccupied since the attempt on his life the day before, bent a glance Iceni’s way. He didn’t have to say anything. Drakon’s look clearly told her this is your call, not mine.
“Captain Bradamont,” Iceni said, “you know the threats any force from Midway would face as it went to Alliance space and returned. Yet we cannot possibly risk sending more of our very limited numbers of warships than Kommodor Marphissa has already proposed. We need to maintain a warship presence here in case someone other than the Syndicate tries something. What do we have that might balance the odds for the flotilla we send on this proposed mission?”
Bradamont frowned as she considered the question. “Kommodor Marphissa has displayed skill as a combat commander, Madam President.”
“Can she command a force as well as Black Jack?”
“No, but—”
“How much experience does Kommodor Marphissa have with Black Jack’s ways of fighting? His tactics? His ways of gaining victory under even unfavorable circumstances?”
Bradamont shook her head. “She does not have any of those things, Madam President. We have discussed them a bit, but there wasn’t time for extensive training.”
“But you do have that experience and that training,” Iceni said.
Bradamont finally showed uncertainty. Out of the corner of her eye, Iceni could see Drakon trying not to smile at her reaction. They had already talked this out, and it had been Drakon’s suggestion that had tilted Iceni toward her decision. “Your orders,” Iceni continued, “are to assist us as you believe appropriate. Do you, Captain Bradamont, consider assisting in the successful pickup and return of the prisoners from Varandal as falling within that mandate?”
“Madam President, your warships will not operate under my command. The crews won’t accept it. I had proof of that aboard Manticore.”
“Did I say you would command? I said assist. I will approve this proposal only if you, Captain Bradamont, agree to accompany my ships, not as commander but as adviser in matters tactical and political. Your mere physical presence accompanying the mission, a captain of the Alliance fleet, may be of great value. Your presence at Atalia and Varandal could be decisive in ensuring that our freighters are allowed access to Alliance space and successfully recover the survivors from the Reserve Flotilla.”
Bradamont paused, thinking, then nodded. “I agree with your reasoning, Madam President, and I believe this form of assistance falls within the orders given to me by Admiral Geary. I will accompany the mission.”
“Good,” Iceni said, a little disappointed at how easily she had been able to maneuver Bradamont into agreement. But then, the Alliance captain was a fleet officer, not an Alliance politician, and certainly not someone as cunning as Black Jack. “Prepare to leave immediately.”
“Immediately?” Bradamont’s gaze went from Iceni to Drakon. “The freighters will need to be prepared.”
“The freighters are standing by,” Drakon said. “We have six that were modified to carry troops when we assisted Taroa in its revolt against the Syndicate. We got back from that mission not long before the Syndicate flotilla showed up here, followed by the enigmas, then Black Jack, so we kept the freighters in orbit to use if we needed to evacuate some of the citizens.”
“I haven’t enjoyed having unused assets boring holes in space and through my budget while we waited to see if we needed them,” Iceni added. “But now they will come in very handy. It is critical that we get this operation moving fast. My technicians are of the opinion that the blocking of the Syndicate hypernet that Black Jack encountered does indeed shut down access to the gates affected. That means they can’t be used by the Syndicate, either, when they’re blocked. The Syndicate would only employ such a device in very specific circumstances for limited times because of the economic and military impact. But if they learn that we are planning this operation, they might again block our hypernet access to frustrate our attempt to gain thousands of trained mobile forces personnel.”
Drakon spoke up. “We’ll be sending soldiers along for security aboard the freighters after you pick up the Reserve Flotilla personnel. We don’t know if any snakes are among those captured personnel. We don’t know how many of those personnel will be more loyal to the Syndicate government than to the idea of joining us. It should be a minority, maybe a small minority, but we can’t have them in a position where some of them could seize control of one or more freighters. The ground forces personnel will be commanded by an officer of sufficient seniority to deal with any matters that arise.”
Drakon paused as Bradamont’s eyes fixed on him. “That officer will be Colonel Rogero.”
Bradamont smiled ruefully and shook her head. “I have too little experience in negotiating with Syndics.”
“We’re not Syndicate anymore, Captain,” Drakon said, “which is why I will also tell you that you’ll be on one of the heavy cruisers along with the Kommodor, and Colonel Rogero will be on one of the freighters. Until you reach Atalia. Then you’ll transfer to Colonel Rogero’s ship.”
“So near yet so far?” Bradamont asked. “You don’t need to send Colonel Rogero, General. I already agreed to go.”
“Rogero’s going,” Drakon said. “Because he’s the best officer for the mission and because I know you and he can work together to get this done.”
Iceni nodded. “That was General Drakon’s judgment, and I have agreed with his reasoning. The fact that you have proven your ability to work with Kommodor Marphissa is also a factor in my decision. Do you have any questions? No? If there is anything you feel is needed for this mission to succeed that you do not have, inform me or General Drakon personally. Now, I have one question for you that does not pertain to this mission. When Black Jack first came to this star system he gave his rank as fleet admiral. It has been brought to my attention,” she added with a sidelong look at Drakon, “that he has consistently referred to himself as admiral and worn an Alliance admiral’s insignia during the last two times he was here. Are you aware of the circumstances behind the use of a lower rank by Black Jack?”
“Everyone in the fleet knows that, Madam President,” Bradamont replied. “He was a fleet admiral during the final campaign of the war with the Syndicate Worlds, but his current rank is admiral.”
“Which is a lower rank than fleet admiral?” Iceni pressed. “Captain Bradamont, why is Black Jack using a lower rank than he did when his fleet first repelled the enigmas from this star system?”
“He reverted to captain when we returned to Alliance space after that engagement, then he was promoted back to admiral.”
“Why?” Iceni asked, not bothering to hide her bafflement.
“I don’t know all of the reasons, but I know the reversion to captain rank was at least partly a personal matter.”
“A personal matter?”
“Captain Desjani,” Bradamont said, as if that explained everything.
“Who is?” Iceni prompted.
“Geary’s wife. Captain Tanya Desjani.” Bradamont looked from Iceni to Drakon. “You hadn’t heard? I assumed Syndic intelligence would have learned that. It’s no secret in Alliance space. Not at all.”
Iceni stared at Bradamont. “We are a long ways from Alliance space, Captain Bradamont, and
Syndicate intelligence isn’t in the habit of forwarding reports to star systems in rebellion. Admiral Geary was interested in a subordinate? And instead of just sleeping with her, he accepted a lower rank to legitimize it?”
Bradamont’s expression didn’t change, but her posture stiffened. “Regulations in the Alliance fleet do not permit relations between officers and their subordinates in the chain of command.”
“We have similar rules,” Iceni said, openly amused. “Those with power don’t need to pay attention to them.”
She noticed that Drakon didn’t quite avoid a flinch at that. Feeling guilty about your drunken roll in the hay with that crazy female Morgan at Taroa, General? You should feel guilty. Or are you just afraid that I’ll learn about it, not knowing I already have?
“Admiral Geary behaved with honor,” Bradamont replied. “He is a man of honor as our ancestors understood it. Admiral Geary and Captain Desjani followed the rules and regulations of the fleet and acted honorably.”
“I see. Thank you, Captain. Once you’ve been escorted back to General Drakon’s headquarters, get in touch with Colonel Rogero. He’ll work you into the troop lifts up to the freighters.”
Iceni watched Bradamont leave. “Have you noticed that even when that Alliance officer is at her most relaxed with us, there is still a barrier?”
“That’s scarcely surprising,” Drakon replied. “To her, we still look like the enemy.”
“I don’t think it’s just that. Kommodor Marphissa and Kapitan-Leytenant Kontos in their reports to me both said they did not feel Bradamont was holding back on them. Yet I see that sense of reserve in her when dealing with us.”
Drakon snorted derisively. “Kommodor Marphissa was a lower-midranked executive. She didn’t make decisions, but she paid the price for decisions made by her superiors. That’s even more true of Kontos. You and I were CEOs, part of the hierarchy of the Syndicate Worlds. We called the shots.”
“Not as much as we would have liked to,” Iceni said, her voice subdued.
“Yeah. That’s why we’re here. But it’s not surprising that, to an Alliance officer, we’re in a different category from more junior personnel. We were CEOs. We did things.”
She looked back at him for a while before answering, trying to sort out her feelings. “I did what I had to do. So did you.”
“Yeah,” Drakon repeated.
Only one word, yet the feeling behind it came through clearly to Iceni. A feeling she understood all too well. “I did what I had to do” isn’t what anyone would want carved on their memorial. Unhappy at the direction the conversation had taken, Iceni gestured upward. “The Syndicate is ahead of us on tricks with the hypernet. I have a strong feeling the Alliance is even farther behind than we are.”
“A feeling?” Drakon pressed.
“There are some facts. Black Jack wanted the device from me that would keep a gate from being collapsed by remote command. That meant the Alliance didn’t have it.”
“You gave him that?”
She paused, then nodded, not looking at him. “Yes. It was a deal.”
“Are there any other deals?”
Iceni turned her head to look directly into his eyes. “None that you are unaware of. I made that deal with Black Jack before we revolted, Artur. I couldn’t coordinate it with you, I couldn’t even talk to you about it, not with the snakes still everywhere. Do you know what I find most intriguing about that interview with Captain Bradamont?” It was a very clumsy change of subject. Why am I never at my best with Drakon anymore? He’s rattling me for some reason.
Drakon didn’t call her on the awkward segue though. “No. What did you find intriguing?”
“The bit about Black Jack’s rank. Despite Captain Bradamont’s impassioned defense of his honor, Black Jack must have manipulated his rank to technically avoid violating Alliance rules about marrying a subordinate. But why? Why bother with the theater? Why did he then choose only to advance back to the rank of admiral? And what do we know about this Captain Desjani?”
Drakon poked in a query. “Battle cruiser captain. Dauntless. Rated highly effective based on what we were able to learn of her. As a lieutenant, led a boarding party in an operation that won her the Alliance Fleet Cross. That’s about it. No, wait. In the report Morgan and Malin gave me when they got back from talking to Black Jack to set up that trick we pulled on Boyens. Captain Desjani was there. Black Jack insisted that she be present. That confirms the relationship that Bradamont told us about.”
Iceni rested her chin on one hand as she thought. “The whole show must have something to do with Alliance rules and protocol. Maybe he had to justify what he did to their fleet and their citizens. How that translated into playing games with rank, I don’t know. Maybe, with time, Captain Bradamont will tell us more about it. I didn’t want to push her during this meeting. She’s acting very open with us, as if there’s not a secret in her pretty little head. But she has a hidden agenda. People always have hidden agendas.”
He took a few moments to reply, looking steadily toward the far wall, then finally glanced at Iceni. “My first impressions of her were that she was exactly what she looked like. Not much hidden. I’ve talked to Colonel Rogero again since then, and he says she is trustworthy. That evaluation means a lot in my mind.”
Iceni laughed sharply before she could stop herself. “A man in love trusts the object of his affections? Just how many tragedies have been set into motion by that?”
“That’s . . . a point.”
Iceni gave him another searching look. “What I just said didn’t make you happy.”
“Is it that obvious?” Drakon shrugged. “You know Colonel Gaiene. That is, you know who he is now.”
“A drunken letch who always seems to be seeking out the next woman to share his bed. But I saw the reports for Taroa. He was highly effective. Are you saying he trusted the wrong woman?”
“In combat, he can forget for a few moments. But it wasn’t a matter of betrayed trust. It was exactly the opposite.” Drakon grimaced, clearly unhappy at the memories this conversation was calling up. “Here’s the quick and dirty. Lara was a major in another unit. She and Conner Gaiene never had eyes for anyone else. Conner’s outfit got caught in an ambush and were being cut to ribbons. I had my hands full repulsing a major counterattack. Somehow, Lara pulled together all of the soldiers close to her and punched through to Gaiene. She saved Conner and about half of his unit, but she never knew that because she died during the final push that broke through the Alliance forces trapping him.”
“Oh.” Iceni looked away and didn’t speak for several seconds. “That’s why he’s like that.”
“Yes. Conner Gaiene had his dream woman once. Just about every day I’m reminded of what happened to him when he lost her.”
“And you don’t want to see that happen to Colonel Rogero.”
“No. If this Bradamont is bad, and I don’t think she is, she’d hurt him. If she’s as good as she seems, she could hurt him a lot worse.”
“Not every man falls apart when he loses a woman,” Iceni said. Have you avoided relationships out of fear of that, Artur Drakon? The snakes and the Syndicate couldn’t break you, but you worry that a woman could? “You must have lost someone in the past.”
“This isn’t about me,” Drakon objected, a little too fast and a little too emphatically.
“What if it were?”
He looked down, away, then back at her. “It isn’t.”
“Then you listen to me, Artur Drakon,” Iceni said heatedly. “From what you say, this Lara was an exceptional woman who gave her all to save the life of the man she loved. And that man has rewarded her sacrifice by wasting the life she died to save. If I ever gave my life to save a man I loved, that man had damned well better live the rest of his life in a manner that justifies the sacrifice that I made for him! Is that clear?”
Dr
akon looked steadily back at her. “Absolutely clear. Why do I need to know that?”
“I don’t know! But now you do. Be certain that you do not forget it.”
“I won’t.”
She sat alone in the room for a while after Drakon had left, staring at the display but not really seeing it. Why am I more upset about the attempt on his life than I am about the bomb aimed at me?
It’s because I do like that big lunk. He’s a better man than he realizes he is. He’s—
I like him too much.
You can’t do this, Gwen. Mixing personal feelings and politics is a guarantee for disaster. He is a man, and he obviously doesn’t have any particular feelings for me, so he would either use my feelings to get what he wants, or if he’s not quite that awful, he would laugh at me. Either of those would be better than his feeling pity for me because he couldn’t return such feelings. I will never accept pity from anyone.
Never.
THE hopefully named Recovery Flotilla had departed only the day before. Drakon had watched it go, taking along with it not only Colonel Rogero and six platoons from his brigade, but also a substantial portion of the warships available to defend this star system. The Alliance captain had been right. Even all of the warships they had couldn’t adequately protect Midway. But that was something the brain knew. The gut still watched those warships go and felt the desperate need to call them back.
And, inevitably, because the universe seems to enjoy mocking the hopes and the plans of mere humans, a freighter carrying urgent news had arrived at the jump point from Maui Star System within an hour of the departure of the Recovery Flotilla.
Which was why he was once again meeting with Gwen Iceni, who had seemed unusually irritable since their last one-on-one meeting. This time, though, Colonel Malin was briefing them while Iceni’s assistant Togo watched with the closest thing to disapproval his deadpan expression ever revealed.