At the end of the meeting, Cole stood to leave when Jefferds said, “Sir, would you have a moment?”
“Of course, Jefferds,” Cole replied, resuming his seat. “What do you need?”
Jefferds watched the rest of the executives file out of the conference room before turning back to look at Cole. He took a breath and said, “Sir, forgive me. This is not easy for me. A number of the executives have expressed concern that you do not have an heir.”
Cole sighed. “Not this again.” He rubbed his face with his hands and leaned back against his chair.
“Sir, I—”
Cole held up his hand to forestall Jefferds, saying, “Admiral Sato already gave me the lecture this morning. I don’t have a solution right this moment, but I promised her I’d think on it.”
“Very well, sir,” Jefferds replied. “It’s just that we really do not wish to return to the bank managing the Coleson Trust. It was a very…stressful…time.”
Cole’s thoughts flicked back to the period he thought of as the ‘Jax’ years and chuckled. “Yes, Jefferds, it was. Is there anything else?”
“No, sir, and thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If you need me, find me.” That said, Cole pushed to his feet and left the conference room.
Talia stepped into her sister’s apartment on Citadel Station and held back a sigh. Sasha sat on the sofa, legs curled under her as she clutched a throw pillow to her chest. Her expression was a blank stare.
“Hey, Soosh,” Talia said, “you okay?”
Sasha jerked and looked at her. “Oh, Tallie…I’m sorry. I thought we weren’t meeting until dinner.”
“I thought we were, too, Soosh. I came looking for you after you were forty-five minutes late.”
Sasha blanched. “Forty-five minutes? Tallie, I’m so sorry.”
Talia shrugged. “It’s all right. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You were giving the decking a thousand-yard stare.”
Sasha sighed. “It’s out there, now, Tallie. Sato just blurted it out there like it was nothing.”
“Uhm…she just blurted what out there?” Talia asked. “I’m not sure I know what we’re discussing.”
“She told Cole he needed an heir, which presumably means he needs a wife.”
Ah. So, that’s it. Talia walked over to sit in a chair facing her sister. “And you’re afraid someone else will get him.”
“No, of course not. I—”
“Soosh, don’t you think this has gone on long enough? You were ready to murder Scarlett when she came aboard Haven, and you still grit your teeth when you see her sometimes. No matter what you tell everyone else, you need to be honest with yourself at least. So, you might as well ‘fess up. Just when did you fall for your captain?”
Sasha jerked again and gave Talia a fierce glare. “I have not…” The ire faded from her gaze, and she took a deep shuddering breath, releasing it as a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Tallie. I…I don’t know, really. I still remember what it felt like—the icy claws in my chest—when I heard them shout Cole was down at that station in Iota Ceti. That means it happened before then, right?”
Talia shrugged, breaking into a grin. “How am I supposed to know? How much time for dating do you think I’ve had as a med student and resident? Besides, I think a lot of my peers were intimidated by the family name.”
“Yeah…boys are weird like that. Over three thousand years, and they’re still fighting that patriarchal, alpha-man urge. You’ve had genetics classes; do you ever think it’ll go away?”
“Hard to say,” Talia replied, “but you’re evading the subject.”
“That used to work, you know,” Sasha retorted, just above a mutter.
“Still evading, Soosh…”
Sasha shot a grimace her way. “Fine, fine. Like I said, I don’t know, and it would never work anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Well, for one thing, I’m his first officer. Officers aren’t supposed to fraternize with people under their command, and I really don’t like the idea of being anywhere other than Haven. I’m not sure Cole would listen to anyone else when he gets one of those harebrained ideas.”
“Harlon and Emily don’t show any interest in moving on. They could keep an eye on him for you.”
“Yeah, but would Cole listen to them? I mean really listen? Harlon talks it up how he was the one to talk Cole out of doing any more ‘Lone Marine’ nonsense. But, Tallie…it wasn’t him.”
“It wasn’t?”
Sasha shook her head. “It was blindingly apparent to everyone in the conversation that Cole just wasn’t listening…not to Harlon or Emily. All three of us were there. They finally got frustrated and walked out. After they left, I talked him out of it.”
“Really? How?”
“I asked him what would happen to us—you and me specifically—if he left the ship and got himself killed. I asked him what would happen to Srexx. That’s when he backed off from going, Tallie. That’s what stopped him.” Sasha sighed. “Harlon and Emily came to me and asked what had happened after Cole told them he’d step back. I didn’t want to go into specifics, so I told them I didn’t stop talking until he saw reason.”
Talia nodded. “Okay. That makes me wonder if maybe he doesn’t have feelings for you, too.”
Sasha shook her head. “I’m not going there, Tallie. I’m just not.”
“Okay, Soosh. Okay. I’ll let it go for now, but you need to do something about it. The day will come when it will be too late, and how will you feel then?”
Without waiting for her sister to reply, Talia stood and left the apartment.
Chapter Five
Cole’s Apartment
Citadel Station
14 July 3003, 17:45 GST
Garrett moved to the second armchair and turned it to face Cole straight-on. The spymaster leaned back and cracked his knuckles before draping his arms over the sides of the chair and resting his left ankle on his right knee. Cole wasn’t expecting a visit from Garrett that evening, especially not at such an odd time. But Garrett always had marched to his own beat. That was one of the reasons Cole enjoyed the friendship.
“I suppose if we were more formal about this,” Garrett said, “the conversation we’re about to have would be termed ‘System Security Briefing’ or some such. But bureaucrats always spend too much time naming and classifying things in my view, so we’re just going to talk. That okay with you?”
Cole grinned. “When has talking with you ever not been okay with me? Besides, I owe you a lot, Garrett. For that alone, my door will always be open to you, no questions asked.”
“You should be careful before making statements like that…could get you into trouble,” Garrett replied with half a grin. “Anyway. So, the short of it is that things are a mess out there. A one-hundred-percent, messed-up-beyond-all-recognition mess. The Coalition is still focused on bringing order to the chaos that is the corpse of the Commonwealth, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how successful they’re being. I think everyone is just sort of waiting to see which way they jump once they’ve finished…or give up. The Duchy of Musilar is still fighting the good fight, though I don’t know how. They must’ve turned their entire GDP over to defense efforts, because they’re burning through ships like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Why don’t they just back out and sue for peace?” Cole asked.
Garrett shrugged. “Who knows? Ego, maybe. It’s possible things have reached the point in the Duchy that the Duke will lose his throne if he admits he should never have entered the war in the first place. No one likes a quitter, but no one’s overly fond of losing, either. I suppose there’s always the chance the Duke’s hoping to rally others to the cause, but if you consider only conventional forces, the Coalition is the dominant power in the region right now. There are even whispers they may be looking to invade Zurich somewhere down the line.”
Cole chuckled. “They may try, but they won’t succeed.”
“Don’t be too su
re of that,” Garrett replied. “For all its wealth, the Zurich Defense Force couldn’t stand up to a fleet the size of the Oriolis Fifty-Seven, and the Coalition can easily field such a fleet for an invasion.” Garrett’s voice trailed off as he looked at Cole. His expression shifted to one of shrewd appraisal. “What do you know that I don’t, Cole?”
“Zurich and Beta Magellan have entered into a mutual defense treaty,” Cole said. “They’ve heard the same whispers you have, and the Banking Commission and System Leadership used Leland to start the conversation about halfway through June. Both parties agreed to keep the treaty a secret.”
Garrett blinked. “Damn. None of my people heard anything about that, Cole. How in the stars did you keep it so hushed?”
“For one thing, we held the discussions in Zurich. Paol and I went there under the cover of studying their civil government. Well…we took Haven. Srexx had his usual fun and couldn’t find any data indicating they were negotiating in bad faith, and the Kiksaliks concurred. That’s why I’ve also been pushing our ‘adopted’ ships through the shipyard. I want to be ready if the Coalition does something that requires an education.” A thought struck Cole’s mind, and he closed his eyes and sighed. “Damn.”
“What?” Garrett asked.
“Sev was right,” Cole said. “If I take Haven and its battlegroup out to deliver chastisement, I’ll want to leave Beta Magellan with the strongest possible defense. I’ll have to talk to Painter and Sato about our personnel capabilities, but I want the Beta Magellan system picket to be based on a dreadnought. One dreadnought, four battle-carriers…and I’m not sure from there on. We’ll use Haven’s strike group as the model for system pickets in our uninhabited systems.”
Garrett sat there for a second before he pursed his lips. “That’s a serious Home Fleet you’re planning, Cole.”
“Do you disagree?”
Garrett shook his head, slowly at first. “No…no, I don’t. I saw the massacre, too. I don’t want this system ever to face that again. You’re going to have a difficult time keeping that building project secret.”
“I’m not even going to try,” Cole replied. “I won’t advertise it, but word will get out eventually anyway. Between the dreadnought battlegroup and the system forts, anyone who comes here looking for a fight will have a tough time of it.”
“What was that line from an ancient movie your grandfather liked?” Garrett asked, grinning. “‘I feel pity for anyone who comes here looking for trouble?’”
Cole grinned. “Yeah…something like that.”
Cole took a moment to record a reminder in his implant to speak with Sev, Painter, and Sato about the new project. He was sure they’d simply love the extra work.
“Anything else happening out there?” Cole asked.
“Not really. The Coalition is going to be a problem, Cole, and they might be a problem sooner rather than later.”
Cole nodded. “I know. Believe me, I know, but I don’t want to take us to war until we’re ready.”
“That’s the thing,” Garrett replied. “No one is ever ready for war, not even the people who start them.”
“I can’t leave my people undefended, then. How’s that?”
Garrett nodded once. “Better. You also need to consider what they’ll think about going to war. Pretty much everyone here is here because they wanted a safe place from the fighting. Have you considered their reaction to the idea that you’ll be diving into the mess?”
“But what kind of people are we if we turn a blind eye to what the Coalition is doing? How can we sit here protected and safe while people are brutalized because others have power over them? Evil triumphs through the inaction of Good, Garrett. I’m hoping someone else will step in…or that the Coalition falls apart. I don’t want to go to war. But I can’t shake the feeling that the day will come when I have no choice if I want to be someone my family would be proud of.”
Garrett opened his mouth to reply, but the overhead speakers chirped.
“Cole?” Srexx asked.
“Yes, Srexx?”
“We have received a priority signal from Gateway. A massive Commonwealth fleet just arrived.”
“Damn. Okay. Thanks for telling me.” Cole’s voice trailed off as he processed what Srexx said. “Wait…did you say a Commonwealth fleet?”
“That is what the signal specifies, Cole. Ninety-eight ships broadcasting a transponder identifying them as Aurelian Commonwealth Navy. Five freighters accompany them as well, but they appear to be under escort and not pursuit.”
“Okay. I’ll issue recall orders from here, buddy. Would you please send an acknowledgement to Gateway for me?”
“Of course, Cole.”
“Thanks, Srexx.”
The speakers chirped again, and Cole shifted his attention to Garrett. “Didn’t you tell me that all the Commonwealth ships were squawking Coalition transponders now?”
“Yes. I haven’t received any reports of Commonwealth Navy transponders for weeks.”
Cole frowned as both he and Garrett stood. “I suppose it’s possible they didn’t get the memo. I’d better get out there and see what they want.”
Chapter Six
Bridge, Battle-Carrier Haven
Citadel Station
14 July 3003, 18:45 GST
Cole stepped onto Haven’s bridge for the first time in what felt like forever; in all truth, it had only been about a month. The ship was on Gamma Shift, and a person occupied every station, going about their business bringing the ship back to full readiness. Looking from the aft stations to the helm, Cole smiled as he approached the command chair.
Sasha looked over her shoulder at the sound of the port hatch cycling and vacated the command chair at Cole’s approach, announcing, “Captain on the bridge!”
Cole gave her a flat look as she moved to the starboard side of the command chair, and she winked, making a mark in the air with her left index finger as if she were keeping score. Even after all the time they’d worked together, they still waged a silent war on just how formally military Haven would be. Cole took in the grins of the people at various stations around the bridge and smiled as he sat in the command chair.
“It’s good to be home,” Cole said. “I have the conn.”
“All decks already reported ready to depart,” Sasha said. “The rest of the battlegroup is holding station thirty light-minutes outside near-station space, awaiting our arrival.”
Cole nodded. “Comms, signal traffic control we are departing, and file a flight plan for the Gateway jump gate. We’ll pick up the rest of the battlegroup on the way.”
“Traffic control signals ‘clear to depart’ and ‘safe travels,’ sir,” the comms tech replied.
Cole nodded once. “Well, I think that’s our cue. Helm, take us out.”
“Aye, sir,” the spacer at the helm said. “Undocking now.”
The helmsman took Haven through a slower version of Cole’s ‘flip and roll’ maneuver, bringing the massive ship to face away from its docking slip. Increasing power to the sublight engines, the battle-carrier then left near-station space.
“We are clear and free to navigate, sir,” the spacer announced.
“Put us on a rendezvous course for the battlegroup,” Cole replied. “Comms, signal the battlegroup that we’re on the way.”
One hour and fifteen minutes later, Haven took its place at the center of the battlegroup’s travel formation, and the entire group powered up to half-lightspeed on a course for the Gateway jump gate.
“I’m very glad the ships accepted the jump engines,” Cole said as he leaned back against the command chair.
Sasha nodded. “You and me both. Otherwise, the trip to Gateway would take…what…two days?”
“It’s only twelve light-years,” Cole countered with a shrug. “I don’t think it’d take quite two days. Maybe forty-two hours?”
“Still, that’s a long time when the jump gates would allow the transit to be near-instantaneous. It’s nice to have
the best of both worlds.”
At half-lightspeed, the battlegroup traversed the seventy AUs to the Gateway jump gate in just a bit less than nineteen hours and thirty minutes. The battlegroup shifted into a line-astern formation and—one by one—made the jump to Gateway.
Beta Magellan Jump Gate
Gateway System
15 July 3003, 14:35 GST
In Gateway, a new station occupied a position thirty light-minutes outside the traffic lanes for the Beta Magellan jump gate; Sev and his people had started construction once Citadel Station neared habitability. Nowhere close to competing with Citadel Station in size or scope, Babylon Station served as a commerce and diplomatic hub for anyone wanting to do business with Beta Magellan. Beyond its role as a marketplace and embassy, it also served as a processing center for incoming refugees fleeing Coalition space.
Gateway’s system picket held position one light-hour outside Babylon’s near-station space, on a heading toward the Commonwealth fleet. Once the battlegroup shifted back into its travel formation—basically a globe of ships with Haven in the center—Cole hailed the picket’s cruiser, whose captain doubled as senior officer for the picket.
Commander Jonathan Giles smiled when the comms-call connected, saying, “Hello, sir, and welcome to Gateway.”
Cole returned the smile and nodded once. “Thank you. I understand we have some guests. What have they been doing?”
“Not a thing, sir,” Giles replied. “After they arrived, they moved outside the designated travel lanes to and from the jump gate and have just been holding position. There was some light comms chatter between the ships, but it was just traffic-control-type stuff, mostly formation and maneuvering orders.”
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