by Chris Hechtl
He checked the notes from Agnosta. There was only one recommendation from Captain Yee. He apparently was joining Sindri and others in recommending they go back to Lemnos and tear the place apart. Either rebuild it as a secret yard or take it apart and ship the components elsewhere.
Honestly, he was of two minds about the situation. On the one hand, he liked it; it would get them advanced industrial hardware to build new ships and equipment. There were also exobytes of files on many subjects in the facilities mammoth computers. Keeping the facility intact was out; there was no way they could keep it supplied. No, it would have to come apart. But on the other hand, there was that damn wraith. There was no telling what it had done to the computers in the facility. He was loath to find out.
And then there was a third problem, only he, Phil, or Amadeus could lead a convoy there. The more people who knew where it was and how to get to it, the more exposed it was. And none of the flag officers could be diverted from their present duties. It would also mean a significant diversion of colliers and personnel to tear the place apart and ship it to where he could use it. No, for now it would keep.
“Admiral, we have the additional supplies and troops loading now. It is going to be crowded on that transport, however,” Sprite reported, taking over the holo emitter on his desk. He blinked away his woolgathering and then grunted.
“It is going to be even more crowded on the other ships as well. I want each to be stuffed to the gills with parts and equipment. Remember, they are at the long end of the supply line,” he warned, looking over to her avatar on his desk.
“True. You could of course send them a couple of industrial replicators and someone to use them,” she said helpfully.
Irons shook his head. “You know I can't and why. We can't spare an officer from the yard. Not without mucking things up here. Besides, even if they did have the replicators on the other end, the best they could do is rework and rebuild old parts, which would mean pulling the part, breaking it down, and then remaking it.”
“A long process true, but if the part is down anyway ….”
“We have a crippled ship.” The admiral frowned again and then shrugged. “Not this trip. Put it in the idea box for the next resupply. Did he say anything about their ETA?”
“He still hasn't released them yet,” Sprite reported. Irons scowled. “Remember, they barely have a toe hold on the ground. He doesn't have a place to put them. There aren't any convenient platforms in space. The tenders are it.”
“Lovely,” Irons sighed. He took a long moment to collect his thoughts then settled himself. “Get Xavier's convoy out. Within twenty-four hours. Twelve or less if possible. I want them underway no later than …,” he checked the clock. “Twenty-two hundred hours tomorrow,” he said.
“Aye aye, sir. I'll tell the longshoreman to expedite. Most of the gear is already loaded. Captain Lyon's Recon squads just arrived, and he's already gotten to the convoy on his own initiative."
"Good!"
"They are just adding the last … damn it! Stupid virus …." Sprite worked furiously to handle the Xeno virus as it tried to send packets through the ansible complex. Her recent experience on Lemnos as well as her experience on Epsilon Triangula had taught her how to identify and destroy the virus before it could spread. She opened a port and allowed Protector to lend her a hand though.
The more AI she got inoculated against the Wraith the better to her reasoning. It could still compromise them in theory, and once it did it would have a copy of her inoculation files. That was a troubling thought.
"Got it," Protector said directly to her when they finished cleaning up the mess. It had taken less than a second to handle but an obvious lag to the admiral.
“Problems, Commander?” Irons asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, that damn Xeno virus. Something tried to get through the ansible again. My firewall caught most of it. But it launched a broad spectrum virus attack on a time delay. We're chasing it down and cleaning it up now. Some of it was buffered, some not. For instance two ships getting their orders just got infected. I think I'm going to work out another AI. One in the communications systems. Possibly in the ansible network looking for the little bastard.”
"Be careful about setting that up and then lowering your guard, Commander," Protector told her.
"Yeah, I know, I don't want a repeat of Lemnos."
"True."
“Joy,” Irons said as he rose from his seat. “Keep me posted. I'm going to rack out.”
“Aye aye, Admiral,” Sprite replied. “Night.”
“Night, Sprite.”
---<>---<>---
Governor Randall studied the reports. Things were working well, though he was still having issues with how the economics would work out long term. Many of the worlds were agro worlds: Hidoshi's World, Gaston, Richalu, the list went on and on. Then there were worlds that were crossroads like again, Gaston, but also Triang, Kathy's World, and others. Worlds that had vital exports … he frowned thoughtfully. According to his recent readings, Protodon had some interesting exports: rare food and pelts but also medicinals. He made a note to let his commercial contacts know about that. Once the star system was considered safe, perhaps one of them would want to set up trade? It wouldn't hurt to explore the option, and with regular convoys going to the star system, they needed a return cargo. Trade would be good.
"They could do it as a tax," he murmured to himself as he studied the Encyclopedia Galactica entry. Certainly not metals, they were metal poor since they let their asteroid belt be picked over so thoroughly.
Senka was a drain; he could see it. Oh, there were markets there, but they had little to export except … his eyebrow twitched. Metals. Hmm … so if Senka sent metals in trade, and Protodon food … he could see some trade happening there. Yes indeed.
"Did you say something, dear?" his wife asked as she came in. He looked up and paused as his wife let her red silk robe open daringly low.
"Um …."
She came over and leaned over to kiss him. "So articulate," she said teasingly. He nodded dumbly as she grinned at him. The tablet slid out of his fingers as she climbed into his lap.
"So, what are you working on?"
"Nothing important anymore," he said. "Nothing that can't wait."
"Good answer," she said huskily, kissing him once more.
---<>---<>---
April scowled when she heard John had decided to rack out in his apartment in the navy yard instead of coming home to her. On the one hand, she could understand it. It was secure, and he didn't have to commute. On the other she missed him, and damn it, how was she supposed to do her job if she couldn't get to the man? She scowled.
What kind of bodyguard could she be anyway? She was a reporter, a media person. Someone who wasn't cut out for being a guard. She was an information person, a spy. Go with that she thought with a flip of her hair. A spy and a damn good one. She wasn't a shooter, nor was she a killer though she'd been tempted a few times. Most of them lately when she'd had to compete with others for the admiral's time and attention she thought darkly.
John she reminded herself. John. The leagues didn't even want her to spy on him, just protect him. Let them know his itinerary but don't betray any confidences and keep an eye out for anyone attempting to harm or betray him.
Which was tough to do when she couldn't be at his side! She threw herself at the bed and clenched at the duvet in frustration. She'd bought a new outfit and everything … she sighed. Well, she'd just have to save it for later, right? She shook her head. Definitely. He wasn't coming. She had to accept that. Maybe call him? Give him some nice phone sex? Get him juiced up so he would come by on the weekend?
She grinned coyly. Now that was a nice thought. It'd be fun too, she could …. She looked at the night stand where she kept her toys and then away. No, tempting but she wasn't in the mood anymore. Not without him. It was the frustration; it had put her out of it.
Getting him all worked up would be fun tho
ugh. Just get him all hot and bothered with her suggestive husky voice … she simpered a bit, tracing a fingernail down her throat. She could do it; it'd be fun. But not tonight she reminded herself. Save it for another time. He'd promised to be by on the weekend so, maybe Friday night? Or Thursday? Get him warmed up then? That idea made her smile widen slightly. She stretched luxuriously and then sent a mental signal to shut the lights off. She turned over and pulled the duvet over her shapely legs.
After all, tomorrow would be another day.
Chapter 15
Admiral White reluctantly sent back the tanker, medium and large colliers to Pyrax to reload. They went unescorted since the star systems in between Antigua and Protodon were considered secure. They had an eight-week, one-way journey but would pass Xavier and her group somewhere in transit.
They held the few dozen Horathian prisoners his search and rescue teams had recovered from the space battle and wreckage. All of them were sullen and uncommunicative; most had been injured in various ways during the battle. They were fortunate to have survived at all.
The ships also carried copies of the raw intel his people had gathered from the wreckage. He'd sent back as much of the computer wreckage as possible. Hopefully someone in intel in Antigua could tease more tidbits out than his people could.
The returning ships to Pyrax carried Lieutenant Meia with them. Meia was not happy about leaving her command but had no choice. Admiral White was not happy about losing her and her leadership in the fighter squadrons. But Admiral Irons’ orders had been strict. The young woman was to be transferred to a new wing working up in Antigua.
The courier took 3.5 weeks to get to Kathy's World, transiting the 11.5 light years in the high octaves of delta band. When they exited hyper, they transmitted their message to the inner system and the waiting ships and then prepared to do a turnaround.
They received a confirmation of their transmission as well a status update a half hour before departure. The Veraxin lieutenant junior grade wanted to inquire more about the news, especially about the bit about the recent battle in the star system, but his orders were clear. He returned his ship to Protodon 7.2 weeks after her initial departure.
“What do you mean they had a battle?” Admiral White demanded.
“Just what I'm saying, sir. The convoy transmitted a SITREP and prepared ETA. Apparently they ran into a pair of destroyers in the star system when they arrived. The escort fought them off.”
“And that's it?”
“You can read the report for yourself, Admiral.”
“A bit short on details,” the admiral said, shaking his head. “But no casualties.”
“No, sir. Not among the convoy. But they did lose a corvette and a frigate was damaged.”
“So damaged she is remaining behind in Kathy's World. Damn it.”
“I feel for her crew, sir. They are trapped there. We're the cork in the bottle, but if we get pulled ….”
“They will be stuck with no way out. Yes, I know. So we have to be careful we don't get yanked out, which means we need more ships,” the admiral said. He waved the tablet to Jojo to get her attention.
“Yes, sir?”
“Transmit this SITREP and our daily report to Antigua command. Flag the news about the battle in Kathy's World for Admiral Irons to read. I'll jot out an email as well.”
“Aye aye, sir,” she replied, making a note of his orders. “Will there be anything else?”
“Apparently not.” Amadeus replied with a sour expression. Up until the convoy had arrived, the marines on the ground had been holding their three fire bases. But General Busche was good; she knew she had numbers on her side. She had used guerrilla tactics to attrition the marines, hitting them with snipers or IEDs until they stopped performing patrols outside the support zone around the firebases. They were down to five short squads of marines and seven squads of volunteer militia. Nearly half of the units were walking wounded. The militia was equipped with borrowed weapons or hunting rifles.
That was expected to change with the arrival of the most recent convoy. Unfortunately Captain White Wolf had her own ideas on what forces were needed in Protodon. She had transmitted her intentions of sending in a mixed force. A mixed force of trained marines and volunteer militia from Kathy's World to thicken up their force. The bulk of her forces would remain in her star system to be trained and transported to Agnosta. They didn't have any mecha or support equipment however and had minimum weapons and training.
“What were they thinking?” Amadeus demanded. Jojo looked at him blankly. He waved a hand. “I mean this. They are expecting that force to … to take the planet? If a platoon of marines with mech support and orbital support couldn't …,” he shook his head in disgust.
“I understand Gunnery Sergeant McClintock is in the force, sir. He's a force to be reckoned with in his own right,” the lieutenant replied, checking her tablet again. She'd recognized his name as the senior noncom in the convoy. He was also the senior noncom in the star system. “Or he will be when he gets here,” she said with a grimace.
“McClintock? One man?”
“A Neo actually, sir. Neocat. Panther, black jaguar. He's Marine Recon, sir. A good one. He was in the initial expeditionary force to Agnosta a while back. He's from F Platoon, sir.” When the admiral stared at her, she shrugged.
“F platoon is already a legend, sir. They are total bad asses. They were trained by some hard-ass DI Neodoberman named Schultz and kept training. They aced their graduation exercises. Hell week," she said eying him. He nodded. "Many of them are in Recon or Raiders. Most are noncoms or officers now. Captain Valenko was their platoon leader in boot. Valenko's squad, where McClintock came from, was known as the devil incarnate to the marines. They couldn't be beat, even when his squad was up against a battalion." The Admiral looked at her dubiously. She nodded, cold sober. "You can check the records, sir. They are that good. They don't have an ounce of quit in them, sir.”
“Ah,” the admiral murmured thoughtfully. Why didn't he have some then he wondered. Did he and not know it?
“I saw the gunny briefly. He's a black cat, a damn scary one, sir. A black jaguar. He's got some wicked armor he used in the battle of Antigua and then in the mop up of B101a1.” Jojo shrugged. “That was after his stint as a drill instructor at the Agnosta boot camp.”
“I was going to ask why he was out here,” the admiral said, nodding. “That explains it. He's on what, some sort of recruiting mission?”
“I guess so, sir. You can check with higher,” she suggested.
“Thanks, I'll do that,” Amadeus replied. He called up the gunny's record and noted his decorations and history. There were classified portions to the Neopanther's bio as well, some that made him even more curious.
---<>---<>---
“Jethro? Are you asking about Jethro or Bast?” Admiral Irons asked when Amadeus called him the following morning.
“Bast, sir?” Amadeus asked, now lost.
“Bast is Jethro's AI.”
Amadeus frowned. He had someone with a personal AI in his AO? They were being underutilized then! Why did the marines have him? He pulled up the gunny's record and looked at it once more. “Sir? That's not in his record," he said slowly. He noted someone had recently uploaded a change in dependents. Apparently the Gunnery Sergeant had recently married in Kathy's World without clearing it with navy administration. The file said he had cleared it with his superior officer however.
“Sir? That's not in his record,” he repeated when John didn't reply.
“That's because it's classified,” Sprite stated in a separate text line. “Hint, hint,” she sent to Admiral Irons.
“Point. But he needs to know. I'm clearing him,” the admiral stated for her benefit. “Amadeus, this is classified for your eyes and ears only. Jethro McClintock is a descendant of Tobias McClintock. Tobias was a cadre member and a member of the Black Cats.”
Amadeus read that statement, read it again, and then made an O face. It finally
all fit. He didn't know a lot about Cadre, but he knew enough to be impressed. He'd heard of the Black Cats too. They were legends even before the Xeno war.
“Bast is his AI and the AI of his suit, which is also from Tobias. Both are classified. I'm not going to go into details; you wouldn't understand it all anyway. And we don't have the bandwidth. But suffice to say, he's a one-cat army.”
“I see, sir.” Amadeus nodded thoughtfully. That explained why Valenko's squad had been so feared.
“Good. Use him wisely. He has a security issue as well. Recently we found out that certain criminal elements still exist. They have put a hit out on him. Make sure he gets the proper security he needs while he is in your AO. He will not be there for long.”
“So I better get as much use out of him as I can. Understood, sir.”
“Give him his head and he'll blow the opposition away. Literally. He's damn good.”
“Yes, sir. The marines and civilians on the ground could use the support.
“They'll get it.”
“Yes, sir. Protodon clear.”
“Antigua clear.”
---<>---<>---
Eight weeks after the courier went to Kathy's World to whistle up help, the small marine convoy arrived in the star system. The frigate Farragut transmitted their IFF as well as an update on his ship's status. The Veraxin First Lieutenant C'lax was her skipper. He seemed grateful to see TF 22. “We still have some damage, sir. And we had to leave Rose behind,” he stated in a whisker laser to the flagship. “I thought Lieutenant JG Truex had abandoned us when he took off. But his attack on the enemy's shipping with Tweedle Dee made the destroyers back off. It was one of two factors that saved us, sir. I wish to commend the lieutenant and withdraw my demand for his court-martial.”