by Chris Burton
“Hi, Jonathan, can we meet up? I want to discuss some more detailed battle plans. With extraction of the radiation now taking place, we need to move things on again.”
“Sure. I will be right over.” Hoskins mind was not on the job, he needed to focus. But he could not get his mind clear of Obeya. Were they really doing the right thing for her?
Hoskins continued to think about Obeya as his shuttle left the Accura for the short journey to the Viceroy. It was only when the shuttle touched down in the Admiral’s hanger bay, that he forced himself to put thoughts of Obeya to one side.
Admiral Martin was standing by the viewing window of his state room when Hoskins arrived.
“Ah Jonathan. Thanks for joining me. Tea?”
“Yes, please, William. You said you wanted to advance our plan of action?”
“Yes…but before we start, I just wanted to add my own support for Obeya. I think bringing her to the Accura was the right thing to do. I know I have in the past criticized your relationship with Obeya; but I have long since realized she is important to you. I wish her well.”
Hoskins was touched. When Admiral Martin was his ground based staff CO, every discussion on new missions, tours, etcetera were tainted by the Admiral’s insistence that his long term relationship should end. A close family friend, William Martin, attended the wedding of Sarah and Jonathan Hoskins and had long been a supporter of Jonathan’s estranged wife, particularly now they had a son. This was definitely a change of direction. A shame it came about following a major injury to her.
“Okay…let’s do a quick refresh on where we are. How long before the extraction process is complete?”
“About four weeks. They are behind schedule as each extraction is taking longer than anticipated. As you can imagine there is a long list of safety protocols which followed. In four weeks all the charges will have been deployed to the appropriate vessels. We plan to commence our journey to Earth within forty-eight hours of completion.”
“Including the two extra days at the end, a delay of over ten days on our original plans. If we assume the Malchian cruiser is indeed heading back to Earth, these delays could be critical. I suggest we look at moving the fleet out on the day extraction finishes.”
“Unfortunately it is not that easy. We need to ensure the charges are in lock down before we engage high velocity. I think thirty-six hours would be our minimum turnaround after you have added in fleet cohesion diagnostics etcetera. I would rather not cut corners on this. We should start as we mean to go on and then go for it.”
Hoskins was keen to move the subject on. He was the junior partner in the command hierarchy, but he still needed to show his cards. He was not going to lead an assault on the Kryl Empire with an ill planned rushed start.
Admiral Martin saw his stance was antagonizing his colleague. “Okay. We will leave it for now. The main fleet will depart at roughly the same time and will rendezvous with you at the first comms station. We will then move together to the edge of solar system where we will split again and prepare for battle. Have we finalized the make up of your fleet?”
“We were still discussing whether I should take the Accura. I have spoken to Commander Jacques and he is happy for me to use the Halo 7 as the Command Ship. The Accura would slow us up and she would play no active part in the delivery of our charges.”
“Fine. If you are happy with that. I will use the Accura to lead, with the Viceroy bringing up the rear.”
“That’s okay for formation flying, but in battle the Kryl will target both Starships from the outset and we could loose both. I would bury both within the fleet and use your smaller battle ships to front. Also, prepare to split the fleet. The Kryl may well split theirs and try to flank us—simple, but effective. The Kryl commanders know what they are doing. Apologies for jumping in, but I guess I am here for Kryl battle strategy.”
“You are here because you and Admiral Shenke nearly pulled off a victory over the Kryl against the odds. In the absence of Shenke, you are the man for the job and I value your input and will defer to your better judgment.”
“Do we know where Shenke is?”
“When he commanded the remaining fleet to retreat he disappeared. No one has heard from him?”
“Yet we have the Viceroy?”
“Yes, a bit of a mystery. One minute he was on the bridge and the next he was gone. The consensus is he exited the ship via a pressurized exit at high velocity…a nasty way to go, but he must have covered his tracks.”
“He killed himself?”
“Just a theory, without anything to back it up. I hope it’s wrong, but if he felt responsible for the losses. Anyway, let’s move on.”
The two Admirals talked for a further twenty minutes before the meeting broke up and Hoskins returned to his shuttle for the short trip back to the Accura.
It won’t be long, he thought, before I have to leave the Accura again.
Next time it will be a high powered Admiralty Shuttle, taking me to the Rymanian Abyss, where I will join the Halo 7. It was crazy that he would head away from the Starship shortly after Obeya arrived. He only hoped the cryogenic reversal and the anticipated operation would be successful and he saw something of his beloved Obeya as he knew her before he left her again.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Another List
This is what he tried to avoid at all costs. They were less than a month away from the next HSL due date and it looked likely the next list would have to be populated. To make matters worse, Safrec had just sent a communiqué advising that one hundred and fifty million people were required for Kryl processing on this occasion. This would go down like a lead balloon. There was no need to panic just yet. He certainly had a week or so before this information need get out; but in the meantime he needed to get the media on his side. He did not want a repeat of last time, when about three weeks before the list was due to be populated, the mainstream press gave wall to wall coverage. He needed to speak to the chief editors and try to curtail their coverage—at least for a while.
Kate Jones entered the president’s office and immediately regretted her timing. She had known Thomas Roslyn for a long time and could tell instantly when he was in a bad mood.
“What do you want?”
“Sorry, Tom. You wanted me to let you know when Carla Stevenson arrived.”
“She is here?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Send her straight in.”
Carla entered as President Roslyn opened the double doors to the orangery stemming from the western wing of the huge presidential office. Carla walked straight through and joined Roslyn at a suite of wicker chairs with a glass coffee table between them. The Orangery was used sparingly at this time of year as the climate controls struggled behind the vast swathe of glass that surrounded it. But today it was cooler and Thomas Roslyn was looking for a change of environment.
“Take a seat Carla. I presume Kate is seeing to refreshments.”
“Yes, thanks Mister President.”
“I think we agreed you were going to call me Thomas.”
“It seems rather informal, sir. You are the President.”
“Yes, and sometimes I wish I was not. How is the Queen?”
Roslyn opted to continue his more personal stance. He was not coming onto her now. He found it helped people to relax in front of him.
“She seems brighter in herself, but there is a tinge of something. Anxiety, or maybe impending doom, I can’t put my finger on it, but something is bothering her.”
“So, are you saying she is not ill…she does not have the disease?”
“She is still not at her best. I don’t know I would just be speculating. Something is up?”
“I suspect she is worried about her people. I have just had a demand from Safrec to increase the numbers on the next HSL l
ist to one hundred and fifty million.”
“That is appalling.”
“Quite. All the more reason for you to continue to communicate with her. You need to find out why the increase is required and mitigate the difficulties that we will have trying to achieve this.”
“She knows how difficult it is and she constantly stresses that they have no choice…but I will reinforce your point. How are you going to explain to the world that the Kryl need fifty percent more human sacrifices this time?”
“I don’t know Carla…but I am fearful that we will not be able to fulfill this quota. I had hoped something would have happened by now.”
“The Alpha offensive?”
“Yes…they should be here soon.”
“Please don’t tell me. I want to know but I don’t need to know and it will just make any probing questions more difficult to avoid.”
Roslyn understood her stance and he knew he should not have been speaking to her about such things, but Carla was an integral part of the diplomatic effort to secure the Earth/Kryl agreement and ultimately now, with her relationship with the Queen, she was absolutely critical to the whole process.
“That’s fine Carla. I understand. Let’s move on. Has there been any further mention of Safrec or Sorgan?”
“No, but I know that Safrec has been to see her. I will try to broach the subject when I see her next.”
President Roslyn and Carla Stevenson talked for a further ten minutes, before the meeting closed and Carla left Roslyn’s office. His chief aide, Kate Jones joined him moments later.
“Your private shuttle is ready Thomas. I have cancelled meetings with the Environment minister and the Exchequer. You have had an enquiry from the chairman of the party. He wanted to meet for lunch to discuss your support for his presidential candidacy. I have told him, this will have to wait for at least a week.”
“Could well be longer Kate…probably much longer. I don’t know how he thinks I can concern myself with who the next president may or may not be. Right now I could not care less. Did you reschedule the meeting with the Exchequer?”
“Yes. Next week and the environment, in ten days time. Do you want me to accompany you to Lugano?”
“No thanks, Kate. This is one just for me. Tell the ground crew, I shall be with them shortly.”
* * * *
Thomas Roslyn expertly guided his small private shuttle craft onto the grounds of his Swiss Lake side villa. He touched down on the grass and swiftly exited, while the shuttle powered down. A small cloaking field operated as he departed the shuttle and the vessel disappeared into nothingness. He was on his own. This was the way he preferred it, when he was due to meet someone away from prying eyes.
Thirty minutes later his visitor arrived at the boathouse via a small motor launch. Roslyn saw him coming and had prepared some coffee. He sat expectantly at a cast iron table on the patio. He already carried out his own security sweep; no longer trusting the security droids which Alpha provided and for which months before, there security had breached and the content of his conversations were broadcast around the world in minutes. This place was safe and secure, but only if others did not know he was here.
His guest was familiar with the walk from the lake, having done it before. He joined Roslyn on the patio and took a seat and poured himself a coffee before he spoke.
“I must say. It is wonderful to breathe this Lakeland air once again. Air as you can imagine has been rather stale for a while.”
Roslyn laughed. The air here was infinitely better than where his guest had been.
“It is good to see you, Admiral. Your presence has been missed at the top table, but it is good to see your team have been busy and that matters are seemingly progressing.”
“Yes, they are. I am pleased to advise matters are progressing well.”
“Do you have a date Thomas.?” Roslyn was slightly hesitant with the last word. Having the same forename as his guest always seemed rather strange with both holding the highest office in their respective fields.
“A few more weeks of extracting and then the lead fleet will commence their journey back to us. They are all fast and capable vessels, they should be with us within two months.”
Roslyn frowned. This was disappointing, but as expected. He tried not to show it.
“That is good news. Unfortunately, they will be too late for the next HSL batch. To make matters worse, much worse; Safrec just told us to increase the next batch to one hundred and fifty million. I hope you can tell me that our ground forces are ready, because there is no way our people will tolerate that.”
Koenig looked exasperated, but his expression turned into a smile.
“Then let them revolt. Alpha is ready if that is what it takes. How long before the next list is published?”
“Twenty-seven days. By the time we reach thirty, the Earth/Kryl Agreement will be a worthless piece of paper. How many ground troops can we muster?”
“Across the globe and including droid forces, about two million, with artillery, air and naval support. It is not enough, of course and if the Kryl start playing around with our electronics, then it will be localized ground troops with no ground, air or sea support. It could be yet another massacre…but a slow burning one and supported of course by the masses. Why the increase in the list by fifty percent? That suggests an increase in illness.”
Roslyn paused before replying, a low flying shuttle craft passed within a few hundred meters as it hovered close to the lake on its final approach to its landing pad on the lake side promenade of Lugano. A curious spectacle and a reminder that amongst the breathtaking scenery and the calm and splendor of the lakes and mountains, this was the twenty-third century.
“We have not been told, but yes the consensus is increased illness and my sources are confirming this. Are we able to activate any Alpha forces beyond Earth, other than the contingency fleet?”
“No. They have us completely tied down. We can’t even launch one cruiser. We do have Jump Ships though. SAD (Strategic Earth Defense) still has over twelve hundred Rapiers and a few hundred Hunters. There are some Sabres too, but most of them went with the fleet. Our intelligence suggests only the higher ranking Kryl castes are able to impact on our electronic components. Be that as it may, anything in close proximity to Earth may be at risk from their assuming control.”
“Could you launch a Jump Ship attack on one of your ports and release battle cruisers that way?”
“Yes. It is a question of timing and creating the necessary diversions to deploy crew and equipment. Many of the ships have been mothballed. We could launch some and it is within our plans.”
It had better be, thought Roslyn. He was convinced that the whole agreement would unravel when the HSL list was distributed. The public outcry will be huge. There will be riots, political and media hysteria and eventually he would have no choice but to suspend the lists. Then the agreement would fail and the Kryl armies would come marching in. Probably best if he did not let on.
“It seems like you have it covered. I think we will have to keep close in the next few weeks, while obviously preserving our secrecy. I will ensure you are up to date.”
“Thanks Thomas. I will do the same.
As the meeting broke up, both leaders knew that the fragile agreement between Earth and the Kryl was dead and the next time they met, Earth would most likely be at war.
Chapter Fifty
A Position of Power
Safrec waited patiently for the Queen to join him. Three weeks had passed since their last meeting and the Kronan was eager to please his Queen again.
Today she is making me wait. Why? I am the chosen one?
The Queen entered from the side door, which lead from her private chambers. She was dressed in a red satin dress. If color expressed the mood of the conversation; it was clear she
was seeking to dominate and Safrec instantly regretted choosing today to see his Queen. She looked strong again, purposeful, dangerous and unrelenting.
“Approach the throne Safrec.”
He tried to show his confidence when he stepped forward, but the Queen already recognized his reticence.”You lack confidence today, Safrec. Why?”
He elected to side step the question
“You look radiant today my Queen and it is good to see your health has returned. Can I assume that this is not entirely down to me?”
“I am still dying Safrec; if that is what you mean. But not for a long time and today we have much to discuss. We will dispense with any suggestion that your relationship with me has changed. I will remind you that our coming together was a one off.”
She waited as Safrec shuffled uncomfortably before looking at the Queen directly
“As I have said before, Trieste…I hope in time you will recognize me in a different way.”
He stepped forward as he spoke and offered a hand of friendship.
“For now, I agree we must discuss the deterioration in our numbers. This is the worst escalation of the disease in a generation.”
The Queen looked angry and Safrec took a step back. Today was not a day to foster their relationship.
“Do not overstep your position, Safrec. You will continue to address me as my Queen. You are not my “chosen one” and you will not refer to me in such personal terms. You hardly need remind me of the escalation of the disease. For now, that is not what we must discuss. Walk with me.”
The Queen and the Kronan walked side-by-side towards the far side of the huge sanctuary. Safrec had rarely ventured this far into the Queen’s lair. A reminder of just how much power she had; the sanctuary and the Queen’s chambers covered the whole deck.
“I have heard from Sorgan, whose ship returns to us, having located the missing Alpha fleet.”
Safrec immediately jumped to attention. If they had found the fleet, he could end this insurrection once and for all. He would then deal with Sorgan before he returned to Trieste to take his prize.