by Chris Hechtl
“Lieutenant Nobeki has them on it sir,” Proteus reported.
“Good. Make sure once they crust the exterior that they get to work on hollowing out the interior and then rig the exteriors with shields, communications, sensors, point defense, and linear drivers.”
“Aye aye, sir,” Proteus stated as two ship captains approached. The admiral turned and smiled to them as they came to attention.
"Enjoying the promotion, Captain Sampson?"
"To first lieutenant, sir? Or the hot seat on Xavier?"
"Both." Sprite had reminded him that the lieutenant should have been promoted to first lieutenant. He'd wanted to see how well Joey had handled the hot seat on his own, if he'd crack under the pressure. So far so good, so he'd signed off on the promotion.
"I didn't think I'd get it so soon," Joey admitted. Naomi smiled slightly. "But I'll do my best sir."
"Good."
"You'll do fine, Joey. Remember what you were taught," Naomi told him.
"Aye aye, captain," Joey replied. Her eyes twinkled back at him.
The admiral snorted at their byplay. He saw his inbox climb again with more mail and paperwork. He wuffled slightly in annoyance.
“What the hell are they supposed to be, sir?” Captain Sampson asked indicating the rock behind the admiral. “A mining project? I thought the ships were supposed to go in the slips?”
The admiral turned to study the work going on behind him. Tugs and mechs were already swarming the rock, pulling the bag off for reuse while others started mapping the surface in greater detail. They had to use the two largest slips available, the one Prime had built for Kiev 221 as well as the slightly smaller slip the Yard Dogs had built recently.
“Orbital fort. Or at least a temporary one. Something to give you a little back up,” the admiral said.
“Yeah well, I was feeling a little bare ass out there,” Joey snorted. “That thing seriously supposed to move?” He shook his head.
The admiral shrugged. “We'll tow it. It'll take weeks to cross the system, yes we know that. But she'll have a lot of firepower. Eventually,” he admitted. He didn't want to get into the nitty gritty details about how eventually it would be. For now it would be a long time before the fortresses had weapons and proper shields.
“Better have. She's big enough. I think I'll hide behind her if the shit hits the fan,” Joey quipped.
“Right. She can also serve as a carrier too.”
“Ah,” Captain Samuel said, nodding in sudden understanding. “Now I'm starting to like it. I bet Lieutenant Carnique and Meia will like it too eventually. You know all the effort going into this thing you could make a corvette or something. Two of them though. Impressive,” she said nodding again. “Don't they already have a rock on station at some of the jump points?”
“There will be more. Eventually a lot more. But these will be ongoing projects. Carrier wings, capital ship weapons ... the works.”
“Shit,” Joey replied, eyes wide. “Freakin awesome then sir.”
“Yeah, it will be … if we get it done. When I should say. Clausewitz and all, ask me for anything but time.”
“Yes sir.”
...*...*...*...*...
“Admiral, Miss O'Neill is coming up behind you,” Defender warned. “She is unarmed though.”
“I know. Now zip it,” he growled, still moving to her door. He knew she wanted to surprise him, so he didn't ruin it for her.
“Hey sailor, seen any good hookers around to clean your pipes?” April asked wickedly as he raised his hand to knock at her door. He turned and then caught her with an arm around her waist. She laughed as he spun her about, then the laughing was smothered by kissing.
She palmed the door open with her implants, slapping at the door controls a few times until she got it right. “You better eat boy. I have plans for you,” she teased, pulling him into her suite.
“Better make it quick then,” he said. “I'm bushed.”
“So bushed you don't have time for me?” She asked with a wicked leer.
“Now I didn't say that,” he said.
She insisted on a pasta and salad dinner. They made small talk as they sat across from one another on the floor. She sat Indian style, making sure he got a good view down the silk robe she'd changed into. From her smiles he knew that she knew that he knew that she was teasing him.
It was a lovely evening, a simulated fire crackled on her wall screen, the lights were dimmed ... nice. She'd planned it he thought with approval. They made small talk, occasionally laughing during the light conversation. It felt good to unwind again. That led to a brief clean up, some horseplay, which led to the bedroom and passionate sex with April.
He woke with her in his arms hours later. She was lovely, nubile, and very naked under the sheet. Dried sweat was on her body. “A guy could get used to this,” he murmured as he felt her tracing her fingers over the skin on his chest. He brushed the hair away from her eyes and then kissed her forehead.
“You needed to eat. And to get sleep. I bet your steward was worried,” she murmured.
“Cookie? Yeah. I've been pretty busy,” he said guiltily. “I did try to warn her what she was in for but ...” he shook his head. She nodded, nuzzling up to him as his arm wrapped around her naked torso.
“You are more like a proper admiral. More and more every day,” she said in approval, playing her fingertip over his body. “My admiral,” she said silkily.
“And look at you. Not just a network news anchor, but also the head of the branch office?” he asked. “What is your title, president?” he asked with a smile.
She returned the smile. “Something like that,” she purred, stretching. He was pretty sure she wanted him to see and feel her cat like moves. “I figured if Knox could do it, I could to. And here I am,” she said with another lurking smile.
“Yup, here you are,” he said, tracing his hands over her silky curves.
“Stop that! Naughty boy,” she teased, batting his hands away. “Besides, your hands are cold,” she scolded.
“Well, I suppose I could warm them up,” he said mischievously, dropping them down to her tummy.
“Oh, so don't go there,” she said, fending him off with a chuckle. “So, what are you planning next? I mean the shipyard then what? Go back to Pyrax?” she asked. “Go back and forth between them? That seems sort of wasteful,” she said.
John immediately realized the trap he was in. Pillow talk with April was dangerous, it could be innocent, but it was also a time honored way for one person to get information from another who had just let their guard down in their most intimate of moments. The desire to share with her warred with his caution. It was hard to censor himself.
He started to open his mouth but was interrupted.
“Admiral, don’t. Keep your answers vague. If necessary lie or change the subject,” Defender warned him.
“Damn it ...”
“Talking to yourself again, John?” she asked in amusement. His attention returned to her.
“My alter egos. Or in this case the staff,” he said. “I don't want to talk though,” he murmured.
“Then let's not,” April said, voice dropping into a husky whisper as she climbed on top of him. They were forehead to forehead, her hair made for an interesting net around them. She kissed him on the tip of his nose, then put a finger to his lips as she slowly moved to the right side of his face with her mouth. “No more talking. It is time for doing,” she said in his ear, then nipped at it.
“Oh really,” he said as he turned to retaliate. Her giggle was the tonic he needed to dust the concerns away for the moment. Her shriek of laughter as his fingers caught her exposed flanks made him feel on top of the universe.
...*...*...*...*...
He had a quick but playful breakfast in the morning with April. The fruit was a bit messy but fun to eat and play with. She made a show of licking her lips and fingers, knowing how it would get to him. April was amused when a mech delivered a garment bag with
a clean coverall. “I guess people know where you are,” she teased.
“Of course. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” she said with a grin. They took a shower together, which led to some more gentle love making. “Damn. Can't the universe go away for a couple months so we can have fun?”
“A couple of months?” he asked as he held her.
“Oh shut up,” she chuckled. He dried her off, or tried to. She occasionally had to slap his naughty hands or give him a coy smile of encouragement. That led to more horseplay as they got dressed.
“Down boy. Remember, duty before pleasure,” she teased. “Save it for later,” she growled, kissing him again.
The kiss led to another play fight, this time over kissing. “Gods of space I don't want to stop. You are too much,” he said, breathing in her ear. But she broke it off when she realized the time and had to rush out or be late for work. “I can't set a bad example. Nor should you. See you ...”
“Not tonight,” he said, shaking his head. She pouted. “Okay, I'll try, but no promises,” he warned, shaking his head. “I may do another marathon to catch up,” he said.
“You'd better not. You'd better save that for me!” She said.
“Like you could keep up with me,” he teased.
“I may be able to now! We won't know until the weekend now will we?” She challenged with a hint of teeth in her tone. He chuckled. She smacked his flank then danced out of his reach with a wicked grin. He pretended to lunge for her but she kept out of reach leering at him. “You always after things out of your reach, John?”
“Only the things worth catching,” he growled playfully back. “... and when I catch you, I'm going to ...”
“What?” She demanded, grinning. She stuck her tongue out at him then giggled as he missed a lunge at her.
“You'll see,” he said as she got to the door and out of reach.
“Maybe. If you can catch me first!” She said as her parting shot as she took off. He snorted and followed her out. Only the scent of her perfume lingered to tell him she had been there.
“Is the schedule in ruins?”
“No, I made some adjustments. But you'll have to hustle if you are going to catch the shuttle to Carnegie. You need to hit there, then Remora, then the industrial plants, then back here by noon. Better hop to it, Admiral,” Sprite warned.
“Okay. You can brief me on today's schedule and what I missed on the shuttle flight over,” he said as he moved out.
“Admiral, you are playing a dangerous game with that woman,” Defender stated.
“I know,” the admiral replied after a long moment. “And I know she was asking a lot of leading questions and distracting me. Quite thoroughly. If she is willing to offer her services, I'm willing to take them.”
“I ... so you are not against the idea that she is compromised?”
“Let's just say I am keeping an open mind.”
“Then why continue the relationship?”
“Ever hear the expression, 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer?'”
“I have indeed, Admiral. It is still dangerous.”
“I think between us we can handle her.”
“I mean to your reputation and your career, Admiral,” the AI replied just as the admiral got to the boat bay and waiting shuttle. He passed through security, nodding to a few people he vaguely recognized, flashed his implant ID, then boarded the shuttle ramp.
...*...*...*...*...
To everyone's surprise, ten days after the fleet arrived in orbit a courier from Pyrax arrived at the Triang jump point. She was a yacht they had picked up in Pyrax during the battle there. At one point she had been some sort of racing yacht. The admiral had rebuilt her with an eye to using her as a dispatch boat, but at the time they hadn't had anywhere for her to go so she'd been mothballed with several other ships.
The exhausted crew were elated by their performance. They had managed to cross the five star systems in 21.4 weeks in the seventh octave of delta band. They'd even skimmed the solar systems in between, a dangerous stunt but one that had worked. It was a remarkable achievement for them, but the admiral knew they were just getting started. It was also too slow, they definitely needed the ansible network to keep up with communications.
Even though the courier had left behind Xavier's convoy she carried news of her schedule as well as that of a pleasant warning that Fuentes was escorting her own convoy and they weren't too far behind. Irons had the ship quickly serviced and took the time from his schedule to give it a thorough overhaul.
While he did that the weary crew took a much deserved three day leave in the casinos in Antigua Prime. They were comped for the entire time and were treated like royalty.
When they returned to duty, refreshed and elated, though a little poorer, they were then sent back to Pyrax with new orders and news updates from the admiral. One of the orders was critical, he wanted Logan to begin staging hull sections and material through Agnosta. Hopefully the courier would get the ball rolling quicker on that end. Coordinating it all would be a pain, he thought. They had to get that ansible up.
He'd been tempted to send it along in the courier but knew it would not have worked. The ansible was too vulnerable to shock damage. One good jolt or interference from a grav emitter or magnet could make the trip a waste. Since the courier would now hit the Epsilon band, he was pretty sure they'd run into some turbulence on the way home. No, he had to stick to his plan to send her out in a dedicated ship that had been built to shelter the precious payload.
Sprite filtered the news from Pyrax for him, highlighting section for him to read further while fading out parts he already knew about. A few things jumped out right away.
Horatio had a lot of suggestions from his staff that he had sent along in the dispatch boat's memory banks. One of them was a munition ship that would travel from Pyrax under escort. That would cut down on that requirement in Antigua, John thought, though it would be vulnerable in transit and it would make them dependent on an outside source. It would have to be more than one ship though, which meant a proper convoy. The munitions it would carry would be missile body and weapon components, things Horatio could replicate on his end. Irons could do something about the warheads on this end he thought. He decided to consider the idea carefully.
Horatio reported that Prometheus and her escorts had left for their southern loop but had yet to report back in. The admiral nodded. He was pleased to see the new frigate design he'd sent along had been put into production so quickly. He wasn't so happy about the Horseshoe crab's name however. Apparently Horatio was slipping, he'd named the vessel Descartes. There was no way, no way at all he would tolerate that. Most likely someone meant to name it after the ancient Greek philosopher, but they should have looked up the name in other histories too. There was no way in hell he'd immortalize that damn hacker ever, even if it was unintentional. He banged out a note to have the ship's name changed the moment she returned to Pyrax.
“As soon as we can, we're going to send out a convoy to Pyrax. They will be doing the same on their end. Horatio has the four freighters we mothballed back into service and will snag Destiny or one of the other freighters making regular runs to Agnosta or Gaston to thicken them up.”
“Hopefully he sends along a better escort this time,” Sprite said dryly.
“Yes, definitely.” He grimaced. He'd sent along a warning with the report from Xavier. That had been a close call. Unfortunately the courier wouldn't arrive in time to warn Horatio and would most likely pass Fuentes by. That was something he was forced to accept. But the next convoy had to have more protection.
The courier hadn't noticed any traffic while she had made her sprint to Antigua. Nor had she stripped the chain of recon satellites he'd left behind either. She'd been in too much of a hurry. He could understand that.
“Are you still planning the convoy, Admiral?” Sprite asked.
“Yes. I am simplifying it since we don't know what is south of us in B-450
a,” he said.
“Agreed,” Sprite said. “That means you can double up on escorts then,” she said. He nodded.
He had planned on having two convoys once he had settled in to the system and built up her defenses, splitting the freighters between them. One had been planned to go back to Triang, drop gear off, then on to Agnosta and then Pyrax for a turn around. The other he had considered had been planned to go to Epsilon Triangula.
After the experience in Triang he'd determined that the convoys would need heavy escort protection, two tin cans and at least one-two other escorts.
There was a problem with the Convoy 2 to ET however. “You're worried about an enemy fleet in the area,” Sprite said.
“Definitely. Aren't you? We know the pirates are in the Centennial area. That freighter we caught confirmed it.” He grimaced as she nodded. “That meant ET could have been invaded and the entire area could be dangerous. We'd be sending them not only into the unknown, but into the highly likelihood that they would be ambushed and intercepted. No,” he said gruffly. “Not going to happen.”
“Understood,” Sprite said carefully.
He briefly wondered about Firefly's safety. He shook his head. Renee and Firefly could look after themselves. According to what they had captured on that freighter they'd done well against that Cutlass.
“No, we can't send them south. And I don't think we can send them as soon as I'd like,” he said with a grimace.
“Why not?”
“Because this means we will have to overhaul the defenses in this system,” the admiral said, tapping the reference to Firefly meaningfully. “Even though Firefly did her job there are other ships in that area. Which means I can't leave that jump point defenseless.”
“Which means we have to shift priorities,” Sprite said with a sigh of understanding. “Gotcha.”
“Exactly,” he replied with a thin smile. “And that means the building schedules and logistic plans we worked on so hard coming here are going to have to be revised.”
“We should have thought of this after Triang,” Sprite said, sounding annoyed.
“We. Yes definitely. But we didn't. At least we caught it now. Now we have to deal with it,” the admiral said.