The Riss Enemies: Book VI (The Riss Series 6)
Page 11
"What do they look like?" several asked, looking around like we had them hanging somewhere.
"Doctor Dayton?" I said before anyone could add more questions.
She joined the group and tapped on her SID. A life-sized hologram appeared. "They look much like evolved ants." She rotated the image three hundred sixty degrees before continuing. "Based on my early examination, I would say they can lift weights ten times their body mass and can run forty kilometers per hour."
"No wonder the natives couldn't escape," Admiral Iwata said barely loud enough to hear. "Hard to fight one-on-one, impossible in large numbers."
"True, even without the shell covering their upper torso," Dayton said.
Bradshaw continued into the pause. "When we neared the Mother ship, we found a twelve kilometer long cylinder with a three kilometer diameter." He had to stop as the SAS group stood and walked off several steps and huddled, the UFN group exchanged whispered comments, and the Riss-humans sat communicating telepathically.
I rose and fetched a cup of kaffa, with Terril following.
Bradshaw continued. "There were hundreds of large combat shuttles coming and going to and from the planet and the Mother ship like a production line."
"Providing supplies for the Mother ship. Nomads don't have time to create factories to produce the materials to build cruisers, so they must scavenge for them—space stations, destroyed ships, and materials on an inhabited planet," Zhu said as if thinking out loud.
"That was our conclusion, as well as deploying additional troops," Bradshaw said. "It appeared the Ecitoni had over half the planet engaged. I estimate they could finish within a month."
I stood for attention and to quiet the side conversations. "Captain Ja'Sai visited Sparrow’s Nest." I nodded to Ja'Sai.
"The object—what I thought a Mother ship—measured the same as what Captain Bradshaw reported as having broken off from the Mother ship in Port Lost. But it couldn't have been, since the one at Sparrow’s Nest had been there for several weeks, based both on when the planet went dark and on the activity we observed. I estimate the Ecitoni had forty percent of the planet under attack and could finish within two months," Ja'Sai said, trying not to gag at the thought.
"That's eighty million people!" Plimson said, his face a mask of pain. "And that's a mini-Mother ship."
I stood again and everyone quieted. "Cerberus-3 went to Earthol, as based on Commander Iglis’s conjecture, it could be next. Captain Katlin?"
"I think the piece that broke off the Mother ship in Port Lost found its way to Earthol, because seven days after I arrived, a mini-Mother ship appeared. After following the hundreds of combat ships and Lights that left the mini-Mother ship, I believe the Lights were directing the combat ships—one Light for every ten combat shuttles. They picked out the sites to attack and stayed in the area to provide support—"
"Cowards!" Gleason shouted as he bolted to his feet. "You watched as millions of SAS men, women, and children were…eaten alive. You make me sick."
"Admiral Gleason, had they tried to engage the Ecitoni, they would have been destroyed, and we wouldn't have the information they gathered," I said, ignoring his remark given the circumstances.
"And what good is it? You still need to engage them, and the longer you wait, the more SAS citizens will be butchered. Yorke was right." He spun on his heel and headed for the elevator.
Terril sent four Kraits after him. "I apologize, Leader Reese. He's understandably upset. We all are. I suggest we adjourn for today."
"You can't blame him. More and more of the Riss captains are raiders, as are her private security," Wattson said to Plimson but loud enough for me and Pavao to hear. "I'm not saying the Riss are cowards, they aren't…but Reese is slow to help."
"I wish I had a Thalia to ease my frustration," Zhu said, coming to stand next to me. "What do you think will happen?"
"Knowing the SAS, all options are on the table. It depends on which faction wins."
"Admiral Plimson is in charge," he said, but it sounded more like a question than a statement.
"True, but the SAS navy is composed of admirals and captains who think the military is a democracy. It's not, but they know the Council will support any action against the Riss because I forced Martial Law on them. And with SAS planets being exterminated, people are afraid and near panic. So a coup is not out of the question," I said, feeling alarm at the thought.
Zhu gave a slight nod. "Stupid scared…which is likely to produce an illogical response, especially when there is no strong tradition."
"That's my concern. If something happens, please stay neutral. We can't afford to lose any ships. I will keep a tight beam connection with the Dynasty in case you have questions." I hoped it was unnecessary with Plimson in command, but better prepared than not.
"Thank you, Nadya. I hope this time you do not see into the future." He gave me a small bow and departed with several Kraits following.
I clicked on my SID and connected to the Bridge.
**Leader,** r-Galene's box said.
"Get me a tight beam connection to all Riss ships in system."
While I waited, I waved to the five captains who had attended the meeting and were still on level three. Soon the faces of the remaining five appeared on my SID.
"Meeting on the Mnemosyne in one hour. Effective immediately, all Riss cruisers are to load on the Helm's board a one second skip away from the SAS and UFN ships and assign one person to monitor the SAS ships. In the event of a missile release, execute the skip and set up a tight beam link to the Mnemosyne." When each had acknowledged my orders, I continued. "See you in one hour."
"That sounds like trouble," Terril said as we made our way to my office.
"Gleason worries me. He wants to do the wrong thing for the right reasons."
"Right reason and wrong thing?" Terril frowned. "I don't understand."
"He wants to prevent any more SAS people from dying by engaging the Ecitoni in force—with all three nations' fleets."
"That could work. We have over three hundred and fifty cruisers."
"Could is a problem. Gleason and others see it as a given they will win or die trying—heroes versus cowards. If they win, they will save tens of millions of lives; however, if they lose or draw with the Mother ship on Port Lost, they will condemn hundreds of millions to death because the Ecitoni are also on Earthol and Sparrow’s Nest."
* * *
"Why are we watching the SAS fleets?" Bradshaw asked, looking around the assembled Riss-humans. "Plimson wouldn't attack the Riss, and Wattson, Gebauer, and Gleason are loyal to him."
"Because they're scared," Da'Maass interjected to agreeing nods.
"So am I," Bradshaw admitted with a sheepish grin.
"We all are, Sean," Pavao said. "But we will follow our Leader's direction. She will hear any concerns we have, but she will make the final decision and we will follow, trusting she is the right person to lead the Riss and us. The SAS captains and senior personnel feel they have the right to act independently if they disagree with those leading them."
"Nadya thinks Gleason might decide to take independent action and wants to be ready. That's why she will never lose the position of Leader," Sheva said.
"Enough. What do we know today that we didn't know yesterday about the Ecitoni?" I said to get the meeting back on track.
"They are Noma
ds," Bradshaw said while giving me an appraising look—seeing me as a commander not a woman and lover, "who must forage for their materials and food."
"That means the Mother ship has a factory to process the materials they salvage during their raids," Elissa said.
"And millions of…ants to feed," Jaelle said.
"And millions of babies, judging by the way they discard their dead," Pavao said.
"And when the Mother ship gets…overpopulated, they create another colony," Katlin said.
"Hundreds of combat shuttles which have missiles and lasers…" I looked to Bradshaw.
"At least eight hundred shuttles and eighty Light cruisers."
"The Ants are many times stronger and faster than humans."
"And what don't we know?" I asked, smiling at the satisfied looks on many faces.
"The real numbers: population, shuttles, and Lights," Sheva said. "Of the Mother and the mini-Mother ships."
"The rate of fire of the shuttles and Lights or their ECM or their missiles," Da'Maass said.
"The defensive systems on the Mother ships," Ja'Sai said.
"Or if they have fighters, and if so, their weapons, speed, and numbers," Katlin said.
"And," I stood, signaling an end to the meeting. "Are other Ecitoni Mother ships on their way here?"
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Hayjar - Agreeing on a strategy
Everyone was early for the meeting the next day and settled down quickly. Most selected only a drink from the tables, indicating they had been up for some time and already eaten.
Gleason was the first to speak. "I don't think we have any time to waste. The Ecitoni have already invaded four systems and killed millions of people. Every day we delay, millions more die and more planets become infested with the bugs. I suggest we take all seven fleets and the Riss and attack the Mother ship at Port Lost. Then move on to Sparrow’s Nest and Earthol."
When he finished, he glared at Plimson and then me. He and Plimson had obviously not agreed on his all-or-nothing strategy, and he had decided I was to blame. Ironically, he was right. I didn't like all-or-nothing solutions. They were meant for heroes and assumed you would win. JPU Admirals Saladar, Neifeh, Haddad, and Bishara had favored that approach, and it had directly contributed to their eventual defeat. The strategy usually worked when you had the overwhelming force, but even when it did, it resulted in an excessive loss of ships and lives.
Zhu spoke, breaking into my thoughts.
"I understand your concern, Admiral Gleason. The Ecitoni are in SAS space and potentially moving toward Eden. If it works, we prevent the loss of any more systems and civilian lives; however, if it doesn't work, we lose all three empires. The problem I see is that we don't have enough information to know if we can win."
"We know they are mindless bugs—" Gleason shouted.
"Neifeh, Haddad, Bishara, and Yorke thought the Riss were animals and cowards," Zhu said with a hint of amusement.
"If it hadn't been for the Ecitoni…" Gleason stopped, realizing he was on dangerous ground.
"If it hadn't been for Leader Reese warning us about the Ecitoni, Yorke would have committed First and Second fleets and lost both. We would have been left with Home Fleet to fight the Ecitoni," Plimson said, shaking his head. "Yorke didn't understand his opponent. Unlike Yorke, Leader Reese doesn't hate her opponent—in her case, the SAS; otherwise, she would have destroyed Second Fleet and let us face the Ecitoni with our two remaining fleets. By then, the Riss and the UFN would have had good Intel on the Ecitoni and worked together to defeat them."
"I agree, Admiral Plimson," Zhu said. "Reese sees the future. Without her and the Riss, we might have defeated the Robot-like Aliens but they would have weakened our navies, allowing the JPU to crush both our empires."
"Well, Reese, I agree with Admiral Zhu. What do you propose?" Plimson asked.
"We need more information," I managed to say, my mind a jumble of conflicting thoughts, and I cringed at what I knew must be done.
"We must engage the Ecitoni," Wattson said, echoing my thoughts. "Like we did with the Robot Aliens."
"What would you suggest?" I asked before he could turn the question on me, which he was prone to do. His mouth opened but said nothing for several seconds. He smiled, realizing I understood his original intention—to ask me what I would do and maybe Zhu afterward.
"Last time, we felt reasonably certain we would only encounter a few of the Aliens' Light cruisers. The object was to test the quality of our various cruiser types against the Aliens' Lights. So we sent an overwhelming force to ensure we would survive to report the results. This time, we would have to send our entire force—as Admiral Gleason has suggested—to have a reasonable chance of winning. The problem—as Leader Reese points out—is we could lose. Of course, we could win and gain an insight into the Ecitoni's strengths and weaknesses but have insufficient forces left to stop the other two…smaller colonies." He took a sip of water as he awaited comments, ignoring that he had sidestepped the question—what would he do?
"We could win with sufficient forces to take on the other two. We have an obligation to save our empires or die trying," Gleason said, banging on the table with his fist holding his drink with a force that overturned the cup.
"I agree with you, Admiral Gleason. We have an obligation to protect our people and to give our lives in their defense. Just as our governments have a responsibility to provide the military with sufficient resources to protect its citizens. I'd say both our governments failed that responsibility. If they had maintained our original six fleets or even five, I would agree with your approach and send in several fleets to test the Ecitoni. But with the way things stand, our governments have to rely on us to do our best to protect all our citizens—and our best would not be an all-or-nothing solution to save the government's home world." Zhu's voice was soft and without emotion. He closed his eyes for several seconds.
Before he could continue, Gleason shouted.
"Damn right. You would want to do the same if it were…Daiyu." He glared at Zhu.
"You are right, Admiral Gleason. I would feel the same about Daiyu as you do about Eden. But we must either agree to act as a unified force seeking to stop the Ecitoni or separate into nations seeking to save our capitals. If the later, I would suggest the SAS attack the Ecitoni, since they are in SAS space. But let's not forget, the Ecitoni are a space-traveling nation, therefore, intelligent. They have cruisers, missiles, lasers, and a Mother ship that houses millions of lives,"
"You're like the Riss—cowards." Gleason rose, leaning on the conference room table to glare at Zhu.
Plimson held up his hand. "Enough, Gleason. I will not risk the entire SAS empire on the chance that our one hundred fifty cruisers can defeat the Ecitoni's Mother ship with over eight hundred cruisers and survive with sufficient forces to take on two more colonies. Especially not when we have friends who are willing to help. We need to test the Ecitoni, not gamble on an all-or-nothing solution against an unknown enemy."
"With an unknown number of colonies," I added to wide-eyed looks.
Zhu clapped his hands.
"Like with the Aliens: we only know what we can see. There could be more coming."
"I think…" I paused, hating the thought with every fiber of my body.
could feel her sympathy.
"The only cruisers capable of testing the Ecitoni with a reasonable chance of surviving are the Cerberuses."
"What are you going to accomplish with those toy ships—sneak up on a couple of their combat ships, destroy them, and then run and hide? We need a real test, with men who aren't afraid of being hurt." Gleason's face flushed with anger. His stony stare went from me to Plimson. "Don't give me that look, Albert. You owe her, I don't!" He rose and left with his security man and four Kraits following.
"Leader Reese, I apologize to you and the Riss—"
"No need, Admiral Plimson. He's rightly concerned about the slaughter of SAS citizens and wants a quick solution. He may be right. Our combined force may win against the Ecitoni who are here," I conceded, feeling somewhat guilty. Freeland was a long way from the present Ecitoni invasion, which might be influencing my cautious approach. "I didn't come here to lead, and I'm willing to participate in any strategy you and Zhu agree on."
"I believe the three of us can agree on a combined strategy," Zhu's tone was soft but somehow commanded attention. "The UFN will follow me because I have the support of Emperor Okuda. The Riss will follow Leader Reese because they trust her. The question is whether the SAS will follow their appointed leader."
"The problem is that the SAS Council was forced by Leader Reese to declare Martial Law and to appoint Admiral Plimson," Wattson said. I could feel his mixed emotions. He respected Plimson but was torn between the overwhelming force and the collecting more information approaches.
"Does that mean the military is not subject to the SAS Council's decisions?" Zhu asked.
Wattson didn't respond for a long time.
"It's a complex issue…"
"No, it is not. Either you are a nation of laws that can be trusted, or you are not." Zhu gave an almost imperceptible shrug. His three admirals gave a sharp nod of agreement.