'You're saying we shouldn't worry?'
'No point. Things are as they are. Just decide how much you want anyone else to know before talking.'
L'Tan had been leaning on the desk as she'd read his note. She straightened and nodded slightly, then went to the bed to sit down.
"T'Mar, I could use a nap. I'm still feeling the injuries or the surgery; I don't know which and I'm not really in the mood to talk right now."
"You're probably still feeling both. Let's get you fed and put to bed. Want me to bring you some dinner, or would you rather see the mess hall?"
L'Tan tossed her notebook on the table and said, "Let's go."
T'Mar gathered up the few small pages of notepaper and ripped them up before he stepped into the bathroom. After he'd flushed the paper bits, they headed for the dining hall.
As they entered the dining hall, someone proclaimed, "Captain on deck!" and everyone stood generally at attention.
L'Tan waved at the room as a whole and said, "As you were," then turned to the man who'd spoken and asked, "I met you when I came aboard. You're T'Bes, aren't you? How's the food?"
Being remembered by name made the man grin as he said, "Good, ma'am. Best in the fleet, I'd say."
L'Tan nodded and said, "Well, I guess we won't have to space the cooks, then. Carry on, T'Bes. I'm only here for a quiet dinner."
"Yes, ma'am."
T'Bes joined some people at a table while L'Tan and T'Mar headed for the food line and grabbed trays.
"Damn," muttered L'Tan. "Forgot what it was like to be the newbie on board. I can practically feel their eyes on me."
"Some are staring at the new good-looking woman, and not necessarily the new Captain, ma'am. I know that for a fact. Been there. Done it."
"Uh, huh. Whichever. I'm still being stared at."
"Well, you won't be the new Captain long, but you'll still be the good-looking woman and you'll still get plenty of notice. May as well learn to live with it."
L'Tan chuckled. "I'll manage, I guess. Question, sir; any regrets about teaming up with me?"
With a slight grin, T'Mar said, "None yet, ma'am. So far you're the best CO I've ever had."
"You're sure? Things could get pretty complicated soon."
"Yes, I'm sure, and yes, they will. I'll even guarantee it."
Some moments of silence went by before she said, "I'm not sure I'm up to the job, T'Mar. A starship is one thing..."
"And a different herd of people with different immediate needs is no big deal. Just be everything for everyone at all times and you'll be fine."
L'Tan's involuntary bark of laughter startled those at the nearest tables.
"Everything for everyone at all times? Should be a snap, right?"
"Well, maybe not quite that easy. Just do your best. Delegate as much as possible, but know the people you use as delegates and don't be afraid to spy on them. We don't need petty tyrants."
"Okay, smart guy; how would you handle delegating this kind of authority?"
T'Mar grinned. "No problem. You're going to be dealing with inexperienced and largely untrained people at most levels. Create teams of three with one in charge of each team at every level. Any of the three per team can authorize necessities within his or her scope. If one dies, the other two can hold things together until a replacement is found. Regular and stringent inspections and reasonably public records. Just pick the best people you can find for the key positions and let them all learn as they go."
L'Tan sighed. "You're still making this sound easy. We're talking about one hell of a lot of key people in the chains."
T'Mar sighed back at her and said, "So what's new about that? The number of workers changes, so the number of chiefs changes to match. Choose carefully at the top, as usual. You've done it before and done it well or you wouldn't have commanded a damned thing before now."
The tone of his remark took L'Tan aback for a moment.
"I don't think I liked your tone, T'Mar."
"I didn't think you would; that's why I used it. Stiffen up, lady. If I didn't think you were the best choice for the job, I'd have said something on the shuttle. Besides, you have me to prod you if you need it."
L'Tan's eyes opened slightly wider even as her brows furrowed.
"Prod me...? Was that some kind of innuendo?"
"I don't bother with innuendo, and you know it. I'm talking about times like these, ma'am. Times when the job seems too goddamned big or the people too uncooperative. Times when you need to be reminded that you're bigger than the job at hand."
"I see," she said with a glare. "If you think I'm going to need prodding, why didn't you toss your own damned hat in the ring, T'Mar? You seem to think you can manage me, so why not just do the job yourself?"
T'Mar had finished his meal. He shoved his tray away and turned to face her.
"It wasn't offered to me, and I'd be one of those 'shut up and do it' types in no time, L'Tan. I don't want anyone like me running this show. I want you."
"I can be a 'shut up and do it' type, too. You've seen me that way."
"We were under fire and evacuating people at the time. You command when it's necessary. I'd slip into a command mode and remain there. You won't."
"You're so sure of that? I wasn't too popular around the Consulate."
T'Mar grinned and said, "Keeping your head on straight will be the other half of my job. Tell you what, L'Tan... This is just you and me, here, so I'm going to say something and then I'm closing this discussion unless you order me to continue. Your old crew aboard the Alliance would cheerfully have you back as their Captain instantly, including her present Captain. He might look for another ship, but only after making sure you were comfortable and well established, and with no animosity toward you. That kind of loyalty doesn't come easily. It takes time and trust. Run what's left of the Confederation the same way you ran your ship and things will take care of themselves."
With that, he picked up his tray and took it to the deposit bin, dropped it in, and returned to the table. L'Tan said nothing as he sat down, but her gaze was sharp. Some moments passed before she smiled slightly and resumed eating.
The number of confidential, coded communications between L'Tan and T'Bar over the next two days created a stir of curiosity among the bridge crew. The complete and abrupt cessation of those communications on the morning of the third day, only a few hours prior to arrival, created even more curiosity.
As soon as she closed the last secure comm link with T'Bar, L'Tan called a morning conference of her bridge personnel and went to meet with them in the ready room. Her opening remarks were brief.
"I've called you here," she said, "To tell you that the Council wants to disband most of the fleet and other military branches."
She paused to let that sink in, then said, "But Admiral T'Bar and others feel that the Council is acting prematurely. We are therefore acting against the Council in this matter, but this will not be a military coup."
She went on to explain the gist of the plan and the purposes and reasoning involved and then suggested that everyone take a few minutes to consider whether they'd be able to cooperate with the effort.
"If you can't go along with us, now is the time to say so. Nothing will happen to anyone who wants out. You won't be put out of the military, but you will be reassigned to one of the essential support services. I'll be in my quarters until we dock. You have until then to make your own decision to stay or go."
After giving them another moment to absorb matters, L'Tan said, "The rest of the ship's company will be offered the same decision tomorrow. I don't want anyone on my ship who can't accept this situation. Dismissed."
In the course of the day, only two officers showed up to ask to be excluded. Both seemed highly nervous as they stood by L'Tan's door after signing out.
"I told you nothing would happen to you," said L'Tan. "I don't even need your reasons. Relax. All I want is a completely supportive crew. Have your things ready to go when we dock. You'll be re
assigned in a day or two. In the meantime, you'll be quartered at the station. Dismissed."
The young officer blurted, "Ma'am, we just..."
L'Tan raised a hand and smilingly shook her head.
"Just have your gear ready when we dock and do your best wherever you're reassigned. A lot of people will be depending on you."
When the two men had left the apartment, L'Tan said, "I do take it personally, of course. Just a little. I can't help it."
T'Mar said, "I'm surprised more of them didn't bail out."
She turned to stare at him.
"Oh, really?"
"Oh, really. This isn't your old crew, L'Tan. Even if it were, there'd still likely be a few who'd want to be somewhere else. Want a back rub before we dock?"
L'Tan shook her head slightly and asked, "A what? Now? You're serious?"
"Why not? We have some time, and it might help you relax."
"Someone else might show up."
"Then you can get dressed before I answer the door."
She shook her head again and grinned.
"You just want to get your hands on me. We'll wait until tonight."
Chapter Twenty-four
L'Tan's inauguration ceremony -- a simple presentation of the "coup", as some predictably called it -- lasted no longer than a standard shipboard meal break. Accompanied by L'Mir, T'Mar, T'bar, and half a dozen cadre personnel, she made an appearance before the Council and was officially installed in her new position. The event was publicly broadcast to the farthest reaches of the old Confederacy, just to make sure that everyone, including the pirates, were made aware.
There was considerable initial resistance to the emergency measures, including an explosion only a few months later which destroyed the entire building which housed L'Tan's offices. What truly startled everyone was the fact that the flitter-bomb had not been an assassination attempt.
The bomber had used a delayed self-destruct code in an overly-used military flitter that had been scheduled for refueling, resulting in a relatively tiny antimatter explosion. Radiation had been minimal and severely localized, which was in keeping with the warning the bomber had transmitted the day before.
His warning had said, in part, that the blast would prove that he was serious and that the danger to the new "dictator" was real, but that he intended that no innocents should be harmed by his actions.
T'Bar and others wanted to see L'Tan safely esconced aboard her ship immediately, supposedly out of reach of further attempts on her life. L'Tan's response was to have T'Mar and L'Mir arrange a public broadcast, in which she rather briefly refused to leave the office or leave the city until all essential public services had been restored in all population centers.
"When no one goes hungry for lack of supply deliveries," she said, "When no one has to burn their furniture to keep warm. When no one has to boil the water before drinking it. I'll step down the very day when not even one of our citizens has to do without basic necessities. That's when I'll leave office, so if you want me to step down, you'll have to work together to make it possible."
The remainder of the broadcast was turned over to L'Mir's team, who added commentary on the state of the Confederacy and made suggestions about how to facilitate the ongoing effort to restore order.
As L'Tan and T'Mar left the podium, someone from T'Bar's staff chuckled and asked L'Tan if anyone was really having to burn furniture to keep warm. L'Tan's answer was not at all humorous. She fixed the questioner with a flat gaze and let him sweat for a few moments before replying.
"Without a doubt," she said. "Someone still not in the loop or at the far end of the supply lines is undoubtedly having a very difficult time of things. We're still discovering small groups of people who were unaffected by the plague. What saved them was their isolation, but it could be what ends up killing them, too."
"Uh, yes, ma'am," said the taken-aback staffer. "It just seemed to be such an extreme example. I wondered if anyone would believe it."
L'Tan said, "At the moment, they'll rightly believe that any conceivable hardship is possible. Is there anything else?"
The staffer had become severely uncomfortable, but he managed, "Uh, yes, ma'am, actually, there is. Would it help in any way to publicize it when we find people in outlying regions? I mean, do you think it might reassure people that we're doing all we can to help?"
L'Tan glanced at T'Mar, then back at the staffer.
"You mean we aren't already heavily publicizing such things? Isn't there some kind of daily bulletin going out?"
"Well, yes, ma'am, there is, but it mainly concerns..."
L'Tan interrupted him. "I want a separate bulletin that has only to do with people. Who has been found alive, where they were found, when found, and current status. Complete listings that family and friends can use immediately. The first edition goes out tonight, so put some people on it. Don't list the dead. List only those who survived. Be sure to call it a preliminary list, not an official posting."
"Uhm, may I ask why we shouldn't list the dead, ma'am?"
L'Tan rolled her eyes and looked heavenward as if for assistance.
"Because," she said with a tired sigh, "For one thing, the lists will be vastly shorter and you may even stand a chance of getting them done before broadcast time. For another, there are always errors on lists of any kind. Misinformation is worse than no information. Get with L'Mir about it."
As they again headed toward the elevators, T'Bar joined them.
"I don't have time to discuss it at the moment," he said, "But I'd still rather see you aboard ship."
"And I'd still rather stay here," said L'Tan. "Besides, T'Bar, someone knew how to override codes in a military vehicle. A starship is full of military vehicles. It's also worth more to reconstruction efforts than an old office building. Someone got past security that's supposed to be as tight as it gets. If he can do it here, we have to assume that he can do it on a ship."
T'Bar looked hard at her for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I think you'd be harder to reach on a ship."
"Harder to reach in many respects," said L'Tan. "We'd be adding another level of bureaucracy at a time when we really need less."
T'Bar glanced at T'Mar as if to see where he stood on the matter.
"I'm with L'Tan on this, Admiral. To kill her down here, they'll have to sacrifice people. They've demonstrated an unwillingness to do that."
"That could change, T'Mar."
"Revolutionaries need popular support, Admiral. L'Tan has done nothing but organize and deliver assistance and she hasn't been a tyrant. Times are hard for everybody and those suffering the most were the first to receive assistance. Many have joined our efforts in only these last few weeks. While some people may object to the manner of her ascent to power, I doubt that more than a very few of them would be willing to be sacrificed in an effort to get rid of her. If that bomb had killed an office building full of people, you'd probably be seeing angry mobs looking for revolutionaries."
"I'm not convinced, T'Mar."
"Nor are you willing to be convinced, Admiral. That's good, really. It means that someone competent will be watching our backs in case we're wrong, doesn't it?"
Admiral T'Bar's hard gaze didn't soften noticeably as he said, "That it does."
L'Tan reached to touch T'Bar's arm and said, "You could be right, T'Bar. Someone could decide that the greater good would be served by another bombing, even if a few hundred innocent people died with me. But without knowing who tampered with the flitter or how he managed to get past security, we have to assume that he could get aboard a ship, too."
T'Bar said nothing for some moments, then, "We'll discuss this later."
As he walked away, L'Tan said, "I think he's more than a little unhappy that we aren't taking his advice."
"Could be we will take his advice later," said T'Mar. "But I want to know more about the bombing before we do."
L'Tan fixed him with an odd look and said, "Explain that remark. I've known T'Bar
since he was a ship's captain, T'Mar."
T'Mar looked around at the busy office and said, "Later and elsewhere, L'Tan. Privately."
"No. Now," said L'Tan. "In my quarters. I think I really want to hear this."
"Okay, now, but not in this building, L'Tan. Not in any building. Let's take a ride in a flitter. We'll find a spot for a quiet talk. Want to go for a swim?"
For a moment, L'Tan simply met his gaze, then she said, "Fine. A swim."
As their flitter lifted a few minutes later, it was accompanied by three other flitters that carried L'Tan's personal guard team. T'Mar set a southerly course and put the flitter on autopilot, then turned to L'Tan.
"Before you ask, we're going to a lake I saw on one of the recreational vids."
She nodded toward one of the flitters that had taken a position on their left and said, "We won't exactly be alone, T'Mar."
"Not a problem. We'll be in the water and there's a small rock ledge and a waterfall by the fountain. Want a drink? I do."
While he was below the edge of the flitter's canopy as he reached into the cooler, he turned up the collar of his shirt and showed her a tiny dot that didn't quite match the surrounding color.
"That depends," said L'Tan. "Let me see what's available."
As she leaned forward for a closer look, he put a finger to his lips as he moved the drink containers in the cooler. She made no comment as she examined the dot, then straightened in her seat.
As if deferring to his choice from the cooler, she said, "I guess I'll have one of those, too."
"I thought you might," said T'Mar, opening a drink and handing it to her.
"They're going to wonder what we're up to, T'Mar."
"Let them. It won't be hard to figure out. You've been slaving away for almost a month, L'Tan. I've barely had any time alone with you off duty. They can spare us for an afternoon, I think."
L'Tan smiled and said, "Oh, you poor little thing. Feeling lonely?"
"Very lonely, miLady. Enough so to whisk you away for an afternoon."
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