* * *
"This is very disturbing news," Arthur Strauss, the chairman of the Raider Lower Council said to longtime councilmember Bentley Blosworth at a regularly scheduled meeting. "You're saying that after we gave a complete laboratory analysis of Dakinium to the Uthlaro, free of charge, in order for them to duplicate and manufacture the material for us, they're selling the formula to everyone who can meet their price?"
"Not a formula to produce Dakinium," Blosworth said calmly, "just the laboratory analysis we sent. It appears that they've been unable to reproduce Dakinium and are hoping that one of the purchasers of the analysis will develop a formula and then share it with the Uthlaro, at which time the Uthlaro will return the fifty trillion credits paid for the analysis."
"It doesn't matter that it's not the actual formula," Strauss snapped. "We gave them that analysis and now they're profiting from it. We could have sold the laboratory report ourselves. We didn't need them for that. And you've said that they've also offered to sell the formula, once it's developed, to any interested parties for a hundred trillion credits."
"Yes, that's perhaps the most disturbing part. It's one thing to seek help with the development but another to sell something that results from what we sent as part of our deal."
"Our deal required them to manufacture Dakinium exclusively for us."
"And they say they will honor those terms. But they also say that the agreement doesn't specifically preclude them from selling the formula to others so Dakinium can be manufactured by other parties who are not operating under the manufacturing exclusivity agreement. And we can't exactly take them to court to prove our case."
"Damn all Uthlaro businessmen. You can't trust any of them." Strauss leaned back in his chair and appeared to be studying the ceiling as he thought. Suddenly he sat back up and said to no one in particular, "What do you think Admiral Carver would do if she learned that the Uthlaro were selling an analysis of Dakinium to all interested parties?"
"She'd probably do what she should have done initially—" Councilmember Erika Overgaard said, "return to Uthlarigasset and blast them back to their stone age, as she almost did to the Milori home world."
"Yes," Strauss said. "What a delightful thought."
"But what about the warships the Uthlaro are building for us?" Councilmember Frederick Kelleher asked. "We're depending on getting those ships by the promised delivery dates. We need them to continue our efforts against the Aguspod."
"Those ships are being built a thousand light-years from Uthlarigasset, just outside GA Space in unclaimed territory. Space Command won't venture there and I doubt they have any idea what's going on out there anyway. The foundry and shipyard will continue production regardless of what happens on Uthlarigasset. Besides, once their home world is destroyed, the shipyard will be all the workers have, and they'll blame the destruction on Carver. The question now is: how do we alert Carver in a way that she'll believe the information is credible and take action? If Ravenau were still alive, I'd have her send a vidMail. Carver would have believed her in an instant."
* * *
The subject in the message that appeared in Jenetta's message queue was simply marked 'Vertap.' The sender name and date was scrambled. Jenetta walked to her safe and removed the box of data rings she kept there. Pushing the rings around with her finger until she found the silver one with the delicate filigree decoration, she lifted it out, then returned the box to the safe and closed the door. Once back at her desk, she touched the ring to the small, flexible spindle on the keyboard, then leaned in towards the monitor to provide the required retinal scan. When the sender name and date unscrambled, she took her seat and pressed the play button.
"Greetings, Admiral Carver," the image of the Hudeerac Minister of Intelligence said. "It was so nice to hear from you again. Thank you for inquiring after my king's health. I'm delighted to inform you that all is well here. In fact, it's better than it has been in decades. The leadership King Jamolendre has displayed since the Milori first attacked the GA has fostered greater support from the nobility than any king has enjoyed in thousands of annuals. The nobles who tried to usurp his throne by pushing us into war during that terrible time are in such disgrace that they fear to show their faces in the capital. We've worked to restore the structure of government on the planets the Milori had occupied, and the kingdom is once again united. We owe you much and are happy to share any intelligence data we have for our mutual benefit.
"With regard to your questions, I can offer only a small amount. We know the Ruwalchu adopted an extremely aggressive posture approximately an annual ago. They have been building new warships and expanding their military at an unprecedented rate, but we haven't been able to ascertain their future intentions.
"It's confusing because they've always been a benign neighbor who, by our evaluation, only wished to live in peace. Their technology was advanced enough to ensure that Maxxiloth, aware that he probably couldn't win a war, didn't attack them as he revived his grandfather's delusions of manifest destiny. At best, a conflict might have ended in a draw, so Maxxiloth was wise enough to wait until he was stronger before deciding if he should attack them.
"To learn recently that the Ruwalchu seem to be on a war footing has been distressing. There's speculation that they may fear a neighbor, but we know little of neighbors who might border their territory on the side away from the one we share with them.
"The Uthlaro are quite another story. After you defeated them and annexed their territory, they became much more secretive within their top ranks. Our contacts have not been able to penetrate the new inner circles. The story we hear is that they so fear your promises of punishment for sedition that information regarding their future plans is limited to a select few.
"We do know that the planetary government has recruited tens of thousands of workers and sent them somewhere, but we haven't been able to find out where. The talk is that they've been sent off-world to a place where they could build a base that would allow them to prepare for a future war with the GA. We assume that means it's outside GA space since more than half the space bordering your Region Three is still unclaimed. They can work there, free from worry that you'll happen across them. Even if you do, you have no authority to stop them or even question them. They might even establish a new nation and claim the territory. That would give them very real sovereign rights under Galactic Alliance law. You would not be able to enter their territory without permission unless you first declared war, and you would have no justification for making such a declaration. I'm tempted to state that it's an interesting dilemma, but I don't wish to minimize the danger in any way. It's a situation you must both be aware of and prepared for.
"Finally, there's speculation that the Ruwalchu and Uthlaro are working together. We know that the Uthlaro Intelligence Service has been in close contact with the Ruwalchu Intelligence Service since you defeated the Uthlaro, but we haven't been able to examine any of their communications. Some of my people even believe that Ruwalchu is making preparations to go to war with the Galactic Alliance.
"I would welcome any updated information you secure, and I wish you well."
"Minister Vertap Aloyandro, end of message."
Jenetta leaned back in her chair to stare at the ceiling while she thought. The SC databases contained no images of Ruwalchu warships and just a basic description of the nation's primary population. Until Transverse Wave Travel was discovered, speeds beyond Light-450 were considered impossible with current technology, and no one ever really expected the GA to have contact with such a distant neighbor. But now that the GA bordered directly on Ruwalchu space, the Confederacy might be fearful that the GA was casting jealous eyes on their territory. Since the GA knew nothing about the Ruwalchu, it made sense that the Ruwalchu knew nothing about the GA. If their only information about the GA was coming from the Uthlaro, that information was sure to be tainted. Jenetta wished she'd originally asked Vertap for images of Ruwalchu warship designs.
"We
ll, that's easily correctable," she said aloud, and she leaned forward to prepare a new message. "Too bad it takes a minimum of six weeks to hear back."
* * *
Chapter Ten
~ June 12th, 2286 ~
"I've got news," Admiral Poole said to Jenetta via the vid call to her office in the palace. "Little of it good."
Jenetta sighed lightly. She'd had too much bad news lately. She could use some good news for a change, but it was in short supply these days. "I've never known bad news to improve with age. Tell me, Augustus."
"We've found the Salado. Its condition is similar to the Yenisei. All aboard were killed in the conflict. Worse, we lost crewmembers aboard the Gambia and Vistula when the unknown enemy showed up."
"What? How could that happen? We issued orders not to engage."
"The captain of the Yukon reports that their search group found the Salado. SC Engineers and Marines from the Gambia went aboard to search the interior for survivors and to download the ship's logs while engineers from the Vistula were investigating the exterior so they could produce a report about the hull damage. The Yukon then took up a circling picket defense three billion kilometers out.
"When the enemy showed up, there wasn't time for the Gambia and Vistula to get their people back aboard, so their captains ordered them to occupy undamaged life pods in the Salado, use the stasis beds, and maintain radio silence.
"Even without recovering their people, the Gambia and Vistula didn't have enough time to build their envelopes, so the Yukon tried to distract the enemy ships to give the others a little more time. It had to keep an adequate distance from the enemy ships and never dropped its envelope to fire torpedoes, but it came to a halt and fired its laser arrays. The ruse worked and delayed the enemy's approach enough that the other two ships were able to complete their envelopes before the enemy ships got within range to fire their missiles. So we've only lost the people who ducked into the Salado, or were there already. If they all made it to intact life pods, and if the enemy didn't return to further destroy the ship, they may be able to recover them. We don't know. The captain of the Yukon reports that they would have stayed and fought if Standing Orders hadn't called for them to evacuate the area immediately."
"I'm glad they didn't try to be heroic and sacrifice their ships and crews needlessly."
"I get the impression they were incredibly upset about leaving comrades to die, and that's completely understandable. I sent a message applauding their adherence to orders and tried to make them feel better by congratulating them for taking exactly the right action to save their ships and the rest of their crews. It probably won't make them feel any better right now, but eventually they'll understand it was absolutely necessary."
"I think we all understand how they feel, but as you say, they took the correct action. What's the good news?"
"The Yukon was able to get high-resolution images of the enemy ships when they faked their attack and the enemy ships came to a stop, dropped their envelopes, and fired their missiles. The Yukon was also receiving a copy of the Salado's log as it was being downloaded to the Gambia, as well as all of the images being sent by the Gambia and Vistula Marines and Engineers. The information burst is still coming in, and then Keith will get his people working on it. A full report should be ready for the Board's session tomorrow."
"Wonderful. I look forward to that session. Thanks, Augustus."
"See you tomorrow, Jen."
* * *
"Keith tells me that his people have spent all night working on the data stream from the Yukon," Jenetta said after opening the Board meeting the next morning, "so let's jump right in. Show us what you have, Keith."
"The battle between the Salado and the enemy ships went pretty much like the battle between the Yenisei and the enemy, so let's move directly to the high-resolution images taken by the Yukon during its brief skirmish." Admiral Keith Kanes nodded to the clerk at the console and an image of the enemy ship appeared on the full wall monitor behind Jenetta.
Everyone in the room turned their chairs to face the image as Kanes walked to the wall.
"Computer, Kanes presentation fourteen, first stage."
An arrow pointing to a part of the enemy ship lit up on the image.
"As you can see, those bubbles we saw previously are actually segmented protective domes that cover missile-launching platforms mounted around all exterior surfaces of the ships. When retracted, the launchers are exposed and the enemy can fire hundreds of missiles at the same instant from each platform. Computer, next stage."
A new image appeared that showed a missile platform with the dome cover retracted.
"We're estimating that each ship can fire up to a hundred missiles from each platform before they have to close the dome to rearm, and there are a total of about two hundred of these small platforms located around the full circumference of each ship from bow to stern."
"Good Lord," Admiral Poole said. "Each ship can fire twenty thousand of those small missiles without reloading?"
"That's what we're estimating," Kanes said as he returned to his chair.
"Is there anything else, Keith?" Jenetta asked.
"We have the logs of the battle, and the reports and images from the people who boarded the Salado, but there wasn't anything new so I didn't think you'd want to go over it here. It's available through the computer system to anyone with the proper clearance, or authorized personnel can view it in the holo-theater downstairs."
"I'll view it later in my office unless anyone on the Board wants to view it now."
Jenetta looked around the table at the other admirals. One by one they all shook their heads.
"The high-res images were enlightening," Jenetta said. "I'm surer than ever that we must avoid a confrontation with these attackers until we have a plan for defeating them."
"How can we defend against an enemy that can assault us with sixty thousand missiles before they have to reload," Admiral Poole said, "and where their tiny missiles can destroy Dakinium?"
"I don't know, Augustus," Jenetta said. "The Winston should arrive here in two weeks with the Yenisei in her hold. Our weapons research people and engineers are waiting anxiously to begin examining him. Perhaps they'll find something or figure out something that will give us an edge, or at least a fighting chance. Okay, let's proceed with regular business."
* * *
The Winston arrived at Quesann right on schedule. Since the base had no shipbuilding facilities or enclosed repair docks, the enormous transport would serve as the dock for the people performing the investigation and analysis work. It meant that the workers wouldn't have to wear EVA suits or even carry oxygen, and the lack of gravity in the hold facilitated movement. Visitor's quarters aboard ship would make commuting to the base or another ship unnecessary.
Jenetta and the other admirals were the first to view the damaged Yenisei when the Winston arrived. The transport had barely established orbit around the planet before a shuttle carrying the R2HQ Board members entered one of its shuttle bays. As soon as the greeting formalities were completed, the prestigious party was escorted to the hold.
Bodies of the Yenisei crewmembers had been collected at the battle site and stored in refrigerated compartments in the Winston. Medical personnel would perform an autopsy on every cadaver to verify the cause of death.
Outside the entrance to the hold, each of the admirals was provided with a radiation suit, a small propulsion backpack, and magnetic boots. Then the Winston's captain took the party on an inspection tour of the hull damage. It seemed even more horrific than the transmitted images had indicated. The hull had the look of a derelict ship hundreds of years old, despite having been built less than a year before the attack. All of the officers had seen blast damage from explosive weapons and laser arrays, but the damage to the Yenisei seemed to have been caused by heat. The edges of the holes were smooth like melted plastic rather than jagged metal. This evidence confirmed what had already been suspected. Tiny warheads on the en
emy missiles could not be responsible for the damage to the ship. So just what had evacuated the atmosphere, destroyed bulkheads and decks, and killed the crew?
* * *
Two weeks later, the admirals met not in the R2HQ Admiralty Hall but in a conference room in the Governor's Palace. The only officers not of flag rank were Captain Barbara DeWitt and each admiral's senior aide.
"You said you have a preliminary report, Barbara?" Jenetta asked.
"Yes, Admiral. I'm sure you've surmised much of what we've learned from your own observations, but I wanted to announce what we've confirmed. The holes in the hull are not owed to explosive force. Prior to our examination of the hull material, and relying solely on the transmitted images, we thought the loss of the ship might be due to some sort of small nuclear device. We still believe that."
"Nuclear weapons can't penetrate Dakinium," Jenetta said. "That's been proven through extensive testing."
"Yes, Admiral, nuclear weapons cannot damage Dakinium, but once the Dakinium layer was breached, the interior damage can be attributed to nuclear fission. There are excessively high levels of radiation at every blast point, and although the crew died of hypoxia, their bodies also have lethal concentrations of radiation. My staff and I believe that upon reaching their target the missiles attach themselves to the hull in some manner. The warhead then disperses some sort of chemical that begins to melt the Dakinium. Once a hole of sufficient size is achieved, a tiny nuclear charge takes care of the rest. The enemy fires thousands of missiles and depends on at least a few hundred getting through. I don’t have to tell you the effectiveness of the attack."
"So you're saying that the enemy missiles are like a slow-acting limpet mine?"
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