Retreat And Adapt (A Galaxy Unknown)

by DePrima, Thomas

  "So let me summarize. You didn't see her arrive, couldn't see her while she was here, and didn't see her leave. Is that accurate?"

  "We will find out sir. We simply don't know at this time how she did it. I've previously brought unconfirmed reports about incredible speed advances by the GA to your attention. It's possible that whatever allows them to achieve those speeds is responsible for masking their travel and presence."

  "So is my statement accurate, at this time?"

  "At this time, yes, sir."

  "So if she returned tomorrow, you probably wouldn't see her arrival either?"

  "We might, sir."

  "And you might not?"

  "Uh— that's a possibility."

  "And if she showed up with a thousand warships tomorrow, you might not see her until she was in orbit over our planet?"

  "I doubt we could miss a thousand warships, sir."

  "Why? You missed six warships, and one of them was larger than anything we have."

  "The sheer numbers would make the difference."

  "Suppose she approached in groups of five?"

  "We're talking about speculation, sir."

  "So speculate."

  "Uh— it's possible we might see them."

  "And possible you might not?"

  "I— uh— suppose that's a possibility."

  "So all of the technological marvels we have at our disposal might not be able to see their approach. Tell us, General, if a thousand warships suddenly appeared around our planet and began targeting key locations, how long would it take to devastate our planet?"

  "That's impossible to say, sir. Naturally, our planetary defense ships would attack immediately."

  "And how many ships are close enough to make an immediate difference?"

  "Uh— perhaps as many as five are close enough to make an immediate difference."

  "Five? And how long would five last against the most powerful military force in this part of space?"

  "Other ships would be on their way immediately, sir. We simply don't keep a large number of ships in orbit around the planet."

  "But before those other ships could reach us, we could be devastated?"

  "That would depend on the ships attacking us, sir."

  "Are you aware that Admiral Carver devastated the Milori home world with just two of the small ships like those she had with her?"

  "More bravado, sir."

  "Yet that bravado is confirmed by all of our spies."

  "The GA obviously has tight control over their media."

  "Okay, let's assume that their ships are the most powerful ever built. Could we be devastated?"

  "I— uh— suppose, sir."

  "So why should Space Command wait three years to attack and give you time to build up our forces when they could destroy us today?"

  "Perhaps they're not ready to take control of our territory, sir."

  "So they should wait until they have some extra free time and possibly face a much more powerful space force?"

  "Perhaps they're not looking at it that way."

  "And perhaps they know themselves to be so powerful that facing a larger force wouldn't make any difference?"

  "I wouldn't say that, sir."

  "You don't have to say it, General. I said it."

  Ardlessel bit his tongue to keep from responding with anger or disrespect.

  "General, how many nations has the Galactic Alliance attacked that did not first begin the hostilities by attacking the GA?"

  "I don't have that information, sir."

  "I do. I was interested enough to check. Take a guess."

  "I don't know of any, sir."

  "That's the correct answer. They have never attacked anyone who didn't attack them first. With Milor, they even ordered the enemy ships out of their space after defeating them and then didn't attack Milor until Maxxiloth attacked the GA a second time. That makes it sound like they don't want war with their neighbors, which reinforces what Admiral Carver said."

  "I can't imagine that anyone would have spent so much money and effort building up their military forces if they didn't have eyes on conquering other nations."

  "What nations do we intend to conquer?"

  "Uh, none," Ardlessel said, clearly confused by the question.

  "Then why have we spent years building up our military?"

  General Ardlessel finally understood the reason for the question and the trap laid by the PM. He didn't respond. He just stared at the Prime Minister.

  "Exactly, General. There are often good and valid reasons for creating a strong military even when a nation doesn't covet the territory of its neighbors. The Galactic Alliance seems to fit that description. Uthlarigasset, on the other hand, had attacked a neighbor with intent to steal its territory. So I ask you now, whom should we be listening to and believing?"

  When General Ardlessel continued his silence, Prima Minister Pemillisa asked, "Are you familiar with the enemy Admiral Carver mentioned— the Denubbewa?"

  "Following her assertions that they had entered GA space, I did some investigating. I learned that their home territory is over ten thousand light-years beyond our border. It's unlikely that they have invaded GA space."

  "But if they have, what are their chances of defeating Space Command?"

  "Their chances are excellent, if all accounts are true. But it seems unlikely that they would bypass us to attack the GA. For that reason, I think her statements were simply more bravado."

  "You don't seem to have very much respect for Admiral Carver or her accomplishments."

  "No, sir, I don't. I think her claims are merely to frighten everyone into submission. She's all talk and no action."

  "Interesting, general. She defeated the Milori— twice, defeated the Tsgardi, Gondusans, Hudeerac, and the Uthlaro. All of that is verifiable. Yet you believe she's all talk and no action." The Prime Minister was silent for a few seconds, then added, "Tomorrow, at the regular session of the Gilesset, I'm going to propose that we establish diplomatic relations with the Galactic Alliance. If the Denubbew Dominancy is indeed moving in this direction, we want to be allied with a peaceful nation most able to help halt their advance. Further, I'm going to propose that we alter the military budget with an eye towards spending more on technological advances and less on increasing the number of personnel and new ships."

  * * *

  Chapter Thirty-One

  ~ July 18th, 2288 ~

  Jenetta spent as much time as possible with Thor during the two months' time it took to return to Quesann. By the time they reached the base, Jenetta was confident that Thor wouldn't attack anyone unless that individual was threatening her. She no longer locked him in the cage, but he remained in the hold and only saw Cayla and Tayna when Eliza was there to help chaperon because Jenetta wasn't ready to have jumaka kittens underfoot just yet. But Thor was happy because he could run around or leap up on the cage or the other containers stored in the hold when he had an urge to stretch his legs. Jenetta had tested him twice by 'accidently' dropping a piece of food outside his bowl at feeding time. When she returned that evening, or the following day, the food was still where it had fallen. It proved both that he had learned from Cayla and that he was getting enough to eat. Whenever Jenetta arrived at the hold, Thor greeted her with the same enthusiasm she got from Cayla and Tayna.

  When Jenetta stepped from the shuttle at the palace shuttle pad, she was greeted by a large welcoming party of Space Command and Marine officers. The greeting, actually required by protocol, had been orchestrated by Admiral Holt.

  "Welcome to the conquering heroine," Holt said as she stepped off the shuttle ramp with Cayla and Tayna. The sounds of applause from the crowd filled her ears.

  "Thank you, Admiral," Jenetta said graciously. She then smiled, waved, and said loudly, "Thank you, everyone."

  "After what you've accomplished, it was the least we could do. The west conference hall is set up with food and beverages."

  "Then let's all go inside. I could
use a cup of coffee— and perhaps a piece of cake."

  The welcome-back party lasted for about an hour. Jenetta stayed for the first half-hour, making the rounds and accepting congratulatory sentiments from her officers, then headed to her palace office with Admiral Holt.

  "It's good to be back," Jenetta said. "I can't wait to jump into my fighter and spend an hour cruising around the planet."

  "I understand you picked up another jumaka."

  "Who told you that? Larry?"

  "Yes. We talked after the Ares arrived a few hours ago."

  "It was a present from the King of the Hudeera. I suspect the Intelligence Director was the main force behind the gift. They had the poor animal hidden away inside a zoo building because he had attacked a number of people."

  "Is he dangerous?"

  "I believe he might have been mistreated, much as my girls were before I acquired them."

  At the statement, both Cayla and Tayna raised their heads, then laid back down.

  "So it's safe to have him here in the palace?"

  "Perfectly. Except to someone who might be planning to attack me."

  "Why didn't you bring him down?"

  "Eliza will bring him down later. I didn't want to subject him to crowds just yet. He might not understand the difference between applause and danger. He'll have to get used to us and our customs before I trust him in all situations. My girls have been immensely helpful in training him so far."

  "It's always good to have a role model."

  "It's more than that. I've always believed they have a rudimentary language— like dolphins. And lately I've become convinced that it's much more than that."

  "I know you've always talked to your jumakas as if they were people, and they always seem to understand, but I didn't know they conversed among themselves."

  "It's only since Thor joined us that I've seen it so openly manifested. It's almost seemed like they were explaining things to him. And he instantly picked up on whatever they were explaining and changed his behavior."

  "That is interesting. Are you going to travel around with three jumakas now?"

  "No, two is the maximum."

  "So what of— what did you call him— Thor?"

  "I haven't made a decision yet. Eliza would love to have him, naturally, and I'm sure Christa or my brothers would take him in a heartbeat. Larry suggested that I allow them to breed, but I've kept them apart so far."

  "That might serve to satisfy all the family members who'd like to have a jumaka of their own."

  "We'll have to see. I know that the gestation period for house cats is just sixty days and for large cats it runs from ninety to a hundred twenty days. But that could be meaningless. Even within some species on earth, the time is radically different depending on the subspecies. For example, I once read that some scorpion species gestate at ninety days, while with others it takes as long as a year and half."

  "You're covering new ground here. You may just have to learn by doing."

  "It's beginning to look that way, but you can see why I'm holding off. I've even considered taking a leave of absence and taking the kids to Obotymot where the event can have as much, or as little, time as it takes to happen."

  "You can't take a leave of absence."

  "Of course I can. The Denubbewa are pretty much on the ropes, even if a number of their warships did slip through our fingers. They don't have a mother ship to return to for food, ordnance, and repairs, so that will hamper any efforts to make trouble. We'll resume normal patrols and keep looking for them. The bomber groups will all remain in that part of Region Two and travel in pairs so that when we find Denubbewa we're ready to take them down.

  "In my report to the AB following the destruction of the mother ships, I stated that I'd like to receive enough bomb cradles to modify every DS ship in my fleet and suggested that all new warships have the cradles installed during construction, with internal reload capability. Also, I want every DS ship to have targeting capability. That would make our response capability as flexible as possible. We wouldn't be limited to specific bomber/targeting pairs.

  "While the Denubbewa ships that escaped our net still present a significant danger to individual planets and colonies, the main threat is ended. And we have the tools now to take the rest out when we find them, with minimal danger to our ships.

  "All in all, I'd say that the GA is about as safe as it has been in years, even if things continue to heat up on the Clidepp border."

  "But you can't possibly take leave now. The GA Senate and the Admiralty Board are on their way here now that their complex is finished and the Denubbewa threat is over. We're pushing to get their housing done, but the official meeting halls and office buildings are ready for occupancy. I reported that to you."

  "You reported that the government buildings and offices were completed. You never said that the Senate and AB were on their way here."

  "I just received that message today. They left yesterday, and they'll be here in fifty days. You probably have a copy in your queue."

  Jenetta walked to her desk and checked the queue, then read an announcement. She returned to her informal seating afterwards.

  "Then I have all the more reason to take a leave of absence. I can be gone long before they arrive."

  "You can't leave. You didn't read any of the other messages, did you?"

  "No, just the one."

  "In another message, it's stated that the GA Senate, in their final legislative act yesterday before leaving to board their ships, passed a resolution that named you as the replacement for outgoing Admiral of the Fleet, Richard Edward Moore."

  Jenetta just stared at him, sure that he was joking. His expression never changed as he stared back at her.

  "You're joking, right?" she finally said.

  "I'm perfectly serious. You're the new Admiral of the Fleet, ma'am."

  "No," she said, shaking her head. "Richard told me he intends to remain in the service as long as he can."

  "His wife refused to leave Earth, so after turning over command to you, he'll retire and return to earth."

  "No. No, No. I won’t do it. I won't take the job."

  "Too late. You've already been confirmed by the GA Senate, unanimously."

  "It's doesn't matter. I will not, not now— not ever, take that job. It's not me. I won't do it. I let them stick these stars on me because there was a job to be done, and they convinced me I was the best qualified. And I've allowed them to keep kicking me upstairs because there was always a more important job to be done. But I won't allow them to stick me in the AB Hall for the rest of my days in the service. I refuse."

  "Then you'll have to resign, because even with a leave of absence, you're the Admiral of the Fleet."

  "How could you let them do that to me, Brian?"

  "I swear I didn't know. I had no idea that Richard was going to retire. I believe even he didn't know until he told his wife to start packing. She refuses to leave her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and now a great, great grandchild."

  "I can appreciate Richard's situation, but I'm still not taking the job." Jenetta sighed. "I've been afraid of something like this happening. I suppose I'll have to send in my papers. I entered the Academy in 2252, so I have thirty-six years in. That's enough for retirement, even though I don't need the money. My estate on Obotymot is beginning to turn a profit finally."

  "Jenetta Carver can't leave the service. For many people, you are the service."

  "A long time ago I was told by someone who was present to overhear your own words when you commented on Space Command not having just one Jenetta Carver anymore. As quoted to me, you said, 'Now we have three.' That's still true, Eliza and Christa can fill my shoes, although I doubt you'll ever get them to accept admiral's stars."

  "Do you really think you can just sit around and get fat on Obotymot? You'll be bored to death and climbing the walls in a month."

  "For one thing, I can't get fat. The DNA Manipulation process performed on me
while I was in the Raider jail makes that impossible. For another, I might get involved in freight operations. I might even start my own freight company. Brian, while I was off fighting the Denubbewa, my sister-in-law Regina gave birth to a beautiful baby boy at my house on Obotymot. I missed her wedding, and that of Marisa, and I really wanted to be there for the blessed event. Now Marisa is pregnant, and I'm not going to miss that birth as well. This might be the right time to submit my papers, before any other critical problems develop."

  "What about the Denubbewa?"

  "They’re under control, and this command can handle the rest as they're located."

  "What about the ones that are coming? You surely don't believe they expected to take over all of GA space with just five mother ships."

  "Space Command has a weapon now which can defeat them. The others may not even come now."

  "If we were talking about the Uthlaro, would you think that?"

  "No. The Uthlaro wouldn't stop. They'd send everyone and every ship they had. But they may not arrive here for years if all they have is Light-462 and their home system is twelve thousand light-years away."

  "And what about the Uthlaro?"

  "You can handle that. What I've been thinking of doing is sending a small task force to destroy the three warships guarding the new shipyards, then having a fleet of tugs drag everything back here. The loss of their entire investment should be enough to oust the leaders behind the plan. Besides, it will save us from having to build a shipyard."

  "But it's in unclaimed territory. We don't have jurisdiction there. Can we just commandeer it?"

  "Who are they going to complain to? They surrendered unconditionally to the GA and have been prohibited from ever again building warships. If they file a complaint with anyone about us commandeering the secret shipyard they established to build warships, they're admitting to sedition."

  "That's true. Look, Jen, I'm sorry I dropped all of this on you today. I think you should take time to think about it. Please don't submit your papers until you've thought it through. Perhaps a leave of absence would be best. It'll give you a chance to see if retirement from the service is really for you."