by Charles Lamb
As he passed each business, he would glance inside, checking to see if it contained what he was looking for. A few times, he would stop, enter an abandoned business, and check the display cases, coming up empty each time.
“Jacob, I believe the store across the street, about one hundred feet ahead, has what you are looking for,” he heard in his helmet.
Crossing over and moving quickly, he found the store Lanai had referenced. The door was missing, but the store itself was almost undisturbed. Shifting through several display cases, he selected various items and placed them in the cargo pockets of his uniform trousers. Satisfied he’d selected enough samples, he turned and exited the shop.
Moving quickly now that his task was completed, he returned to the helicopter, with Lanai wasting no time in restoring them into the air. As they headed home, Jacob removed his helmet and turned on the interior light. Pulling out several of the items from the shop from his pocket, he examined them in the white cabin light, separating them until he had the one he was looking for.
“I am sure she will love it,” Lanai said, as Jacob placed the ring in his breast pocket for safekeeping.
----*----
Jake was reviewing the analysis he had requested from April. Although he missed Patti, both personally and professionally, he had to admit April had stepped into her shoes quite nicely, running the analytical team well. What he was specifically reviewing was his request to determine if placing patrol ships at the edge of the solar system was not only feasible, but also reasonable.
It was one thing to condemn a ship’s crew to potential death as a first line of defense; it was something else entirely to do so in a fashion that made their lives a living hell in the meantime. He had nothing but admiration for early World War 1 and 2 sub crews, whose living conditions were difficult, to put it nicely.
Jake knew the US Gato-class sub had sixty men living on a three hundred foot boat, and they were considered the best of the lot at the time. He would be asking fifteen to twenty people to live on a five hundred foot ship. Regardless of that fact, he wanted to insure they had the best possible conditions.
Aprils report indicated that the option was very viable, but included recommended improvements for the ships, as a long-term residence was never taken into account in their original design. Scanning the suggestions, Jake considered it good timing that Jacob was on his way.
As an addendum to the report, there was a recommendation to add a space station at the edge of the solar system, both for resupply and R&R. It was noted that crew changes could be pre-staged there, as well as a small shipyard function, should emergency repairs be needed.
Pulling up his earlier notes on the very same subject, Jake could see where they had overlapped in his thoughts, as well as added to the justification. His mind made up, Jake shot a request off to the Wawobash, outlining his requirements. His expectation was to be provided several design options that he could then tweak to his own ideas of what they needed. This time, however, unlike the carrier Kola now embodied, he intended to include others in the decision.
----*----
LeBek could not believe his good fortune. The Head of the High Council, herself, had selected him personally to carry out her orders in secret. Her instructions had been quite specific; he was to let no one know of his activities. He did acknowledge that this was the strangest request, he had ever received.
As ambassador to several sectors, he had been very active in his youth, traveling from sector to sector, representing NeHaw interests. Now that was megacycles ago and he had thought he was all but forgotten by the High Council. It was those travels that made him valuable, as his knowledge was not recorded anywhere but in his memory.
Piloting his own ship, as he was warned not to trust anyone, he was headed to the next system his memory suggested holding what he searched for. He only hopped the Head of the High Council knew what she was doing.
----*----
Brian had gone over the numbers several times before taking the shuttle to Nevada to see Jake in person. He felt this was not the kind of thing one messaged. If Jake agreed to the proposal, they would be committing a lot of resources to space.
He had heard the rumors that the Treaty Planets were chafing at the inaction over the blockade. He was also aware that the NeHaw had no intention of permitting another direct confrontation with the Earth’s fleet. What they lacked in numbers, they more than made up for in firepower and shield strength. The addition of the ALICE systems in space had proven to be the bugbear the NeHaw had feared from the start.
Now, sitting in Jake’s office, he was waiting patiently for him to finish reading the proposal he had provided.
“You are sure of these numbers?” Jake asked after reviewing the figures provided him.
“I had Kola and ALICE-3 review the findings before I put that together,” he answered while pointing to the tablet Jake held.
As Jake flipped between screens, he could see him doing the mental math.
“This will gut most of the fleet we have in orbit,” Jake said.
“Yes, but not Kola or ALICE-3. They will still be available to protect the earth and already have more firepower than the rest of the fleet combined,” Brian answered.
“Do we have the manpower? I mean trained captains as well,” Jake asked.
“Barely. According to Seven, who tracks all the flight school graduates, we can crew all the ships listed there in 12 hour shifts. The ships will be grouped so even the less experienced captains will be under a space squadron commander,” Brian replied.
“I don’t know,” Jake replied as he let the thought linger.
“The sad fact is, we will need to do something like this anyway just to take deliveries,” Brian added, to emphasize the need.
“Do it,” Jake replied, the last statement apparently deciding the issue.
----*----
Sara arrived home to a flurry of activity. Exiting the transport, she was surprised to see Jake waiting for her, although he was alone. Without a word, she stepped up and kissed him, lingering in his embrace, and enjoying the feeling inside.
“How’s Jessie?” Jake asked after she finally released him.
“Good, and Ryan is amazing. You need to go see him soon.”
“I intend to,” he replied with a smile.
“What’s all the excitement? She asked while indicating all the movement in the hangar. There were more of the little shuttles about than she had ever seen in one place. Built specifically to move people and small quantities of supplies, they were sized to fit any of the ships currently in inventory. Even the destroyers, whose hangar size limited them to two fighters, could take one shuttle on as well.
“Earth is heeding the call of our partners in need.”
“Meaning?” Sara asked, irritated that Jake just couldn’t answer the damn question.
“Sorry. Brian had a great idea. We have divided the cruisers and destroyers into squadrons. They are going to start escorting convoys between the blockaded planets.”
Feeling sorry that she had snapped at him, she kissed his cheek and took his arm.
“Take me inside please.”
----*----
April had been assigned the responsibility of communicating the proposal to the treaty planets and organizing the traffic patterns to optimize the effort. Each route would be assigned ships responsible to protect the convoy, and the senior ship’s captain would act as convoy commander. The escort groups would be made up of a group of destroyers or a destroyer/cruiser mix.
This was one of those times when she wished Patti would get her ass back home where she belonged, rather than gallivanting around the world with the English lieutenant. By now, everyone on her team knew about her interest in Atkins, and while she couldn’t blame her, as he was very good looking, April needed help.
Based on the replies from the first five planets, the original treaty partners, they had plenty of resources to cover the need. However, the ancillary traffic requests wo
uld not. There was a significant give and take before they were able to combine certain routes to cover the majority of the asks.
Any unhappy respondents were forwarded to Jake for appeal.
----*----
Linda informed Jake she had reserved a small dining room for Jake and his gathering. Jake had thanked her, but he was still in the dark as to why all these people had descended on him at once. Patti had arrived first with the Lieutenant Jake had met the first day in London. From the way the two interacted, he got the distinct impression Patti had more than a passing interest in the young man. They seemed extremely familiar with one another.
Included in her entourage were Nigel and his wife, another surprise. Jake hardly minded, as he was very late in returning the hospitality shown him in London. Helen and Sara seemed to be quite friendly, particularly after her introduction as Jake’s significant other. Jake was all too happy the subject was dropped from there.
It was the arrival of Jacob that seemed to stir everyone’s emotions. Jake greeted his arrival as usual, in the main hangar, joined by Sara, Patti and her guests. However, the first to exit the transport jet wasn’t Jacob, but a lovely young redhead, followed by a beaming Jacob.
The warmth of the greeting Jake received from the young woman was offset by the icy cold exchange with Helen. It was then he learned they were mother and daughter. The frost didn’t thaw with Gemma’s announcement of their engagement. Helen went red, but held her tongue, with glances in Jake’s direction.
Jake wasn’t sure what her meaning was, and he certainly saw nothing wrong with the young couple, he was delighted. That was followed by Patti sharing her relationship with Atkins, who looked distinctly uncomfortable in waiting for Jake’s response.
While Jake was dying to string the young man along, his inner voice told him this was not the time. After settling the three couples into their own rooms, a situation Helen appeared to be decidedly uncomfortable with, in Gemma’s case, he led Sara back to his quarters before dinner.
“What is that all about?” Jake asked Sara after the door closed.
“Patti explained that Helen is having a bit of an issue with Gemma’s choice in men,” Sara replied.
“Excuse me?” Jake asked, unhappy with the insinuation that his grandson was unfit for her daughter.
Laughing, Sara waved it off before explaining, obviously happy that she had jerked Jake’s chain for a change.
“She thinks Jacob is a fine young man. It’s an English class thing. Apparently, their family has a long lineage of only marrying into titled families. Nigel is actually some lord or duke. Were you related to English nobility, she would be very happy with the selection.”
“This sounds like an Alice thing?” Jake said absently.
“I can see what records are available on your ancestors; it is going to take some time though.”
“Thanks. Now let’s go get cleaned up for dinner,” Jake said as he took Sara’s hand and led her into the bedroom.
Stopping just inside the bedroom, Sara began to undress. As Jake followed suit, he couldn’t help but notice she was as lovely as ever. Once they had both undressed, he turned to go to the bathroom only to feel Sara take his arm. Without saying a word, she first kissed him and then led him to the bed, where she lay back, pulling him to her. It was quite a while before they managed to get showered.
----*----
Patti and Daniel shared their own private time before dinner. For her, it was nice to be home, and while she hadn’t had much time to show Daniel around, he was very impressed with the American version of the underground facility. He was also very relieved that Jake had accepted their relationship so graciously. Patti had no doubt that he would, but Daniel wasn’t as positive.
She had also made sure to update Sara on the issues with Gemma and Helen. Once Jake was aware of the issue, she had little doubt he wouldn’t do everything in his power to address Helens prejudice. She was truly happy for her brother, as he seemed completely taken with the redhead.
----*----
Ivan and Colonel Banks were in one of the small dining rooms, sitting off to one side and discussing their pending mission over dinner. Although Ivan had no real authority beyond the approval of the Ataman back home, for his activities here, he felt he was being treated as an equal, something he greatly appreciated.
“Dallas suggests she will be finished with the refit in a day or two,” Edwin offered between bites.
“We will need to verify the work,” Ivan offered, hoping he wasn’t offending anyone in the process.
“Absolutely, when it comes to my life, I take no one’s word.”
Ivan smiled at the reply, as it was a sentiment he shared. While the Russians and the English had a very checkered past, it was the individual interactions such as this, that proved the greatness in both peoples.
“What of the NeHaw?” Ivan asked, concerned about the alien’s unreliability.
“Yes, well Dallas has placed a few surprises on board, should he get cheeky,” Edwin replied with a wink.
----*----
Nigel and Helen were the last to arrive for dinner. ALICE-1 had gone all out to provide the equivalent of a state dinner, considering Jake and Nigel represented the heads of state for each country. There were a number of people in attendance, acting as wait staff.
The room itself had been cleared to provide a reception area, the tables, and chairs removed to allow for more luxurious furnishings. There was also a serving table with hors d’oeuvres laid out. Nearby, a bar was in operation, with one of ALICE-1’s bots acting as a bartender.
ALICE-1 announced the British couple as they entered, proclaiming Nigel as representing the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Nigel and Helen were escorted by Marine volunteers in dress uniforms, to the receiving line that culminated with Jake and Sara.
Jake noted Helen was beaming as she entered in the fine ball gown ALICE-1 had provided her for the occasion. Taffeta silk was now only found in museums, as the materials, technology and skills had been lost following the NeHaw attack. The look faded though, as she spied her daughter standing at Jacob’s side. Her hand on his arm was sporting a sizable diamond engagement ring.
The couple proceeded down the receiving line, lingering only as long as proper when stopping by Jacob and Gemma. Jake swore he could see pride in Nigel’s eyes, as he took his daughter's hand in greeting.
Jake began to reach out to clasp the Helen’s hand and welcome her, but paused when her eyes slipped to his chest, and then widened in shock. In an increasingly incredulous tone she spoke.
“How is it that you...?” she asked, almost pointing at his chest, her prim manners slipping.
ALICE-1 had provided everyone’s attire for the evening, all specifically tailored for each participant. Each of the ladies were in fine evening gowns, all selected to represent their coloring and tastes, while Jake, Jacob and Nigel had White Tie and Tails, although Jake’s had a sash and little medals on it. Jake was impressed that she had been able to produce a proper dress uniform for Lieutenant Atkins, and with his White Tie and Tails, there was a sash and decorations he didn’t recognize.
He had asked Alice about the additions, to which she simply replied they were correct for the occasion. It was those additions to which Helen was currently referring. As instructed by Alice, Jake simply referred to Alice for an explanation.
“Alice, can you please explain to Helen.”
“That is the sash and medal of the Royal Victorian Order and Royal Victorian Medal, KCVO and Gold.”
“I know what it is, why are you wearing it?” Helen asked, her tone a cross between curiosity and annoyance. Jake suspected she thought they were not showing proper respect.
“It was bestowed on Captain Jacob Thomas, USMC, for services to the Crown as performed in Afghanistan. It appears there were threats to His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales during his military service in Afghanistan, while attached to the 662 Squadron, 3rd Regiment, Army Air Corps. In a
n unpublicized event, Captain Thomas and his Joint Special Forces team captured a Taliban leader and several of his commanders, all of whom had been planning an attack on the person of Prince Harry.”
Confused now and not wanting to go into the details of that action, Jake had to ask, “Alice, I was given a silver star for that?”
“From the United States, yes. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, upon hearing her grandson's tale of your actions during that raid, bestowed the honors while you were in the hospital recovering from a subsequent action.”
Jake recalled that raid all too well, as he had been wounded early. Although his wounds were not too serious, he had continued to lead the raid and was hospitalized later. He learned of the significance of the mission, but never of the Queens actions.
“After determining how close the Taliban had been to succeeding, the Prince was returned to England for other duties,” Alice finished.
“So you were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II?” Helen asked hesitantly.
“It would appear so yes,” Jake replied, surprised at the turn of events himself.
Catching herself, Helen withdrew her hand and curtsied while saying, “Sir Thomas.”
Jake, completely unsure of the proper reply, bowed slightly and then introduced Sara.
“My Lady,” Both Nigel and Helen replied.
From that moment on, the evening had a decidedly different tone, one that found Helen and Gemma on much more civil grounds. Although Jake doubted the subject was closed, he felt the relationship between Gemma and Jacob, while complicated, was proving to be more of a possibility in Helen’s mind.
Chapter 32
“Sir Thomas I presume,” Jake heard from the image in his display.
“Cut the shit,” Jake replied in a less than serious tone.
“You do realize that this has meaning to me. You saved a royal, that is not a trivial thing,” Banks replied, balancing between his previous interactions with Jake and the newfound respect the title deserved.