by Chris Hechtl
“Oh?”
“Never pass up an opportunity to put a positive spin on a potential learning experience. And if they have fun learning, you are creating a good environment. Sowing the seeds for them to be curious enough to reap on their own.”
“Ah.”
“Are you going to attend the dance later this evening? And the bonfire?” she asked politely.
He cocked his heart-shaped head and bobbed his antenna before he clacked his mandibles and then gave a human style headshake. “Alas no, I believe such things should be given over to the young with minimum supervision. They don't need us old folks watching.”
She snorted. “You'd be surprised. They tend to get into quite a lot of mischief,” she said in mock sourness as she crossed her arms. “I've had to get stuff out of my office three years running,” she said, clearly exasperated.
The admiral noted a few of the people in earshot of them smirking or hiding grins all of a sudden.
“I believe it is some sort of tradition?” he asked.
“Yeah. To drive me up a tree,” she muttered.
He chittered in his species version of amusement. “Well, I'd stick around for the dancing but my species dances can be quite—physical,” he admitted. “When we let loose, we really wind it up and let go,” he said, moving his abdomen in a circle and then vibrating it for emphasis.
“I've heard it is a sight,” she said with a polite smile.
“For some. So, what other traditions have you started up here?”
“Well, the kids like to toilet paper a few too many things including each other. The janitor had to cut one student down from the flagpole yesterday. One of our freshman I believe,” she said. “And then there are the costume events and the Sadie Hawkins dance. But the kids are still trying out new things and settling down. I'm sure they'll come up with some really diabolical ones given enough time,” she said, again clearly exasperated.
“Oh, I'm sure,” he replied with a flick of his mandibles and antenna.
~~~^~~~
Monty frowned as he read the selection of assignments provided. As a flag officer, he was being given a bit of leeway on where he wanted to go. Still, he decided it would only be prudent to discuss them with Yorgi.
“I know you wanted to go closer to the front to coordinate information, but that is a nonstarter. You'd be in the way,” Yorgi stated bluntly.
Monty frowned but nodded slowly. “That leaves Pi and Tau.”
“Tau might work, but I don't think you are up to speed there,” Yorgi said. Monty shook his head. “Ah, I didn't think so.”
“I wouldn't mind going to Sigma to run down this El Dorado,” Monty said hopefully.
Yorgi snorted. “Not going to happen Monty, put that out of your mind. There is no way we'd risk you in such a dangerous op. Leave that to the scouts and cruisers to do the digging.”
“Right. But the problem is they have to spend months or a year getting their intel back to us. If I was there, I'd cut down on the transit time. I could cut out the middleman by processing what they've got and then issuing fresh orders. I could keep in touch through an ansible or a series of couriers.”
“You and I both know it would be couriers. No. We might put someone like that in Sigma; no doubt we will need to do so soon but not a flag officer.”
Monty allowed himself a sliver of a frown. He knew what was left. They were considering sending him to Bek to help get things sorted out there. The first problems with that was getting his replacement up to speed in the capital and the time he would be gone and in transit.
He didn't know who would replace him. Lake? Possible. Or Teague. Or one of the Bekians? He wasn't certain if he liked that or not.
He hoped that the brass had something better for him in mind. He didn't mind travel, but he didn't like being sent away from the capital when things were finally coming together. He wanted to see the Horathian war through or at least through the first phase.
“Nothing has been decided obviously. We're just considering options and looking for your input,” Yorgi stated.
“I see. But you just shot down all of my input so I don't know if I have a leg to stand on somewhere else,” he said. “And to be honest, I'd like to see this war through or at least see it through to Horath.”
Yorgi nodded sagely.
“And then there is the choice of a successor. I don't know of any spooks who came in with the admiral recently other than you.”
“None did. There was a recent arrival, but he is in Pyrax.”
“Ah. Well, not knowing that person I'd say that leaves Lake or Teague. Lake is obviously here, but Teague has been in ONI since its inception and has done well in Pyrax. I believe she wants out of there too.”
“One of the things we've talking about,” Yorgi replied.
Monty's left eyebrow rose slightly. That was news to him. He was supposed to be running ONI. Either he'd missed it, being buried in the reports from the front, or he'd been cut out of the loop. He made a note to check his inbox later. “I know you call both of the ladies my protégées, but they've come along on their own with minimum supervision from me. They've got initiative coming out their ears and are good detectives and administrators. Lake is a bit light on rank and experience though. And as you mentioned, Teague wants a new assignment.”
“So, the choice of a successor seems nailed down,” Yorgi stated. “Now we've got to finalize where you are going and the timing.”
“Can I have some time to consider the options, sir?”
“Of course. Bek isn't going anywhere. But Admiral Irons made it clear he wants ONI cleaned up there. He also wants everything tied into the Federation Navy. That means a two-way exchange. Someone's going to have to go.”
“Yes, sir. I see that. But as I said, I started this with the idea of seeing Horath go down. I'd like to see it happen.”
“All right, I'll talk to him about it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
~~~^~~~
The media had noted the movement of ships and personnel, but all of the military personnel were quiet about it. Questions for clarification on things with the navy publicist were either ignored or answered with a resounding No comment. The same statements were echoed when similar questions were pressed to sources within the government and military.
During the morning press conference, the subject began to dominate the question session. “You know we don't comment on military movements until we are ready to do so. We're not ready,” Liobat stated. “Next question.”
The story picked up in coverage as the media tried to talk to some of the ships' crews to wheedle their destinations out of them. When that didn't work, they turned to the families of the crews. Sharp-eyed observers noted that the ships were headed to the jump point leading to Protodon. Speculation began to mount with the talking heads on various news channels. Many thought that the military had suffered another reverse but didn't want to report it.
With no new input, however, and with a series of storms hitting Antigua and two other Federation worlds, the stories changed to one showing the devastation in the wake of the hurricanes and the relief efforts. There were some accusations of slow response time, which added to the stories.
Liobat knew it was only a momentary distraction. At any time, they could come back to the subject.
~~~^~~~
As he left, Admiral Creator of Things was ambushed by the media at the school parking lot. From the onslaught of questions, it was clear they wanted to know what was going on. They were insistent as they crowded him.
“I'm sorry, no comment. Any questions you need to put to the navy affairs department or the administration. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a flight to catch and work to do,” he said as campus security showed up to allow him to break away from the gaggle and get to his vehicle and on his way.
Once he was on his way, he put a call through to Admiral Irons letting him know that the threshold had been met or exceeded.
~~~^~~~
&
nbsp; Admiral Irons wasn't happy when he saw the footage. He noted a Knox News reporter in the gaggle too. He paced and then put a call through to April. “April, what the hell?” he asked.
“Nice to hear from you too, John,” she said, eyes flashing dangerously at him.
“Sorry. But still. You ambushed one of my flag officers on a school campus?”
“I didn't personally. He was out there, and we had questions. I've been forgetting to do my job because of our relationship. You are hiding things—Dancer for one. Now this. I don't know what is going on, nor does the public, but we've got a job to do to get to the bottom of it.”
“I have my reasons for keeping quiet on some stuff. We're getting ready to release a statement. I wanted the pieces moving first.”
“Right. Can I quote you on that, Mister President?” she asked, holding up a tablet.
“Fine. Whatever,” he said, waving a hand. He cut the signal and realized he'd shot himself in the foot by jumping the gun and jumping all over April. It wasn't her fault; she was a reporter doing her job.
One way or another he was going to pay for that conversation. Most likely in more than one way he thought bleakly as he called Liobat to give her a heads-up and then began to mentally formulate the steps needed to release what they wanted the public to know. Dumping it all on them wouldn't be good but it might have to go that route.
“Hell,” he muttered.
~~~^~~~
April frowned as she checked her inbox. There was a voicemail there from John. She clicked on it. The file size was small, so it couldn't be much.
“Hey, Red, I wanted to give you a heads-up. There is going to be a big press conference tomorrow. You wanted to know what's going on; we are going to lay it out for you and everyone else. I'd appreciate it if you kept that under your hat until it happens. You owe me,” he warned and then the file ended.
“Owe you? For what? You didn't give me anything to go on!” she asked herself in annoyance as she called Irma in and began issuing orders.
~~~^~~~
“So, are we going to get the New Texas song and dance again, Liobat? Or is someone going to give us a straight answer?” A GSN reporter asked as they began the morning press conference.
The Neocat flicked her ears and turned back to the door she'd just come through as a warden stepped through. “All rise for the president of the Federation!” a deep voice intoned.
Beings shot to their feet in shocked surprise as Admiral Irons came through the door and then stepped up onto the stage with quick strides and then over to the podium. The Neocat ceded the podium to him with a slight bow and nod and then took a step back to stand behind him.
Admiral Irons nodded in return and then turned to address the group. The flashbulbs were going off fast and furious. The air was filled with a buzz of chatter and shutter sounds. Additional equipment was being brought online.
“Be seated, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. He waited until everyone had been settled down. “They say it never rains but it pours. I guess you can say we're going through that time period now. To begin, several weeks ago the courier vessel Dancer returned to Federation space with grave news. They downloaded the data and reports to the ansible, and we've spent a lot of time processing it and formulating a response.”
He frowned. “Just as we were about to announce it we were hit with another ansible report. Second Fleet had been forced out of Dead Drop by pirate reinforcements.”
There was a small gasp from the group. Shutters clicked furiously again for a moment. He felt and watched them stir. A few wanted to ask questions but resisted the impulse to just shout them out.
“Admiral White reports that most of his fleet retreated intact with few losses. They were forced out by a capital ship squadron that overmatched his own forces. But as they prudently retreated, they inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, destroying two of their dreadnoughts before they left the star system. Second Fleet has regrouped in DD01ns and is awaiting reinforcements as we consider our options.”
He waited a moment, hands on the top of the podium. He wanted them to digest that. “Now, back to Dancer's report, it is a far graver matter, a threat to the entire Federation. Upon arrival in the Trajin cluster, the convoy led by Commodore Shelby Logan encountered a disaster. This one was not a natural disaster but a heinous act of genocide perpetrated by the Horathians that had preceded her. Elements of their Fourth Fleet had been dispatched to test biological weapons on the population centers in the Tau sector.” Instantly the room broke out into a babble of questions. The volume picked up as reporters tried to step on each other.
Admiral Irons held his hands out. “Just let me finish then we'll release the report and answer some questions folks,” he stated firmly. He waited for the room to quiet down.
“We know the death toll is in the tens of thousands on each of the worlds in that cluster. Nor is it confined to just that cluster, though that is currently supposition at this point. As soon as Commodore Logan noted the threat, she had her people work on diagnosing the plagues, applying treatments, and providing the information to the public. She then compiled a report and sent it to us as quickly as possible aboard Dancer. We are now warned at the depths of which the enemy is willing to go to further their evil plans to dominate the galaxy.”
“But, we are going to stop them. Commodore Logan is working on that as we speak. Forces are in motion to aide her and to make sure such an attack doesn't happen in the Federation. And we are working to blockade Horath to prevent them from spreading their death to the rest of the galaxy.”
He waited a moment and then nodded. “Medical personnel are assembling in Bek, Epsilon Triangula, and elsewhere to help. We are dispatching forces to Sigma and Pi sectors to check for the plagues and to halt their spread. We will do whatever it takes to prevent this from spreading further. And it only renews our drive to put an end to Horath, once and for all,” he said firmly.
Protector silently put up a report that the FAQ and data dump had been released a moment ago. He nodded once. “Your affiliates are now downloading the information on both events now. I'll now take some of your questions.”
Chapter 13
Antigua
April was in the bullpen going over assignments and listening with half an ear to the press conference when Admiral Irons came on. She inhaled and exhaled sharply as Admiral Irons laid out the double whammy.
“Holy tamale!” Irma whispered eyes wide. She glanced over to her red-haired boss. “April? What do we do?”
“We cover it,” April said slowly, mind whirling. She understood intellectually why John hadn't breathed a word to her. That didn't mean she had to like it. He had given her something of a heads-up but damn he definitely didn't like to hold favorites.
Obviously, he was still holding a grudge against her because she jumped on a few things before. Well, she'd make him pay for it later. For the moment, she had work to do.
“Get me the medical panel. Brief them and we'll need their reactions. Someone check in with the surgeon general; we're going to need a quote fast. See if they are going to hold a press conference as well. The same for the navy, though obviously the president is taking care of most of it. Get me that download people!”
She winced when the download hit her inbox. “Okay, I got it,” she said, noting it had come direct from the Executive Station. Well, thanks John. A minute before you'd dropped your bomb would have been nice though.
“Let the shows know we'll be preempting them and whatever they had on schedule is being bumped. Expect this to go for at least two days or more and take over the news cycle. Come on people! Let's get on this before the competition beats us to it!
~~~^~~~
Toni Chambers at GSN was amused to see that the Senate had been briefed about both events and were being cautious about what they said and the positions they were going to take. It was obvious that they didn't want to come out condemning Irons or the Navy. Irons had done his homework, putting things in place to ge
t a head start on reacting to each of the crises to appear proactive.
She had to hand it to him; he'd done a neat job. That didn't mean she wouldn't try to exploit a few things here and there to get a leg up. Obviously, Knox News had been kept in the dark like everyone else so she couldn't make a dig there. But, there were other ways to make her presence known.
~~~^~~~
It took time for the news cycle to work through the double crisis. There were some hysterics but not as badly as he'd expected. There had been an initial run on medical supplies that had run up the prices in ET and Antigua, but it had dissipated when the surgeon general had held a press conference assuring people that the mandatory vaccination programs would do their job and that a fresh round would be applied to act as boosters and to target specific bioweapon attacks.
He and the navy were still taking hits in the polling, but he could deal with that over time. The media was covering the government's reaction to the plagues as well as the navy's reinforcements. There was some concern in Protodon about being left unguarded but the arrival of ships from Antigua had quelled it momentarily.
The fact that those ships had been in transit from before the crisis was not brooded about. Nor was the fact that all of the ships and cargo were redirected to the B-95a3 jump point with fresh orders to pick up speed.
A local media outlet in Airea 3 tried to stir up hysteria with concerns of a potential refugee crisis until the governor and navy came down on it. He still didn't like the government in Airea 3, but the governor had been briefed by the state department and reminded about the massive distance between his star system and Tau. Not many ships could make that sort of jump easily, not when there were star systems closer to home to flee too.
His public statements as well as the navy's assuring the public and reinforcing his demand for a stronger picket as well as medical centers in Airea 3 had quelled any panic.