by PJ Strebor
“Lieutenant Telford,” he began, “the Captain is busy.”
Nathan ignored him and hit the admit button to the briefing room. Receiving no reply he leant on it until it opened.
***
Captain Octavia Jardine sat at the briefing table, an ornate Zhong teacup to her lips. Her comm beeped. “Captain.”
“He is on his way up, Captain,” her D-O reported.
“Very well,” she said.
She dabbed her lips with a pure white cloth napkin, sat back and smiled. He would be here any minute now. Her only bit of fun on this terrible little boat. Still she could never forget the past. Whilst at the academy, Telford had made a mockery of her son. Julius had been a fourth year senior midshipman and Telford a mere plebe, but he still managed to get the better of her son. That humiliation stung and would never be forgotten. No one crossed the Jardine clan without receiving a suitable reprisal. She didn’t need that past incident to justify harassing Telford. A officer of his ilk invited her attention by his very presence aboard her boat.
Years ago, like many before her, she had applied for service in Monitor Corps only to be rejected for some obscure reason. Rejected? Although a member of the Jardine dynasty who, for three centuries, led the Athenian Naval Service, both in times of peace and war, Monitor Corps had dared to reject her. Such insolence. Well, her father, Fleet Admiral Hector Jardine, had finally been promoted to the position a Jardine, and only a Jardine, should hold. Commander-in- Chief, Athenian Naval Service. In the last year, since his appointment, all the right people, family and friends of the Jardine elite, had been placed onto the fast promotions track offered by Monitor Corps.
Yes, given sufficient motivation the rowdy Monitor types would be shown how ladies and gentlemen of proper breeding conducted themselves. No more of the lax discipline which had greeted her when she took command, oh no, not with her, and her father, running the show. She ignored the bridge chime and reached for her cup. The tea had gone a little tepid so she picked up the pot. She had just refilled her cup when her patience ran out.
“Ad-mit,” she said to the pickup.
Telford stepped into the briefing room, still clad in his v-suit and armor. Today, not what she expected. No ranting about duty and responsibility of monitor corps officers. No raised voice, nothing. As usual she could not read his face. Octavia would be disappointed if their game ended so soon.
“Captain,” he pointed to the chair, “may I?”
She nodded benevolently. What’s he up to?
He sniffed. “Longjing tea?”
“Lapsang.”
“Smells nice.”
“Tastes better,” she said. “Perhaps one day you will learn to appreciate the difference, when you acquire some good taste.”
“And perhaps, Captain, one day you will engage with an enemy,” he said around a cruel smile. “When, of course, you acquire a backbone.”
She slammed the cup down so hard it nearly shattered.
“How dare you speak to me in that manner. Apologize immediately or I will –”
“Will what? Rename your boat the Gutless Wonder?”
Octavia Jardine found herself too close to apoplexy to be capable of speaking. Even for Telford, this stepped over the line.
“Not far from here is a disabled Armadillo class headhunter. She’s waiting patiently for this boat to go and kill her. Yet, once again, you chose not to engage the enemy. I have to wonder why.”
She finally found her voice, struggling to control her rage. She would not allow this rough colonial ogre get to her, again.
“Not that I need to explain myself to you, Lieutenant, but in the opinion of my helm officer, only a madman would enter the Takagi Occlusion. The headhunter helm officer must be insane.”
Surprisingly, Telford nodded. “Perhaps. Or maybe their helmsman has something between his legs, apart from fresh air and promises.”
She chuckled, rather than exploding with rage. She refuse to allow him to press her buttons. “I like you, Telford. You are an arrogant, self-centered ego maniac but your entertainment value is indispensable to me.” She considered his neutral expression for a moment. “I suppose being posted to a properly run boat must be a great burden for you. Remember, it has been four years since that disaster of yours on Cimmeria. Oh, I know that over the years you have become Admiral Waugh’s pet and that she has promoted you without good reason. Only twenty-six and already a full grade Lieutenant? Yes, Telford, I know all about you. Top of your class at Fighter Training School, early inclusion into Fighter Tactics School, where, miracle of miracles, you blew out the numbers yet again. And then to top it off, a year before coming aboard my boat you pass through command pilot qualification and what a surprise, you top your class.” She briefly glanced at the patch attached to the left shoulder of his uniform denoting command pilot qualification. “It must be wonderful to have someone backing you with the support of Admiral Waugh.” She made her tone suitably dark as she continued. “But do not push your luck with me, Telford. My patience is wearing thin and Admiral Waugh will not be around much longer to protect you.”
She sat back to savor her victory. Telford’s expression had not changed but the pallor of his skin gave her some small hope. It was always so difficult to pierce his rough hide.
“Captain, once again, you leave me absolutely flabbergasted. Considering your enormous girth I can understand how getting off your gigantic ass and doing some real monitor work would be troublesome, but to have the gall to suggest that I am receiving favoritism, is, is,” he snorted and shook his head, “contemptible. Even for an incompetent ass-kisser like you.”
“That’s enough.”
“Careful, you just used a contraction.” He made an annoying tish-tish sound with his tongue.
“One more word from your foul colonial mouth Telford and you’ll be facing a general court-martial, where you can explain your disregard for authority and insubordination of a superior officer.”
He leaned back, grinning like a demon. “Good, let’s do that then. And when I finish explaining my crimes you can explain unwarranted promotions of personnel totally unqualified to step onto a monitor’s deck, your blatant refusal to engage enemy vessels, and a yellow streak down your back wide enough to land a fighter on.”
“That is it, Telford,” she screamed.
“Good, bring on the court-martial.” He stood, leaned forward onto the briefing table and glared at her. His eyes had transformed into two pools of unadulterated loathing. “I fucking dare you. You’re a bloody disgrace to any uniform, but an absolute affront to the men and women who have died wearing the colors of Monitor Corps. If a creature like you is an example of where Monitor Corps is heading, I want no part of it.” His grey eyes blazed with conviction. “Come on you gutless bitch, for once in your privileged life show something other than bluster and threats.”
A tremor ran down her spine. Telford must be demented to contemplate taking on the might of the Jardine dynasty. Only her shocked, stunned silence gave her pause to understand this lout’s dynamic strategy. He actually wanted a court-martial. A court-martial would require all parties to be truth tested using Athens infallible AVU. She could not risk that happening. In that moment of revelation she understood, and with her appreciation of the moment, Telford lost his foolish gamble. She tried to contain her inner smile but it slithered onto her face. Some people, even her friends, described it as an ugly smile. That pleased her no end. She chuckled.
“No Telford, no, no, no. No court-martial for you. As I said, I like having you around. You can continue to put in request after request for a transfer but I will choose to keep you here. In time, I will spank the arrogance out of you. It might take months, or, knowing your stubbornness, even years. But in the end you will sit at my feet and beg for scraps. You will jump when I say jump, and roll over, even before I order you to.”
“Careful Jardine, a whipped dog still has teeth.”
“Not
for long.” She tugged at her waistcoat. “Effective immediately, your flight status is revoked. With no other talents in your bag of tricks you can stay in your quarters and play with yourself.”
“At least I’ll be dealing with something I respect.”
“Get out!” she shouted.
A moment before the hatch slid shut, she just made out his last words. “Your honor, I rest my case.”
CHAPTER 2
Date: 20th June, 326 ASC
Position: Sentinel Heracles (Monitor Corps HQ) Attican moon Peloponnesia,
Athenian core system.
Not for the first time today, Vice Admiral Donatella Waugh paced the floor of her office. In the past year, since taking up her role as second-in-command of Monitor Corps, her frustrations had turned from the occasional annoyances expected in any new position, to an ongoing series of frustrations. She had expected resistance from Hector Jardine, but the level of stupidity shown by the man boggled the mind.
Inexorably Monitor Corps was imploding. With Hector Jardine in overall command of the Athenian Naval Service, she could see no way of preventing that from happening. The untenable nature of the situation only served to fuel her growing exasperation. Her comm beeped. She took a deep breath to calm her rage, before keying her L-M.
“Waugh.”
“Donny, would you step into my office, please?” Admiral Phillip Langford said.
“On my way, sir,” Waugh replied.
Waugh left her office, stopping at her secretary’s desk. “Neil, I’ll be with the Admiral if anyone needs me.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he said.
Waugh walked briskly toward the Admiral’s office before being intercepted.
“Where are you off to?” Captain Luis Demianski asked.
“I’ve been summoned by Langford.”
“That could be a good thing,” Luis said. “Maybe he’s decided to retire earlier than expected.”
“He’s not a bad officer, Luis, he’s just caught within a system that no longer works. I’ve caught up on my reports and the damage is growing daily.”
“You’ll find a way around it, Donny. You always do.”
“Hmm. You remember what happened to young Mister Telford?”
Luis’ teeth set. “Yeah. You appointed him to a Captain Cathbad’s boat and one of Jardine’s lackeys countermanded your orders and put him on Courageous.” He shook his head. “Fucking Jardines. Someone should space the lot of them.”
“Are you volunteering, Luis?”
They both chuckled but knew all too well the danger posed to Athens by the current Jardine regime.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Luis said, as he peeled off. “Good luck.”
Waugh marched on until she arrived at the offices of the Commander-in-Chief, Monitor Corps
“Good morning, Abbey,” Waugh said to Langford’s secretary.
“Good morning, Admiral Waugh,” she said. “The Admiral is expecting you.”
The hatch hissed aside and she stepped into the inner sanctum. She snapped to attention.
“For goodness sake, Donny, at ease.” Although he was about her age, there the similarities ended.
“You caught me off-guard, Mister President,” Waugh said.
He pulled a sour face. “We’ve known one another since you were a JG and I was assisting Assemblywoman Rice to get reforms passed through the Assembly. So by now you know my name. Right?”
Indeed, she and President Francis Rixon went back a long way. A brief affair had failed to sour their friendship. Waugh took a breath and relaxed.
She stepped forward and offered her hand. “How have you been, Frank?”
“I am president of a divided house, how do you think I feel?”
“As frustrated as me, I guess.”
“You’ve got that right,” the president said. “The conservative’s stupidity astounds me on a daily basis. Sadly they represent a small majority of the assembly so there’s not much I can do about it. Perhaps in eighteen months the people will vote these lunatics out. Then we can start making repairs.”
“In eighteen months Monitor Corps will be shattered,” Waugh said. “These clowns could not have done a more effective job of sabotaging us if they were Pruessen deep cover operatives.”
“Phil and I have been discussing the matter,” Frank said, “but can find no viable way of stopping the rot.”
Phillip Langford had aged in the last two years. Gone was the fit vital officer she had known for thirty years, replaced by this sagging, beaten man. Waugh could scarcely believe his degradation. The pressures of the job, Waugh expected, had finally gotten to him.
“Phil?” Waugh asked.
“I don’t know what to do, Donny,” he said. His voice, once strong and decisive, had been beaten down to a pleading call for help, which broke her heart. “They keep overriding my orders. I can’t get anything done.”
The Jardine dynasty had done a very effective job of breaking a man ten times their better. Waugh felt the rage growing and pushed it down.
“Isn’t there anything you can do, Frank?” Waugh asked.
“I’m working on it, Donny, believe me,” he said. “I can’t reach any of the conservatives, they’re way too entrenched in their ignorance to listen to common sense. But there are two independents who may be willing to cross the floor. They normally play it safe and abstain from voting, which is strange for colonials, but I’ll see what can be done. Of course it will come at a price, but that’s politics. However, there is no way I can remove Jardine. His family ties run far too deep throughout Athens. The best I can hope for is autonomy for the Corps.”
“Every day Jardine has rule over Monitor Corps, it weakens us,” Waugh said. “So do what you have to do, but do it quickly.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Frank said. Neither of them smiled.
CHAPTER 3
Date: 1st July 326 ASC
Position: Courageous traversing hyperspace, approaching Sentinel Atalanta. Athenian space.
Nathan sat in his rack with his back resting against a bulkhead. Having been relieved of flight status he’d caught up on his reading. Three times a day he worked out in the boat’s gym to break up the monotony. Although both activities killed some of the time he couldn’t escape the mind numbing boredom. He examined another document which scrolled across the screen of his DRP. As usual he read between the lines of the news vids and official navy reports.
The Athenian Assembly appeared to be suffering from the same malady as the Athenian Naval Service. The Assembly’s decision to cut navy funding showed the fundamental shift from the liberal’s approach, to one that resembled a crippling backward stance. Without a thought of the future, the politicians placed the Republic and all of the League of Allied Worlds at risk. When war came, Athens would be unprepared, and Monitor Corps would be all but dismembered.
Nathan found it to be a an appalling truism that people did not learn from history.
His hatch admittance beeped.
Steeling himself for another of Jardine’s games, he took a deep breath.
“Ad-mit,” he said to the pickup.
When the hatch opened Nathan relaxed.
“Got a minute?” Lieutenant Commander Isadora Telesco asked.
“For the boat’s senior engineer, I have many minutes.”
She returned his smile, stepped over the coaming and took the only chair in the room. As a full grade Lieutenant he rated his own quarters, so their private talks remained private. Isi was one of a few colonials left aboard. He put his DRP aside.
“I’ve been meaning to drop in and catch up,” Isi said, “but maneuvering has kept me extremely busy.”
“Training monkeys will do that,” Nathan said.
“Good Lord, if only I had monkeys. This latest batch of trained engineers couldn’t find their asses with both hands. It’s driving me crazy and is bloody dangerous. You don’t put numbskulls into maneuvering unless you want an
accidental core breach.”
“Are you getting any sleep?” Nathan asked.
“Only when we’re in hyper,” Isi said. “I tell the monkeys to do nothing without my express approval and to contact me if anything, anything at all, looks amiss. So far, so good.”
“On behalf of my wife and kids, I thank you.”
She chuckled. “You’re welcome. Enough about my woes how are you doing Nathan.” She touched his hand and smiled.
At thirty Isi was young to hold down the position of senior engineer. Nathan figured that her natural genius with all things mechanical had played a big part in her ascension. Even Jardine wasn’t so stupid that she could ignore her record. Not a great beauty, but what could be best described as a handsome woman. Her many attempts to bed him had failed, but she was nothing if not persistent.
“I’ve caught up on my reading. I don’t normally read the news,” Nathan said. “It’s too depressing.” He stared into nothingness for a time. “I’ve got to get off this boat, Isi. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet but I have to escape this madhouse.”
“When you figure it out, let me know how so I can do the same.”
“Shall do.”
“So are you coping all right?”
“I’m bored out of my skull.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that,” she said, her smile becoming lewd. “I know something that could break up your boredom.”
He removed his hand from her grasp. “Behave yourself, Isi. I’m a married man for goodness sake.” His smile matched hers. “Besides, you couldn’t handle me.”
“Wanna bet, flyboy?”
He chuckled at her audacity. “All of my troubles will disappear tomorrow, when I get off this bucket and go on leave.” That thought alone improved his mood.
CHAPTER 4
Date: 1st July 326 ASC
Position: Sentinel Atalanta. Planet Lutra Edipsu. Northern Quadrant. Athenian space.