"Good. I've completed my report to Admiral Bradlee and sent it off. I said that your statement regarding Uthlarigasset was only a psychological ploy."
"I sent my report to the Admiralty Board yesterday. I didn't mention the ploy at all. I would hope that they know I wasn't serious."
"I'd love to be sitting in the gallery when they listen to that."
Jenetta smiled. "I imagine there will be some gnashing of teeth when they watch it, especially from Admiral Hubera."
"He doesn't like you very much, does he?"
"No, he doesn't, and I really don't know why."
"I believe that he feels you rose too quickly through the ranks, while it took him most of his life to get his two stars. But you've been out here risking your life year after year fighting the Raiders, the Tsgardi, the Milori, the Hudeera, the Gondusans, and the Uthlaro, while he spent most of his service years sitting safely in classrooms scowling at frightened kids who were afraid he would flunk them out of the Academy. What does he expect?"
"I'm just glad he's not on my staff," Jenetta said, smiling.
"Because of his age, it's unlikely that he'll ever make it out this far, but if you become the Admiral of the Fleet you may have to put up with him."
"Admiral of the Fleet? You're joking, right?"
"It's not so farfetched, Jen. Every four-star in Space Command is now in their nineties, except for you, and mandatory retirement age is one hundred. Admiral Moore is ninety-five. Once he retires, the available replacements will all be short-timers themselves. You're the most logical candidate. You've twice defeated invaders to our territory, and you've increased the size of Galactic Alliance space by about a factor of five. You're the most famous officer in Space Command history and you've never been touched by a hint of scandal. The Galactic Alliance Senate and Council love you and the law-abiding citizens of our member worlds adore you. The Nordakians idolize you. The Raiders hate you, but that's an endorsement, not a disparagement. And now, amazingly, even the Milori love you."
"All I want is one of the new battleships the Admiralty Board promised me while I was still the base commander of Stewart."
"Wasn't that before you defeated the Milori?"
"Yes, but I'm going to hold them to the promise."
"Wasn't that while you were still at brevetted rank?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't know how they can possibly give you a ship, unless it's simply to add one to the fleet you command. You can't be its captain."
"I'm the Captain of the Colorado."
"But you can't keep a battleship sitting in orbit around Quesann, waiting until you have an excuse to go for a joyride. You shouldn't even keep a scout-destroyer tied up. Your job is here now, flying that desk."
Jenetta breathed in deeply and then exhaled. "I know. I've been hoping the Admiralty Board will find a replacement for me."
"A replacement for Jenetta Carver?" Admiral Kanes said, smiling. "That's a tall order."
"Oh, you and I both know that any good administrator can handle my job here. Admiral Poole did an excellent job while I was away."
"I'm sorry to point out the obvious, but your job here hasn't even begun, Jen. You've been the base commander of two new, major bases in the past, so you know the demands of the job continue to grow with each month for the first few years. Admiral Poole will have his own problems with this base and he'll try to rely on you as the senior officer in this new region, but you'll be busy administering the affairs of a territory four times the size of Region One; the task ahead of you in monumental. For example, what are you going to do about the slavery issue in the former Uthlaro territory? I understand that slavery has been legal there, in twenty-three occupied star systems, for centuries. You'll have to put an end to it now. Then there's the matter of cleaning up the former Tsgardi territory. That alone could be a full time job for a few years. And lastly, the former Uthlaro Council of Ministers is not going to go gently into the night. They'll have to be closely monitored because they're going to use every resource available to buck our attempts to govern that space. No mere administrator will be able to handle this job for some time. You job here isn't ending; it's just beginning."
"Are you trying to depress me, Keith? If so, you're succeeding."
Admiral Kanes smiled. "You know these facts as well as I do. I just don't want you to delude yourself you're not needed here, desperately."
"I know. Damned depressing, isn't it?"
* * *
"I know you're all as anxious to see the message from Admiral Carver as I am," Admiral Moore said, "so we'll skip the reading of the previous minutes and jump right to that. Play the message, Brian."
A head and shoulders image of Jenetta Carver filled the full- wall monitor as Admiral Moore's aide began playing the message. The size made her seem larger than life— as if that was even necessary—and she began to speak. She gave a full account of the battle and then spoke about a variety of other topics. The Board watched the logs of the battle from the Colorado, but declined to watch any others at this time. The War College and Intelligence Section would be charged with reviewing them in detail and presenting any issues that needed the Board's attention.
When the messages were over, Admiral Hubera was the first to speak. "Territorial Guard? Now she's starting her own military. We must replace her as soon as possible."
"Oh, Donald, you're absolutely hopeless," Admiral Platt said. "It was you who complained the loudest we didn't have any way to control these territories and now that Admiral Carver has found a way to quickly get a handle on a good part of Region Two, you complain about it. I think her solution is ideal. The Milori may have been our enemies at one time, but now they've shown signs of their allegiance to the Galactic Alliance by fighting with us to defeat the Uthlaro."
"Of course they did. They didn't want the Uthlaro to gain power in their former territory because it might hinder their efforts to recover the territory for themselves later."
"If Admiral Carver is satisfied the Milori are sincere, then I support her," Admiral Hillaire said. "Her perspicacity has always been excellent. We've been agonizing over how to staff her territory and how to provide the ships she'll need, and now Admiral Carver has laid this partial solution at our feet. The Territorial Guard that Admiral Carver has created will have a fleet of over six hundred ships when all the Milori ships Admiral Carver attacked in the Milori shipyards are rebuilt..."
"My point exactly!" Admiral Hubera shouted, interrupting Admiral Hillaire. "They'll have rebuilt their ships under our very nose and even with our blessing. When they feel strong enough, they'll attack us and try to drive us out of Region Two."
"That's always a possibility," Admiral Bradlee said, "but Admiral Carver isn't naïve and she'd never have set up this Territorial Guard if she thought there was the remotest possibility that would happen."
"Admiral Carver, Admiral Carver, Admiral Carver!" Admiral Hubera yelled. "I'm sick to death of hearing about Admiral Carver. You all talk about her as if she's some kind of god. She's just a young upstart who's been incredibly lucky. Why can't you see that? Are you all blind? Ask her yourself and she'll tell you she's been lucky. You keep handing her more and more power. You're creating a monst…" Admiral Hubera suddenly clutched his chest and fell back into his chair, his face as chalk-white as his hair.
Admiral Moore's clerk punched a button on her console and said, "Medical emergency in the Meeting Hall."
* * *
"Well, Ambello," Uthlaro Minister Ulalahu Valhallo said to Minister Neddowo as he gestured to the large monitor at the front of the Council Chambers, "are you quite satisfied? Carver has destroyed what was left of our fleet. There's the proof. We could have recalled them and at least had the beginnings of a new fleet with which to oppose her. Now we don't have a single ship. Not one decent ship we could use to protect our planet, not that we could really oppose Carver if she came back. Space Command is far too powerful. How could you not know about their indestructible hulls and in
credible speed advances before you convinced us to undertake this venture?"
"It was just rumor— I thought it was mere propaganda. You all know how tricky she is and none of our agents could confirm anything. All our informants told us Space Command wasn't able to defend their new territory. The Raiders said they didn't even have enough ships to begin patrols during the next five years. It was the ideal time to conduct the venture."
"And now we're destroyed. You've brought complete ruin down upon us."
"We'll rebuild. I've already made arrangements to begin building new shipyards in the Galekku system. It's outside our former border in unclaimed space and has a dead sun with seven frozen, useless planets. Space Command has no reason to go there. The Raiders will provide protection for the base and we'll provide the technology, engineers, and workers."
"And who will provide the funding?"
"The Treasury, of course! This will be a government venture, but the Raiders have promised to buy all the ships we can provide as long as those ships have the advancements we've always restricted to our own military. The profit from the ships we'll build for them will pay for our own ships and the Raiders have to buy from us because the Tsgardi will no longer be producing warships for sale. The Gondusans and Hudeera won't build ships for anyone else because they're too afraid of the Galactic Alliance and the Ruwalchu don't want anything to do with anybody. The Aguspod would never sell any ships to the Raiders because they've been at war with the Raiders for more than a decade and the Clidepp are totally occupied with rebels trying to take over their government. Of course, the rebels would probably build ships for the Raiders if they gain control, but I wouldn't bet on their chances. The Kweedee Aggregate, like the Ruwalchu, isn't interested in trading with outside systems. We'll have an exclusive on the market in this part of the galaxy."
"How long will it take us to assemble a fleet capable of opposing Carver?" Prime Minister Barguado asked.
"This is a long-term venture, but it will provide a solid return on our investment. We can probably count on having a sufficient fleet in fifteen years. The Raiders have secured a sample of the hull material used to protect the Space Command ships. As soon as their engineers have recreated the manufacturing process, they'll communicate that information to use and we'll sheath all new ships with Dakinium. They've also promised to find out how Space Command attains their incredible speeds and will share that information with us so we can incorporate it into the new ships."
"So in fifteen years we'll have a new fleet as fast and indestructible as Space Command's?" Minister Ellwano Murcuro asked.
"I'd stake my fortune on it," Neddowo said.
"What fortune?" Valhallo asked. "We accepted your word that you turned over every credit to the treasury when we released you from the obligation to pay the balance."
"I misspoke," Neddowo said apologetically. "I've become so accustomed to using that phrase for so many years, it's become automatic."
Valhallo looked at Neddowo through narrowed eye-slits for a moment. "I hope that's the truth, Ambello."
"It is, but it won't always be so; I'll make another fortune. And I'll use every penny of it to destroy Carver if it's the last thing I ever do."
* * *
"I have the latest communication from our contact in the Uthlaro Dominion government," the Ruwalchu Security Officer reported to the assembled group of officers and government officials. All seats at the enormous table in the War Conference Center were occupied for this important session; lesser officers and officials lined the walls of the room. "Space Command has destroyed what was left of the Uthlaro fleet. Since their brave warriors always fight to their last breath, we don't expect any to have survived."
"And what of Space Command?" General Ardlessel asked. "Have they been weakened to a point where they no longer pose a threat to us?"
"The final message received from Admiral Krakosso, the commanding officer of the Uthlaro fleet, stated quite clearly that he was battling a Space Command fleet of five-hundred-eighty-one vessels. He reported that his ship's computer confirmed the count and ship class. All vessels were warships. He'd been told Carver had less than a hundred warships in her command."
"Five-hundred-eighty-one warships? What did they do— strip every ship from their Region One fleet?"
"As far as we can determine, their Region One fleet still consists of over three-hundred first-line warships."
"Then where did this enormous Region Two fleet come from?"
"We don't yet have that information, sir."
"If they can suddenly produce five times the number of warships our intelligence service estimates," Ardlessel said to the people seated around the table, "then our data would seem to be faulty as well."
"How many of the Space Command vessels were destroyed in the battle?" the chair of the Space Services committee asked.
"Reports by their news services indicate Space Command lost no ships."
"How can that be? The Uthlaro claimed their ships were as powerful as the Space Command ships."
"Our contact reports that in a succession of battles, Space Command has destroyed all eight-hundred-seventy-six warships the Uthlaro possessed. He also states Space Command destroyed hundreds of new ships in various stages of completion when their shipyards were attacked. They have no evidence Space Command lost any vessels in the engagements. Our contact further reports that Space Command vessels appear to be impervious to laser damage."
"What?" General Ardlessel said loudly. "That's impossible."
"It would explain how the Space Command fleet escaped without damage in battle after battle with Uthlaro forces. Our contact sent security footage of the three shipyard attacks. It shows the Space Command warships being struck repeatedly by laser fire from protection satellites. They ignored the satellites as if they were inconsequential. Following the destruction of the shipyards, Admiral Carver, in her role as the senior military officer in Region Two, proceeded to Uthlarigasset where she threatened to lay waste to the home planet unless they surrendered unconditionally. As part of the surrender, they were forced to immediately cede all territory to the Galactic Alliance. The Uthlaro leadership had sent every available warship to confront her at her HQ base. A military person might consider the act foolish perhaps, but it's doubtful a few home system protection ships could have stopped Space Command. The planetary leadership, aware of what Carver had done to the Milori home world, capitulated.
"Following the surrender, Carver ordered the planetary leadership to announce the surrender and annexation in the news media. The entire territory learned of it long before the final battle."
"If their surrender took place before the final battle, why didn't they recall their ships?"
"Our contact says they did attempt to recall them, but Space Command ruthlessly tracked down the remnants of the fleet and destroyed them without giving them a chance to surrender."
"Unconscionable," General Ardlessel said. "You don't kill an enemy after they've surrendered. What kind of animals are these?"
"Obviously, they are the most dangerous and malevolent species we've yet encountered in space," the chair of the Space Services committee said. "We believed Maxxiloth to be a serious threat, although one which we could conquer, but Space Command destroyed him easily and annexed his empire. Now they've defeated the combined forces of the Tsgardi, Hudeera, Gondusans, and Uthlaro, and absorbed most of their territory. What I don't understand is why Space Command only took seventy-five percent of the Gondusan space, but ninety-five percent of Hudeera space. Why didn't they simply absorb both nations?"
"You can be certain it wasn't because they feared to engage either nation in battle," the Ruwalchu Security Officer said. "Our Uthlaro contact intimated that the Gondusan and Hudeera governments grew frightened after Space Command destroyed the Tsgardi and threw themselves on the mercy of the Galactic Alliance. They immediately withdrew their token forces and offered up territory in the hope Space Command wouldn't wipe out their races. The area each po
ssessed is insignificant, but the Gondusan were the shrewder. The Hudeera apparently offered everything except their home system in an effort to be spared annihilation. The Galactic Alliance must have agreed to the terms simply to be done with them because they could have swatted them aside like a bothersome insect."
"It's apparent," General Ardlessel said, "that the Galactic Alliance is pursuing a manifest destiny like that of Maxxiloth's great-grandfather, Conniloth, who believed it was his destiny to control the galaxy. The Galactic Alliance might have chosen their name for the same reason. They believe they should control the Galaxy. And now they're moving in this direction. We must be next on their list for annexation."
"Great Protector, they can't possibly believe we're going to allow that to happen," the chair of the Space Services committee said.
"They might believe they're invincible. We have to admit that no one has been able to stand for long before their onslaught. If their ships really are invulnerable, we may not be able to stop them."
"We must be ready with every ship we have to repel their invasion."
"Repelling their invasion might be a little difficult, sir," General Ardlessel said. "Your committee has reduced the appropriation for new ships and personnel every annual since you became the chair. After twenty annuals of force reductions, we don't have any spare ships, or spare people to man them."
"You mean we've left ourselves open to attack?"
"As I've been telling you for annuals, it was only a matter of time before some interstellar superpower decided to conquer us. It looks like that day has finally arrived."
"But there's still time, right? I mean, they're not here yet."
"There may still be time, if the Galactic Alliance gets bogged down while exercising control over all the new territory they've conquered. Perhaps if we began a massive shipbuilding and recruiting effort immediately, we might have a chance of repelling them. Otherwise," General Ardlessel just shrugged his shoulders, "we'd better begin learning this language they call Amer.
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