Double Spiral War Trilogy

by Warren Norwood

  “But why as an officer?” Henley asked. “I still don’t see what real advantages that would give me. And I certainly see some distinct disadvantages.”

  “As Chief Warrant Officer Henley, Tellers Corps, you don’t think you would have some advantages over a civilian reporter?”

  Now Henley understood. CWO’s in the Tellers Corps were almost autonomous. “Putting it that way does make a difference. I would have access to reports from all the combat tellers in the sector, wouldn’t I?”

  “Exactly. And, Mica,” he said turning to her, “Henlyey wouldn’t actually outrank you, if that is part of your concern.”

  “It wasn’t. Or maybe it was. I don’t know. But I do know that this is the strangest idea I’ve ever heard from you.”

  “Perhaps it is, but this isn’t the first time I’ve thought about it.”

  “I suspected that,” Henley said with a smile. “Who did you have in mind before I came along?”

  Gilbert returned his smile. “That was the problem, Henley. Before you wandered into my office last week, this was nothing more than a notion I had of something I ought to do. After you left I dug out some of your stories –“

  “Those old Flag Report you sent me for!”

  “Yes, Mica. Read seven or eight of them, Henley, and they were even better than I remembered them. That’s when I decided to delay our meeting. I wanted to be sure I could make this offer before I got your reaction.”

  “I should have known,” Mica said suddenly. Then she turned to Henley. “This morning he told me he wished we had someone like you on Satterfield. We were so busy, I didn’t have a chance to think about it.”

  Henley shook his head. “Who’d have guessed it? I mean, I thought you were joking at first, Josiah. I really did. Then when I realized you were serious, I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t. But I’m certainly not closed to the idea.”

  “And you, Mica?” Gilbert asked.

  She looked at both of them with a quiet grin. “You two beat anything I’ve heard lately,” she said, “but it looks like I’ll have to agree with Mr. Stanmorton –“

  “Henley,” he said.

  “All right. I’ll agree with Henley. I’m not closed to the idea either. However, I don’t want to go out there without some very specific sense of what you want. Unlike Henley, I can’t just go wandering around looking for stories.”

  “Good,” Gilbert said as he rose to refill their glasses. “Now there’s just one more element you need to know before we discuss the details of what I want you to do. Tomorrow Polar Fleet, Border Fleet, and Central Fleet will be combined under one command – mine.”

  * * * *

  Civil protests and demonstrations were nothing new to the planets of the United Central Systems, but they had been rare occurrences on the governing planet of Gensha – until now.

  Protest meetings involving thousands of citizens in a few scattered cities had evolved into demonstrations involving millions in almost every major city and town. Gensha’s people were angry – angry about rationing, and angry about conscription of their young people into the military, and most surprisingly, angry about the defeat at Matthews system. Bridgeforce had declared all information about the Matthews battle classified and restricted, but the people had seemed to have learned about it almost immediately after it had happened.

  No one was sure how the general population had gotten that information, but many members of the military suspected that Marshall Judoff and her rising kyosei faction were responsible. She had withdrawn her forces from support of the war as was her right under the U.C.S. Charter of Confederation, but to most military officers, including Frye Charltos, she was considered a traitor to their cause.

  Even more to Frye Charltos’s dismay, Bridgeforce was allowing itself to be distracted by the riotous mood of the people. Admiral Tuuneo, Supreme Director of Bridgeforce, had even gone so far as to suggest a delay in implementing Frye’s plan for the further invasion of Sondak’s polar systems.

  Such a suggestion had to be protested in person and Frye had immediately requested a meeting with Tuuneo. The admiral had granted his request, but after an hour of trying to make his case, Frye was becoming more and more frustrated. It appeared that Tuuneo was not going to relent. Yet Frye had no choice except to persist.

  “Sir,” Frye said slowly, “delay will only give Sondak more time to reinforce their defenses. Because of Vice-Marshall Yozel’s reluctance to commit the full weight of his forces, we have lost precious time fighting for control of Sutton. If Ely hadn’t been killed, this wouldn’t have happened.”

  “As I have told you, Commander, Bridgeforce is well aware of your feelings about Vice-Marshall Yozel’s tactics. And we will all miss Commander Ely’s valuable services. However, that does not alter my suggestion.”

  Frye refused to be put off. “Surely, sir, we cannot afford further delay. With Yozel’s ships added to the invasion fleet I propose, we can sweep through Sondak’s defenses in a matter of months. If we wait, it may take us years. Or worse, we might never –“

  “That is quite enough, Commander,” Tuuneo said sternly. “Do not forget that it is I who supported you, and continue to support you and your plans. However, I alone am not Bridgeforce, nor can I demand that we follow your schedule. Be patient.”

  “Patience could cost us victory, sir,” Frye said. He did not want to anger Tuuneo, but he knew they had to begin the polar operation immediately. Hesitancy would be disastrous to all the hopes he had of striking a decisive counterblow to Sondak. The losses could be extremely high in such an operation, but the final defeat of Sondak would be worth any price in blood.

  “The hunks will buy us time, Commander. Already Captain Ishiwa has struck the first blow against Sondak. Five more ships have now completed training and are following his lead. We are accelerating production and training to send the maximum number of hunks to destroy Sondak shipping in the polar sector.”

  Frye sighed with weariness. Tuuneo spoke with certainty about what the hunks could accomplish, yet Frye knew that nothing was certain. The strength of Sondak’s forces was already on the rise again, and time was something the U.C.S. did not have to waste. “With all due respect, Admiral, it will take more than twenty hunks, or even two hundred, to buy us the time we need.”

  8

  GENERALS MARI AND PORRAS SAT HUDDLED under a stretchlon shelter by the base of the cliff listening to Warrant Officer Caffey. A steady, soaking rain beat on their canopy making it hard for them to hear Caffey’s words.

  Beyond them in the center of the broad canyon sat Caffey’s aging, lightspeed freighter. Its flat, space-scarred hull looked almost natural against the rocky cliff on the other side of the canyon as troops unloaded much needed supplies from its holds.

  “And you intercepted their transmission?” Porras asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Caffey said. “It was broadcast in the clear about an hour after Taylor got hit. The Ukes claimed to have destroyed two of our ships, but they didn’t hang around to check or they would have known that Barterer only suffered minor damage. Whatever they hit her with knocked out her navigation gear, but Captain Arden got his secondary navs working pretty quick after that.”

  “What happened to the Taylor?” Mari asked.

  “She was running straight for the Ukes when she caught it. Lost her whole command section. Twenty-seven good men and women dead and gone,” Caffey said with a shake of her head. “Took us two days to get back and find her, but we rescued the rest of the crew and put them aboard the Lipscomb. They dropped in over Elias about an hour before we landed here.”

  Mari liked this young warrant officer with her matter-of-fact way of giving her report. He knew enough about the problems of space navigation to know their rescue effort had been anything but as simple as she made it sound. Ships traveling at lightspeed weren’t like boats on a lake. One didn’t just stop, turn around, and head back.

  “Some of them were hurt pretty bad, so Lipscomb might be leaving yo
u some casualties.”

  “How did you get through the Ukes here?” Mari asked looking up at the rolling thunderheads.

  “The Ukes are funny about that, sir. They’re pretty thin up there, except for a cluster of ships over the north pole. Don’t know why they’re not patrolling more, but I’m not going to complain about it, either. After we located their ships, I just sort of skimmed in on the equatorial plane like I did last trip then cut the atmosphere real slow so there wasn’t much burn for them to see. Pretty simple, really.”

  “Your last trip?” Mari asked. “You mean to tell me you’ve made this run before?”

  “Twice.” Caffey’s grin made her pale eyes sparkle. “First time we came in was the day after the invasion. That was pretty darned scary, I don’t mind telling you, sir. Had to hunt for almost half a day to find Colonel Archer’s beacon that time –“

  “Colonel Archer?”

  “Commander of the Ninth Militia Legion over on Elias,” Porras said, “the one I told you about. A damned good man.”

  Mari had to think a second before he could sort Archer’s name from all those Porras had given him. “Right,” he said. “Go ahead, Caffey.”

  “Anyway,” Caffey continued, “I found his beacon and set us down right next to a damned volcano.”

  “Mount Fashondua,” Porras said. “It’s the only volcano on Elias.”

  “Archer was there to meet us, so we dumped our load of ammunition as fast as we could and blasted out of there. Burned engines getting back to Satterfield. That was the first run, and the hardest. Made the second run three weeks later – mostly heavy weapons on that one. Which reminds me. Admiral Pajandcan gave me a message to be passed on to the highest commander.”

  “General Mari is Planetary Commander,” Porras said.

  “Looks like I came to the right place,” Caffey said with a look of delight that suddenly made her look ten years younger.

  “When did Pajandcan take over POLFLEET?” Mari asked.

  “Right before I left, sir.”

  “I’ll take the message,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “It’s verbal, General. Old Pancan didn’t want to take any chances.” Caffey smiled, then quickly raised a hand to cover it. “Guess I shouldn’t call her that in front of you, should I? But that’s what everyone used to call her when I served under her a couple of years ago.”

  Caffey took a breath, as though waiting for a response. When none came, she went on. “Anyway, the admiral wants you to know ‘unofficially’ that she will continue to send you whatever supplies you need that she can spare. Officially, she is supposed to use all equipment and supplies at her disposal for the defense of Satterfield and Bakke.”

  General Porras gave a low whistle. “Sounds like we’re the holding action for a while.”

  Mari nodded. “It certainly does. And it makes good senses. The more Ukes we tie up here, the fewer there will be to use against the other systems.” He rubbed his face, then looked up. “But that’s none of your worry, Caffey. Thanks for the information. I have some official reports for Admiral Pajandcan to send back with you, but I –“

  “Can’t do it, General. Sorry, but those are the admiral’s orders. Nothing but verbal reports. Too risky.”

  “Damn,” Mari cursed. “How are we – Oh, never mind. Give Admiral Pajandcan this message. Tell her we need more light weapons than heavy ones, transport more than anything else – squad skimmers if she can dig some up – and as many battle rations as she can possibly spare. Tell her we have plenty of ammunition for the time being. Then tell her we’ll hold out here until the Ukes cut off our last trigger finger. Got that?”

  “You bet, sir.” Caffey glanced out into the canyon, then up at the sky. “Looks like this storm front’s about to pass, sir, and I’d like to use it for take-off cover if I can. If you don’t have anything else for me. I’ll get back to my ship.”

  “Just one more thing,” Mari said. “Tell old Pancan I said you deserve a promotion.”

  “Thanks, General, but I can’t go any higher. I’m already a Chief Warrant Four. The Service would have to create a new rank just for me, and I don’t think –“

  “Or commission you,” Mari said.

  “Not me, General. Begging your pardon, sir, but most commissioned officers I’ve had to deal with are a pain in the flaming tail section. I’d just as soon stay a warrant.”

  Mari laughed and admitted her honesty. “All right, Caffey. But tell the admiral what I said anyway.”

  “Will do, sir.” Caffey stood as high as the stretchlon would let her and pulled on her poncho. “General Mari. General Porras,” she said with a casual salute for each of them. “Give ‘em hell.” Without waiting for a reply she ran out into the rain toward her ship.

  “What the service wouldn’t give for a thousand like her,” Porras said quietly.

  “How soon before we leave?” Mari asked, his thoughts already jumping ahead. Something Caffey had said had given him an idea.

  Porras looked out at the troops loading the skimmers. “Looks like they’re almost finished. I’d say we can get back to headquarters any time.”

  “Good. I want full reports on all supplies and equipment received today by all units so we can plan redistribution. Then I want you to get me over to see Colonel Archer.”

  “That’s pretty dangerous, sir. You’re talking about zig-zagging through fifteen hundred kilometers of territory the Ukes pretty much control, then another eight hundred kilometers across the Sea of Sabrina. I’d advise against it.”

  “Dammit, Porras, if I remember correctly, you told me that Archer was irreplaceable – some kind of hero among his troops. Am I right?”

  “Yes, sir. He’s an extremely charismatic leader.”

  “Then that means we can’t risk losing him just to bring him here. And I can’t risk sending you, because you’re holding this whole show together. That leaves me.”

  “But I could go!” Porras explained.

  Mari sighed harshly. “Look, Porras, you were doing quite well before you rescued me, because this is your planet. You know the units and commanders planetwide. That’s why –“

  “As you were, sir,” Porras said hotly. “I didn’t send men into Esqueleada to die rescuing you just so you could run off and get yourself killed. I need your experience and assistance. This planet needs you.”

  “And the only way I can put that experience to work and be of real value to you,” Mari said, “is to evaluate first hand every situation I can. Get me transportation to Elias.”

  The gentle roar of Caffey’s ship taking off made it impossible for Porras to answer. When the noise had finally subsided it was Mari who spoke. “I understand your concern, Porras, and I appreciate it. But as of this moment, you are the Planetary Commander. I am now your senior services observer, number one liaison, technical advisor, and general morale booster. Until such time as I choose to relieve you of command, you are the ultimate Sondak military authority on Sutton responsible for all things except me.”

  Porras looked at him for a long moment and finally a thin smile split his pale face. “All right, General. Pack your kit and we’ll see if we can’t find you a ride to Archer’s piece of the action.”

  ◊ ◊ ◊

  Proctor Leri Gish Geril had underestimated her people. They fully supported the idea of selling methane to the Oinaise rather than to the humans from Sondak just as she expected them to.

  But much to her surprise, almost immediately after the Oinaise and his human companion left Cloise, a delegation of ten directors urgently requested a meeting with her to propose new measures for Cloise’s defense. To fully honor their unusual initiative, she received them in her private audience chamber.

  “Peace to you, Proctor,” Ranas said after the directors had entered and settled around the walls of the chamber.

  “And to you all,” Leri said. She still felt tense in Ranas’s presence. It was no longer secret that the young historian, Weecs, was her lover, and many s
uspected that the last guplings she had borne were his. The fact that Ranas, her first and only legal mate, seemed to accept that relationship with equanimity only served to make her more uncomfortable.

  “We have come for advice, Proctor,” Ranas said, observing the formalities.

  “My life belongs to Cloise,” she answered the ritual. “My advice is the people’s.”

  “Then let us be frank, Proctor,” Ranas said with a suddenness that startled her. “After much discussion and consultation with the Isthians, we have reached a difficult decision. We wish to suggest that it would be highly appropriate for us to request armed defense vessels from the Oinaise as partial payment for our methane.”

  Ranas said it so simply that it took a second or two for Leri to believe what they were suggesting. “Buy alien arms for the defense of Cloise?” she asked finally. “Buy the weapons of war from the soulless Oinaise? What obscenity is this?”

  “No obscenity, Proctor. We fired the surface to help rescue you from Exeter the Castorian and to drive off Sondak’s pirates. Why should other defenses be an obscenity?”

  “The question remains valid, Ranas. However, we will set it aside for the purpose of discussion.” She paused and wondered what the confidantes would think of such a proposal. They would surely disapprove, and they were the final authority on all question of ethos.

  “If Cloise were to propose such a bargain to the Oinaise,” she continued, “and if they were to agree, how would we utilize such vessels? Except for a few Isthian scientists and half-a-hundred historians, I know of no one willing to leave the surface, much less serve time in space.”

  “We propose that the Oinaise employ suitable crews to serve us in this capacity. The Isthians believe there are humans who would do this for recompense.”

  “Disgusting!” Leri was revolted by the idea. “Humans will sell themselves to anyone for anything,” she said. “However, why should we sully ourselves by becoming party to such a despicable transaction?” She could almost guess what their answer would be, and in an odd way she was proud of them for being able to deal with a concept so basically antithetical to everything the Elett had taught them and her people believed.