Solomon Family Warriors II

by Robert H. Cherny

  Fiona thought for a second taken back by the soft tones with which Timothy had delivered a stinging indictment of her attitude. “What do you think of the Swordsmen?”

  “Customers, clients, competitors, and militarily very dangerous.”

  “Timothy, I would like to be your friend,” Fiona said.

  “I don’t have friends. I have colleagues and you already are. Good evening.” Timothy turned and walked away.

  “That was cold!” Saul exclaimed.

  “He should be running the company,” Fiona said. “Not Artemus.”

  “Careful, we don’t want to get in the middle of palace intrigues.”

  “We have been since the day we arrived from Eretz.”

  CHANGE OF COMMAND - CHAPTER FOUR

  SYLVIA, STANLEY, REBECCA AND MICHAEL were eating dinner when Saul and Fiona arrived in the Queen Elizabeth’s galley. The “Fourth” was still there with a few of their friends. Rebecca’s parents had come off shift and had recently arrived.

  Saul greeted his mother’s sister with a hug, “Hey, Aunt Wendy, so what do you think of adding Michael to the family.”

  “They haven’t asked me yet,” Wendy replied with a twinkle in her eye.

  “They will,” Saul assured her. “Rebecca loves him and he loves her. How do you think Alina will take to Stanley marrying Sylvia?”

  “She’ll be fine with it. They look so happy together. How are you and Fiona holding out under the stress?” Wendy asked.

  “We’re all right,” Saul said. “It’s kind of exciting in that old Solomon family tradition.”

  “Of all the kids, you are most like your grandfather,” Wendy said.

  “Thank you. Is Faye Anne around?”

  “She was afraid she would be intruding on the family get together and didn’t come,” Wendy said.

  “I need to talk to her.”

  “Oh?”

  “We need a spook we can trust,” Saul said.

  “Faye Anne is loyal to your mother. She won’t go with you.”

  “I know, but I’ll give you ten to one there’s someone she’s been working with on our behalf.”

  “What make you think that?” Wendy asked.

  “Aunt Wendy, we’re talking about Faye Anne.”

  “Saul, would you like me to call her?” Elizabeth offered.

  “Yes, thank you. How are you, Elizabeth?”

  “Busy,” Elizabeth replied. “I didn’t wish to appear anti-social, but the last batch of colonists made a disaster out of module two and I am supervising the repair crews.”

  In spite of having spent his childhood in and around sentient space ships, Saul still treated them with deference as one would a revered grandparent. In particular he refrained from speaking to one until spoken to or unless he had a specific request. Peter, the Fourth’s cargo ship, Buddy and Daisy, their warships, were older than his parents and almost as old as his grandparents. Elizabeth, the newest sentient ship, in whose galley he now stood, was older than he was.

  Saul and Fiona sat to eat as one of the kids who had accompanied the Fourth on the “rescue mission” that covered Saul and Fiona’s arrival described his reactions to the combat that had ensued when real pirates attacked the supposedly crippled freighter. The pirates, of course, never had a chance since Saul’s heavily armed convoy escort ship had been on station the whole time secretly traveling docked to the huge cargo ship. The Fourth’s timely arrival sealed the pirates’ fates.

  Unlike the sentient warships, Buddy and Daisy, which were designed for Pirate Interdiction and therefore small and fast, the convoy escort Saul commanded was larger, heavier and carried over twenty times as much firepower as the P I ships. It was designed to be intimidating. Three of them traveled with most convoys and could safely repel anything smaller than a Federation carrier fleet. They were such effective deterrents, the convoy escorts rarely saw combat. Even their designers did not know their full capabilities in action.

  Faye Anne arrived with a timid looking young woman in tow.

  Saul elbowed his aunt. “I told you.”

  “I knew all along,” Wendy said with a smile. “I hope you like her.”

  Wendy motioned for Faye Anne and her companion to sit at the table with Saul and Fiona.

  Saul and Fiona stood to greet them. “Have you eaten?” Fiona asked.

  “Yes, we have,” Faye Anne replied. “Elizabeth said you asked for me.”

  Saul grinned. “All right, miss queen of the intelligence community, why do you think I would ask to see you?”

  Faye Anne grinned maliciously, “Because you’re not very intelligent?”

  Saul laughed. “Hardly. I need someone with special skills that I know you have a particular talent for developing.”

  Faye Anne turned to the young lady who she had not yet introduced. “Tab, could you get me some coffee and a roll?”

  Tab silently smiled and headed toward the buffet.

  “Do you remember Ben Stein?” Faye Anne asked.

  “Yes, we had classes together at Eretz,” Saul answered.

  “Tabitha is his sister. She ran away at sixteen. She doesn’t talk about what happened after that, but McGee found her in a hospital at one of our freight depots and brought her to me. Isaac has done what he can to repair the damage to her face, but as you can see, whoever beat her up really did a number on her.”

  “How much does McGee know about what happened to her?” Fiona asked.

  “He knows more than he’s telling,” Faye Anne replied. “He thinks we should respect her privacy and not pry. Isaac said he saw evidence of drug abuse. Anything could have happened.”

  “How good is she?” Saul asked.

  “Extremely,” Faye Anne answered. “She’s been working with the Fourth for a year and I think she’s ready to step up to what you need.”

  “I’m asking that the Fourth be assigned to me,” Saul said. “She could be part of that. We should talk to her first.” Tab returned with the coffee and they all sat.

  “Tabitha, Faye Anne tells me you have been working with the Fourth,” Saul said. “How do you rate them as a combat unit?”

  “Are you asking for an impartial evaluation of your sister and cousin?” Tabitha asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Is this a test?”

  “Yes.”

  Tabitha looked at Faye Anne and back at Saul. “Are you really considering me for the job?”

  “Yes, but if you don’t answer soon, I will change my mind. In the future, when I ask a question, I want an answer, now.”

  “Yes, Captain.” Tabitha gave a detailed description of the Fourth’s recent combat activities, their personalities and how the individuals related to each other. She did not limit her discussion to the humans, but included the three sentient ships as if they were people. She had enough contact with the ships to evaluate nuances in their personalities.

  When she was done, Saul said, “I’m impressed.”

  Fiona said, “We should introduce you to the rest of the crew.”

  They joined the rest of the crew that had traveled with Saul and Fiona to the transfer point where the “rescue” had taken place. Saul said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Tabitha. Faye Anne has been training her. She is interested in becoming our new spook.”

  “Captain Cohen,” Tabitha said. “Please do not use that term in my presence. I consider it insulting and demeaning.”

  Gabby had been standing watching this first meeting with anticipation. She laughed out loud.

  Sylvia reached out her hand. “You’re hired.”

  Michael asked, “How long have you been working with Faye Anne?”

  “Three years.”

  “And you survived? Welcome aboard.”

  Rebecca said, “Faye Anne’s recommendation is all I need.”

  Stanley said, “My name is Stanley, I’m the new kid on the block. Happy to meet you, Tabitha.”

  “I go by Tab. I would be honored to be part of your crew.”

  �
�You’ll earn your keep, trust me,” Stanley said. “We all do.”

  Saul turned back to Faye Anne. “I think the appropriate rank is Lieutenant. I trust you can handle the documentation to make this happen.”

  “Certainly.”

  “Tab, for your first mission, pirates knew we had a freighter in distress when we met at a carefully selected point in the middle of nowhere. That was not an accident. Your job is to find out how that happened.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You are welcome to stay in your current quarters or move to the escort ship. Once we leave port you will come with us.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Please take time to get to know the rest of the crew. I expect that you will come to know them as well as you know the Fourth. Tab, I need to ask you a personal question that I know is out of bounds, but I will ask it anyway. Do you have a significant other?”

  “No, but thank you for asking.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Faye Anne rested her hand on her protégées shoulder. “I am leaving you in good hands. I have a report due in the morning which still needs work. I will see you later.”

  “Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” Tab said.

  “Tab, I didn’t do it for you,” Faye Anne said. “I did it for them. They need you. Take good care of them.”

  “I will.”

  Elizabeth broke in with an announcement, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Warren has asked that Saul, Fiona, their combat group and the Fourth meet him at his office at 0100 hours.”

  After a moment of silence, Saul said, “Elizabeth, please reply that we will be there.”

  “As if we had a choice,” Fiona groaned. “I’m tired.”

  “I suggest we retire and meet here fifteen minutes before 0100 so we can travel as a group.”

  They split up and headed for their quarters.

  CHANGE OF COMMAND - CHAPTER FIVE

  MARINE LT. TERRANCE RATTIGAN and his wife Madison, also a Marine Lieutenant, met the group in the galley. “Evening Saul, your mother thought you might appreciate an escort.”

  “I’m always happy to see you,” Saul replied.

  “Not half as happy as I was to see you bust down the door at the Swordsman prison.”

  “Just another day at the office.”

  Laughter rippled around the room.

  The corridors to the executive residence were empty except for the guards and a few service personnel industriously about their business in a facility that never sleeps. “Day” and “night” were intellectual constructs designed for the human inhabitants’ comfort.

  The party reached the outer office to find Alina sitting at the secretary’s desk.

  Sylvia ran to her. “Mom, you look exhausted!”

  “We haven’t seen each other in five years and the first thing you can say is how bad I look?”

  “Mom, I’m worried about you. Every time you write, it’s all about how much you’re working. I don’t get the feeling you enjoy what you are doing. Now, look at you,” Sylvia said.

  “I’m fine. He’s a handful is all. The good news is I have lasted longer than any of his other pilots.”

  She quickly scanned the faces in the room. Her eyes locked on Stanley. “You are the only male in the room I do not know. You must be Stanley.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “I understand you are interested in my daughter.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Alina turned back to Sylvia. “Have you heard from your father lately?”

  “He has taken an assistant straight out of veterinary school. The practice is doing well. His son is talking about becoming a Rabbi and his daughter is talking about law school.”

  Alina faced Stanley. “Sylvia’s father is a kind, gentle, caring man who I had no business marrying. I hurt him very much. I did not mean to hurt him, but, well, that’s a long time ago. He gave me Sylvia for which I am grateful.”

  “Mom, he knows you didn’t mean to hurt him. He would like to see you again some time.”

  The door opened to the inner office and Warren stepped out. “Alina, are you still up? I told you to turn in hours ago.” She stood and he kissed her. “Go to bed.”

  Alina exited through a side door.

  Warren turned to Sylvia. “Your mother is a remarkable woman. I would marry her if she would let me. What is she afraid of?”

  “Probably of hurting you the way she hurt my father,” Sylvia replied.

  Warren shook his head and motioned them inside. He pointed at a conference table and they sat.

  “Welcome to the private residence. As of 0100 hours this morning, I have officially placed Saul in command of our offensive assets and Fiona in command of our defensive assets. Since the Fourth is already attached to the security service, you are free to deploy them as you see fit. I recommend that as soon as the current quarterly meeting is over you embark on an inspection tour. The Fourth and a small convoy of security ships should accompany you.”

  “How many ships are we authorized to take?” Saul asked.

  “You’re in charge now, you decide,” Warren replied impatiently. “How many do you need?”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “That was clever using a rescue mission as a diversion to cover your return. I could not have done better myself,” Warren said.

  “Thank you sir,” Saul said. “We had a problem that you might not be aware of. Pirates knew our meeting point and jumped us shortly after we arrived. The convoy escort ship demonstrated its power, but the arrival of the Fourth turned the tide of the battle. We have a security leak we need to plug.”

  “Do you have a plan?” Warren asked.

  “I have asked Faye Anne and Tab to research it so we can solve it,” Saul replied.

  “You must be Tab,” Warren said looking at Tabitha.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “In all fairness, I must warn you about the people you have thrown in with. They kill people.”

  “Sir, I have reviewed the after-action reports from the incident where Saul rescued his mother from the Swordsman torture cell. Had I been more like them, my face would not look as it does, sir.”

  “One thing I have learned from the Solomon clan is that your appearance means little to them. Your physical fitness and the quality of your work are what they care about. Do not let anything stand in the way of doing your job,” Warren advised.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “All right, the security of this company is of vital importance to its success. It is your job to protect it from assault both from without and within. In order that everyone understand my philosophy of the proper use of our military forces I wanted you all to hear what I have to say at the same time so there can be no mistake. My father and grandfather both misused their military power and almost destroyed everything they had built. We will learn from their errors and not repeat them. The function of the defensive forces seem relatively straight forward. My belief in the power of overwhelming force as a deterrent to attack is frequently misunderstood. Greg Solomon has often publicly stated that the point of a strong military is not to make war, but to enforce the peace. That is the philosophy of the Third Force. It will be your job to keep that power in the back of the politicians’ minds and keep it functioning so that should we be called upon to use it, we can. No matter how much the politicians talk, we must never allow the Federation and the Swordsmen to go to war.”

  Warren devoted the next two hours to a detailed briefing on the Third Force, its history, its victories and its few defeats. One of its defeats had come as a result of actions by Fiona’s mother, Sabrina, and a task force commanded by then Federation Pirate Interdiction Specialist Captain Alina Darwin, who was now his pilot and consort, but its most devastating defeat had been delivered by a sentient battleship now known as the Queen Elizabeth.

  When Warren finished he said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, you have your orders. Our lives are in your hands.” He left them alone in the room
.

  Saul raised his hands to prevent discussion. “We will reconvene in the Queen Elizabeth’s galley at 1900 hours. Until then do not discuss any of this with anyone lest you be overheard. Remember, the walls have ears.”

  Suffering badly from lack of sleep, Fiona and Saul struggled to stay awake during the next day’s meeting. Artemus was presenting and he had a long list of items for discussion. As the meeting progressed it became clear that the most active dynamic was between Timothy and Artemus with Harold most often siding with Timothy and Zelda most often siding with Artemus.

  The meeting focused on capital projects. High ticket items affecting the lives of the people who lived and worked at the freight depots dominated the discussions. The agenda included school expansions, recreation complexes, shipyard facilities, recycling plants, and material handling equipment. By the end of the day, they had only worked their way through half the projects to be discussed. Artemus expressed his pleasure at the number of decisions they had made. Timothy expressed his displeasure at the speed with which they were spending money.

  After the meeting broke for the day, Artemus stepped over to Fiona carefully clasping his hands behind his back so Saul could not get an opportunity to accost him again. “So, sister dear, you look tired. Did you and the wild children stay up partying last night on your pleasure yacht?”

  Fiona rolled her eyes. “No, are you jealous because we didn’t invite you?”

  “Not hardly. You didn’t offer much in the way of discussion today.”

  “I don’t know anything about recycling plants the size of what you need. I would rather listen and learn. When I have an informed opinion to offer, I will offer it.”

  “Like you did with the cargo ships?”

  “Exactly.”

  “See you tomorrow, sister dear. I hope the discussion is more lively for you.”

  At 1900 hours the combined team under Saul’s and Fiona’s command gathered in the galley for dinner. Saul and Fiona quickly assigned each team member a research project having to do with the status of their forces. They asked for reports on the quantities of ships and personnel trained to staff them. They needed to know ordinance types and inventories as well as the current deployment of all their assets including assets in transit with convoys.