Hawk Genesis: War (Flight of the Hawk)

by Robert Little

  There was no band, apparently that would have just meant more people to watch. They adjourned to a nearby meeting room, a very quickly assembled and almost rude structure that did little more than protect the equipment that operated the landing pads.

  They sat down at a long table and President Minh turned to John, “Captain, I understand that Admiral Grigorivich is not only your immediate superior, he is the, shall we say, the ultimate official in charge of…Orleans.” John said, “Yes, madam president.” He paused, and broke into a grin before continuing, “…and I expect, you may thus wish to begin your typically thorough grilling.” She shook her head and asked, her eyes looking at the admiral, “Admiral Grigorivich, how is it that your navy has managed to retain the services of such a competent and exceedingly irreverent officer?” Admiral Grigorivich laughed, something he seemed to like doing, “Madam president, there is no excuse: we screwed up.” She burst into startled laughter, and a moment later, she burst into tears.

  The admiral was up and around the table in a flash, but her aide was at president Minh’s side first. After just a few moments president Minh composed herself and said, stiffly, “I apologize for my outburst. The war has been difficult for us.” She looked at John, and nodded, “As it has for everyone.”

  Admiral Grigorivich had returned to his seat and said, this time quietly, “President Minh, your tears are the only appropriate response to this war. I have shed my own, have lost so many men and women. I wish it to end, and I think, I hope, that in this room, we can make a beginning. To answer any questions you may have, let me begin by saying that I back wholeheartedly the agreement reached between your government and the irreverent Captain Chamberlin. I have already sent for the supplies your people so urgently need, but would not imagine their arrival date to be less than one month’s time, quite possibly more. Therefore, in the interim, what can we do to assist you?”

  The next two hours went quickly. If anything, the admiral was even more disposed than John to agree to nearly every request and need. By the end of the meeting, the mood of the president and her cabinet and aides had greatly improved. They were not happy with the outcome of the war, but they were now looking at the resolution to some extremely critical issues that had threatened the transformation of severe rationing into starvation.

  Orleans required a steady resupply of a variety of critical components that its environment and economy could not yet provide. Without them, her ability to produce the fruits, grains and produce she required would be, and had been, severely crippled.

  After the meeting, president Minh asked the admiral to stay over for supper. Admiral Grigorivich looked carefully at his hostess and asked, very quietly, “Madam president, I can see that your offer is sincere, from the heart. May I ask you, what would be the cost to you, were I to accept?” She nodded her head, “Sir, I have enemies, that is true, but the war has riven our societies asunder, and now we must find some way to bring them together.” Admiral Grigorivich said, “Madam president, I accept. And, may I just add, your negotiating skills, already legendary, shall rise to even further heights, after word of the manner in which you so easily manipulated federal Admiral of the Navy Grigori Grigorivich.”

  Her eyes widened slightly, and a smile slowly grew on her face. She said, “Admiral, this is going to prove to be a most interesting peace.”

  John stood and asked, “Sir, what are your orders?” The admiral smiled faintly, “Look angry on the way back to the shuttle. Stay inside until I return.” John looked thoughtful as he worked out what had just happened. He said, “Yes sir.”

  They were two hours.

  Chapter 24

  On the way back into orbit the admiral said, “She asked me to tell you that it may take a few years for her to begin to personally recover from the war, but more importantly, to her, is that Orleans survives and prospers, something that she now thinks may happen. She said that if there had been more men such as you, the war would never have happened. I told her that I agreed wholeheartedly with her assessment, and I would try to protect you from your best instincts. I think that what you have accomplished here in just three weeks is important, very important. Word of the way in which the federal government is treating this planet will get out, it always does, and it might help create a much easier transition from war to peace. I happen to think that the federal government has given very little thought to what happens after people stop shooting at each other. I believe that you have, and the results so far are excellent. Now, I just have to convince my civilian superiors that it is in the federation’s best interest to invest in Orleans economy instead of occupying it with federal troops. I believe that I can make a case that it will be far less expensive than occupation. Now, do you have any plans for the next two weeks?”

  John hadn’t expected that question, and thought quickly, “Sir, until our taskforce gets relieved, we need to continue to maintain heavy patrols to ensure that the system doesn’t get retaken.”

  Admiral Grigorivich smiled faintly, “That relief is about two days away from now. As soon as it arrives, I’m ordering your units to return to Elyse. You’re going to lose some light fighters, but I think you’ll not complain once you see the heavy fighters you’re getting. It should be enough for a roughly fifty-fifty mix. We also have a new heavy missile we want you to work with: it reportedly has a range of one point five million kilometers, longer than anything in the rebel inventory. We don’t have many, but there will be enough for a serious test of their ability. We also want to retrofit some new countermeasures into your existing fighters – the new ones will already have the upgrades. They should make it about twenty to thirty percent more difficult for a rebel missile to lock on. Questions?”

  John said, “I can’t think of a one sir.” The admiral smiled, “I didn’t know that you’d just gotten married, nor about your in-laws. May I offer you my belated congratulations, as well as my condolences?” John thanked him.

  The relief didn’t show for a week, causing John to look for reasons to be somewhere not anywhere near the admiral, who had a temper just as big as his laugh.

  It took four additional days to complete the handover. Much to John’s relief, the woman in charge of the “Interim Planetary Defense Force” had been hand picked by the admiral. She seemed to be a nearly ideal choice for the task of keeping ugly incidents to a minimum, which, coincidentally, meant keeping planet-based federal troops to a minimum. She also showed up with some of the supplies Orleans badly needed, an additional good surprise, one that John thought she should personally share with the president, although the admiral didn’t ask his opinion.

  On the fifth, interminable day following Captain Djubi’s arrival, John’s task force accelerated outward, heading for Elyse, where Admiral Grigorivich would return to the war.

  It took a mere two days to make the multiple jumps necessary to arrive at the outer limits of Elyse. Either that system’s defenses were much improved, or the defenders knew that Admiral Grigorivich was due to arrive, because they were seriously on their toes, and within ten minutes hailed the single cruiser that jumped into the northern hemisphere of the system, well away from any gravity wells.

  After the cruiser jumped back out, the entire task force entered the system. Three days later, the carriers arrayed themselves in an orbit outside of the system yards, which were full. Apparently, there was a war on.

  Chapter 25

  John and James discovered, via a smiling admiral, that they had ten days leave. It took them ten minutes to pack a bag and two jumps to reach Maya, and then two additional days trudging through the outer system to get home. It was now much changed. For one thing, it was full of girl’s and their things. Unfortunately, it wasn’t full of girls.

  Their mother wasn’t answering her comm, and her home was closed up. A little checking determined that she was visiting their father, her soon-to-be ex husband. His no-show at the wedding, in fact, no communication of any sort, had apparently pushed her over the edge.

&n
bsp; They went back across town to Castidad’s home, where they struck pay dirt, very loud pay dirt. Castidad shrieked and leaped into James arms. Jordan and Jennifer awkwardly hugged John, reminding him that he had two teen-aged sisters-in-law. Their hugs also served to inform him that they were definitely very female teenagers. Jordan looked up at him – she seemed to have grown at least two inches since the marriage – and said, “My sister is at work, we didn’t know you were coming. She should be home in two or three hours. Would you like to comm her?” John said, “That’s my second choice.” As soon as he said it, he realized his gaffe, and quickly added, “My first choice being a proper kiss.” Both girls blushed – they were young, not stupid.

  Castidad laughed in delight, “Mr. Romantic. Are you this eloquent in your classroom?” John grinned and she hugged him enthusiastically. John said, “I didn’t know she had a job? Where, what, and so on?” Castidad said, “She works for the family. There’s not a lot of call for a Masters in history right now, but she wanted to do something, so she’s actually working on the fighter production line. Your wife is in charge of the weapons interface system, whatever that is.” John stared at Castidad, “Jessica is working on a production line? I had no idea. We don’t get any information, no comm calls, nothing.” Castidad asked, “You get our letters don’t you?” James grinned, “Yes, although it takes awhile to get to us, and even then they are scanned. I think they get better exams than we do.”

  Castidad flicked a glance at the two teenagers and whispered in James ear, “I would love to examine you, but we’d best wait a bit.” In a louder voice she said, “Oh! Good news: my parents have agreed to your marriage proposal – assuming you haven’t met someone else and are still interested. You need to talk to them, but they’ll be home tonight. Can you make yourself available?” James smiled brilliantly, “Yes, I can. Did you mean, ‘make myself available’, to refer to your parents’?” She giggled and hugged him, “Yes. Now, once again, how long will you be here?” James looked at John, who said, “Possibly three days.”

  She led the two brothers into the kitchen and pointed to the table. They sat while Jordan and Jennifer prepared them a quick meal, and Castidad set out a simple tea service. She apologized, “Coffee’s kind of hard to find right now, but we’re told that next week there’ll be a shipment.” John said, “I hadn’t realized that food was so scarce. Are there any other shortages?” She nodded, “If it’s not made or grown on Maya, assume it’s in short supply. This last year has been a little difficult.”

  Her eyes widened and she said, “I’m not…” James grinned at her and interrupted, “We know. Now, what about the rest of your family?” Castidad said, “If you kiss me, I’ll tell you.” John snorted, “If? I’m surprised you had to ask, or had the chance.” James said, “I’m rationing the supply.” John grinned, “I suggest that you reconsider.” James asked, “And, why should I reconsider?” John pointed at Castidad, “If you don’t stop talking to your brother and start paying proper attention to Miss Padilla, she’ll dump you for someone with better sense.” Castidad gurgled, “That attention had better be at least a little improper, if only for consistency’s sake.”

  The two girls and one young woman sat in the kitchen with John and James as they ate their first home-prepared meal in many months. Jordan pestered him with a barrage of questions, making it difficult to answer one question before she asked another, and almost impossible to eat. She had turned avidly pro military, and since she was at least as intelligent as her older sister, she seemed to have acquired more information about the progress of the war than John.

  After roughly the tenth question, John began to smell a rat. He transferred most of his attention from the food to the girl. He’d spent maybe five hours, total, in her presence, she hardly knew him, yet she was talking to him as if they’d been friends for life.

  He looked at Castidad, who assumed her patented, innocent-as-the-driven-snow look, and calmly asked, “What’s up?” Castidad grinned, “We commed Mrs. Chamberlin Jr., right after Mrs. Chamberlin Sr. commed us to let us know you were en route from her house to this one. She – and by ‘she’ I mean to say Mrs. Chamberlin Jr., is on the way home. She wanted to talk to you in person, rather than, you know, long-distance?” John blushed, “Oh, well good then.”

  Jordan and her sister both giggled. Teenagers.

  Fifteen minutes later Jessica ran through the front door, down the hall and into the kitchen, where she almost knocked him over. She was laughing and crying, but mostly, she was kissing him.

  After a few moments Castidad, asked, although she was also giggling, as were Jessica’s two sisters, “Ahem. Jessica? Are you hungry? For food?” Jessica paused long enough to ask John, “How long?” He said, “Two, three days.” She told Castidad, “No.” She kissed John again and asked, “Would you like to see what I did with our home?” John started to say something, but she was already urgently tugging him into motion. He looked back at James and said, “Um, I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  Nobody could look at him.

  They returned four hours later, looking remarkably happy and quite possible a little more relaxed. They arrived just ahead of Castidad’s parents, who had also received comm calls. It appeared that the abrupt and unannounced arrival of a probable son-in-law was sufficient reason to leave the office a bit early. John got a strong handshake and a penetrating look of intense curiosity from Mr. Padilla, as did James. Both men received nice hugs from Mrs. Padilla.

  Jennifer and Jordan were demonstrating casual but extremely intense interest in John and Jessica, causing John to feel a little uncomfortable. Jessica, who seemed to be able to notice everything, leaned over to whisper, “Relax my love, they’re teenagers, they have a reasonably good idea of what we have been doing, and to tell you the truth, they’re showing remarkable restraint by not just asking us outright about, you know, what we’ve been doing.” John groaned quietly, causing Jessica to beam with pleasure, “So, one question answered.” John asked, “Question?” She smiled angelically, “Yes, now to find out if I can pummel you unmercifully.”

  Castidad’s father turned out to be approximately at least one half of the genetic reasons for the seven physically attractive and bright to very bright children in the family. They gathered everyone in the living room, minus the two sons who were still unavailable.

  Mr. Padilla had dark, wavy hair, was average in height, with the build of a boxer or athlete, which it turned out he had been.

  Once they were all settled comfortably, he demonstrated that his brains were as good as his looks, which were, according to Jessica, truly excellent. He said, “I have been hearing a great deal about the Chamberlin brothers, and not just from my family, although of course, one of them has been jabbering on and on about one of the them.” Castidad smilingly protested, “I have most certainly not jabbered. In fact, have you ever heard me jabber?” He smiled back, “Yes, although the deficient mental condition known as ‘jabbering’ has only recently surfaced.” She laughed, “Deficient mental condition?” He grinned back but turned his attention to James and John.

  He asked John, “I understand that you now command roughly one thousand fighters. Before you two have to return to the war, I would like to sit down with you and discuss your experiences. Actually, both of you. Your expertise is invaluable. I understand that your time here is very limited, and I don’t wish to intrude, although I am reliably informed that James here is largely to blame for the deterioration of my middle daughters’ mental state.” Castidad reached over and took James unresisting hand and quietly said, “If by that statement you mean that Lieutenant Commander James Chamberlin has captured my heart, then I freely admit that you are correct.”

  Mr. Padilla turned his dark eyes on James, “Lieutenant Commander Chamberlin, I have been informed that you have asked for the hand in marriage of my daughter. Is that correct?” James sat at attention and said, “Yes sir. I am in love with your daughter Castidad, and wish to marry her.” Mr. Padilla ask
ed Castidad, “And, daughter, do you reciprocate his feelings?” She looked at James for an intense second before answering, “Yes father; with all of my heart.”

  Mr. Padilla asked, “James and Castidad, should the two of you marry, have you discussed what you wish to do, following the termination of the insurrection?” Castidad looked searchingly at James, and at a slight nod from him answered, “Yes, we have. James is an engineer, and has excellent prospects. I have my degree and my teaching credentials, but James has told me that if I wish to return to university for a post-graduate degree, he will support that decision. I have not yet decided. I greatly enjoy working for the family, but lately I have thought that perhaps I might gain a second degree in planetary ecology. There is so much work yet to be done before Maya can become fully self-sustaining, and, well, perhaps there might be a role for me in that effort.”

  Mr. Padilla was sitting next to his wife. He took her hand, looked intently at her, and turned back to face James and Castidad. “Castidad, you have our permission. Normally, we would insist on a ninety-five day engagement, followed by a religious ceremony; however, the war trumps normal protocol. Therefore, we ask the two of you: what are your wishes?”