“I’ve heard. I’m not sure I believe it.”
“It’s generally accepted out here in the Empire to be true. She will fight him if he comes, and Chandrajuski will have to let him through. She can’t tell a lie, but she doesn’t have to tell the whole truth either, and she’s clever about it. She didn’t tell him she’s in a fast ship. I would give a fast frigate a fair chance against a slow cruiser. If nothing else, she could just stay out of range of his guns, taking occasional pot shots at him. She’d wear him out until he gives up or runs, but his men here don’t know that. I wonder if he’ll come?”
“Maybe we’ll just have to keep an eye on those four command ships.”
“Maybe now would be a good time to take them out,” Trexler said with a smile. “I don’t doubt for a minute that Chandrajuski is thinking the same thing. Their use to us is over. Any surrenders will be on a ship by ship basis, possibly a unit or a wing here or there, but those top commanders are unlikely to approve a general surrender.”
“I would when it reached a certain point, and it’s going to reach that point. Are you giving them full credit? They’re just as good at commanding as we are. They have to care about their men.”
“Chandrajuski will be the better judge of that. A lot of these guys got their appointments by replacing the A-teams; they’re second string and might not have the seasoning it takes to admit defeat. Is there anything harder for a warrior to do?”
“No, unless it’s watching your men die.”
Twenty minutes later, two of the command ships far out in the system winked out, having jumped into hyperspace. After two hours passed and they had not reappeared, Chandrajuski announced to all ships, Empire and Rebel, that the top Rebel command had fled. He offered surrender as the only Rebel option. He pulled all of his slow ships from their targets and let the fast ships remain engaged.
Rebel ships began fleeing, but they were days away from jumping into hyperspace. Some risked jumping early, and their fates were unknown, but most stuck to doctrine. Chandrajuski waited until trajectories of fleeing units were known, then issued instructions to the remainder of Seeton’s reserves to intercept them. When the additional 273 squadrons emerged from hyper, essentially simultaneously, one of the far Rebel command ships contacted Chandrajuski and surrendered. The battle was over.
Chapter Twenty-six
Reba entered the nearly empty sick bay. Everyone but Trexler had been transferred to another ship. He was in the net and did not sense her entrance.
She announced to the room, “Ship, alert Admiral Trexler that he has a visitor.”
The phone beside Trexler’s bed began vibrating. She picked it up.
“General broadcast is not permitted in sick bay.”
“There’s no one left in here who is sick. Notify Admiral Trexler.” She hung up and waited.
It wasn’t long before Trexler removed his helmet and looked around at the vacant room. His gaze settled on Reba. “Hi, Lady.”
“Hi, yourself. Where is everyone?”
“I’ve transferred everyone from sick bay to other ships. The command staff will be on their way out of here shortly.”
An eyebrow ticked up on Reba’s face. “Why?”
“Because I’m taking this and another fast squadron to Earth. They are the only two squadrons that are undamaged.”
She visibly sagged with relief. “I’m so glad to hear that. We left them essentially defenseless.”
He nodded. “We left Korban undefended, as well. Chandrajuski has agreed to send two fast squadrons to him. I don’t know how long he’ll get to keep them, but he’ll at least have them until we can get him some slow ships.”
“Do you have to go to Earth personally?”
“No, but I won’t be staying long. I just want to get a feel for how Buskin and Godfries are doing, and I want to check on the new projects we’ve begun there. I’ve been out of that loop for too long. As soon as Buskin’s ships get back, I’ll return here with my fast squadrons. I hope to work with Waverly for a while.”
She grinned. “You’ve been reading minds.”
“Whose?”
“Ellie’s and Mike’s. They’re here talking to Chandrajuski. They’ll be down to see you any minute. So . . .” she began with a twinkle in her eyes, “Two down, 68 more to go.”
He grimaced. “I hope not. I don’t want to do this one by one. A lot of good people died out here this week, good people on both sides.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” a new voice piped in.
Trexler looked around Reba to the door and nodded his head. “Your Majesty.”
Two Protectors sprang into the room, followed by Mike, Val and Josh. Ellie came to Trexler’s bed and brushed a hand fondly across his head. “You’ve done well, my friend. Chandrajuski gives you full credit for winning the two largest battles in the history of Empire. I give you credit for sending Struthers running with his tail between his legs. He will be a long time recovering from these losses.”
“He’s not going to give up with just two losses, Ellie.”
“I know. And we can’t keep fighting sector to sector like this. My time is coming up. I will speak to the Imperial Senate as soon as it convenes, which I do not think will be much longer.”
“How?”
“We don’t know yet. Otis has been working with Mike, Val, Reba, and Josh to develop a plan. The four of them are going to Triton. Otis cannot go. There are no Great Cats there now.”
Trexler looked to Mike. “What’s your plan?”
“Our job is to find a way to get Ellie into the Senate chamber, then back out. We don’t have a clue how we’re going to do it. That’s why Josh is coming. It’s really his mission since Otis can’t go. The Protectors, all of them most likely, will be tasked with making it happen.”
“Can I assume you have plans to communicate with the rest of us? I’m guessing it will take every ship we have, and the fighting could be bloody.”
“We’re counting on you, Ray. We’ll let you know what we need as soon as we know ourselves. Actually, our hope is that you will just distract them. We plan to bring everyone in on traders. This will not be a massive assault with our own ships. It won’t work if it comes to that.”
“Unless you take the whole planet,” Trexler replied.
Mike looked out into space for a time. “Probably not likely, but we’re not closing off any options yet.”
“We have other business to conduct here, Ray,” Ellie said. She stepped over to him and placed a hand on his head. “You fight for the people of Earth, but you fight in my name, as well. You are my representative to your people, and when you speak, you will be speaking for me.”
Reba took Val’s hand in her own and laid her head on his shoulder. Mike, on the other hand, did not have warm fuzzies. Ellie had high hopes, but he believed she would suffer disappointment this day.
“Raymond Trexler, today is your Naming day. Will you swear allegiance to my Crown? Will you wear the Pin of a Knight of the Realm?”
Trexler stared into her eyes. For the two of them, thoughts of battles and plans receded. Her request, though official, called on the very personal friendship they had developed during the preceding months.
“I would proudly wear the Pin if I could, Your Majesty. You know I would. Remember our conversations about the problems on Earth that have to be resolved before the existence of extraterrestrials becomes common knowledge?”
She nodded her head, sensing his tone, and suddenly fearful that this great man might actually refuse her.
“Earth is your ally, but they are a frightened ally. I lead their forces, and they are not ready to turn that leadership over to anyone not of Earth. They have to know that I’m theirs, that I speak for them, that my allegiance is to them and only to them.
“I do swear allegiance to the Empire, Your Majesty, but not as a Knight. For me to do so, not only would it muddy the waters, not only would it slow things down, it would cause an irreparable rift between me and m
y people. At the very least, I would lose my job. At the worst, it would poison our hopes of Earth’s joining the Empire for many years to come.
“This is a bitter pill for me to swallow. As a man, I say yes, but as leader of Earth’s forces here in space, I must say no.”
By the time he was done, Ellie’s eyes were brimming. He was right. It was too soon. Someday maybe, but not yet. She sensed the brightness around them dimming. This great man had turned her down, but she was not done with him yet.
“Earth did not have much of a choice when they selected you. Mike chose you. I wonder if they know how lucky that choice was? You are called, Raymond Trexler, just as I am called, to serve. You lead all of us in battle. More, you are the man who will build bridges between our peoples. As your Queen, I stand with you.”
She clasped her hands and started to turn away, paused, then turned back to him. “You will have your Naming day, Raymond Trexler. It is not this day, but I will not wait forever.”
“Nor will I, Your Majesty.”
“Earth needs your voice in my deliberations. I call you to my Inner Circle. Will you accept?”
“I do accept, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. My Inner Circle is now in session. Colonel James Waverly is also on my agenda today. He has worked wonders, and he needs better credentials. I intend to Knight him, but I have never even met him. Is he right for the job?”
Trexler considered her words. “I know him, but not as well as Reba knows him.”
“This is not our first discussion of this matter, Ray. Val and Reba both support my decision, but once Knighted, Waverly’s decisions will bind me. Will he bind me wisely?”
Trexler frowned. “He is more than just a warrior, Ellie. We knew we needed someone of his caliber before we hired him. He’s not a politician, but he is broad-minded and understands that his decisions have political ramifications. He will not abuse his power, and he will choose wisely. I do not believe you will regret your choice. And there’s more.”
Ellie’s eyebrows lifted, but she did not speak.
“We’re taking this war to the sectors, Ellie, and he’s our point man. He’s going to have more men, enough to hit two or three worlds at a time. Whenever possible, he will precede the arrival of his men and make whatever arrangements are necessary. When the Raiders get there, everything will be in place for them to get right to work. Knighting him is the perfect move. It’s precisely what both of you need.”
Her hand went to her throat. “Does he know about this expansion of the Raiders?”
Trexler smiled. “It was his idea. But, Ellie, his biggest problem will not be the Chessori, it will be convincing governors and sector commanders to give him adequate support. No one out here knows him, and he has no authority. Our plan was for Chandrajuski or M’Coda to accompany him, or maybe a squadron commander if no one else was available, but speaking in your name works far better.”
“My thought, exactly. Will he accept Knighting?”
Trexler’s eyes moved to Reba. She had resigned her commission before joining with Ellie, and for good reason: military rules preclude officers from accepting commissions from foreign governments.
“He might not,” Trexler mumbled. “He knows the rules.” His voice rose, a decision made. “It’s also the best way for him to serve Earth and the Empire.” His gaze shifted to Reba. “See him before you leave on your mission. Let him know that if the offer is made, I approve. In fact, let’s make it clear: I order him to accept.”
Reba smiled. “I’ll give him your message, sir.”
“And while you’re at it, you might want to find my stuff. I have no idea which ship it’s on at the moment, but I have an old set of stars that you could give him, and there’s something else. I brought my dress uniform.”
“We need that?” she asked, confused.
“Well, it depends. I don’t know what the ceremony is for knighting, but I know what it was on Earth. I brought my saber.”
Her dazzling smile lit her face. “Oh, this could be fun.” She looked to Ellie. “We’ll discuss it later. It’s time to go.”
Reba leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, then Ellie did the same. Mike shook his hand, his lips a thin line. No words were necessary. They both had their work cut out for themselves.
* * * * *
Trexler looked around the cavernous room, empty of everyone but himself now, and realized that he didn’t like the feeling. He could not remember the last time he’d been so isolated. Here he was, supposedly in charge, and he’d had not one iota of input for the massive preparations going on around him.
He said to the room, “Ship, get me Steve Brinson.”
The phone beside his bed started vibrating again. He picked it up and said, “Stop. Get me Steve Brinson.”
“He left for Orion III with Admiral M’Coda, sir.”
“Okay, get me Sam Taylor.”
“He just boarded a shuttle with Admiral Chandrajuski.”
“Without even saying goodbye?”
“They’re traveling with the Queen, sir.”
“Figures. Okay, who’s the senior Terran officer aboard?”
“You, sir.”
“Besides me.”
“The squadron commander, Admiral Wen, sir.”
“Get him for me.”
He heard a short beep, then, “Admiral Wen speaking.”
“This is Ray Trexler. We need to discuss our mission.”
“Yes, sir. Can it wait? We’re just about to get underway, and I’m still confirming the personnel transfers. I don’t want to leave without a full crew of Terrans.”
“Do you have room for me in the ops center?”
“Not yet. We’re still cleaning up from the battle, and that table you are on is pretty big.”
“Look, I’m not one to sit on the sidelines.”
“Yes, sir. All I know is that we’re going to Earth with another squadron. Sam Taylor put our crews together, then left. Both squadron commanders will need to be briefed, but at this point, it’s too late to change anything. We’re minutes away from departure. We’ll have a full week before we drop from hyper, then three weeks to transit the system to Earth. Plenty of time, sir.”
Trexler hung up, thought for a minute, then picked up the phone again. “Get me my doctor.”
“She’s off duty, sir. I believe she’s sleeping.”
“Okay, get me a doctor, any doctor. I’m getting out of this tank. On second thought, send the Chief. He knows how to do it, and he’ll talk to me. He has to. I outrank him.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
A week later, Ellie’s frigate touched down at the port on Aldebaran I. Seeton came aboard and was greeted by the Queen and her retinue. He went to one knee before her.
“A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“The pleasure is mine, Admiral. Please stand. I am fully informed of your actions against the Rebels. I congratulate you, and I thank you.”
He grinned. “Your part in it was spectacular, Your Majesty.”
“I have given you a week to get your sector headquarters back on its feet. It’s now time to look to the rest of the sector.”
“We’ve been focused on the big picture all along, Your Majesty.”
“I’m pleased to hear that. Signio Veswicki, whom I have Knighted, speaks highly of you. I need a governor here. Are you willing to fill those shoes?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. However, I might be of more use to you as a military man. We have a lot of sectors to recover.”
“Times are changed, and you might end up wearing both hats. But for now, I Name you Governor of Aldebaran Sector. We’ll hold an official ceremony within the next few days.”
Seeton went back down on one knee. “I am honored, Your Majesty.”
Her voice hardened. “You’ve earned it, Governor, as few others have. Now, I would like to visit with General Waverly as soon as possible.”
“He’s here. It’s Colonel Waverly, Your Majesty.”
<
br /> “Here? I thought he was in sick bay?”
Seeton smiled. “He’s a hard one to keep down. He left his bed three days ago, and he’s back with his men.”
“Will you call him, please?”
“Actually, he’s waiting outside the ship with an honor guard for you.”
Her hand went to her throat. “They’ve been waiting all this time?”
“They have, Your Majesty.”
She looked at him with a hint of anger. “You should have told me. I would not have kept them waiting.”
“Waiting is high on the list of military activities, Your Majesty.”
“I would like a personal meeting with him before I leave the ship. It won’t take long. Will it be an affront to his customs if I keep his men waiting a little longer?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. May I do the honors?”
“Please.”
While he was gone, she turned to Chandrajuski. “I have affairs of state to conduct. Is there a suitable location that will hold all the Raiders?”
“The governor’s reception hall should be adequate. I hear it’s a bit of a mess right now, but we can get it cleaned up.”
“Please see to it immediately.”
Chandrajuski was still talking on his communicator when Waverly arrived, escorted by Seeton. As Waverly entered the lounge, Ellie stood, drawing looks of surprise from everyone. People usually stood for her, not the other way around. Waverly removed his hat and approached her, then went down to one knee with his head bowed.
Ellie stepped forward and reached out a hand, placing it under his chin. “Arise, my hero. You will kneel but once more before me, then never again.”
Waverly straightened to his full height. “Colonel Waverly reporting, Your Majesty.”
“Yes,” she said, meeting his gaze squarely, then turning to walk in a circle about him with her hands clasped behind her back. She did not miss the bandage on the back of his head. “Do you realize you and your men are on the way to becoming legends here in my Empire?”
“Ma’am?”
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