Ambassador Rycerz stood up from her place behind the desk as the group entered, as did a ground forces colonel, who’d been seated facing her. Out of habit, Geary ran his eyes over the ground forces officer first, seeing an immaculate uniform oddly lacking in medals, ribbons, or specialist insignia for someone so senior.
This was his first chance to study Ambassador Rycerz up close and in person. He saw sharp eyes that took in everything around her, and posh but not ostentatious clothes that projected an air of authority tempered by humility. Given how much was riding on the success of this mission, he hoped that snap assessment was accurate.
“Please sit down,” Ambassador Rycerz said. She relaxed into her own chair, looking at Geary. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Admiral. This is a risky mission with a lot of unknowns, so I’m happy to have you commanding the security aspect of this expedition.”
“I’m happy to be of assistance,” Geary said. “I know the Alliance’s diplomats face serious hazards sometimes to do their jobs. We’ll do all we can to protect you and hopefully establish better relations with the Dancers.”
“We all owe a great debt to the women and men of the fleet,” Rycerz said. “I’ll do my best to minimize any danger to them. I do want to make it clear how important I consider the fleet’s contribution to this mission. I’m glad that you’ll be able to speak directly to the Dancers whenever any security issues arise.”
“Thank you,” Geary said, wondering why Rycerz had specifically mentioned him talking to Dancers directly.
“This is Colonel Webb,” Rycerz said, indicating the ground forces officer. “He’s both the military attaché for this mission, and the head of the ceremonial honor guard.”
“This is General Carabali,” Geary said. “Commander of the Marines attached to my forces.” Carabali was fully recovered from her injury on Unity, the only reminder of it an additional star on her combat wounded badge.
“Just how large is your ceremonial honor guard?” Carabali asked. Geary noticed that she kept her eyes on Webb as she asked the question.
“Twenty,” Webb said, smiling politely. “Twenty-one, counting myself.”
“Perhaps we can get together another time and discuss experiences during the war,” Carabali said.
Geary, wondering why Carabali was extending a social invitation so quickly, saw Colonel Webb smile again. “I didn’t really do much worth talking about,” Webb said.
Carabali glanced at Geary in what seemed a request for permission, so he nodded.
“Elite special forces don’t say much about their past work, do they?” General Carabali said.
TEN
COLONEL Webb gave Ambassador Rycerz a sidelong look but didn’t say anything.
“Twenty-one is the number of personnel in a reinforced special forces squad,” Carabali continued. “Isn’t it?”
Ambassador Rycerz sighed. “Tell them, Colonel. The general has obviously figured it out already.”
Colonel Webb nodded, the polite smile gone. “That’s correct, General. I am the military attaché for the ambassador, and my force will carry out honor guard duties. But we’re capable of handling other tasks if required.”
“You’re insurance?” Geary said. “But against what?”
“We’ll be traversing some dangerous regions of space,” Colonel Webb said. “It’s a given that your forces will be doing all they can to prevent any hostile actors from boarding this ship. But, if one does get aboard, they will regret it.” He leaned forward slightly, eyes curious. “I haven’t seen anything in official reports about the aliens as far as their ground combat capabilities.”
“Which aliens?” General Carabali asked.
“The, um, Dancers.”
“That’s because we haven’t seen them demonstrate their ground combat capabilities,” Carabali said. “But, based on how they use their ships, I’d assume they operate in close coordination, a number of individuals working as a single unit.”
Webb shrugged. “That’s what we do.”
“We also fly spacecraft,” Carabali said. “Have you seen vids of the Dancers maneuvering their ships?”
The colonel paused. “I see your point. We’d have to be on the top of our game.” He noticed the reactions from the others. “I’m not saying we’re going in to fight them. I just have to consider what we’d do if one of them did try something. Humans go rogue and act on their own, as the admiral found out firsthand at Unity. Aliens might be the same. And then there’s that other species. The enigmas. Definitely hostile, and we don’t seem to have anything on their ground capabilities, either.”
Geary shook his head. “The people at Midway may have some knowledge of that. We don’t.”
“The people at Midway? You mean the Syndics?” It wasn’t hard to tell how Colonel Webb felt about that.
“Former Syndics,” Geary said. “They’ve played straight with us, and seem to be trying to build a better system than the one they revolted against.”
Ambassador Rycerz nodded. “Perhaps former Captain Bradamont can offer a candid assessment.”
“Former captain?” Geary said, startled.
“Yes, she—” Rycerz spread her hands in apology. “The courier ship reached Unity long after you’d left and not long before we departed. It had been sent to Midway with orders for Captain Bradamont to return.”
“Orders?” Geary asked. “Whose orders? I assigned her to a critical task at Midway.”
Rycerz shook her head, sitting back slightly. “Given the time required for the round trip, it must’ve been someone in a high position at Fleet Headquarters perhaps six months ago.”
Not Baxter and Rojo, then. “But you said former captain.”
“Yes. The courier ship reported that rather than return, Captain Bradamont had resigned her commission and taken service with the Midway Star System.” Rycerz studied Geary. “Do you know why she did that? I’d also like a better understanding of why you assigned her in particular to stay at Midway.”
He decided the best course of action would be total honesty. “She was in a position to be compromised by people working in Alliance Intelligence. Hopefully some of the same people exposed by the evidence found at Unity Alternate, but I don’t know.”
Ambassador Rycerz sat forward, her attention focused on Geary. “Compromised?”
“Captain Bradamont was captured by the Syndics,” Geary said. “While a POW, there was a serious accident on a ship transporting them to a Syndic labor camp. The senior Syndic ground forces officer aboard the ship violated orders to let the Alliance POWs assist in saving the ship. He was punished by being given command of the labor camp. Since Bradamont was the senior Alliance officer present, she and the Syndic came to know each other and mutual respect developed, becoming . . . something more.”
“You’re joking,” Colonel Webb said, looking appalled.
“No,” Geary said, turning a stern look on Webb. “Neither one of them broke any of the rules governing their relationship. But Syndic intel found out, and instead of executing the Syndic officer decided to try to use Bradamont’s feelings for him to turn her. They put her on another transport, and arranged for the Alliance to learn where it would be so the Alliance could take the ship and free the POWs. Bradamont was supposed to begin passing intelligence to the Syndic officer. Rogero, that’s his name. She reported everything to our own intel when she was debriefed, and they decided to use her to try to turn Rogero. Our intel services gave Bradamont outdated or bad information to pass to Rogero. It turned out the Syndic intel services were doing the same thing with Rogero, passing us bad info.”
“How did that compromise Bradamont?” Rycerz asked. “She was following orders, wasn’t she?”
“Her orders were part of a special secure program,” Geary said. “In the months before our forces reached Midway, Captain Bradamont had received anonymous threats that if she did
n’t agree to take actions against me, her passing of information to the Syndics would be leaked to the media.”
Ambassador Rycerz grimaced. “And if the special secure program wasn’t declassified, she wouldn’t have been able to defend herself by proving she’d been acting under orders. That’s a nasty dilemma.”
“Emissary Victoria Rione suggested we assign Captain Bradamont to Midway to keep her safe from those threats, and to provide expert assistance to Midway’s forces to help keep that star system from being reconquered by the Syndicate Worlds,” Geary said. It felt odd to use Rione as a way of proving the action had been in the best interests of the Alliance, given how askance she’d long been regarded, but her heroic death for the Alliance had made that possible. “I still think that was a wise move. Captain Bradamont represented . . .” How should he say it?
Rycerz smiled knowingly. “Your own independent diplomatic actions.”
“I had to make decisions based on the situation at hand,” Geary said, feeling both guilty and defiant. “With the best interests of the Alliance foremost. I’m sure you’re aware that the residents of both Syndic and former Syndic star systems regard the Alliance in the same way people of the Alliance regard the Syndicate Worlds.”
“We didn’t start the war,” Colonel Webb interceded in the tone of someone ready to give a lecture to the uninformed.
“I know,” Geary said, not happy to be interrupted. “I was there.”
Apparently unprepared for that comeback concerning a battle fought a century ago, Webb subsided.
“I’m not here to argue whether former Syndics are justified in their feelings,” Geary said. “But those feelings exist, and we need to deal with them.”
Ambassador Rycerz, her elbows resting on her desk, her hands supporting her chin as she gazed at Geary, nodded. “Whereas you personally, Admiral, are . . . what’s the phrase they use? For the people?”
“I’ve heard that,” Geary admitted.
“A perception which allowed Captain Bradamont, one of your officers, to be seen not as a representative of the Alliance, but as representing your personal backing for the new regime at Midway.”
“That was part of the intent,” Geary said.
“You walked a fine line on that one, Admiral,” Ambassador Rycerz said. “But given the circumstances, it was an action the Alliance was willing to stand behind. You do understand that with me along to represent the government, independent diplomatic actions by you are no longer an option?”
“Of course I understand that,” Geary said. “But I hope it’s understood at Unity that my actions then were not independent. I had a representative of the government with me.”
“Victoria Rione,” Rycerz said. “Who was not authorized to approve such measures.”
“I was not aware of that,” Geary said. “The government didn’t share the content of her orders with me.”
Ambassador Rycerz sighed. “Everyone was trying to be too clever. No one trusted anyone. I hope, Admiral, that you and I can trust each other.”
“I have no reason to believe we can’t,” Geary said.
“Excellent. Admiral, there’s something I need to discuss with you, just the two of us. Colonel Webb, will you wait outside for a few moments?”
General Carabali was already on her feet as Webb stood up. They left the ambassador’s office, walking side by side yet somehow clearly not walking together.
Rycerz sat watching Geary for several seconds, saying nothing. “I need to be sure of something,” she finally said. “Will you follow my directions?”
“I’m responsible for getting you to Dancer space,” Geary said. “Dealing with threats to the safety of you and the force as a whole.”
“That leaves some gray areas,” Rycerz said. “If we encounter Syndicate Worlds warships, do you expect to take the lead in dealing with them?”
Geary frowned, thinking. “I guess that would depend on how they act. I’d have to respond if they attacked. But if they’re just in the same star system, there’s no reason I’d have to be the one negotiating with the Syndic CEO.”
“All right. That’s reasonable. I deal with handling Syndic authorities to try to prevent us having to fight our way through. Will your fleet accept that?”
“Yes,” Geary said. “They don’t trust the Syndics, but they trust me.”
“I’ve been instructed to take the lead when we get to Midway,” Rycerz added. “Do you think the leaders there will accept that?”
“They may. President Iceni and General Drakon realize the Alliance works differently than the Syndicate Worlds does.”
“What about Bradamont? Will she act against us? Can we trust whatever she tells us?”
He didn’t have to think about the answer to that. “She won’t act against us. She won’t lie to us. Captain Bradamont’s honor is beyond question.”
“But she’s willingly taking orders from Syndics,” Rycerz said.
“Former Syndics,” Geary said. “Don’t assume President Iceni and General Drakon are like average Syndicate Worlds CEOs. They’re tough and they’re tricky, but they’re also smart, and seem to really care about the welfare of their people.”
Rycerz sat back, sighing. “I’ve seen your reports on them. It’s still hard to believe, though.”
“When the enigmas were attacking,” Geary said, “and the primary world at Midway was being evacuated, Iceni stayed on the planet overseeing the evacuation.”
“Instead of getting on the first ship out, carrying every bit of wealth she could with her?” Rycerz shrugged. “That’s definitely not normal Syndic CEO behavior. All right, I’ve asked my questions. Do you have any for me? This is your chance, the moment where Black Jack exercises his vast, under-the-desk authority over anything that happens.”
“Sorry to let you down, but no,” Geary said, somehow glad that Rycerz had brought that out into the open so he could dispose of the idea. “I’m aware of the . . . popular authority I wield. But I grew up and was trained at a time when the military was far less prominent in the Alliance. I’m uncomfortable with too much military influence on the government.”
“We’re in agreement on that,” Rycerz said.
“There is a matter you should be aware of regarding the Rift Federation.”
“Oh?” Rycerz eyed Geary warily. “I know they were invited to take part in this diplomatic mission and turned it down.”
“They’re sending their own delegation accompanied by their own ships,” Geary said. He explained what Captain Hiyen had told him, then waited while the ambassador took in the information.
“They want to do it on their own,” Rycerz finally said. “What are the odds of them making it to Dancer space?”
“Zero,” Geary said. “Their force is too small. If some of the Rift Federation’s ships somehow make it to Midway, they’ll surely be annihilated by the enigmas before reaching Dancer space.”
“You’ve told me this for a reason. What is it?”
“Because I don’t want to let them head for Midway before we leave. They’ll set on high alert every star system we’re planning to pass through, as well as the Syndicate government.”
Rycerz tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling. “The Syndicate Worlds has probably already heard of our plans, but I can easily understand why giving them a heads-up that we’re coming to certain places would be a big problem. What do you suggest we do?”
“I want to help them in a way that the commander of their force can accept,” Geary said. “The crews of those Rift Federation ships fought alongside our own during the war. No one in the fleet wants to see them wiped out on what amounts to a suicide mission.”
“Nor do I,” Ambassador Rycerz said. “How can you help them if their orders require them to operate independently of the Alliance?”
“My proposal is that I offer Captain Kapelka an unw
ritten agreement that her ships will travel along with ours, not formally part of the Alliance fleet forces, but protected by our nearby presence.”
Rycerz rested her chin on her hands as she thought. “Why should we do this, Admiral? Set aside humanitarian reasons. How does it advantage the Alliance?”
Did the ambassador really think in such mercenary terms, or was she asking for arguments to use with her own superiors? “I don’t think the Alliance wants the Rift Federation weakened by the loss of those warships and their trained crews.”
“That’s a military argument,” she said. “I know you can think in larger terms, Admiral. What’s in it for the Alliance? You’re asking me to agree to facilitating the travel of a different diplomatic delegation along with that of the Alliance. That’s certain to produce complications when negotiating with the Dancers.”
He paused to think, remembering his last encounter with the Dancers. Complications of one form or another seemed to be routine when it came to communicating with alien species. “Don’t we need to know as much as we can about what those complications will be?”
Her gaze on him sharpened. “What do you mean?”
“The Dancers have already demonstrated the ability to jump from deep inside Alliance-occupied space back to their own region, or close to it,” Geary said. “That means they can, on their own, make contact with human star systems in Alliance space, or anywhere in space controlled by or once controlled by the Syndicate Worlds. Now that contact has been established, the Dancers can and probably will deal with other humans. We can’t blockade them in their own space even if we make it difficult for other humans to reach them.”
Rycerz slowly nodded, her eyes going distant with thought. “There will be other human factions the Dancers deal with. We need to know how the Dancers will deal with them. Being able to observe their reactions and interactions with the Rift Federation delegation could provide extremely valuable information for us.” Her eyes regained her focus as she looked at Geary again, smiling. “Now there’s a good argument. We need to know what the Dancers will do when approached by other human governments or groups. How they see the Alliance relative to other humans. And the only way we can learn that is if we can watch what happens when they have us and the Rift Federation’s representatives to deal with at the same time.”
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