by Saxon Andrew
“I’ll send them to you, Sir. However, Dan is also from the colonies and should be sent to serve under my command.”
“Rachael, you know they had issues serving under your command when you arrived in the LMC. How do you think they’ll take this?”
“Those issues are no longer a problem. If they are, I’ll send them back to you.”
Tal smiled slightly as he said, “Jan, Indie, Katy, you realize that not accepting a fleet to command will stunt your careers. Others will be promoted ahead of you if you decide to stay together.”
Indie spoke first, “I suspect if we win this war, we’ll be focusing on having a family and the service will have to do without us. My career path doesn’t concern me.”
Tal looked at Jan and saw her nod in agreement. “What about you, Jee. How do you feel about this?”
“I need to discuss it with Mamani, Admiral. I’ll let you know.”
“Any other questions?” Tal asked. No one responded, and he ordered, “Everyone resume their duties. Contact me if you think of something later.
Ka stood up and walked to his chair, “Tal…”
“Ka, your days of being a console operator are over! The new software has closed the gap between your talents and you’re being wasted on being a weapon’s officer.”
“I will not be separated from you!” Ka said firmly.
“You’re worried that destiny will force us back together.”
“I haven’t even considered that! I will not serve on a different ship!”
“Well, I guess you and I aren’t really worried about a career in the military. I’ll discuss it with Duncan and make sure he understands our position.”
“Why don’t you let me discuss it with him?” Ka replied.
“Nooo, I think I should be the one to do it. Duncan doesn’t deal well with ultimatums; let me try first.”
Ka’s expression was lethal, and she muttered, “He’ll wish you had killed him if he refuses.” Tal chuckled and knew she meant it.
• • •
Gibbs watched a recording of the meeting the admiral had with his crew and admirals and felt more sorrow than he’d felt in a very long time. His family was going to be broken up and there was nothing he, or they, could do about it. He sighed, left his conference room, and went to his console with the recording chip. They were five days out from Earth and they needed some time to digest this news. He inserted the chip in the reader on his panel and announced, “I’m going to send a recording to each of your panels and I want all of you to watch it before we discuss it.” Gibbs sent the recording and waited. He heard Frank mutter next to him, “Hell no!” Everyone on the bridge heard him but remained silent until the recording was completed. Gibbs saw his display darken and he looked around the bridge, “Any comments?”
Lena spoke first, “I’ve been hoping to one day be promoted to command my own ship…but commanding multiple ships!! This is frightening!”
Gibbs waited, and Frank said firmly, “I won’t do it!!”
“We’ve discussed this, Frank. You need to really think about this,” Gibbs said softly.
“There’s nothing to think about! My place is on your ship! You said it yourself, I’m not cut out to command!”
“No, I didn’t, Frank! I told you that your way of stirring the pot would have to change for you to accept a command position. I told you that you’re more qualified than anyone I know in commanding a ship.”
“BUT THIS IS AT THE VERY LEAST A DAMN SQUADRON!” Frank shouted. “I WANT NO PART OF IT!!” Frank paused and added, “I’LL RESIGN BEFORE I DO THIS!!”
Gibbs shook his head and Harmony pushed her chair back and looked at Frank, “You need to think about that, Frank.” Frank turned and glared at her. “You’ve kept us safe so many times I’ve lost count and it’s been you that has made the biggest difference in our still being alive. The Captain is right, without you, the Lincoln would have probably been destroyed numerous times over. You’ve protected the seven of us and now you have the opportunity to protect numerous ships that will die without you. You can’t possibly be that selfish, Frank.”
“But this is my family, Harmony!” Frank said with a shaky voice.
“This is a family to all of us, Frank. But we’re going to have to leave and make a new family; humanity needs us to do it,” Harmony said softly.
Frank released a heavy sigh and said to Gibbs, “Who is going to protect you, Sir?”
Gibbs put his hand on Frank’s shoulder, “Harmony is right. I’d rather have you protecting hundreds of our sailors than just me, Frank. I know they would be safer with you commanding them than anyone I know.”
“Harmony is better than I am, Sir.”
“NO I’M NOT!” Harmony instantly said loudly. “You’re as good as the Captain and I just hope to have your talents one day!” Frank’s eyes moistened, as Harmony stood up and walked to his chair. She put her arms around his neck and said softly, “The bonds we’ve made here on the Lincoln will never be broken; we will always be a family no matter where we are or where we go. I’m certain that we will be contacting you for advice; all of us trust your judgment.” Harmony looked at Gibbs, “That goes for you as well, Sir.”
Frank shook his head as he said in a soft voice, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Lena chuckled and everyone on the bridge turned to her, including Frank, “Get real, Frank. You’ll take no crap from those you’re commanding and accept nothing less than excellence from them. You’re exactly what a new, inexperienced fleet needs.”
Frank glanced at Gibbs and saw him smile and nod in agreement with the others. “All of you promise to stay in touch?” Frank asked.
“Count on it!” Harmony answered. “I also expect you to keep us updated on anything you discover that might help us.”
Gibbs asked, “Will you do it?” Frank looked up at him and, after a moment nodded. Gibbs smiled and looked around at his crew, “I’m proud of all of you. You’ve been the best ship in the fleet and the Admiral has depended on us to assist him in the most difficult situations. You’re ready for this and I know you’re going to make me prouder.”
Harmony went back to her chair and Frank said quietly, “That’s surprising.”
“What is that, Frank?” Gibbs asked.
“I didn’t get whiplash from Harmony’s hug.” Harmony’s eyes narrowed, and the crew burst out laughing. Frank shrugged, “I’m just saying.” Harmony started chuckling and then laughed with the crew.
• • •
Tal began receiving messages from his ship commanders and smiled. They were receiving the news well and most had come to terms with the coming changes. He worried about selecting good squadron commanders for the units in the new fleet but would have to depend on Duncan to make those decisions. He received reports from Andromeda and the fifteen ships that replaced his fleet were exceeding his expectations; that new Senior Captain was doing quite well. He thought about it and decided that her crews should also be considered for command positions. That would have to be worked out with Duncan. His ships were five days out from Earth and they needed a break; he’d talk to Duncan about that a day out. He looked up and saw Jab walking toward his chair. He arrived and smiled, “What’s up?”
“Are you still planning for our ship to be in your unit?”
“I am.”
“I’m concerned about being good enough to do the job, Admiral.”
Tal thought about it and asked, “Have you decided what position you want Ryshana to have on your ship?”
“I think she’s perfect for the weapon’s console.”
“I want you to go to Mila’s console and start the pilot simulations now. She will assist you and have Ryshana to start working with Ka on her console’s simulations. The new ships will be different, but I think going through the old simulations now will shorten the training time you’ll need on the new ship.”
Jab smiled, “Thank you, Sir. We’ll get on them now.”
Tal sent a message to Mila and Ka a
nd they stood up for Jab and Ryshana to take their places. Jab shouldn’t have any difficulty; he had already learned how to fly a scout and the controls were similar. Ryshana might have some issues but she was smart and demonstrated her eye/hand coordination when she discovered the new way to use the weapon console, time would tell. They didn’t have much time before arrival on Earth, but this should give them a boost in getting up to speed. He thought about going back to Andromeda, but the Milky Way filled the monitor and he put Andromeda out of his mind… He was going home.
Chapter Four
The fifteen surviving Sha Warships landed at the spaceport in the military base in Orlando and the maintenance crews rushed out to them. The weary crews exited the ships and Lieutenant Gomez was shaking his head as Indie walked by him with Katy, “Is something wrong, Lieutenant?”
Gomez pursed his lips before replying, “I don’t know how those ships are still capable of flying, Sir. Most of their outer coatings have been burned off and the scorch marks on them cover most of their hulls. These ships will have to be scrapped, Sir. The cost to refurbish them is more than building a new one.”
Indie and Katy turned around and looked at the Zak’s Jil, and Indie said softly, “They held together long enough to get us home, Lieutenant; many didn’t.”
The Lieutenant nodded slightly and turned back to the burned Sha’s. More than anything else he had seen, they were testament to the war taking place in Andromeda.
• • •
Duncan and Tal sat in his conference room staring at the giant wall-monitor. They had been working on the chain-of-command for three days; Duncan looked at the names on the chart and turned to Tal, “Are you sure about this?”
“The recordings from our attacks in Andromeda confirm these officers were the most successful. I have personal preferences but if I do that, the members of the fleet will immediately see it. I must have a reason for these first eight promotions that can’t be challenged; using numbers of Brotherhood Warships destroyed is hard to argue against.”
“There’s one name up there that doesn’t fit,” Duncan replied. “Why did you choose him?”
Tal shook his head, “I’m not really sure, Duncan. But he impressed me in his interview and I am using my gut to make that decision.” Duncan shook his head and Tal raised a hand, “Look, if he bombs in training, I’ll choose someone to replace him.”
“Fair enough, Duncan replied. “What about the wing commanders?”
“I’m leaving it up to the Fleet Commodores to choose them. We’ll get with them before everyone reports to training and hammer that out. Have you recalled the Senior Captain from Andromeda?”
“She’s on her way. She should arrive in time for the meeting to choose their wing commanders. Duncan looked at his communicator and stood up, “I have an issue to handle; do you need me for anything else?”
Tal shook his head and Duncan headed out of the huge conference room. Tal sat back and thought about the interview he had with the assassin Rachael had sent him four days earlier.
• • •
Tal heard a knock on his office door, looked up from his computer, and said, “Enter.” A young man walked in and went to attention in front of his desk. “Take a seat,” Tal ordered. The young man sat down in a chair in front of Tal’s desk and relaxed. Tal turned to his computer and looked at the assassin’s file the Guild Master had sent him three-hours earlier. He continued reading and asked, “What is the name you’ve been given by Fleet Personnel?”
“My name in the colonies is Tee, which happened to be my first name given to me by my parents on my birth records. My last name on my records was Brisbane. The name assigned to me by personnel is Tee Brisbane.”
“Tee, I’ve been looking at your file I’ve received from the Guild Master and I’m bothered by what I’m reading.” Tee remained silent and Tal continued to read for a few minutes before turning to him. “If what I’ve read in your file is true, you are one of the wealthiest people in the colonies.” Tee shrugged and then nodded. “What would possess you to volunteer to join the navy? You have a life that insures you luxury and possessions most people dream about having. You could get killed and lose it all if you do this.”
“I feel this is something I must do, Admiral.”
‘Why?” Tee hesitated, and Tal quickly added, “Before I will approve giving you command of one of our warships, I must know your motivations in doing this. Just deciding to do this on a whim is not something I’m going to accept. I will not place the lives of your crew in danger if you aren’t doing this for the right reasons.”
Tee sat up straight and asked, “I had an interview with Admiral Meadows and she told me before she sent me here that you were ranked number-two in the assassins guild before you went to Earth; is that true?” Tal nodded. “Then is it safe to say that you are also extremely wealthy?”
“I am, but that isn’t what motivates me!”
“Am I not allowed to feel the same, Admiral?” Tee asked.
Tal lowered his chin, “There’s wealth and then there’s wealth! My wealth is nothing compared to you. I’ve read your activity on Australia during the Alien Invasion and that was really impressive; but you did that out of greed. What you’re asking to do now does not pay anything compared to an assassin’s lowest paying contracts.” Tee was silent, and Tal added, “Admiral Meadows told me you refused to discuss your reasons for doing this. I’m concerned that she may have sent me someone she didn’t want.”
“You’d be wrong about that Admiral. Admiral Meadows interviewed all of her top candidates to make sure she sent you her best; you’ve got her respect and admiration, Sir. She would not pass the trash to you.”
“Then why are you doing this, Tee?!”
Tee took a deep breath and slowly released it, before saying, “You’ve not had the chance to sit back and enjoy your wealth, have you?”
“No, not really,” Tal answered.
“Let me tell you what you’re going to find out when you do, Sir. Everyone you encounter will be wanting a piece of your wealth. They’ll be all smiles and they’ll praise you constantly trying to win you over to making them a part of your close circle of friends. They’ll be there on a moment’s notice and do anything you ask of them. But they’re not doing it for you; they’ll be doing it to get a piece of your wealth. Greed is what motivates them, and you can call them every nasty term you’ve ever heard of and they’ll take it with a smile. You won’t be able to run them off if you tried and you’ll quickly learn that you’re not seeing the real person; you’re seeing their representative. That’s how the men will be, and the women will be worse.”
Tal’s expression changed as he turned back to his computer, “It says in your file that you are married.”
“I was supposed to marry a woman who was given half of the Alien’s payout. She left me in less than six months and refused to set a wedding date before that happened. The crowd got inside her head and I lost her to men who never criticized her or told her she was less than perfect. She just wasn’t prepared to cope with the pressures extreme wealth placed on her. I tried to tell her what was going on…but she took it as critiquing her and walked out.”
“So, you’re suffering from a broken heart and want to die,” Tal stated.
“No, I’m not. She did it twice and I somehow knew she wasn’t really committed to me. She’s asked to come back and I’ve refused to do it; I can’t trust her, Admiral.”
“Then why are you wanting to do this?”
“When I was killing the Aliens on Australia, I was shot by one of them with a high-energy beam. The pain was incredible, and I nearly died from it. I managed to crawl away and hide in a pipe until I was able to stand up. There were numerous other people around me that the alien shot and they weren’t able to get off the street before the Alien’s curfew; they were killed by the Aliens.”
Tee paused, and Tal said, “Go on.”
“Until that happened, I looked at normal people as little more than tar
gets of my contracts. I was an assassin and above everyone around me. I was ten-feet tall and invincible. But I saw at that moment that I was no different from all the people living on the colony. I vowed to kill the alien that shot us and the fight between me and the aliens became personal. I decided to kill them for what they were doing to my planet. I became one of the normal people, Admiral. I felt a kinship with them and my world view change after I was shot.” Tee paused and released a small breath before continuing, “I felt a sense of pride in what I was doing that I’d never felt before. It gave me a sense of self-worth that I never experienced. I’m doing this because I want that feeling again.”
“But you could lose all your wealth, Tee!”
Tee raised his shoulders, “Wealth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Sir.”
“But…”
“Sir, no one knows about my worth here except you. Any friends I find will be choosing me because of who I am; not what I possess. That makes this worth doing.”
“You know you’ll be doing this with some real liabilities going in.”
Tee’s eyes closed slightly, “What liabilities?”
“First of all, you’re accustomed to working alone and you’ll find yourself rushing in trying to win every battle instead of relying on those under your command. Working with others to carry out your missions is not something you’ve ever done, and it will feel alien to you.” Tee nodded slightly, and Tal added, “The only thing that will get you over that hurdle is to look at the ships you command as your weapons that you’ll use to defeat your targets. You must train them to where they are invincible.”
Tee’s eyes opened wide and he smiled, “What you’ve just said makes more sense than anything my trainers have told me; I can see it. Now all the simulations make sense.”
“What are you saying?” Tal asked.
“During the simulations I’ve been training on, I’ve always rushed in to save one of my squadrons when they got in trouble instead of setting up another squad to be in position to do it. ‘Choose another weapon’ is what I should have been thinking about.”
