Run the Gauntlet: Echoes of War Book Six

by Gibbs, Daniel

  “Do you plan to engage in a suicide mission, General Cohen?” Hale asked. She, too, had a blood-red face, and her eyes flashed anger as they bored into him.

  “No. I never have, and I pray I never will.”

  “Really? Because some believe your first big combat situation with the Yitzchak Rabin was an attempt to get into the history books alongside your father.”

  There was silence as David balled his right hand into a fist several times. He stared at her. How dare you. “I answered those charges at a hearing. They were wrong then, they’re wrong now. I did what I had to do, to save the lives of tens of thousands of Terran Coalition civilians. I’d do it again, if I had it to do over. What I won’t do is make a knowing run at death with no plan to succeed. If you don’t have the guts to fight the League, Hale, tell me now and get the heck off my ship.” He could hear his heart pounding like a freight train in his ears.

  “I’ve been fighting the League just as long as you have. I’ve seen my friends die, I’ve seen my fair share of victories and defeats. I believe in this mission, but I won’t execute it without an eye to the cost. If you want the Ark Royal to participate, you’ll have to acknowledge that.”

  “Once I complete the battle plan, review it and get back to me,” he replied. He still saw red, and it was a challenge to focus.

  “Very well, sir.”

  “Dismissed,” David spat.

  She stood quickly and left, leaving him in the room, alone.

  David stared at the ceiling, then down at his hands, to see he’d nearly drawn blood from gripping them into fists so tightly. What is wrong with me? While he pondered, one thing was clear. Having the Rabin shoved in his face still brought out an emotional response. He didn’t want the rest of the bridge to see him in the state he was in, so he sat for what seemed like an eternity until the throbbing in his head stopped and calm returned.

  * * *

  Deep within the Lion of Judah, Benjamin Hayworth toiled silently in his lab. It was his respite. The one place on the ship that was his, his alone, and entirely his domain. He also hated being disturbed in it. Glancing up from his direct link to the vessel’s massive central computer, he cursed under his breath at the door chime. “What!”

  The chime sounded again.

  “Come!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.

  The hatch swung open, and Elizabeth Merriweather strode in. “Doctor?”

  Hayworth closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Eliza. I’m not in the mood for company.”

  She made her way further into the room and walked around to his console. “Working on the Lawrence limit problem?”

  “Yes,” he replied, his voice like ice. “As I said, I’d rather be alone.”

  “Why?”

  “Isn’t it blisteringly obvious? I tire of the military always expecting me to save the day for them. Add into it that I’m one of the only atheists on this ship, and yet Colonel Cohen constantly turns to me. Maybe he should try God more often and leave me alone.” The words poured out of Hayworth, along with spittle.

  “Are you quite done?”

  He stared at her for a moment. “As a matter of fact, no, I’m just getting started.”

  Merriweather put her hand on his arm. “Why are you so angry?”

  “I just told you, Eliza!”

  “No, the real reason.”

  Her insistent gaze was like nothing else he’d experienced. I can tune out everyone else. Except her. “This is my life’s work. I have no control of it, no say. If these blithering idiots get the ship blown up, I die with it, and no one will ever know how much I’ve sacrificed!”

  “I do,” she replied quietly and paused for a moment. “Isn’t it enough to know you’ve completely changed the face of the human race?”

  “Does it still matter, if no one knows? Anti-matter power generation technology is still classified at the highest levels.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “If it ever came to that, I’d make sure everyone knew.”

  Hayworth pursed his lips together. “Thank you.”

  “By the way, Cohen’s a general now.”

  “Well, good for him,” Hayworth replied, his tone acerbic. He couldn’t keep from smirking, though.

  “How’s it coming?”

  “The additional output of the anti-matter reactor, if routed into the Lawrence drive, will allow us to jump closer to a planetary object. The closer we go, the more power it’ll take. There’s a non-zero chance of an exotic particle release.” While he spoke, he crossed his arms in front of him.

  “How much of a chance?”

  Hayworth looked away. “Enough of one that I’m considering not telling the good General it’ll work.” It felt good to get the thought off his chest. He glanced at her and made eye contact.

  “Forget all this for a moment. What do you want out of life?”

  “What’s that got to do with anything, Eliza?”

  “Doctor, answer me. What do you want out of life?”

  “To be remembered among the greatest scientists that ever lived. Galileo, Hawking, Einstein. I want my name to be an adjective, describing the smartest humans in the galaxy.”

  Merriweather’s face contorted into an absurd grin while she tried not to laugh and failed. After composing herself, she spoke. “Do you realize that the enlisted engineers in the engineering spaces mock each other by measuring how much like someone else is to you?”

  “If you're trying to make me feel better, Eliza,” he said quietly, “you’re doing an awful job.”

  “Doctor, you are among the most difficult, bullheaded, and annoying people I’ve met. At the same time, you’re the most brilliant and caring man I know. Oh, it's buried, but I know it’s in there. We need you right now. I need you.”

  Oh, how can I resist her? She knows how to wrap me around her finger. He looked away. “Fine. I’ll tell him.”

  “And figure out how to mitigate the risk?”

  “As much as I can, dear.”

  Merriweather leaned in and gave him a hug. “You know you’re like a second father to me, right?”

  “And you’re the daughter I never had. I suppose that’s why I put up with you,” Hayworth said, trying to inject some pique into his voice and failing terribly. “Answer me this, though. I know you voted for Fuentes. Why encourage me to help finish this mission? I would think you’d be against it.”

  She frowned. “I recognize that taking out their shipyards will give us a strategic advantage. I also obey lawful orders. General Cohen is my commanding officer, so I do what he tells me to.”

  “The joy of being a civilian,” Hayworth replied, his voice light. “I get to pick and choose.”

  “Let yourself think that,” Merriweather said archly. “You’re under contract with the military. All the funding you’ve been given comes with a price.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Hayworth replied. Sometimes I wish I’d never taken their grant too.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, dear. I should be wrapped up here in another two or three hours.”

  “I’ll see you later, then.” Merriweather leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. A moment later, she was gone.

  Hayworth checked his console to find the simulation he’d run finished, and with a grunt, started typing away on the next one.

  * * *

  After a few hours on watch, David retired to his day cabin to write up a formal battle plan. He’d set aside his emotions to focus solely on the task at hand. His tactical plan ended up being simplistic, as such things went. Dividing the fleet will either be a masterstroke or enable our defeat. He thought back through human military history to commanders who took similar risks. The ones who succeeded were hailed as geniuses. Those who failed were relegated to the dustbin of time. I don’t care what history says about me, as long as we win. His thoughts were interrupted by the ding of the hatch buzzer.

  “Come in,” he called out.

  The hatch swung open to reveal Ruth. She strode in, we
aring a smile. “Do you have a minute, sir?”

  David smiled. “Always. Have a seat.”

  She shut the hatch behind her, then sat down in the chair closest to the deck. “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

  “What’s on your mind, Ruth?” He used her first name to indicate it was a discussion between friends.

  “You, sir.”

  His face clouded over, and he scrunched his eyes together. “I don’t follow.”

  “Something’s wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get so angry as you were this morning.”

  Great, I’m letting it seep out into view of my crew. I’ve got to get control of myself. “General Hale’s behavior was improper,” David replied, and found himself having to fight hard not to let an edge creep into his voice.

  “I don’t dispute that, but you’ve always led by example and shown a better way. I don’t know what’s wrong with the Terran Coalition right now, but I believe we’re better served by trying to work with one another. You’ve always encouraged that in me. Even when I had other ideas.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. She’s right. I know something’s wrong. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s as if everything around us is encouraging anger and divisiveness. It was as if all the cracks in the Terran Coalition were finally coming apart all at once around him. The Peace Union vs. the Liberals, the Erhart affair; all of it was tearing them apart. Maybe I’m paying the price for not dealing with it within myself. “I apologize. You’re absolutely right—it’s my job to lead by example, and I didn’t.”

  “For what it’s worth, we’re with you all the way, sir. No matter what it takes or what it costs. The Lion of Judah will triumph over the League.”

  “Thank you, Ruth.” David bit down on his lip. “I guess I’ve been allowing my emotions to interfere with my thought process since the election. I still can’t get over an avowed socialist winning. And while I’m being honest, not having Colonel Aibek next to me is more challenging than I expected.”

  “How so, sir?”

  “I need someone to bounce my ideas off and get honest feedback. Sometimes they’re gold, and sometimes I’m in loony tunes land,” he said as he grinned. “That’s the curse of being unorthodox in combat tactics.” If I could only clone him. David tilted his head to the side, and then it hit him. “Wait a minute. Why I didn’t think of this sooner? I’ll make you the acting XO for the duration of this mission!”

  Ruth’s face clouded over and her eyes opened wide. “I…” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t think I’m what you need, sir.”

  “Why not?” David asked, his right eyebrow raised. “You served as the acting XO with Major Hanson in command. From what I read of his after-action report, you performed admirably.”

  “Still, sir, every shot will count in what we’re about to do.”

  “The Lion will be shooting at space stations. A first-year cadet could handle it. Lieutenant Kelsey is doing quite nicely in her duties, is she not?”

  “It's entirely possible we’ll end up in a running space battle with an enemy fleet, sir.”

  David leaned back in the chair, pondering her reasoning. “If so, I’ll have you take tactical. Part of leadership is the management of personnel. It’s a good lesson to learn, starting now.”

  “Sir?”

  “We’ve discussed this before. You’re not staying on assignment to the Lion forever. You’ve got a bright and promising career in front of you. We’ll talk about it after we get through with our current assignment. Deal?”

  “Yes, sir.” Ruth smiled, but something was lacking in it. Her eyes appeared downcast.

  “Thank you for coming to see me.”

  Ruth stood and came to attention. “Anytime, sir. Godspeed.”

  “Godspeed, Lieutenant. Dismissed.” I suppose I’d better figure out how to fill in the hole I dug with Hale. As she walked out, David returned to the tablet on his desk and went back to his battle plan.

  12

  With a long stride, David crossed the threshold into the Lion’s hangar bay, filled with more personnel than usual—mostly Marines and commandos—making their way toward the Tucson. It was his destination as well. Calvin and Mancini stood beside the small, squat stealth raider, overseeing the movement of people and supplies.

  “General on deck!” Godat shouted.

  “As you were,” David replied quickly. He strode up to Calvin and tapped him on the shoulder. “Ready to kick some Leaguers in the teeth, Colonel?”

  Calvin flashed a grin. “Always, sir. What brings you down here?”

  David suppressed a sigh. “Oh, I wanted to wish the troops well.” The truth was, he found his conscience bothering him. The operation was risky. Too risky. All it’ll take is one die-hard Leaguer pushing the button and all these people will die. Desperate times, desperate measures. Part of him wanted to ask for volunteers, as if somehow that would cleanse the guilt on his soul.

  “Spacewalkers don’t need well-wishes,” MacDonald yelled. “We only require targets.”

  “Ah, yes, you don’t ask how many, only where they are.”

  MacDonald grunted. “Damn straight, sir.”

  “The same was said for another group of elite troops. The Spartans.”

  “Colonel, does he pull this history crap up on a regular basis?” MacDonald asked with a grin plastered across his face. “I never paid attention in class.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve learned enough to pass as cultured officer, now,” Calvin said, his voice completely deadpan.

  “Colonel, Master Chief, please assemble your men.” David didn’t feel like banter, not with the weight on his shoulders.

  It took a few moments for the Marines and commandos to gather in neat rows—Calvin wouldn’t accept anything less, nor would MacDonald. Once they were at parade rest, all faced David and came to attention.

  “As you were,” David began with a glance at Calvin. “You are about to undertake one of the most daring raids ever attempted against the League of Sol. Should we carry the day, our forces will be less than twenty light-years from Earth, in a position to destroy the League’s infrastructure to wage war against the Terran Coalition… our home.” His eyes swept the crowd, full of nervous young men and women, along with grizzled veterans who’d served as long or longer than him. “I have said on many occasions that commanding the Lion of Judah and those who serve with me is the highest honor I’ve had in this life. As I stand here today, that remains the absolute truth. See to your duty, secure the enemy vessel, and I promise you, we will prevail over the League.”

  A shout of “Hoorah!” went up from them, seeming to shake the deck itself.

  “If you ain’t spacewalking, you ain’t shit!” one of the commandos yelled.

  As another cheer sounded, David forced a smile to his lips. “Godspeed, Marines! Dismissed.”

  The entire group turned as one, then marched off toward the stealth raiders' cargo bay hatch, which was open for loading the various additional supplies and equipment. Mancini appeared next to Calvin, having come out the main hatch to the ship.

  “General, we’re about ready, sir.”

  “Outstanding, Mancini,” David replied. “Everything shipshape?”

  “As I’ve said a few times, it's going to be a heck of a squeeze, and no one will be getting decent rack time… but we’ll manage. Just make sure you’re waiting for us when we’re done.” The last bit was said with a smile.

  “The Leaguers aren’t good enough to find us in the void with EMCON alpha in force,” David replied confidently. Maybe they are… but I must project success rather than worry. “Good luck, Major.”

  “Say a prayer for us, sir.”

  David clasped his hands together. “I will, though I only pray for our safe return to our families.”

  Mancini raised an eyebrow. “Not for victory?”

  “No. I remain convinced God detests what humans do to one another. I won’t ask Him to help me kill people.”

  “I see. Well, I
have no such compunction, General. Evil is evil, and God destroys evil.”

  After a moment, David’s eyes took in the Catholic flag on Mancini’s uniform, directly under the Terran Coalition flag. I’m not getting into a theological argument. “I suppose we can agree to disagree.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Carry on, Major. Godspeed.”

  “Godspeed to you too, sir.” Mancini turned on his heel and headed back into the Tucson.

  With a final jaunty salute, Calvin too disappeared, following behind the rest of the Marines. With them and the commandos out of the hangar, it suddenly felt quieter. More open and slower. I suppose that’s the effect the rather frenetic Master Chief and his men have on a place. I hope this works. They’ve always pulled it off before, but something is gnawing at me. David turned and walked away, back to his duties.

  * * *

  Later in the day, David retired to his day cabin and office—a few steps from the bridge. He quickly finished up his paperwork and found himself contemplating how close they were to Earth—and his actions. The realization his anger clouded what he usually would consider to be sound judgment bothered him to his core. He’d visited the shul and prayed, asking God to forgive him. Now he needed to make amends.

  David had never been one to use his rank and position as a baton to hammer those he led into line. I believe if you lead well, those under your command will obey you cheerfully. There was a glaring hole in his leadership recently, and that was his treatment of General Hale. As much as he tried to deny it to himself, he realized the truth of the matter was because of her political beliefs, so he viewed her as somehow being less. That’s not fair, and I know better. He decided to do something about it, and for starters, to be the bigger man. A few clicks later, and he sent a request for a vidlink.