Libor: Katana Krieger #2

by Bill Robinson

  ChiNO interrupts.

  "We're both leaving for Canada first thing. Make sure we've got all your logs, and," he looks over at Courtney and Olivia, "you two are to bring everything you've got to Dakota 1 for Admirals Baylor and Quintana. Rio Grande is en route to transport you. We'll leave orders for the rest of you when you board tomorrow. Questions?"

  As usual, I have lots, and I'm not going to ask them.

  "Then you are all dismissed. Captain, Commander, I need you both to stay a minute."

  Once everyone else is gone, ChiNO takes us aside. He looks kind of fatherly, which scares me. And he's looking at Shelby, not me.

  "Commander, last week Congress voted to end the frigate program and build six new Spruance class cruisers and a ton of planetary defense corvettes instead. Politics are getting crazy with the election so close. Yorktown and Constitution will continue, of course, they are much too valuable to decommission, but Saratoga will never be built. I'm sorry. You've been slotted for a future destroyer command, if you want it, but it might be a while. My thinking is that this mission shows we need to rethink the destroyer program too. The frigates are the perfect tool for this fight, that's why the politicians stopped funding them."

  "Again, I'm sorry."

  He turns and leaves, Hilgenberg on his six, after not having said a word about it. I turn to Shelby.

  "Let me teach you the Libor sign for knife."

  We float to our respective cabins, grab the bags we packed on our way in, then head off the ship. Tony is waiting at the bottom of the tube, Shelby gives him the bad news. And teaches him the Libor sign for knife.

  I get into the command center, to find a Marine waiting for me. I very professionally wrap myself around him and give him a truly special kiss. Once I detach myself, and Shelby stops laughing, I take his hand and make a suggestion.

  "Dinner?"

  "Giorgio's?" Shelby's suggestion.

  "Good to go. 1900?"

  "Aye."

  Carl looks at me.

  "Then we better get you up to the BOQ, it will take a while to get you checked in."

  I let go of his hand, put my hands on my hips, and give him my best ‘are you stupid or something' look. Takes him a couple seconds to figure it out.

  "Or you could just stay with me."

  I take his hand back.

  Shelby and Tony let us know they are staying on board until we get our orders tomorrow. Shel was originally planning on heading for California in a few days, where the keel for Saratoga was supposed to be laid, but now she's got no idea of where she's headed.

  We don't wait the hour until 1900, we head for the restaurant, forget our troubles, eat, laugh, enjoy ourselves, let Carl have spaghetti and meatballs without comment. Then he and I say goodnight and head up to his place, where we get very little sleep.

  I'm aboard ship at 0700, smiling, put together everything in my pack so I don't have to come back if we get an extended leave. That includes my sidearm and knives. And my magic package of Libor seeds, which I haven't opened.

  Then I sit in the wardroom with Shel for a while, her with a coffee and me with a tea, lamenting a Navy that sometimes makes promises it can't keep.

  At 0800 I'm on the bridge when the transmission with our orders comes through. Both of my bosses are already headed toward the sun for a jump to Canada, they can't deliver them in person. I read them twice before I open the channel and read them to the crew.

  "From Hilgenberg, Jennifer, Rear Admiral, FRIGCOM to Krieger, Katana, Captain, commander USS Yorktown. Effective receipt of these orders all personnel except as noted below currently assigned USS Yorktown granted 20 days leave commencing 0800 hours 24 June, 2486 and ending 0800 hours 14 July, 2486. On or about 17 July, 2486, but not later than 2359 hours 20 July, 2486, USS Yorktown will depart Grissom Station. Destination and operational orders to follow. McAdams, Courtney, Lieutenant Junior Grade and Gomez, Olivia, Chief Petty Officer, assigned temporary duty Naval Experimental Research Division effective immediately. Individual travel orders to follow. Perez, Shelby, Commander and Powell, Emily, Lieutenant assigned temporary duty USS Constitution effective 0800 hours 10 July, 2486 through 0800 hours 14 July to assist and supervise initial engine and weapons test program. Krieger, Katana, Captain, commander USS Yorktown to report to office of Chief of Naval Operations 1000 hours 7 July, 2486. So ordered, 1450 hours 23 June, 2486."

  "Ladies and gentlemen, have a good vacation. Krieger out."

  I use ship's systems to copy the orders to all hands on their pads, which will simultaneously activate their calendars and remind them of where they need to be well in advance. While I'm doing that I get a beep on my pad, a delayed message from Everingham. I am scheduled for a 1300 news conference with my old friend, Miley Langston.

  The President of the Union will have made a speech first thing this morning on Canada 2, we will get the broadcast at 1300 when the morning drone downloads. UnionOne, the biggest TV network, wants me there to commentate. Maybe I'll teach the entire Union the Libor sign for knife.

  Shelby and I do a thorough inspection of the ship, not only making sure everyone got off, but looking for needed repairs we missed when we wrote the maintenance logs. We visit Emily, still sitting in Engineering doing paperwork as expected, let her know how well she did as temporary Second officer.

  Unlike the Navy, I'm not going to make her any promises I can't keep.

  A little after 1000 we go up to the bridge to collect McAdams, Gomez, and Manuel, who have long ago finished packing their data and evidence, but can't bring themselves to believe it to be so. The five of us truck to Engineering to get Powell, and clear the decks, Tony waiting for us at the hatch. We each have a box of RISTA's stuff, in addition to our own.

  McAdams give us a little scream when we get to the command center and disappears into the arms of a young dark haired Lieutenant. She breaks her clinch and turns to me.

  "Captain Krieger, may I introduce Lieutenant Max Browner, Naval Experimental."

  "Lieutenant, pleasure to meet you. I assume you came in from Dakota to pick up Courtney?" "Aye, sir, I don't want her to travel alone."

  "Neither do I, Lieutenant."

  "Rio Grande is docked in Beta 2, Captain, I can get her there if you'd prefer."

  "No, Max, I think we'll all benefit from the float."

  They can't hold hands, too much to carry and too hard to do that in zero gee, but they mysteriously bump into each other a few times on the way down to Beta 2. Shelby and I, floating behind them, do our best not to laugh.

  We get another surprise at Beta.

  "Captain Krieger, good to see you, sir."

  I turn, recognizing the voice.

  "Paul, good to see you as well."

  Lieutenant Paul Summerlin, skipper of USS Congress, and with him, Lieutenant Veronica Rivera, skipper of USS Decatur.

  My butt gets it.

  "You're the escort?"

  "Aye, sir, we're designated to cover Rio Grande's trip to Dakota 1."

  "Excellent. Any trouble on the trip home from Gamma Upsilon?"

  "No sir, the Libor didn't move an inch."

  We're interrupted by a bell, it's time for them to go.

  "Safe trip everyone, we'll see you all in a few weeks."

  We watch them board, Summerlin escorting Gomez to his boat, not Rio Grande, and get to watch the bay depressurize, its giant titanium doors slide open, and the transport, with its two corvette guardians, fly out. I can watch that every day and not tire of it.

  Powell and Manuel take their leaves of us, and Tony, Shelby, and I head out. I explain my next stop, they decide to come with me.

  Sickbay isn't the nicest place on the station, but it can be the happiest. The three of us find Corporal Weese sitting up in bed, flirting with a nurse.

  "Captain!"

  He's yelling across the entire ward, loud enough to wake the surgery patients. I don't mind, and I'm sure they don't either.

  "Corporal, it's great to see you awake. How are you doi
ng?"

  The nurse answers for him, "Fuller" on her uniform badge.

  "He's doing too well in my book. He's set for discharge in two days, maybe a couple weeks he'll be fit for duty."

  "That is the best news I've had in a while. Lieutenant Fuller, this man saved my life in the jungles on Libor Prime."

  She looks at him with a little more respect. Nothing's going to happen, enlisted and officer, but now he can flirt on more equal terms.

  We take our leave, and I text Carl to see if he's free for lunch. The four of us get some very much needed tacos at my favorite taco stand in the high gee section of the station, then I pop in to visit Maddie the tailor and tell her how she saved my life and the entire expedition to Libor Prime.

  Chapter 41

  Carl goes back to work, Tony and Shelby float off to plan a vacation, I float up to the Public Affairs office to meet Miley. There's a semi-circular table, typical news program layout, giant screen centered above and behind it. Four chairs, two on each side of the screen, my name already emblazoned on the front of the table by the first seat to the right of the screen as you face them. Miley's name is on the first seat to the left, and there are two other names I don't know on the outer spots.

  The same young petty officer who was there when the Senator first arrived is standing with Ms. Langston when I float over.

  "Good afternoon, Captain, I'm Petty Officer Simon."

  "I remember. Good to see you again." Seems to be the theme of the day. And then one more time. "Good to see you too, Miley."

  "Katana," it's Miley taking the lead, "this is going to be much different than what we did before. The president's speech is being played live as we receive it, though obviously many hours old. We'll be talking live, which means anything and everything you say goes out instantly, no taking it back or editing it later."

  "I'll try to be good. What else?"

  "Mike DeLong, a big time political commentator from Canada 2 who was on Mars doing a story will be here, it's quite a coup for us. And Brad Carter, the congressman who represents Mars, will be our other guest."

  They have me sit in a chair and let a makeup person play with my face. She unleashes the hair, I comment about there not being enough room for it all on the set, she laughs and makes it even bigger.

  They introduce me to the congressman and the commentator, and we all get seated. A producer says, "Five, Four, Three," goes silent and holds up two fingers, then one finger, then points at Miley.

  "Good afternoon. I am Miley Langston and this is UnionOne Earth Report. Today we've got a presidential news conference download on the Libor situation. With me in the studio are Congressman Brad Carter, UnionOne Correspondent Chris DeLong, and one of my personal heroes, Captain Katana Krieger of the USS Yorktown."

  The presidential seal fills the screen and a deep voice says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the Union of American States."

  He looks the same as he always does, his left hand grips the podium as it always does, and his right hand can't keep still as it always can't.

  "My fellow Unionists. As you are aware, Union Navy forces have been actively engaged in combat for the past two months with a rebel group from an alien culture known as the Libor. At great human cost, Senator Paul Piper and Navy Admiral Alan Sutherland passed through rebel space to the Libor home world where they made contact with the Libor's elected leadership, known as the Clan Guardians, and returned to Canada 2 with their representative."

  "The Navy lost four of the eight vessels it sent on this mission, and I suffered a personal tragedy. My nephew, Lt. Commander Jacob Rains, died saving the lives of a dozen of his comrades. Senator Piper himself remains hospitalized. These losses confirm the need to restructure our naval force along the lines of the Navy Modernization Act passed just two weeks ago. We will put a force of the most modern and most powerful warships ever assembled onto our border, while protecting each of our planets."

  "Along with the congressional leadership, we are negotiating a joint effort with the rightful Libor leadership to eliminate the threat to the citizens of both societies, human and Libor. Let me introduce you all to the Ambassador of the Libor, Khan the 85th."

  The camera moves backwards until both of them are in the screen, two identical podiums, one with the presidential seal and the other with a snowflake. There are a couple gasps from around the studio.

  "His name was chosen by humans, since we cannot pronounce his true name, and he is the 85th in an unbroken familial line from his first known ancestor. Captain Roberto Alvarez from Naval Public Affairs will speak on his behalf. Captain?"

  The camera pans right, so that only Khan and a tall human in Navy dress blues are visible. While we had facial closeups of the president, they are carefully avoiding closing in on the 48 eyed alien. Alvarez makes a point of taking out a piece of paper and nodding to Khan.

  "Ladies and gentlemen. I am Khan the 85th, representing the Clan Guardians of the Children of the Eternal Giver. We face a common enemy, those of my kind who have chosen to rebel against their rightful government. They do not war eyes to eyes, but fight through deceit and treachery. It is our belief that only if humans and the Children work together can these traitors be defeated in both our spaces."

  "Once the routes between our planets may be traveled in safety, there will be great opportunity for commerce and communion among our clans."

  "On behalf of the Clan Guardians and our leader, Alexander the 92nd, I give thanks to the president and the admiral for their help, and to Captain Katana Krieger for her skill as a warrior. I pray that together we may strike our enemies a fatal blow."

  Alvarez nods again to Khan and steps away. The camera pans back to the president.

  "I won't be taking any questions today. We're working on how to make Ambassador Khan available for a press conference. As soon as we've made arrangements, we'll hold a joint press conference. In the mean time, there are documents available on the Congressional servers for your inspection including photographs the Admiral took on the Libor home world. God bless you all, and God bless the Union of American States."

  We get the presidential seal, no snowflake, on the screen and then they sign off. A photograph of the Clan Guardians seated on their stage appears on the screen, with what is obviously the back of Admiral Sutherland's head in the frame.

  Miley gathers herself and starts in.

  "Before we begin our discussion, Captain, would you tell us what we are seeing here?"

  "This is inside what I would describe as a temple, it's the place where the Clan Guardians hold ceremonies. We had several ceremonial meals there. The Guardians are on that stage, Alexander in the center and Khan to his right, our left."

  "You've eaten their food?"

  "Indeed, Miley, it's tasty and healthy, though not very spicy. No junk food, mostly bread, fruit, vegetables, and simple meat dishes. And they make a heck of a whiskey."

  Everybody is staring at me. Eventually, somebody in the booth wakes Miley up, she touches the plug in her ear, and gets back to work.

  "Congressman Carter, what do you make of the potential for a treaty with the Libor?"

  "Miley, I am thrilled. It will be much easier to eliminate the threat posed by the rebels with the help of the Libor government, and the future economic benefits are incalculable."

  "Chris, you disagree?"

  "The Congressman is hopelessly overly optimistic as usual, his party never realizes a threat until it's too late. If the rebels are so strong militarily that their own government can't stop them, we've got to consider whether or not it's worth losing our troops for them. And the Navy lost half the ships it sent to investigate, that's a problem. They don't have the right force composition anymore because of how reductions in force the president made. We should join together with the Empire and the Dynasty, make the Libor understand there are severe consequences if human space is attacked, and then seal our borders."

  The two of them go back and forth for a while, me pleasantly off to the
side hoping we'll run out of time before I have to speak again. Miley intervenes when the two gentlemen start to get redundant.

  "Captain, where do you stand on a treaty with the Libor?"

  I sigh.

  "I am a warrior. I go where I'm told, fight when I need to fight. Whatever path the congressman and his colleagues choose, I will carry out my orders."

  "You're been on their planet. Talked to them, what did he say, eyes to eyes. Do you trust them?"

  "There are two clans we have met. One is evil. The other, well, I trust Alexander and Khan, but two individuals don't make a culture or a society. We don't know enough yet. I have to trust that the people who spend their lives making treaties know how to make a good one."