Eagle (Jacob Hull)

by Debenham, Kindal

  Jacob nodded, and a pause followed. The cargo teams started to transfer the materials from the hold of the Fresh Hope to the cavernous storage areas onboard the Eagle. Most of the supplies were standard—fuel for the reactors, food and water for the crew, spare parts for the various systems in the ship—but one thing they would not receive here would be ammunition. Tiredel’s newly established population did not boast a single arms production facility; the Oathbound had insisted on it, and no Oathbound ship would carry anything even resembling weaponry. Fortunately, the Eagle and the other ships of the fleet had plenty of ammunition.

  He heard a cough from behind him, and he turned and saw Leon standing there. His friend stood to attention and saluted with precision. “You wanted to see me, Sir?”

  “Yes, Captain Nivrosky.” Jacob glanced at Tsokashi.

  The ex-Oduran caught Jacob's expression and smiled. “Perhaps I should withdraw. Thank you both for your service.”

  As Tsokashi walked away, Jacob looked at Leon. “Thanks for coming, Leon. I have an assignment for you.”

  Leon blinked he hadn’t been expecting anything of the sort. “An assignment, Sir? Who are you going to have as you chief of staff?”

  Jacob hesitated. “I’m going to let the computers handle things for a while. I might be able to keep up with the paperwork as long as I focus on it more.” He glanced at the resupply operation and continued. “Captain Weir resigned this morning.”

  Surprise crossed Leon’s face at the news. “Weir? I thought he was going to stay in the Navy until they had to bury him. Why did he leave?”

  “The official reason is he wants more time to spend dirtside after a lifetime of service.” Jacob smiled faintly; Captain Weir, a lifelong spacer, was not famous for his affection of things planetbound. “Unofficially, Medical has finally caught up with the good captain and decided he is lucky he hasn’t had three kinds of heart attack by now. I decided it would be better to have him in an advisory role rather than risk losing him to a stress-induced cardiac event, and he agreed.”

  Leon nodded slowly. “And you want me to take his place.”

  “Yes.” Jacob turned to look at Leon. “You’d be aboard the Galahad. She’s a Knight-class, so she doesn’t have the armor refit yet, but she has plenty of weaponry. Her crew has high efficiency marks as well.”

  Those facts didn’t seem to reassure the other officer very much. “I don’t know, Jacob. You need help running things here, and you deserve to have a chief of staff you can rely on.”

  Jacob waved the concern away. “Thank you, Captain Nivrosky, but I should be fine. You’re past due for another ship’s command in any case.” When Leon continued to look uncertain, Jacob reached forward and grabbed his shoulder. “Listen, you’ll be just as important in your place there as you would be here. I need a squadron commander I can count on. Where we’re going, I can’t afford to doubt if my newest ship commander is going to trust my orders or not.”

  Leon relaxed slightly. “Okay. I understand.” Then he gave Jacob a lopsided grin. “I mean, I understand, Sir.” He saluted.

  Jacob returned the salute. “Thank you, Captain. You’ll have about a day to prepare for the transfer, and then we should be heading for the Frontier a few hours after that. Make sure to leave everything in order. We’re going to have a lot of work to do.”

  “I bet.” Leon nodded and started to turn away to leave. Then he paused. “Jacob?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I already watched one of our flagships die while I couldn’t do anything to stop it.” Leon’s voice remained steady, despite the concern and grief that showed easily in his expression. “Don’t make me go through that again.”

  Jacob nodded. “I’ll do my best, Captain. You have my promise.”

  Leon held his gaze for a moment, and then he turned to leave. Jacob watched him stride away, his posture as formal and professional as ever. He heard Tsokashi return and looked back at the man. “Yes, Ship Handler?”

  Tsokashi looked understanding, even compassionate. “It’s never easy to see a friend go, is it? Especially when they are under one’s own command.” The Oathbound man looked in the direction Leon had disappeared, and the corner of his mouth quirked upward in a half-grin. “One the one hand, you know they are worried for you, since they will not be there to stave off disaster on your behalf. On the other, you are worried for them, because the time may come when you will order them into danger…and they may not survive.” He shook his head. “I do not envy you your burden, Admiral Hull.”

  Jacob studied the man for a moment, suddenly curious. He took in the precise way Tsokashi stood, noted the way he held his remaining arm just so. His eyebrows went up when he realized something he had not suspected. “You were part of the Oduran military.”

  The two junior Marines in Jacob’s bodyguard standing nearby stiffened, and Corporal Delaraza’s fingers twitched on his rifle. Ashford, on the other hand, motioned for them to stand down. Jacob met the Marine’s eyes, and Ashford gave him a silent, reassuring nod. He’d probably known about Tsokashi’s former occupation and had probably insisted on coming along for that reason, but he didn’t seem too worried about the situation. Given Ashford’s usual level of paranoia, Jacob felt a little safer despite his surprise.

  Wariness entered Tsokashi’s expression, as if he was aware of the tension in other two Marines. “That was once my calling, but no longer. I hold to the Oath, the same as the rest of the Oathbound.”

  For a moment, Jacob remained quiet. He was still trying to reconcile the reality of Tsokashi, battered and scarred, with the threatening image of the Oduran captains he’d always imagined meeting. Then Jacob shook his head. “It must be difficult for you to help us now. We may be facing some of your former comrades in arms.”

  “My comrades, as you described them, have rejected the chance for peace, Admiral Hull.” Tsokashi made an expressive gesture with his remaining arm. “Many of them would kill me in an instant, given the chance. You are far more a servant of peace than any of them have ever been.” Then he hesitated. “But you are right, Admiral. It is a hard thing to watch your ships gather, to know they assemble to strike at the heart of what I once held dear. The League cast us out, body and soul, yet to me it was always my home, and my heart sickens at the thought of so much death. I wish it was not necessary.”

  “As do I, Ship Handler.” Jacob looked back out at the reloading operation, seeing the crews were almost done loading. “It is my hope this war will be done someday soon. Then perhaps we can work towards something different. Something more…” Words failed him.

  “More meaningful, perhaps?” Tsokashi smiled. “My heart wishes it would be so, but for now, what will be, will be.” Something chirped in the Oduran’s pocket, and he fished out a comm stub. He glanced at it for a moment, and then sighed. “I must return to my crews, Admiral. They require a bit of advice. If you’ll excuse me.”

  Jacob nodded, and the Oathbound officer left the same way Leon had gone. Watching him go, Jacob wondered again at how monumentally different the universe seemed lately. He had Odurans resupplying his ship for a strike against the League, an Oduran officer sympathizing with him, and Celostian admirals and representatives plotting his downfall. Amused by the thought, Jacob turned back to the where another ship was arriving. There wasn’t much time left before the Eagle would be ready to go.

  “The last of your supplies should be ready within the next two days. The Oathbound have given you almost everything you’ll need to get all the way across the Frontier.” Al-shira tapped a few buttons on her personal reader. “They’ve also given us the most recent maps they have of the Frontier. You shouldn’t run into any anomalies on your way through.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Jacob looked around his office, searching for an easy way to start the conversation he’d been dreading for the past week. He failed. “Naomi, we need to talk about something.”

  “Oh?” Al-shira quirked an eyebrow. She set her personal reader aside and f
olded her arms. “Good. Is this the point where you try and convince me it would be better if I stayed behind? I’ve been waiting for you to bring it up.”

  Jacob stared at her. Then he shook his head and smiled ruefully. “Damn it. You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

  “Oh please. Were you going to hide your noble intentions behind some excuse about ensuring the chain of command or something?” Al-shira chuckled. “You’re lucky actually. I have no intention of going with you on this mission.”

  He blinked. The absence of screaming was nice, but the conversation was not progressing as he’d imagined it. “You don’t?”

  “Absolutely not.” She shrugged. “You don’t have a command assignment open for me, and I doubt you’re going to kick Captain Martino out of his place just to put me in charge of the Eagle. Too many people are whispering about us as it is, and I don’t think either of us wants to make things worse. Besides, you’ve already got Isaac and Leon to watch your back, and if you can’t take on a bunch of Odurans on your own by now, my being on the ship with you won’t change that.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I think.” Jacob walked over to the desk and leaned against it. “What are you planning then? I doubt you want to sit on a garrison post in Tiredel. First Shore isn’t exactly renowned for its creature comforts.”

  “Not exactly what I had in mind—and it had better not have been your plan for me either.” Al-shira wagged a finger at him. “You’ve got most of the logistics side of things settled, and the strategic plan is solid, but you’ve forgotten some of the fallout this will cause. Your enemies aren’t just the ones on the League side of the border.”

  Jacob narrowed his eyes. “You think Carmichael will move.”

  Al-shira shook her head. “No, but even if he stays put, the other admirals will be…upset. My guess is Siddiqui will react first, since she’s going to think you’re moving on the independents at Ermine. She’ll be the first to challenge you. When you don’t show up at San Marcos, I’m guessing Borgens or one of the others will move next. Either way, you need someone here to counter them while you are gone.”

  Jacob nodded, a puzzle piece falling into place. He’d doubted Al-shira would willingly give up the fight in Kryshaen without a truly impressive argument—certainly not just to ensure her own safety. If she saw another threat to face in the Union itself, it made her decision easier to understand. “What are you going to do?”

  Al-shira broke into a wide smile. “So glad you asked.” She picked up her reader again. “Since Admiral Siddiqui is probably going to be the first to respond, I’m guessing she’s going to come directly to Tiredel to try and figure out what your plans are. Her next move from there, if she thinks you’re headed to San Marcos, would be to try and intercept you. If we don’t want her finding out about what is really going on, and setting off to stop you. We need to stall her here.”

  “Not an easy thing to do.” Jacob smiled. “Yet somehow I bet you have a plan.”

  “You’re damn right I do, Admiral.” Al-shira tapped a few keys on her reader. “Admiral Siddiqui’s main source of distrust comes from her belief that we are trusting too much in the power of a centralized military. She buys into the Independents who believe the military can be used to crush local freedoms and enforce totalitarian rule, like the Odurans do. That’s why she’s pushing so hard for the militia to arm themselves—and why she would expect us to ignore, or feel threatened by, any well-armed militia in the area.”

  It sounded all too much like an accurate assessment of how most Navy officers would have reacted to the presence of militia, but Jacob shrugged that fact off. “There’s not much I can do to stop her from thinking that way—especially with Carmichael’s group giving us so much trouble.”

  “Maybe there’s more you can do than you think.” Al-shira handed over her reader, a smug look stamped on her features. “I took the liberty of drafting a message for you to send.”

  Jacob took the reader. “A message?”

  “To an old friend.”

  As he ran his eyes over the message, Jacob couldn’t help a grin. “A request for aid from the Navy to Commander Miguel of the Reefhome Defense Force. If possible, we ask that they reinforce our positions at Tiredel until further notice.” He read a bit further and then looked up at her. “Captain Al-shira, you’re a genius.”

  Al-shira snorted. “As if you ever doubted that. When Siddiqui gets here, she’ll be facing a militia force ’s agreed to operate under your command. Or, technically, under the command of a brilliant officer whose capabilities you trust.” She tilted her head to one side expectantly.

  Jacob held up his hands in surrender. “Well, I guess I got outflanked on that already. You’ll be in command here until I get back, or until the Admiralty Board revokes the orders. Do you think you can keep them from doing that?”

  “As long as you don’t take too much time, yeah.” Al-shira shrugged. “When Siddiqui finds a militia force opposing her, she’s going to have to stop and think. I can try and draw things out and prevent her from figuring out your plan. The other members of the Board won’t want to move, especially when they see how we’ve tied up Siddiqui. Hopefully that confusion will last until you get back.” Then Al-shira grew sober. “This is just a short term solution, Jacob. I might be able to stall them during your operation, and if you pull this off, it’ll be a big boost in your favor, but eventually we’re going to need these people on your side. Not just too embarrassed to fight you openly. We’ll need to be able to count on their support.”

  “I don’t suppose you have any suggestions on how to make that happen?” Jacob threw up his hands in exasperation. “I haven’t exactly been successful there.”

  Al-shira let her arms fall to her sides. “No, I don’t.” She shook her head as well, clearly unhappy having to give that answer. “It’s a political battle now. You can’t win just by smashing them to bits. If you really want to solve the problem, you’re going to have to talk them around.”

  Jacob sighed. “I know.” He scratched at the back of his head. “Well, at least I’ll have something to keep me occupied on the way back from this attack. Not that I needed any more to worry about.”

  “Don’t make me smack you again. Sir.” Al-shira’s smile faded. “Even with everything, I do wish I could come along. Just to keep an eye on you, at least.”

  “I know. I wish you could too.” Jacob sighed. “You’re right, though. I need someone here, and I know I can trust you to get things done.”

  Al-shira walked over and cuffed him lightly on the back of the head. “You idiot.” Then she grabbed his shoulder and studied him for a moment. “You’re going to come back to me. Otherwise, I’m going to track you down and kill you.”

  “As ordered, Captain.” He heard her chuckle, and then she stepped back. She straightened to parade ground attention.

  “Permission to transfer to First Shore until my new command arrives, Sir?”

  Jacob felt his own relaxed demeanor fall away. “Permission granted, Captain Al-shira. The crew down at First Shore should be able to ferry you back up to them without any problem.”

  For a long moment they stared at each other, each measuring the other’s chance of success and survival. Then Al-shira brought her hand up in a salute. “Until next time, Admiral.”

  Jacob returned her salute. “Until then.” He watched her head for the door, and briefly prayed he would see her again. Then he turned to his desk and started in on the orders he was going to send to his forces in Adamson and Ersvad. It was time to move.

  Chapter Nine

  Two weeks later, Jacob watched his assembled task force from the command center and asked himself if he’d really managed to pull it off.

  The Eagle left Tiredel with her entire escort of Navy craft. Her scheduled riftjump would have taken her along a route for the Macy system out on the edge of the border. There, official details would suggest the fleet would engage in a few war games while remaining close e
nough to secure the border. Hopefully any scouts from the Odurans would still be looking for his force there by the time he reached his real target: Kryshaen.

  Jacob had already sent some of the frigates as a diversion, having them jump against the Oduran bases at Pylar and Siegfried. They weren’t meant to do any real damage, but they’d followed the standard—and somewhat dated—method for a Celostian attack force. They were precisely what the Odurans would expect from a set of scouts surveying ahead of a larger Celostian task force. If they’d received any word the Eagle and her consorts had left Celostian territory, they would move to defend those two areas against Jacob’s fleet. Given that their precious dreadnaughts were being refitted in both of those bases, they wouldn’t expect him to strike elsewhere while they were occupied.

  Unfortunately for them, Jacob didn’t want the dreadnaughts. The Odurans could upkeep all the massive warships they wanted, since without the reactor fuel, supercoolant, and other supplies stockpiled at Kryshaen, they wouldn’t come anywhere close to Celostian space. One strike would set back the Oduran offensive for months, and if everything had gone according to plan, he’d find only a light garrison to guard the system. The only way to find out if his deceptions had worked, however, was to jump in. He couldn’t afford to send in scouts and allow them time to pull their forces back—he had to go in blind.

  The timer on his computer reached zero, and Jacob drew in a breath, then let it trickle out slowly. He touched a control on his console, broadcasting a transmission throughout his task force. “This is Admiral Jacob Hull. We are about to strike back at the Oduran League for their depredations against our people. Prepare to riftjump in five, four, three, two, one. Jump.”

  Space flickered, warped, and the task force riftjumped, right on schedule. One moment they were hovering in the darkness between stars. The next, they arrived in Kryshaen.