Diamond Cut: Book Three in The Glass Complex Trilogy

by John Hindmarsh

  “They will commence in approximately five to six tendays, according to the data we’ve gathered. At first, the Xesset will launch exploratory probes against four or five smaller systems. Their first major attacks will be in two months, against Lure and Torun.” Lure was an important although not critical imperial manufacturing system and Torun was an independent group of planets in the Cicero sector, important for their agricultural output. Steg and Jessie suspected the targets were intended to replenish Xesset supplies.

  “How do you know all this?” The questioner again was Admiral Dai.

  “The answer is contained in the data pack we’ve now transferred to each of you.”

  “You can’t tell us now?”

  “Admiral Dai, we need to focus on critical items. Examine your data pack and if you still have questions as to our sources, let me know.”

  Steg waited for a moment and continued when the junior admiral did not raise further questions. He looked at Admiral Breval. “Your task is to get your fleets working together as a cohesive unit. You’ll need to plan and conduct war games in order to assess your commanders and to achieve that cohesion. I need your estimate of the time required.”

  “Please describe the changes you’ve made to our flag destroyers.” The speaker was Admiral Galaway. “And please call me Helen.”

  “Helen, they are our destroyers, now.” Steg smiled at the reactions of the Imperial admirals. “Oh, the Emperor knows. We claimed them from ImpSec. We have carried out some modifications—they have better shields and more efficient repair and maintenance bots, for example.”

  “Will you provide all the destroyers with these upgrades?”

  “If you transfer ownership to us.”

  “That’s an interesting impasse,” said Breval.

  Dai frowned, his expression reflecting his distaste at Steg’s answer.

  “I doubt the Emperor will agree.” Admiral Galaway said.

  “Helen, I understand. Most of the fleet will not require additional shielding. We know Xesset abilities. Our more sensitive units need additional protection—our flag destroyers, for example.”

  Breval nodded his head. “I agree. I also heard mention of a systems upgrade. What’s that consist of?”

  “We added AIs to the five destroyers. They will control most of your operations—under your commands, of course.”

  Dai half stood. He said, “We need to control our own ships.”

  “Dai—” began Breval.

  “Sir, it’s nonnegotiable, as far as I’m concerned.” The young admiral sat back in his chair, his meal forgotten.

  “Alke.”

  “Yes, Admiral?” The AI’s reply was broadcast to all in the room.

  “Arrange for the immediate departure of Admiral Dai from Wanderer. He’ll need a shuttle to the surface where he’ll remain until the next available starship can take him to Imperial Headquarters. Cancel his security access and delete the Xesset data file we sent to him. Arrange an Ebony Company escort to return him to his quarters.”

  “Yes, Admiral. Orders issued, security token canceled, and file delete processes implemented. I have an update for you concerning this officer.”

  “Yes?”

  “The Imperial data we were provided on Dai was false. We recovered the original file from other sources. Dai is a senior ImpSec starship captain.”

  “They had to try.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Breval and his fellow officers had varying expressions of shock on their faces. Dai’s anger was increasing, and he stood, pushing his chair back with a careless slam.

  “You—you cannot dismiss an Imperial officer in such a cavalier manner. Cutworth was right—you’re a jumped up—”

  “Dai, keep your opinions to yourself.” The speaker was Admiral Breval. “If you’re ImpSec, you’re here illegally. If de Coeur doesn’t arrest you, we will.”

  Dai’s expression turned from anger to disdain. He said, “You can’t arrest me. You have no jurisdiction—” He realized he’d admitted Steg’s accusation was correct and closed his mouth with a snap.

  Two Ebony Company marines, both heavyworlders and wearing battle armor, entered, and at Steg’s signal, took position on either side of the ImpSec officer.

  Steg said, “Dai, you’ll go quietly with my marines. The alternatives won’t be healthy for you, understand? You are under arrest for impersonating an Imperial Navy officer, falsifying records, and I’m sure we’ll add more when we complete our investigations. You’ll be shipped back to Imperial Headquarters as soon as we have transport available.”

  Alke stopped broadcasting the ImpSec officer’s protests and denigration of Steg and others. Everyone watched in silence as the officer was removed. The two Ebony Company marines were efficient with their process.

  When the doors closed behind the officer and his escort, Steg said, “Richard, it seems you are aware that any ImpSec officer or crew member is subject to immediate arrest and removal from whichever starship they are on board?”

  The admiral said, “General Mendoza briefed us—and our flag captains—on what happened to you and your people, and to him, when you were at the Emperor’s Palace. He indicated you and your team were likely to give ‘merciless’ a whole new meaning. I believe my fellow officers here will support you one hundred percent.” He looked around the table. “I know everyone here and can assure you they are not ImpSec.”

  “Any House of Aluta followers?” Jessie asked.

  “No. Mendoza warned us to exclude anyone falling into that category. He didn’t say why, though.”

  Steg ignored the implied question. He directed a question to Alke. “How many false files have you discovered so far?”

  “Of the four hundred and eighty officers now present on board Wanderer, seventy-five are ImpSec plants. Another twenty have House of Aluta ties. We are continuing to run our verification processes.”

  Admiral Breval did not hide his shock. “Steg, that’s an alarming metric. How confident are you of its accuracy?”

  “Steg said, “Alke, your reaction please.”

  “Yes, sir. Admiral Breval, we have access to all of ImpSec files. Their system security and encryption tools are flawed. In addition, we accessed a substantial number of files from the House of Aluta system; these were recovered after the crash the house suffered a year or so ago.”

  The remaining four admirals all spoke at once, and Steg raised his hand. “Admirals. One at a time, please. Richard, do you want to comment first?”

  “Yes, and we can take turns. Alke, you said you’ve accessed all ImpSec files. Can you verify that?”

  “Certainly. I’ve sent each of your personal ImpSec background files to your compads. Have a look at the material and tell me what you think.”

  There was deep silence for close to five minutes. As the Imperial officers absorbed the depth of ImpSec research on them, encompassing their personal attributes, both good and bad, their families, their possible scandals and behavioral patterns, their shock increased.

  Admiral Galaway said, “Richard, this is scandalous. There is so much gutter material here in my file, it’s beyond embarrassing. It’s unbelievable.”

  Richard Breval shrugged. “It can’t be worse than the crap that they’ve included in mine. The problem, I surmise, is that if they throw enough mud against a wall, some of it will stick. ImpSec probably hopes the sticking items would ruin an enemy’s career. An interesting way to establish control.”

  “Alke,” Admiral Lae asked. “have you distributed any of this material?”

  “No, Admiral. No one has seen it except my team, including Zhu. Not even Steg.”

  Richard said, “I’m pleased for that mercy. There’s little truth, major ambiguities, and an indecent amount of lies, from what I can see of my file. The material appears to be ImpSec sourced—names, stamps, signatures, wording—this material is undoubtedly theirs.”

  “I agree,” Admiral Coup said. “Shameful. And they’d be prepared to use these lies on
a whim. I’ve seen careers broken by ImpSec, and now I know how they do it.”

  “Admirals, we want a clean officer cadre. By clean, I mean no ImpSec plants. I did wonder whether we could use some of their spies to feed back false data, but I’m of the opinion we need to clear them out as and when we discover them.”

  ‘Oh, I agree,” Richard said. His fellow officers nodded.

  “No doubt, none at all,” added Admiral Lae. “I’d want to strangle anyone left on board my ship who has ImpSec ties.”

  “Good. Alke, cancel all security clearances for the officers who are here under falsified records. Delete their briefing files, cut off their communications, internal and external. Advise Denke and Kirby they can clear house, that they can arrest these officers and remove them to the planet as quickly as possible. Provide all the details they require.”

  “Yes, sir. Denke said to thank you. He’s going to enjoy this.”

  Steg addressed Richard, “Admiral Tziksis has arranged suitable accommodation for these imposters. By the way, he fully supports this move. He’s had second-hand experience of the influence ImpSec can wield.”

  “House of Aluta?” asked Admiral Galaway.

  “It’s a long story. The house supported an illegal takeover of Homeworld. ImpSec was involved. They murdered members of my family, caused a good friend to be killed, and tried to kill me. They’ve earned my hatred.”

  There were no further questions about the House of Aluta.

  oOo

  CHAPTER 23

  ALKE, Zhu, and Ioke worked with Jessie and the four admirals for the next three days, preparing a series of war games based on their assessments of Xesset abilities and strategies. Tziksis and General Theas added their background knowledge, gained while Djii was under occupation by the aliens. Zhu had plundered the data records from the captured dreadnought, building a detailed assessment of Xesset plans and tactics. Denke add his experience and observations, once he and Kirby had arrested and removed the Imperial officers who had conflicted loyalties—fortunately without injury to any of his marines although some of the ImpSec imposters had required first aid treatment. He had not yet gained as deep an insight as Zhu; however, he wasn’t far behind. Steg monitored and reviewed the results produced by the senior team, spending hours into each evening with Jessie Brent, the Imperial Tac officers, and their advisers as they evaluated and assessed the material.

  At last the Imperial admirals, with Tziksis and Theas, considered they had the foundation for setting up and running a series of war games that would challenge their officers and crews. The Tac team was in agreement. Steg nominated the first war game; it was based on Zhu’s battle, when, assisted by Echo and Amber, they captured the Xesset dreadnought. Success had required complete co-operation between the AIs, and he wondered whether Imperial culture would conflict with that need in the war game.

  The admirals selected their operational destroyer captains and full bridge teams, including Helm, Tac, and Weapons specialists, building separate task forces each consisting of five destroyers, for this challenge. Adrias provided separate physical environments on Wanderer for each task force and destroyer team. She provided separate sets of workstations, comunits, and viewscreens so that crews could operate as though on board their destroyers in a live battlefield context. Zhu and Ioke controlled the Xesset actions and reactions, and Alke supervised them both; their objective was to defeat the four Imperial teams. Tzksis and Theas monitored team activities with intense interest. They knew their turn would come.

  The war game, named The Battle of Harm’s Way by Zhu, commenced with an Imperial task force trailing a fleeing Xesset starship. Every so often the Xesset starship drew ahead, and the Imperial destroyers struggled to catch up. Traces of the alien starship’s flight were difficult to detect, and tracking the faster vessel was a challenge the destroyers needed to overcome.

  Richard Breval, as the senior Imperial Navy officer, monitored the four teams with a degree of apprehension. His Navy was being challenged, and he knew the teams would need all the experience, discipline, and skills they could muster, to survive the exercise. He also had the responsibility of leading one of the teams, which added more pressure. Even though all the senior Imperial officers had closely examined the original fight using tapes recorded by Zhu, Echo, and Amber, he knew Zhu and Ioke still had a wide range of options available to them in the role of Xesset opposition.

  The AIs were managing four sets of Xesset starships, one to each war game environment. When they implemented their ambush, they would manage six Xesset warships while fighting an Imperial task force. Richard was impressed; the first stage of the war game required the AIs to manage, at least in software terms, a total of twenty-four starships, fighting twenty Imperial destroyers. In contrast, each Imperial starship was fully crewed by some of most experienced Imperial Navy officers available. It seemed, at first glance, the Navy had the advantage. He shook off that thought; it was untenable, he was sure. He repressed the tiny voice in the back of his mind reminding him that the original battle was won by uncrewed destroyers, each controlled only by an AI.

  The war game began with each task force approaching the anonymous star system where, in another five minutes, the fleeing alien warship would reach its companions. The enemy, a small fleet of frigates and destroyers, were waiting, ready to trigger an ambush. The survivors from any of the four Imperial battle groups would shortly have a further four alien destroyers and a dreadnought to contend with; how the hell had the three AIs managed to survive two battles and capture the Xesset dreadnought, he did not know. There was something missing from his briefing he was sure, yet he could not identify what it was. He was beginning to realize that Admiral de Coeur and his team, supported by the Glass Complex and its AIs, were a force to be reckoned with.

  Richard brought his attention back to the pending ambush. Large screens displayed the operation in multidimensional graphics, controllable by his Tac lead. While he could also review the other teams and their tactics, he had decided not to influence his admirals. The after-battle review would be interesting enough. His task force slowed and entered the system fully shielded. He listened to his senior officer as he provided tactical input to each of his task force destroyer-based Tacs. There were two planets orbiting a small sun; neither had breathable atmosphere and both were uninhabited. One, the furtherest from the sun, had a small moon in a captive orbit. The other planet was in a stream of asteroids, some occasionally hitting its atmosphere with streaks of red flame. Other asteroid streams and larger rocks in the system were possibly the remnants of moons or of smaller planets.

  There was nothing of interest in the system except that it held six alien warships, all eager to attack his force. At least, in Wanderer’s system memory core.

  He triggered his comlink and said, “Gibson, update in five.” That, he knew, would give his senior officer time to contact each destroyer’s Tac and build a summary report.

  Within two minutes Gibson reported, “Sir, Wiscon has fired two missiles towards a small asteroid group; they’re marked on the display. We’ve detected nothing there. I had no prior communication.”

  Damn. The tracks of the missiles would give the enemy’s sensors a chance to locate the destroyer. Fortunately, his task force was spread out, and if the enemy located one, they would not necessarily find others. Xesset shielding was good, and he understood their sensors were equally capable, so he disciplined himself to not underestimate their challenge. He watched the large holographic display, intrigued in spite of himself, as red lines marked the missile tracks from ss Wiscon. The war game algorithms spun their wheel and produced a result. Two Imperial missiles exploded harmlessly in a flash of holographic light.

  “Sir, a Xesset warship has fired its rail gun. It’s on the other side of a small asteroid stream, nowhere near where Wiscon was targeting.” The display updated.

  Admiral Breval said to his AI thread. “Link me to Captain Jordan.”

  “Yes, sir.”

&
nbsp; “Jordan.”

  “This is Breval. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “Sir, I’m in command of Wiscon, and I make the tactical decisions for my ship.”

  The communication terminated.

  Gibson said, “Sir, Wiscon has been destroyed.” The holograph updated.

  Breval was starting to dislike the display. He said, “Send a message to your Tacs on each destroyer. Instruct them to not act independently. Damn, that was in their briefing.”

  “Yes, sir. I suspect we’ll have other independent actions, notwithstanding.”

  The admiral did not contradict his Tac officer. He continued to watch and listen. One of his destroyers fired a full broadside from its high-powered, short-range grasers. No enemy contact was reported. A bracket of five missiles was launched by one of the shielded alien warships from a location well away from its suspected location. The Xesset starship was making an educated guess as to the whereabouts of the Imperial destroyer that had fired its grasers. A flare of light in the hologram signaled the end of his second ship. Breval thumped the arm of his chair. Random firing at imagined targets was not productive. He’d lost two starships and gained absolutely nothing.

  Suddenly two Xesset destroyers dropped their shields; they were only a hundred thousand klicks apart, next door to each other in astrological distances. They focused heavy graser fire on an unseen target. As the two streams of fire merged, the combination overwhelmed the shields of an Imperial destroyer. Its image appeared as a faint outline and progressively became more defined; however, before its shape was fully formed, it exploded. The Xesset starships raised their shields and disappeared from the plot.

  Breval buried his face in his hands, aware he was silently communicating his concerns to his team. He had lost three of his five destroyers. It was unlikely the remaining two would prevail against six alien warships. In reality, outnumbered to this extent, he would order the remnants of his task force to retreat. Here, in a software-based war game, all he could do was thump the arm of his chair.