“Thank you, Fleet Admiral,” said the First Consul. “It’s a pleasure to see everyone, although I’d rather have had a happier occasion bringing us together. All right, let’s get to it.”
Maxon nodded and transitioned from her welcoming smile into her business face. “To begin with, First Consul, I can say without hesitation that whatever we agree to here today will be supported by the entire Directorate. I have been in contact with most of the Directorate members within the last forty-eight standard hours, and they all offer their unqualified support.”
Darracott forced a smile as she nodded acknowledgement of the obvious. Since the military controlled the majority of the Directorate votes, of course they would support any course of action the military decided on.
“Admiral Carson will conduct today’s briefing,” said Maxon, turning to her second in command.
“A moment if you will, Admiral,” said the First Consul. “Before we get into the military briefing, what’s the latest on the diplomatic situation? Who’s in and who’s out?”
Maxon put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “As of now, it’s basically us versus them. No other starhold has declared war on us, nor do we have any indication of unusual military movement on the part of any other star-nation.”
“What about the Pontians?” asked Field Marshal Stavrianos. “They were all bluster before the actual shooting started.”
Jon Schooler, commander of First Fleet spoke while glancing down at his datatab. “The Pontian government has issued a statement within the last hour that they are, and I quote, ‘monitoring the situation and urging restrain on the part of all involved parties,’ unquote.”
“The Pontians are all talk,” said Maxon dismissively. “They’re too worried about losing their trade routes to join the Commonwealth in a war. Right about now, the Gerrhans are finding out that their friends on Pontus have been paper allies all along.”
“And what about our allies?” asked Schooler, directing the question toward Darracott.
“Earth is with us, but Prime Minister Jones has made it clear that due to the small size of their fleet, the only thing we can expect of them is to hold Sol.”
“That’s acceptable,” Carson stated. “We won’t have to expend any of our forces there, and now that the Gate connection between Artemis and Sol is nearly finished, we can reinforce them quickly if need be.”
“What about Task Force Nineteen?” asked Darracott.
“I have need of Captain Pettigrew and his ships elsewhere,” responded Maxon. “EarthFed will have to hold Sol on their own.”
Another admiral located light-years away spoke up through her hologram. “Excellency, what about the Threnn?”
“Oh yes, our associates in the new and improved Threnn Mandate,” Darracott said with noticeable pique. “They’re holding back. I’ve ordered the Foreign Ministry to lean on them—hard. Those people wouldn’t even be in power if we hadn’t helped them overthrow the previous regime. They owe us, and I’m not going to let them forget it.”
“Well, they have just been through a civil war,” commented Stavrianos. “I understand their hesitation.”
Alexander Carson spoke in a less sympathetic tone. “We don’t need the Threnn. We should move forward as if they will not be joining us. Excellency, if I may begin?”
The youthful looking Deputy Chief of Space Operations stood and activated a holographic map over the conference table to assist him in his briefing. “The Gerrhans went to Earth and rolled the dice—and they lost. Yes, they did abduct an important Earth scientist, but we are taking steps on that front.”
Darracott wasn’t aware that the military knew about the Acree kidnapping, and she wondered how they found out. She made a mental note to have Colonel Flood track down the source of the leak.
“However,” Carson continued, “the attack on EarthGate and the attempt to occupy Bakkoa were resounding failures. Current indications are that the Gerrhan military will now go into a defensive posture and bide their time. With each day that passes, war fever will grow weaker, and there will be pressure on the two governments to negotiate. Eventually, the two starholds will arrange an armistice, and it will be as if the entire affair never happened. That is their plan—but it is not ours.”
“Admiral Carson,” interrupted Darracott. “How do you know that is their plan?”
Maxon answered. “This is the intel we are getting, not only from sources located within Commonwealth worlds but from some of the other starholds as well.”
“Also, Excellency,” Carson continued, “I have been studying the tendencies and psychological profiles of Commonwealth political and military decision makers for the greater part of my life. I know these men and women as if they were my own family. They will stand fast and wait for it to all blow over, expecting little consequence for their actions and accepting no responsibility. They may even attempt to deflect full blame onto Brin Choi, saying it was the act of a renegade.”
The First Consul tilted her head, considering Carson. He had a reputation as a formidable strategist and some even called him a genius. His self-assurance didn’t seem arrogant or reckless, however—in a strange way, it almost seemed comforting. The Commonwealth may have ‘rolled the dice’ as he put it, but gambling wasn’t his game. This man was a chess player—cool, controlled, and analytical. He also had the confidence of Maxon, which spoke volumes in his favor.
Darracott smiled. “All right, Admiral Carson. If that’s their plan, what is ours?”
“Gerrhan ambition and greed have made them dangerous. However, they are also presently overconfident. We must seize this opportunity to destroy the Gerrhan Commonwealth, once and for all.”
There was a murmur around the table. Darracott sat frozen for a few seconds, trying to decide how to react. On the surface, Carson’s declaration seemed like an outlandish notion. The Gerrhan Commonwealth was comprised of eight worlds in seven systems, with nearly 110 million citizens. It had more ships, soldiers, money, and resources than the Union. The Earther shield technology was the only substantive advantage the Sarissans held, and that may not be an advantage for long with Dr. Acree in Gerrhan custody.
Admiral Schooler chuckled. “Well, I’ll give you this, Alexander—you’re ambitious.”
“Field Marshal Stavrianos,” called out Darracott, “if the Gerrhans tried to invade Sarissa, or Arethusa, or any of the more populated Union worlds, what would happen to them?”
The old soldier gave a brief smile, understanding the point Darracott was about to make. “We would slaughter them. The enemy might grab a foothold here or there, but even with complete control of space, a foreign army couldn’t hope to occupy and control every city and town on a heavily populated world. No starhold has that many soldiers.”
Darracott turned to Maxon. “I’ll not sanction planetary bombardments—not even in wartime. It would be genocide.”
Maxon started to respond but was beaten to it by Carson. “There will be no bombardments, Excellency. In fact, in most cases, we won’t even have to land troops.”
The First Consul was dubious, but also intrigued. “All right, I’m listening.”
“In human history, the notion of conquest has always revolved around invasion and occupation—we are taking those two elements out of the equation.”
“Nonsense,” bellowed a Marine general down the table. “That’s not possible.”
Carson put up his hand. “Allow me to explain. First, we destroy the Commonwealth Space Service.”
“That could take years,” somebody muttered.
“Not if we take away their ability to produce and repair ships. The four principal military shipyards for the Gerrhan space navy are located here, in these two systems,” said Carson, pointing to the stellar map. “They have two shipyards in the Eupraxa system and two in Dijana.” Eupraxa was also the home star system of the two most populous Commonwealth worlds: Gerrha and Kition.
“I will lead a strike force against Eupraxa,” said Maxon
, “and Austen Sykes will lead Sixth Fleet against Dijana. After destroying their shipyards and spacedocks, we will engage their garrison fleets and destroy them. Our shield tech, numbers, and the element of surprise should give us enough of a short-term advantage to prevail.”
Darracott crossed her arms. “Seems like we’re staking everything on shield technology.”
“Let’s be clear about that,” warned Carson. “Now that the war has started, our shield advantage will only last for a few months—perhaps not even that long. Eventually, the Gerrhans will make Doctor Acree assist them, or they will salvage one of our ships in battlespace and reverse engineer shield technology for themselves. We must strike decisively while we have this edge.”
A vice admiral raised his hand to gain Carson’s attention. “Admiral, won’t the enemy be expecting something like this?”
“They believe we will cower at the thought of interstellar war. In addition, we have reliable intelligence on the current disposition of their forces. It looks as though they are trying to protect each of their systems, and that means they’re spread thin. The Gerrhan admiralty is expecting us to conduct some raids, a few hit and runs, and then press for peace.”
“Other than the shipyards, why attack Dijana?” asked Darracott as she studied the map. “The Pallas system is closer to Union space. Haojing is a heavily populated planet.”
“Good question, Excellency,” he said, nearly smiling. “Pallas is closer, but Dijana is also nearby. Moreover, it has something Pallas doesn’t have—a hypergate to Eupraxa. We are going to try to capture both Gates intact.”
It was a bold plan, one that caught Darracott’s imagination. “But even if you can temporarily seize control of these two systems, won’t the Commonwealth Space Service just send in reinforcements—counterattack?”
“We are counting on it,” answered Carson. “With their main shipyards gone, they won’t be able to repair or replace any of the ships they lose, at least not easily. The more ships they send into battle against our shielded vessels, the more damage we can do.
“Once we secure Eupraxa and Dijana, we’ll hit their smaller shipyards and spacedocks in the other six Commonwealth systems. If they attempt to rebuild the docks, we’ll hit them again. The goal is to wear down the Gerrhan space navy by attrition. With no facilities for the enemy to repair ships or construct new ones, eventually we will completely control Commonwealth space.”
“Could they not do the same thing to us—hit our shipyard facilities?” asked Stavrianos.
Maxon answered the Field Marshal. “By the end of this month, all of our main shipyard facilities will have shields.”
“What if they turn to the Pontians for assistance in repairing their ships?” asked somebody else.
“No other starhold will help them, fearing for the safety of their own facilities,” responded Carson.
“And that brings us to Phase Two: blockading their primary worlds and taking control,” Maxon continued. “No trade gets in or out and anything that lifts off the planet will be destroyed. Complete economic isolation.”
“I see the plan up to this point,” said the First Consul. “But wouldn’t we still have to invade these planets to complete the conquest?”
“Not really,” said Carson. “No single world in any starhold of the Renaissance Sector is completely self-sufficient, not for a twenty-sixth century lifestyle. In the Union for example, Quijano has plenty of food, but needs to import pharmaceuticals. Odessa has minerals, but needs to import food. Even Sarissa would be lacking certain basic needs for its people if this planet were suddenly cut off from space trade.
“It may take a while, but if we blockade key Commonwealth worlds, I can guarantee those planets will capitulate within several months—a year at the most. If they don’t, their people will find themselves living in a society that more closely resembles the nineteenth century than the twenty-sixth.”
“One of the things we’ll do in the blockades will be to seize all planetary satellites,” added Maxon. “We will control their communications. Business and banking systems will fail. The Nets will go down, and their mobiles will cease to function. People will be isolated in ways they could never imagine.”
“Patriotism is one thing,” said Carson, “but the average person will choose to live in a modern world—no matter whose flag flies above them.”
General Hinojosa spoke up. “Even if they joined us, they would surely hate us. We could never count on their loyalty.”
“I don’t care about their loyalty,” Maxon said pointedly. “I care about their resources and their tax money. They can have autonomous rule planetside as long as they pay tribute and we control the Black. In a few generations, the people of these worlds will barely remember the Commonwealth. We need to be thinking long term here.”
Carson jumped in to make another point. “These two star systems alone—Eupraxa and Dijana—contain three worlds and over seventy million people. That’s sixty-eight percent of the Commonwealth’s current population. We don’t have to conquer the entire Commonwealth to effectively destroy it—we just need to control these two systems.”
“I believe we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” cautioned Darracott. “We don’t control anything yet.”
Maxon nodded in agreement. “Admiral Schooler will take over here in my absence as acting Chief of Space Operations. Admiral Carson will be coming along with me and be in operational command.”
Carson squirmed slightly with those words. It was the only time in the meeting that the youthful looking admiral looked less than commanding. Darracott couldn’t help but wonder about Alexander Carson. Planning a battle was one thing, but being in the middle of it might not hold the same appeal for him.
* * * *
“The rivalry between our two starholds has become more than the Commonwealth can bear,” said Maxon. “Years ago, when they were so dominant in the Sector, they were able to—how should I put it? They were able to ‘tolerate’ us. But Sarissa has come a long way in a short time. This isn’t just about our alliance with Earth or the shields—it’s about everything.”
The two women met privately in the Fleet Admiral’s office before Darracott’s return to Koenig Manor, and it was time for plain speaking. That was something neither woman had trouble doing, so Darracott was treading cautiously.
“Carson has come up with quite a plan. Do you really think we have a chance to pull it off?”
“Rennie—do I sense a lack of confidence on your part?” Maxon joked, her smile fading when she saw that the other woman wasn’t laughing.
Maxon eyed the First Consul. “Oh, so there really is a lack of confidence. I thought you would be enthusiastic, but you’re… hesitant. Why so?”
“Carson is so sure of himself, but this whole thing makes me apprehensive. Control the space around the planet and no invasion needed—it all sounds so neat, so easy.”
“No one said it was going to be easy,” Maxon said in a measured voice. “But it certainly has its upside. Few civilian casualties and no bloody invasion.”
“What about the upside for the thousands that are going to be killed in the space battles leading up to your blockades?”
“It’s war—people get killed. Besides, the Gerrhans started it.”
“Yes, I understand that, but I’m just not as certain about the need for conquest as you are. It’s only been four days since the battle at Earth. Are we so sure of ourselves that we can completely close the door to diplomacy yet?”
Maxon leaned back and put both hands on top of her head, looking stressed. Fleet Admirals weren’t used to having their decisions questioned, thought Darracott.
“Look, you tried diplomacy—how did that work out?” asked Maxon, glaring at her. “They used the Third Starhold Congress as a diversion for a military operation. Even if we could negotiate a favorable peace, we would just be looking at another conflict down the road. History is full of examples where an enemy is vanquished only to rise up again. Ask the Romans a
bout the Carthaginians, or Napoleon about the Russians. No. I won’t fight a war against the Gerrhans only to have to do it all over again twenty years later. This war can only end when the Commonwealth ceases to exist.”
Darracott continued to press—she didn’t want to leave Maxon’s office with a head full of arguments she should have raised but didn’t. “Let’s say we do succeed in crippling the Gerrhan fleet and implementing your blockades. What happens when the civilians on Gerrha begin to starve because we are preventing freighters full of food from landing? Or some sort of epidemic can’t be stopped because we won’t let the necessary medicines get to the surface?”
“Then they will surrender, and if they don’t, it’s their own fault and the fault of their leaders—you know, the ones who started this war!”
Tempers were flaring, and both women sensed it was time to draw back for a few seconds. Darracott stared at the floor while the admiral gazed off into a corner of her office for a short time, eventually turning back to the First Consul.
“Rennie, the truth is, even if both you and I wanted to stop this, it’s already too late.”
The First Consul’s eyes narrowed. “Too late? How so?”
Maxon pointed in the direction of her office door. “I have commodores out there that want to become vice admirals and vice admirals that want to make full admiral. We have colonels ready to hit the battlefield so they can get promoted to general. Many of these people want a war. Frankly, if you tried to stop this now, you’d be putting your consulship in jeopardy, and there wouldn’t be a thing I could do to save you.”
They sat in silence. Darracott had always believed she was such a clever politician, that she did a good job of staying ahead of problems, of managing things. She was sickened by the thought of just how much things were now managing her.
Channa Maxon got to her feet and walked around the desk. Darracott rose and the two women embraced in friendship. There hadn’t been a large-scale war in the Renaissance Sector in a generation, and now these two women were going to lead a starhold of over one hundred million into battle.
The Rampant Storm Page 8
