The Gathering Storm

by Chris Hechtl

  “It is your fault for doing a good job. Okay, write this up. I want the raw data too. We'll cycle it through the departments, but I think you are on to something here.”

  “Yes, PO.”

  “Now we need to find a way to tell someone. Preferably before it's too late,” he said as he looked around to see if the ensign was around. He frowned when he saw the ensign deep in conversation with the lieutenant from engineering. He didn't want to break in, but it was important. He also didn't want to jump the gun and go straight to Leopold. That would get him in a mess of trouble by jumping the chain of command.

  “Too late PO?” she asked worriedly, eyes wide.

  “Before whatever is going on there bites someone in the ass, if it hasn't already,” Micel said darkly, stabbing a finger at the icon of B-97b.

  She looked at it and then gulped in dismay.

  :::{)(}:::

  Amadeus scowled as he looked over the report. If the PO was right, it meant someone had gotten behind him. That might explain how quiet the Federation was.

  He didn't even want to think about the number of ships that might have been lost in his rear. For all he knew an entire task force could be lurking back there. They could even be ravaging B101a1 and beyond.

  But one thing he did know, it was past time he found out. So, he started to issue orders to get things moving on that front. Whatever forces he sent would have to be powerful enough to survive what was there. That made him pause.

  It also made him realize whatever he sent would cut into his forces and delay his advance.

  And with that came the realization that it was probably Admiral De Gaulte's plan all along.

  He frowned as he scrubbed at his furry chin and then tugged on one ear. Could it be an elaborate ruse? Fake trails? It had been done before … he frowned. No, it fit with the mentality of the pirates, to get behind and well, raid.

  He inhaled and then exhaled slowly. Either way he didn't like what was happening.

  “Leopold, order the ansible transport to break out a platform. We need to know what is going on with the Federation.”

  “Aye aye, sir. It will take several days for them to set it up.”

  "Understood."

  :::{)(}:::

  The staff's consternation and grimness settled in quickly once the confirmation had been presented. “I'm surprised they did this. How …?” Aleck shook his head.

  “They didn't ask for volunteers. Besides, they are raiders remember? Pirates,” Garfield grumbled.

  “True,” Ch'v'tt stated. “The questions are, what is behind us and how do we deal with them?”

  “We need to scout. But the prowler is in DD01ns,” Kelly replied.

  “We don't need to scout. What we need to do is send in a squadron of destroyers or cruisers or hell, one of each and run the bastards down,” Aleck grumbled.

  “Or a cruiser squadron and a CEV,” Garfield replied. “Or Illustrious with her escorts. The wing would be able to spread out and search the star system if they run silent.”

  “And how do we keep them from just escaping?”

  “Well, we've alerted Protodon, Antigua, and B101a1. They know what to expect now,” Admiral White said, inserting himself into the conversation. All eyes turned expectantly to him. “They can run there, but they'll hit a wall. If they run back to B-97b though …”

  “We can send a force there. A CEV task force,” Ch'v'tt ventured.

  “Again, no intel. There could be anything in either system. How do we know what to send? If we send too little, they could be overwhelmed or let the enemy get away,” Kelly said.

  “And if we wait too long, they'll get away or more ships will be lost. We've already lost six,” Garfield growled.

  The Neogorilla nodded. “I'm aware of that. It bothers me too. But we can't just throw ships at the problem and expect them to go away.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, for one thing if we divide our forces before moving on the primary objective we do what they want,” Kelly said in exasperation. Amadeus cocked his head. He was glad to see someone had seen it.

  “It's a distraction,” she continued. “They disrupt our supply lines and then we have to stall some more while they get more reinforcements to Dead Drop. We've already stalled for far too long. And if we divide our forces to hit them in B-97a and b, we cut our available forces. We'll also have to picket each system since we don't know if they've got something in hyper or if they know a way around DD01ns.”

  “Frack,” Aleck muttered.

  “But we need to secure our supply line. That's not negotiable,” Amadeus said. Garfield nodded curtly in support. “So, we're going to do it. Give me a plan to hit each. Fortunately, they aren't that far away from us.”

  “What size hammer?” his chief of staff asked as Garfield opened his mouth.

  The orange Neocat closed it and glowered slightly at the Veraxin. “What he said,” he grumbled.

  “We also have to be aware that those ships are set up to attack ships coming into the system,” Aleck said slowly. “So, we'll need to have the ships jump short. They'll be out of position when the enemy is there. It will give them more time to react.”

  “Can we send a force to B-97b first? Give them time to clear it, and then jump in to B-97a? If we time it right … what?” Aleck demanded as Kyle shook his head.

  “It won't work. The timing, you can't get two forced in divergent areas to coordinate that finely,” the OPS officer explained. “And no, I don't see sending an ansible along as a good idea. First, it'd take a long time for the thing to get there.”

  “He has a point,” Garfield said mildly.

  “Damn,” Aleck muttered.

  “We need to push them out irregardless. So, we'll send the force to B-97b first,” Amadeus determined. They can sit there and wait. We'll keep in contact with tin cans to supplement the couriers we've got left. We'll give them a week's head start and then send the force back to B-97a.”

  “And the raiders will see them coming. If the force can't engage the enemy, the enemy will undoubtedly retreat. With us here, the counter force in the system with them and B101a1 an unknown, they'll run to B-97b,” Garfield said, sitting back quickly as he caught on. He nodded. “Nice.”

  “It's not perfect, not by any long stretch of the imagination. It's the best we've got though. Make it happen.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  “And the move to DD01ns?” Kyle asked.

  “For the moment, with an unknown sized enemy operating in our rear, it's on hold,” Amadeus stated.

  “Yes, sir,” Kyle replied. “He got his way,” he said.

  “For the moment. But, only for the moment,” Admiral White growled.

  :::{)(}:::

  “You are sending a cruiser squadron?” Harris asked when he got the word.

  “Yes. If you'd taken a flag there, I would have handed it to you. But you're on Shizouka, so we'll make do. The captains need a little seasoning, and this is a good test,” Amadeus stated.

  “Ah.” Dwight looked over to Renee and then shrugged.

  “Illustrious task force is headed out now,” Trajan interjected.

  “One thing we did get, Captain Mayweather,” the admiral said, pitching his voice.

  “Yes, sir?” Renee asked, leaning into the camera's field of view.

  “Since I had the ansible set up, we've been getting the download from the capital. Apparently among a lot of mail, one of the couriers was carrying your promotion. Congratulations.”

  “Sir?”

  “You are a captain senior grade once more. Don't screw it up this time,” the admiral said.

  Renee blinked. She saw Trajan smile encouragingly. She nodded. “I'll do my damnedest not to, sir.”

  “Good answer.”

  Once the flag conference was concluded, Renee looked over to the commodore. “Sour grapes? It might not be too late to transfer your flag,” she offered.

  “Trying to get rid of me again?” he asked. She stil
led. He snorted to let her know he was kidding. She seemed to relax slightly. “No, I'm not going anywhere. I've gotten used to Shizouka's creature comforts and I'm addicted to her flag computers thank you very much.”

  “Can't say I didn't try,” she said with a small smile.

  “Thanks. I'll get blooded in an independent command sometime. Hopefully,” the commodore replied. She bobbed a nod. “What about you? Glad to get your rank back?”

  “Something like that,” she replied with a shrug. She was grateful for the confirmation that the brass still had faith in her.

  “Well, since we're stuck here for the duration, we might as well do some more sims,” he said. “I still owe you for that last trick you pulled.”

  She hadn't been paying attention, lost in her own thoughts until that last sentence caught her off guard. She blinked and replayed what he'd said. Slowly a smile made her lips curve. “You can certainly try. But there are more where that one came from,” she said. “Plenty more.”

  He chuckled, but when he saw her smile go feral, he stilled. “Wait, you're serious,” he said, watching her warily. If anything, her smile widened ever so slightly. He shook his head. “Okay, bring it,” he said steeling himself to another possible drubbing. Renee definitely made life interesting for him; that he had to admit.

  Chapter 47

  Antigua

  “So, that about covers it for the home front,” Doctor Kraft stated. “We've moved into phase two of the mandatory vaccination program on every Federation planet, starting with the young. Not without some pushback, but the free checkups for the kids and vitamin supplements has helped quell some of that.”

  “Understood,” Moira said with a nod of her head.

  “We're going to institute mandatory requirements that all students have their vaccinations before starting school next year. We're still working out the precise details,” Professor Tyler, the secretary of education stated.

  Moira nodded politely to him. “And the restructuring?”

  “Getting there. We've made it mandatory but there is also some pushback and foot dragging. Some of the teachers do not like having to learn along with their students. They are out of their element. Others are more day-care workers than anything else. The biggest problem is the agro worlds and communities. They use the children for labor during the spring through fall on the farms—there is a lot of historical precedence for …”

  “Thank you, Professor,” Moira said, holding up a hand to restrain him from going into historical lecture mode. He grimaced slightly but then shrugged.

  “We should have the minimum standards covered by next semester for the elementary students. We'll work it up the grades from there. Giving them the basic three R's for a foundation is critical of course,” the professor stated.

  Moira nodded. Until she'd come to Antigua, she'd had no idea how bad off the rest of the Federation was and how much she'd taken for granted her education on Bek.

  “I know we're getting some flack about the have and have nots—Antigua and New Texas or Avalon for instance. They want everyone to be on a level playing field but some started out better off than others. It's not playing well that they have a head start,” Liobat stated.

  “And it's their own fault for not investing more in their own future. But it gives them incentive to take advantage of everything we are providing to do so now,” Moira stated flatly.

  “True,” Liobat replied with a nod.

  “Part of the problem is the nature of some of our race constituents. They age at different rates. There is no happy medium, so each student has to learn at his or her or its own pace,” the professor stated.

  “And trying to cram a lot of information, years of education into someone like a Neo who gets to full adult status in four or five years leaves a lot of gaps and holes,” Doctor Kraft said in support. The professor nodded to him and ran a frustrated hand through his thinning hair.

  “Just one of the fun things I'm dealing with,” he grumbled.

  “Sleep teaching and information downloads are helping get personnel up to speed in the military,” Yorgi said slowly. He hadn't appreciated how the education and lack of things he took for granted could affect the manning and other things of the fleet and other branches. “Access to cybernetic implants has leveled the playing field there. Education should be about the basics and how to get information while encouraging curiosity and a desire to learn more,” he said.

  “Gunning for my job?” the professor asked with a smile.

  “I wouldn't dream of it. I couldn't handle a room full of kids let alone teachers and unions,” the admiral replied dryly.

  That earned a chuckle.

  “Well, you are right. With access to modern databases, it isn't so much about memorizing useless material. Retention of most facts is limited. Over time you lose it if you don't use it,” the professor mused, looking up to the ceiling.

  Yorgi shot a bemused look to Moira. She hid a smile.

  “Organics are rather fallible like that,” Sprite replied with a sniff.

  “Don't get too high up on your horse there, Captain,” Mnemosyne replied. “We A.I. prioritize information into memory buffers too. Sometimes things get dumped into archives. We just have a faster search engine than they do and our recall is almost perfect.”

  “True,” Sprite replied with a nod to her fellow A.I.

  “How about you Mister Custard?” Moira asked, turning to the secretary of agriculture.

  The farmer turned politician blinked and then smiled. “Sorry, I was checking my feed. “What was the question?”

  Moira picked up her cup of tea and took a sip and then set it down. “I was asking for your report,” she said mildly.

  “We're tied to education and industry. Educating poor dirt farmers who lack the income and resources to upgrade is an issue. The grant program has been held up. The low interest loans are confusing to many. We've had issues with the Treasury,” he said, indicating T'rel'n.

  “That's because people are buying on credit. That's creating a bubble. If we don't manage it, we'll keep inflating. I've had to come down on several attempts at brokerages buying stock and bonds on margin. That is a situation ripe for exploitation and a crash.”

  “An economic crash is not something any of us need,” Moira murmured with a supportive nod. “You are working with Justice on that?” she asked, looking over to D'red, the attorney general.

  “Yes. A lot of people complain they didn't know. They didn't do their research before they entered the field; they just jumped in. I understand their zeal …”

  “Greed more like,” George grumbled.

  “That too,” the Veraxin treasurer stated, signaling first-degree agreement. “You can't blame them for wanting to build their fortunes. Some have become rich overnight and that inspires others.”

  “A gold rush,” the fleet admiral said.

  “Exactly. We're working with Liobat's office,” he indicated the Neocat press secretary, “and the professor to educate the public but that takes time.”

  “A couple gory examples help to pop their bubble. But you are being careful to not cause a panic?” Moira asked, eyeing the bug.

  He signaled first-degree assent. She nodded.

  “Good. That could cause a landslide of selling that we want to prevent. How do you propose to handle the problem in the future?”

  “We're requiring that all purchases have full funds before the transaction is authorized. We've also warned the banks, and the professor has provided sufficient historical references to let them know this is a serious problem. I don't know at this point if it is getting through,” the Veraxin stated.

  “Keep trying,” Moira stated as she turned to Yorgi. “And now you. Any news from the warfront? Either one of them?”

  “No. The Eastern Front is sitting until I get the go ahead from Admiral Irons and the intelligence from Admiral White.”

  “Any word from Admiral White? You'd think they'd send at least one courier back,” Mi
ster Custard stated.

  “You are a bit behind on the news, George," the admiral stated. The farmer turned to him with a curious look. "They were overdue on contact. I didn't like that and apparently Admiral White didn't either. It could have been something minor. It turned out not to be. Couriers are a pain in the ass to use,” the admiral admitted.

  “Tell me about it. Trying to use them to keep in contact with star systems that do not have an ansible yet is tough. Especially when there aren't enough couriers to go around,” Iab, the Neochimp secretary of communication grumbled.

  There was a brief moment of silence as they thought about that. Finally, Liobat coughed into her fist and flicked her ears when all eyes turned to her. “I've been getting a lot of questions too. Could he have moved in? Moved to DD01ns or gone after Dead Drop with the intelligence he's got?”

  Yorgi shook head. “No.”

  “So, something happened?” Moira pressed. She knew something was up.

  Yorgi's eyes cut to her. “Yes. Yesterday he made contact. Second Fleet is still in the B-97c star system. Apparently, none of the ships going to him or from him have gotten through."

  That earned a small gasp from the group.

  "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I don't know what is going on, but we suspect foul play. I intend to start the fact-finding process and find out. Admiral White already has on his end.”

  "What happened?"

  "At this point, we don't know. But we will find out."

  She nodded and then turned to the room at large. “Okay then, moving on …”

  :::{)(}:::

  The following evening Iab called in with a report that an ansible connection had been established with Second Fleet. Moira got on the line and caught Yorgi talking with Admiral White.

  “…wondering what was going on.”

  “Back it up. What is the situation?” she asked. “Are you on the move, Admiral?”

  “No. I'm still in B-97c. I've been waiting for confirmation to move forward and for additional reinforcements from you. We haven't seen anything at all. Recently my CIC techs found traffic headed to B-97b. We're wondering if someone got around behind us.”