“Are we supposed to hate King Larry too now? Just because his kids turned out bad?” she asked rhetorically. “Maybe we should have hoped that our home world had never been settled? A few people went back home with the mutineers and those marines from General Wainwrights command. The rest of us understood that we were here for the duration.”
“That’s big of you guys,” I said, I’d always tried to do my best by my crew but sometimes the needs of the people of the Spine came first. Our job was to protect those people and that meant that sometimes my crew and myself were the ones to suffer, some resentment over that was understandable.
“Not everyone feels the same way all the time. But we all know we can go back if there’s really no other choice. It’s a roll of the dice though and frankly this is what we signed up for,” she said.
“It is?” I asked with surprise.
“Fighting pirates, staving off droid invasions, protecting the Spineward Sectors and our home world from an Imperial invasion?” she asked rhetorically, “those of us from the Lucky Clover may have started out as Caprian SDF but we willingly joined the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet back when we thought it was going to be the new Rim Fleet. Rim Fleet would have done all of those jobs except for maybe fighting against the Empire.”
“I see,” I said, that never really occurred to me before but then again I’d just been a supernumerary, a glorified passenger in other words for most of our initial trip. I hadn’t been an officer of any kind except an honorary one, which to my mind doesn’t count, and I’d only really woken up when they frog marched me to the bridge and tossed me the command-key that gave me control of the original Lucky Clover.
That was still a very big event for everyone involved in it but for most of the regular crew of the old Clover their mission in the MSP had started out nine months earlier under Admiral Janeski.
The thought of my old commander and later nemesis was souring but by reminding myself that he was dead I was able to easily get past it.
My Chief of Staff’s console chimed and she looked down at her screen in surprise. Her brow wrinkled as she looked up to me.
I was surprised to see she seemed to be laughing under her breath.
“I guess you were right, Sir,” she said.
“I’m always right,” I said facetiously holding my nose in the air with mock noble haughtiness before looking back down at her in pretend befuddlement, “what exactly am I right about again?” I asked.
“Apparently the Temporary Speaker wants to speak with you directly. His staff says it’s urgent and they’ll splice him into this line as soon as you’re available,” she said.
“Ah about that,” I said dropping the humor and sharpening my gaze as I looked down at my own screen with anticipation.
“Do you want to speak with him now or should I give his staff the runaround?” she asked.
“I think I’ll take it right now. As you were just reminding me I’ve wasted enough time already with these sorts of childish games and maneuvers. The most important thing is the people of the Spine and right now that means doing everything we can to deal with a combined Imperial/Confederation invasion fleet,” I said pulling straight my uniform with its new rank insignia and settling down behind my desk. I made sure everything was set just right before nodding to her, “put him through.”
Steiner nodded and the screen built into my desk flashed as my chief of staff was replaced by the relatively powerless figurehead of the new Government I’d been dealing with on my last few trips over to Central. At least when I was dealing directly with a committee or sub-committee he was there.
“Esteemed Temporary Speaker to what do I, this humble Fleet Officer, owe this surprise call?” I asked deciding to lay it on thick right from the get go.
The temporary speaker’s brow wrinkled.
“Grand Admiral Montagne,” he said courteously, “I appreciate the kind words but let’s not pretend that you aren’t infinitely more valuable to the Assembly and the Spine than I am. In fact,” he added a touch bitterly, “I am only the temporary speaker a second time as of today simply because it was felt you would be more receptive if I were the one to deal with you. Directly.”
“We can cut the excessive courtesy if you desire, Grand Assembly Speaker,” I agreed amiably and then fell silent.
He coughed.
“Temporary Speaker, please,” he said and the Speaker looked at me hopefully.
I remained silent and just looked back at him.
He coughed again.
“You have missed a number of committee meetings, some of the members are growing…concerned,” he finally said.
“Really? The last time I spoke to anyone with authority in the Grand Assembly building I was specifically instructed not to return until someone in authority spoke with me first or I would immediately be arrested by those who ‘dare speak truth to tyranny’,” I said emotionlessly.
The Speaker winced and then looked me in the eye, clearly forcing himself to do it.
“A terrible misunderstanding, Grand Admiral. All the way around the board,” he said hastily, “however I assure you that order was rescinded the very same day, just as soon as those in authority became aware of it. In fact I believe the previous speaker as well as several committee heads relayed that to your fleet on numerous occasions since then. We desperately need your input on our military strategy.”
“As soon as they became aware of it,” I repeated, “I find that hard to believe. One would imagine the sight of the new Confederation’s supreme military commander being beaten on the floor of the assembly and then dragged out of the building by security would have caused anyone with a brain to immediately look into the situation and yet it was still several hours after my departure, after I was ejected and barred from returning to the building that my staff received a notification from one of the the assistant of an assistant to the then Speaker of the Assembly inviting me back the next day for a committee meeting as if nothing of note had happened.”
“So you have been receiving electronic messages from the assembly,” the temporary Speaker looked relieved, “I must tell you that several people were concerned that there was turmoil within your fleet, raising the possibility that you hadn’t even-”
“No, I got them,” I cut in and then stopped.
“Then…could you please tell me what seems to be the issue. Surely you are not refusing…” he looked like he’d swallowed a pile of fish and cleared his throat, “that is refusing to recognize the authority of the Grand Assembly. Are you?” he asked with a sick smile.
“But I was instructed to wait until I was contacted by someone in authority before ever daring to step foot within the Grand Assembly building,” I said putting on a confused face, “how is that refusing to recognize Grand Assembly authority?” I then laughed, “Surely you aren’t claiming that some assistant’s assistant has the power to decide who comes and who goes from the Grand Assembly? That direction lays madness! No it is because of my deep respect for the Grand Assembly’s authority that I have waited here quietly until someone in actual authority, not some secretary’s secretary got back to me.”
“Come now, Grand Admiral,” the Temporary Speaker chided, “I realize your last experience in the Assembly wasn’t pleasant but I assure you everyone involved in that terrible incident has been reprimanded and it’s not like you did nothing yourself. Can’t we just let bygones be bygones.”
“Wasn’t pleasant?!” I was furious and continued tightly voice. “What exactly is it you think I did to bring being beaten in front of the entire galaxy on myself, Speaker? Please spell it out.”
The Speaker looked shocked.
“Was it trying to stop Grand Assemblywoman Zosime from striking Assemblywoman Kern? Was it allowing Assemblywoman Kern to strike me in the first place and declining to prosecute her? Or perhaps I made myself a victim by following the instructions of Assembly Security when they told me to put my hands on my head? Saint Murphy knows Akantha didn’t listen to t
hem and no one laid a finger on her and she was the one to attack someone on the assembly floor. Is that it, Speaker? Was I just too cooperative?” I was breathing deeply and glaring at the screen when I finished.
“I can see this isn’t a good time,” he said weakly.
“This is the perfect time…to answer my questions,” I snapped.
“I already said that security was reprimanded for their actions. I really don’t know what more you want from me, Admiral,” the Speaker said with a sick smile, “we’re all here to defend this sector from and the entire spine from an Imperial invasion fleet. Please can we just put this whole badly handled episode on all sides behind us and move on to the business at hand. The saving of lives, Sir?”
“That’s it...you reprimanded them and just moved on.” I nodded and pursed my lips. “Was anyone fired?”
“I beg your pardon?” he asked with surprise.
“They were reprimanded for police brutality. Was anyone fired? Transferred? Perhaps to a played out trillium mine on an penal ice moon with work force of hardened criminals?” I asked pointedly.
“What? That’s preposterous; we don’t even have a trillium mine on an ice moon to send anyone to in the first place. If we did the Grand Assembly wouldn’t be looking to cut a deal with Tracto for the fuel to run the bulk of the carrying trade throughout the Spine!” he said.
“So is it preposterous that you would put any real penalties on those guards or it’s preposterous that you buy the very fuel that keeps civilian freight hauling for three sectors of the Spine from Tracto?” I asked belligerently.
The Speaker started to look annoyed.
“I understand you’re upset and you have every right to be but the guards have valid right to work contracts. We can’t just fire them on a whim. I’ve already run everything by legal and our lawyers say there’s just not a jury in the entire Central Star System which would vote to convict and barring that we’re looking at paying out millions of credits in a wrongful termination case. On top of that if the security guards, who aren’t actually police, wanted to take part in a PR battle against you and the Grand Assembly they could just ask for their old jobs back and the courts could probably mandate we had to rehire them. Basically we don’t have a leg to stand on, firing them wise, the public is basically on their side. It’s a non-starter,” he said with an air of long suffering, “as for the Trillium, I think our offers have been more than generous, we’re even prepared to offer more and of course we want as much as we can legally purchase.”
“Alright I understand. A couple quads of abusive security guards and the public support they generate are more important right now than a Grand Admiral and the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet,” I nodded my lips making a thin line, “and at the same time you’re also now willing to increase the price you’re paying for our trillium. What a surprise.”
“You’re making things sound much more sordid then they are,” the other man said seriously, “I’ll be honest we need Tracto. We need your Fleet and we need you, Admiral. Yes there are forces in and outside the Grand Assembly that don’t like you or are actively working against you but unfortunately we can’t simply get rid of our security forces because you don’t like the way they do their job. Part of their contract on hire was that they wouldn’t be subject to the whims of political expedience and they have quite a few clauses in there to ensure things to that effect. I hope that in the interests of the people of the Spineward Sectors you can bring yourself to understand the bind this puts all of us in and overlook this unfortunate incident.”
“You know what, yes. In the same spirit of sacrificing for the good of the Spine that you suggest, I can look past being beaten in the Grand Assembly chambers,” I said and then fell silent.
“While this is a relief to hear, I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” the Speaker said cautiously.
“Since it’s become clear to me during this conversation that the new Spineward Sectors Confederation places more emphasis on written agreements and less the importance of personal relationships I’ll be having my fleet’s legal department send you a new series of documents that will supersede and clarify our previous agreement,” I said with a sharp edged smile.
“Admiral I have limited purview in these matters,” the Speaker protested, “wholesale changes to the previous documents you sent to us are unlikely to go over well at this time.”
“Meaning there are a large number of people in the assembly who are just as happy to see me suffer humiliation on a nightly basis and unwilling to pay for their entertainment,” I said with a sneer, “no worries; there will not be any wholesale changes it will be basically the same document we had agreed upon in principle.”
“Then what are you hoping to accomplish here if there are no changes?” asked the Speaker.
“The areas where I had made concessions have been reworded. Those concessions are over. My crew will have total immunity from local prosecution and any Confederation level prosecution will not take place on their home worlds, but rather in a star system and high court of my fleet’s choosing. By the same token we’ll be having the full nine months paid leave, deferred of course until this current conflict is over, such funds to be set aside and paid this fleet immediately. Such other minor matters as the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet’s tradition of at-will service for both ships, crews and officers will remain intact and every warship currently listed as part of the MSP contributing member worlds will also be recognized. I’m also restructuring the prize court arrangement. You’ll get to keep your courts but in light of your latest bad faith gestures I think I need to cover my bases a little better.”
“I’m not sure how willing the Grand Assembly will be to go back over previously settled matters,” said the temporary speaker, “for such a minor, although completely unacceptable on the personal level, action to impact Grand Assembly level agreements…even though I understand just how unpalatable the previous actions were, I’m not sure how open the assembly will be to these sorts of changes.”
“The Assembly can sign off on it or explain to the people of the spine just why the MSP and their Grand Admiral no longer appear to be at the beck and call of your new government,” I said flatly.
“Please! You can’t just abandon your duty to the voters like this. I thought you were a man of principle,” said the Grand Assemblyman masquerading as a person of actual power.
“And I am prepared to fight to the death on their behalf. Whether I do that a Grand Admiral of the New Confederation leading and fighting alongside the forces of the new government or as just plain old Vice Admiral Montagne of the Tracto-an SDF, a world that’s not even a full member of your assembly, with as has been pointed out to us repeatedly an only provisional non-voting status, is entirely up to you.”
“There are forces within this assembly that do not take well to threats. You would be well advised to tread carefully,” warned the temporary speaker starting to show some steel in his spine for the first time in our conversation.
“Just relay my message to your masters and let them decide just how valuable a seasoned warfleet with more than two squadrons of Battleships are to them right about now. Last I heard the Empire has already crossed the border with its lighter forces and it’s just the heavy stuff accompanying their slower units that’s holding them back,” I sniffed.
“I am not a dog to come at anyone’s whistle,” the temporary speaker said sharply. It was amazing how conciliatory a person could be when nothing of personal value was on the line but touch their bottom line and suddenly all their good wishes went up in smoke and you encountered an almost completely different individual.
“Politicians,” I said derisively, “just pass on my requirements.”
“I can already tell you that if your list of demands are agreed to the Grand Assembly isn’t just going to take this sitting down. There will be requirements of ours you’ll need to fulfill,” the temporary Speaker said sharply.
“Now we’re talking my language.
What have you got?” I asked.
“As you said the Empire is already crossing the border. Having Imperial warships going in and out of our Core Worlds and important star systems is unacceptable. We realize you probably can’t stop them entirely, but having our most powerful fleet sitting in orbit here isn’t exactly instilling confidence in the new Confederation. Quite the opposite, it makes it appear as if we are running scared and keeping you around to keep us safe,” said the Speaker.
“Meaning you want me to go out and deal with the Empire,” I clarified.
“Meaning your reinforcements are already on the way, such as they are, and yes we need you to get out there and reassure the public. Hopefully without getting yourself destroyed,” said the Speaker.
“It’s militarily inadvisable to move the fleet before we’re entirely concentrated, especially considering we’re already going to be outnumbered,” I pointed out.
“You want concessions? You’re going to have to make some of your own. Jump from world to world if you have to and avoid them until all your forces catch up if that’s what it takes, but you have to get out there and do it now,” he said firmly. “Send regular reports back so we can assure the public or you know what better yet we’ll send a reporter out with you to package it all for the masses.”
“I’d think the Grand Assembly would be too fearful of sending out your most powerful unit leaving Central and yourselves open to a sudden surprise attack,” I commented wryly, “as for the reporter that’s a no go. Operational security means we can’t have any potential leaks onboard.”
“We considered the surprise attack angle ourselves and accounted for it,” the speaker said seriously, through various channels certain Grand Assembly members have secured for us a old style Monitor, a massive ship that used to serve as a mobile emergency Sector government center for one of the heartworld Sectors. It will soon be finished with its latest round of repair and refurbishment and become habitable. Whereupon it will be able to take up its old duties post haste or in this case acting as a permanent, non-temporary, mobile Grand Assembly hall ensuring the new government is able to function well beyond the immediate future, even I believe in the face of Imperial aggression with the added bonus that later on no one can claim favoritism based on which world, system or sector the new capital would be founded in.”
Admiral's Nemesis Part II Page 23
