by John Walker
“What mission? Why’s it got to wait?” Griel sighed. “What’re you pulling?”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Yuldi snapped. “After everything I’ve done for you? What I’ve put on the line? You could at least show some respect. Both our necks are on the line with you running around out there doing as you please. All to chase a ghost. So let’s keep things civil, shall we?”
“I’m sorry,” Griel said. “What’re you asking us to do?”
“A Rhulin world is under heavy attack by Kahl invaders,” Yuldi explained, “Just on the Dahs border. This attack seems to be a target of opportunity; a hit because a military base happened to be installed there to maintain order on the colony.”
“The Rhulins are getting their tails plowed,” Griel replied, “what’re they doing with military assets on some remote colony on the edge of conflict?”
“Trying to keep their people alive. Disorder has started to rush through their society. They’re struggling to maintain their government in the wake of multiple invasions. In any event, this is one situation we’ve been able to intervene in. Our squadron has given the ships a good thrashing.”
“You still haven’t gotten to what you want from me.”
“Relief effort,” Yuldi replied. “And before you start groaning, this is urgent. There are a lot of innocent people down there. I need you to coordinate with the forces still in the system to get those colonists out of there along with any military personnel that survived the initial attack. It’s a big ask.”
“I don’t see how,” Griel said. “Not if you’re serious about our ships taking out the Kahl. Isn’t it just picking people up?”
“The planet is partially occupied. Our ships chased the Kahl to a neighboring Dahs system. They’re trying to save those lives. I need you to save the Rhulins.”
“Alone? Or have you somehow found a way to con the Triton into this too?”
“The humans will be tasked as your backup. I won’t lie to you; it won’t be easy. But I assured everyone the Brekka is the ship for the job.”
Griel pressed his hand against his forehead, weighing his words before speaking. “Is this some kind of punishment? Am I being reprimanded? Because this feels like some kind of rebuke.”
“It’s a reminder,” Yuldi replied. “You’re commanding a ship of the line. And once in a while, you’ll be required to help the war effort.”
“I’m always helping,” Griel countered. “Everything I do is to—”
“Following a mission you design isn’t necessarily helping,” Yuldi interrupted. “And don’t think we don’t know the distinction. Our military leaders can’t count on your actions because you don’t file them with anyone. There’s no follow-up to your guerrilla tactics since we don’t have ships in place to follow your whims.”
Griel couldn’t necessarily argue. It’s not my fault they don’t trust me enough to follow my lead. He clenched his fists. “What about Niva?”
“Clearly, you’ve got time to kill while you wait for the Flotilla to settle in again. She’ll get you word when she can. We both know that.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
Yuldi huffed. “You have your talents and I have mine. Right now, I’m using everything I’ve got to keep you out of trouble for your bad decision to send your liaison away. I hope you’ve learned not to do that ever again.”
“Uh-huh.” Griel slumped in his seat. “Do you still need this report?”
“I do. As soon as possible. I’m sending you the coordinates. How long before you can depart?”
Griel checked their repairs. Both ships were technically ready for such an endeavor. He wondered if he could buy himself time with a fib then thought better of it. I can’t mess with Yuldi. Not after everything he’s done for me. No, I need to play this on the level so he continues to trust me.
Without the council member, the Brekka would no longer be his. He’d be back to hiring a ship, something without the necessary firepower to get his work done. That meant playing by the rules. Even when they stood in direct conflict with his own ends. He drew a deep breath, letting it out before responding.
“We can go at any time.”
“Good. Molush has everything you need. Good luck and let me know when you’re done. Oh! If I hear anything about the Flotilla, I’ll let you know right away. I’m thinking you’ll still need to get out to fetch her after this is over.”
If we survive this insanity. “Sounds good,” Griel replied. “We’ll talk soon.” He killed the connection, turning to Molush. “Send those coordinates to Authen right away. I’ll need to talk to the Triton when I finish this report.” He looked it over. After agonizing over the details for the last hour and a half, he felt he could probably just send it.
We’ve already talked about the sore points. Griel hit the send button then prepared himself for the ire of Titus Barnes. He’s going to be furious that we can’t chase after his people. And I don’t blame him. He deserves to be. The only thing he figured they might take heart in was the fact they’d find them eventually.
Dead or alive, I suppose. He stretched his arms over his head before settling in for an unpleasant conversation. And an even worse mission. Relief missions are the worst. Rogue soldiers rampaging through the countryside… Kahl ships hovering around the perimeter of the system… and refugees all needing medical attention and a place to rest.
This will turn out badly. I know it. At least it would make a difference to someone. I guess I can cling to that. I can’t complain about saving lives. It’ll be a nice change of pace.
***
Admiral Maxwell Porter’s voice sounded thin through the speakers in Titus’s office. The fact the two of them were talking didn’t bode well, not before a report could be generated about their latest experience. The pilgrimage mission already made high command twitchy. They wanted the Triton doing something else.
“I’m glad I caught you after the action,” Porter said. “Seems fortuitous actually.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Titus replied. “Some of our people have yet to return to the ship. My report’s not quite finished, but the long and short of it is they were aboard this thing when it went into warp. We’re not sure where they are but we can find them. We just need some more time.”
“Are they alive?”
Titus bit his lip. “We believe so, yes.”
“Do you know this for a fact?”
“They were aboard a space station capable of going to warp,” Titus explained. “It’s done it before. We have to assume it’s fine and our people are safe. When it stops, we can find it. Then initiate a pickup.”
“But without knowing their course, you’re playing a waiting game, correct?” Porter didn’t let him reply. “And that’s if your people survived.”
Titus closed his eyes. “Yes, I can’t argue that, but again, we are more than a little certain they made it.”
“As you know, we’re working on diplomacy with our new allies. The Prytin have been extremely generous. We’ve managed to rework another ship’s engines for faster warp capability. That’s going to allow our ambassadors to get to their planet without bringing a warship. However, we’re still buying goodwill.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Assisting them with tasks. In this case,” Porter paused. “Well, I understand you’re with the Brekka right now. Commander Griel is there, correct?”
“Yes, he came to our aid with this situation.”
“Good. Prytin military command is assigning his ship to relief efforts on a Rhulin colony. They are in desperate need of assistance to save the colonists from a Kahl attack. After what happened to our own colony, there are some pulled heartstrings as you can imagine. I’m assigning the Triton to accompany them to provide aid.”
“You realize you’re asking me to abandon our people,” Titus said, “to leave them out there.”
“I know how this seems. I’m asking you to assist people that are very much
alive while you wait for an unknown situation to resolve itself. When they turn up, and your mission is complete, you can head out there to get them. Until then, you’ve got your orders. This will go a long way toward helping our budding alliance.”
“Seems to me we’re doing fine,” Titus said. “We’ve helped them plenty of times. This pilgrimage—”
“Has yet to give us any real data,” Porter interrupted. “We’re not even sure it’s of any value. Relief effort, getting into this war, that is paying off.”
“Yes, sir.” Titus thought through how he’d explain this course of action not only to the crew, but to Essa and Uldin. They would not be pleased to find out the reason they joined up had been put on the back burner. Maybe they can come up with something while we’re busy. “Is there anything else?”
“Yes, I have some good news. Weapon upgrades have been completed on several destroyers. The TCN Manticore will be done by the end of the month as well, giving us a second battleship. We’re stationing these upgraded ships on our borders in the event that we encounter the Kahl again.”
“Excellent,” Titus replied. “Have you had time to study their tactics?”
“Yes, if they attack again, it should be much like the first time. Another probe. We’re probably in luck that they’ve been dealing with other cultures first. Their efforts are hampered by spreading themselves a touch thin. However, that won’t always be the case. And when they come, we have to be ready for an escalating attack pattern.
“To that end, we’ve altered the focus of manufacturing on practically every front to bolster our military presence. If we’re given the time, we’re confident we can hold them off.” Porter drew a deep breath. “Whether or not that comes true is another matter entirely. It all comes down to how busy the Kahl remain.”
“Helping the Rhulins keeps them from annihilation,” Titus said. “Meaning if we help that colony and get those people somewhere safe, they can bolster the military forces of their culture, providing an enemy for the Kahl to focus on. Is that it? Are we only helping so they can act as a screen?”
“That’s a touch cynical,” Porter replied, “but it is a welcome side effect. When we’re capable of defending ourselves, we’ll absolutely help our neighbors. It makes sense for the good of intergalactic relations, but don’t forget, it wasn’t too long ago no one thought about such a thing. It was a crackpot science project.”
“And now that we know, we’re not ready to face any of them.” Titus tapped his chin. “So we have to be cautious. Work within the rules. Until…”
“Well, yes, until we can push our own agenda. Get involved. Ensure we’re represented and our own expansion is welcomed rather than viewed in a negative light.”
We haven’t pushed out into the empty worlds near our borders, Titus thought. We had plenty of time before we would’ve encountered the Prytins or Vorkas. And even then, they’d done a fair job of avoiding humanity for the most part. I wonder how long before someone starts thinking we should be in charge.
Some ambitious military leader may come to the conclusion that humanity deserved more. It rarely came down to reality but ego. When the ambassadors visit the Prytin homeworld, I pray they see what we’d be up against. Some intelligence officer will be there to take an assessment, I guarantee it. They better be honest.
Or humanity may be in for a serious wake-up call.
“Thank you for the update, sir,” Titus said. “I should brief my people and prepare to move out. Every minute counts for that colony.”
“I appreciate your sense of urgency,” Porter replied. “Godspeed, Captain.” The line went dead.
Now to sell it to everyone. Rhys is going to be especially pissed. Considering his feelings for Niva that is. The moments before the Flotilla went into warp, they didn’t have contact with the station. That meant no one knew the state of their landing party. I need to worry about Gunny as well.
Soldiers knew the risks of all types of missions. Honor dictated they do whatever was possible to ensure one another made it home. Titus needed to ensure they understood he would do what it took to find them when that became practical. Much as he didn’t like Porter’s assignment, he agreed that those people were in immediate peril.
If we’re not here to protect civilians, what’s the point?
Titus sent a message to Jane, letting her know to work with the Brekka to get the coordinates for their next destination. Then he sent word to Rhys, requesting his presence in his office. He ended the note with: Prepare yourself. You won’t like what I’ve got to say. You or the doctor, I suspect.
And finally, he reached out to Doctor Brett asking him to visit as well. The medical staff would need to work overtime when they performed relief efforts. They needed to ensure they understood the differences between Rhulins and humans. That might take a few hours. Surely enough to keep them busy during the trip.
I’ve got to sell this hard. Titus rubbed his eyes, preparing himself mentally. I’d rather maintain morale. Doesn’t matter that they’re duty bound to do as they’re told. There’s a benefit in keeping them on my side and happy. The rapport we’ve built isn’t easy. And so far I’ve been lucky enough to offer orders they agreed with.
The relief mission itself wouldn’t offend anyone. It was leaving Vesper, Tiller and the others to their fate that wouldn’t go over well. No one could deny that helping civilians was a positive thing. Now he just had to remind them of that when their passions got the better of them.
While ensuring they trickled the same positive message down to the people under them. The balancing act of command. One thing his predecessor didn’t care much about. And one thing I’ve promised myself I’d always maintain. Now’s my chance to put up or shut up. Come on, gentlemen. Find a way to spin this to a positive light.
***
Rhys left the meeting fired up. He took heart in the fact that he hadn’t overstepped his bounds, much as he’d wanted to. The closest he came to defying the order from high command came in the form of telling the captain he’d lodge a formal complaint about the decision, specifically citing that the Triton was the only TCN ship capable of a rescue.
He recognized that Titus struggled with the orders as well. The captain tried to spin the situation; to make it sound noble when it really came down to a political move. Any number of other ships could’ve conducted such an operation mission. Instead, they were being sent as a stunt so humanity got involved.
If the Rhulins survived the war, they’d be grateful for the aid. The Prytins would see another example of their resolve. Some distant point in the future might see the TCN at a better bargaining position for negotiations as they tallied up successes. Never mind what it cost the Triton or their people.
This is the kind of political nonsense that probably kept me out of the captain’s chair. Rhys recognized he probably would’ve pushed back on the admiral too hard. Enough to get himself in trouble. He might’ve even considered disobeying the order to get his people back. I can’t know that for sure.
The thought made his stomach turn. He’d been fulfilling his duty for a long time. Rarely had they been forced to abandon a force of soldiers, and when they did leave them, they came right back with reinforcements. People under his command knew he had their backs; that he wouldn’t leave them behind.
Technically, these people were kidnapped. Stolen away by fleeing criminals. This isn’t a matter of us leaving a battlefield. We didn’t have any control over them going into warp. Though that didn’t ring entirely true. He hadn’t wanted to send them to the station in the first place. If they got the data, then I guess I’ll eat those words.
Again, if they survived. He didn’t doubt their resolve or abilities only the fact they were so far behind enemy lines, their chances were slim. Perhaps with their shuttle, they could figure something out. The distress beacon aboard might ping the Triton while they were in the middle of their operation.
At least the captain made it clear we’d be going back for them as soon as
we could. That helped ease the pain a little, though not much.
Doctor Brett agreed with him, though he said so off the record. He wanted to pick their people up as well. It was the right thing to do; the proper decision considering what they might be going through. Though he was also the first to add they might be chasing ghosts. If their ground crew died, then the people on the colony were at least alive.
Then there’s Niva.
Rhys kept his personal feelings out of the meeting. That didn’t stop him worrying about her. To the point of distraction. He leaned against the wall just outside Titus’s office, staring at the floor as he fought to clear his head and to think clearly through the situation. Even after a short time, he’d developed some feelings for her.
She’s a capable intelligence agent, Rhys reminded himself. She survived the last time they went to the surface. I can’t imagine she won’t make it through this as well. What other crazy missions has she undertaken? I’m sure she’s got this under control. If anyone does, it will be her.
Kyle and Lysa proved to be particularly resilient as well. They were survivors and had demonstrated it multiple times. Then they had three talented soldiers along for the ride as well. Andrews represented one of the best pilots aboard the Triton. Rhys figured that stacked the odds in their favor the best way possible.
It all comes down to how many criminals are aboard and what our people can do about them.
“You okay?” Brett’s voice startled him. “Hey, sorry about that. I just didn’t expect you to be right out here. What’s going on?”
“Just worrying about our people. That’s all.” Rhys shoved away from the wall. “Uh…what about you? How do you feel about the relief effort?”
“We’ll be fine.” Brett motioned for him to follow. “Do you want to talk about your friend Niva?”
“What… what about her?”
“Are you particularly worried about her?”
