The Chief Engineer looked triumphant and my girl even cracked a smile in my direction.
Lieutenant Tremblay looked betrayed. If my goal was to stymie the ship’s First Officer, it appeared I wasn’t doing too poorly working with my meager scraps of information.
“How many men are we talking about,” I asked curiously. “I was under the impression…” I paused to let the silence do the talking for me. Maybe now I could actually figure out what was actually going on.
“Several thousand hoplites were pledged to the service of Hypatios Nykator, some eighteen hundred have rallied to your banner since his fall,” said Akantha in that coolly imperious tone of hers.
“Excellent,” I said, more than a little stunned. What I really wanted to say was, 'what in the world has been going on while I’ve been asleep?' Instead, I said, “I’m surprised that many would want to serve a man they don’t even know.” Surprised! What was I going to do with nearly two thousand hot-headed native warriors? Fantastic, I thought to myself. How do I get myself into these situations?
Then I had an awful thought. Surely these natives didn’t have anything to do with all this talk of Lancers? I suddenly had a sinking sensation. “How many of them will be staying to guard the city of Argos,” I asked hopefully.
The next second all my hopes were crushed. “Argos has its own hoplites,” she said with an arched brow. “Five hundred of my uncle's former hoplites have transferred their allegiance to Kastor Kephus.” At my look of confusion, she added, “The same Warrior who escorted us from the city’s main gate to the inner keep.”
I was still confused, and she somehow picked up on it through the facade I was desperately maintaining for Mr. Tremblay's sake.
"The Hold-Mistress of Argos, my mother,” she allowed, “has taken him as her new Protector.”
From her expression, forgetting the name of someone I’d met exactly once (before proceeding to having my brains knocked around inside my skull) was a big no-no in my girl’s book.
“The Prometheans then, I’m sure they need some help defending-” I started to say, only to be cut off.
“Many of that Tribe have answered your call to service,” she interrupted. “Some two thousand already flock to your banner,” she said, clearly pleased with herself. “With more still signing up.”
My banner! Surely I was dead wrong and there was no way she and the Chief of Engineering meant to station a bunch of blood thirsty natives on my ship and call it a professional marine force!
“That’s wonderful, honey,” I said with a sick smile. “Did they sign up for the ship or for system defense.”
She looked puzzled for a moment then smiled uncertainly. “I told them of our great need for crewmen on this floating citadel, and assured them of a place inside this Lucky Clover, with many chances to fight pirates,” she said finishing happily. “They can avenge themselves on more of the same bandits that caused them so much pain.”
“Of course you did. And all eighteen hundred native, ah, hoplites, signed up to be Confederation Lancers?” I asked, smiling weakly, just to make sure.
“You are their new warlord and they will follow you to the Stars themselves,” she corrected. “If they must learn to be Lancer’s to do this, then that is what they will do.”
“There you have it,” I said, struggling for an even face as I turned to Tremblay. “The problem here seems to be success beyond my wildest expectations. I discern nothing untoward happening here without my knowledge.” Once again, I was forced to claim authorship of a situation I had no hand in, or look like a weak fool in front of my First Officer.
“I must advise against allowing so many natives onboard the ship,” warned Tremblay, face reddening.
“Of course,” I said. “There must be a trial period while they adjust, that’s for sure,” then I motioned the First Officer close, “I’m sure you’ll be instrumental in the orientation and monitoring of our new lancers, what with your background in Intelligence and our recent training programs,” I added, happy for yet another job I could foist off on the ambitious Lieutenant.
Tremblay looked like he was about to have a stroke. Clearly, monitoring and making sure the natives knew what not to touch while on the ship was the last thing he’d been thinking of as the next step in his maneuvers.
Maybe he had been thinking of something more along the lines of escorting them to the nearest airlock and having done with the whole situation. Unfortunately, he was just going to have to learn to live with disappointment. It seemed to me that I had to deal with that very emotion every day, ever since Admiral Janeski left the Lucky Clover to its own (or, I suppose one could say, to my) devices.
“We might as well invite the Caprian Settlers to the party,” I said grandly, “we wouldn’t want them to feel left out.”
“You can’t mean to try and seduce them away from their future colony,” Tremblay said, sounding weary. “Or are you intending to settle them on Tracto VI as well?”
“No-no-no,” I said with a mock chuckle. “For some reason, I don’t get the feeling that our fellow countrymen desire to put down roots in a system about to be overrun by Bugs,” I waved my hand in a sweeping motion. “Mr. Tremblay, you are to instruct the Belters to begin the process of transferring their main dish to the Caprian Settlement ship. Any Caprian Settlers that don’t want to stay here with us should have the chance to leave.”
The First Officer looked surprised, “And if the Belters object to this seizure,” Officer Tremblay asked, his voice sounding like a snake coiling in preparation for a strike.
“Then inform them that I have personally ordered this reallocation of recourses,” I said smoothly.
“And if they still refuse and become obstinate,” the First Officer said with a skeptical expression.
“You can inform them that one way or the other, they will no longer have a main dish on their ship. They can either take an action that will earn my good will, or one that risks my wrath,” I said flatly. I glanced at the Chief Engineer and the blond valkyrie. Unsurprisingly, the Lady Akantha seemed proud of the hard line I was taking.
I shook my head.
Taking this as some kind of uncertainty about my position, Tremblay pounced. “Your wrath,” he asked incredulously. “Is there something more concrete I can warn them about, or is this another one of your bluffs?”
“We have a broadside recently reinstalled and ready for test firing, as well as a brand new Lancer force eager to bust some heads,” I said imperiously, taking a page from my new wife. I looked at him sternly. “What, in this entire time I’ve been in command, has led you to the belief I make a habit of bluffing? Was it our encounter with the Pirates? Perhaps how we dealt with the Bugs? Or was it my...handling of the Natives down on the surface, perhaps?”
The First Officer looked uncertain for a moment, then bowed stiffly and saluted, before making himself scarce.
As soon as he had left the room, I turned to Akantha and Spalding.
“Eighteen hundred warriors just decided to flock to my non-existent banner,” I demanded before shooting a withering look at the old engineer. “And you just start transferring them to the ship for our new security force,” I demanded.
“It was my decision,” Akantha said sharply. “You told me to handle your affairs on my planet before you were sent to your healers. That many warriors couldn’t be left without a leader, not unless you want them to turn to arson and banditry or join a rival polis.”
“That didn’t mean you had to bring them onto the ship,” I protested hotly. “There were plenty of other uses for them down on the surface where they could be helpful.”
Her face stiffened. “I’m sorry you disapprove of the decisions taken in your name,” she said coldly. “I felt that after the attempt to murder you in your sleep, you would welcome additional warriors to stand guard, as well as to help in other matters.”
I grabbed hold of my temper with both hands and throttled it back until it subsided.
“I
am not unhappy,” I lied. “This has all just come as a complete shock, and it's not at all how I would have handled it,” I said, then cut her off before she could respond. “Not that anything you did was necessarily wrong,” I lied again, “but it's taking me a while to process. I just woke up and here the three of you are, and you drop this in my lap. I never imagined anything like eighteen hundred super-soldiers.”
The ice maiden also paused before answering, a series of expressions flitting across her face. “When you spoke with Officer...the Tremblay, you sounded much more supportive of these decisions,” she said finally.
I paused as I tried to decide the best way to put this. “The First Officer is indispensable right now because he is one of the few trained officers we have on this ship, not because he has given me his loyalty or earned my trust,” I said finally. “Before I disagree with your decisions in front of that man, I’d like to know more than I do right now. I just woke up, for Murphy’s sake, and I don’t even know how long I’ve been unconscious this time, let alone exactly what else you’ve all been up to.”
She looked slightly mollified by this verbalization of trust.
“I understand better now,” she said slowly, “however, I think it only makes my point even stronger. If you do not feel you can rely fully on this Tremblay, and yet cannot remove him either, then that only makes my decisions in your name even more necessary and correct, not less.”
The Chief Engineer cut in, “I think what the lass is trying to say is that, this ship could use a Security Force she -and you - can rely on. With the Jacks gone and the Security Department in lock up, that doesn’t leave us with a lot of choice,” he said.
“No offense to Akantha’s countrymen, but these are men used to fighting with swords and spears. They know almost nothing about modern technology. Tremblay is correct in that much, at least. Right now, they pose a hazard to the ship with their ignorance,” I countered.
“So we add to them men who are more familiar with this technology of yours,” Akantha said commandingly. “I’m sure there are a number of Prometheans who would be willing to teach them what they need to know, and would even fight beside my people when it comes to that.”
“I don’t know,” I said, somewhat less furious than a few minutes ago. “I mean, we still don’t have any trained officers we can rely on to teach these warriors how to use blaster weapons without killing themselves. Let alone how to use battle suits, which I assume you intended for them,” I said, looking pointedly at Akantha.
“Of course. A large reason many of them are willing to swear service to an unknown foreigner, even one who defeated the great Nykator, was the offer of a suit such as yours. I knew from our search of the ship that you had many more suits,” she said.
“Even if we can overcome that difficulty, who can I rely on to lead these warriors you have recruited for me? I don’t know any of them,” I said, not giving up the fight. “How can I pick decent leaders from among them and predict the cultural problems that are bound to crop up?”
“You are right,” Akantha said firmly.
“I am,” I said in surprise. Just when I thought I had the gauge of her, she pulls the rug out from under me.
“Yes,” she said shortly, “that’s why I’ve decided to accompany you inside this great citadel.”
“That’s not necessary. Your people need you here,” I blurted all-too-abruptly.
“You have made a great many promises, and now you must survive long enough to fulfill your obligations,” she said stiffly before turning to stalk out of the room.
This was great, just great. Obviously, watching me almost get killed three times in a row had made even the savage ice maiden a little on the over protective side. Now she didn’t seem to think I was going to make it longer than two days without her oversight, and was going to stick to my side like glue until her little planet was in the clear.
“What the Hades gives her the idea I either need or want her help,” I said, turning to Spalding with what was left of my energy and anger.
The old engineer pursed his lips. “Now then lad, it can take a new bride a small while to settle down into the married life,” he said. “You’ve not exactly been out of the sickbay longer than you’ve been on your feet in the whole time she’s known you. I’m sure that after she’s been reassured you’re not liable to drop dead on her, the Lady Akantha won’t be so clingy.”
“Clingy! You’re talking like this is some sort of marriage rift, when that has nothing to do with it,” I barked at the old man. “What wife do you know of who just up and decides to join her husband onboard his Flagship, along with eighteen hundred armed warriors, primitive or not? No, this is some kind of power grab, pure and simple.” I looked at the engineer, defying him to argue with that!
“Now I’m sure all dynastic marriages have their own little kinks that need to be worked out in the beginning. Once things settle down, it probably won’t seem so bad,” soothed the aged engineer.
“Dynastic-” I felt like I was about to have a stroke, I was so beside myself.
“Oh, aye,” said the old man with relish. “It's been a while since the royal family has married outside the home planet, so you’re not as familiar with this situation as maybe you should be,” he added sympathetically.
“This is no dynastic marriage! She’s in line to inherit a small city and an island, while I’m not going to inherit anything at all, unless you count Harpoon,” I said. “There’s no way this is some kind of dynastic anything. Parliament would have a cow if that were the case!”
“Oh aye, Parliament,” the old engineer said, twirling some of his flyaway hair. “Well, Parliament is a long way from here, and what they don’t know for a while won’t hurt them. As for the Lady Akantha, I’m sure she understands by now you’re not in line to inherit. But lad, she’s the closest thing they have to royalty down on that planet of theirs. If she’s not thinking dynastically, then I’m a robber baron moonlighting as an old Caprian engineer!”
“I can’t understand her,” I complained bitterly “and just so you know, I was hoping to get rid of that crazy woman and her off the wall notions. At least for a little while.”
The Chief Engineer looked at me sternly. “Don’t let the lass hear you talking like that, or you’ll have more trouble than you know what to do with.” He came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s too late for that kind of talk anyway. She may be the strangest Admiral’s wife we’ve had in a couple generations, but don’t be too quick to judge all the effort she’s gone to on the surface as bein' worthless. Gettin' us a few more warm bodies for the ship won’t help out right away, but in the long term this ship needs a proper crew, and that’s a start. Even if the whole lot of them will make our current stash of greenhorns look like wizened old space hands in comparison,” he said gruffly.
“Is there no way you can talk her into staying on Tracto VI,” I pleaded, desperately clinging to the last remaining shreds of my oh-so-perfect plans.
“Now stop yer whinin’, it's time to man up. Besides, this lass has saved your life once already. I’m sure she’ll find other ways to make herself useful during the trip, as well,” said the old man.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I muttered.
“Hah,” laughed the older man before turning to stomp out of the room.
"Not so fast," I said. "Just how did you get those two discs? I can't imagine a trained security officer would leave evidence like that out in the open."
Spalding looked startled. "Fifty years aboard a ship teaches a man a thing or two. I might not be so good with all those little ones and zeroes, but having served continuously on this ship through six refits, four different planetary regimes and a full-blown decommissioning ceremony, I know more about her hardware than any mutinous dog like Van Ness ever could." The old engineer laid a finger to the side of his nose and smirked. "That arrogant little lapdog could have learned a thing or two about covering his tracks from our excessively patriotic First
Officer." With that, he turned and left the room.
With everyone finally gone, I allowed myself a moment of self-pity before looking for my left hand. I closed my eyes even while I was turning my face. I didn’t want to look, even though I had to know.
It felt like I had fingers that moved, but I had heard about phantom pain before. I didn’t know how I would manage, short a hand.
I peeked an eye open and slowly ran my eyes from the forearm to the palm of the hand. My left arm had been entirely encased in some kind of healing cast. My eyes flew open and I wiggled my fingers. They all responded as they should!
I lay back with a sigh. It felt like I could sleep for a year at least.
A buzzer on the side of the bed activated. “Sir,” came Tremblay’s voice.
Admiral Who? (A Spineward Sectors Novel:) Page 39
