Chapter Twenty-four

“That is quite an impressive feat,” Maarkean said, his voice revealing his astonishment at the tale he had just heard. “If there wasn’t an Alliance corvette sitting on the landing field, I’m not sure I’d believe it.”

He was sitting in the old Bravo HQ building’s conference room with Solyss, Zeric, and Saracasi. It had only been an hour since he had returned to Kol aboard Bright Blade, but after seeing the Alliance corvette during landing, he hadn’t wanted to wait to get briefed on what had happened. It had turned out to be quite a tale.

Solyss gave him a solemn incline of his head, while Zeric smiled a self-satisfied smile. The two men were evidently proud of their accomplishment, and for good reason.

The sheer completeness of their victory worried Maarkean somewhat, as the universe had a tendency to balance itself out over time. An uncontested victory like this was sure to bring on a corresponding dip in fortune somewhere down the line. He wasn’t pessimistic enough to think that meant they were doomed, but he would need to be cautious with their future missions to prevent that dip from being too severe.

“How are our rescued people doing?” Maarkean asked, moving the discussion forward into more somber topics.

“Pretty good, all things considered,” Zeric said. “Dr. Istru checked them all out to return to duty. Jairyd—well, he took quite a beating over the last few months. It will take a long time for him to fully heal, but he’s been living like that and says he’s good to go. Wants to sign up and join the fight.”

“It’s good to see that captivity did not dampen his spirits,” Maarkean said. He and Jairyd had not gotten along well during their first meeting. They had seen the Alliance through different lens then. Now that his own opinion about the Alliance had shifted, he had a new appreciation for the man’s attitude. “We’ll have to find a place for him.”

“And Fracsid, too,” Saracasi said. “He lost his ship, but he still wants to fight.”

Maarkean nodded at his sister’s comment. She had always had a soft spot for the smuggler, finding his attitude amusing rather than annoying like Maarkean did. She had a valid point though—without a ship, Fracsid’s primary means of contributing to this war was gone. He had an idea for how to address that, though he wasn’t sure he liked it.

“Speaking of lost ships, what’s the condition of the Chimopori?” he asked.

“Safe, in a long-term storage facility on Sulas,” Solyss said, a hint of regret in his voice. “Zeric certified it as a place he wouldn’t choose to break into so I feel fairly confident she will remain undisturbed until I can go back to claim her.”

Solyss then cleared his throat and looked up at Maarkean. “Regarding Lieutenant Relis, I suggest you consider him as an officer to serve on, or possibly to command, the captured corvette.”

Maarkean tilted his head to the side as he considered the suggestion. Was Solyss making this suggestion out of a belief in Fracsid’s command potential, or because he felt guilty for getting Fracsid’s ship destroyed? Both were likely motivators, but even if Solyss was making the suggestion out of a bit of guilt, it might not be a bad decision. Terrans were just more emotional in their decision making.

“Actually, I have another posting in mind for Fracsid. Besides, the position of CO of the Gallant is already yours. You captured her, and you brought her back here safe. She’s your ship now,” Maarkean said to Solyss.

“Thank you, General,” Solyss said, blinking in surprise. He had clearly been confident in handing over command to Fracsid. That made Maarkean feel better about his next decision.

“I’ll give Fracsid command of the Cutty Sark. Even with the two new crews we recruited on the Black Market, with one ship destroyed and one in storage for a time, we need every other combat-capable ship ready with a permanent crew. I’m also transferring command of the gunship squadron to him,” Maarkean said, his words resulting in a shocked expression on Saracasi’s face.

Giving the ship to Zeric to use during the raid on Ailleroc had been difficult enough. But Zeric had the marines to deal with, and she was a fully functional warship now. She needed to be used as such. He couldn’t let her sit around. Fracsid wouldn’t have been his first choice, but at the moment, he was the only one. He knew Saracasi would never take the position.

He had seen the doubt in his sister’s eyes, even though she tried to hide it. The battle on Perth had rattled her determination to fight. The fact that she had taken the position of chief engineer over command of the Cutty Sark so quickly before had been the confirmation.

But he wouldn’t complain. She was a good engineer, and he really had no desire to put her in danger. If that meant Fracsid had to command his ship, then that would be a small price to pay. Well, not a small price, but an affordable one.

“Now, it’s my turn,” Maarkean said and recounted the events on the Black Market. After the Fox’s refusal of alliance, and the mysterious Mr. Kahl-Amar, they had finished the visit by recruiting two new transport crews and finding most of what had been on their shopping lists. The two new crews would arrive in a few days, though they wouldn’t come straight here. Meeting them would probably be Fracsid’s first duty as squadron leader.

When he finished his report, he leaned back in his chair and waited for comments. He had already discussed the situation with Gu’od and Gamaly during the return journey. He was pretty sure how he planned to respond, but he wanted to hear from the others before making his final decision.

“It’s likely a trap. Josserand is not to be trusted,” Saracasi said vehemently. Her tone surprised him. She had always called him overly cautious when dealing with Josserand or other criminals.

Zeric nodded. “As nice as it would be to have a full battle carrier on our side, and even it weren’t a trap, I don’t see how Renard can pull off what he claims. And if he can, why would he need us? Those coordinates he gave you are months away. It may just be a way of sending you on a pointless journey as payback.”

Solyss shook his head. “I don’t know this Josserand, and from the sounds of him, he’s not very trustworthy, but it’s not something we can just ignore.”

“Yes, it is,” Saracasi said. “Josserand tried to get us hijacked and sent a bounty hunter after us. Our best response to his request to meet him light years away is to ignore him. Besides, the Fox may not have decided to join us, but he has offered us a safe haven. We can’t betray that by trying to steal his ship and give it to Josserand.”

“I disagree,” Solyss said, his voice remaining quiet. “Those coordinates are in the Trepon sector. If I recall, Congress has been trying to get the worlds in Trepon and Loisa to join in resisting the Alliance. If this Josserand has any sway in Trepon, he may be worth listening to, even if he can’t deliver the Black Market.”

Saracasi looked about ready to continue arguing, but she stopped. Maarkean recognized the expression on her face. She got that look when she was thinking about something. She closed her mouth and leaned back in her chair.

With a shrug, Zeric said. “He makes a good point. But that’s a long way off. And Renard doesn’t have the most sterling record for honesty.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Maarkean said. “But I got a different sense from the man I met, Kueth. He seemed genuine. Casi, I agree with you. I don’t like the idea of betraying the Fox, especially after he didn’t throw me out an airlock, but Solyss is correct, a chance at gaining support in Trepon, and potentially a carrier, is not something we can just ignore.”

He glanced at his sister, expecting her to frown at his decision, but she still wore the thoughtful look, so he continued. “I was planning on sending one of the gunships to check it out. It would be at least a four-month round trip, but the capture of this corvette gives us more options.”

Solyss tilted his head at the mention of the corvette, but Maarkean did not elaborate further. He needed to consider things carefully before making a final decision. Lahkaba and the congress would surely want to give their input on this as well. Seeking out the Black Market as an asset had been Lahkaba’s idea, after all.

“Now,” Maarkean said, changing topics, “what else has been happening around here? Where is Dav?”

“Commander Brieni stayed behind on Ailleroc. He thought he could work with Kaars Aerinstar to work some contacts and gain some intel on the Alliance forces. Ar’cher and the Durandal are there as well,” Solyss answered immediately, his tone a little skeptical.

“And Kol has voted for independence,” Saracasi said, her none nonchalant.

When he turned a startled look toward his sister, she smiled, enjoying taking him off guard. She continued, “Apparently Lahkaba was successful. The vote Admiral Sartori said she would call went through, and each world added a measure to it, asking if the people wanted to secede. Kol’s passed. We’re still waiting on word from the rest of the sector.”

Maarkean let out a heavy sigh. He had not given much thought to Lahkaba’s mission to address Admiral Sartori’s ultimatum. Rescuing Fracsid and the others had been his way to avoid the whole issue. But now, hearing that at least one planet had voted for independence left him with a feeling of satisfaction. All of the fighting he had done was not for nothing. The people were behind him.

As Katerina listened to Dolan detail the results from the election held on each Colonial world, she considered the implications. While next to her, Governor Zhant ranted and called each of those worlds traitors and rebels, she wondered whether he was correct. Each world had participated in a democratic vote that she had called. And they had voted to secede from the Alliance.

While she agreed with Zhant that the results of the elections were to be doubted, she wondered what it would mean if they weren’t. Her mission in the Kreogh sector was to stop rebellious elements and restore order. If the people had voted to remove themselves from the Alliance, as a democratic institution, did it have the authority to ignore that vote?

To be sure, Alliance law did not allow for worlds to simply secede on a whim. But with no mechanic for secession in place, was not a vote of the planet’s residents the best option? Her orders were to squash the rebellion, but was it the right thing to do now?

She said none of this out loud, however. It would be inappropriate to voice any doubts about their mission to her subordinates. It was just an academic mental exercise, anyway. She had her orders, and the security of the Alliance was her top priority.

Fortunately for her conscience at least, Dolan’s next report washed away any doubt. “Our spy has been able to confirm reports that representatives from the Confederacy have met with the Kreogh Sector Congress. He believes that this independence vote is likely a first step in their plans to incorporate the planets into their territory.”

That news reassured Katerina that the will of the people was not what they were fighting against. They were fighting a massive infiltration of Confederate spies and agitators. She would not allow Alliance citizens to fall victim to Confederate rule, no matter how misguided they were. That was what the navy was here for.

“That cannot be allowed to happen!” Governor Zhant fumed.

“Do not worry, Governor, the Confederacy will not win here,” Katerina said, making no effort to put any reassurance in her voice. “Commander, what is the status of the 4th Fleet?”

“Admiral Garcia has returned a packet ship indicating that TF-412 and 413 were departing to join us. If they left on schedule, they should be arriving in the next few weeks,” Dolan reported.

“That’s it? What about the rest of TF-411 and TG-43?” Katerina asked, annoyed about her orders being ignored.

“Admiral Garcia apologizes but says he has standing orders to never let the defense forces in Trepon fall below a certain threshold?” Dolan said, confusion clear in his voice.

Katerina sighed to herself. She thought that order outdated and ridiculous. It had been crafted by scared politicians years ago and was an unnecessary drain on resources. However, she could not blame Garcia for following it. She would not want to be the officer who left the gates of hell unguarded just when the demons decided to emerge.

“Very well. Continue, Commander,” Katerina said, not wanting to dwell on the topic. Dolan knew not to ask questions, but Zhant would not feel any restraint.

“Governor Howell requests reinforcements for Sulas. He says that with the loss of two corvettes, one into the hands of the rebels and one damaged, his world is vulnerable. His troops are strained and cannot continue to contain the population without reinforcements.”

“Well, he can’t have any of mine,” Zhant said quickly. “When are the troops from the homeworlds arriving?”

An idea suddenly occurred to Katerina. Could she use this call for independence to her advantage? It would be tricky, but she had a number of angles that she could exploit if she acted now.

“Reinforcements from the homeworlds aren’t coming,” Katerina lied to Zhant.

“What?!” Zhant exclaimed. “We were promised troops.”

“Governor, my mission here was to assess the situation and, if possible, stamp out the rebellion. Failing that, it was to secure the sector from Confederate incursion. The people have voted and they wish to be independent. The first part of the mission has failed. Completing the second will require some sacrifices,” Katerina said, trying to sound sincere, but knowing she was not a great liar.

“Commander, prepare a dispatch to Sulas,” Katerina continued, turning to ignore Zhant’s fuming. “Order our ships to withdraw and return to Ailleroc. Then inform the army commanders to begin pulling back their forces to prepare for evacuation.”

“You’re retreating?!” Zhant roared. “I will not stand for this. And I expect Governor Howell will not, either.” Zhant glared at her for a moment. When she didn’t say anything in response, the irate Braz turned and stormed from the conference room.

Still standing there, Dolan tried to mask his confusion but failed.

“It’s okay, Commander, you can ask,” Katerina said after Zhant was gone.

“Why did you lie to the governor? The MEF should already be en route from Braz,” Dolan asked.

“That’s right. But the more people who think it’s not coming, the better,” Katerina said. “Has our spy departed the planet yet?”

“No, Admiral.”

“Good. Bring him in for one more meeting. There’s some intelligence he needs to provide to the rebels,” Katerina said, a small smile crossing her lips as more pieces in her plan started to come together.