Spineward Sectors 6: Admiral's Spine Read online

  “You say you have a half-a-dozen battleships in your home Sector alone, and something on the order of twice that in Sector 24,” I said scathingly, “even if I’m to believe this fairytale of yours, I still fail to see why you need me at all.”

  Kong Pao blinked and his face went blank. “I don’t understand,” he said carefully.

  “Concentrate and annihilate, man!” I said, throwing my hands in the air and wondering if every civilian was as clueless when it came to naval affairs as this former Sector Judge…although, since he was still a sitting Sector Judge, it wasn’t proper to consider him a former one. “It doesn’t matter the number of hulls the enemy has, that’s why they Pearl Harbored your battleships while they were in the yard,” I explained in the face of his apparent continuing lack of comprehension.

  “Pearl Harbor?” Kong Pao asked with a lift of a single brow.

  “You never saw the holo-vid?” I asked with surprise. “It was all over the Sector a few years back! Supposedly based on real life events, genetically-engineered humans—operating under the command of their AI masters—launched a series of suicide attacks against an entire fleet of human resistance vessels and…” I trailed off, feeling mildly embarrassed as I once again tried to make a military point using my extensive holo-entertainment knowledge. “You know what, that’s not important. What is important is that a single battleship can take on any number of smaller, lesser warships and a whole fleet can really rain some pain. You don’t need me at all; what you need is to find the droids and send a fleet of your battleships out there to destroy them." I paused as I considered my proposed plan, “Or, better yet, lure them to you and get them deep inside a gravity well and crush them.”

  “It’s for these very sorts of insights that the Mutual Defense League so desperately needs your help,” Kong Pao said quickly.

  I couldn’t help myself, at these buttery words I lowered my brow and gave him the hairy eyeball.

  “Help…and leadership,” the Representative tried again, “that only you can…” he trailed off, visibly stopping himself.

  I scratched an ear and then shook my head sadly. “Don’t try and sell me a bill of goods, Mr. Ambassador,” I said as sympathetically as I could manage, considering he’d just tried to stroke my military ego by trying to make me out to be some kind of genius. Barely competent I could probably accept—insanely lucky at times, I would own up to in a heartbeat—but I was under no illusion that I was the second coming of Julius Caesar or Roger Light-Blaster, “I don’t think that’s a tact that will work out well for either of us.”

  “Again, it’s not Ambassador but,” he sighed and then calmly walked around the table and sat down in the conference chair closest to mine. He seemed to pause a moment to gather himself and then looked at me with penetrating eyes, “Let me be frank.”

  “I really wish you would,” I said with a nod, my eyes assessing his every move, gesture and facial expression, wondering if this time we would finally get down to the truth. He opened his mouth but I held up a hand to stop him, “My patience is wearing thin and it would be best if this time we get to the truth.”

  “What can I do to retain your services?” Kong Pao asked evenly, meeting my eyes and holding them.

  “Let’s try this again,” I said leaning forward, “why exactly do you think you are in need of my services?” I then suppressed an eye roll, “And if it’s because of my large—currently shot-up—fleet, or a reputation as a budding tactical genius who’s uniquely able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, I hope you’re prepared to stay sitting down.”

  “A large fleet and a tactical genius would be most welcome,” the Representative allowed gravely and then leaned forward, “but not as important as a unifying figure from outside the Sector; a Confederation Admiral perhaps who, after sending a single patrol into our besieged star-space, decided to come here personally to take command of our defenses and organize, then lead, a strike deep into what is now droid space. A man who can legitimately claim the auspices of the old Confederated Authority, is without a dog in any of our strictly local politics, and has a growing reputation as a terrible foe to cross. I could use someone who has taken on both the pirates and the local Sector authority, and come out on top in both cases.”

  It was my turn to blink, taken aback by his presentation of the information. “I’m not sure the man you’re looking for even exists,” I said dourly. I could feel my head start to swell and what was worse, finding that I was actually liking the sensation. That was before my rational brain kicked back into gear, of course.

  “Legends are a series of terrible events that happened to someone a longtime ago, and heroes are people who died,” Kong Pao agreed, “by definition legends and heroes cannot exist in the present.”

  “So what exactly are you looking for from me, Judge Pao?” I asked, feeling mildly relieved and more than a little unsettled at his, mostly accurate, description of heroes and legends.

  “I believe we could save ourselves if we could just all get out and push in the same direction for once, instead of looking out for our own provincial interests first and foremost all the time. With both our Sector Capitol gone and no spare battle fleet in sight to ride to the rescue what I need is a symbol,” he took a deep breath, “what I need, Vice Admiral Montage, is a Confederation Admiral with a Confederation Fleet, and as many ships as you can spare, to help sell the idea back home,” Kong Pao said. “And I need them as soon as possible. Fleet size is negotiable, but it needs you present and it needs to happen as soon as possible. Time equals worlds lost and people dead, Admiral.”

  I suppressed a flinch, wishing he had somehow come to me before everything went in the pot and I was set up to be executed by my own government. I wasn’t the same carefree young man I’d been back before almost being killed in my own office. Near-death, a trial ending with a guilty verdict, and the battle with my Uncle Jean Luc for control of Tracto had changed me.

  “When will you need an answer?” I asked calmly, hiding the great turmoil that raged inside me.

  “As soon as possible,” Kong Pao replied, meeting my eyes with a level look.

  This time I was the first to break his gaze and for a long moment I stared at the floor thinking. “I need to confer with my officers and the Government of Tracto before making a final decision and before knowing just what kind of force I could bring to the table at need,” I said heavily, my mind drawn to the thought of helpless women and children being ground under the metal boot of a droid soldier model. An invasion like this one was the second worst nightmare of known space, coming in behind only a return of the vicious AI Masters of old and their dreaded cost/benefit model. Personally it didn’t get much worse for me than being eaten alive by Bugs. But for many people, the Machine threat was the be all, end all, of worst nightmares come to life.

  I quirked a smile, figuring that for those near the Gorgon Front that alien invaders figured just as prominently in their restless nights as Bugs did in mine.

  “I will eagerly await your answer then,” Judge Pao said serenely, his tone of voice sounding at odds with his choice of words.

  I stood. “My men can get you a shuttle back to Captain Middleton’s ship, or we can assign you temporary quarters here,” I informed him.

  “If it’s all the same to you, I prefer to stay where the action is; this ship will do fine,” Kong Pao stood and bowed in a strange fashion.

  It wasn’t all the same to me; I would have preferred the damage to the Armor Prince throw him off his desire to stay at my proverbial side. I would have preferred he took a liking to the idea of returning to the medium cruiser, but there we were.

  “The damage here has been extensive so I can’t promise the kind of quarters you’re probably used to. With that in mind, so long as you’re willing to stay, I’m sure the quartermaster can find you a place to lay your head,” I said, turning and gesturing toward the door.

  “Thank you, Admiral Montagne,” the Sector Judge started for the door. />
  “Just one thing before you go, Representative Kong,” I said.

  Kong Pao turned fully around until he was facing me. “Yes, Admiral?” he inquired.

  “As you will become aware, if you aren’t already, I already have certain obligations in this Sector—obligations that I would be forced to leave untended while I mustered a relief fleet for 23 and 24." My gaze sharpened as I looked at him, “We’ve spoke much about the threat to the worlds in the lower Spine will face with or without my assistance, but we never got around to what your Sectors were prepared to contribute to the MSP and the rest of the Spine.”

  “Contribute?” Kong Pao said with open alarm. “We are heavily pressed at the moment…what would you have us do? Not that we are unwilling,” the man’s serene exterior broke and he looked concerned as he added hastily, “I’m simply speaking in a practical concern.”

  “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” I said, feeling non-plussed. This man was supposed to be an ambassador to the MSP, and after an extended voyage across two Sectors he hadn’t bothered to think of what he could do to sweeten the pot and entice us to help?

  “As I’ve mentioned before, any legal entanglements you are currently mired in can be dealt with, what one Sector Judge can order another can undo—” Kong Pao started.

  “I wasn’t thinking of anything so crass as my own personal needs,” I said, drawing back as if offended while on the inside I was willing to consider any bribes or incentives he might have to offer. I was willing because such incentives weren’t going to impact my ultimate decision. I’d either do the right thing or I wouldn’t because I found myself without the resources and literally unable to help in any meaningful fashion. Either way, whatever kickbacks came my way was just fine with me; I just wasn’t going to go out of my way looking for them. It was the Caprian Way, after all.

  Still I was much more interested in how helping these sectors now was going to tie them back into the rest of the Confederation in the Spine. I know I was thinking big and trying to build a structure, a…multi-sector government perhaps, out of a molehill and a bunch of wishful thinking but there it was. Anything I could do to help save these people and weld them back into an overarching Confederation governmental structure I needed to do, or at least appear to do.

  “Then…what are we talking about, Admiral Montagne?” Kong Pao asked cautiously.

  “You’ve come here asking me what I and the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet can do for you,” I said with a shrug and a shark like smile, “now I’m turning the question back upon you, Judge, and I’m asking: what can you and your people do for the Confederation?”

  “What did you have in mind?” the Sector Judge asked cautiously.

  I smiled and it was smile with a very hard edge to it. “As you will recall, at the beginning of these…difficulties, your worlds withdrew the warships they’d forwarded to the MSP,” I observed mildly.

  “Worlds of Sector 24 may have done so, as they were one of the three Sectors that originally agreed to contribute ships to the MSP as it began to replace the Imperial Rim Fleet. However, I don’t have that information yet nor am I aware if any of those worlds are a part of the MDL as of the time I left on Captain Middleton’s cruiser for here,” Kong Pao verbally backpedaled, “as you know, I’m originally from Sector 23.”

  “I don’t hold you to blame for something you yourself weren’t involved with, and I am prepared to let bygones be bygones,” I hastened to assure the nervous looking Representative.

  Kong Pao looked relieved.

  “However,” I said, and just like that the tension was back, “for a start I’m going to want all those ships—or at least their tonnage in different ships—returned to the MSP, along with a similar number of new warships from Sector 23,” I flashed him the patented Royal smile. “After all, if we’re going to be defending you we’re going to want the official nod from 23 welcoming us for now and going forward. To wit, I’m going to want both Sectors—but most especially yours in 23—to sign a binding agreement similar to the original charter endorsed by the founding sectors of 24, 25 and 26…but with a few modifications.”

  “What modifications?” the Representative asked, having recovered himself by this point.

  “We are an at-will organization and I have no intention of changing that,” I explained, “however the…overly hasty ‘recall’ of every vessel but my Flagship when the Empire withdrew has pointed out a flaw in allowing for immediate recall. That’s why, in addition to requiring the officers and crew of each ship to swear an oath to the Confederation and the MSP, I’m going to have to insist that each ship be forwarded to us for the duration of upheaval in the Spine and place a six month waiting clause so that these ships cannot be withdrawn by their home governments until after we’ve had time to adjust our patrol routes to compensate. I’m also going to have to insist on allowing our internal personnel department to assign and transfer personnel around as needed for the good of the fleet. We’re a rapidly growing organization with lots of fresh faces, and we need to be able to shift people around at need.”

  “I can understand why you feel that way…and, barring a few complaints about the personnel transfers which you may need to be involved with later, I think it’s safe to say that my government, as well as the League itself, will be more than willing to draw up and sign any such documents,” Kong Pao allowed.

  “Good,” I said with a nod.

  The Representative started for the door.

  “Oh and there’s one more thing, Mr. Ambassador,” I said, deliberately ignoring his much-repeated line that he wasn’t an ambassador.

  Kong Pao once again turned to face me.

  “Battleships,” I said simply.

  “I’m not sure I follow,” the Representative said after a moment.

  “Think on it for a while; when you have, get back to me,” I said.

  “Are you asking for more ships?” the Representative asked.

  “We’ll talk again,” I said, neatly sidestepping the conversation. I wanted him thinking on this and to be ready for me the next time we talked, “Good day, Mr. Ambassador." At the same time I didn’t want to push too far and have negotiations blow in my face.

  “Good day, Admiral,” Kong Pao said faintly.

  I watched as a troubled looking man left the conference room, clearly wondering how much more deeply I was going to try and get into the pockets of his government and the MDL.

  He was darn-blasted-right that I wanted my hands on some more battleships! Among other worlds desperately in need of our assistance, he’d just mentioned a world named ‘Harmony’ currently in possession of a number of extra battleships and no crews to run them. If it was a choice between my green officers and crews and their green officers and crews, I wanted to get my bid in early. But if not, I was sure there would be other opportunities for an ambitious, young—and most importantly, growing—operation like ours. I just had to keep my ears open and my wits about me.

  However, I had other appointments to see to today.

  Which was why as soon as the Ambassador left, I activated the conference table’s com-link.

  “Please send in my next appointment,” I told the com-tech on the other end of the line.

  “Right away, Admiral,” the man said moments before the door swished open.

  In stepped Captain Middleton. Upon reflection, I decided that even though it was less politic I maybe should have spoken with the Captain before I spoke with the Ambassador. Unfortunately, Kong Pao had been waiting for me ever since I woke up in medical while I’d had to have my wayward Patrol Captain shipped over here by shuttle.

  My eyes narrowed as the door closed behind him and he strode into my office with his head held far higher than it had any business being—this man had risen to the very top of my own personal list of problems, and I intended to deal with him appropriately.

  Chapter 3: Meeting in the Middle

  “Thank you for seeing me, sir,” Captain Middleton said professionally as
he entered my office.

  “The pleasure is mine,” I replied, gesturing to the chair opposite my own, “after all, it’s not often the dead come back to life and I get the chance to speak with the captain of a ship that’s been missing for the better part of a year!”

  Middleton barely even flinched, and I saw that he held a data slate in one hand and a data crystal in the other. He separated the two items and slid them across the desk toward me.

  I steepled my fingers and glanced down to the two objects before meeting Middleton’s eyes and holding him with an assessing gaze for several seconds before saying, “Now, if you’d be so kind as to tell me just what the blazes happened that caused a simple one month border patrol to turn into an almost one year odyssey, I would be most appreciative!” I said with an emphatic thump of my fist against the desk.

  Captain Middleton nodded, swallowing the quickly-formed lump in his throat. “Yes, Admiral,” he replied, gesturing to the data slate and crystal. “The complete details are listed there—“

  “To the Demon with your details,” I snapped. “You’ve brought a storm of trouble on your heels, Captain,” I stressed the rank pointedly, “and I’m not sure I can handle any more crises at the present moment. I need officers who contribute to the removal of obstacles, not those who add to the seemingly endless supply of troubles the universe seems determined to hurl our way!" I leaned forward and said hotly, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t strip you of your command and put you on the first ship to Capria.”

  “In truth, Admiral,” the man said gravely, “I’ve had a similar conversation not long ago, where I asked a man for just such a reason. I hate to borrow another man’s words,” he said evenly, “but in this case I can’t think of a better way to make my case.”

  “By all means—parrot this other man’s words,” I said, leaning back in my chair and flipping a languid hand at odds with the iron in my gaze. “This should be good.”