Against All Odds (34 page)

"You didn't mention that the other day when I told you their recall was a requirement."

"I didn't realize they had passed the recall point. I was told when I attempted to initiate the recall."

"That's a shame, Mr. Prime Minister. We have destroyed so many of your people, I'd hoped I wouldn't have to destroy more. I'm sure the families of those crew members would prefer to see them home again."

"We would recall them if we could, now that their mission has become futile."

"Yes, I'm sure. Very well, I'll simply deal with them when they arrive at Quesann."

"You?" Neddowo said. "How can you deal with them? They are already close to Quesann."

"Oh, they won't reach Quesann for more than a GST year. I shall be there to greet them."

"But Quesann is sixteen hundred light years from here."

"Yes, that's about right."

"How can you possibly beat them to Quesann?"

"Gentlemen, for such astute businessmen I find it hard to believe that you started a war without even knowing your enemy's strengths. I assure you that I will be back at Quesann
long
before the remnants of your fleet arrive and I will easily destroy those ships that refuse to peacefully turn back. Then I shall decide whether or not to return here and punish this new treachery. Be sure to carry out the other instructions I gave you or my return with a task force to lay waste to your planet is assured. Good day."

The Council seal replaced the image of Jenetta, leaving the ministers confused with her statement about not knowing the enemy's strength.

"What did she mean, Ambello?" Minister Valhallo asked. "What strengths was she talking about?"

"I'm sure I don't know."

"That appears obvious. This venture was your idea, and now we are ruined. You most of all."

"Me?"

"Of course. You guaranteed the venture would be a success or you would reimburse the treasury for the loss. Do you have enough to pay for this debacle?"

"You can't seriously expect me to pay for everything."

"I do. That was the agreement. Everyone here was a witness. At least you have one thing in your favor."

"What's that?"

"The Galactic Alliance forbids slavery, so after all your assets are sold off, you needn't fear being sold to recover the balance."

Neddowo stiffened and paled as he stared wide-eyed at his fellow council members. With the loss of his fortune, they no longer feared him. He could not remember ever feeling so powerless and vulnerable.

* * *

On board the Colorado, Keith Kanes looked at Jenetta and grinned. "Did you clear the annexation of the Uthlaro Dominion territory with the Galactic Alliance Council?"

"No, not yet, but I don't see what choice we have. It's the only way we can keep them in check."

"You used that argument with the Milori and the Tsgardi annexations."

"And it's even more true with the Uthlaro. I've seen fanaticism, but never anything like these beings. We were unable to capture a single one alive from among all of the ships we fought. They're not going to stop, just as Maxxiloth would never have stopped. The Tsgardi probably would have stopped, but their annexation was punishment for having enslaved the Flordaryn people for so long." Jenetta sighed. "In the end we might very well have to return and lay waste to this planet. It might be the only way to finally end the conflict."

"We probably could have gotten one of the Uthlaro crewmen alive if we really wanted one."

"I wasn't willing to sacrifice a single one of my people just to get a live Uthlaro, especially after they murdered the rescue party from the Nile."

Keith nodded, then said, "Uh, you didn't believe the Prime Minister, did you?"

"About not being able to recall the fleet? No, of course not. They're still hoping their fleet will destroy us. I decided that rather than making an issue of that point now, I would allow them to openly surrender and publicly announce their acceptance of the annexation. If they continue to plot against our control, I still have the option of coming down hard on them."

"You don't seem too concerned about their fleet."

"Oh, but I am. I'm not concerned about the outcome of the battle. The information we got from the Hudeera enabled us to whittle their numbers down enough that I'm confident we'll defeat them now. But I'm very concerned for the Space Command lives that will be lost aboard our older ships that don't have the protection of the Dakinium."

"There always seems to be someone looking for a fight, but after the Uthlaro are finally put down we should be able to rest for a while."

"I certainly hope so, Keith. Too many good people were lost when we fought the Milori and I was hoping we'd never have to face another formidable foe in my lifetime."

"How are you going to handle your new territory? Region Two was already more than twice as large as Region One. With the Tsgardi and Uthlaro territory, it's almost four times as large."

Jenetta sucked in her breath and let it out quickly. "I haven't really worked that out yet," Jenetta said, grinning. "We hadn't even begun to get a handle on things before the THUG invasion started and I had to drop all my plans in order to fight the Tsgardi. One thing we've learned, however, is that the DS ships will be invaluable. With a few hundred, I could have had Region Two in shape in no time, as least enough to ensure it didn't sink into complete anarchy. I suppose I'll need a thousand now. The Admiralty Board is
not
going to be pleased with me. I can hear Hubera already."

* * *

"Good morning," Admiral Moore said as he opened the special meeting of the Admiralty Board in their meeting hall on Earth. From his place at the center of the horseshoe-shaped table, he could see that everyone was anxious to receive the news from Region Two, even Admiral Hubera.

"Let's begin by reviewing the message received from Admiral Carver overnight." Admiral Moore said after the preliminary processes of reading previous minutes and the like had been handled. He nodded to his clerk and the full-wall monitor illuminated with the image of Jenetta.

As the message ended, Admiral Hubera said, "Is she insane? We can't annex the Uthlaro Dominion. We don't have enough ships to staff Region One. Moreover, she just finished annexing the Tsgardi territory. What is she trying to do, annex the entire quadrant?" His comments brought chuckles from around the room. "I'm serious," Hubera said loudly. "This isn't a laughing matter."

"Donald, you heard her arguments as well as we did," Admiral Platt said. "Do you feel we should just leave their territory and wait for them to start preparing for war with us again? As it is, they've refused to even recall their fleet. They're still hoping it can unseat us in Region Two. This is the most formidable enemy we've ever fought and we'll have to watch them very closely in the future."

"Alright, Evelyn, suppose you tell me just how we do that. We simply don't have the resources. As it is, we're giving Carver every single ship we're able to produce. How are we going to secure another territory the size of Region One?"

"I don't know yet, Donald. I suppose Admiral Carver's fleet will have to patrol both territories. Our primary concern is that the Uthlaro not be able to rebuild their war machine."

"We'll have to find a way," Admiral Moore said. "Initially, Admiral Carver will be responsible for the new territory because she's the only one with the resources to do it. Eventually we'll have to redraw the regional borders to create three areas that are more equally sized. We'll also have to establish a new command structure to govern Region Three."

"But what of Carver?" Admiral Hubera asked. "She wasn't authorized to annex more territory. I think her title has gone to her head. She shouldn't even be the military governor of Region Two. She doesn't have the experience and she needs someone to keep her in line. She has to stop annexing territories!"

"Are you volunteering for the job, Donald?" Admiral Hillaire taunted with a dead serious look on his face.

"You think I couldn't do it?"

"That's not an answer, but I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I nominate Donald for the post of Military Governor in Region Three."

Admiral Hubera blanched slightly as he groped for words and a way out. Finally he said, "How am I supposed to govern a territory without any ships?"

"I further propose," Admiral Hillaire said, "Admiral Hubera be given a number of ships equal to Admiral Carver's Fleet."

"And how do you propose I tame a territory the size of Region One with a hundred tiny ships? Admiral Hubera asked.

"Admiral Carver just defeated four interstellar powers with far less than that."

"Okay," Admiral Moore said, "let's get back to business. Arnold's nomination and proposal is permanently tabled because Admiral Hubera isn't qualified."

"Now wait a minute, Richard, I'm as qualified as Admiral Carver. I can do anything she can do."

"Donald, you're a valuable member of the service, but you're not a line officer. You've never commanded a ship, much less a ship in battle. You've never been a base commander because you're not a line officer. According to Space Command Regulations, you're not eligible to assume either the role of Military Governor or Fleet Commander."

"Oh, well, I suppose you're right, according to the book."

Admiral Hillaire didn't say a word, but couldn't resist a smirk.

* * *

The small SC task force reached Quesann two months and four days after leaving the Uthlarigasset system. Jenetta smiled when she saw the picket line of new DS ships at the outer perimeter of the solar system. The new destroyers and cruisers were not radically different from the previous classes of ships, but their black Dakinium hull couldn't hide the fact that some modifications had been made. Jenetta looked forward to taking a tour of the new destroyers and cruisers at the earliest opportunity.

As her shuttle set down at the base's parade grounds, she could see the assembly waiting to welcome her. She would have preferred a quiet return using the shuttle pad within the palace grounds, but knew this was part of the job. Her small task force had, after all, destroyed hundreds of enemy ships and extracted an unconditional surrender from the Uthlaro, albeit a somewhat insincere one. She smiled as she stepped out of the shuttle and pretended to enjoy the band and cheering throngs.

The occasion called for more speeches and Jenetta gave as rousing a speech as she could, telling the crowd of the battle and the surrender of the Uthlaro. She didn't want to put a damper on the mood, but she felt she must remind this crowd of Space Command personnel that an enemy fleet who refused to acknowledge the surrender of their government was still proceeding towards Quesann. She again reminded everyone to use their duty hours to improve their knowledge and skills in preparation for the final battle. The latter part of her speech may have been a bit disconcerting, but you'd never know it from the enthusiasm of the crowd when she climbed into the driverless vehicle for the short trip to the governor's palace.

Knowing the approximate date when the enemy would arrive allowed the base to function normally while they waited, but everyone was counting down the days as time marched inexorably towards the showdown with the Uthlaro fleet.

~ May 23
^rd
, 2284 ~

In May, twenty new scout-destroyers arrived, accompanied by three new DS Battleships of the new Ares class and two DS frigates of the new Franklin class. The DS Quartermaster ships were each making three runs a year now, but since the as-yet-uncompleted base was intended to be the central supply point for all of Region Two, it would need as much equipment, supplies, and ordnance as could be sent to it for years to come. All of the newly arriving ships were filled with supplies from bulkhead to bulkhead for the fifty-two day trip. Jenetta waited until all the ordnance and supplies had been transported down to the planet before shuttling up to visit an old friend aboard the Ares.

As Jenetta walked down the ramp from the open hatch of the shuttle, full honors were rendered. Captain Gavin stepped forward to greet her as she reached the bottom.

"Welcome aboard the Ares, Admiral."

"Thank you, Captain. Your new ship is a welcome addition to the Region Two fleet."

"Allow me to introduce my senior staff."

After the introductions were complete, Captain Gavin took Jenetta and her aide on a tour of the ship, ending up at the bridge.

"I believe you know my second officer," Captain Gavin said as the doors opened and they stepped inside. Since a ship's second officer is the watch officer on the third watch and should be sleeping at that hour, she was obviously waiting around for Jenetta's arrival. She immediately climbed down from the first officer's chair and came to attention with an 'Admiral on the bridge' announcement. Everyone not at a station came to attention.

"As you were," Jenetta said. "Welcome to Region Two, Commander Carver. I didn't know you had been reassigned."

"The posting came with my promotion, Admiral," Lt. Commander Eliza Carver said.

Captain Gavin was grinning like a satisfied customer in an orthodontist advertisement.