Koban 6: Conflict and Empire (17 page)

“How many former soldiers can he field?”

“They had ten thousand at the height of the war, and I was told they suffered multiple raids by one or two clanships at a time, so many of them gained first hand combat experience. I don't know how many are going to be able to step back into service, but they were only disbanded two years ago. They would have predominately been young men and women, sent to the nearest PU Training Base for basic and advanced training. There will be a few older members, like Flacco himself, that were officers and NCO’s. Hard to say how many of those people are still available, but two years isn’t a long time. I’d anticipate a high rate of returns.”

“Do you have an estimate of the time before the Empire will mount an attack?”

“We posed that question to our two Thandol prisoners, both of which are officers, and one was the captain of the most gigantic warship you’ve ever seen. It makes a dreadnaught look like a light cruiser. They’re aboard the Mark by the way, if you and any of the cruiser crew want to go across to see them. Perhaps make Tri-Vid recordings as a record of what they look like. Our two Ragnar prisoners are also there, but they were low ranking systems technicians. They can’t offer much insight as to what the Empire or Ragnar will do next.

“The Thandol captain is a different matter. When we ask him how the Empire will react to their discovery of this human world, his thoughts are definite that his Emperor will send a massive naval force here to pound the planet from space. Oddly enough, it is more a case of personal imperial revenge, for our destruction of one of those giant ships at their capital of Wendal, which was the Emperor’s personal impressive interstellar transportation.

“That was their desire even before we tore hell out of orbital shipyards and repair docks, at a planet called Meglor. Obviously, the Emperor has a bit of a temper, and holds grudges.

“When we asked Captain Halder how soon a Thandol attack would be launched, his mind drifts through a series of complicated scenarios, some political in nature, of how they would need to conceal what they plan to do from their own allied security forces. They worry constantly about their three security force species combining in a revolt against them. They know it happened to the Olt’kitapi.

“It’s hard to say for certain, but that captain thinks the Thandol High Command might need a half year to plan and mount just a purely space borne attack. They would want it to be overwhelmingly devastating, and carefully considered. From my perspective, they tend to be overly meticulous in their planning. I’d strike as soon as possible. From our two prisoners, they clearly think the Empire can afford the time to plan carefully, and prefer to take the long view. They’re certain we have no clue as to how overwhelming the force will be that they can bring to bear.”

Bledso considered Mirikami’s time estimate. “If we have that much time, in five months we can have a truly potent joint force ready to hit and repel them. If it was next month, I’d say you Kobani would be on your own.”

****

“Marlene, we can’t leave the Kobani hanging, or the people of Tanner’s world.”

Bledso was trying to convince the President to resist explaining her decisions to a senate subcommittee, chaired by an LOR firebrand. “
Under Executive Privilege you do not have to explain precautionary orders you give to the Secretary of the Navy, who you appointed. Not even to the actual Senate Armed Services Committee, let alone to this nosey LOR chaired subcommittee. As Commander in Chief, you can tell the navy to send a significant portion of First Fleet to the Rim area within a quick Jump of Tanner’s World, and you don’t have to explain why. If you do explain, our LOR opposition will go public to try to whip up an anti-war outcry to stop you. If we prevent the destruction of those cities and save millions of lives, you’ll be immune to what they have to say after the fact.”

“I know that. But in hindsight, I’ll also be seen as involving us in a new war without consulting Parliament.”

“The war is coming anyway, but stopping this attack might postpone it for a time. President
Stanford issued similar orders to the navy in the first year of the Krall raids, before we knew it was going to lead to an all-out war. I commanded a squadron she ordered to protect and help evacuate Gribble’s Nook, all without consulting the Senate. Not only was it not a PU colony, it was a privately owned world, used for purposes of commercial exploitation. That was a controversial decision, but she had secret intelligence information about the Krall intentions that were not yet available to the public, or to the Senate, so she used her authority to send our much smaller navy to the Rim area where it would soon be needed.”

Strickland eventually accepted her VP’s advice, but continued to second-guess her decision. Yet, Bledso’s military background was why she’d chosen her for a running mate. To pull in the pro military votes, and to use her experience with the Kobani to counter the LOR’s criticism of the proposed rapprochemen
t
with them, and through them with the new Galactic Federation.

The president breathed a sigh of relief. “At least we have months of lead time for the army to finish cleaning out the last of the Krall stragglers on our colony worlds. I liked the proposal you made to General Nabarone, to pull out the first of his units on the same ships Foxworthy will send over near Tanner’s world. Henry’s promise that they’ll be his most combat experienced troops could provide ground reinforcements, should the Thandol unexpectedly decide to actually land troops and invade.”

Bledso patted her arm. “You’ll see, Marlene. Having our forces close by, ready to move when the Federation monitors detect enemy ships, we’ll be poised to save the day.”

****

Admiral Foxworthy had requested the meeting, and she got directly to the point. “Henry, I know where you get your information about this new alien threat. I’d also have to be a moron not to know that some of my enlisted people return from leaves taken at less than glamorous locations, seemingly more rundown than when they left, often mildly feverish, aching and listless for the first week or two back on duty. Then they become firebrands in their units, working harder than anyone else, suddenly earning higher performance ratings and recommendations for promotions from their superiors. Some qualified people with college degrees, when offered Officer Candidate School, refuse reluctantly.”

She pointed at him. “You are responsible, or at least your friends are, for their sudden performance improvements.”

He pretended confusion. “Catherin
e
,
how are my army doggies helping your navy swabbies? We’re more or less rivals, even if friendly and on the same side.” He smiled, knowing exactly where she was leading, and intended to let her go as far as she wanted. He wasn’t worried it would become antagonistic.

As an example of cross service cooperation, he’d just passed along some technical advice for minor ship modifications, which her engineering department was considering, skeptical to receive it from the army. He’d told her the Federation had encountered a hostile alien presence in an adjacent arm of the galaxy, and that they had attacked a number of Federation colony worlds and ships.

He told her of a new type of relatively short-range electromagnetic radiation weapon that had proven capable of penetrating into a ship, via leakage around open weapons ports, affecting its crew’s nervous system. He’d provided two technicians and an engineer, whom he said knew how to protect their ships from these leakages, using relatively simple and inexpensive methods.

Aware his smile revealed he knew what she was about to discuss, she charged ahead. “I know you have Kobani in your army ranks, particularly in the spec ops units. I also know the Kobani may have withdrawn from the Hub region, and probably from most New Colonies, but they pop up frequently out here on Rim worlds. In fact, they’re in the forces that fight the remaining Krall, and I help haul them around for you.

“Now, thanks to those Torki built hospital ships the Federation volunteered to loan us, with their advanced nanites, and med labs they bought from companies in Human Space, they heal and repair our wounded.” Next, she got to the meat of what she had to say.

“Within a separate ward inside those giant ships, there must be a section that offers gene mods to volunteers. They come out of those med labs in the first stages of becoming a Kobani.”

She watched him for a reaction. All he did was nod slightly, not denying her claim, which wasn’t voiced in the tone of an accusation. She did sound more accusing with her next words.

“Your Kobani friends are offering these illegal mods to a select few naval personnel. Why wasn’t I told?”

He held his hands out, palms up, and shrugged. “I don't think I have a responsibility, or even the right to inform you or anyone of an individual’s personal and private decisions. You did just acknowledge that these mods are offered to volunteers, didn’t you? I know that there are no
military
regulations forbidding an enlisted member of the PU Army, Navy, Marines, or Airforce, from accepting gene mods. Frankly, I don't think anybody thought of it after the Collapse three hundred years ago, when military units on each planet vanished, or were disbanded.” He didn’t think it was prudent to reveal Mirikami’s confidential discussion on this same subject with her Vice President, earlier today. Only a Comtap link could have told him that so quickly, and he wasn’t going to spill the beans.

He pointed out some facts. “Civil laws on gene mods were certainly enacted in the newly formed unified Hub government back then, but they were never specifically incorporated into military regulations when the branches were reestablished. They just revived the old regulations that had served the needs of Earth’s military services before the Collapse.” He shrugged again.

“PU civil laws address gene modifications, but those laws legally apply only to Hub world citizens. Rim citizens in the military can make their own decisions without legal ramifications.
Except
, for those that have accepted commissions in any PU military service, and swore loyalty oaths to the PU, which specifically subjects them to its civil laws.

“The naval personnel, who have been offered and accepted the mods, are all enlisted personnel. They have violated no military regulation, and if they’re a Hub citizen, they have a right to be discharged where they are, out here on the Rim. They’re safe from civil legal repercussions of their choices.”

Foxworthy shook her head. “Hell, Henry. I expected you to give me some song and dance routine. Possibly to deny everything.” She laughed. “Now I can’t use all that crap evidence I gathered to make you acutely uncomfortable, before I let you off the hook and admitted there really wasn’t a legal problem.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “Well, Catherine, are you going to use that new DNA test, to see if I’m a Kobani?” Using her first name, he was appealing to her as a friend.

The question shocked her. “Are you kidding? Either you are not, or you’re subject to a court martial. I didn’t know you knew the navy had such a test.”

He nodded. “I knew. And I’d rather you not use it on me. I like serving in the PU army.”

“OK. I understand, and I can assure you that I won’t order you tested. Although, I won’t promise not to be envious. I heard you were once an out of shape desk jockey.”

“Fair enough. I’m a man born and raised on a Rim world, as Poldark was before the Krall came, and I still possess that frame of mind and sense of independence. I was highly suspicious of PU government intentions before then. When the Kobani came to me on Poldark, after proving they could outfight the Krall, and requested training and weapons to do that, I was ready to help. Hell, I wanted to join them, but couldn’t. The medical technology to do that didn’t exist then. Not Mirikami, or any of the older generation was a Kobani in the physical sense, merely in spirit. They only had the lesser human clone mods.”

She was curious. “I didn’t know that. By the time I met him he was like he is now. How did that change?”

“It was Hub nanite technology for healing our war wounded that made it possible, and the genetic knowledge the scientists kidnapped and taken to Koban had.” He made a prediction, and provided a glimpse into a philosophy unexpected in a man normally so gruff, and comfortable with war.

“I’m confident that eventually the majority of the human race will be Kobani. Many of those alive today in the Hub might refuse the changes, for personal or religious reasons, but over enough time, the majority of people will find it to their advantage to receive the conversion. If we keep meeting aliens that consider it their right to kill or push other species around, humanity needs to be as prepared as possible to meet those threats.

“I believe we are obligated to offer our protection to species that are unable to protect themselves from the bullies in the galaxy. More importantly, we have to ensure that we never become a bully ourselves. I think the ability of a full Kobani to empathize with any person or species will prevent that.” To Foxworthy, these last words clearly demonstrated he identified himself as a Kobani.

She had not previously considered that he might have converted to become one of them, but knew he accepted them as good people, whom he trusted. She hadn’t met him face to face until well after the Krall had invaded Poldark, so she hadn’t seen him when he was an overweight administrator. Now, he was fit, and moved smoothly for a large man. Some of her navy predecessors had found his personality to be crude and abrasive, and that hadn’t entirely changed.