Riss Series 5: The Riss Challenge (31 page)
"I've talked with six taskforce leaders and their senior staff and selected two that I feel understand we are at war, the contribution the Riss have made, and admire the Riss and what you have accomplished: Admiral Vitkus commanding Beta-3 and Admiral Dobler commanding Alpha-5. He will be arriving tomorrow." Gebauer nodded toward Vitkus.
"I served on Echo when we were chasing Medusas, and was on assignment with Captains Pavao and Damaass. I admire them both. Even knowing Damaass was a Raider, I couldn't help but like him. He claims we would still be looking for Freeland except you're a dybbuk. He explained your engagement at Yamhill. Took me all day and half the night using the system computer to understand what you did. You are either a genius or a dybbuk." He laughed. "I'm looking forward to this assignment."
"I know two squadrons aren't enough, but..." Plimson began.
"Sir, I understand and appreciate that you're doing your best to support the Riss. To a Riss, that is all they expect. Admiral Gebauer, thank you. Your support has been all I could ask. And taking a post like this..."
"I agree with Admiral Plimson. The SAS owes the Riss, and we are going to fix the problem as well as we can. I volunteered because I believe the JPU needs to be stopped, or several years from now we will be at war with them. Worse yet, they will have a stronger military, because the SAS Council isn't likely to provide the funds to upgrade the SAS fleet or to restructure the navy's mission."
"Thank you. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have supporting us, than you. Captains Damaass and Zhang just returned from Sarosh, where they destroyed the last of the JPU manufacturing platforms. The JPU no longer have the ability to build cruisers or space ships of any kind."
"That's why you think the JPU will attack Freeland," Plimson said. "They aren't worried about the UFN or the SAS. They know our elected officials will do nothing if they aren't harassed. So, they must destroy the Riss before they can begin rebuilding their navy."
"Unbelievable. You destroyed all their manufacturing platforms?" Vitkus laughed. "And you are planning to quarantine them? This is definitely the place to be. How many ships do you believe they will attack with?"
"I estimate they have between one hundred twenty and one hundred fifty. The question is how many will the Supreme Council allow him to take? I would imagine the new fleet admiral, Bishara, would like an all-or-nothing solution, thinking he will win. But will the Supreme Council like having the JPU stripped of all its cruisers—and extremely vulnerable?"
"What happened to Admiral Haddad?" Plimson asked.
"They shot him for failing to breach Freeland. Actually, they shot the previous one for invading Freeland and not destroying it. Freeland hasn't been a good assignment for JPU fleet admirals."
"I gather you believe we have time while Admiral Bishara debates the issue with the Supreme Council and gets what's left of the JPU navy ready for an invasion?" Gebauer said.
"And you believe you can win against those numbers?" Vitkus asked, watching me closely.
"What do you think, Captain Pavao?" I asked.
"My leader is a very sneaky woman, as Neifeh would attest." Pavao went on to give her version of the JPU occupation with Neifeh and the bitch Ioana. It was a fun diversion.
We agreed to meet again tomorrow when Admiral Dobler arrived.
"I'll leave Captain Bradshaw with you to arrange for tomorrow's meeting," Plimson said, not trying very hard to hide his amusement. "If you'll provide him a ride back to the Bateleur."
"I'll see he gets back to the Bateleur after we finish..." Before I could say more, smiles and coughs greeted me.
* * *
Our first love-making was a frenzy of pent-up passion. It had been years since I had seen Sean, and I hadn't realized how much I missed him. The second session an hour later was slow and tender and seemed to last for hours. Afterward, I lay curled against him, day-dreaming a fantasy: married with children on a secure and peaceful Freeland.
"I'm surprised some beautiful, intelligent woman hasn't captured your heart by now, Sean." I leaned up on one arm to look into his face.
He smiled. "One has—you."
"But...that isn't right. You deserve better. A permanent relationship, a home, and children."
"I hope someday that will happen. I'm content for now. My career keeps me busy, and my love is the most talked about person in the three empires, so it's easy to follow her...activities." He smiled.
I lay back down against his chest and cried. "I understand Freeland is accepting immigrants."
"I promise, as soon as it's safe," I said, wanting it so bad my body tingled with the thought.
"Would you like a ring to seal the deal?" Sean said looking very serious, no grins or smiles or amused looks.
"Yes, Sean Bradshaw. If you can wait, it will make the dream seem real."
* * *
Admiral Dubler's squadron entered Freeland space the next morning, and an afternoon meeting was arranged on the Mnemosyne to include all admirals, captains and their XOs, and Riss-humans. While everyone was getting settled on level three, Plimson, Gebauer, Pavao, Vitkus, Dobler, and I met separately to get acquainted. When we finally arrived, people were gathered in groups talking and wandering around. When Bradshaw shouted "Attention," the area quieted and people found places to sit facing us.
"Why would anyone waste space and devote an entire level to a garden? That was my first impression when I saw this." He waved his arm to include the entire area. "Actually, it was my second impression. My first was how ugly the cruiser looked." That invoked laugher and lots of side conversations, which he made no attempt to stop. "I was sure Leader Reese, then a captain, had disappointed me for the first time. She hadn't. This cruiser is years, maybe generations, ahead of anything in the three empires." He clicked on his SID, and a hologram of the Mnemosyne's Bridge came to life. He enlarged it, to soft ahas and oohs. "Each Riss's panel is a composite of all the Bridge functions. So if one panel's function fails, it can be switched with another operator. Yes, that means every Riss is capable of performing every Bridge function."
"Afterward, I will take those interested on a tour of the Bridge," I said, and received a unanimous show of hands.
"The Riss have been very active over the past year while the SAS and the UFN took a mistaken, passive position..." Plimson spent the next hour giving an overview of our activities in the JPU. "We estimate the original JPU navy of four hundred has been reduced to between one hundred twenty and one hundred fifty, and they currently have no manufacturing capability to build cruisers."
"That's a lot of cruisers if this Admiral Bishara brings them all, which I would," a middle-aged captain said. "We would be outnumbered almost two-to-one."
"True, but Freeland managed to sabotage the fleet of one-hundred-fifty-seven that Admiral Neifeh used to invade the Darkov Sector. Admiral Haddad, who replaced him, removed all the Riss technology when he realized it had been compromised; however, he missed some important features. So as many as sixty of Admiral Bishara's armada have weaknesses we can exploit," Plimson said and looked to me.
"And Freeland has twenty Irises..." I went on to explain their capability. "And you will each have Riss to help you with the new missiles and skips. I'm not saying it will be easy. That is what we will be doing over the next, hopefully, weeks: making sure your ships are up-to-date, Riss assigned if needed, and our tactics discussed so everyone knows their position and their responsibilities. If we are going to win, we have to operate as an integrated team, not as independent heroes."
* * *
"That went well," Sheva said as my staff—Riss-humans plus Byer, Seng, and Iglis—met to discuss status. "The feedback from the people I've talked to was positive. I couldn't even find anyone who disliked you, Leader."
"I agree with Sheva," Iglis said. "The chatter is positive. Probably helps that everyone knows their lives depend upon everyone doing their best. And there is no question who is the enemy."
"The Ghosts are excited about the new software that allows them to see the JPU's ghost fighters and cruisers," Byer said.
"The updates and training are going well. Admiral Gebauer is working everyone every waking hour. They are starting to feel and think like a team," Pavao said.
"There was one rumor I forgot to mention. It involved an SAS captain, a Riss captain, and a ring," Iglis said, fighting to hold back a smile.
"I heard that one too," Alena said, smiling.
Then a chorus of "Me too."
"So did I," I said, trying to look innocent but failing. "A commitment, but without a date. For a time when Freeland and the Riss are safe."
"I'm glad. The poor guy has been waiting forever. At least he now knows you're serious," Pavao said.
I choked on my kaffa. I had never thought of it that way. I had assumed Sean would find someone and settle down, not believing I was the right one for him.
"You're right, Nance. I need to get that ring before he decides I'm not." I laughed, feeling like a teenager.
* * *
The next day, Sean and I met with Ni'Shay, who introduced us to a jeweler he recommended. We purchased two bands to symbolize our commitment to each other, rented a room for the day, and had dinner at one of Freeland's exclusive restaurants. I felt like a student playing hooky, and I knew it was the reason I couldn't afford to have Sean around full time while the Riss were in danger. But I didn't regret my weakness. It was a memory I would cherish. The Bateleur left the next day.
* * *
The VTH came to life, a feed from Jaelle, who was currently serving in the first line of cruisers guarding the entrance into Freeland space.
"What do you think, Reese?" Gebauer asked.
I laughed.
"Something funny?"
"Admiral Bishara just screwed up," I said as I watched the eight cruisers turn red then disappear. "He sent the eight stealth fighters Admiral Neifeh forced the Freelanders to build. He hopes to break up the line of cruisers he knows will await his invasion force. Unless I'm wrong, that suggests he doesn't have the total JPU fleet. Probably a combination of circumstances: the Supreme Council and the rumor that the SAS has deserted Freeland. He will send in his Heavies next. Once he has cleared our first line of defense, he thinks he can safely bring in his remaining force."
Jaelle's face appeared almost immediately.
"Admiral Kishi, would you move two more squadrons to the front line. Jaelle, I believe Admiral Bishara's first entrances will be Heavies and a super-Heavy or two. Have your companion, Sirona, assign two Light cruisers to each Heavy, and the Heavies to the remaining two cruisers, which may be super-Heavies. You can assign the Irises to assist against the super-Heavies or against hard-to-destroy Heavies. That will leave you a reserve of twenty-eight for the next Wave, which will be entering before the first group can reload." I said, hoping I had correctly perceived the reason for the stealth cruisers first.
"Yes...Yes, Leader." Jaelle's face turned pale, then her jaw tightened in determination.
"Two squadrons are moving into the first line, Leader Reese. This will be interesting." Kishi looked amused.
"Yes, this will be interesting, Reese. Damaass calls you a dybbuk because he claims you can see into your opponent's mind. I hope he's right. We can use a bit of an advantage," Gebauer said.
Nothing happened for the next fifty-five minutes, then ten JPU cruisers exited the Wave: nine Heavies and one super-Heavy. The Mnemosyne was quiet, but I could imagine the activity on the front line: sixteen missiles rushing to meet each Heavy, which would have only twenty seconds' notice at the current half-light-second separation. And the four Irises would be launching up to sixteen per minute at the super-Heavies or hard-to-kill Heavies.
Thirty seconds later, another nine Heavies and one super-Heavy exited the Wave, but by then three of the Heavies in the first wave had disappeared along with the super-Heavy, another three were coded red, and three were yellow and functional. The second group met with the same losses. But now the first line was taking fire from the surviving Heavies and more Lights were surviving—about five out of ten.
Pavao appeared.
"Pavao, move the second line up. After Jaelle has fired at the last of the fifth JPU exiting ships, have her pull back and you take the sixth."
"Is that a bit soon?"
"I don't think Admiral Bishara has all the JPU fleet. That's why he tried to break our exit defense with Heavies."
Moments later Sheva, Elissa, and Alena appeared on the monitor.
"Sheva, I want you, Alena, and Elissa to move up with Pavao. Your priority is destroying the Heavies. I'd like Bishara to see only Lights remaining when he finally exits the Wave."
"On our way, Leader." Sheva cut the connection.
I watched the three cruisers join Pavao, moving toward the Wave exit. I decided to remain back, unsure what Admiral Bishara was going to do when he realized he had only Lights remaining and his chances of winning were shrinking with each minute. If he was cut from the same cloth as Salazar, Neifeh, and Haddad, then his reaction wouldn't be sane. He would know that the Supreme Council would have him executed for...incompetence, although their withholding cruisers would certainly have been a factor.
Although it only took a little over three minutes for the ten squadrons to exit, it seemed like an eternity watching the VTH as ships went from green to yellow to red and disappeared. Hundreds of lives each time—the madness of war. Although the JPU was losing more than us, that didn't make me feel any better.