Winds of Vengeance (28 page)

She stared right at her husband. “And now it’s your turn, Max. You stand here for Terrance…will you do what he would have done, what has to be done? Or will you stand on principle and watch the republic destroy itself?”

Harmon sighed hard, looking back at Mariko for a few seconds. Then he turned toward West and Frasier, breathing hard again. “What preparations have you made?”

West paused, nodding with relief as she realized Mariko had convinced her husband. The pilot had served her people with unmatched distinction in the cockpits of her fighters, but West knew she had never done more than she just had, standing in her home in a bathrobe.

“The fleet is secure, sir. I relieved several officers I was concerned wouldn’t go along with us. They were placed on leave and told the transfers were pending promotion to higher rank. The satellites, the orbital stations…all are secure. You will control planetwide communications, and you will have the ability to deny these to anyone else.”

Harmon looked uncomfortable, more so with every word West spoke. But he just nodded and said, “Very well, Admiral.” He turned toward Frasier.

“Sir, I have taken steps much like Admiral West’s. Obviously, much of our strength is deployed around the Mules’ compound, but I have reliable units positioned at all critical ground-based installations…power facilities, com stations, supply centers.” He paused. “And I have a platoon on standby, ready to take position here.” He hesitated again. “I have loyal officers waiting for word to get your daughters, sir…and bring them back here for their protection.”

Harmon winced when Frasier mentioned his daughters, but he just nodded. “Very well, General.” He looked toward Fujin again. “Are you sure about this?” He turned toward the others. “All of you? I see you have prepared, and I have no doubt your preparations are exemplary. But are you willing to accept what all that this means? All of you? Now and in the future?”

“Yes, sir. You have my loyalty…now and always.” West’s voice was crisp, her words solemnly spoken. “And I truly believe this is what must happen—to save the republic. It is no different than the mutiny so many years ago…and if Admiral Compton had not done what he did, I believe we would all be dead now.”

“I am with you too, sir. There is more at stake than just the crisis with the Mules. I can see the divisions within the Corps as well, the strain between the Tanks and the NBs. It is foolish, a problem that shouldn’t exist. But politicians will always pick at and exploit differences between us. It is their route to power. We avoided that problem for many years after we first arrived. Our people were just relieved at the chance to build a new home. But now we are going down the same path the Alliance did…and I’d see us avoid that trap if possible. I can think of no one better to lead us around it than you.”

Harmon nodded. “I hope I can live up to your expectations…I am far less certain than you seem to be.” He turned toward Mariko. “And you most of all must be sure of this, Mariko. You will be the wife of a dictator. In spite of what you all have said, many will call me tyrant. You will be branded with this.”

“Let them brand you whatever they want. Let them brand me. I am tough enough to take whatever they throw our way. And my bruised feelings are not a reason to allow the republic to fall into civil war and destruction.” She looked right into his eyes. “I am with you, my love, now and forever.”

Harmon sat silently for a moment, his eyes dropping to the floor. Finally, he looked up. “Okay, my co-conspirators…let’s do this.” He turned toward Frasier and West. “Get your people in place…we need everything secure before a word of this gets out.”

“Yes, sir.” West and Frasier answered almost in unison.

“Once everything is in place, I’ll give an address, try to figure some way to make this sound like anything but what it really is.” He stood up abruptly. “But first I’ll change…I’m not sure a bathrobe is suitable attire for a coup.”

*    *    *

“How do I look? Appropriate for a despot in the making?”

Fujin looked back at Harmon and frowned. “Stop that. It’s not funny. You’re doing what you have to do, not plotting to seize power for personal gain.”

Harmon nodded. “You’re right. I just feel…I don’t know, like this is wrong. I know what we discussed, and I agree with it all. But it is still difficult.”

She reached over and put her hand on his arm. “You can do this. You are strong, and you’re a good man. And you are taking this action to save your people, no less than Terrance did.”

Harmon’s head snapped around, his eyes catching West and Frasier walking up toward him.

“It’s done, sir. The fleet and orbital platforms are on limited alert, and all key ships are under the control of reliable officers.” West leaned forward, speaking softly.

“All ground installations are occupied as well, sir. We control all communications, all government and military facilities, all weapons storage, all transportation systems.” Frasier followed West’s lead, angling his head toward Harmon’s and whispering.

Harmon just nodded. Then he straightened up and ran his hands over his spotless suit, brushing it flat, neatening the few wrinkles. “I guess there is no cause for delay. It’s time for the people of Earth Two to find out they do not actually live in a democracy.”

Mariko frowned again. Harmon suspected his wife knew his self-deprecation was part of his method for dealing with what he had to do. But she was a true believer, and she considered his angst and guilt to be misplaced. He knew that well enough, and he even understood her opinion. But
he
was the one stepping up, as so many dictators and strongmen had in human history. Perhaps he
was
different, but he knew he would have to prove that…and for today, most of the men and women who watched his broadcast would follow him out of fear.

But if that’s the way it has to be…

He turned and walked toward the podium. He glanced over at the man behind the camera, and he got a thumbs up response in return. Everything was ready.

“Mr. President!” A uniformed officer was running across the studio toward Harmon. Two of the extra Marine guards Frasier had assigned to protect the president moved quickly to intercept the visitor, but Harmon yelled out for them to stand aside.

“Captain, what is it?” Becky Barth was one of Harmon’s aides.

Barth slipped forward between the two, now stationary, Marines and ran right up to Harmon.

“Mr. President…
Cyclone
has just transited into the system.”

Harmon felt his stomach clench.
Cyclone
was one of Admiral Frette’s vessels. He couldn’t think of any good news scenario for the ship to arrive back alone.

“Status report?”

Barth looked around. “Sir, she sent a coded message the instant she emerged from the gate. It is highly classified…”

Harmon turned and looked out across the large room. “Out! Now! Everybody…I need this room cleared.” He turned toward West and Frasier. “Admiral, General…stay. And you, Mariko. Everybody else, take a break. I’ll call for you when I’m ready to resume.”

He watched the technicians filter out of the room, along with his other aides. The Marine guards hesitated.

“Both of you…wait outside. I’ll be fine. General Frasier can keep an eye on me.”

The Marines turned slowly, looking uncomfortable, but also clearly not willing to disobey the president’s direct order.

Harmon turned toward Barth. “What is it, Captain?”

“Admiral Frette reports contact with a significant fleet, sir. Her forces engaged and destroyed the enemy, and on her own discretion the fleet had proceeded farther along
Hurley’s
course. She sent
Cyclone
back with copies of all the intel her people collected…and a warning.”

The officer looked at the small group gathered around her. She knew they were the top officials of the republic, but she still looked uncomfortable. Then the words came from her lips.

“The First Imperium is back, sir…”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Captain Josie Strand’s Address to her Crew

Near the Beginning of “Strand’s Stand”

I know you’re scared…we’re all scared. Even Admiral Compton was scared during his great battles. We are all human beings, nothing more than men and women standing against the forces that would destroy us. But the great admiral and his legendary fleet, our fathers and mothers, pushed back against the fear. They refused to accept the inevitability of defeat…and their defiance matched the overwhelming strength of the enemy.

We fight now, not a different war, but the same one they did, against the same enemy. The years of peace, the shining time when we were born and came of age, was merely a respite. We know that now, and we will rise to the challenge, take our place in the line of battle. The courage and strength of those who came before us brought our people to a new world, founded a new society, and built a future, for themselves…and for us, the first generation born on Earth Two.

We are young, many of us in our positions far earlier than those of the old fleet had been. We have seen little of war, fought in only one battle before this. Yet, here we stand, steadfast, ready to do what we must. Our situation is desperate, but that is not enough to defeat us…for we are the children of heroes, and we shall not fail to live up to their example.

Fight with me, officers, spacers! Stand to your posts, and face the enemy…and claim the honor and renown that is yours by birthright. Fight to save your home, the one our parents built for us, the only one we have ever known…

Flag Bridge – E2S Compton

System G47

Earth Two Date 12.09.30

“Admiral, we’re picking up enemy forces moving into the system through our entry warp gate.” Kemp’s voice was edgy, but Frette could hear the anger as well, and the determination. It was a familiar sound, one she remembered from the days of the fleet’s battles. And now she was hearing it in the voices of her younger spacers as well. She was proud of them, and she felt pride, satisfaction that the years of training were paying off. But there was an undercurrent of sadness there too. For the past decade, while she and Erika and the other veteran officers had trained their successors, she had hoped they would be spared the nightmare her generation had faced.

“Set a course to intercept, full thrust.
Excalibur
and her escorts will go with us…relay the orders.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

Frette stared down at the floor in front of her. She didn’t like how things were shaping up, not one bit. Her instincts had run wild when she’d gotten word that the enemy was coming from two different warp gates almost simultaneously, and news that another force was coming through the last gate, from the very direction her fleet had come from, left little doubt. She had led her people into a trap.

Frette was angry with herself, and fighting off doubts. For all the fame she’d acquired with her crazy atmospheric landing stunt to rescue Max Harmon from the imperial home world, that had been the first time she’d commanded so much as a ship in a wartime situation. Her combat experience was mostly as a tactical or weapons officer. True, she had gone on to lead forces against several of the attacks from residual First Imperium forces, but though combat was always difficult and terrifying, none of those conflicts had been in doubt. The enemy forces had all been outnumbered and detected long before they got close to Earth Two, and the fights had all been mostly one-sided.

Now she was facing something serious, worse even than her nerves had made it out to be when her people had faced the first imperial force. It wasn’t just the number of ships involved…it was the complexity of the plan. The task forces that had thrown themselves at Earth Two in the years after the Regent’s destruction had been individual, under the command of their dedicated AIs. But this was clearly an overall plan, with forces coming in from three directions…and even the advance force her people had defeated.

A force they sacrificed just to lure us forward…

She sat in her chair, holding back the sigh fighting to get out. She wasn’t happy with the situation, not at all. She’d planned to keep her heavy units together, but now her battle line was scattered across the system, two capital ships at each of the two far warp gates, battling to hold the line, and the last two ready to move back to the entry gate…and face whatever was coming through there.

“
Excalibur
and supporting ships report ready. Commander Minh advises the reactor is operating at full power, and we can execute thrust on your command, Admiral.”

Frette stared at her screen for a few seconds, her mind redoing the calculations, remind herself how far apart her three forces would be. She’d make a mistake, she was sure of that. Perhaps it was too many years of peace…or too much pride that turned so easily to arrogance. Or maybe she just didn’t have the experience at command she needed for this situation. She’d worked for years alongside Erika, but she couldn’t match her companion’s decades commanding fleet-sized forces.

She knew she should have been more cautious, but now her people had stepped in it, and she didn’t know what to do. If she didn’t engage the ships coming through the entry warp gate, they would be free to move anywhere in the system…including outflanking Strand’s and Akira’s forces. Her two subordinates were performing well, bracketing their warp gates and blasting the enemy ships as they emerged. They were in extremely strong positions, but that wouldn’t last if enemy forces got around them. No, she had to take out whatever had followed her fleet into the system.

She wouldn’t have the same advantages as Strand and Akira. By the time she got to the warp gate, the enemy force would be in the system already, deployed and ready to engage her. But she had one thing, the strongest ship ever built by mankind.

Once again a
Compton
would stand in the breach…and just maybe save the day again.