Against All Odds (30 page)

* * *

"I see that no more of our ships have— gone missing," Minister Ambello Neddowo said to Uthlaro Prime Minster Taomolu Barguado.

"Not since we ordered them to abort their previous orders and rendezvous at the new staging area," Barguado replied.

"And we still haven't heard from any of the ships we lost contact with?"

"No, no contact."

"Then it had to be Space Command. Carver somehow managed to get a task force into every location where we had sent ships."

"We still haven't been able to learn anything about her operations. Either no one knows or no one is talking. It's frustrating that our bribes aren't finding any takers. Don't these Galactic Alliance people understand the value of a credit?"

"They're a strange breed. When the Raiders were plundering their shipping, they cared more about the people that were lost than about the cargo. Will all the ships rendezvous on schedule?"

"The two-hundred-forty-six reserve force ships we were holding back for defense of our border will arrive later than originally projected. A few problems with power systems delayed their embarkation by six solars, but they'll still arrive at the rendezvous point three solars before the scheduled departure for Quesann."

"I don't like the idea of leaving ourselves completely defenseless," Minister Ulalahu Valhallo said. "I wish you would rethink your position, Ambello."

"We need every ship we can muster for this final push," Minister Neddowo said. "The reserve ships will have to make up for the ones that
went missing
and the ships we were counting on from the Tsgardi, Gondusans, and Hudeera. As it is we'll only have seven-hundred-sixteen, instead of the one thousand we had planned on."

"But if Carver has less than a hundred ships, she can't possibly stand against even the original four hundred sixty ships. She'll have to sign the accord giving us possession of the territory and then remove her forces from Region Two."

"Carver is more like
us
than other Terrans because she'll do anything to win. All of our intelligence reports show she's not afraid to risk the lives of every crewman who serves her if it'll buy her an advantage. I can understand someone like that. She took a small task force into battle against a Milori fleet five times her number and won, then bluffed her way out of a situation where she was outnumbered twelve to one. She's clever and gutsy. We'll have to
prove
to her we have the power to drive her out. When she sees our entire fleet approaching Quesann, she'll know she's lost."

"And what if she's stronger than you think?"

"She's not. I can name every warship assigned to her and its class. She doesn't stand a chance against our fleet— but she might die trying."

* * *

Jenetta had endured the frustration of waiting for an enemy to arrive on other occasions. When the first Milori invasion fleet was discovered in Galactic Alliance space, she'd had more than eight months to prepare for their arrival at the place she'd selected to make a stand. She'd had an equally long waiting time when the Milori invaded Galactic Alliance space the second time. But waiting almost two years for an invading armada to appear was almost too long. She knew the time was appreciated by shipyard personnel struggling to complete ships for the battle, but it gave the people charged with fighting the battle too much time to think about the dangers and dire consequences of the meeting.

The days seemed interminably long as the base waited for the arrival of the Uthlaro fleet. Jenetta was often observed late at night wandering the empty corridors on the third floor of the palace, deep in thought. Security patrols in the palace, alerted to her approach by the people monitoring the halls on a closed loop vid circuit, had sufficient time to duck into security rooms until she was out of sight.

Having done everything she could to prepare, Jenetta knew she had to turn her attention elsewhere. When a quartermaster ship arrived with the entire Marine staff for a new base, Jenetta threw herself into the effort. Working with Major General Hiram Grant and his staff, Jenetta and her planners selected an appropriate island that would allow the Marine Corps all the space they would ever need for their base. Located nearly a quarter of the way around the planet, the Marines had a hundred-thousand square miles of beaches, lakes, swamps, desert, plains, forest, and mountains for military maneuvers, gunnery ranges, and fighter practice.

For several weeks Jenetta had the distraction of the new base to occupy her mind. Her greatest enjoyment during this time came from traveling to the new Marine base in a fighter she had commandeered for her private use. She loved to hug the landscape, flying so low over the water and islands that her protection detail, following in a shuttle at a safer altitude, were sure she was going to kill herself one day.

Although instrumental during the initial phases of the base creation, her role was steadily supplanted by others as the construction progressed. It was, after all, General Grant's base. She had to allow him a free hand in its design and construction. After a few weeks there was little for her to do except make periodic inspections to view the progress.

~ September 4
^th
, 2283 ~

"Admiral," Lt. Commander Ashraf said to her com unit in Jenetta's outer office, "you have a message marked
most urgent
."

The com unit on Jenetta's desk buzzed lightly as Jenetta was reading a report. "Com audio on," she said and listened to Lori's words before calling up her message queue and identifying the new message. The sender was listed as 'Vertap.' She knew immediately the sender was Vertap Aloyandro, the Minister of Intelligence for the Hudeerac Order. Since their first communication all messages had been encrypted, so she knew she'd need the data ring containing the encryption codes if she was to view the message.

Walking to her wall safe, she keyed the proper code, then pressed her entire hand against the front plate. A second later the safe door swung open. Removing a small box of data rings, she pushed them around with her finger until she found the correct one, then replaced the box, closed the safe and returned to her seat. After touching the ring to the spindle in her media drawer, she tapped the play tab on the com unit. She was required to lean in towards the com unit for a retinal confirmation before the message would play. The face of Minister Aloyandro assembled on her screen as the encryption software decoded the message.

"Good day, Admiral. If you're seeing this message then you still have the data ring I sent you. With the permission of my Sovereign, I would like to propose that a new relationship be forged between our people. Those of us who know of your abilities and reputation were totally opposed to the Hudeera alliance with the Uthlaro; however, Lord Melendret managed to win the support of enough powerful nobles that the voice of my Sovereign, spoken in opposition to the pact, became lost in the torrent of words from those whose unbridled greed, or desire for retaliation against the Milori dictated their actions. By a vote of fifty-eight percent to forty-two percent, we found ourselves following a path many knew would lead to ruin. When you destroyed the Tsgardi, saner voices were once again heard in the chambers. Lord Melendret and his followers have fallen into disgrace and my Sovereign is again the undisputed leader of our people.

"Although the Tsgardi, Gondusans, and Hudeera have withdrawn from the pact, the Uthlaro continue to press on, and fully intend to drive you from Region Two. This is not something I would like to see because I have feared all along they will seek our small territory next. I expect your intelligence sources are still a bit limited in the Uthlaro Dominion, but we've had an extensive array of agents there for some time, including deep-cover agents in the government itself. We know, for example, exactly where the Uthlaro fleet is assembling in preparation for their assault on Quesann and the schedule established for their departure. If such information would be useful to you, perhaps we can shape a new relationship between our people.

"In exchange for the return of the territory recently ceded to the Galactic Alliance, I offer you the complete cooperation of my Intelligence Section in all matters related to the Uthlaro. This territory is miniscule and inconsequential when compared to that of the Galactic Alliance, but it is very important to us. Should you be defeated by the Uthlaro, our territory would be of no consequence and, should you win, you would be able to claim a territory a hundred times its size from the Uthlaro.

"As time is critical, I'm sure you won't delay in responding.

"Minister Vertap Aloyandro. End of message."

Jenetta leaned back in her chair to stare at the ceiling while she thought. If the information the Hudeerac minister could provide was accurate, it would be invaluable. The small section of space they desired was, as the minister said, inconsequential. Jenetta had only demanded it because she had to impose
some
levy on them for participating in the pact. She sat back up in her chair, composed herself, and tapped the record button.

"To Minister Vertap Aloyandro of the Hudeerac Order from Jenetta Carver, Admiral, Commander of the Space Command Second Fleet and Military Governor of Region Two.

"Minister, such information as you offer would be very useful. I'm pleased to hear King Jamolendre once again firmly holds the reins of power in your government. If the information you offer is genuine and accurate, I will agree to the establishment of a new relationship which will include the return of all territory taken from your people by the Milori emperors and recently ceded to the Galactic Alliance. Naturally, we would expect the improved relationship between our governments to include a provision that we have continued access to such information that you collect about the Uthlaro. The Galactic Alliance desires only friendly relationships with all its neighbors who desire the same.

"Jenetta Carver, Admiral, Commander of the Space Command Second Fleet and Military Governor of Region Two; end of message."

After sending the message, Jenetta returned to her report. It would take almost three weeks for the message to reach Aloyandro, and then three weeks for his reply.

* * *

When the reply arrived from Minister Aloyandro, Jenetta played it immediately. There had been no reported sightings of the Uthlaro fleet in eight months and only expected ship traffic had been reported via the newly activated Distant DeTect sensor net. Ten scout-destroyers had arrived in June, bringing the total of Dakinium Sheathed ships to twenty-three. The base was ready for whatever came. Touching the encryption ring to the media spindle, the image of Minister Aloyandro appeared.

"Good day, Admiral. I'm pleased to once again be working with the Galactic Alliance for the betterment of both our people. I'm appending a full report that includes everything we have on the Uthlaro Campaign. It includes all of their earlier plans, as well as everything we know up to the minute I send this message. I will immediately forward all new information in the usual way. The return of the ceded territory will ensure my Sovereign remains in power for his lifetime. We anxiously await your announcement of the turnover.

"Minister Vertap Aloyandro. End of message."

Jenetta immediately copied the attached document to a secure file and then reviewed it. The routes of the battle groups her task force had destroyed were there and the schedule was accurate. The plans also showed the routes of all other battle groups prior to the change in plans. Up to that point everything looked one hundred percent accurate. It was enough for Jenetta to immediately send for Admiral Kanes.

When Kanes arrived, Jenetta was still pouring over the documents. "Come in Keith. I've received the information I told you about from the Hudeerac Order."

"Does it look genuine?"

"The part I can verify is one hundred percent accurate. It's as if this came directly from the Uthlaro Military Ministry. Here, I'll put it up on the wall monitor."

Jenetta tapped a button and the images she had been reviewing on her com screen also appeared on the large wall monitor in her office.

"This is the revised plan, developed after they realized they had lost contact with a dozen of their battle groups. It shows their rendezvous location and their projected timetable."

"Do you think we can trust the data?" Keith asked.

"I'm sure the Hudeerac Order would like to have their territory back and I sincerely believe my contact doesn't wish to see the Uthlaro in control of this space. He fears they will be gobbled up next."

"But if we go running off to confront the Uthlaro at this location and they show up here while we're gone, the base might be lost."

Jenetta sighed. "I know the dangers. However, if we can hit them where they're not expecting us to be, we can get in a few good licks and still be able to race back here to greet the survivors properly. If I only take the twenty scout-destroyers for this mission, the base will have the protection of the six DS battleships and seventy-four older ships."

"It's your call, Jen."

"I can't afford to pass up an opportunity to strike them once more before they get here. According to these documents, the Uthlaro armada currently stands at seven-hundred-sixteen."

"Seven-hundred-sixteen? We were estimating no more than five hundred."