Riss Series 4: The Riss Accession (21 page)

My SID buzzed,
interrupting my reading of our final report on the invasion of Dong. Jaelle's
face appeared.

"Leader.
The
Maat
has entered Dong. Alena is
the captain."

"Good. Connect
me to the
Minerva
." I waited as
the connection was made, and Damaass's bushy, smiling face appeared.

"What can I
do for you, Leader?"

"How is
Zhang coming along?"

"If I
didn't know better, I'd think he was a Riss in human disguise. He and Vesta, the
goddess known as the keeper of the flame, appear to have always known each
other. They share an intense devotion to work and inventiveness. The last
exercise with Sakaata and the ones with Green-2 and Green-3 were clever. I
don't think I could have done better. With the Riss he's fine, but he's a bit
reserved with the humans on board. I'm working on that." He laughed.

"I'd like a
meeting with all the Riss-humans tomorrow morning... and their senior
staff."

*
* *

There was no
call to
attention
when I entered the
room, but it did become quiet.

"Since I
doubt everyone here knows everyone in the room, I'd like to go around and for
each of you to introduce yourself." I nodded to Jaelle, who was sitting to
my immediate left.

"Jaelle, XO
on the
Mnemosyne
."

"Commander
Byer, Commander of the Ghosts on the
Mnemosyne
."

"Colonel
Seng, Commander of the Scorpions on the
Mnemosyne
."

"Commander
Iglis, Intelligence chief on the
Mnemosyne
."

"Captain
Damaass, on the
Minerva
."

"Zhang, XO
on the
Minerva
."

"Commander
Uryan, Commander of the Ghosts on the
Minerva
."

"Colonel Benito,
Commander of the Scorpions on the
Minerva
."

"Alena, XO on
the
Maat
," she said and smiled,
which elicited frowns and questioning looks, especially from the
Maat
members.

ready to fight the
Maat
.> Alena
sent via her companion Diana to Thalia.

shows you will soon command a Riss cruiser.> I sent.

"Commander Henya,
Commander of the Ghosts on the
Maat
."

"Colonel
Hakon, Commander of the Scorpions on the
Maat
."

"And, I'm
Leader Reese," I said and was rewarded with smiles around the table.
"I'd like to welcome the members of the
Maat
to Dong. Let me say that I feel Alena is already as good if
not better than many of today's SAS and UFN captains. But we are at war, and
each Riss cruiser is equivalent to sixty SAS cruisers, therefore our captains must
be the most experienced Riss-humans we can find. As soon as Alena has gained
battle experience, she will command a Riss cruiser. As will Jaelle and Elissa.
But for now, Zhang will command the
Maat
.
He has commanded cruisers in battle and demonstrated good tactical
judgment."

"Leader
Reese, are all three cruisers going to remain in Dong?" Commander Henya
asked. She was a tall, wiry woman. "There is a war... "

"Yes,
Commander Henva. There is a war going on, and people are dying. Many more will
die before it ends—friends and comrades, fathers and mothers, son and
daughters."

Riss.>

me.>

of events began when Zann's brother shot Danu's mother.> A vid flashed in my
mind of Zann, her father and brother hunting, her brother shooting a pregnant Gorillai,
the Gorillai grabbing Zann and taking her into the mountains, and finally the new
Riss, Danu, being inserted into Zann. It was a story I had heard before but
never seen or thought of as what brought us to this moment in time.

Danu, maybe Riss hunted to extinction.>

I hadn't thought
about it that way. That going to the stars had saved the Riss.

"I'm sorry,
Leader Reese. I didn't—" Henva began but I interrupted her with a
raised hand.

"You are
rightfully concerned. You must, however, understand the Riss, and that is not
easy for a human. Many in all three empires believe it's an act of cowardice to
avoid a confrontation with the enemy. That it is heroic to die fighting. The
Riss have no such concepts. Not too long ago, the Riss were hunted for their
hides. They chose to retreat into the mountains rather than fight or even seek
revenge. They understood that if they didn't, the humans would wage war on them,
and they would be annihilated.

 
"I chose to abandon the SAS, JPU,
and UFN at the battle of Hayjar rather than to risk the lives of the delegation
on the
Mnemosyne
and jeopardize an Alliance.
Many consider those acts of cowardice. But the Riss are a space-going nation
today, and we have an alliance between the SAS, UFN, and the Riss because of
those decisions."

I paused to take
a sip of kaffa. "Riss-humans are required to captain the Riss cruisers
because we humans have the aggressiveness required in battle. But I expect the
Riss-human captains and you to show the Riss's wisdom to fight intelligently. We
don't need dead heroes. We want to win but with the fewest number of deaths and
injuries. Those we fight are copies. You are not."

When I looked
around the table, heads were nodding in what I took for understanding. I sighed
with relief.

"With the
assignment of Zhang as captain of the
Maat
,
we have four operational Riss cruisers. I intend to begin rotating them between
Echo, Freeland, and Dong so that the task forces in Echo will always have at
least one Riss cruiser available, and Freeland and Dong will always have one
Riss cruiser for training and bringing new Riss cruisers into the fleet. For
now, Zhang and Damaass will alternate between Dong and Echo, and Pavao and I
between Freeland and Echo. Alena will be XO on the
Mnemosyne
and the
Eirene
when in Echo. Jaelle will be the XO on the
Maat
,
and Elissa the XO on the
Minerva
. The
Mnemosyne
and the
Minerva
will leave for Echo in five
days.

*
* *

The next day, I
took Jaelle with me to the
Maat
. When
we arrived, Damaass and Zhang had already arrived from the
Minerva
and were waiting with Alena in the shuttle bay.

"I
understand you and Vesta are content with the pairing," I said as we
joined the group.

"Yes, Leader
Reese. Vesta is all I could have hoped for. I'm more content than I've ever
been in my life." Zhang said.

"Captain
Damaass says you are ready, so your new position is now Captain of the
Maat
."

"Thank you,
Leader Reese," Zhang gave me a small bow.

"I want you
and Jaelle to continue to run exercises with the Green task forces, certify
Riss crews, and monitor the Riss factories on Dong. The
Minerva
and the
Maat
will
rotate after each engagement with the Aliens."

Zhang and
Damaass nodded.

"Good, let's
take a tour of the
Maat
," I said,
leading the way to the Ghosts' bays. Henva was in Ghost bay one, talking with
several pilots when we entered. Everyone straightened and Hanva started to call
attention, stopped with her mouth open, and then smiled.

"Good morning,
Leader Reese. I almost forgot this is a Riss ship, and the captains appear to
wander a lot. Captain... XO Alena... "

"Yes, it's
confusing. Each Riss has a position, much like the military except each
position is equal and your position changes based on the need. Alena was the
captain while she ferried the
Maat
here. Because this ship will be going to war, her position has changed. She has
not been demoted since all positions are equal. She has just changed positions.
She is now the XO on the
Mnemosyne.
If we didn't have to interface with SAS personnel, we wouldn't need the stars
on the sleeves. They are so you know what position each of us is currently
filling. As of today, Zhang has the position of Captain and Jaelle XO on the
Maat
."

"Strange
concept, strange ship, strange eating and working out with Riss, Scorpions and
Intel folks, but my people and I love it. I understand there will be
planet-side leave. If that's true, no replacements may be needed. People won't
want to risk getting reassigned to a regular ship." She laughed.

"Yes, there
will be planet-side leave, after everyone attends a required class on the dos
and don’ts of UFN society."

We stayed to
talk to pilots and mechanics, giving Zhang and Jaelle time to get acquainted.
Afterward, we visited the Scorpion area.

"Good
morning, Leader Reese, Zhang, Jaelle, Alena, Elissa," Colonel Hakon said
as he came out of his office.
 
"Having navy personnel visiting the
army areas takes some getting used to. But Colonel Seng is right, my troops and
I wouldn't want to be anyplace else."

After dinner,
Zhang and Jaelle walked Damaass, Alena, Elissa, and I back to our shuttles.

"Any
questions?" I asked before boarding. "These assignments are the
precise reason we need experienced captains. We don't work as a task force and
can't depend on others to help. I know you don't need XOs, but... "

"You expect
us to help tutor Jaelle and Elissa in the game of war," Zhang said.

"To be Riss-wise,"
Damaass said and laughed. "And to be in the enemies' minds, like a
dybbuk
."

We entered Echo
with our sensors active and at three-quarter power to make sure we were visible
and broadcasting the authentication codes. I hoped working with the UFN had made
the SAS captains less prone to shoot first and ask questions later.

RNN
Mnemosyne
and
Minerva
requesting instructions.>

Wattson requests a meeting tonight at nineteen hundred hours.>

Confirm Captain Damaass and I will be there at nineteen hundred hours. Connect
me to the
Minerva
.>

Connected.>

"Yes
Leader," Damaass said as his face appeared on the monitor.

"Wear your
dress uniform. Admiral Wattson has requested my presence, and I think you
should be there."

"And my
medals?" He smiled.

"It's
required," I said, which caused his mouth to drop open. After a moment
―
I'd bet talking with
Cethlion
―
he smiled,
realizing I meant the tattoo.

"With both
uniforms?" He laughed. "Separate shuttles?"

"Yes,
nineteen hundred hours on the
Eurasian
.
Scorpion and Ghost escorts."

"Wouldn't
go anywhere without them." He laughed and cut the connection.

too much fun.>

have the watch.>

watch.> She replied.

*
* *

Terril was
waiting at the shuttle with a replacement when I arrived.

"Is this
going to be exciting, Leader Reese?" she asked as we entered the shuttle
and sat at my nod.

"I hope
not. Wattson doesn't deserve my tantrums. He has worked very hard to eliminate
the prejudice against the Riss, and it's an impossible task."

"So you're
on your best behavior tonight?"

"I hope so.
There will be a lot of paperwork if you have to shoot the Fleet Admiral."

"I'll try
to remember that," Terril said as the overhead light went green and the
shuttle door slid open.

When I exited,
Bradshaw stood waiting. "Good evening, Leader Reese." He smiled and I
wanted to throw my arms around him. "Congratulations, Commander. That's
wonderful," I said as I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

His cheeks
turned a shade of pink, but he returned the hug.

"Are you
being reassigned?"

"No. I'm still
the XO on the
Eurasian
. Commander
Casey is Admiral Wattson's new aide. But Admiral Wattson said I should get you,
as it would put you in a better mood." He laughed, then nodded to my right.
"I see Casey has collected Captain Damaass. I'm off duty, so if you have
time after you meet with Wattson, maybe we can get together."

"Wattson
who?" I grinned.

"Just ask
Casey. He can get in touch with me." He leaned over and kissed my cheek,
and my knees went weak. "Commander Casey, this is Leader Reese."

"Leader
Reese. It's a pleasure to meet you. If you and Captain Damaass will follow me,
I'll take you to the Admiral. He's waiting in his office." With that,
Casey led us to the second level and a suite of rooms especially modified to
accommodate the Fleet Admiral and his staff.

The sergeant on
duty knocked and after a short exchange opened the door wide for us.

Wattson and Zhu
stood when we entered.

Terril and a
Gunnery Sergeant Quinn, Damaass's senior security guard, followed us into the
room.

The other two
guards remained in the hallway with another man wearing a similar uniform to
Xun's.

Xun stood behind
Zhu.

"Leader
Reese, Captain Damaass," Wattson said. "Admiral Zhu and I were a
little surprised when we were told you had entered the system. We would like to
know the Riss status."

"I apologize
for the surprise, but sometimes advance notice raises questions and concerns that
are best handled face-to-face." I walked to the sideboard and fetched a
kaffa, and Damaass poured himself a glass of wine. "I'm here honoring my
Mutual Support Agreement with Admiral Plimson. The Riss now have four
operational cruisers, and four captains I feel can fight them effectively.
Admiral Zhu's brother, Zhang, is now a Riss-human and captain of the
Maat
."

"I thought
he might qualify. He's more Riss-like than most and an outstanding commander,
who has demonstrated excellent tactical judgment during his career. I didn't
think Sato or Chung was what you were looking for, but they met your criteria."

"Chung
wouldn't have been able to adapt to another intelligent lifeform in his mind.
Sato is the hero type," I said more for Wattson than Zhu, who I suspected
already knew.

"Heroes are
bad?" Wattson asked, probing as usual.

"Most
envision there are among us heroes. That implies those among us who are not heroes—are
cowards. The Riss possess no such concepts. I avoided, or some would say, ran
from the Aliens at Hayjar. A hero would have stayed." I paused, waiting
for any comments.

Zhu gave a nod.

Wattson started
to say something, stopped, then nodded. "I see your point, although most
won't. They will feel that makes you undependable," Wattson said.

"Heroes are
concerned with winning battles. I want Riss captains who are concerned about
winning the war. I do not care what others think," I said and Damaass laughed.
"It's not romantic, but the clans of Freeland will attest to its
effectiveness."

"Back to
the reason we're here. I will be rotating Riss cruisers to Echo to support the Alliance's
mission. Rotating, so those Riss-humans in training—acting as XOs—will
be ready to captain the new Riss cruisers as they become available. I'll leave
one Riss Cruiser on Freeland, one on Dong and two on Echo. They will rotate
after each mission. For this rotation, it's Captain Damaass and me. Pavao and
Zhang will be our replacements."

"Thank you,
Reese. I think the Riss presence will help minimize the rumors that the Riss
aren't helping to fight the Aliens. They don't see you, so..."

"I
understand."

*
* *

While we waited
for word of a
Medusa
sighting,
Damaass and I conducted several seminars on the techniques we had evolved in
our two battles with
Medusas
, and
Damaass monitored live simulations using those techniques. I wanted Damaass
seen as a veteran in the war against the Aliens to minimize the inevitable
hostility because he’d been a Raider. For the most part, I think it was
working. We were never going to eliminate prejudice, so I would have to settle
for minimizing it.

In the middle of
my weekly staff meeting, my SID flashed with an urgent message, and r-Galene's
face appeared. "Leader, Admiral Wattson," r-Galene's voice box translated
his hand movements.

I nodded and his
face disappeared, and Wattson's appeared. "Our scout at Lycus is reporting
a
Medusa
just entered the system. I'd
like a meeting of all task force commanders in two hours aboard the
Dynasty
. Wattson out."

"The
Mnemosyne
will take this one, since I'd
like to release Captain Sakaata as soon as possible. I'm sure she'd like a
change of scenery. Besides, Damaass, I'd like you to get more exposure with the
SAS in particular."

*
* *

The conference
room on the
Dynasty
was crowded when
I arrived. The UFN had five task force commanders and the SAS seven. Zhu and
Wattson arrived shortly afterward.

"Attention,"
Zhu's aide barked, and the room rose.

"At
ease," Zhu said into the silence as he and Wattson took seats in the
middle of the long rectangular table. "Leader Reese, we normally send a
UFN and an SAS task force to destroy a
Medusa
.
One task force searches for the scout and destroys it prior to joining the
other task force to fight the
Medusa
.
Riss certified cruisers are designated ahead of time to skip-attack the
Medusa
. Would you like to suggest any
changes now that you will be accompanying the attack?"

"I would
imagine the minute you destroy the scout, the
Medusa
releases its cruisers, and all hell breaks loose."

That provoked
several smiles and snorts.

"Let's try
and catch a few of the Alien cruisers in momma's hair. Let the
Mnemosyne
enter a few hours before the task
forces so we can locate the scout. Let a small task force enter with the Riss-certified
cruisers from the UFN and SAS. If you leave your weapons systems
off—"

That elicited
several side conversations before Zhu tapped his wine glass.

"Please
continue, Leader Reese."

"The Aliens
have so far not attacked ships unless they attempted to run or fight. We can
use that to get near enough to skip-attack the
Medusa
. If we are lucky, we could catch all their cruisers in their
launching bays. The
Mnemosyne
will
aid in any way necessary after destroying the scout."

After a lot of
discussion, the concept was agreed to and the ship assignments made. Wattson
asked me to stay when the meeting finally adjourned.

"I'm glad
Leader Reese and the Riss are our allies, Wattson," Zhu said. "She
has a tendency to get into her enemy’s mind. And I wouldn't be surprised to
find her captains are very much like her."

"Reese is
right. We have to fight smart. The Aliens are killing real people. We are only
killing copies."