Riss Series 4: The Riss Accession (25 page)

As the Riss-certified
cruisers were established, the exercises became more challenging because the
missiles were equal and at least one ship in the SAS opposing force was
Riss-certified and could use the skip-attack. The
Elpis
wasn't permitted to use its stealth capability. Even with all
the odds stacked against her, Sheva showed excellent judgment and
won
half of the
time.

"That was
well done, Sheva. I convinced Gebauer to hold the exercises with the
Elpis
three-to-one to test you under stress
and to help him determine who the best potential task force commanders were. I
think it's achieved the desired results. One or two of the SAS captains did
well against you, and you showed good judgment in all the exercises."

"I can't
believe how relaxed I felt on the Bridge. Commands flow smoothly. I think it,
and it happens. And Bendis is fantastic, like having a consultant available.
She never suggests an approach but shares her observations,
which are
amazing
."
She lost focus for a few seconds, which I recognized as a conversation with her
companion. "I felt being a Riss human would be a life-changing experience
for me. I was right. Bendis and I will be together for life."

good match.>

chose well. She's an excellent captain.>

"Congratulations,
Sheva. Your new position is Captain of the
Elpis
."

* * *

Gebauer.>

Gebauer's face
appeared, and seconds later the screen split with Stenberg's.

"A JPU task
force of three Heavies and fourteen Light cruisers has entered Freeland space.
They are headed by a Fleet Admiral Salazan. He claims we are in JPU space,"
Gebauer said, then paused, waiting on Stenberg.

"Reese,
what do you think? You've met and been in meetings with him."

"I
suspect Salazan realizes he has stumbled upon the system where the Riss
technology is being manufactured. If so, he will be willing to fight for it. He's
probably evaluating his chances of winning with his current forces as we speak.
If he believes they are sufficient, he will attack without warning. Otherwise,
he will
stall
and send for reinforcements."

"He
wouldn't. That would be a declaration of war against the SAS," Gebauer
said in disbelief.

"Gebauer,
I tend to agree with Reese," Stenberg said. "He rejected the Alliance
because they wouldn't make him the supreme leader. And he hates the Riss. This
is a chance to destroy the Riss, steal their technology, and get even with the
SAS."

"I have a
suggestion," I said, hating it while knowing it had to be done.

"What's
that Reese?"

"Let me
goad
Salazan into
a one-on-one fight. In the meantime, Admiral Gebauer can assign temporary task
forces and leaders and get them ready if a fight happens."

"I don't
think we have anything to lose. Gebauer?" Stenberg prodded. He nodded.

"Get a
line to Salazan and leave me connected. I will interrupt and take control of
the conversation at some point."

connect
Elpis
.>

Sheva appeared on a separate monitor.

"Sheva,
we have a large JPU task force in Freeland space. They want Freeland technology
and the Riss destroyed. I'm going to challenge the Fleet Admiral leading them.
I'll leave you connected so you can hear the conversation. You're to remain in
stealth mode. If I fail, use your judgment, but remember: Salazan will destroy
the Riss if he lives."

"I
understand, Leader," Sheva said as Salazan’s face appeared.

"Admiral Stenberg,
you are in JPU space. I will give you twelve hours to leave."

"Admiral
Salazan, you are in SAS space. Any attempt to remove us will be an act of war
with the SAS and the UFN."

"Your
mere presence is a declaration of war against the JPU. Leave or be destroyed."
Salazan said, smiling.

I laughed as
loud as I
could
until he finally interrupted me.

"You will
be allowed to leave but not the cowardly Riss. I will put them in their place.
Their hides will decorate our homes.

"Admiral
Stenberg, isn't this the brilliant Admiral whose strategy led three Heavies and
twelve Lights—an overwhelming force compared to the Aliens—to its
death? Then had the nerve to call his people cowards because he said they
failed him?"

Salazan
screamed, then shouted what I assumed were obscenities in the JPU dialect.
Before he could say anything coherent, like
 
"Attack, " I continued.

"I'll bet
you
have
been chasing the Aliens and losing three to one against them and blaming the
brave men and women for following your crazy tactics.
The Alliance wanted the JPU as a
partner until they heard your ideas. Fleet Admiral Zhu told me he felt sorry
for any crews under your direction." I had made sure my broadcast could be
heard by all the ships in Freeland space. "I told him my ugly little
cruiser could kick the shit out of you, even if you were in command of a
Medusa
."

"Yes,
you'll hide and hope to sneak up on me like the coward you and
those
beasts
are."

"I'll
keep everything lit so you will know where I am at all times. How about I turn
the sensors off my missiles? Yes, I'm serious, Admiral Salazan. I'd be the
laughing stock of the fleet if I didn't give you some advantage. What do you
say? One-on-one. Your brilliant mind against the dumb Riss
beast
."

"Yes, I
will show everyone you are the cowardly beast I claim."

"How many
cruisers are you going to need to help save you?"

"None."

"Order
them to turn off their weapons so they will know you mean it." I said.
Fighting a Heavy was exciting enough without Lights joining the battle.

"Reese,
our cruisers are reporting the JPU weapons systems are going off line. I hope
by now you have him so mad he can't think straight. Good hunting," Gebauer
spoke on a separate channel via the
Elpis
.

"Leader
Reese, Bendis and I are ready and proceeding toward the JPU force."

you think, Thalia?>

fast kill.>

Battle stations.>

Systems hot.>

Systems active.>

engines half speed.>

System speakers.>

"The JPU
have entered Freeland space with a large task force consisting of three Heavies
and fourteen Lights. They declared Freeland in JPU space and are ready to
destroy the SAS fleet here if it doesn't leave immediately. I've apparently
pissed-off Fleet Admiral Salazan, and we are headed for a one-on-one
confrontation with his command ship—a Heavy. I must remain visible
because I told him my ugly little ship didn’t need to hide from someone as
incompetent as him, and said I'd turn off my missile sensors. I forgot to
mention our missiles don't use sensors or to remind him the crew of the
Mnemosyne
is the... meanest, baddest
fighting elite in the galaxy." I cut the connection but could swear I
could feel the ship rocking with the noise. I definitely heard Terril and the
two security men behind me.

"Damn straight."

* * *

As the hours
passed, the
Mnemosyne
and Salazan's Heavy,
the
Fearless
,
slowly closed the twenty light-seconds that
separated them initially. Meanwhile, the SAS and JPU cruisers seemed to be forming
two semi-circles
around us, creating
an
arena-like area with plenty of
free space to maneuver
. I clicked on Iglis's call number,
and
she appeared
immediately
.

"Commander
Iglis, what is the latest information on the JPU Heavies: missiles, recycling
time, number of tubes, and skip distance? I forgot to ask him," I said to
a pale-faced Iglis who was busy tapping on her desk
tablet
.

"My God,
Reese... Captain... the
Fearless
has
three banks of six tubes and can recycle a bank every sixty seconds. Their
maximum missile range is three light-seconds with speeds of thirty-five seconds
per light-second. The
Fearless’s
weight precludes it skipping more than a total of six light-seconds without
engine damage. It has extra heavy shielding. It's a heavy Heavy."

"Thank
you, Iglis. Let's hope Salazan is
really
mad at me."

"Right
now, I doubt there is anyone in the galaxy who is madder at you," she
whispered. I cut the connection.

Salazan is hopefully out-of-control mad. If so, he will want to crush us
quickly. Likely a skip into missile range
,
counting on the
Fearless
's
heavy shielding
and greater missile throw-weight to win. Given its maximum missile range is three
light-seconds and
its
skip range six light seconds, we could see
Fearless
skip when we reach nine light-seconds separation.
Radar?>

minutes, ten seconds>

what Salazan does, then we need
Fearless
's
position as soon as it comes out of the
jump. Our next move will depend upon Salazan's specific response, but we need
to be ready to compute an attack-
skip
.>

I had
goaded
Salazan into
a one-on-one contest. The question was whether I had succeeded in pushing him
into the kind of blind rage that would have him depending upon the obvious
disparity between the
Fearless
and a
Light cruiser, and ignoring the reason I had agreed to such a contest. He would
jump at nine light-seconds separation even if he were in my head, but his
response after the jump would signal his mood. I stood and walked back to where
Terril
sat
.

"Is this
exciting enough, Gunny?"

"If
Salazan isn't out-of-control, smashing-everything-in-sight mad, the man is a
Si'jin master and Wei's equal."

"And this
won't be very exciting."

"Like
watching you fight Wei with a blindfold."

"Let's
hope then he's at least a little upset. I wouldn't want to disappoint the
Ghosts and Scorpions."

seconds.> r-Asdis reported.

I treasured
the Bridge of the
Mnemosyne
with my
sisters. They were relaxed as if on a training mission. They had their
positions, and I had mine, and we trusted each other to do our best.

<
Fearless
skipped.>

<
Fearless
launched eighteen missiles.>

Good. He’s mad
and relying on overwhelming force to crush us like a bug.

a vector to skip to within ten kilometers of
Fearless
sixty seconds from now.>

The current missile
launch would reach us in a little over one hundred seconds, time for a second
launch before it arrived.
If Salazan was breathing fire
,
there
should be another eighteen missiles as soon as the tubes were reloaded.

<
zero-nine-three
by one-one-zero
for two point seven seconds.>

prepare for a twelve Demon launch after skip.>

Duster to detonate at one kilometer from the
Fearless
immediately afterward.>

execute two point seven second skip on my command to the vector on your board.>

<
Fearless
launched eighteen missiles.>

execute skip.>

The Bridge
personnel faded into ghosts and a few heartbeats later back into people.

Demons launched.>

launched.>

Launch one Dragonfly.>

launched.>

"Byer,
launch the Ghosts. Our Dragonfly will give you targeting information. Fire and
return."

"Ghosts
launched." Byer said.

Demons hit.>

Unlike a normal
cruiser
,
no excitement from the Bridge personnel. They were busy doing their job.

Ghost missiles scored.>

We were so
close we couldn't miss,
and
the defensive laser systems were blind except
for the last kilometer, which precluded everything except luck. I watched the
clock counting down from sixty seconds—the time to recycle the
Fearless
missiles—waiting until it
reached five seconds remaining.

Dummies towards
Fearless
.>

Dummies launched.>