Sol (The Silver Ships Book 5) (17 page)

Space Admiral Li Chong, the supreme leader of the UE’s naval forces, having completed three days of ship requisition planning with staff, returned to his headquarters housed in one of Mar’s more expansive and well-appointed domes. After exiting the connecting airlock from the transport dome, Chong chose to walk to his quarters.

The admiral’s adjutant was careful to keep his distance. This was one of the few opportunities Li Chong had to decompress. He enjoyed people watching and letting the lush greenery, planted along the walkways, ease the tensions created by the duties of his office.

After an enjoyable meal, Chong took his glass of wine to his desk, letting out a long sigh. He expected his message queue would be extensive and it was worse than expected. Pulling up those marked urgent first, he worked for several hours, before the desire for sleep overcame him.

With the demands on Chong’s schedule, it was two more days before he opened Admiral Portland’s message, which hadn’t been marked as urgent. Chong got up from his desk to get another cup of caf, while Portland’s message played, but in moments he was hurrying back to his desk to hit replay, listening intently to the message.

Portland was heard saying, “I’ve obtained reliable information, Admiral. The Harakens are intending to make a play for the moons of Saturn. It’s a logical move on their part. Saturn is entering an alignment phase with Neptune. But in good conscience, I can’t wait until the Harakens have backed my forces into defensive positions against our moons’ colonies and stations. It’s my opinion that the only way to handle this problem is to interdict the Harakens before they’re underway from Idona. My fleet is headed there as of the time stamp on this message.”

Chong’s eyes flicked to the message’s date and swore enough to blister his monitor’s coating. Portland had been underway for over seventeen days. Immediately, Chong opened a message to Tribune Woo, attaching Portland’s message to his own.

“Tribune Woo, you should be as shocked by Admiral Portland’s message as I have been,” the space admiral recorded. “It was my understanding from you that the Harakens were hands off unless they moved inward. Portland indicates he possesses information that the Harakens are planning just such a move. This seems specious to me. I believe Admiral Portland is glory hunting. If you haven’t bypassed my command, which I doubt you have, then you had best check your own ranks. Portland wouldn’t have made this move without someone putting him up to it.”

Chong closed the message and sent it as admiral priority.
What I wouldn’t give for some of those Haraken FTL comms probes about now,
Chong thought. He debated sending a recall order to Portland. Even knowing it would arrive too late, he finally decided to do so just to have it on the record.

What bothered the space admiral most of all was the Harakens would soon spot the fleet headed their way, if they hadn’t already, and they would have no way of knowing that Admiral Portland’s actions were unauthorized by Tribune Woo or him.

“Well, Portland, you always wanted my job,” Chong said to the empty room. “Let’s just hope against all odds that you’re successful. ’Cause if you’re not, my over-adventuresome fool, you might end up unleashing the fury of these strangers on all our heads.”

Tribune Woo was in her chambers when the comms operator called about an urgent message he was transferring to her console from Space Admiral Chong. After unlocking it, Woo sat back in bed with a glass of lemon water to listen and then spilled it down her nightgown rushing to sit up and restart the message.

After several replays, Woo sat thinking about Chong’s warning that he thought someone in her ranks put Portland up to this action. She knew it wasn’t Brennan and his associates. They were keenly interested in coopting what the Harakens were accomplishing. That left the enclave of high judges and Tribune Lucchesi.

Despite knowing that she should wait to confront Lucchesi in the morning, she leapt out of bed, dressing quickly and hurrying down the corridors to Lucchesi’s wing. Security passed her through the first two checkpoints, but the man stationed outside the Tribune’s private quarters stated that Lucchesi had retired for the evening.

“Tell you what, Sergeant,” Woo said, looking up the 30 centimeters to the guard’s face and locking eyes with him. “How about I just announce a general breach of security within the Tribunal’s domain? Then a fresh set of security will sweep all of you up and sort through who broke protocol. And while they are escorting you off to some deep, dark hole, I’ll have my chat with Tribune Lucchesi.”

The sergeant’s swallow was quite evident before he replied. “One moment, Tribune Woo, I’ll let Tribune Lucchesi know you have an urgent matter to discuss.”

“You do that, Sergeant, but tell the tribune not to keep me waiting.”

The sergeant returned within minutes, ushering Woo into a sumptuous sitting room and quickly vacating her presence. Woo took in the quality of the furnishings and whistled softly. “It appears someone is making the most of their title,” she murmured.

Woo sat in one of the plainer chairs, still a plush piece of furniture, and fumed for the additional quarter of an hour it took Lucchesi to appear. Yet, he still looked as if he had just rolled out of bed, tying his robe about his ample waist.

“This is most irregular, Tribune Woo. What’s the emergency?” Lucchesi demanded.

“You’re the emergency, Lucchesi,” Woo replied hotly. She wanted to get off her chair and poke a finger in Lucchesi’s ample belly, but during the time she waited, she schooled her thoughts to consider her evidence, which was suppositional, at best. “Admiral Portland’s fleet is sailing toward Neptune to engage the Harakens!”

“This is indeed news,” Lucchesi replied, “but couldn’t it wait until morning? There is little that we can do about it at this late hour.” Lucchesi chose one of the most sumptuous chairs in the salon to settle into while he appeared to be surprised by Woo’s announcement.

“According to Space Admiral Chong, Portland has no orders to leave Saturn’s space, much less to travel to Neptune to take on the Harakens. According to Chong, someone put the idea in his head. My credits are on you or the enclave of high judges.”

“That’s a felonious accusation, Tribune Woo. I would be careful making such libelous statements,” Lucchesi said, pretending a show of indignation. He would have jumped up to emphasize the point, but those days were long past. Struggling to rise would not suit the show of resentment the moment required. “What’s your proof of the enclave’s or my involvement?”

“None, as of this moment.”

“Hah, thought so. You come here, in the early morning hours, throwing about your malicious accusations, all because you have a rogue element … in your military, I might add, and you’re seeking to make a scapegoat of the judiciary.”

“Don’t play your games with me, Lucchesi. I know you’re complicit in this, and I will find the proof. What you don’t realize is the great mistake you’ve made. Tribune Brennan’s reports indicate Idona has become enormously profitable with minimal problems. It could be a model for the UE, and Portland is about to end that.”

“How? By ridding us of the Harakens?”

“You actually think he will win against the Harakens? You’re deluded.”

“A UE fleet anchored by a battleship, several cruisers, two destroyer squadrons, and loaded with sixty patrol ships … how could Portland not win?”

“For a man of the judiciary, you seem to know quite a bit about this particular fleet.”

“Well … well, I read the military bulletins, Tribune,” Lucchesi stammered.

“Only there are several problems with your plan, Lucchesi,” Woo said, standing to hold up a finger to him. “One, the population has been squeezed economically as far as we can manage without inciting a general revolt. Word is out about Idona Station, and people want to see it succeed … are hoping it will succeed. How do you think they’re going to react to the military wrecking that?

Woo moved closer to Lucchesi to make her next point, and she could see the tribune disliked the imperious action, but his ego and his weight kept him pinned in the chair. “Two, Portland just left Saturn uncovered, which allows the single, greatest concentration of rebels in our system free access to freight and passenger drops to support them. What if they decide to revolt against the resident militia while Portland is gone? And, three, what if the Harakens simply pull up stakes from Idona and take over Saturn’s colonies and stations? They have the speed to outmaneuver our ships or didn’t you read that military bulletin, Tribune?”

Woo watched the emotions flick across Lucchesi’s face. This was the moment she hoped to have when she chose to confront him in the middle of the night. What she saw was Lucchesi reconsidering his plan in light of the arguments she just enumerated.
You’re guilty, you idiot, of making the biggest mistake with the Harakens since High Judge Bunaldi played heavy-handed with them,
Woo thought. She shook her head in disgust at Lucchesi and marched her small frame out of his salon.

A senior comms officer was woken in the middle of the night by the head of the Tribunal security. “Up and at ’em, Captain. Tribune Woo needs you on the Harakens’ comms as of now! Don’t bother taking time to look pretty. The tribune said it’s an emergency.”

The captain took one look at the head of security, whose jacket was absent and whose shirt wasn’t even tucked into his pants. He jumped into a pair of pants, pulled on lined boots, and threw a shirt on. The two men hurried from the officers’ quarters to the comms station, where Tribune Woo, dressed in her nightclothes and a robe, was waiting impatiently.

“Ah, you’re here, Captain,” Woo said in greeting, pulling out the central comms chair for him. “I need to speak to Tribune Brennan.”

The captain halted in mid-position as he was rotating the chair to sit. “But Tribune Woo, Tribune Brennan is on Idona.”

“It appears I’m the only one fully awake,” Woo muttered. “Yes, Captain, Tribune Brennan is on Idona Station, but we have access to the Harakens’ FTL probe. President Racine said we could call him anytime. I realize we haven’t attempted to do so yet, but this will be a learning moment, won’t it, Captain?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the captain replied, resorting to his training in addressing a superior officer, which was exactly how the ex-admiral was handling the situation. He resorted to the notes made by the previous officers on duty when they received the Harakens’ calls. The instructions seemed simple enough, if nonsensical. Setting the panel to the codes for Idona Station and bypassing the recording process, he took up the headset.

“This is the Supreme Tribunal calling Idona Station. Come in Idona. Over,” the captain announced, feeling every bit as foolish as a cadet at attention in front of an admiral. When nothing happened, the captain started to repeat his message, but was interrupted by a reply.

“Supreme Tribunal, this is Idona Station. Sergeant Hanford on comms. Is this really Earth?” The last was delivered with a heavy streak of incredulity.

Woo motioned the captain out of his seat, and the station security head pulled on the captain’s arm to guide him out of the comms room.

“Sergeant Hanford, this is Tribune Woo. I must speak to Tribune Brennan, but you need to get him on comms without raising a fuss or communicating to the Harakens.”

“Apologies, Tribune Woo, but all FTL communications are monitored by the Haraken SADEs,” the sergeant said.

“This is Julien, Tribune Woo,” the SADE said, intent on discovering her desire for secrecy. “What seems to be the matter?”

Woo’s plans flew out the hatch. She had hoped to advise Brennan privately and discuss a means of diplomatically breaking the news to the Haraken president. SADE was a word she read repeatedly in the dispatches from Idona — mobile artificial intelligences. Most of the messages contained glowing reports about them, as much about their capabilities as their personalities.

“Julien, I have an urgent need to speak to Tribune Brennan, but you might as well include your president and your admiral,” Woo requested.

“Allow me to arrange the conference call, Tribune Woo,” Julien replied.

After a long silence on the call, Woo asked, “Sergeant, has Julien left the comms station to organize the conference?”

“Tribune, Julien was never here. I have no idea where he is. Furthermore, it’s unnecessary for him to physically locate the president or the admiral. He’ll communicate with them through those things in their heads. Only Tribune Brennan will need to be located and brought to a comms station … and Tribune Woo … Julien is monitoring this conversation as we speak.”

“Apologies, Julien,” Woo said. “No disrespect was intended.”

“And none was taken, Tribune Woo,” Julien replied. “The confusion generated by the lack of knowledge about our technology is understandable.”

If Woo had known the thoughts of her comms captain, feeling like a cadet at attention before a ranking officer, she might have realized she was feeling the same way.
Portland, you’re a dead man, either at the hands of the Harakens or by my own,
Woo thought.

“Tribune Woo,” Brennan said, “I’m here in the president’s quarters. Several people are present on this comm.”

“I must admit, President Racine, I’m caught off guard,” Woo began. “I hoped to speak to Tribune Brennan privately. However, I’ve just learned from Sergeant Hanford that this will never be possible with your FTL comms system.”

“One thing about Harakens, Tribune Woo, we tend toward open communications,” Alex said.

“What I’m about to tell you, Mr. President, would be considered divulging a state secret without the consent of the Tribunal. So discussing it with you puts my position, if not my life, in jeopardy.”

“Noted, Tribune Woo,” Alex acknowledged.

“The reason I’m breaking the seal of the Tribunal is that I believe others have already done that. For reasons yet to be discovered, an admiral, stationed around Saturn’s moons, has gathered his fleet and is headed your way.”

Alex sent, and the SADE activated the holo-vid and began displaying telemetry from a probe stationed hundreds of millions of kilometers inward of Neptune. “Tribune Woo, please clarify your statement ‘for reasons yet to be discovered.’”