Retribution (39 page)

“Have you had any sleep Corporal?”

“A bit Sir. Now that you’re up I can get some kip.”

“What’s your name?”

“Cpl Wanda Lee, Delta Team, 2
^nd
Pl, 44
^th
Independent Company.”

“Well thank you Wanda.”

“I’ll just let Lt Jakes know you’re up. He asked to be told.”

Rihan nodded and walked off towards the mess. She rounded the corner and was struck by the volume of talking voices…rogan voices. When she walked in to the mess it stopped immediately. A dozen rogan officers stared at her. From their insignia she could tell that most were junior officers. In fact as she looked closer she realised they were pilots. A first lieutenant called them to attention. Discipline prevailed and they got to their feet and stood to attention. Rihan smiled. “As you were” she said. To the 1
^st
Lt, she said “Thank you lieutenant. What is your name?”

“First Lieutenant Grigar Lomponium of the 67
^th
Squadron.”

“I am Captain Rihan Kabel.”

“We know of you already Captain.”

“Do you now?”

“I did not mean to offend Captain. Captain Tolar briefed us last night. Do you wish to eat?”

Rihan realised that she had to be very careful with what and how she spoke. “Yes I do. I don’t suppose we have any cereal and juice?”

Grigar did not understand what she had asked for. “Not sure Captain. Come…this way.” He led her to a serving area where a rogan steward was placing out clean bowls. He took the lid off one of the warming trays. It was some king of stew.

Rihan smelt the aroma. ‘Not bad’ she thought. “What is it?” she asked.

“Taituna” replied Grigar. He looked at her expression and realised that that hadn’t meant much to her. “Not bad…good.”

With that Rihan took a bowl and Grigar filled it. It wasn’t a huge portion by human standards but Rihan could tell that Grigar was pleased to offer her so much. He added some hard looking substance like a crispbread. “Good” he added and then took her over to another area and poured out a hot beverage. Rihan smelt this and recognised that it was cereal based. There was no milk to add though.

They sat down at the table next to where the other officers were sitting. They were all staring to see what Rihan’s reaction would be. She used the plastic spoon provided to scoop up some of the Taituna. It was spicy. Her lips burned. It wasn’t chilly but it had the same effect. She immediately went for the drink. It was a fairly bland tasting beverage by comparison with the stew. For that she was grateful.

Grigar and the others were all smiling. Rihan forced herself to smile back and nodded her appreciation. The only person not smiling was Lt Omar Jakes. He marched in with a stern face and one that obviously had not got a lot of sleep. But when he saw Rihan also smiling his look turned to one of puzzlement.

“Ah Lt Jakes come and sit down” said Rihan “You must be hungry. Here have some” and she held out a heaped spoonful. He looked exceedingly wary. She patted the chair next to her.

Finally he sat himself down. “What is it?” he said with a southern drawl. Rihan looked to Grigar.  “Taituna” he said in his deep voice. “It’s good. You like.”

Omar was indeed very hungry. He had a few crackers at the evening meal after turning his nose up at the offering provided then. He took the spoon in one hand and brought it up closer. He smelt it and he nodded.

“It’s a little spicy” said Rihan.

He took a small portion into his mouth, pushed it around with his tongue and swallowed. “Not bad.” He smiled at Grigar. “May I Maam?”

Rihan was surprised given the strength of the spice on her palette but she nodded and saw Omar take a much bigger mouthful. And then another and another. He looked up and smiled. “This tai…what?”

“Taituna” said Grigar.

“Yeah Taituna. Well it’s good. I like it. Much appreciated.” He looked around at the rogan officers who for their part seemed impressed with Jakes response. Then he turned to Rihan. “Oh sorry Maam. Let me get you some more.”

Chapter 8. FFS Mailon over Polaris 1600, 27 June

The shuttles had not stopped coming all day. The first one brought  some ship’s crew, pressganged by Alex. Included was her new quartermaster, a giant of a man, who Rihan conceded should not have been assigned to a ship where the ceiling height was challenging for a human of average height. But 1
^st
Lt Sherlock Padstow was never one to balk from a challenge.

He worked tirelessly and incredibly fast to secure missiles, weapons, food, water, general stores, ammunition, fuel cells and all manner of “special” items that arrived on ‘his’ deck. And as he was fond of saying ‘every deck is my deck.’

Alex had also managed to rake up two squadrons of Lightnings and two Marauder squadrons for a total of 48 craft. Rudi had been furious when he found out that his ground based air force was effectively neutered until they made repairs on their damaged craft. But Alex had Phil’s backing and that was enough.

But of all the scrounging and pressganging that Alex had to do, the most important one and the one Phil described as carrying the greatest risk was that of Rihan’s new XO.

“We have to be very careful Alex. You know what she’s like” said Phil.

“So …. someone not too pushy but pushy enough” suggested Alex.

“Exactly and either a smooth talking diplomat or a foul mouthed lout.”

“Neither would be good Sir” suggested Alex. “Leave it to me.”

Alex had consulted the manning of each capital ship that was now awaiting major refit. There were a few. But he found his man and tapped him on the shoulder just before midday. Commander Rueben Carson smiled when Alex finished briefing him.

“Oh and just in case you haven’t seen the news over the last year” said Alex “she’s Captain Warner’s wife.”

“I was aware of that Captain” said Rueben with a smile.

His smooth easy manner struck Alex and for a moment he wondered if he might be too smooth. But time was against another selection. “Right then, get your gear and be ready at hangar three in an hour.”

Rueben got off the shuttle in the starboard hangar of the Mailon along with thirty other crew and a full cargo bay. Sherlock found him and got a marine to take him to the Captain.

Rihan liked what she saw as he walked to her. ‘A fine looking man’ she said to herself. “Commander Carson I presume?”

“That’s right Maam, Rueben Carson.” He smiled and shook her hand.

“It’s a tad busy as you can see.” Rueben nodded. “I’m expecting some more fighters any minute and I have yet to meet most of our command staff. The Admiral wants us away by 0800 tomorrow. How about we go for a cook’s tour and then we can meet our officers together?”

“Sounds good.”

“Let me introduce our new rogan friend 1
^st
Lt Grigar Lomponium.” She waved for Grigar to come over. “He’s a pilot but he knows this ship like the back of his hand.”

It was the first time Rueben had ever come face to face with an actual Rogan let along touch one. He shook the hand Grigar offered and made sure he made eye contact. Alex had warned him, but some things still take a little getting used to and Rueben knew this was one of them.

As he followed Rihan and Grigar around he was impressed how at ease Rihan was with this Rogan. She was hailed several times during their tour and wasn’t fazed by the constant demands nor when Sherlock Padstow’s big frame appeared wanting her decision on a matter of some urgency at least in Sherlock’s view. She had a light touch which he liked. But he recalled Alex’s briefing. He knew she had a fiery side to her nature. But the more he saw and heard the more he liked Rihan Kabel.

Chapter 9. Washington DC 2330, 27 June

The Chief Minister read the message a second time. She read through the battle stats a second time too. She sat back down in her chair in her home office. She looked up at the Fleet Admiral. “And you think this is a good outcome?”

“Yes Maam” said Lisa McKew. She was even prepared to forgive Phil Yomoto for this. In her view he had pulled off a stunning victory. “We have destroyed at least two rogan fleets and will probably destroy a third with the follow up. That is a disastrous outcome for the rogan. We may have just the won the war.”

“They nuked Nova Vista” said Malissa Karalis. There was real venom in her voice.

“But we were pretty lucky there Maam. Very light casualties.”

“Lucky yes but it’s their intent that angers me. I will take this to the full council as soon as I can convene them. They will pay for this. Is that the press release?”

“Yes Maam.”

Malissa read it. The stats were sanitised of course but Malissa took her scribe light and put a bold stroke through the heading on the ePaper. She then scrawled a new heading. It now read “Rogan War Crime.”

“Have we the means to retaliate and when can this be carried out?”

“According to this report just about every one of our ships sustained some damage. It will probably take weeks before we can put together a suitably strong force and then many weeks before they can reach a rogan system.”

“What about these new ships?”

“Yomoto says he has despatched them to Chelora to wipe out the fleeing enemy ships.”

“Can’t we have them then travel to the nearest rogan system and deliver our response?”

“Maybe. It will depend on the supply situation and when a follow up force can arrive at Chelora, so they can be released.”

“I see. But it could be possible. Find out for me.”

“Of course but you do realise that those ships will reach Chelora tomorrow and the battle will have been decided before Yomoto gets this request. He will have to check with them. With all the comms delays it may take ten days before I get an answer.”

“I appreciate that, but do it anyway.”

Chapter 10. Resolute to Chelora 0430, 28 June

‘There’s too many, too god dammed many!’ dreamed Dave. He shook his head in his sleep as he lay on his back. Within his dream he was staring out through the windows in the command centre of the Resolute. It was something he never did in battle, because the shields were always up. But his analytical mind was not engaged. This was pure emotion and the fight or flight impulses were coursing through his being and demanding a decision.

Before his mind’s eye was the planet of Chelora. It was surrounded by a sea of enemy ships. Everywhere he looked there were enemy ships. His clenched fist thumped the mattress. But in his mind’s eye he was thumping the control to fire missiles. The scene was streaked with missiles going in all directions, his own towards the enemy targets but even more were coming back at him. As the distance closed he began to panic. He kept thumping the fire control but there were no more missiles to fire and panic set in.

“Too many!” he yelled as his body shot bolt upright. His chest heaved with heavy breathing. Sweat ran down his neck. His tee shirt was drenched.

Slowly his breathing subsided. The vision in his mind’s eye dissolved into the darkness of his cabin. A small blue twinkle emanated from his console that he had left on the side table. He felt the drenched collar of his tee shirt. The physical act confirmed his conscious mind’s assessment that yes he had been having a nightmare.

He tossed off the covers, took off the drenched shirt and went to the bathroom. The sensor light came on. He splashed water onto his face and looked at himself in the mirror. ‘Seen worse’ he said to himself. As he put on a fresh tee shirt, he confessed to himself that he hadn’t had a fear dream like that in a long time.

He climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up. As he lay on his left side, almost in a foetal position, he instinctively extended his hand searching for the comfort of his lover. But her body was not there. ‘How I wish you were here Rihan.’

He closed his eyes and repeated his mantra.

Chapter 11. Washington DC 1115, 28 June

The full council had finished its session and Malissa had got her way. The rogan would pay for their crime.

It hadn’t been easy. There was much opposition to a tit for tat strike. But her will to respond prevailed. She hailed the Fleet Admiral’s office. McKew was out of the office. She told the PA to go find her and have her call back.

Five minutes later Lisa McKew hailed Malissa “Chief Minister?”

“Lisa the council has just passed a resolution calling for a retaliatory strike against two rogan cities. Which should we choose?”

Lisa had hoped it would not come to this. “I need to consult with my staff. I will do so and let you know tomorrow. Is that OK?”

“Yes.”

Chapter 12. Washington DC 2230, 28 June

Julian Morrow sipped the scotch and placed the now empty glass on the side table next to his lounge chair in his study. His wife had already gone to bed. He had been Defence Minister in his own right for just three weeks now. How he wished Joe Ubabe was still in the job. It would be his decision, his conscious, his burden to bear.

“It’s just wrong” said Julian. There was no reply and he wasn’t expecting one. He looked up at his father’s picture hanging on the wall. How he wished he was here to advise him.

He tried to drain the glass one more time but to no avail. He was tempted to have another but he knew better, well at least his guilty conscious knew better and it won out. Alcohol had killed his dad. He was determined it would not do the same for him.

He cast his eye onto the ePaper that lay on the desk beside him. It showed his appointments for tomorrow. “I have to try” he said and he took the light scribe and crossed out his 1600. He scrawled ‘Chief Minister’ in its place.

Chapter 13. Resolute over Chelora 0920, 29 June

The Resolute had warped in, cloaked, half an hour ago and remained undetected. The Phantom had just warped in. Neither could communicate without prejudicing their position. Dave and Aubrey had agreed prior to warp that they would wait till 1000. They had assessed that that would give him enough time to work up a plan of attack.