A Galaxy Unknown 10: Azula Carver (26 page)

"Amazing. And you actually speak with them."

"They understand Amer, Dakis, and smatterings of other languages they've picked up in their travels, so they don't need a translator to understand me. And with the translator, I can understand them. So yes, we actually have discussions."

Admiral Platt took a deep breath. "Jenetta, you never cease to amaze me."

"Well, I didn't develop the translator. That was the work of Mr. Wilkerson."

"But you initiated the development effort and probably bore the expense of the work."

"It's been worth every GA Credit, Evelyn."

They had reached the elevator but hadn't entered yet when eight Jumakas seemed to appear from nowhere and went racing by them on both sides.

"My God, what was that?" Admiral Platt asked.

"We'd better get into the lift car or we might get run over by either the adult Jumakas or my nephews. They play games that consist of chasing one another around the palace."

After stepping into the lift, Admiral Platt asked, "How many Jumakas do you have? I just counted eight small ones, and there were the four larger ones before."

"That's all of them. Four adults and eight babies. But the babies are getting big— fast."

"Are you raising them?"

"The cubs were born in February. They're the babies of my two girls, so I guess you could say I'm helping to raise them. I have no intention of selling any of them, if that's what you meant. As I said, they're sentient beings. Selling a sentient being is engaging in slavery, even if the sentient being hasn't been officially designated as such at this time."

"I didn't mean to imply you were doing anything improper."

"I know. I just wanted to make the situation clear, and I do intend to pursue sentiency status for Jumakas so people stop imprisoning them, selling them, and exploiting them as if they're wild animals of limited intelligence."

They had continued to walk as they talked and had arrived at Jenetta's office. She was using a space originally intended as a bedroom for a handmaiden as a personal office when she was in her bedroom suite, but her large office on the third floor near her chamberlain's office was where she conducted estate business and entertained visitors when privacy was required. They continued to make small talk until the coffee was brought in, then sat in the informal area and talked serious matters.

"An SCI team— I think you know them—" Admiral Platt said, "came across a derelict freighter in Region Three. After investigating, they were departing the area when Denubbewa ships suddenly appeared and tried to destroy them. They managed to get away only because their ship is, in all probability, the fastest freighter in Region Three. It had been secretly upgraded by our Space Command engineers and has a top speed of Light-487."

"You're talking about Trader Vyx and his four agents?"

"Five now. They found an undercover SCI agent in stasis aboard that derelict freighter and she's become part of the team."

"Did they see a Denubbewa mothership?"

"Yes. And they said Denubbewa warships came streaming out like ants from an anthill."

"More than one mothership?"

"Not that they saw, but they were only trying to get away. The AB has decided to sheath the
Scorpion
in Dakinium as soon as the new foundry at Lorense-Six is operating. The
Scorpion
will also receive the new temporal generator so it's capable of achieving Marc-1. The team has already been recalled for the modification because it will take them so long to reach the Lorense system, unless they manage to hitch a ride in a DS transport. So far they're traveling on their own.

"And our scientists have recently come up with a way of altering the surface color of Dakinium so ships can be disguised as ordinary Tritanium hulls now and yet the sheathing has all the properties of regular Dakinium. Fleet ships will continue to use the black coloration, but other ships, such as diplomatic and courier ships, and especially SCI ships, can use other color schemes.

"Getting back to the situation in Region Three, the budget office has estimated that the construction cost of an entire fleet of SCI ships similar to the
Scorpion
will cost far less than the cost of one battleship, and the per-ship cost for operation with a crew of six is estimated to be just five percent that of a Scout-Destroyer. It will give us a lot more eyes in the deep recesses of Regions Two and Three and be fast enough and tough enough to escape almost any enemy. Armament will be limited, but we don't want them to fight. We want them to watch and report."

"It sounds like we're taking a page from the old Raider playbook. They once positioned small ships throughout Region One to keep track of the movement of Space Command warships."

"Except our ships won't be stationary. They can be far more useful crossing and crisscrossing space as they look for signs of potential trouble."

"It sounds like a good plan, Evelyn. You said
attacks
in both Regions Two and Three?"

"Yes, and I just learned this latest information. The
Ares
, while on routine patrol, came across two derelict freighters a light-year apart. Both had been reported overdue and missing since this past November. They appeared to have been attacked by Denubbewa warships. Their entire cargo sections were missing."

"They went missing at the same time?"

"No, about a month apart."

"It sounds like one or more rogue Denubbewa warships escaped the battle where we destroyed all those motherships and is running low on food and supplies."

"Or there's a pirate group operating out there who wants us to think that. The interesting thing is that the attacks occurred more than a thousand light-years this side of the battle zone."

"That doesn't make sense if they're Denubbewa. We believed the Denubbewa wouldn't attempt to encroach further into our territory until their main fleet or other support arrived."

"Yes, that's what we believed."

"Has any action been proposed?"

"Just a notice to all fleet ships to be on the alert for any derelict ships, any Denubbewa warships, or any suspicious behavior among other ships."

"I guess that's all we can do for now. Evelyn, are you still overseeing all construction of warships?"

"For the moment. When the new yard at Lorense-Three is operational, all new warship production will move there. The Mars Yard will then concentrate on producing our Ship-Transporters and all fleet support vessels."

"Hugh was just notified to report to Mars to begin his preparation work for his first command. The thing is, he was seventh on the promotion list and suddenly got bumped to fourth. Do you know anything about that?"

"I was advised of the bump after it was approved by the AB. I understand they thought it would be a nice surprise for the new parents to celebrate the births and Hugh's first command in the same month. By the way, are you and Hugh married? I hope you don't mind me asking, but according to the files neither of you are married. If you are, you should update the files so there isn't a problem regarding spousal and dependent benefits."

"So you think that was the only reason for him being moved up?"

"What else could there be?"

"If Hugh had remained in the seventh slot, he wouldn't have received a
new
destroyer. There are two new heavy cruisers set to launch in January. Those new commands would have created a promotion domino effect among commands as two captains of light cruisers moved up to the heavy cruiser command, two frigate captions moved to the light cruisers, and two destroyer captains moved to the frigates. Since none of the captains of the Light Destroyers have five or more years in grade, they're not eligible to move to a different ship yet, so Hugh would have gotten an older destroyer."

"He should be happy to get the new ship. They're the fastest we've ever produced. They have the new ripple-effect envelope generator and will be as fast as these new barges we're using."

"He's delighted."

"He is, but you're not. Why not?"

"If he was getting an older destroyer, he'd be remaining in Region One where speed isn't as important."

"And the new destroyers are all going to Region Two."

"Exactly. That means Hugh will be in Region Two, and I'll be in Region One
if
I don't return to active duty with Space Command."

"I think I see Richard's hand in this," Evelyn said with a smile.

"That crafty old devil is doing everything he can to get me to come back."

"We all want you back, Jen. We need you. The rest of us are getting too old for the increased workloads that have landed on our shoulders during the past two decades. We need fresher minds and younger bodies to take over. We were all delighted when the GA Senate unanimously approved your promotion to Admiral of the Fleet. We believed the AB would have the best leader possible— one who was still young and energetic and with as sharp a mind as they come."

"Thank you for the compliments, Evelyn. I still haven't decided if I'll take the job. At first I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the position. But now I'm going to have a family to raise, and I know how difficult that is for a woman in the service when she's away from her home port for months or years at a time. I don't want to deprive my children of a mother while they're growing up. I remember how happy my childhood was and know it wouldn't have been as wonderful if my mom hadn't been there for me."

"I was fortunate to have come up through the ranks while the Galactic Alliance was more like a fishpond than an ocean. I managed to avoid shipboard time during those years when my children were young. I don't know how new mothers in the service cope these days."

"As soon as I make a decision, I'll notify the AB, but that won't be before November."

"I'll pass that along to Richard."

"And now, if we've concluded our Space Command business, how about joining my mom and my sisters-in-law in the garden. Can you stay for dinner, by the way?"

"I'd love to do both. Thank you. But there is one more issue to discuss. I didn't come here to learn if you were going to return to Region Two."

"Okay. I'll bite. Why did you come here?"

"I came to warn you. We've learned that your life is about to get very— difficult."

~ June 30
^th
, 2289 ~

"More difficult than it has been?"

"I certainly believe so."

"Are the Denubbewa on their way here to attack my household?"

"No. At least I don't think so."

"Then I believe I can weather anything else."

"I hope so, Jen. This is huge."

"So tell me already."

"We've been intercepting messages between Clidepp ships. They're on their way here."

"Here? I haven't done anything against the Clidepp government."

"It's not Clidepp government warships. The armada headed this way is comprised of passenger liners and freighters filled with refugees."

"What?"

"As I said, we've been intercepting messages for weeks— but those messages are between refugee-filled ships. The word has gone out that Jenetta Carver and Obotymot will welcome everyone who agrees to the terms you laid out for immigrants. They believe that as long as they agree to abide by your rules and assimilate into the existing society, they will be welcomed here with open arms."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. SCI estimates that as many as three hundred ships are headed for Obotymot."

"Oh double no."

"I thought I should relay that information in person."

"Thank you, Evelyn. I suppose I should have anticipated such a situation, but it simply never occurred to me. It makes sense that people who have found a safe haven in a time of war would alert their relatives and friends, who would alert
their
relatives and friends, who would alert
their
relatives and friends."

"What will you do?"

"I'll have to think on it. I'm not going to make an abrupt decision that might create more unpleasant results." Jenetta took a deep breath and released it quickly. "Shall we join my family in the garden? It's only a five-minute walk. You did say you were staying for dinner, didn't you?"

~     ~     ~

"Some of you have been seen arriving after seven a.m. and/or leaving before seven p.m." Aliana Shanara said immediately after opening the meeting of the Lower Council. "If your department has returned to— or exceeded— the profitability levels of my last days as Arthur Strauss, I have no problem with that. However, if that's not the case and you continue to put in less than a full day, the day will come when you're met at the elevator by a special security team. And that's the last day anyone will ever see you again. At the next meeting of this council, someone else will be sitting in your chair. Have I made myself clear?"

Shanara looked around the table. Most of the council members avoided meeting her gaze.

"You shouldn't let my appearance fool you. I'm still the same ruthless bastard I was when I appeared here as Arthur Strauss. But I suppose you should call me a ruthless bitch now— behind my back.

"Okay, let's move on to new business. The Upper Council wants us to procure all secret documentation regarding cloning from the Dakistians, as well as their metallurgical documentation regarding the manufacture of Dakinium. I've had special operatives trying to learn where such data is being stored, but so far they've come up empty. The main problem seems to be that Soroman assassinated almost all of the people who knew. So we have to find an alternative solution. There must be another set of documentation somewhere. They'd have to have a backup. They wouldn't rely on having just one copy of such important documents. Let's put our heads together and develop a strategy to find one of the alternate sets. I'm open to suggestions."

Councilmember Theodore Langford raised his hand tentatively, as if afraid to say what was on his mind.

"Langford," Shanara said.

"Uh, this wouldn't be another attempt to kill Christa Carver, would it?"

"Absolutely not. The Upper Council has forbidden any such attacks and we'll have no part in them. Understood?"