Solbidyum Wars Saga 6: Defeat of the Tottalax (37 page)

I breathed a sigh of relief as I broke the communication link with Padaran.  It wasn’t the best news I could hope for, but it was better than any news I had so far about saving Maisha.

When I exited the War Room to go to see Wabussie on the
DUSTEN,
I  found three bodyguards instead of the four I was supposed to have.

“We’re missing a man,” I said, more out of surprise than concern.

“Sir, Trooper Hebadone became ill.  A replacement will be here in moment, if the Admiral doesn’t mind,” the squad lieutenant replied.

“Nothing serious, I hope,” I said.

“We don’t think so, sir.  He suddenly looked very pale and just dropped to the floor.  The medics that came and took him to the med unit said their scanners indicated he was severely dehydrated.”

“I see.  Tell me, Lieutenant, just when was the last time you have had a drink of water?” I asked.

“Ah sir, at this morning’s meal,” he replied.

“And the rest of you, have any of you drank anything since the morning meal?”  I asked.

No one replied.

“This won’t do, Lieutenant.  I don’t see any of you carrying canteens.”

“No sir, we never carry canteens aboard ship, there are drink machines all over the ship.”

“So why have none of you used one to get a drink this morning?”  I asked.

“Sir, because we are on duty, sir, and we can’t leave our stations to go get water,” the lieutenant replied.”

“But if you had your canteens, you would have been able to take drinks while I was in the War Room, would you not?”

“Yes sir,” the lieutenant answered.

“I’m issuing a new order, effective from now on.  The security and guard details will be required to carry canteens of water at all times while on duty, regardless of if you are on the ship or not.  Is that understood?”

“Yes sir,” he answered.  While we were talking, another trooper came running down the corridor and joined in the guard detail formation.

“Now,” I said to the lieutenant, “take us to the nearest drink machine, and I expect to see you all take a drink of water, and next time you are on guard detail, I expect to see canteens.”

After we had everyone hydrated, we headed to the
DUSTEN
and Wabussie’s office.

“So, what’s the news?”  I asked after we had gone through the formalities of greetings.

“I received a report back from our agent on about the
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS’s
visits to Tetteferd 3.  That was a good question you had, Admiral.  It turns out the yacht visits Tetteferd 3 about every five or six weeks.  Sometimes it picks up a few supplies, but most often it docks for a few hours and picks someone up or drops them off.  The ship never files any destinations with the port facilities, and it never declares any goods,” Wabussie said.

“By any chance, do we know what the shortest period was between any of the ship's visits?”  I asked.

“As a matter of fact, we do.  The yacht dropped off a generator that needed repairs, they said they needed it as soon as possible.  It turned out it was beyond repair, and they had to get a new one, but there were none like it on Tetteferd 3.  However, a shipment was due to arrive within a week.  The
FLAME OF BRIGHTNESS
left, paid for the generator in advance and said they would be back in two weeks.  Two weeks later, they came and picked up the generator.”

“Assuming they went back to their base, we can assume that it must be one week or less away from Tetteferd 3,” I said.  We can also assume the ship only has standard GW speed, as it’s an older yacht and was built before the 1.5 GW speed propulsion units were built.  How many planets are there within a one week’s flight range at standard GW speed?” I asked.

“Three that are habitable,” Wabussie answered without a smile.

“Any idea which planet they might be using?”  I asked.

“My guess would be Epsirt.”

“Why there?”  I asked.

“It’s an unusual planet, about the same size and density as Megelleon, but the planet has a lot of ice on it. Two-thirds of the planet, to be exact, is covered with ice.  The planet is perfectly stable in its spin with no wobble to cause seasonal climate changes.  Merely a third of the planet, around the center band at its equator, is free of ice and the temperature warm enough for vegetation to grow.  The planet has no native animal life forms.”

“So what do they do there?  Is it a mining planet or manufacturing?” I asked.

“Nothing like that at all.  The planet isn’t part of the Federation, and other than for a few super-rich individuals who have residences there, and a few small towns and resorts on the planet, there’s nothing there.

“Sounds like the perfect place for a bunch of Brotherhood leaders and planners to hide,” I said.  “Can we get someone there to check it out?”

Wabussie frowned, “It’s going to be difficult.  It’s not like other worlds with millions of people coming and going.  I doubt there are even a million people living on Epsirt, and just about everyone in any town or community knows each other.  The resorts on the planet are booked years in advanced so you can’t show up unannounced and expect to find a place to stay.  However, we can work on it, and hopefully within a week, or so, we may be able to find a way to get an agent on the planet.

“Well, do what you can,” I said, “It would be great if we could wipe out the Brotherhood’s top command.  If we could find Ming and Roritat and take them out, the Brotherhood might collapse.”

I left Wabussie’s office feeling no further ahead than I did going in.  Something needed to change.  We needed to be making more progress against the Brotherhood, but it seemed like the best we were doing was holding our own and even then I felt like we were slipping.  Too many worlds fell to the Brotherhood; we needed badly to start taking some of them back.

My meeting with Tonclin wasn’t what I expected.  In the past all our meetings had been quite friendly and relaxed, but this time I detected an air of tension right from the start.  Tonclin came straight to my office in the War Room along with Admiral Regeny, without any announcement of his arrival aboard.  This alone startled me, as normally I would have been there to greet him.

“Honored Leader Tonclin, it’s good to see you again,” I said.

“Honored First Citizen, Admiral Tibby, it is, likewise, a pleasure to see you again also,” he replied.

“Marranalis,” I said to him as he was in my office when Tonclin and Regeny arrived, “would you see to someone getting foccee and some refreshment for our guests?”

“Yes sir,” he said as he left the office.

“This is a surprise,” I said to Tonclin, “I didn’t anticipate seeing you again so soon after the ship's dedication.”

“It is not a visit I like, Tibby,” Tonclin began, his high pitch voice quavering a bit as he spoke, “I have grave concerns about this mission you are on to protect the Weccies.  I fear this will not go well with the Senate when they learn of it.”

“I see,” I said, “Have you considered the consequences of what will happen if Weccies is captured by the enemy?”

“Is that possible?”  Tonclin asked.  “Weccies is the most heavily protected planet in the universe.  I understand it is impossible to breach their defenses.”

“Leader Tonclin, that was in the past.  However, I fear that now with RMFF shielding available, their defenses are useless.  A ship with RMFF shielding can fly right through their defenses unscathed.  Their mine field will have no effect on the ships at all.  As soon as they are close enough to the planet, all the shots they fire at it will be amplified many times their original strength, and they would virtually be able to destroy the planet.  The wealth alone on that one planet would give the Brotherhood the power to build hundreds of times more ships than the Federation military have at the moment.  At the same time, the fall of Weccies would severely damage the economy throughout the universe, as millions if not billions of businesses as well as governments have largest sums of their wealth stored on Weccies.  Without that money to run their governments and businesses, many will fail.  The overall impact is far greater than the fall of one planet.

“As for the Senate, I don’t think they will be as concerned about us defending a non-Federation aligned world as you might imagine.  I’ve done some checking, and the bulk of the senators have large deposits held at Weccies.  If Weccies is captured, those senators will lose vast sums of their personal wealth, to say nothing of the separate accounts of their constituents and businesses that also have money deposited at Weccies.”

I saw Tonclin look at Regeny for a moment with a questioning look, but Regeny sat stiffly saying nothing.

“Honorable First Citizen, I must confess I had not given that aspect much consideration.  Much of what you say I know to be true, and I know there are large deposits by many of our senators held on Weccies, and they would be most unhappy should those be lost.  However, what are the chances that the Brotherhood will attack here?  You have ships tied up waiting here that could be used in other locations.”

“Honored Leader Tonclin, would you mind stepping out into the War Room with me and allow me to show you something?”  I asked

“I would not mind at all,” he replied, just as Marranalis arrived with another trooper pushing a cart of refreshments and some foccee.

“Leave the refreshments there, Marranalis, and come with me.  We’ll only be a moment, and then we’ll be back for the refreshments,” I said.

As soon as we were out in the War Room, I instructed Marranalis to call up the holographic display of the sector of space around Weccies.  I had him indicate the location of Weccies, Windsor, Ming’s last broadcast.  The location of the asteroid headed toward Maisha, and the location of the large object heading toward Weccies along with the intelligence about it.  I could see by Tonclin’s expression that he was not aware of any of this, and I could see the tension growing in his face as I presented fact after fact of what was going on.  I finished by saying, “Our latest information is that the Brotherhood will be here in just a few days.  Do you think it would be wise for us to wait until they actually are here and attacking before we start to deploy ships?”

Tonclin looked at Regeny a second, while Regeny stared at the floor.  It was obvious that Regeny had been behind Tonclin’s appearance and his objections and also that he hadn’t given Tonclin all the facts.  I knew that Regeny had reservations about our aiding Weccies, but I didn't think he would go to this level to prevent it.

“Admiral Regeny, were you aware of all of this information?”  Tonclin asked.

“Most of it; I didn’t know about the last bit concerning the large object heading this way,” he said giving me a hard stare.

“The information was in my morning report that was sent to you today," I said.  “We only got the information a few hours ago.”

Regeny lowered his head and said nothing.

“I don’t know what to make of this,” Tonclin began.  “I am dismayed that my two top senior military men seem to be at odds about this matter, when it is clear to me that we must at all costs defend and assist Weccies against the Brotherhood.  I don’t know what has brought about this situation, if it’s a lack of communication, or something else, but I am severely disappointed with what I see.  Admiral Regeny, you came to me indicating you believed Tibby was going outside the interests of the Federation in protecting Weccies; do you honestly feel that way in light of what we have just seen and heard here?”

For the first time, I could hear anger in Tonclin’s voice, and I could see Regeny showing a real sign of fear.

“No sir, I can’t say I do,” Regeny replied.

“Then why did you come to me wanting to curtail this mission when the enemy is on the door steps?”  Tonclin asked, his voice getting even higher in pitched as he spoke.

“I guess I just don’t believe it will happen,” Regeny said.

“I see,” Tonclin said as he began to pace the floor.  “For the moment, I am approving of Tibby’s actions here.  We will wait and see what transpires over the next few days, and depending upon the outcome, I may have to make some harsh decisions.  One of you two are correct about what will happen here.  Based on the evidence Tibby has provided, I support his plan; but if the Brotherhood does attack here ,Admiral Regeny, I will be forced to look closely at your position and make some decisions. The same goes for you, Tibby, should the Brotherhood not attack here.  This isn’t a pleasant matter for me.  I consider both of you to be dear friends, but I must think about the welfare of the Federation, and who and what best serve it.  Now, how about some of that foccee, and I do believe I saw some pastries on that cart as well,” he added with a forced smile.

While we were sharing the foccee, I informed Admiral Regeny and Leader Tonclin that there was a possibility that the Ruwallie Rasson ship near Maisha might be able to reach it in time to provide some assistance.  We weren’t sure just how much it could do, or if it arrived in time.  Tonclin commented that the relationship I had established with the Ruwallie Rasson pirates from Goo’Waddle seemed to be proving itself to be of benefit after all.  Originally, my actions had been suspect by the Senate, and Roritat had uses it as a means of accusing me of being a traitor to the Federation. 

Tonclin was about half way through his second cup of foccee when the message came in from the bridge that our scouts had picked up the first signs of a large object moving toward Weccies on their long-range scanners.  Tonclin paused and looked at Regeny, who sat sullenly sipping his foccee.  Moments later another scout patrol reported in saying they were picking up information of another ship approaching that matched the signature profile of the Tottalax ship.  I looked at both Tonclin and Regeny and said, “Do you still have doubts sir?”  Regeny never lifted his head and he shook it indicating no.