I’m supposed to be developing a fighting force. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to be doing, but you’re not really accomplishing anything either.”
Mike frowned. “My thoughts exactly. This First Knight business is a little hazy to me; I’m not sure what I should be doing. I need to go to Earth, but the recruits I bring back need ships, and we need to make arrangements for their training. To do that, we need your men. I guess I’ve just been waiting for Ellie, I mean the Queen, to wake up and give me direction.” He paused in thought for a moment. “On a theoretical level, as First Knight I should be running the Empire in her absence. In reality, there’s nothing to run at the moment, nor would I know where to begin if there was. I thought you were busy preparing for an influx of ships and sailors.”
“What influx?”
“Serge could show up any day.”
“He’s weeks away, and my staff, provided he hasn’t shanghaied them somewhere along the way, is months away. It’s a good staff, and they don’t need me around to get things started. All I’ve been able to do so far is put Jons in charge of upgrading our ships. It’s not his forte, he’d rather have a squadron, but he made a lot of headway on his own while you were gone. He’s got the engineers working on plans that can be put in place as soon as Serge gives the okay.”
“The engineers are cooperating?”
“To a point. Drawings, craftsmen, and probably some parts will be available by the time Serge returns. It will be up to you and me to coerce Serge into giving his men the go-ahead. Jons’ immediate goal is to have things ready as soon as that happens.”
“He’s a good man. You say he got started on this on his own?”
“He did.”
“I’m impressed. What else is on your agenda?”
“Personally, I do not want the Queen waking up to find I’ve been idle. Besides, it’s not my way. I’m going on a trip.” Chandrajuski leaned across the table again, his wise, bright eyes meeting Mike’s. “Want to join me?”
“Why, and where?”
“You and I have a number of priorities. The Queen’s safety obviously tops the list. I believe Shipyard provides a reasonable level of safety for her at the moment, though we need to restore her complement of Protectors. I’m not sure how that’s best accomplished, but there aren’t any here. And you’re right; if we’re going to bring recruits from Earth, we have to prepare a place to train them. For the recruits who will work with her Protectors, it’s your problem, and it will be a difficult integration. For the ones going to the fleet, my men will make the preparations, but I have three other urgent priorities: intelligence, ships, and trained military personnel to operate them. All speak of more people. I’m going to see how successful Krys has been, and I could use your help.”
“I’d like to be here when the Queen wakes up.”
“So would I, but she can’t afford such luxuries right now. She needs us to do our jobs. With a fast ship, we can hit two or three worlds and be back in six months or so if all goes well. What do you say?”
Mike’s desire to be there to hold Ellie’s hand when she awoke was strong, but so was her need for him to help her restore the Empire. To do that, he needed to know more about the Empire and what was going on out there. He sorely missed Jake and the guidance he provided.
“Do you have a plan?”
“I always have a plan,” replied the Gamordian. Then in a lower voice, “Well, my men think I’m always acting according to a plan of some sort. In this case, I really do have a plan. There are three individuals I consider vital to our cause. One is a sector commander, another is a fleet commander, and the third is missing and may be dead. What I have in mind might be a long shot, but if we’re successful, we’ll come away with squadrons of ships and personnel. It’s even possible that these men have their sectors under control as we speak. If so, the Queen will have a true base of operations from which to expand her influence to more sectors.”
Chandrajuski backed away from the table to pace. Whenever he did so, Mike was reminded of his strong resemblance to a praying mantis. His long legs moved with incredible grace, then the whole body froze for a few moments. The process would repeat itself over and over. That was not to say Chandrajuski could not move fast. He could move very fast when it suited his purposes, but regardless of how slowly his body moved, his mind continued at full speed.
“These individuals, like me, have built commands based on loyalty to themselves in addition to loyalty to the crown. The Rebels will have a hard time gaining the upper hand in the two sectors I’m thinking about, but you can be certain they’re working on it. The sectors are key to both sides. We might already be too late, but I want to try. It’s not essential that you accompany me, but the presence of the First Knight will not only remove doubt, it will prove that the Queen is in control. What do you say? Will you go with me?”
“Yes,” Mike replied without hesitation. “My trip to Earth is critical, but certain things need to be in place first. When will you be ready to go?”
“Why wait? I can be ready in an hour.”
“Let me see to a few things. It won’t take long.” He went to the door, then turned back to face Chandrajuski. “You’ll be talking with other admirals?”
“I will.”
“And you’re recruiting them to work for you?”
“For me and the Queen, yes.”
“Then you need a higher rank. Is Grand Admiral the right rank?”
“I believe that’s what the Queen had in mind. There’s no hurry, though. I don’t have much of a command to be grand about yet.”
“But you will, and you have to be able to order these men.”
“That’s what you’re there for.”
“No, sir. I’ll just be there to add legitimacy to your leadership. If these men are to report to you, you must command from the very first moment. These conversations will not be among equals. If they were, you would simply be forming a larger unofficial underground like you had on Centauri III. The Queen no longer rules from obscurity, Admiral. She’s the legal ruler of the Empire, and you are her Grand Admiral. Understood?”
“Yes, Sire. It will be so. Give me two hours, no, three hours. I think I’ll make some adjustments to our plans, and I’ll get some things started for your eventual recruits.”
“I’m bringing Val along.”
“Whatever for? Isn’t First Knight enough weight to throw around?”
“It’s not because he’s a knight, it’s because of why he became a knight. He’s very, very good at everything I’ve asked of him, and I value his counsel, especially now that Jake is gone.”
Mike called Val and Reba to a meeting that he did not look forward to. Looking at Reba rather than Val, he announced, “Val is leaving with me in three hours. We’re going on a recruiting voyage with Chandrajuski. We’ll be back in a few months or so.”
Reba looked stricken, seeming to age before his eyes. Val, too, experienced a moment of resentment, but Mike also sensed his excitement. Reba looked deep into his eyes. “I won’t argue with you, Mike. All I ask is that it be necessary.”
“It’s necessary, and I believe it’s what Ellie needs of us right now. We can’t sit around doing nothing while she recovers. She needs us to be productive.”
“I can go with you.”
He shook his head. “No, I need you here. Ellie needs you by her side when she awakens, and I need to know that someone not susceptible to the Chessori mind weapon is here to protect her. You’ll be the only one on the planet that’s immune.”
Reba looked away, then focused on Val. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears, but she rose to the occasion. “You can’t hide it from me, Val. You’re excited for the first time in days. Go get packed.”
Val took off like a shot. Reba turned back to Mike. “He’s bored, not with me but with the inactivity. So am I. Got anything for me to do?”
“Yes. Keep an eye on Ellie.”
“You already said that. Anything else?”
“Think about what I just said, Reba. Do you remember Lieutenant Rebecca Morrison, lately of Earth? She’s now Lady Rebecca, the Queen of All Space’s senior representative here. She’s on an alien planet, right in the middle of a war, and she has no one of higher authority to turn to other than herself. I think you’ve been promoted.”
