Geary let her see he was considering the idea before he shook his head. “Where would we put them? They’d fill every brig on every ship and have large numbers left over. And we’d have to feed them.”
Desjani grimaced but nodded. “Security and logistics. Those two things keep getting in the way of a lot of good ideas.”
“You got that right.” Geary grinned. “Though I’ve seen plenty of plans that didn’t take reality into account, and that didn’t seem to bother the people who created the plans.”
“Of course not. Why spoil a great plan by letting reality intrude?” Desjani smiled as well. “This is a wonderful victory, Captain Geary.”
“Thank you. There’s some unfinished business, though. How can we find out which one of those pods contains whoever’s the senior surviving Syndic officer?”
It took a little while, bouncing messages around various escape pods until the one containing the Syndic commander was located and a communications link established. As fate would have it, the overall commander had survived the battle, though Geary wondered whether that officer would be grateful for the fact for very long.
The Syndic CEO’s carefully tailored uniform had suffered the indignities of several rips and burns. His face, as pale as if he were in shock, had the stunned look of someone who hadn’t been able to absorb what had happened. Geary didn’t recognize the CEO, but the CEO stared at Geary with eyes filled with disbelieving recognition. “It’s true,” the Syndic commander whispered.
“What’s true?” Geary asked, knowing the answer already.
Instead of giving that answer, the Syndic CEO appeared to try to steel himself. “My force will not s-surrender,” he stuttered.
Geary couldn’t help raising both eyebrows in a surprised expression. “That’s not really an option anymore. There’s nothing to surrender. Your force has ceased to exist. All of your ships have been destroyed.”
“We can s-still fight.”
“Hand to hand, you mean? But, you see, we’re not interested in fighting you any longer,” Geary explained. “Your former command no longer possesses any military capability, and to be perfectly frank, we have no interest in taking on responsibility for a large number of prisoners.” The CEO somehow paled a little more, but he stayed silent. “There are two things I need to tell you. The first is that I still have some personnel on an asteroid in this system. I’m sending you the orbital data for the asteroid I’m speaking of. If you still have any doubts as to which asteroid it is, make sure you contact us. Try to ensure none of the escape pods from your fleet land there. I’ll be taking off my personnel and have no wish to confront refugees from your fleet, as that could inadvertently lead to further bloodshed.”
The Syndic CEO nodded, still silent.
“The other thing is that we surveyed all of the abandoned Syndicate Worlds facilities within the Kaliban Star System, and I want you to know that the former towns at these locations I’m now sending you remain in good condition. Your people will have no trouble restarting life support. I regret to state we drew down the supplies of foodstuffs that had been left behind when the towns were abandoned, but enough should remain for your personnel until other Syndicate Worlds units arrive in the system to discover the fate of your command. In order to ensure word of your presence here is known, I assure you that when next we contact any Syndicate Worlds planets or other representatives, we will also inform them that you are awaiting rescue.”
Another nod. The Syndic CEO seemed increasingly confused, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I regret that my fleet cannot linger much longer in this system,” Geary continued, “and that therefore offering medical care to your injured is out of the question. But the mothballed medical facilities we examined in this system, while limited and outdated, all appear fully functional and still contain an adequate supply of expendable materials.”
The CEO finally found his voice again. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“I am fulfilling my obligations under the rules of war,” Geary stated in a slow, firm voice, “as well as the obligations incurred by my personal honor and the honor of my ancestors. Now, one last thing.” Geary leaned forward. “Once you are back in communication with your superiors, please inform them that any other Syndicate Worlds force that attempts to engage this fleet will suffer the same fate as yours.”
The CEO just stared back for a long moment. “Who are you?” he finally asked in a voice so dry it was almost unintelligible.
“You know who I am. I saw you recognize me.”
“You’re-He’s dead!”
“No. I’m not.” Geary jabbed a finger at the CEO’s image. “My name is John Geary. I used to be known as Black Jack Geary a long time ago. I’m in command of this fleet now, and I’m taking it home. Anyone who wishes to try to stop this fleet will have to deal with me.”
Geary could see several of the Syndic personnel within the CEO’s escape pod make sudden gestures over their chests. It took a moment, then he realized they were making ancient warding signs against forces of darkness. Believe that if you want, as long as it makes you afraid to mess with this fleet again.
But it ought to bother me more to see it. Is what Co-President Rione said true? Am I starting to like being regarded as something more than human?
After a victory like this, am I going to start believing it myself? He nodded to the Syndic CEO. “No offense, but hopefully we won’t meet again until this war is ended.” Then he broke the connection and stared at the space where the CEO’s image had been.
Maybe a little reality check will keep me grounded. Geary worked the controls on his display until he got a readout of the losses the Alliance fleet had suffered. He gazed at the report, then punched his controls again. “Are loss reports still coming in?”
Captain Desjani looked surprised at the question. “Loss reports are updated continuously based on ship status feeds.”
“This can’t be right.”
She called up the same data. “I don’t see any indications the data stream has been compromised. Communications watch, double-check the ship status feeds to ensure we’re getting everything.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A minute later, the watch gave his report. “No problems with the ship status feeds, Captain. All feeds confirmed active, except for those feeds lost due to loss of the ship.”
Desjani gave Geary a long look. “It was an amazingly one-sided battle,” she noted. “I find the results hard to believe myself, but that is an accurate tally of our losses and damage throughout the fleet.”
“Thank the living stars.” Geary ran his eyes over the list again, the gratifyingly short list, of ship losses suffered by the Alliance fleet. “That’s the way it’s supposed to work. In theory. By taking full advantage of our superior numbers, exploiting the weaknesses of the enemy formation, and concentrating fire at the decisive point, we overwhelmed the Syndic ships and prevented them from doing the same to us. It didn’t hurt that the Syndic commander fought stupidly.”
“I believe he assumed we’d fight the same way we have in the past.” Desjani noted, shaking her head in apparent disbelief. “I never would’ve believed the difference it made.”
“If courage alone decided battles, the course of human history would’ve been a lot different.” Geary forced himself to read the list of lost ships slowly. One-sided it may have been, but even a one-sided victory costs the winner. “Damn.” Geary just looked at the warship name at the top of the list, feeling a numbness inside. The Arrogant. Lost with all hands. Commander Hatherian. I’m sorry.
“Sir?” Captain Desjani looked over. “Oh. Arrogant. Power core overload.”
Geary couldn’t look at her. “Do we have any idea what happened?”
“It’s in the summary file, sir. See? During the first pass-through of the Syndic formation by Fox Five Two, Arrogant was near several lighter units that came under sustained fire from a number
