“Sir,” he said, “Once you’re out of your suit, I think it best if we continue in my cabin.”
Without a word, Perkins climbed out of his seat. He brushed past Michael and left the combat information center. Michael watched him go. A petulant flag officer was not what he needed. He was exhausted; the adrenaline-fueled high of combat was seeping slowly away, leaving him feeling flat and wrung out.
“I’ll be in my cabin, Jayla.”
“Sir,” Ferreira said.
Michael did not have to wait long. He had just enough time to shower and change into a fresh shipsuit before Perkins walked into his day cabin, unannounced. Without a word, he sat down in one of the armchairs. Michael took a seat opposite him.
“Something to drink, sir?”
Perkins refused to respond, his face flushed with anger. “Well, sir,” Michael said, deciding on the spur of the moment to act as if nothing untoward had happened, “any feedback on the operation?”
Perkins stared for a moment, his blue eyes flinty chips of disdain. “If you think I’m going to ignore your act of gross insubordination,” he said icily, “you are very much mistaken, Helfort. It seems you have no idea what military discipline is all about.”
“Sir,” Michael said despairingly, hands out in a vain attempt to placate the man, “you knew the rules. We both had the order, a written order. I had absolutely no problem understanding it. None at all. The admiral’s order was unambiguous. You were here to observe, sir. Nothing more. So forgive me, but I fail to understand how my actions could be considered insubordination.”
Why, Michael wanted to say, would an experienced, combat-proven commander disobey Vice Admiral Jaruzelska’s direct order, an order given-most unusually-in hard copy and written in language so simple that not even the most inept spacer could misconstrue it?
“Because, Helfort, there’s a lot more to keeping the Federated Worlds secure than you will ever know. I don’t expect you to understand. You are only a lieutenant, after all,” Perkins said, his speech deliberate, his face split by a patronizing smile, “and a junior and an inexperienced one at that. For that reason, when I make my report to Admiral Jaruzelska, I am prepared to recommend that no further action be taken. Just this once.”
That’s real decent of you, you sanctimonious bastard, Michael said to himself, stifling an urge to remind Perkins that yes, he was an inexperienced lieutenant, but he, too, had commanded ships in combat, and successfully.
“Sir, I did not disobey the admiral’s orders. I trust that you will make that clear in your report.”
“Don’t make things worse than they already are, Lieutenant”-Michael seethed at the insult; irrespective of his military rank, tradition required Perkins to address him as Captain or Lieutenant Helfort-“though that does seem to be one of your gifts.”
Michael said nothing; if he did, he knew he would regret it. Unless he had misunderstood Jaruzelska’s orders-and he knew he had not-he was not the one at fault here; Perkins would be the one trying to explain to the admiral why her orders had not been obeyed.
“That’s all that needs to be said.” Perkins stood up. “I’ll be in my cabin until we return to Comdur. I’d be obliged if you would send my meals there.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll see to it.”
“Be sure that you do,” Perkins said dismissively. Michael watched Perkins leave. What a prick; the man might be an admiral, but Lieutenant Michael Wallace Helfort was the duly appointed captain in command of a Federated Worlds warship. Jaruzelska’s orders had been crystal clear, and if Perkins had refused to follow those orders, that was his problem.
An hour later, he had written up his report of the incident. He sealed it for Jaruzelska’s eyes only and turned in.
Friday, December 15, 2400, UD
“So to sum up, I think it is fair to say that the Faith operation was a stunning success. A well-conceived operation, brilliantly executed. A space battle station is the toughest target there is, and to take one out with a single ship is an outstanding result, something which no Fed cruiser has ever been able to pull off. Let’s be clear. The dreadnought has come of age.”
Jaruzelska waited patiently while a mix of cheers and applause ran through the crowded conference room. She understood the enthusiastic response. For the spacers present,
Slowly, the noise died away.
“Before I call it a day, there is one more thing. Lieutenant Helfort, I’d like you up here with me, please.”
Baffled, Michael made his way to the front of the conference room.
“Right. I am pleased to be able to report that the commander in chief has issued a unit citation to the
Jaruzelska stopped, her words drowned in an avalanche of cheers, every spacer present coming to his or her feet.
It took a while, but the noise finally died away.
“Okay, folks. Thanks. Things went well at Faith, but there are always lessons to be learned. I’ll release the after-action report today. Time of the follow-up review to be advised. That’s all, folks. Michael, with me.”
“Sir.”
Leaving the conference room, the two officers walked back to Jaruzelska’s office, neither saying a word. Closing the door, Jaruzelska waved Michael into a chair.
“I don’t think I have to tell you why you’re here.”
Michael shook his head ruefully. “I’m only guessing, sir, but let me see. Does it involve Rear Admiral Perkins?”
“Yes.” Jaruzelska leaned back, hands running through her hair before rubbing eyes red-rimmed with fatigue. “I’m sorry to say it does. Anyway, let’s get this out of the way. I have forwarded my report on the matter to the commander in chief together with a recommendation that no further action be taken.”
“Oh,” Michael said. For a moment he was at a loss for words. Had he heard Jaruzelska correctly? “Hang on, sir,” he said. “No further action? I don’t understand. How’s tha-”
“Michael, that’s my recommendation,” Jaruzelska said. “No further action.”
“Sir! I understand that, but I’m sorry,” Michael said doggedly. “The admiral disobeyed a direct order in the combat information center of a warship during combat … in the face of the enemy! Not my order, sir, yours. And I had to deal with it while the Hammers hurled missiles and rail-gun slugs at us”-Michael’s voice started to rise-“so how can there be no furth-”
“Enough!” Jaruzelska snapped, cutting him off in midstream. “Goddamn it, Helfort, there are times …” She breathed carefully in and then out before continuing. “Look,” she said, her voice softening, “you have to trust me on this. I don’t want … no, that’s wrong. Right now, I cannot afford to get into an open fight with the antidreadnought faction, and that is exactly what I’ll get if I take any formal action in response to the admiral’s … um … the admiral’s behavior. Believe me, I don’t, and nor do you. I spend far too much time as it is fighting to keep them in their damn box. So you get back to
Reluctantly, Michael nodded. “Yes, sir,” he said. “Sorry. What happened was just … so wrong, sir.”
“I know how wrong it was, so there’s no need to apologize. I’ll make sure it does not happen again.” She paused. “Michael, there’s something you need to understand.”
