executing 25 percent of their population. Now we are missing 10 percent of our naval forces and a division of our infantry. Didn’t you tell me that you didn’t know what the humans’ capabilities were?”
“Yes, I did.”
“So you thought you could send two hundred ships and twelve thousand troops and they would be perfectly safe against an enemy that you said represented a grave threat to our race?”
Dorg felt the chill run up his spine. His life was in the balance here. His face was damp and his heart was almost out of control. “Sir, I covered your assigned officer with my plans to make sure the clans approved them. I was told they were approved.”
“That’s the only thing saving you from execution. You are supposed to be the human expert. You are supposed to make the right decisions about them. You more than anyone should not under estimate them, but you obviously did. It’s that inefficiency that has the clan leaders angry. Do you have enough ships to handle the job?”
“I believe so. After what has happened, I’m hesitant to be sure of anything.”
“Will the Alliance send more if we request them?”
“State Leader Sten is furious about the executions and the early start of our occupation. I suspect that we would be publicly embarrassed and forced to request help from the general assembly, where our actions would be censured,” Dorg replied. “It’s also hard to justify more ships when we don’t know how many ships the humans have.”
Terl stared at the admiral and said, “If you had simply waited and took your entire fleet to the home world of these humans and occupied their planet, then you could have taken your time finding out just what capabilities they have, and we’d still have our ships and men. Your hatred of the humans led you to make mistakes, and now there is no way you’ll occupy their planet without a fight, which, incidentally, I think was your intention from the start. What makes this problematic is that you still have no knowledge of their capability. I agree with you that the remaining 1,200 ships should be enough, but I’m not going to take a chance; when will you arrive at the colony world?”
“Tomorrow, Clan Leader.”
“I have spoken with the Glod ambassador and he has agreed to send an additional four hundred ships, and we will also send another four hundred ships. You will take your fleet to the colony world and wait for those ships to arrive. Keep the majority of your fleet outside the star drive limit prepared to jump. While you’re waiting, investigate in detail and see if you can determine what happened to our ships and men. When the additional ships arrive, take enough time to organize them into your fleet, and then go after the human home world. Do you have any questions, Admiral?”
“No, Clan Leader.”
“Win this time, Admiral, or don’t bother to come back,” Terl said and then cut the connection.
Admiral Dorg sat looking at the blank screen for a long time. He not only lost the ships and men, but he also lost his brother. These humans had played him every time he tried to get the better of them. “Where did they go? Where did they go?” he wondered.
Richard Wiseman opened his eyes and saw Maggie sitting in a chair next to his bed with her head resting beside his hand. He looked around and saw all the medical machines that had his leg and arm inside them. He felt terrible. He felt like ten miles of bad highway. His whole body was just one big pain, but he found enough strength to raise his hand and place it on Maggie’s head. Maggie felt the touch and raised her head and looked at him and saw his eyes were open. She screamed and jumped up out of her chair and started kissing him on the forehead, cheeks, and finally, tenderly on his lips. “Oh, Richard, I’ve been so worried about you. I was so afraid of losing you. I’ve been praying that you would wake up and come back to me.”
He looked at her and softly raised his hand and touched her cheek. He tried to talk but his voice wouldn’t work, so he mouthed, “I love you, Maggs.”
She started crying and couldn’t stop the tears. “Welcome home, darling. We’ve missed you so much.” Richard squeezed her hand and then went back to sleep. Maggie could tell that her husband was back. She knew in her heart he was going to be fine. The two marines standing guard outside his room had heard Maggie scream her joy and knew that Colonel Wiseman was conscious, and they stood even straighter. The survivors of his battalion had taken turns on their spare time to stand watch outside his door. Even the wounded had argued for their turn. The guards sent word out over the com that he was back, and slowly but surely his men began coming to stand outside the hospital where he slept, finally at peace. There they waited for him.
Jeremy Watson was also in the hospital. He had been shot in the leg after he had joined the headquarters staff in support of Charlie Company. He continued to fire his weapon until he lost consciousness. He, like Richard, had been rushed back to Earth for special care. He had regained consciousness three days ago and was beginning to walk on his repaired leg. Getting his repaired shoulder to work properly was not going as well, but he knew it was only a matter of time until he was, if not 100 percent, at least ninety. He looked in his personnel pack and saw the letter Alonso had charged him to deliver, and he vowed to finish that promise quickly. Alonso deserved his best effort. He never considered having anyone else deliver it. It was his duty, his solemn duty. He missed Alonso tremendously and felt a huge weight on his heart because Alonso was killed saving him. “I’ve got to deliver this letter,” he thought.
Two days later, Richard woke to see Tag, Danielle, Maggie, and his children surrounding his bed. He smiled and said, “What’s the matter? Am I going to die or something?”
Tag took his friend’s hand and said, “Richard, we have been worried that you just might, but now we know you’re going to be fine. This is the first day your doctors would allow us to move you out of this room, and we have some visitors that will not leave until they have the opportunity to say hello. So, are you ready for a little trip?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Richard said.
Tag took the bed Richard was lying in and started rolling it out of the room and into the hall. The hospital staff lined both sides of the hall, and as soon as they saw him they started clapping. It continued and grew in volume as they rolled him through the front entrance and out to the grassy area directly in front of the hospital.
Richard heard, “Attention!” There, lined in perfect ranks, were the survivors of his battalion. The veterans of the Ross conflict saluted and then cheered their leader. Even the wounded that were unable to walk sat in their chairs and cheered. Richard felt a big lump in his throat and returned their salute. Then he saw, directly to the side of the entrance, the large crowd that covered the hospital grounds and extended out into the streets in both directions. The director of the government of Earth was approaching him with all the members of the general staff behind her. She came to Richard’s bed and he saluted her. “I’m sorry I can’t stand, Madam Director.”
Misty Nicole took a microphone and said, “It is I that should be saluting you, Colonel Wiseman. All of Earth wants to thank you for the sacrifice and bravery you and your men demonstrated during the relief of the Ross population. When confronted by a force more than six times your number, you and your brave comrades held out until relief could arrive. You fought even though your leg was broken in four places and you had shrapnel in your arm. Even thought your armor’s screen no longer functioned, you refused to leave the battle and continued to fight to save your men from being overrun through a weak point in your lines. We have not fought a battle in more than four hundred years,” she said to the assembled crowds. “Colonel Wiseman and his men have set a standard for all of our armed forces to follow that should inspire us all. It is with a grateful and loving heart that I have the pleasure of awarding Colonel Richard Wiseman the Solar Star, which is mankind’s highest award for bravery. He is the first marine recipient of this award. We also have changed his battalion’s numbers to First Battalion, First Division Naval Marines. His unit will be awarded the Golden Transport Medal, which is the highest award for bravery a unit may receive. Colonel Richard Wiseman is also hereby promoted to the rank of general and will command the newly constituted First Division. General Wiseman, all mankind thanks you and your men for the sacrifice and job you’ve done in freeing our brothers from the Alliance concentration camps on Ross.”
The crowd went crazy with a roar, and Richard could barely keep control of himself. He was crying for the men he lost and the memory of their sacrifice. His men were chanting over and over, “Wise-man, Wise-man, Wise-man.”
Tag leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Richard, your ghosts should rest easy now. You’ve atoned for your sins.”
Richard looked at Tag and said, “I can’t thank you enough for giving me a chance.” Then Maggie and the children were all over him with kisses, and he finally found peace and knew his heart was free.
Jeremy Watson rang the tone on the door of Alonso’s family’s living quarters. A pretty young woman
