intelligence analyst. Basically, you’ll monitor Jonas’ comm traffic, and report anything that may be of use to our resistance.”
“Of course, Captain. It is a role for which I am uniquely qualified.” She sounded pleased.
“Very well. I’d like you to patch me through on that frequency. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Captain. You are connected with a voice-activated transmitter. Please proceed.”
I hesitated. “Don’t connect me yet. First, it is vital that you realize your importance to us, and the necessity that we keep your identity absolutely secret. While you have incredible capabilities, you are also very vulnerable. This is an order. You are not to reveal to Sneaker One or anyone else the details of your identity. You may become a hero of the resistance, but only as an agent whose identity will never be known.”
“Yes, sir!” Her tone was pleased and even excited. She was becoming more human every day.
“All right, you can key the transmitter now. Sneaker, this is Boss One. Sneaker, this is Boss One. Do you read me?”
“Boss One, this is Sneaker. Wait one, please.” The response was immediate and the connection clear.
Only a few moments elapsed before I heard, “Boss One, this is Sneaker One. Please confirm identity.” The voice was obviously Wil Tor’s.
“Sneaker, this is Boss One, code one-oh-oh-one.”
Wil’s voice was strained. “Identity confirmed. What in the bloody universe are you doing on Haven? Have you lost your mind?”
“Relax, Sneaker. I’m not on Haven. I’m being patched through on subspace. I’m calling to introduce you to the agent that made that possible.”
His voice became agitated. “But that isn’t possible! The only initiator in the sector is in ruins in the palace.”
I hesitated. “Don’t ask. You don’t need to know. First off, I know this is your general frequency. Give me one that’ll give us secure comms.”
It was Wil’s turn to hesitate. “We haven’t been using tac six. Meet me on tac six plus four hundred.”
I nodded, and then realized that Wil couldn’t see me. “Very well. Within three-oh seconds on tac six plus four hundred.” There was an audible click as Wil switched frequencies.
“Are we disconnected?” I asked Kaleen cautiously.
“Yes, Captain,” she replied. “If you will tell me the frequency of tac six, I’ll reconnect on the secure frequency.”
I nodded. “Tac six is at eight-four-oh kilohertz. Connect us on eight-eight-oh.”
“Yes, sir. Connected.”
“Sneaker?”
“Listening, Boss One.”
“All right. Now, I’m not going to explain, but we’ve been able to obtain the help of an agent with unparalleled communications resources. We’ll call her Snooper. I want you to assign her a secure frequency for contacting you. She will be available to help you in any way you need, but only concerning communications. I envision her primary duty as that of communications analyst. She will monitor all Fleet frequencies, and report to you anything interesting that she learns. Of course, she’ll also provide us with subspace communications capability.”
“Uh, can she judge what’s interesting, sir?” Wil’s tone was dubious.
I hesitated while I phrased an answer. “She is an expert in communications and ships. She has no experience in judging the military content of messages, other than book knowledge, but expect her to learn fast. Very fast. Her clearance will be Alpha-One, the same as yours or mine. She is to have access to any data that she feels necessary.”
“Oh, by the way,” I added. “You are hereby directed to make no effort to ascertain Snooper’s identity, under any circumstances. To do so will endanger both her and you, and may cost us an incredible intelligence asset. Is that clear?”
I could hear the frown in his “Yes, sir!” It would rub him the wrong way, being forced to trust someone he’d never met, and would never meet. I hoped.
I was afraid that, despite orders, Wil would try to find out what he could about Snooper. I certainly would try to learn about someone providing intel that might get my people killed. I shrugged. I’d just have to warn Kaleen, and hope she was able to carry it off.
“I have some final instructions for her,” I concluded. “She will call you back on this frequency within five minutes. I want the two of you to begin getting to know each other, and to set up ultra-secure communications. Boss One, out.” I waved at the empty chair filling the other end of the comm room, hoping that Kaleen would understand and disconnect the comm link with Wil.
“Clear, Captain,” Kaleen said crisply, “What instructions did you have for me?”
I shrugged. “Nothing important, Kaleen. I wanted to warn you. Sneaker One will try to learn your identity, despite my orders.”
“He would disobey your orders?”
I winced. How was I going to explain this to a comp?
“He would not wish to, no. However, he is responsible for the lives of several hundred people. He will consider it his responsibility to make every effort to learn the identity of someone who could put those people at risk. He will probably try to interpret my orders in such a way as to permit him to violate the spirit of the order without violating its letter. Besides, Sneaker One is very good at his task, and he will convince himself that any punishment he might receive would be less important than his people’s lives.
“At any rate, Kaleen, I want you to be prepared. You can simply ignore or refuse to answer his questions and hints. You can even invent a persona; a whole background as a human. If his prying becomes too inconvenient, you could let something slip occasionally. Be careful, though. If he learns that no such person exists, you’d probably lose any of his trust you might have gained.”
“Yes, sir!” she replied crisply. I struggled to hide a grin. Kaleen was like an incredibly precocious child. I would have to remember that.
We arranged for Kaleen to report on a regular basis, and then I signed off so that she could start getting to know Wil Tor.
Our new intelligence agent delighted cord. “Once this is over,” he said with a grin, “I’m looking forward to getting to know Kaleen — that is, if you haven’t corrupted her by then.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll be effective. Given time, she’ll be coordinating our attacks.”
Cord was impatient. He wanted action. Finally, he overruled me, and ordered that Predator and Harpy ambush the two searching destroyers.
“But sir,” I protested, “We can’t afford to slug it out with Jonas’ ships mass for mass. Two destroyers fighting two destroyers mean four disabled or destroyed ships.”
Cord shook his head. “Our two will have those boats to help. But we must attack those two destroyers.”
“If we must, then at least wait until we can hit them with an overwhelming force; Predator, Harpy, Valkyrie, rim tramps and attack boats.”
“How long?”
I shrugged. “A week, maybe two. It takes time to plan and execute a multi-ship battle.”
He shook his head. “No. It can’t wait. Send the destroyers.”
“But, sir…”
He waved me to silence. “You don’t understand, Admiral. It’s not just important that we do something; we must be seen to do something. The people of the rim have to see that we’re actively resisting. Otherwise, their resistance falls apart. If we lose both destroyers, we still have to do it.
“Look, Admiral,” he continued in a more reasonable tone, “you understand military strategy and tactics; but I understand politics and group dynamics. This has to be done, and it must be done as soon as possible. By all means, give the destroyers any edge you can. If they can win decisively, it’ll be worth a dozen destroyers. But it must be done!”
Chapter XII
