realized it was his own.
“Uncertain. The same for the intensity of the overload. We don’t know how much damage the core has already taken.”
“Understood.” Repulse might already be gone, the light from the event not yet having reached Dauntless. He’d know for certain soon. Geary pulled his attention away from the battle for a moment, seeing the ships of the Alliance fleet plunging into the special area of the gravity well around this star where conditions were right to enable the transition into the jump space where other stars were only weeks or months of travel away. “Commander Cresida’s plan said ships today can make jumps at up to point one light speed.”
“That’s correct,” Desjani advised. “The jump drive systems reached that capability before the hypernet stopped further research and development.”
“Good,” Geary commented tonelessly. “None of our ships will have to slow down to make the jump.”
Titan was almost there, the movement vectors of the leading Syndic ships closing frantically. The closest Syndic HuK, the one that had barely made it past Repulse, shattered into huge fragments as specters from Titan’s escort slammed into it. Other Syndic ships were vainly reaching toward the big Alliance ship and just falling short of intercepts in time to stop her and her escorts as they vanished into jump. More of the leading Syndic ships, all light units, started coming apart as those heavy Alliance ships that hadn’t yet jumped threw barrages at them. The surviving Syndic HuKs braked and frantically changed vectors, trying to cripple some other Alliance ship before it could jump, without getting annihilated themselves.
Geary looked back, and Repulse was gone. A spreading zone of wreckage and gases in the midst of the oncoming Syndic fleet marked the site of her death. May the living stars guide you, and our ancestors welcome you, Michael Geary. Farewell until we meet again in that place. “All remaining ships. Jump as soon as possible. I say again. Jump as soon as possible. Now, now, now.”
THREE
JUMP space hadn’t changed in the slightest. Geary knew he shouldn’t have expected it to have changed (what was a human standard century to the life of the universe?), but he’d been haunted by the thought that the new hypernet systems would somehow be visible threading through the emptiness. Instead, jump space presented only the same vista of an endless drab black that always seemed just on the verge of turning into darkest gray. Splayed across that vastness were rare splashes of light, following no understood pattern and representing something that remained unknown even now.
“The sailors say the lights are the homes of our ancestors.”
Geary looked toward Captain Desjani. “They said that in my time as well.” He didn’t feel like talking but felt he should. She’d taken the time to come see him, in this large stateroom that’d once belonged to Admiral Bloch and was now his home. Geary didn’t add that since being rescued he couldn’t look at the gray infinity of jump space without having his bones start to ache as if the cold they’d experienced in hibernation would never leave them.
Desjani stared at the display for a moment before speaking. “Some of the sailors are saying you’ve been there. In the lights. That you were waiting there until now, when the Alliance needed you.”
He started laughing, unable to resist even though he could hear the strain showing through the sound. “I think if I’d had any choice in the matter, I wouldn’t have come back now.”
“Well, they’re not saying it was a time you chose. They’re saying you were needed.”
“I see.” Geary stopped laughing and gazed at her. “What do you think?”
“The truth?”
“That’s all I ever want from you.”
Desjani smiled. “Fair enough. I think that if our ancestors were to intervene directly in events, and if they had chosen to bring you to this fleet when they did, then it was a very good thing.”
“Captain, in case it hasn’t become clear to you yet, I’m not that Black Jack Geary you heard about in school.”
“No,” she agreed. “You’re better than that.”
“What?”
“I’m serious.” Captain Desjani leaned forward, gesturing with one hand for emphasis. “A legendary hero can inspire, but they’re not much help when it comes to concrete actions. I’m not sure the Black Jack Geary I always heard about would’ve led this fleet out of the Syndic home system. You did.”
“Because you all think I am Black Jack Geary!”
“But you are that man! If you weren’t, then any of us who’d survived would currently be on our way to Syndic labor camps. You know that’s true. If you hadn’t been there, the fleet would’ve been destroyed.”
Geary made a face. “You’re assuming no one else would’ve risen to the occasion. You, or Captain Duellos, for example.”
“Captains Faresa and Numos are both senior to me in length of service, and to Captain Duellos as well. They wouldn’t have followed us. Maybe a few of us would’ve thought to try fleeing through the jump point, but not enough to have a chance of surviving the long trip home. No, the fleet would’ve fallen apart and died ship by ship.” Desjani grimaced, then smiled again. “You prevented that.”
Geary shrugged, avoiding directly responding to what she’d said. “You told me you had something for me?”
“Yes. You’ve received a message from Commander Cresida on the Furious.”
He gave her a confused look. “Transmitted just before we jumped?”
“No. A means to transmit messages in jump space was developed quite a while ago. We can’t run high-rate data streams, but we can send simple messages.”
“Oh.” He pondered “quite a while ago” for just a moment before recalling what had prompted the question. “What does Commander Cresida want?” Desjani passed Geary a notepad. He looked down at it, reading the short message. “She’s offering her resignation?”
Desjani shook her head as Geary looked at her. “I didn’t read the message, Captain Geary. It was ‘personal for’ you.”
“Oh.” I’ve got to stop saying that. “Well, she is. She’s offering to resign because of Repulse.” Saying the name made the very recent memory hit him like a blow in the gut.
“But you ordered-”
“The Captain of the Repulse volunteered,” Geary stated, his voice sounding bleak even to him. “No. Because the plan she developed required the sacrifice of another ship to ensure Titan made the jump.” Geary slumped, staring at the notepad and wondering if he needed another boost of meds or if he was just reacting to the stress of thinking about what had gone wrong and what that had cost. She tried. When just about everyone else was sitting around planning their funerals, Cresida offered to work that plan. Michael Geary liked her, I think. And I approved that plan. Me. “I don’t think there was any other way to get Titan out of there. Not with what she had to work with.” Desjani watched him, saying nothing. “Can I write my response on here?”
“Yes,” she replied. “The shorter the better, of course.”
Geary took the stylus and wrote. To Commander Cresida, ASN Furious. Request denied. You retain my full confidence. Respectfully, John Geary, Captain, ASN.
He handed it back to Desjani, who looked a question at him. Geary indicated she should read. She did so, nodded, then smiled slightly. “Just what I’d have expected of you, sir.”
Geary watched her, feeling an emptiness inside. Everything I do, they interpret
