plasma, the slagged remnants of what had been a ship and cargo finally exiting back into space, still glowing brightly from radiated heat.
“That must’ve been quite a show from the planet’s surface,” Geary noted.
“Better show on the other side, Captain Geary,” Desjani advised. “That side of the planet was in darkness. Do you want the replay?”
“Yeah.” The details differed in that the first three surviving merchant ships all missed their target by varying distances, but the end result was the same, as by chance the fourth scored a direct hit, blasting a deep crater into the Syndic installation and surely destroying every piece of equipment on it by the force of its impact. This side only had two merchant ships enter and then exit atmosphere, but Geary had to concede that Desjani was right. Against the dark sky, the fiery trails of the dead ships stood out so bright that the optical systems on the Dauntless had to adjust sensitivity downward to keep the image from being whited out.
I wonder what the Syndic pursuit force thought of our little show? Geary checked their location. They won’t see it for another two hours. Then we won’t see their reaction to it for at least another eight hours. Not that there’s much they can do besides yell insults at us.
“Why haven’t we received another surrender demand?” Desjani wondered, just as if she’d been reading Geary’s last thoughts. “There’s been plenty of time for that Syndic force to get one to us.”
“Good question. It wouldn’t hurt them in any way to make another demand. Maybe they don’t intend offering the opportunity to surrender anymore.”
Desjani smiled crookedly. “With all due respect, sir, I don’t think that the Syndics ever intended making a sincere offer to accept our surrender. Whatever terms they’d have offered, and whatever terms we’d have accepted, would’ve meant nothing.”
“Based on what they did to Admiral Bloch and his companions in the Syndic home system, I’d have to agree with you.”
“I was thinking as well of what just happened in this system.”
“Another good example, Captain. You’re quite right.” Geary scratched behind one ear. “But if they never intended abiding by any terms of surrender, what would they have to lose by making offers or demands?”
He was answered this time by Co-President Rione. “They don’t want to appear weak by making demands they can’t enforce.”
Geary looked back, seeing Rione seated in the observer’s seat. “I’m sorry, Madam Co-President. I didn’t know you’d come onto the bridge.”
“I entered while the Syndic merchant ships were arriving at the inhabited planet, Captain Geary.” Rione’s face shadowed momentarily with some dark emotion. “I understand the agreement I negotiated was violated.”
“You might say that,” Desjani responded in a bland voice.
“But that’s not your fault,” Geary added, with a glance at Desjani.
“Nonetheless, I offer my apologies.” Rione nodded her head toward the displays before Geary’s and Desjani’s seats. “As I said, the Syndicate Worlds commanders cannot continue demanding our surrender. It’s a matter of politics and image. This fleet has escaped a trap at the Syndicate home system, and run through Corvus System without real hindrance. The appearance grows that the Syndicate commanders cannot bring us to heel. Under the circumstances, they must destroy us or force us to sue for surrender in order to reaffirm their strength.”
Geary rubbed his lower face, contemplating Rione’s words. “That sounds very plausible.” He glanced at Desjani, who nodded back reluctantly. “There may be another reason, too. I’ll bet you that right now the commander of that pursuit force knows there’s a big reception party waiting for us at Yuon. He’s figuring he’ll come through to Yuon on our heels, while we’re trying to fight our way through that ambush, and finish us. So he or she doesn’t want to talk surrender when he or she sees themself as on the way to being the Hero of Yuon.”
“That is certainly possible as well,” Rione agreed.
He took another look at the display, pulling out the scale so that almost all of the Corvus Star System was visible on it, the Alliance fleet and the Syndic pursuit force both reduced to mere dots crawling across the great distances between jump exit and the new jump point. The Alliance force was most of the way through Corvus now, only a day away from being able to jump to hoped-for safety at Kaliban. Which reminds me. There’s some important unfinished business to attend to. “I’ll be in my stateroom.”
Geary swept past Rione, who gave him a look that was just a shade shy of suspicion. Once safely alone, he began calling up the list of names Captain Duellos had forwarded to him, looking for a new commander for Arrogant. He’d vowed that Commander Vebos wouldn’t be the captain of that ship when they left Corvus, and he meant to fulfill that vow.
With an entire fleet to draw from, there were plenty of candidates. However, Duellos had taken the trouble to highlight certain names. Geary, checking the names against their service records and whatever brief memories (if any) he had of the individuals, realized those names belonged to officers who were good at their jobs but not among the worshippers of Black Jack Geary.
One caught his eye. Commander Hatherian, currently weapons officer on the Orion. One of Numos’s officers, which would’ve made Hatherian automatically suspect in Geary’s eyes. In Geary’s experience, people like Numos tended to surround themselves with subordinates who were at least willing to pretend they thought their boss was the brightest star in the heavens. But Duellos thought Hatherian was worth considering. And Hatherian’s last fitness report from Numos had been good but not glowing. Clearly, Hatherian wasn’t Numos’s favorite.
Hmmm. Hatherian’s a commander. So is Vebos. I was wondering what to do with Vebos.
Geary crafted a pair of messages with great care, finally downloading them and then returning to the bridge where Rione still sat, her and Captain Desjani both apparently oblivious to the other’s presence. “I’m sending orders to Arrogant and Orion,” Geary informed Desjani.
“Yes, sir.” Desjani obviously wondered why she needed to be told that, but she read the outgoing messages and then fought to keep her expression unremarkable. “Do you anticipate any trouble having these orders followed?”
“Not on Orion’s part.” If he’d judged Numos right, the man thought himself an inspiring leader. Even if Captain Numos didn’t think too highly of Commander Hatherian, Numos would likely assume that Hatherian would be more loyal to Numos than Geary. Having himself worked for people like Numos, Geary knew things often didn’t work that way. Getting out from under such a commander was often a great relief, and little if any loyalty flowed from the past association.
Geary sat down, waiting.
Less than an hour later, a shuttle left Orion, heading for Arrogant. Desjani ran some figures. “It’ll take the shuttle about two hours to reach Arrogant.”
“I’ll be back.” Geary headed out, forcing himself back down to another mess area to pretend to eat another meal and pretend to be confident of their return to Alliance space. Then he vainly attempted to rest for a while before returning to the bridge.
“Orion’s shuttle is still a half hour out from Arrogant.”
“Thank you, Captain Desjani. Has Arrogant sent any messages to the shuttle?”
“No, sir. As far as we can tell, Arrogant hasn’t acknowledged the shuttle at all.”
Geary drummed his fingers on his chair arm, pondering what options he had if Vebos continued to act like an idiot. There were several, but he didn’t want the situation to escalate any worse than it absolutely had to. Reaching a decision, he tapped in a communications address that was becoming all too familiar. “Colonel Carabali, I have a shuttle en route to Arrogant from Orion.”
“Yes, sir.” Carabali eyed him, obviously curious as to why she should care.
