As Geary ran his next course calculations, the four battleships were already spitting out the solid chunks of metal that would gain energy all the way to hitting their targets. At the velocities the metal projectiles would be traveling when they struck their targets, not only the projectiles but also a fair amount of surrounding real estate would be vaporized. Ships could easily see kinetic projectiles coming and make the tiny alterations in course necessary to dodge something coming from millions of kilometers away, but installations on objects in fixed orbits were stuck on predictable paths, which had made them easy targets ever since mankind had weaponized space.
“All units,” Geary ordered, “turn starboard seven two degrees, down zero three degrees, at time one six.” The orders would cause every ship to pivot in place, the formations aligned the same way but now heading in a different direction so that the broad sides of the coins once again faced forward.
Desjani only took a moment to analyze the order. “You’re splitting the difference between the jump points for Branwyn and T’negu?”
“I want to keep the Syndics guessing on our objective,” Geary explained as he stood. “Ready for another fleet conference?”
“If you can face them, I can,” she replied.
Desjani followed Geary off the bridge, but as Geary passed Rione, she stood up and came right behind him, interposing herself between Geary and Desjani. “You’re going to be physically present at this conference?” Geary asked, surprised out of his concentration on his alternatives.
“Perhaps,” Rione answered with a frosty edge to her voice. “I’d like to know what you’re going to say beforehand, unless it’s a secret.”
“All right.”
Rione walked alongside him as they headed for the conference room, Desjani trailing and remaining silent.
“I’m going to tell them that I intend trying to lure the Syndics at the hypernet gate out of position. The track we’re on will keep them guessing as to our objective but lead them to believe we’re just transiting the system and intend leaving as soon as possible.”
“Isn’t that what you really intend doing?” Rione pressed.
“Well, yes, though if we get that Syndic flotilla far enough out of position, we can make a run for the hypernet gate. That’s going to remain an option.”
“Do you really think they’ll risk leaving the gate?” Rione wasn’t trying to hide her skepticism.
“They might. If they don’t, we go on to Branwyn.”
The conference room was already expanded by the virtual meeting software, most of the fleet’s captains already in attendance. A small heads-up warning floated before Geary as he took his place at the head of the table, reminding him that because the fleet remained dispersed, there’d be noticeable delays in response times from ships at a distance.
“Welcome to Lakota,” Geary stated, realizing that he’d need to come up with some other way to start these meetings. “It looks like we outguessed the Syndics again.”
“Why aren’t we headed for the hypernet gate?” Captain Casia demanded.
Feeling very tired of having Casia interrupt him, Geary just stood and looked at the man for a long time, until Casia began fidgeting. “I’d appreciate it in the future,” Geary stated in a voice as devoid of emotion as he could make it, “if you would wait until I have outlined our plans before commenting on them. Is that clear, Captain Casia?”
“I’m only-”
“Am I clear, Captain Casia? Did you understand what I said?” Oh, yeah. Black Jack could do this. It felt good on that level. He just had to make sure he didn’t push it past the point that John Geary would regard as appropriate.
“I understood you.” Geary’s face hardened, and Casia added a final word. “Sir.”
“Thank you.” Gazing down the table again, Geary tried to pick up where he’d left off. “There’s only a small Syndic flotilla in this system, but one easily big enough to destroy that hypernet gate if we try to charge it while they remain in position near the gate. As long as they’re there, we can’t hope to access the gate.”
He gestured to the display, where a representation of the Alliance formation glowed, a long line arcing through Lakota toward a point about midway between two jump points on the other side of the star. “If we can’t get those Syndics away from the gate, we’ll have to use jump points again. If it comes to that, we’ll head for Branwyn.” That brought smiles, since Branwyn led toward Alliance space. “But we might as well keep the Syndics a little uncertain until then about whether we might jump for T’negu instead.”
“They won’t leave that gate,” Captain Tulev noted. “The Syndics must have orders to ensure we don’t use it.”
“Probably,” Geary agreed. “But there’s a chance if they’re convinced we’re heading for a jump point, and they see an attractive enough opportunity, that they might risk coming after us.”
Far down the table, Captain Tyrosian flinched. The last time Geary had needed a lure, it was one of the auxiliaries. She’d be even less happy when she found out he intended using all four this time.
Geary altered the display floating above the table, zooming in on the depiction of the Alliance formation. “The Syndics can tell the ships in Echo Five Five consist mostly of our four auxiliaries and our most badly damaged ships. I’ve already positioned the formations so that Echo Five Five trails the fleet. As we head across the system, Echo Five Five will gradually lose ground on the rest of the fleet as if unable to keep up.”
“How much ground?” Captain Midea asked. Her attitude was a bit different, Geary realized. In the absence of an immediate threat, she’d been extremely aggravating. But with the Syndics around in force, Midea seemed more professional, more focused on dealing with the enemy than with messing with Geary.
“Echo Five Five will remain within supporting distance of the rest of the fleet,” Geary assured her.
“If so, the Syndics won’t take the bait,” Midea objected. “We need to be far enough away that the rest of the fleet seems too far off to render assistance.”
Duellos was giving Midea a measuring look, Casia was frowning at her, and Captain Cresida was nodding. “She’s right, sir.”
Geary shook his head. “I can’t risk-”
“Paladin can fight,” Midea insisted. “Put her back there with Orion and Majestic and Warrior. Add in the ships from the Seventh Battleship Division, and we’ll have seven battleships in that formation. That’s enough to deal with the warships in the Syndic flotilla.”
Commander Yin of Orion was staring at Midea with unsuccessfully concealed horror. Majestic’s commanding officer shook his head regretfully. “We’re not front-line capable. Neither is Warrior.”
“Warrior is prepared to engage in combat,” Commander Suram corrected quickly and firmly.
Geary gave Suram a measuring look, impressed by his attitude and letting Suram see it.
“Since when does the Alliance fleet need superior numbers to engage the enemy?” Midea demanded. “Warrior is ready to fight, so even if you leave out Majestic and Orion, that would still give us half the number of major combatants the Syndics muster. Alliance ships can easily defeat twice their number of Syndics.” She turned an accusing gaze on Geary. “Black Jack Geary defeated ten times his number.”
Had he really been outnumbered ten to one at Grendel? Funny how he couldn’t remember general things like that, just lots of details of the battle.
Geary suddenly realized that Captain Midea had the potential to be a thorn in the side of every fleet commander, not just him. When not facing an immediate threat from the enemy, she was difficult and challenging, and when facing the enemy she wanted to charge straight into battle. He couldn’t fault her courage, but being reckless in every environment wasn’t a good thing in an officer. He wondered how Numos had managed to keep her under control.
Was the chance of reaching that hypernet gate worth the chance of increasing the risk of losing one or more of his auxiliaries? After all, if the fleet could get home quickly through the gate, it wouldn’t need the resupply capability the auxiliaries offered.
Hell, if he believed sacrificing ships like that was a good idea, then why bother attaching the three good battleships of the Seventh Division to the formation? Why not just send the auxiliaries and his crippled warships off alone and let them get wiped out while Geary took the fleet home?
Geary shook his head. “I want to lure the Syndics out, but I cannot expose the auxiliaries or the damaged
