the Branwyn jump point. But the Alliance fleet had to change its trajectory. It couldn’t simply keep heading out into empty space. The question was, how to change it and where or what to aim for?
Make a pass at the habitable world to see if the Syndics would follow to try to keep the Alliance from bombarding it? No, he’d already seen enough in other star systems to know that the Syndic leaders wouldn’t waste time worrying about the fate of civilians or even the industry on a world. More than once the Syndic leaders had actually tried to provoke such a bombardment, probably in hopes of ensuring their people remained fearful of the Alliance.
Dodge back toward the hypernet gate in hopes the new Syndic flotilla would follow? As Desjani had pointed out, there wasn’t any guarantee the Syndics would cooperate. Continue on toward the jump point for Branwyn, knowing that the new flotilla would be laying mines and waiting to pounce if Geary’s fleet actually tried to jump out of Lakota there? He didn’t need to look at Desjani again to know she expected Geary to charge the biggest enemy force, and most of his other commanders would have the same attitude. If he turned away, some might continue on toward the jump exit, determined to force battle.
Geary’s eyes went to the fleet status readouts, and in particular the fuel cell levels on each ship. I don’t have the fuel cell reserves to go charging back and forth across this system. The Syndics don’t have to react unless I actually close on the hypernet gate, and then they’d destroy it and leave this fleet out of position for reaching any of the jump points to leave Lakota. And if the gate collapsed in such a way that it released one of the higher levels of potential energy discharge, this entire star system and everything in it might be destroyed. Everything-including this fleet.
Keep it simple. Try to avoid using up this fleet’s fuel cells, so I’ll have them when I really need them. I don’t really have a choice. “Captain Desjani, we’re going to intercept the Syndic flotilla heading for the jump exit for Branwyn.” She grinned, and so did the watch-standers on the bridge. “Can you give me a recommended intercept course?”
“One three degrees to starboard, up zero four degrees,” she answered immediately. “That’s if we increase speed to point zero seven light to intercept the Syndic flotilla as it reaches the jump point for Branwyn. Time to intercept will be forty-one hours, twelve minutes.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Desjani must have already run the intercept calculations, naturally. Even though the Alliance ships were currently all oriented so they would be turning to their left, or to port, fleet maneuvering commands used the external star system as their reference. Otherwise, in space where ships might face in any and all directions, no two ships could be certain of what each other meant by left and right, up or down. The rule in a star system was that port was away from the sun, and starboard was toward it, while up and down referenced the plane of the star system. Since the intercept course required the Alliance fleet to turn a bit toward the sun of Lakota, that meant the turn was to starboard.
Rione had one hand pressed against her forehead, an expression of resignation on what of her face could be seen. “Off to battle, Captain Geary?” she asked.
“We’ll see.” He sat down and activated the fleetwide circuit. “All ships, turn starboard one three degrees, up zero four degrees, and increase speed to point seven light at time three two. We intend intercepting the new Syndic flotilla. Expect combat in about three days.” Hating to give the next order but unable to see any alternative after the arrival of the new Syndic flotilla, Geary spoke again. “Second and Seventh Destroyer Squadrons, set the power cores on those Syndic ore carriers to self-destruct and then rejoin the fleet at best speed. Ensure any remaining Syndic prisoners from the ore carriers are put into escape pods. I don’t want to have to worry about them on your ships during the battle.”
What else? Oh, yes, the lure, which hadn’t attracted any Syndics. “Captain Tyrosian, ensure all resupply activity is completed and all shuttles recovered as soon as possible but no later than twenty-four hours from now. Captain Mosko, increase speed of Formation Echo Five Five as necessary to bring your formation back into position relative to the rest of the fleet.”
“Three more days to wait before we close on the Syndics.” Desjani grimaced, plainly wishing the fleet was already approaching engagement range. “I hate this part.”
“ARE you planning on jumping the fleet out of this system or fighting those Syndic ships?” Rione demanded. She had kept quiet while they were walking back to his stateroom, but the moment the hatch sealed, she hurled the question at him.
“That depends.” Geary flopped down on a seat and activated the display showing the situation in Lakota Star System. “What do the Syndics do? How do they react? I can’t chase them with this fleet. We don’t have the fuel cells to waste on that.”
“There’s more fuel cells on the auxiliaries. If you-”
“Not enough!” He made a face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to cut you off.” Rione, whose eyes had started to blaze, relaxed slightly. “If I get every fuel cell the auxiliaries have managed to manufacture distributed throughout the fleet, it’ll bring the ships up to about sixty percent fuel cell reserves by the time we reach the jump exit for Branwyn if we don’t do any more maneuvering. That’s not enough of a safety margin for routine combat ops. For a fleet trapped behind enemy lines, it’s scary as hell.”
“I thought you said the fleet would have to slow down to get through any mines the new Syndic force lays at that jump point. That’ll require burning more fuel cell reserves, won’t it?”
“I did, and you’re right. So you see how bad it is.”
Rione eyed Geary for a moment, then smiled. “I underestimated you again.”
“You did?”
“Yes, Captain John Geary.” Rione laughed. “Limited fuel cells so you can’t race around this star system, and subordinates who would create problems if they thought you were running from the enemy. So you pretend to head for battle on the straightest course to the jump point we need, knowing the Syndics are likely to pull back and let you get this fleet out of this star system. Well done! You might make a politician yet.”
He returned a crooked smile. “I’m afraid I’m not half that clever. I think the Syndics will fight at the Branwyn jump exit. They know we have to use it. They don’t want to let us out of this system unscathed.”
Rione, her smile gone, searched Geary’s eyes. “Then what do you intend doing?”
“Like I said, it depends. Will the new Syndic force try a major engagement, hitting us full force? Or will they try to avoid a big battle and instead hammer at any weak points? If they want to do that, they can follow us through the jump point and be right on our tails at Branwyn.”
She considered that, sitting down and bending her head. After several minutes, Rione looked up at him again. “Are you sure you want to go to Branwyn?”
“What other choice do I have? It’s not like T’negu is a good option.”
“You’re getting into a situation where you have to fight this Syndic force.”
“I know.” Geary sat up a bit and called up something on the display above the table that he had only rarely consulted. “Recognize this?”
Rione stared at the display grimly. “The Syndic home system. I’m not likely to ever forget it.”
“The Alliance fleet suffered awful losses when it got ambushed there.” Geary pointed to where a long list of ship names shone in red. “The leading elements were annihilated and the rest mauled as they fought their way through the ambush.”
“You don’t have to remind me of that!” Rione looked away, her face pale. “Just the memories are bad enough.”
Geary nodded. “Sorry. But as you pointed out on the bridge, we’ve been winning some one-sided victories of our own. Not a one of them comes close to what the Syndics did to this fleet in their home system, but taken together, they’ve inflicted very heavy cumulative losses.”
Her eyes intent, Rione studied the display again. “And if you destroy this Syndic force in the same way, you’ll have come close to evening the score. Is that what this is about? Revenge? I thought better of you, John Geary, though I admit the idea of getting even with the Syndics is a pleasant one.”
“It’s not just revenge. Hell, it’s not really revenge. We’ve had to run like crazy because the ambush in the Syndic home system left the Syndics with a big numerical advantage over the Alliance.”
Her expression shifted again. “You’re erasing that advantage.”
“Right. We’ve come quite a way to doing that, which is why the Syndics had to employ barely trained crews and brand-new ships at Ixion. If I wipe out the new Syndic force that’s arrived in this system, the ability of the
