“What’s that?”
“Perhaps the aliens deliberately let us know of their capabilities with the hypernet system. Perhaps they expected you to somehow escape from that star system just as you have successfully escaped from others. Perhaps they aren’t helping the Syndics but trying to tell us something.”
Geary stared at the star display, letting the idea filter through his mind. “I have enough humans who think I can do the impossible. I don’t need aliens piling on, too. Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know,” Rione stated with open frustration. “We don’t know what the goals of these mysterious opponents are. We don’t know how they think, assuming they’re not human. What do they want? Humanity tricked into endless war? Are they waiting for some optimum number of hypernet gates to be built before they cause all of them to collapse and liberate enough energy to sterilize every part of space colonized by humanity? Or are the gates simply insurance if we ever threaten them? Or is it something totally different, a goal based on some alien concept we can’t even put a name to?”
“You’re telling me they may not be hostile? Even though they redirected that Syndic flotilla to Lakota so we were almost trapped there?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. If an alien fleet appeared before us tomorrow, what would you do?”
Geary paused to think. “I’m not sure. If they opened fire, my decision would be easy. But if they just appeared…I guess the smart thing to do would be to talk. Find out what they want.”
“And then,” Rione added, her eyes hard, “decide if what they want is something humanity can live with.”
“Whoever or whatever they are, they owe us for the loss of Audacious, Indefatigable, and Defiant,” Geary replied, his own voice harsh. “They better have a really good justification for that.”
THREE more days of thinking, three more days of not finding answers. As the fleet exited into normal space back at Ixion, Geary felt a bitter taste in his mouth. No minefield awaited them at this jump exit from Lakota, so Geary just watched as the Alliance warships flashed into existence around Dauntless. He kept his eyes on the ship status readouts as reports came in, seeing updates on damage and repairs, fuel cell reserves, and expendable munitions remaining. Everything looked bad. Worse yet, a number of ships were still trying to get some of their main propulsion drives repaired. Until they did, the fleet couldn’t even run at a good pace without leaving those ships behind.
Leaving them behind to the Syndic wolves that would be coming out of this same jump point in pursuit. Geary had no trouble imagining the scene, because he’d already run some worst-case simulations. The Alliance fleet fleeing for another jump point, the faster Syndics coming on after them, swarms of swift light cruisers and Hunter-Killers picking off those Alliance ships too badly damaged to keep up, then harassing the main body of the fleet itself, hitting the ships in the rear of the Alliance formation and one by one causing them to lose ground and be caught by the main body of the Syndic pursuers.
He’d tried simulations of what would happen if he tried to re-form his fleet here and fight the superior numbers of Syndics who’d be coming through that jump exit in pursuit. With many damaged ships, low fuel reserves, and expendable ammunition stocks almost exhausted, the results were always total destruction for the Alliance fleet.
Assuming he retained command after the fleet conference that would have to be held. Now, when the external threats were so critical, he knew that he had to deal with an even greater level of internal threat.
They couldn’t linger in Ixion for even an extra moment, and they wouldn’t get out of Ixion without losing a lot more ships. Beyond Ixion, if any Alliance ships made it out, there seemed no way to throw off the Syndic pursuit this time, no way to justify the sacrifice of all of the ships lost at Lakota. All around him on the bridge of Dauntless he could see the watch-standers gazing at each other with helpless expressions, looking scared and beaten as they absorbed the current condition of the fleet.
They couldn’t stand, and they couldn’t run.
And just like that, Geary realized what the Alliance fleet had to do. To hell with the fleet conference. I’ve made up my mind, and everyone’s going to follow orders.
He took a deep breath, took a long look at the battered ships of the fleet fleeing the jump point, then calmly pressed his controls. “All ships in the Alliance fleet, this is Captain Geary. Reverse course, immediate execute. I say again, all ships reverse course by turning up and over immediately.”
Captain Desjani gave the orders to her crew automatically, then turned to stare at Geary with a baffled look. He didn’t have to see anyone else’s face to know they were reacting the same way. “Sir?” Desjani asked. “Reverse course? If we’re going to try to plant the mines left in the fleet-”
“We’re not planting mines,” Geary stated. “There’s not enough left in our inventories to make a difference.”
“Captain Geary,” a message came in, “this is Captain Duellos on Courageous. Please confirm your last order.”
“Confirm. All ships, reverse course, immediate execute. Let’s move it.”
Geary wondered if any of his ships would keep going, fleeing farther into Ixion Star System, but no place offering refuge or hiding could be seen, only the vast emptiness around Ixion, and it seemed no one wanted to risk being left alone in that emptiness by ignoring the order. He saw his ships curving up and around. They weren’t in much of a semblance to any formation now, but he didn’t have time to try to reorganize them. Even at the relatively slow speed with which the fleet had exited the jump point, it took far longer than Geary liked, but eventually the fleet was pointed back toward the jump exit.
“This is Colossus. What are your intentions, Captain Geary? Shouldn’t there be a fleet conference as soon as possible? There are critical command issues to address.”
“This is Conqueror. Concur with Colossus.”
“Thank you for your input,” Geary replied. “There’s no time for a conference. We’re leaving this star system.” He paused just long enough for everyone to hear that and wonder what he meant. “All ships in the Alliance fleet, this is Captain Geary. We’re not going to retreat even one more kilometer. This fleet has unfinished business at Lakota. We’re going to jump back toward Lakota, and when we get there, we’re going to kick in the teeth of any Syndic flotilla present there and then see how many of the crew members of Indefatigable, Audacious, Defiant, Paladin, Renown, and the other ships we left back there can be recovered, and then this fleet will continue on its way back to Alliance space no matter what the Syndics throw at us.“
He took another deep breath, wondering what everyone was thinking right now. “We’ll go through jump right like this to save time and ensure we surprise the Syndics. On exit at Lakota, all ships are to turn starboard immediately eight zero degrees and be ready for combat. We won’t be leaving Lakota again until we’ve given the Syndics a lesson they’ll never forget on how the Alliance fleet can fight.” And maybe provide a lesson about how hard humanity could be to defeat for the unknown aliens as well. Even if they had spies all over this fleet, those spies wouldn’t have much chance to tip off their bosses with the fleet going right back into jump. The battle would be a little more even this time without the aliens helping the Syndics.
“Yes, sir!” Desjani was grinning and thrusting one fist high in the air. The watch-standers Geary could see on the bridge of Dauntless were yelling and punching each other’s arms. He could hear a low roar that he gradually realized was the sound of the crew of Dauntless cheering their lungs out.
Geary looked back and saw Victoria Rione staring around as if she had suddenly found herself in an insane asylum. “Captain Geary,” Rione protested in a strangled voice, “your fleet is low on ammunition, low on fuel cells, and has many damaged ships. And you’re taking it back to Lakota?”
“That’s right,” Geary stated. “We can’t stand and fight here, we can’t run and get away, so we’re attacking.”
Rione looked from Geary to the celebrating crew members of Dauntless, her expression horrified. “But that’s madness! What if there’s a superior Syndic force still awaiting us at Lakota?”
“I guess that’ll be too bad for them,” Geary replied, knowing that whatever he said would somehow find its way around the fleet. It wasn’t a moment for caution or reflection or doubt. I need to lead this fleet. May the living stars grant that I’m not leading it to destruction, but if so, we’re going to die fighting, not running. Desjani was smiling proudly at him as the ships of the Alliance fleet reached the jump point again. Another fleet officer, and a very good one, she understood something that Rione probably never could. “All ships,” Geary transmitted, “I’ll see you in Lakota.
“Jump now.”
