“No.” She turned and walked the three steps that took her to the far bulkhead, apparently absorbed in studying the picture there. It was a legacy of Admiral Bloch, of course, a stunning starscape that was just the sort of thing you’d expect to find in a naval officer’s stateroom. Rione spent perhaps a minute looking at the picture, then turned toward Geary again. “Do you like starscapes, Captain Geary?”
Small talk. He hadn’t expected that, and it made him warier than ever. “Not particularly.”
“You can change it. You can put any picture from the ship’s graphic library on here.”
“I know.” He refused to add that he hadn’t been able to bring himself to wipe out the picture because it represented a legacy of Admiral Bloch’s former presence here.
Rione eyed him for several seconds longer before speaking again. “What are your intentions, Captain Geary?”
My intentions are purely honorable, ma’am. The incongruous thought arose totally unbidden, causing Geary to pretend to cough so he wouldn’t laugh instead. “Excuse me. Madam Co-President, as we discussed earlier, I intend to try to get this fleet back to Alliance space.”
“Don’t evade the question, Captain. We’re en route to the Corvus System. I want to know what you intend doing next.”
If I knew for sure, I’d tell you. But perhaps Rione’s visit wasn’t such a bad thing after all. She was apparently one of the few people on this ship who didn’t worship the space he sailed through, she’d already made it clear she wouldn’t hesitate to express her opinions, and as far as he could tell from their earlier conversation she had a good head on her shoulders. Granted, she also didn’t try to hide her dislike of him, but unlike the hostility he’d seen from people like Captains Numos and Faresa, at least the Republic Co-President’s disdain seemed tempered by some degree of common sense. “I’d like to discuss that with you.”
“Really?” Rione’s skepticism was clear from both her tone and her expression.
“Yes. Though I ask that our discussions remain confidential. I hope you understand.”
“Of course.”
Geary took one step to the table and painstakingly worked the still unfamiliar controls to call up its display. Stars glowed in the air above the table’s surface, then winked out. Cursing under his breath, Geary tried again, and this time the display remained steady. “We’re got some options.”
“Options.”
“Yes.” If she can talk in one-word sentences, so can I. Geary carefully manipulated the controls, and the stars were replaced with a miniature picture of how the Alliance fleet would currently appear to a godlike observer. “We’re likely to have a head start through Corvus before any Syndics come through the jump exit behind us. A few hours, at least.”
Rione frowned and came to stand near him, one arm almost touching his, but apparently as unreactive to his personal presence as if he were another wall. “The Syndic fleet was in very close pursuit when we entered jump. Surely they’ll still be right behind us when we enter the Corvus System.”
“I don’t think so.” Geary pointed toward the display. “We’ll be disposed like this when we leave jump. It’s a decent formation. More important, we’ve got plenty of heavy firepower toward the rear of the formation.”
“Heavier than the Syndics?”
Sarcasm definitely didn’t become Co-President Rione, Geary decided. “Locally, yes. When we entered jump, the Syndics were focused on trying to stop or slow some of our big units long enough for their big ships to catch up and destroy them. But the situation will be different on the other side of the jump if the Syndics come through right behind us. They’re all strung out. Their light stuff would run head-on into our main strength. We could send our own slow units on ahead while our best ships stayed at the jump exit and trashed the light Syndic ships as they came through.” He paused, then shook his head. “No, they won’t have followed us through immediately. They’ll have to take time to reform their forces. They can’t make a jump in that wall formation of theirs because it’s spread so wide the outer portions wouldn’t be within the jump point. They’ll call back the HuKs and other light units, get the heavies rearranged, and then…”
She raised one eyebrow. “Then?”
“That’s a big question.” Geary looked at her, trying to figure out if he could trust Rione or her judgments. Trust them or not, she may think of something I haven’t. “I’d like your thoughts on something.”
Rione gave him a guarded look, her skepticism still obvious. “My thoughts.”
“Yes. On what we do next.”
“Then before you say anything else, let me say this. Don’t misjudge your strength, Captain Geary.”
He frowned, feeling the weakness in his body, resenting that weakness and Rione’s apparent allusion to it. “What exactly does that mean? I’m physically capable of—”
“No. Not your personal strength. The strength of this fleet.” Rione waved one hand dismissively toward the depiction of the Alliance fleet. “Those give you a surface picture. They don’t tell you what’s inside.”
“Are you saying I can’t trust my information?”
“The information on the fleet is accurate as far as it goes.” She gestured again in apparent frustration. “I don’t know the right word to describe the problem. This fleet is like a piece of metal that seems very strong. But when struck, it breaks fairly easily. Do you understand?”
He did. “Brittle. You’re saying the fleet’s brittle. Strong-looking but too easily shattered by a blow. Is that right?”
Rione appeared surprised. “That’s exactly what I meant.”
“But not physical weakness. Not flaws in ship construction or weaponry.”
“I begin to feel certain you know that is not what I’m referring to.”
And I begin to feel certain there’s more to you than meets the eye, Co-President Rione. “I appreciate your assessment.”
“You don’t seem to be startled by it. Frankly, I thought you’d react angrily.”
Geary gave her an obviously false smile. “I like surprising people.” Which is one reason why I won’t tell you that I’ve no intention of letting this fleet stay brittle if I can help it. Metal can be reforged, tempered. So can this fleet. I hope. Though whether I or anybody else could succeed in doing that under these conditions is another question. “I’ve been trying to get to know—” He almost said “these people” before checking himself. “This fleet. They’re good, but as I was told some time back”—a little more than a week ago—“they’re tired.”
“This isn’t the type of tiredness that can be cured by a good night’s sleep, Captain Geary.”
“I know that, Madam Co-President.”
“If you commit these ships to a major battle, even under the conditions you describe, they may fail you.”
Geary looked down and bit his lip. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of, but I don’t know what she might repeat to others. “I don’t intend seeking a major fleet engagement at this time.”
“That is not a reassuring statement. It is critically important to the Alliance, as well as to the Callas Republic and the Rift Federation, that these ships return to Alliance space!”
“I know that, Madam Co-President.”
“We must avoid losing more ships.”
Geary glowered at her. “Madam Co-President, contrary to whatever you appear to believe, I am not in the habit of spending ships and the lives of sailors as if they were loose change rattling around in my pocket.” Her eyes narrowed, but Rione stayed silent for the moment. “I don’t intend to seek out a fleet engagement. I have no idea whether or not the Syndics will be able to force such an action. But I will do all I can to maximize the odds in our favor, no matter what.”