“All the more reason to keep you out of harm’s way, then,” Richards had said.
“No, Admiral, it is quite otherwise. If I am ever to claim my place in the Empire, I must first prove myself against Ragark and the other would-be usurpers. As I have no following of my own, I must find my allies where I can. My people respect warriors who will go into battle against their enemies, Admiral. Let me go into this one with you. I promise that my people will be able to assist you.”
Richards had yielded at last, grumbling, just as he had when the original orders had come from Kruger. So Murragh and nearly a hundred Kilrathi would be on board as part of the crew when the Mjollnir went into action. Only those whose commitment to the Prince s cause was doubtful were being shuttled across to the transport as the battle group prepared to leave Oecumene.
At least the jump engines had worked. That had been the last remaining worry as they broke orbit and began the voyage outward from Vaku. Once again Graham had proven his worth as Chief Engineer. Mjollnir was ready for action…or at least as ready as she ever would be.
Watching the confusion on the flight deck as the last of the nonessential personnel made ready to leave, Bondarevsky could only hope they were ready enough.
Carrier Space Traffic Control Center, FRLS Independence
Orbiting Landreich, Landreich System
1515 hours (CST)
The communications monitor in one corner of CSTCC had been tuned to a commercial news and information holo-vid channel broadcast from the capitol. Almost everyone in the compartment, from Kevin Tolwyn down to the junior spacer assigned to sweep up and keep coffee cups filled, spent at least as much time watching that monitor as they did doing their real jobs.
“What do you think, Tolwyn?” the Space Officer, Howard Reed, asked around a mugful of coffee. “Will Old Max pull it off? You’re his new fair-haired boy, after all.”
“I don’t know, Boss,” Tolwyn replied, shaking his head. “I just don’t know if he can manage another miracle this time.”
On the monitor, they could see the Council of Delegates waiting in the Council Hall. There was a restive air about them, and the commentator was filling time with a lengthy explanation of the procedures for a vote of no confidence under Landreich’s constitution.
Tolwyn had barely returned from Vaku when the announcement had gone out. Galbraith’s faction had moved to call a fresh session of the Council, and foremost on the agenda was a move to censure Kruger for his reckless handling of defense funds. That could only mean that Galbraith had decided to reveal the details he had somehow learned of the Goliath Project, which meant that the secret of the Mjollnir would soon come out for all to hear…including the Kilrathi.
Knowing that Richards and the others had been discussing a plan involving pretending to be a Kilrathi carrier, Tolwyn was worried. So far the newsmen were still in the dark, since Galbraith clearly wanted to reveal the Goliath Project in the most dramatic fashion possible. But once this session got under way, there would be no stopping the truth from coming out.
And Mjollnir would end up sailing right into disaster, unless they heard the news and turned back. Tolwyn doubted they’d have a chance. By his calculations, based on the schedule he’d received in last contact between the carrier and his courier shuttle heading for home, they would just be getting ready to make the hyperjump from Oecumene to Hellhole, and then on to Baka Kar. Tolwyn doubted they’d be watching LN amp;IC news, and it was unlikely that anything would be going out on official channels. Not unless Kruger decided to call them off now that he knew he wouldn’t escape his political enemies…and that didn’t sound one bit like Old Max.
So Mjollnir was heading straight into trouble, and the Landreich fleet had been held back by a direct Presidential order on the eve of spacing for Ilios. The entire strategy was coming apart, and all because Max Kruger’s government was falling apart around them.
No one knew why the President had held back the fleet. Some thought he might try to use it to stage a coup of sorts and retake his own government, but with Galbraith the senior captain it seemed unlikely he’d get much support for such a move. Whatever game he was playing, it involved holding his cards close. He hadn’t even made it on time to the Council session. Hence the restless Delegates and the chattering news commentators.
“Shuttle coming in from planetside, Boss,” one of the technicians announced. “From the Navy Compound at Lutz Mannheim. All IFF codes approved.”
“Clear them,” Boss Reed ordered, setting down his coffee. “Must be that last load of maintenance stores Watanabe was complaining about.”
The shuttle came in faster than Tolwyn liked, flaring out to stoop low over the flight deck and come in for a slap-dash landing. The duty LSO winced and scrawled some comments on his computer board, the frown on his face and the way he underlined some of the words with an angry flourish making it clear to Tolwyn that he planned to dress down that pilot thoroughly later…if there was anything left after Boss Reed got through with him.
Through the transplast window overlooking the flight deck, Tolwyn could see technicians swarming in to secure the craft, but everything stopped when the hatch opened and the ramp unfolded down to the deck.
Standing there at the top of the ramp, dressed in a flight suit and holding a pressure helmet under one arm, was President Max Kruger.
Tolwyn left the CSTCC at a dead run.
It took only a minute or so to reach the flight deck, and Kruger had just stepped clear of the ramp. His craggy face broke into a smile as he caught sight of Tolwyn rushing breathless across the wide expanse of the deck. “Ah, Captain, I’m glad you were on duty,” he said genially. “Is the flight deck security monitor recording?”
Taken aback, Tolwyn could only give a quick nod.
“Good,” Kruger said. He pulled out a folded paper from inside his flight suit, checked his wrist computer briefly, and opened the paper up. “It is now fifteen nineteen hours Confederation Standard Time,” he said. He started to read, the words so fast he was almost gabbling them in his haste. “To Maximillian Kruger, Commander-in-Chief, armed forces of the Free Republic of the Landreich, Sir: You are hereby requested and required to take up the charge and command of Admiral, Task Force Ilios, with your flag in the FRLS Independence or such other vessel as you shall see fit to choose, and with said Task Force proceed on operations out-system at your discretion. Nor you, nor any of you shall fail at your peril. Signed this thirty-sixth standard day, A. D. 2671, Maximillian Kruger, President and Commander-in-Chief.” He dropped the paper and met Tolwyn’s eyes. “I have now read myself in and taken command of this Task Force, Captain.”
Incredulous, Tolwyn nodded. “Yes, sir, you have.”
“Very well then. Please inform the Commanding Officer that the new Admiral is aboard and has ordered radio silence except for essential intership communications-no contact with the planet by any ship. The Task Force will get under way immediately.” He smiled again. “I would appreciate it if you would pass on those orders before you inform Captain Galbraith of the name of his new CO.”
“What’s this all about, sir?” Tolwyn asked.
Kruger’s smile turned predatory. “Danny Galbraith wants to use parliamentary tactics to get me? Well, I know a few of those myself, whatever my detractors might think. I helped write the damned Constitution! ‘No session of the Council of Delegates may be convened…’”