“But nobody ever seriously expected an invasion to come—those plans were just an exercise for the seniors in Land Forces to learn from,” Major Parker said. “If it’s really an attack—” He glanced at Colonel Laurent.
“Colonel Laurent has already explained the plan’s shortcomings,” Ky said. “General Molosay has agreed to transfer a unit of combat engineers and their equipment; the President has agreed—reluctantly—that we can create some defensive barriers in the public gardens. That will start tomorrow; it will take most of the day to move the equipment into the city. I expect you to prepare the upper-division cadets for this, and avoid panic.”
“Do you know when the attack might come?” asked Colonel Dagon, chair of the AirDefense department.
“Not yet,” Ky said. “General Molosay’s assessment has been forwarded to your desks.” An assessment she had edited, with his permission, to mislead those faculty members who were part of the conspiracy. “It’s proving difficult to detect suspicious troop movements and concentrations due to the winter weather.” That much was true.
“I still think it’s a stupid plan,” said Commander Seagle, chair of Spaceforce division. “It’s a rectangle of relatively low buildings and open ground, and you’re proposing to build earthworks? The only sensible thing to do is evacuate the government—to space, for example, where these rebels can’t get at them—and wipe ’em out when they show up. One or two drone-mounted smart bombs would do it.” Seagle leaned back in his seat with the air of someone who had just said the obvious to a roomful of idiots and expected admiring applause.
“The President will not agree to that,” Ky said. “She feels that abandoning the Palace will be seen as abdication.”
“Well, she’s—” He stopped himself with obvious effort, and subsided, scowling.
“We’re going to have to go with what we already have. Colonel Laurent and I are working on more detailed plans. All cadets will participate in some of the drills we’ll be holding, but only the two upper classes will be part of the defense force should an attack come. I realize this will disrupt the usual class schedule, but our orders take precedence. At this time, cadets will be informed of the possibility of attack, and that drills will occur, but nothing more.”
Over the next ten days, Ky dealt with the Port Major city council and its agencies, none of whom were thrilled to have large construction machinery making dents in city streets and inconveniencing traffic… with the Port Authority, which resisted military “interference” tagging communications with incoming and departing ships… with the commanders of both the small AirDefense bases nearest the city… with a steady stream of questions, orders, revisions of orders, from the Joint Services Headquarters… and with the usual work of a Commandant.
She had seen Rafe only three times since his return, and Stella not at all, though she had talked to both of them daily, mostly about business. Rafe, Rodney, and Teague had moved back into the Vatta house, ostensibly to supervise the repairs. Ky trusted their intel reports more than those from Molosay’s office.
On the tenth day, Rafe contacted her with new information. “Rodney’s been following the shipping news at all major ports. A Quindlan freighter, Xonsulat, that had just loaded cargo at Makkavo dumped it back on the dock, then filed a new route to a Quindlan-owned facility—a private port, basically. No idea what they took on, but the ship then filed for Green Harbor—south coast here—and ultimately Port Major. We have it on satellite; it’ll be eight days to Green Harbor, minimum. Six to eight days more to Port Major, depending on how long they’re at Green Harbor. Xonsulor also diverted, and is due at Sunhome Bay on Cape Harmon in ten days.”
Ky tried to remember where Green Harbor and Sunhome Bay were, but Rafe went on talking. “Both those ports could be easily reached by troops from anywhere on the south coast. Kvannis could have started people moving in small groups—”
“Ship capacity?”
“We’re trying to find out, but I haven’t a clue how to convert gross tonnage and dimensions into passenger capacity.”
“Neither do I, but I know who does, roughly. Get Rodney to ask someone in Vatta’s sea freight division—”
“Got it. I’d have thought Kvannis would just use trucks, or fly them in—”
“It’s a possibility he’ll use all three. Ships can carry heavy equipment less obviously than trucks or trains.”
“So we don’t quit looking for more transports—”
“No. Any transport originating from any military facility—those can be cross-checked with orders from Joint Services Command HQ.”
Ky passed this information to General Molosay. Twelve to fourteen more days to prepare before the ships arrived—at least. Already the long park in the government complex had been dug up and reshaped by the combat engineer units, using their massive machines to create trenches, dugouts, and what the Port Major media insisted was a huge unnecessary mess. On the excuse that some of the necessary drills would involve live ammunition, government buildings across the streets that ringed the complex were told to evacuate rooms facing those streets, and the windows were covered with shields.
As the days passed, tension in the city oscillated between worry that a real attack might come, and annoyance that since nothing had happened, citizens endured traffic delays and detours for no reason. Ky kept the Academy running, insisting on classes being taught even if the schedule changed. Some faculty seemed to enjoy the challenge; others grumbled if asked to move a class a half hour, let alone from day to night. The second-year class, somewhat to Ky’s surprise, improved faster.
And day by day, the two Quindlan ships came nearer and nearer to Port Major. Each had spent two days in its intermediate port, and now they were in tandem, obviously intending to reach Port Major on the same day.
“I think it’s because they see the other classes also having hardships now,” Major Hemins told her one afternoon when she had stopped by to check on the second-years’ progress. “Also, the heavier schedule means their extra work isn’t punishment. The overall attitude has changed a lot since you chewed them out. Definitely class cohesion. I’m quite pleased with them now.”
“Good,” Ky said. “Because I have an assignment for them that they must not know yet, but you can.”
“Commandant?”
“The ships we think are bringing insurgent troops to Port Major are only four or five days away now, but this still remains a secret. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Commandant.”
“All right. Tonight, the President and her staff will leave the Palace and move to temporary quarters. Tomorrow, one-third of the legislature and their staffs will evacuate Government House, followed by another drill that explains the evacuation. Critical data have already been shifted to other servers; all the servers in the Palace and Government House will be wiped. The two senior classes, as in the plan, will engage the invasion force we expect, but the second class will be assigned to assist the honor guard in protection of the persons of the President, her second, her staff, and those seniors in the legislature whose positions might draw enough attention to attack their homes. I have looked at your assessments carefully; by tonight, I want your advice on choosing specific personnel for each assignment.” She handed him a data cube.