“We’re not asking anyone to keep this a secret from their spouses, Josh. We just don’t want it going any further than that.” He took Josh’s hand and shook it. “You’re in, if Admiral Trexler agrees. You realize that the Queen’s security detail answers to me?”
Josh smiled. “You I can handle, sir. It’s this Otis guy I’ve heard about that concerns me.”
“We’ll see about getting you a few days off before we ship out. I’ll talk to the admiral, but you’d better get started on finding your replacements.”
“Already done, sir. I just need the go ahead. If you’re willing, I’ll make the call to Admiral Trexler.”
Mike nodded and Josh saluted him, then at a hand signal from Josh, he and Horth turned away.
A week before the anticipated departure from Earth, two freighters from Serge arrived in orbit with the message Val had sent via drone to Parsons World. Colonel Dace arrived in Washington, DC with the message, joining Mike, Reba, and Admiral Trexler in their hotel.
Val’s message explained that, though he had not yet reached Orion III, he believed Admiral Korban had bowed to pressure from above to place Chessori observers aboard some or all of his ships. Val believed the Chessori’s purpose was identical to what he had experienced aboard his own cruiser, Beta IV. The Chessori would be held in reserve until needed, then simply take over Empire ships at will. Orion Sector could well be lost if the Chessori were not rooted out from the ships and from sector headquarters. Was it possible for Earth to supply soldiers specifically for this job? Just a few per ship would be a huge help, though more would be better. He couldn’t know for certain how entrenched the Chessori were on Orion III, and other sectors might be at risk as well.
Val appended a couple of important pieces of intelligence. He believed the Chessori communicated telepathically. The range of this communication was unknown. It might be the interstellar communications system they had heard about, though that seemed farfetched to him. Because of this telepathic ability, all ships within a squadron would have to deal with the Chessori at the same instant and from an isolated position far out in space between worlds. If they didn’t, the Chessori would have the ability to warn Chessori in other ships. If the range of this telepathic ability was interstellar, they had a much more serious problem, possibly an insurmountable problem.
He desperately needed several hundred men. A thousand would be better.
Val’s last item brought a gasp from Mike. Val informed him that though the Chessori had partnered with the Rebels, their ultimate goal was to replace the Rebels and take the Empire for themselves.
Mike turned to Trexler, shaken. “Can your guys clear ships?”
“Definitely not. They can fly, and they can man guns, but they’re not hand-to-hand guys. What Val needs is soldiers trained at urban warfare. They’ll be clearing corridors and fighting room to room within the confines of a ship.”
Colonel Dace was the first to speak. “We barely scratched the surface of global special operations troops when we put my group together, but what you’re describing is perhaps the most difficult fighting of all, and the casualties will be high. You need really good men, but you need men you can afford to lose.”
“I’m not sending anyone into certain death,” Mike replied.
Trexler corrected him. “You don’t want to, but you might have to, Mike. Welcome to the ranks of colonels, generals, and admirals. We sometimes have to make those hard choices.” He held up a hand as Mike prepared to argue. “We’re not going to send anyone into certain death, but we are going to send them into certain danger. There will be losses. It’s our job to minimize those losses by choosing the right people, then training, equipping, and leading them. It’s also our job to ensure a steady flow of replacements as the men get used up. We have a fairly large body of men trained with just the skills you need. They’re called Rangers. There’s probably no one on the planet better at urban warfare. We’ll have to see the President again.”
“We have to keep it an international force if we can.”
“I’m not going to make that call,” Trexler replied. “What do you think, Josh?”
“We need to select the leader of these men and let him decide,” Josh answered without hesitation. “And I know just the guy for you. His name is Colonel Waverly. He was a Green Beret before Delta recruited him. He’s back with the Rangers now, and I’ve worked with him on occasion when we needed backup from the Rangers. If you can get him, we won’t have to wait around while he gets everything together. He’s been in special operations most of his career, except when he’s been on loan to other countries to liaise with their own special operations guys, and if anyone can put together an international force of urban warfare experts, it’s him. And he’s seen a lot of action. There’s no one better to call the shots.”
“Where will he get his troops? Can we come up with the thousand Val requested?”
“Our Rangers can easily spare a thousand, but Waverly has contacts all over the world. He can bring in British, Israelis, Russians, and he’ll probably bring more SEALS, Marine Recon and Green Berets, maybe even Military Police, and some Shore Patrols,” Josh answered. “The Marines and SP’s are well-trained on shipboard duties; they might be a good resource for tactics aboard ships. The rest specialize more in street fighting, but the skills are similar. Waverly will get them, he’ll make sure they’re very good, and he’ll make sure they speak English. And a thousand won’t be any problem at all. Waverly can get the first batch on their way, then someone else can start working on reinforcements and replacements.”
Assignments were finalized: Mike would accompany Josh and his men to Brodor while Reba remained on Earth to work with Waverly. When Waverly’s group left for Centauri III, she would accompany them. That left Trexler on his own, but only until reaching Parsons’ World. There he would have the full support of Chandrajuski’s fleet.
Senator Morrison was present to see them off. Just before boarding his ship, Mike handed him an envelope containing a note from Val. After reading it, the senator sighed. “He’s asking my permission for Reba’s hand. I already like him. Reba’s told me all about him. He seems exceptional.”
“He is,” Mike agreed. “In every way. I can’t offer higher praise.”
“Well, when you see him tell him he has my blessing, and thanks for asking. I’ll put in a request that they wait until her mother and I can attend, but we’ll understand if they don’t.”
Mike grinned. “They’re separated by light years at the moment. I’ll pass on the message.”
“Light years might even be a challenge for Reba,” Senator Morrison answered morosely but with a grin. “God bless you all.”
Three freighters from Parsons’ World landed at night on a remote dry lake in Nevada. Awaiting them were Trexler’s 1,000 pilots and gunners destined to spread throughout Chandrajuski’s fleet and Dace’s 300 Delta, SEALS, and SAS specialists. The two ships destined for Parsons’ World left first, each carrying half of Trexler’s officers. The remaining ship lifted for Brodor soon after, carrying Mike, Dace, and the men who would be Protectors.
Chapter Nine
Excitement filled Admiral Raymond Trexler’s thoughts as he boarded his ship in the high Nevada desert, but the excitement was soon replaced with misgivings. Rudimentary furnishings had been provided in cargo holds for his 500 men and women, but there was little privacy. Not a great beginning for his recruits, he grumbled to himself as he moved among them offering words of encouragement and patience. He had expected more from this Empire he had agreed to help, but he was not about to admit it to anyone but himself.
Translator devices were handed out, and once they were in space, Serge’s captain spoke to them, apologizing for the accommodations but informing them that their stay on the ship would be brief. The trader was a fast ship, and the voyage would only last a few weeks.