“At any rate, Kaleen, I want you to be prepared. You can simply ignore or refuse to answer his questions and hints. You can even invent a persona; a whole background as a human. If his prying becomes too inconvenient, you could let something slip occasionally. Be careful, though. If he learns that no such person exists, you’d probably lose any of his trust you might have gained.”
“Yes, sir!” she replied crisply. I struggled to hide a grin. Kaleen was like an incredibly precocious child. I would have to remember that.
We arranged for Kaleen to report on a regular basis, and then I signed off so that she could start getting to know Wil Tor.
Our new intelligence agent delighted cord. “Once this is over,” he said with a grin, “I’m looking forward to getting to know Kaleen — that is, if you haven’t corrupted her by then.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll be effective. Given time, she’ll be coordinating our attacks.”
Cord was impatient. He wanted action. Finally, he overruled me, and ordered that Predator and Harpy ambush the two searching destroyers.
“But sir,” I protested, “We can’t afford to slug it out with Jonas’ ships mass for mass. Two destroyers fighting two destroyers mean four disabled or destroyed ships.”
Cord shook his head. “Our two will have those boats to help. But we must attack those two destroyers.”
“If we must, then at least wait until we can hit them with an overwhelming force; Predator, Harpy, Valkyrie, rim tramps and attack boats.”
“How long?”
I shrugged. “A week, maybe two. It takes time to plan and execute a multi-ship battle.”
He shook his head. “No. It can’t wait. Send the destroyers.”
“But, sir…”
He waved me to silence. “You don’t understand, Admiral. It’s not just important that we do something; we must be seen to do something. The people of the rim have to see that we’re actively resisting. Otherwise, their resistance falls apart. If we lose both destroyers, we still have to do it.
“Look, Admiral,” he continued in a more reasonable tone, “you understand military strategy and tactics; but I understand politics and group dynamics. This has to be done, and it must be done as soon as possible. By all means, give the destroyers any edge you can. If they can win decisively, it’ll be worth a dozen destroyers. But it must be done!”
Chapter XII
Rear Admiral Micah Jonas was not a happy man. It had all seemed so simple and foolproof back on Thaeron. He would simply move in with massive firepower on the unarmed planets of the rim, seize Haven and Cord, kill Cord, and present the Emperor with the return of a ‘renegade’ sector. Its very simplicity made the plan’s success almost inevitable. Besides, nobody would dare resist a flotilla powerful enough to destroy a planet.
He was well aware of the ancient adage that “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy” — but he’d been sure that there would be no battles. Surely even these provincials would realize that resistance to his overwhelming force would be doomed to failure.
However, things had begun going wrong almost immediately. First, Predator had deserted, providing Cord a nucleus for an armed space force, and incidentally revealing Micah’s plan to the Viceroy.
Then, Cord had dug up that damned Kedron somewhere, and suddenly what had been a simple exercise in gunboat diplomacy became a military gamble.
Then, Kedron had shown up at Thaeron claiming to be a Fleet Vice Admiral, and nearly destroyed Micah without firing a shot.
Kedron’s visit had cost Micah dearly. He’d lost two more of his ships, strength he was becoming painfully aware that he could ill afford. He'd also lost hundreds of crewpeople when hand-to-hand combat had broken out on all of his ships between those who’d believed Kedron’s message and those who’d remained loyal to Micah. Over two hundred died, and almost a thousand more had to be confined to various brigs.
It had been a near thing. Micah’s plan had almost ended in disaster. It’d taken months for Micah to regain enough control to proceed. He was getting desperate. The plan could still work, but time was getting short.
He’d breathed a huge sigh of relief when he’d finally given the order for the flotilla to jump to Haven. However, it seemed his relief had been premature.
Certainly, Cord had fled as soon as Micah’s ships emerged at the edge of Haven’s system. Micah had watched in impotent fury as blips identifying two destroyers, four of the ubiquitous rim tramps and a blip whose beacon identified her as a merchant vessel called Valkyrie drove for a secondary jump point. They’d disappeared before Micah’s forces were close enough to engage. He could have destroyed Cord, Kedron and the resistance in one blow if he’d been able to catch them. Oh, well, Cord couldn’t win without control of his sector capital. Eventually, he’d have to launch an attack. All Micah had to do was sit and wait.
Once his ships had assumed standard Fleet orbit positions, Micah had commandeered all commercial vid channels for his announcement.
“I am Rear Admiral Micah Jonas of the Empire Fleet,” he'd begun. “I have come to secure the arrest of the traitor Sander Cord and his criminal minion, Val Kedron, as well as to secure this sector for the Empire, and prevent its rebellion.
“I call upon all loyal citizens of the Empire to assist me in preserving the peace of this sector, and its quick return to the Empire’s fold. It will be necessary for me to temporarily impose martial law on the planet of Haven. Do not resist. Our marines are authorized to shoot when necessary to preserve order.
“However,” he’d continued with what he’d considered a friendly smile, “I’m sure that shooting will not be necessary. We are, after all, all loyal subjects of the Empire, despite Cord’s lies and duplicity. Unfortunately, the Viceroy’s treasonous acts require that I impose certain restrictions and directives until we’ve rooted out the traitors. I’m sure I can count on your cooperation. Please stay tuned for the regulations and instructions that are required to implement martial law."
He’d been pleased with his speech, but almost as soon as he finished, the commercial vid channels were suddenly blanketed by a broadcast originating somewhere off-planet.
“This is Viceroy Sander Cord,” it began, “Warrants are hereby issued for the arrest of former Rear Admiral Micah Jonas, and former Captain Jamin Van-Lyn, both recently cashiered from His Imperial Majesty’s service. These criminals are wanted for mutiny, rebellion, sedition, and high treason, and are wanted dead or alive. A reward of twenty thousand imperial crowns is offered for each of them. All Fleet personnel are reminded that these men are traitors to the Empire and the Fleet. Conflicting Fleet regulations are temporarily suspended, and Fleet personnel may claim the reward.
“I call upon all military and civilian personnel within the rim sector to resist these criminals in any way possible. Cooperation with these fugitives may result in imperial criminal charges up to and including treason and rebellion.”
It took Micah’s techs only moments to trace the signal to its source, but that source turned out to be a drone buoy orbiting at the edge of the system. It took more than three days for Raptor to get close enough to destroy the buoy, and all that time, Cord's message drowned out all broadcasts on the commercial channels.
Micah was furious. His carefully crafted message was made to look ridiculous, and his authority and legitimacy virtually destroyed by a thirty-second recorded message. Not only that, but everyone on the planet had to listen to the damned thing repeat over and over for more than three days!
In fury, Micah sent his other two Destroyers, Gyrfalcon and Eagle, to find Cord. Neither Captain was happy about putting their ships at risk, but Micah was adamant. By all the odd gods of the galaxy, he wanted Cord and Kedron!