Riss Series 4: The Riss Accession, page 11
"In order to make the UFN a viable ally, it's not only necessary to provide them with Riss technology, but also Riss to support it. The new facilities will require Riss to help the clans set up the new factories and afterward, to be involved in the manufacturing process. In addition, we need to begin the certification process."
"This Admiral Zhu has agreed to us certifying his people?" Pavao asked, looking towards Terril, who stood leaning against the wall.
Terril nodded in agreement. "A ten-knot performance."
"And I suppose you are going to accept UFN volunteers as candidates for the Riss-human program?"
"Yes, I wish I didn’t have to ask the Riss to give up their freedom, but…"
"You know that’s not dangerous. We've a Raider captain, a particular nasty one I've been told, sitting among us. Does anyone of us distrust him?" I asked. Damaass looked nervously around the table, and then smiled when everyone shook their head in the negative.
"Pavao’s concern, and mine, is about after we defeat the Aliens. But as Thalia has so elegantly pointed out, we cannot solve the problem until we know what it is." I laughed and took a sip of kaffa.
"Nance, I'm going to take Damaass with me. He’s a point of contention here on Freeland, but he won’t be in the UFN. Besides, you’re the best person to speak for the Riss here."
"I guess I can’t refuse since Cethlion is giving me the standard high-Riss response we’ve all come to love." Pavao grinned.
"I’ll take Jaelle and leave Alena and Elissa to captain the…"
"The RNN Maat, and before you ask, Thalia informs me she's the Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, order, law, and justice. Speaking of the Maat, when will she be ready, and do we have any candidates?"
"Admiral Zann has given me five names. She says they should be arriving at Freeland over the next couple of weeks. What do you want… Oh, my responsibility." She grinned.
"Yes, you will need to set up an equivalent of Zann House to test and evaluate the candidates. Alena and Elissa can explain exactly what was involved."
* * *
After an hour break, the senior officers began arriving. I waited as they got settled.
"Gentlemen, I need you to put together a plan for deployment to Dong and the crewing of the new Riss cruiser, the Maat. The Mnemosyne and the Minerva will be deployed to Dong."
"You want to know about rotations, replacements, certifications…" Commander Byer asked to general nods.
"And your concerns and any potential problems you foresee. I believe the crews will be allowed planet-side time on Dong."
"That will help," Seng said. "Combat?"
"In the near future, I’d expect we won’t see much action, as we will be helping the UFN develop the infrastructure to implement the Riss technology within their fleet. And here on Freeland, we’ll be trying to put in place the structure to build the Riss Nation Navy. We must expect to lose cruisers, captains, Riss, and attached personnel, so we must have a way of replacing them. That assumes you want to remain attached to the Riss cruisers." I crossed my fingers.
"I think I speak for everyone here. I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else. " Byer said, scanning the people around the table.
"Agreed. "
"Yes. "
"Of course. "
Followed Byer’s comment.
"Thank you. "
CHAPTER NINE
Deployment to Dong
Two weeks later, Pavao and I met with Admiral Wattson and Stenberg on the Eurasian, which had arrived from Eden as a replacement for the Golden Eagle, lost at the battle of Hayjar. Wattson had included his current task force commanders.
I was just about to go over to Sakaata when Sean shouted, "Attention, " as Wattson, Stenberg, and Zann entered the room.
"At ease, " Wattson said and took a seat at the head of the table as everyone found seats. "I’ve already discussed it with my task force commanders. I’m sending six of the current seven task forces to Echo. Admiral Gebauer will be in charge. He and I discussed a tentative strategy, which he and Admiral Ba Li can begin to implement while waiting on Imperial Admiral Zhu and me to arrive. Eden has been recalling cruisers from around the three sectors and will be sending some to Freeland. I’m staying temporarily to organize the arriving cruisers. I plan to create another task force which will accompany me to Echo to fulfill our commitment of seven. "
Wattson stopped to take a sip of the kaffa that Gerald, his new aide, had set next to him. "Admiral Sakaata’s task force will accompany Leader Reese to Dong and remain to support her. Since you two worked together before, I don’t think I need say more. Admiral Stenberg will be station commander, and Admiral Zann will continue to be in charge of upgrading the fleet. Whomever you appoint, Leader Reese, will be in charge of the Riss projects and security on Freeland. "
"I’m leaving Captain Pavao, whose new position is Leader in Freeland. I’m also leaving Alena to command the Maat, which will be operational within a few weeks. Elissa will be her XO. In addition to monitoring the Riss projects and Freeland security, Captain Pavao will be conducting the evaluation of the Riss candidates, who will be arriving within the next two weeks. She will also continue to certify Riss-qualified teams and assign Riss to those cruisers. If, for whatever reason, Captain Pavao is unavailable, Alena will be in charge. "
When Wattson nodded, I continued. "The elders chose a total of one hundred engineers and designers to go to Dong, and I have chosen two hundred Riss. I and Captain Damaass will provide their transportation. We plan to leave in one week. "
"Excellent. Are there any questions? " Wattson asked, while scanning the room.
"Don’t take it as an accusation, Leader Reese, but will Riss cruisers be assigned to support the Medusa strategy? " Admiral Quinterly asked.
"I understand the question and the reasoning behind it. Thanks to you and Admiral Wattson, I believe we are trusted allies, and as such, my goal would be to have a Riss cruiser with every task force. " I shrugged. "But I'm unable to because of production limitations and even more critical, the lack of captains. Today, Captain Pavao needs to be here on Freeland and I need to be on Dong. Consequently, Captain Damaass is the only captain available, and I know most of you would be uncomfortable with him in your task forces. "
"You trust him? " Modero asked in a neutral tone.
"With my life. He's Riss as much as Captain Pavao is, or me, or any other Riss-human. He would not only defend you with his life, but you couldn’t ask for a better tactician at your side. "
"I attest to the latter. The man is good, " Sakaata said with a shake of her head. "It’s like he has a spy on your Bridge. "
"I trust your word, Leader Reese, but I would be afraid to trust everyone in my task force. I will attest to the fact that prejudice is hard to shake. "
"Let me assure everyone here that the Riss will support you in any way Admiral Wattson feels necessary, and that Captains Pavao and Damaass will be available if the need is more urgent than on Freeland and Dong. "
"I’m pleased with everyone here and finally feel we are a united force. I agree with Reese, right now the priority for the Riss is getting more of those ugly, " Wattson grinned, "ships they call cruisers produced and manned with combat-ready captains. I too would like to see one with every task force. Pavao, see what you can do to speed up production. I’d rather have cruisers temporarily without captains, than captains without ships. "
* * *
Seven days later, we left for Dong, a nine day trip. I called a staff meeting the next morning and included Ta'Lona, who would be the project leader on Dong.
"Well, Ta'Lona, how are the Freelanders doing on level three? " I asked after everyone was settled.
"Everyone is enjoying the ship. It’s like being outdoors, and we haven’t encountered any hostility from the other humans on the ship. In fact, most have been friendly. Of course, we are a little apprehensive about Dong. "
"You have Commander Byer and Colonel Seng to thank for the atmosphere on the Mnemosyne. They are the best of the best as are their troops. " I nodded to them.
"I think we have the Riss to thank. This is a Riss ship, and everyone is equal is a contagious concept. It’s going to be hard for anyone assigned to a normal SAS cruiser after this. "
Byer said and Seng nodded agreement.
"Not to mention the accommodations, " Seng added.
"I'm hoping that Admiral Zhu will allow shore leave while we are on Dong. If he does, Commander Iglis, I want you to appoint a few people to work with whomever Zhu designates to learn the local taboos. Then I want you to conduct a mandatory seminar before anyone is allowed to go planet-side. "
"What about us? " Ta’Lona asked.
"I don’t want you to delay getting started, so I’ll allow a small team to look over the current facilities and determine what will need to be done to replicate your Freeland structure, until the seminar is ready. They know they need us, so they will be accommodating, but the fewer misunderstandings, the better it will be for everyone. "
"What about training? " Byer asked, obviously concerned about flying in Dong airspace.
"I’ll talk to Admiral Zhu. If it’s possible, I'd like joint exercises with their navy and commandos. "
"Wow! I would never have thought of that, " Byer said, shaking his head.
"We must trust each other if we are going to be an effective force. And trust takes time to develop. What better way than to work together? Besides, it will reduce the boredom. "
I couldn't repress a laugh, which by now everyone knew was in response to Thalia.
"Normal work shifts for now. I’ll probably go to a modified ship alert after we arrive. We’re allies, but it would only take one fanatic to destroy what we are all working toward. "
* * *
I stayed after everyone had left, drinking kaffa and wondering what it would be like on Dong. Hopefully, we wouldn’t find hard-core prejudices against the Riss, Riss-humans, or clan.
"What do you think, Leader? " Terril said, breaking me out of my musing. "About partnering with the UFN. "
"Come sit down, Terril. " I would have offered them all to sit, but I knew Terril wouldn’t allow everyone to relax, although the odds of something happening were close to zero. "What did you think of Xun, as a person? "
"Yes. Their leaders are the key. Just as you set the tone for everyone on the Riss cruisers, Zhu and Xun will set the tone for those on Dong. " She sat quiet for a few minutes. "I liked her. She's intense, but I think that has a lot to do with her training. It began when she was very young. But her choosing not to deliver an embarrassing blow when she could have, says a lot about her. She’s not driven by ego and content that I knew she could have. Like you with the clans, she will treat us honorably. "
"Yes, I believe the same is true about Zhu. He’s a very shrewd man who knows an Alliance is not only critical but in the UFN's long-term interest. Plus, I think he's fascinated with the Riss. "
"And you. " She laughed. "Well what are we going to do for nine days? "
"I guess we could go see if you can reproduce Xun’s attack and develop a counter move. "
"Good idea, Master Reese, " she said, rising with a smile.
* * *
The nine days to Dong were boring, as Thalia kept reminding me. I held a short staff meeting to hear what was going on—nothing—walked around talking with the engineers and designers, taught Si’jin class, and worked out with Terril.
Immediately, lights flashed and SIDs buzzed with notification of the status change.
< Engines half speed.>
I sat back, hoping Admiral Zhu had notified everyone of the good aliens’ arrival.
The radar monitors immediately lit with multiple ships, and the VTM sprang to life, and tags began appearing: UL1, UL2, UH1… Within several minutes, more than sixty Light and Heavy cruisers had been identified. Close to the Wave exit, several cruisers' weapon systems went active shortly after we exited but quickly went off. Sakaata’s task force followed minutes later with no trouble.
Zhu’s face appeared on the monitor. "Good day, Leader Reese. As you probably surmised, Dong is the staging area for Admiral Ba Li’s task force to Echo. Plus, I added three additional task forces to protect Dong as it is going to host the Riss upgrade facility. I would like to invite you and your staff to dinner, if you are not otherwise engaged. "
"We would be honored, Admiral Zhu. "
"Would twenty hundred hours be acceptable? And if I could impose, would one or more of your Riss join us? I wish my people to get to know the Riss as I have—as an extremely intelligent and gentle people. "
"We will see you at twenty hundred hours, Admiral. "
"Who? " Jaelle asked.
"Commanders Iglis, Byer, Colonel Seng, and r-Kharis. And get me a connection to the Condor. " I’d left Damaass off the list, as I felt one captain should remain on duty at all times—at least for now. The monitor soon lit with Sakaata’s face.
"Leader Reese, are you inviting me to dinner? " she grinned.
"No, Admiral Zhu is inviting us. If you would like to bring one or two guests, I don’t think he will mind. He’s asked for a Riss to attend. "
"I imagine you aren’t bringing Damaass. "
"No, old phobias die slowly. Nineteen hundred hours on the Dynasty. "
"If you don’t object, I’ll join you on the Mnemosyne for the trip to the Dynasty. With the amount of cruisers in the area, I think we should limit the number of shuttles in the air. Besides, I doubt Commander Byer is going to let you go without a Ghost escort. " She laughed. "See you at eighteen hundred hours. "
* * *
Sakaata had been right; Byer was insistent that I have a Ghost escort, and of course, Terril insisted I have guards. The only concession I could get was that the Ghosts would have their systems active and Terril and two guards would go unarmed. I was glad they wouldn't compromise on the escorts. If someone made an unsuccessful attempt on my life, the consequences could be managed; however, if I were killed, the consequences could escalate out of control.
I wandered down to the shuttle bay with r-Adhis and found everyone in their dress uniforms, including Terril. Sakaata had just exited her shuttle.
"Good evening, Leader Reese, gentlemen, ladies. I see everyone except Leader Reese is dressed for a party. " She laughed. "Leave it to the Riss to have their work and dress uniforms the same, with no medals or rank. "
"It makes it easier to dress for parties, " I said as I entered my shuttle. The trip to the Dynasty took three quarters of an hour. I almost tripped when I exited the shuttle. The bay had what I assumed was an honor guard of at least twenty men in dress uniforms, who snapped to attention as a bugle blew and an officer saluted.
"Welcome aboard the Dynasty, Leader Reese. " He then stepped to the side, and Admiral Zhu stepped forward.
"Welcome, Leader Reese. I’m afraid this isn’t a Riss ship, and we have traditions that must be adhered to. They establish our position in society. You rank very high as you represent a nation. " He gave a small bow.
"A very small nation. "
"But an important one. "
"Imperial Fleet Admiral Zhu, I’d like to introduce you to the SAS task force leader, Admiral Sakaata… " I spent a few minutes introducing each of my party. Afterward, he led us to his conference room, which appeared to hold at least fifty people and all the seats were taken except those reserved for us. Each seat had a name written in UFN letters and SAS standard.
"I’d introduce you, but except for the Riss, who I understand have a perfect memory, you couldn’t possibly remember them all. I’ll let each person give their name when they speak. It will be easier. " Zhu waved to the empty places, and to my surprise, one seat was double sized for r-Kharis. "Please sit. " He looked to Terril, who hesitated looking at Xun against the wall behind Zhu. "Master Gunnery Sergeant Terril, you look more relaxed today without the tattoo. You're welcome to sit or stand, as you prefer. I will understand. Xun does not allow me to go anywhere without her. "
Terril smiled and stepped back against the wall behind me. Most of the food proved different than I had eaten but very tasty. I don’t know how they managed, but each officer appeared to get permission from Zhu to speak. It worked out well because everyone got to hear the question and answer, whereas much would have had to be repeated if there were side conversations.
"Leader Reese. " A small, middle-aged man bowed his head. "I am red-Admiral Yang. I understand you will seek candidates from our people to be Riss-humans. No offense, but I think it will be difficult to get UFN citizens to… host a parasite. And why do you want them? No Offense intended, Leader Reese. " Yang bowed again.
It was a pleasant change. An SAS senior officer would most likely have said, "Why would anyone want to have a parasite inside him? " But I guess in the end it was the same question.
