Riss Series 4: The Riss Accession, page 22
"Good, are you ready for dinner?"
"Yes, sir."
"I've invited Commanders Byer and Iglis, and Colonel Seng along. I want to hear what a genius I was by authorizing detached units on Riss cruisers."
* * *
The Admiral's vehicle dropped us at the entrance to the senior officers’ dining facility. As we entered, we were met by a young woman neatly dressed in a dark-blue suit and white blouse.
"Good evening, Admiral Plimson, your guests are already seated. If you will follow me," she said and led us into a smaller room with only a few tables that were empty. Byer, Seng, and Iglis stood as we approached.
"Please sit and relax. I'm tired of reading reports prepared by people whose entire lives have been spent behind desks, telling me about a war they've never seen. Sorry." He took a sip of wine the waiter had just poured. "Two hundred twenty died, seventy six wounded, two cruisers destroyed. Numbers meaningful only to other desk pilots who need to provide replacements. Yes, we need them, but for just an hour I want to hear about the war from people who have been there. So I've kidnapped you for the evening."
"You've kidnapped the right group, Admiral. The Mnemosyne has probably seen more action than any other ship," Byer said. "Our captain isn't above kidnapping, either..." With Plimson’s encouragement, he went on to talk about Hayjar, Dong, and finally Salazan.
Plimson insisted Terril sit since she had been at my side most of the time. The dinner was like a personalized history seen through their eyes and like a private roast.
"I see you are all wearing the Fourragere of a foreign nation," he said and smiled, "which I authorized for wear earlier today. Tell me about duty on a Riss cruiser. It sounds interesting."
"Actually, sir, it's a problem," Byer said.
Seng and even Iglis nodded.
I sat stunned, with my mouth open and my fork with lemon-cream cake hanging suspended in air. Why hadn't I been told?
"On a standard cruiser, there tend to be cliques that make each group feel superior in one way or another. On a Riss ship, you often see friendships between Ghosts and Scorpions. We eat, work out, and relax in the same areas. We are all tied into the VTM and know what is happening at all times. And the accommodations on level three are luxurious," Byer said.
Seng laughed. "The hardest part to get used to is the calm atmosphere before and during a battle. Half the time, we're at Standby—stations manned by one-third of the unit's personnel. The Riss never seem to get rattled. By now, we are all used to it."
"Why, Reese?"
"A person at Battle Stations who attempts to stay ready to act for hours is less likely to be ready to act when the time comes because he or she is stressed and tired. The Ghosts and Scorpions are never required immediately. So when they are called, they are alert and clear thinking."
"After you've been on a Riss cruiser, you never again want to serve on a regular one," Seng said.
"It's not just Reese, then?" Plimson asked.
"Based upon my talks with those on other Riss cruisers, all the Riss captains are different, yet all the same. They all wander the ship visiting like friends, all give open access to what is going on, all have that Riss-like calmness, and all are dybbuks in battle."
"Thank you, for a very pleasant evening. I needed to talk to people in the field fighting the war. Leader Reese, how long do you plan to stay?"
"I thought three weeks. Long enough for my detached units to give their personnel seven to ten days leave, and to certify replacements for those who may need to leave or want reassignment."
* * *
"Well, Terril, where are you going for your leave?" I asked as the shuttle lifted for the space station.
"I'm taking this woman named Nadya into Eden City. From a young girl, she has always wanted to see it, but circumstances weren't right. They are right now. Six of us from the Si'jin class think it would be fun. There is lots to see," she said, handing me a list. "Pick what you think you would be interested in, and we'll start tomorrow."
I sat staring at the list. My first reaction was no, but as I began to think up excuses, I realized it was fear that kept me from seeing Eden.
"Would you mind if I took a few Riss along each day?"
"Not at all. I think that would be even more fun. It's time Eden got introduced to the Riss." She laughed on and off for the rest of the flight.
That night, I had a meeting with the Riss to review the list and see who might be interested in specific events on the list. By the end of the meeting, I had three to four for each day's outing and arranged for shuttles to rotate one-third of the Riss every five days to Land's End, a wilderness area at the northwestern part of the continent.
* * *
The next two weeks were a whirlwind of sightseeing. We visited museums, monuments, and exhibitions, attended concerts and shows, and ate at a variety of restaurants all over town. At least half of each day was spent talking with people about the Riss and the Aliens—the other aliens. Again, I owed Terril and the other Scorpions for treating me to an experience I couldn't otherwise have had. And even better, it turned out to be a fantastic way to introduce the Riss to the general public—real life, instead of vids, rumors, and talking-heads’ biased commentaries.
"Thank you, Terril. I could never do that on my own, and exposing the Riss was the icing on the cake," I said as we relaxed in my office. "I hope the Scorpions didn't mind too much. I know the detail must have interfered with their leave time."
"You’re welcome. Don't worry about the Scorpions. They got to see things they usually wouldn't because of the special access you got, and they each collected tens of offers from women they met in our wanderings. You are an exciting person to be around."
"It was nice of Plimson to join us a couple of times. I love that man."
"Not to mention he got us better seats, paid for everything, and gave you an expense allowance."
"He said Eden needed to see the Riss not only as allies but as people, and I shouldn't have to pay for being his ambassador." I could see the benefit not only to him but to the military. The real-life exposure dispelled a lot of the rumors being spread by special interest and hate groups.
"It was fun, but the vacation is over tomorrow."
* * *
Looking around the conference room table, everyone appeared in a particularly good mood.
Seng was first to speak. "Thank you, Captain. This stop resolved an existing dilemma. Even in war, the troops need some R-and-R. But no one wants to transfer to another cruiser that has a chance at home leave because the chances of returning to the Mnemosyne or another Riss cruiser are remote. Over time, that could have been a problem."
"I agree with Seng," Byer said. "All of my folks want to stay with the ship, but there are limits to which people can sacrifice before it affects their performance."
"My Intel reports from the cruisers on Freeland do support that. Those stationed there for long periods of time had a buildup of personnel incidents. Agreed, they don't have the same environment as a Riss cruiser, but I don't think that would negate the problem—only take it longer to show up," Iglis said.
"And the Fourrageres were a great idea. Everyone I've talked to loves them, says they make them feel like the elite of the services. And since the media has associated the cord with the Riss, it attracts women like a magnet and gets them free meals and access to people and places they wouldn't normally have," Seng said.
"The results have been far better than I anticipated. Each Riss cruiser will now rotate between the four systems," I said.
"Captain, is that wise?" Iglis asked hesitantly. "Damaass and Zhang... "
"Hiding hasn't worked for me or the Riss. It just helps to keep alive lies and uninformed rumors. Riss humans have family and close friends in the SAS, UFN, and Freeland, but we are no longer part of those empires. We are part of the Riss nation. A nation that fully supports the SAS as part of its MSA with Admiral Plimson." I was pleased with the results on Eden and determined to continue being visible.
Byer laughed. "Sorry, but only you and Admiral Plimson would feel comfortable with an MSA on your word and without anything in writing."
"Many years of trust." I smiled, thinking of Plimson. "Are your units operational and ready to depart?" I looked at each person and received a nod. "The Mnemosyne departs at thirteen hundred hours for Echo."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
It won't work
We had no trouble entering the Echo system. By now, it was common to see Riss cruisers entering and leaving, and they were part of each task force chasing Medusas. It wasn't long before I had a message from Admiral Wattson for a sit-down. He was obviously curious why I detoured to Eden rather than coming straight to Echo. I negotiated an expanded meeting with Zhu, Zhang, and Sheva.
"Are you part of my security tonight?" I asked Terril as I dressed for the meeting in my cabin.
"I don't know. I'm getting used to dining with Admirals, and you don't have any Medusa-like problems to drop on Wattson... do you?"
"Thalia seems to think I have something on my mind that might be."
"She can't tell? I thought... "
"We are two separate minds that are linked. She would know if I tried to lie and when I had a clear thought. But apparently, subconscious thoughts aren't defined enough to get more than a feeling. She is right in the sense that something has been nagging me, but I haven't been able to put my finger on it."
"Yes, I'm going. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Gotta run, need to dress for tonight," Terril said, smiling on the way out the door.
* * *
The ride over to the Eurasian was quiet. Terril sat in back with my standard two-Scorpion security team discussing something, probably the night's protocol.
On exiting the shuttle, Lieutenant Commander Casey, Wattson's new aide de camp, greeted me with a snappy salute and a smile. "Welcome back, Leader Reese. How was Eden?"
"Thank you, Commander Casey. Eden was very interesting. It felt like a different world," I said as we exited the bay and headed for the conference room.
He was silent for several seconds. "Yes, Eden is untouched by the war, so it doesn't seem real. I think that has been true of some of our commanders," he replied softly, almost to himself.
When I entered the room, everyone was already there, standing in small groups talking.
"Leader Reese," Wattson said. "Welcome back. I understand you've been busy."
"Yes, as the Riss navy grows, new issues arise. Captains, deployment, and the needs of the SAS-attached personnel. I've decided all Riss ships will rotate between Echo, Freeland, Dong, and Eden," I said, taking a drink of tea I had gotten from the side table. "Where a Riss-human came from is not relevant. We are members of the Riss nation and allies of the SAS and the Alliance."
Zhu clapped quietly. "We dismissed Salazan because he wanted to dictate to us. That was unacceptable. Had all your Riss captains been from the SAS, I would have accepted that as your right. But, your willingness to accept anyone qualified makes your nation a special ally. One that demands our respect."
"You're right, Leader Reese. Sweeping the problem under the rug doesn't make it go away. Better to address it head on. I understand that's what Admiral Gebauer has been doing quite successfully."
"He has been very successful, and Admiral Plimson has made his promotion permanent. He's authorized a gray and black Fourragere to be worn by all SAS personnel attached to Riss cruisers." I produced two and slid one to Sheva and one to Zhang. "It identifies them as serving in a foreign navy, which I hope will strengthen the idea that we are allies. And yes, that may someday include UFN units."
"My immediate reaction is to question you, but I see your point and again admire Admiral Plimson. I hope history gives him the credit he's due," Wattson said and paused for a drink of kaffa. "Now that the Riss have five cruisers with captains and will have a sixth operational within a few months, what kind of deployment were you anticipating?"
"Can you identify which systems are currently under quarantine with cruisers only?" I asked.
"I think we have a pretty good idea. But based on your premise that the Aliens are short on Medusas, we have ignored those systems. Destroying Medusas appears a better use of our resources. If we can weaken them by destroying their Medusas, we can then clean out their cruisers."
"Won't work."
"It's working."
"Anyone. What would you do if you were the Aliens and you figured out that you were losing Medusas faster than you could make them?" I asked rather than give them what I would do. The various reactions were interesting. Zhu and his brother Zhang appeared to have no reaction. They sat eyes closed.
Sheva frowned, looking down in thought.
Wattson stared at me like he wanted to ask me what I would do, but knew the question was for him to answer. "I see your point. It's easy to think of them as robots, but they aren't. They have significant intelligence and will at some point deduce they are losing. Then they will stop their present campaign, devise a new strategy, and take whatever time necessary to build an armada capable of destroying us."
"You are suggesting we change our strategy before they do," Zhu said.
"We need to let a ship escape and then follow it to their home base,"
Zhang said what everyone was thinking.
"And the only ships likely to be able to follow an Alien ship unnoticed and escape from their home base are Riss cruisers," Wattson said, continuing to stare at me. "But the escaping ships can't have the kind of information that could negate our present advantage—in case you can't find their base or... you can't return. Let's adjourn for today. I'd like some time to think about your idea, not that I don't agree, and we will need the other task force leaders to hammer out the details. They will have to make it work since the Riss can't be seen."
As I rose, Zhu approached. "My brother has found his dream thanks to you and the Riss. He describes his relationship with his companion, Vesta, like a perfect marriage. Equal partners having common goals with total awareness of each other's thoughts. For many years, I feared I'd lose him. That one day he would become like the ancient Buddha and wander off in search of nirvana. I know Admiral Wattson is concerned over your choice of captains, but talking to my brother, I realize he shouldn't be. You make sure Riss-human candidates are capable of effectively fighting your cruisers, and the Riss that they are capable of subscribing to their ethics." He paused, giving me a thoughtful look. "I'm afraid you shook Admiral Wattson by suggesting you could see an UFN detachment on a Riss cruiser. Under what conditions?"
"Admiral Wattson's concern is the SAS. He fears Riss-captains from anywhere except the SAS because he can't totally trust their loyalty. Ironically, their real loyalty is to the Riss, although they would never be asked to betray their country of origin." I paused until Zhu nodded understanding. "He fears Riss-detachments from anywhere except the SAS because he worries about a mutiny. But only the Riss can fly a Riss cruiser, and the Riss cannot be forced to do anything against their ethics. Therefore, I would be comfortable accepting a Riss-certified detachment of any nation the Riss were allied with."
"I look forward to a long and close relationship with the Riss," he said before giving a slight bow and walking away with Xun following.
* * *
Wattson scheduled a meeting the next afternoon to include Zhu, the twelve task force commanders, and the Riss-humans. Wattson entered with Zhu shortly after we arrived. Everyone stood, but the room wasn't called to attention. A concession which had been made because of the mixture of nations and traditions. After everyone was seated, Wattson began.
"The Alliance has been operating under the premise that the Aliens have been here for some time. During that time, they have been building Medusas and cruisers to quarantine us humans. We felt they underestimated us humans and began their invasion prematurely. Our strategy has been to attack their Medusas, thereby limiting their ability to overwhelm us in force. To date, we have eliminated six. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing if that is over half the Medusa fleet or less than ten percent. If the latter, we should continue our strategy. If it's more than fifty percent, we need to stop."
"Why? We're winning." Admiral Ueno of Red-3 asked.
"Because sooner or later, they will realize their strategy isn't working and will retreat back to their home base."
"Isn't that what we want, to drive them back to where they came?" Admiral Botos asked, to nodding heads.
"Yes. But do you believe a group with a mandate from the Supreme Council of the Gods is going to pack up and leave because of a minor setback? We have been killing copies—not intelligent life. More likely, they will remain quiet for ten, twenty, fifty years while they adopt a new strategy and build a new, super fleet. What would happen if twenty-five Medusas entered Echo and immediately launched twelve cruisers each—three hundred cruisers, maybe with updated technology?"
"Admiral Wattson and I believe our only option is to find their home base and isolate or destroy them," Zhu said. "This meeting and the ones to follow are to determine how to accomplish that."
"Here are the problems we must solve," Wattson said.
"One, which ship do we let escape?
"Two, how do we limit the information it is escaping with as we may not be able to follow it or maybe caught and destroyed?
"Three, how do we keep the escaping ship from knowing it's being followed?
"Four, which ship or ships should we use in attempting to follow the Alien?
"These questions are not as simple as they sound. I want you to return to your task forces and discuss the problems with your senior people. We will meet back here tomorrow at thirteen hundred hours. Dismissed."
* * *
