Implacable, page 31
“No one has fired at anyone yet?”
“Nope. My guess is the two battleships went over to you when they were told to fire on the heavy cruisers that had already shifted allegiance.”
It wasn’t over. Not even close. Anyone controlling even one battleship had an immense amount of firepower at their command.
He took a moment to reorient himself, checking where everyone was relative to everyone else.
Thankfully, during this entire crisis the Dancers had for once responded clearly to General Charban’s requests, and had kept all of the ships in orbits or transiting along vectors between planets or facilities from coming anywhere near any of the human ships. The closest approach to the humans by a Dancer ship had been more than five light minutes, which must have made for a lot of work by the Dancers to avoid crossing into a sphere with a radius of roughly ninety million kilometers that was centered on the human ships and was moving around their star as the human ships orbited. That was an engineering problem of sorts, though, and the Dancers were brilliant engineers.
His fleet was still in an immense rectangular box formation, the long side facing “ahead” along their orbit about the star, the battle cruisers and battleships forming strong points within the lattice of overlapping fire, the vulnerable auxiliaries and assault transports, as well as Boundless now, occupying a much smaller box along the center of the big formation, protected from attackers coming in at any angle.
The four battle cruisers that had made a run on Boundless had altered their vectors after passing Boundless, climbing up through the top of the formation and curving over in what would be an immense loop. So far, all four of them had remained together even though Renown, Intrepid, and Fearless had announced they would take orders from Geary, while Invincible apparently still remained loyal to General Julian.
The rest of the warships in General Julian’s formation were still five light seconds “behind” Geary’s, following Geary’s ships in orbit. So far, none of them had altered vectors to break from the formation even though many had declared they would no longer respond to Julian’s orders. He tried to imagine the level of tension on those ships, and the potential for someone making a decision that could still blow up everything. “Should I try to disentangle the ships now answering to me from the ones still listening to Julian and Rogov?”
“Oh, are you asking for advice this time, Admiral?” Desjani shook her head. “It’s still playing out. The battle cruisers are staying clear of the other ships, so you can probably direct them safely. The others are still close in to Rogov’s ship Implacable, so any movement by them could trigger someone opening fire. They haven’t actually broken with General Julian yet in terms of openly leaving his formation.”
She paused as alerts sounded. “Never mind. Here comes Topaz.” The heavy cruiser was accelerating away from its station not far from Implacable. Moments later both Gusoku and Presidio started accelerating to follow Topaz. Behind them in a ragged series of main propulsions lighting off on low came Macuahuital, Falcata, Serpentine, and the other seventeen destroyers like ducklings coming after their parents. “Where are they going? Looks like they’re accelerating just enough onto vectors to slowly catch up with us and eventually merge with our formation. That means they’re only slowly opening the distance between them and General Julian’s ships. We’re too far off to help if Implacable or Audacious fires on them.”
“Do you think Rogov would risk giving those orders after what’s already happened?” Geary wondered. “No. It’d be General Julian giving that order, like he did to the battle cruisers. Right now is he more angry at losing control of more ships, or more afraid of losing even more?”
“He hasn’t got any reinforcements to call on,” Desjani said. “Julian kept feeding soldiers into the fight at Malphas because he had a bunch in reserve. This time he’s down to his last available assets.”
“Invincible is altering vector,” Lieutenant Yuon warned.
Invincible. Whose commanding officer was Captain Petra Bai, along with Captain Rogov the most insistent supporter of the need to obey the almost certainly fake orders. Small wonder that Invincible was the only battle cruiser still responding to Rogov’s and Julian’s orders.
“Invincible is estimated to be maneuvering for an intercept of Topaz,” Yuon added.
Desjani was running possible maneuvers through her display. “Even our battle cruisers couldn’t get there in time to intercept Invincible before it reaches Topaz. But we could prevent Invincible from making a second attack. To do that we’d have to start moving within the next two minutes.”
It was odd how making a decision about the fates of others was in some ways harder than making a decision that directly affected his own fate. “Invincible won’t shoot,” Geary said. “It didn’t shoot at Boundless, and this time they’re intercepting one of the ships they considered their own. This is another attempt to get us to react and justify their own actions afterwards.”
“Julian might be getting desperate,” Desjani reminded him. “Or angry enough to be really, really, stupid.”
“Then why didn’t Implacable and Audacious fire on those ships while they were within range?” Geary said. “Why aren’t they maneuvering now to engage those heavy cruisers and destroyers?”
“Good point,” Desjani admitted. More alerts appeared on their displays. “And here come Defiant and Paladin. It looks like those battleships are moving to block any intercept attempt by Implacable and Audacious.”
Civil war between Alliance ships once answering to General Julian and those still loyal to Julian would still be civil war.
“We’re going to get our answer here,” Geary said. “I think you’re right that Julian is probably losing it from anger right now, and ordering his ships to fire on each other. Whatever happens is going to happen before I can intervene.”
“You already have intervened,” Desjani said. “With that bit while you were on Boundless. This is just the end stages of what that caused playing out.”
“Audacious is maneuvering,” Lieutenant Yuon reported. “She’s either trying to intercept Defiant and Paladin, or trying to join up with them. Heavy cruiser Oppida is matching the movement of Audacious.”
Aside from Implacable, which had yet to alter vector, all the ships formerly or currently under General Julian’s command were converging toward the same region of space. All except the three battle cruisers.
“Renown, Intrepid, and Fearless are requesting orders,” Lieutenant Castries said.
Geary took another couple of seconds to look at his display, trying to decide. “I should handle this like the inspection,” he finally said.
“What?” Desjani gave him a confused look.
“On Boundless,” Geary said. “Treat this as if some newly arrived ships are making routine requests to know where they should take up station in our formation.”
“Okay, Admiral.” Desjani gestured to her display. “I already made up some options for you.”
“Of course you have.”
“Do you want them isolated from the other ships, which will make them feel like pariahs, or buried in the formation surrounded by the rest of our ships, which will make them feel threatened, or added on along the top of the formation in a natural extension of the formation?”
“It sounds like you’re making a recommendation,” Geary said. “I agree with it. Let me see that third option.” It immediately popped up on his display. “Great work, Captain.”
She shrugged. “I had to do something that might be useful to occupy my time while waiting to see if you were going to die, Admiral.”
Geary keyed his command circuit. “This is Admiral Geary calling all newly arrived units.” He phrased it as if the other ships had just gotten here and the last several days hadn’t happened. “I’m assigning you stations together along the top of the current formation where you will reinforce combat capabilities. Take up stations as indicated. Welcome to my command. I am very happy to have you. Geary, out.”
Desjani smiled wickedly. “You included Invincible and Implacable in that order.”
“I’m still extending an open hand to every Alliance ship,” Geary said.
“I hope it works. Invincible is still on intercept with Topaz.”
“Six minutes until Invincible reaches firing range for Topaz,” Lieutenant Yuon reported.
Over the next few minutes, while Geary tried not to look nervous, one after another of the new ships acknowledged his command, shifting vectors, in some cases accelerating more to proceed to their newly assigned stations quicker.
Among those accelerating was Topaz, altering her vector.
“Invincible has adjusted vector to maintain intercept course on Topaz,” Lieutenant Yuon said. “Two minutes to intercept.”
Geary checked the data on his display. Topaz and the ships with her had their shields at maximum, but all of them had powered down their hell lances.
“Topaz is broadcasting,” Lieutenant Castries said. “They’re repeating the message . . . um . . .”
“Lieutenant?” Desjani asked sharply.
“ ‘Like Black Jack, we will not fire on Alliance ships. Black Jack is our commander,’ ” Castries finished, avoiding looking at Geary.
Desjani gave Geary an innocent look and spread her hands. “Topaz is saying it, not me.”
“I’m never going to get away from that, am I?” Geary muttered.
“No, not when you just did on Boundless the most Black Jack thing that anyone could possibly do.”
Invincible was still coming down on a clean intercept aimed at Topaz, all weapons active, hell lances powered at full.
And Topaz was determined to do a Black Jack, waiting for the blow, refusing to fire on another Alliance ship.
How strange it was to feel both guilty and proud at the same time. Guilty because of the sailors who might die aboard Topaz because of his example, and proud of those sailors for facing possible death without sacrificing their ideals or raising a hand against their brothers and sisters.
“Invincible is entering firing range of Topaz,” Lieutenant Yuon said.
Geary waited, watching, his stomach tight.
The battle cruiser tore past the heavy cruiser without firing.
Everyone on the bridge of Dauntless seemed to exhale at once.
“We have an incoming message from Invincible,” Lieutenant Castries said.
The image that appeared in Geary’s display was not Commander Petra Bai. It was another woman, looking nervous and agitated. But she spoke clearly and calmly. “This is Lieutenant Commander Grace Lopez, acting commanding officer of Invincible, reporting to Admiral Geary. Invincible will proceed to the main formation, joining up as ordered with our fellow Alliance warships. Our former commander, Captain Bai, is . . . indisposed. We await instructions for dealing with her.” Lopez raised her voice, speaking defiantly. “To the honor of our ancestors! Lopez, out.”
“Bai must have intended firing on Topaz,” Desjani observed. “Her officers and crew felt otherwise. That means they effectively mutinied against their commanding officer.” She gave Geary a meaningful look.
“There are provisions for commanding officers to be relieved if they lose the confidence of their crews,” Geary said.
“Which are applied about as often as Article 16.”
“I know.” He gave her a level gaze back. “Are you saying you don’t think Invincible’s crew had grounds for removing Captain Bai?”
“No, I’m not saying that.” Desjani laughed. “This is going to be another one of those cases where the fleet tells Lopez she did the right thing, and then tells her and everybody else they’d better never do it again. So, General Julian’s mighty task force has shrunk to one battleship.”
“One battleship is nothing to scoff at,” Geary said. “Maybe Captain Rogov will abandon a losing cause if given time.”
“Let’s hope so. Otherwise we’ll be back at stalemate again.”
“Let’s see if Rogov will talk to me,” Geary said, touching his comm controls.
He was a bit surprised when Captain Rogov accepted the call. With Implacable still five light seconds from Dauntless, there was a noticeable delay in each side of the conversation. While it was very annoying to wait at least ten seconds for your message to reach the other person and their reply to come back, it was possible to talk that way.
“This is Captain Rogov of the Implacable. What do you want to say? Rogov, over.”
It wasn’t exactly a respectful response, but Geary saw no reason to call Rogov on it. “Captain, you can see how the situation has developed. The other ships once with you have come to agree with me that the orders brought by General Julian are suspect and must be questioned. You’re at a dead end. There is no possible victorious outcome for you if you follow your original plan. As with the other ships and their commanders, I am guaranteeing that no officer will face punishment or reprimand for following orders they thought appropriate, or for refusing to follow orders they knew were not appropriate, such as firing on other Alliance ships. Let’s bring this dangerous situation to an end without any further risks of loss of Alliance life. Geary, over.”
A long minute crawled by, then thirty more seconds. Rogov’s reply finally came back. “A man of honor does not yield his principles because of the odds. If you think Implacable will so easily yield, you are sadly mistaken. It is not too late for you to reevaluate your own course of action, your defiance of lawful orders by Alliance authorities, and submit to the overall command of General Julian. Implacable will not—”
Shouting sounded in the background, causing Captain Rogov to glance behind him with a scowl.
A man and a woman wearing special forces working uniforms without any identifying markers, both carrying rifles, came onto the bridge, visible behind Rogov.
“What the hell—” Rogov began.
More shouts. The sound of rifle or pistol shots. Screams.
“Who is firing!? Who is firing!?” Rogov shouted. “Stop! Immediately! Who gave orders to fire?”
One of the newly arrived guards called out a reply, only partially audible to Geary. “. . . members of crew . . . to bridge . . . refused to disperse . . . General Julian . . .”
“Julian?” Rogov shouted. “He gave orders to fire on my crew?”
One of the bridge watch standers on Implacable called out loudly. “I just got a report of at least seven dead! Maybe more!”
“The penalty for mutiny is death.” General Julian came striding onto the bridge, pointing toward Captain Rogov’s display, looking as if he were pointing straight at Geary. “Shut that off!”
The window blanked.
Geary sat, his eyes fixed on the spot where the image of Captain Rogov and Implacable’s bridge had been, unable to believe what he’d just heard and seen.
“Ancestors save us,” Captain Desjani breathed, looking as shocked as Geary had ever seen her. “Those special security types shot some of Implacable’s crew. How can that happen on an Alliance ship?”
She locked her gaze on Geary. “We can’t just sit and wait now. We have to do something.”
He nodded, feeling the weight of at least seven lives lost at the hands of fellow Alliance personnel. “We will.”
SIXTEEN
EVERYONE viewing the recording of Rogov’s last call agreed that it could only mean a number of Implacable’s crew had been marching to the bridge to insist that the ship defer to Admiral Geary. And that General Julian had reacted by using the special security forces to “restore order” by firing on the crew and effectively take control of the ship.
Geary knew he had two basic options. One was to demand Implacable’s surrender, and if that didn’t happen, attack. That option couldn’t be considered for even a moment, both because of the loss of life it would surely cause and because Geary himself had just gone to the mat for the principle that Alliance warships did not fire on each other.
That left a boarding action. With all the potential for more members of the crew dying in the crossfire, and the problem of trying to get shuttles close enough to board the battleship without them being blown to pieces by the immense armament of the warship.
Knowing he needed more information on the “special security forces” aboard Implacable, Geary asked the ships that had come over to him, and who carried similar contingents, to provide him with all the information they could.
Since they were supposedly special forces from the ground forces, Geary then tasked Colonel Webb with analyzing the information, telling Geary exactly what they faced, and offering suggestions.
It had taken only a couple of hours for all that, with the crews of the new ships as appalled by what had happened aboard Implacable as everyone else. If Geary had been in the mood to consider silver linings he might have been grateful for an event that had solidified his control over the other ships that had come with Julian.
But not at that cost.
Geary was brooding in his stateroom when Colonel Webb called.
He accepted the call immediately, the image of Colonel Webb appearing to stand in his stateroom. “I have the report you needed, Admiral.”
“Good,” Geary said. “Let’s have it.”
“The special security forces aboard Implacable are stronger than those on the other new ships because they were also tasked with guarding General Julian, who apparently thought he needed special guards even on an Alliance battleship. There’s a total of fifty officers and enlisted in the special security force.” Webb displayed a pad in his hand. “We don’t just have raw numbers. The ships that came over to us had classified personnel files on them that allowed us to identify every one of the so-called special forces people aboard Implacable.”
“So-called?” Geary asked.
Webb tapped the pad. “Like on the other ships that came with General Julian. Most of them are either regular ground forces who volunteered, washouts from special training, or wannabes who never served in special ops. Julian must have had a lot of good veterans to draw on, people let go after the war ended, but from what I’ve learned the general apparently didn’t think they were reliable enough. Among the fifty on Implacable there’s a half dozen who are an exception to the washouts and wannabes, a hard core of dirtballs who were kicked out of special forces for various reasons.”
