“Grand,” Herzer said, dryly.
“But when the carrier took out six ships, five of them without ever coming in sight of the enemy, much less letting them get a chance to counterattack…”
“All of a sudden,” Herzer frowned, “carriers got important.”
“And all the new carrier commands go to the yacht guys, and Shar, who is their most successful carrier commander, is shuffled off to a minor base to guard babies.”
“The mer are bloody important,” Herzer said. “No mer, no delphinos; those two are bound like glue. No delphinos, no whalos, because the whales don’t talk to us, can’t most of the time. No whales and their intelligence system is gone, their -communcations… The key to that is Blackbeard Base. I’d thought they were sending him there because he was their best man. Not, in their eyes, the one they could afford to lose the most. Are they idiots?”
“No, they’re just very shortsighted.” Edmund sighed. “I think it’s coming to a head with this plan to forward engage Paul’s fleet. I wasn’t even copied on the information; Sheida asked me about it because it struck her as wrong. If Paul wants to destroy the carriers, why put them in harm’s way? Why not find out what’s going on at the very least?”
“They’ve got surface units,” Herzer said. “Frigates and cruisers. I’d send them in and try to find out what they’ve got. It’s brutal, but even if you lost a few, you’d get intel on their capabilities. Launch wyverns for long-range penetration; just probe them. Stick and move until you know what’s what. They’ve got time and sea-room.”
“The current plan is a straight head-to-head clash, probably off the Onay Islands” Edmund smiled, dryly. “I’m not getting their intel so I can’t make an informed judgment. But it doesn’t make sense to me, either. Sheida, therefore, has ordered me to move my flag to Newfell Fortress.”
“So I take it I’m off the roster of instructors at the Academy,” Herzer said.
“Call it temporary duty,” Edmund replied. “You look displeased.”
“I was enjoying it, tell truth,” Herzer replied, then grinned. “Some of those ensigns are real lookers.”
“Herzer,” Edmund growled, warningly.
“I’m not even looking, much less touching.” The very young captain shrugged. “At least, I don’t think I’m looking. But we’re pretty divorced here from the town and Bast hasn’t shown up in a year or so. On the other hand, there’s always Estrelle.”
“Yes, there is,” Edmund said, pursing his lips. “I’ll admit that in your case, that doesn’t even bother me for some reason.”
“It does me, to tell the truth,” Herzer said with a shrug. “But that’s old history. And the one thing that you know is that if, for some odd reason, she’s got something more important to do, you’re not going to force her.”
Estrelle was the barmaid for Tarmac’s tavern, the oldest drinking establishment in Raven’s Mill. She was a homunculus, a nonsentient human replica. She was relatively short with long golden hair, high, firm breasts, a heart-shaped face and cornflower blue eyes. Her programming was to serve drinks, clean up, make very small talk and jump into bed with anyone that so much as suggested they might be interested, all other duties being covered of course. And because she was a homunculus, she was as strong as any three human males. Once when Herzer had gotten into a fight in the tavern she had picked the one-hundred-twenty-kilo soldier up off the ground and then wrapped him in a virtually unbreakable wrestling hold.
Edmund did not care for homunculi. He didn’t mind them as people, but he disliked the morality of their existence. He knew they were nonsentient. He knew they weren’t really human. But he still felt that it was a form of bondage slavery which did not sit well with him. Instead, before the Fall, he used nannite servants. Since the Fall he had had hired help who he tried, often despite their best efforts, to treat as his equals. He might have had this dukeship thrust down his throat, but it didn’t mean he had to like being an aristocrat.
Edmund sighed and shook his head.
“Well, that brings up the next little item. I’m going to need some staff to come along. Not much; I’m going to leave the army staff in place with General Ferraz. Which means drawing on the Academy or the Blood Lord facility. What I really need is a group of messengers, the original of aides. You’re going to be my primary aide but I want you there with me. Pick a few of your best and brightest. If they don’t make me grimace, they’re coming with us.”
“Okay,” Herzer said, frowning slightly. “I know a few that I’d choose but don’t get me wrong about one of them just cause she’s female.”
“I won’t; I trust your judgment,” Edmund said, “even when it comes to women.”
Herzer knocked on the door and entered at a female voice: “Clear.”
He looked around the room and grinned at the startled faces.
“Doing a little cross-pollination?” he asked and avoided grimacing at the unintended double entendre.
“Our engineering assignment is permissible as a group project, sir,” Ensign Van Krief answered after a moment. “And there are only two extant copies of Defeat Into Victory and American Caesar available, sir. We managed to snag both.”
“American Caesar?” Herzer asked.
“The biography of General MacArthur, sir,” Tao answered, getting dagger looks from the other two. “It covers the Inchon landing in some depth.”
“Interesting,” Herzer replied. “We’ll have to see if the library will let us borrow them on long-term loan.”
“Sir?” Destrang said.
“You’ve all been detailed to be General Talbot’s messengers,” Herzer replied. “I’ve got homework assignments from all of your instructors. It’s a headquarters assignment, but you’ll be riding, so pack dress and undress uniforms; we’re leaving in the -morning.”
“We, sir?” Van Krief said, her voice rising an octave to a near squeak.
“I’ve been detailed as his aide, for my sins.” Herzer grinned. “Not that I’m unfamiliar with the position. But bring your armor, as well. As I said, I’ve been on this sort of assignment before.”
* * *
The five of them, and their equipment, made a heavy load for the stage coach. But they all managed to pack it in by the time the scheduled departure arrived.
Duke Edmund gave his wife a hug before he boarded, then picked up the tow-haired child at her side.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said, giving the boy a squeeze.
The boy just looked at him from big, blue eyes and then gave him a hug back that was hard and swift. The child was beautiful, even by the standards of the time, with ears that were faintly pointed. He dropped to the ground lightly and grabbed his mother’s hand, working his face and clearly trying not to cry.
“Headquarters assignment,” Daneh said, pointing at Edmund. “That means you stay safe. Understood?”
“Understood, milady,” Edmund grinned.
“Herzer, too,” she said.
“Herzer, too,” the duke answered.
“We’ve got to board, boss,” Herzer said, stepping up and getting a hug from Daneh as well. “I’ll take care of him,” he said.
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