John Ringo: Against the Tide

“Agreed,” Edmund said. “I think the reason Alexander conquered half the world was that he was young enough. But this won’t wait. What I’ve left out of most of my orders is the real battle. And for that I need two portals.”

He explained for a moment and then had Sheida pull up a schematic of the battlefield so she could understand.

“Bold,” Sheida said. “To the point of rashness. You risk our two most experienced legions, a major town, the loss of the coast.”

“A hundred thousand orcs will mean the loss of the coast,” Edmund pointed out. “If we get half the pieces moved correctly, the right half, we’ll have mouse-trapped most of Chansa’s forces. At least a goodly chunk. I don’t care how many people they have in Ropasa, they’ve got to keep some supporting their forces. Ergo there’s only so many they can use as soldiers. And we’ll have winnowed them down heavily. It’s a chance I’ve been waiting for, one of the prerequisites of taking Ropasa in our lifetime.”

“And if we take Ropasa, they’ll be squeezed down to… Northern Frika and some holdings in Sind.”

“Exactly, and the northern wildernesses. And few major power sources after which you can take care of the rest. That’s if we can’t capture some of the Key-holders. But we’ve got to destroy their forces, winnow them down at least, with minimal loss to us. And we can do it. Here.”

“And you need…”

“Two portals,” Edmund said. “Surely you have the power for those?”

“Power, yes,” Sheida frowned. “Just one problem. I’ve agreed to limit portal creation to Key-holders only. When we first started making them, there were… security issues. And too much power use. It’s a voted-on protocol. I can’t break it.”

“Who’s free?” Edmund asked. “Send them to Raven’s Mill.”

“I suppose Elnora, not that she’s going to be… willing ,” Sheida said, wincing.

“Megan?” Edmund suggested. The other UFS Key-holder was an academic and a specialist in domestic affairs. Hardly the person he’d prefer handling a critical military task.

“I’d… rather wait,” Sheida replied. “I want to get more of a feel for her. I trust her on one level, she’s Joel’s daughter after all. On another her… experiences are going to have affected her. I don’t want to thrust too much on her at first.”

“Very well,” Edmund said, shrugging. “If you could send Elnora to Raven’s Mill, then, to prepare.”

“I shall,” Sheida said, sighing. “It’s never easy, is it?”

“Nope.”

Prior to the Fall, Elnora Sill had been an academic, specializing in the history of “Women’s Issues.” Like everyone else on earth, it had been a hobby rather than a vocation but one that she followed with intensity.

After the Fall, and after the initial scramble for simple survival, she had been selected by Sheida Ghorbani as one of several counselors on specific post-Fall problems. Besides issues directly related to the rise of women from virtual serfs to equals in society, Elnora was widely versed in surrounding disciplines. From Elnora’s perspective, the rise of women was, essentially, one of technology and economics. Therefore she had to be versed in both disciplines to ensure the validity of her models.

As time went on she became a closer and closer counselor of the queen on a variety of issues. Their thematic positions meshed very well and while Sheida was widely read and highly knowledgeable, like any good manager she did not consider herself an expert on every subject.

When the previous Key-holder had succumbed to the dangers of Dream, a highly advanced form of virtual reality, Sheida had asked Elnora if she would accept the Key. After much painful thought, Elnora accepted. On one level it would increase the likelihood that her theories would become policy, not to mention giving greater automatic status to women in the United Free States and, hopefully, their allies. On another level it would make it hard for her to continue her studies, especially studies of the changes that had occurred in female status post-Fall.

She had continued as an advisor, and now implementer, of Sheida’s policies. She had concentrated, however, on domestic issues. Her knowledge of anything military, other than that the war was going on and generally where battles were taking place, was limited. The one area where she had been very hands off was the subject of women in military forces. The military had been fair and evenhanded on the subject, in her opinion, simply requiring that females meet the same standards as males. The fact that many females were unable to do soÑit took a very odd female indeed to survive Blood Lord training for exampleÑwas besides the point. The military created the chance, it was up to women to take it if they so desired. Equality of opportunity not outcome was one point where she and Sheida agreed entirely.

So she was somewhat surprised to be asked to undertake an, essentially, military mission.

“I can do it,” Elnora temporized. “But I have no experience in military matters, Sheida.”

Unlike Sheida, who maintained her reign from her beleaguered home in the Western Range, Elnora maintained a small office near the capitol in Solous. She had been going over notes from the day’s meetings when Sheida had contacted her and the interruption was not to her liking, either in manner or content.

“All you have to do is go to Raven’s Mill and set up the portal,” Sheida said. “Your contact on that end is General Lanzillo, who has been briefed that you are arriving. The timing on portal generation is tight, but we’ll have communications on it. All you have to do is stand by until the portal has to be generated, generate it and then you’re done.”

“I have meetings…” Elnora said, frowning and brushing her light brown hair out of her eyes.

“Elnora,” Sheida said, gently, “there is a time and a place for everything. What we have been working on is of vast importance. In the long term. But at this time the most important thing we have to consider is whether we can prevent New Destiny from taking our eastern cities so that we can keep working on those policies. You can’t work on civilization if the barbarians are inside the gates.”

“Intellectually, I’m aware of that,” Elnora said, grimacing. “However, much as I admire the military, of course, at a distance…”

“You’re not comfortable with them,” Sheida said, smiling slightly. “I understand. However, in this case…”

“I’ll do it,” Elnora said. “When should I leave?”

“Unfortunately, as soon as possible,” Sheida said. “We need to ensure that everything is prepared.”

“Right away?” Elnora said, gasping. “But I’ll have to instruct my aides…”

“Elnora,” Sheida said, firmly, “go to Chin. Contact General Lanzillo. Put in a portal to Raven’s Mill through one of the inactive gates. Go to Raven’s Mill. Ensure that you’re ready for the rest when you get there. Please.”

“Very well, Sheida,” Elnora said, standing up and nodding. “If that’s all?”

“Have fun?” Sheida asked. “Think of it as research. Studying the myrmidon in its natural habitat.”

“Mr. Chambers?” Elnora said, frowning slightly. “Sorry to bother you.”

Chambers looked up at the avatar and then stood up. He had been working late in his office in the War Department and he carefully controlled the start at seeing the Key-holder in the room.

“Mistress Sill,” he said, bowing from the waist.

“Oh, posh, Mr. Chambers,” Elnora said, waving a hand. “I don’t need that. But I do need a bit of advice…”