Элизабет Мун - Into the Fire

“I’m more concerned about the military conspirators,” Molosay said. “You told us about Greyhaus; his logbook reveals that he was training military personnel chosen for their political bias and attachment to the Separatists, preparing for an insurrection funded in large part by those valuable ores being mined in the northern part of the continent. But such a conspiracy has to be bigger than a few officers and a few hundred disaffected soldiers. Even a large corporation like Quindlan, or a criminal organization like Malines—that’s not enough to pull off a successful revolt. Controlling the surveillance satellites so that in several hundred years they never reported what the surface was really like—?”

“The data could’ve been intercepted and falsified elsewhere,” Ky said.

“Not reliably for that long. And there’s this: you, as Commandant of the Academy, have other military duties that—worst case—might show up.”

“What’s that?” She hadn’t signed up for anything but running a military academy, definitely a full-time job. The sudden realization that though her word might be final in the Academy, she had someone above her in the command chain put a chill down her spine.

Molosay handed over a folder with the title of EMERGENCY ORDERS LOCAL. “The Academy is part of the Central Command’s Table of Organization. Normally that means nothing much. But in the event of an attack on Port Major, or any major emergency situation involving the capital, the Academy is tasked with protecting the seat of government. The ceremonial honor guard, though armed, may not be sufficient in the case of attack.”

Ky opened the folder and scanned the first few pages. “Has the Academy ever been called on?”

“Once or twice for urban riot situations, when the request for help came from the police. Never for protection from military attack. Even at the height of the Unification War, conflict never made it to this continent.” He looked at her as if expecting an answer.

“But now, since Kvannis hasn’t been captured, you’re worried. Any idea what troops he might turn up with?”

“Greyhaus’s bunch, for sure. They’d been moved to a northern base, but then dispersed, and now a number of them are AWOL. Right now it looks like somewhere between five hundred and a thousand, which isn’t anywhere near enough to win a war. Kvannis must know that. And I don’t know how many more there might be—two thousand? Three? Surely not more than that, at least not on this continent. But if they decided to hold the President hostage, occupy the Palace or Government House—”

“So… it’s my job to protect them with the ceremonial guard and cadets and staff? Is there an actual operational plan in here?” Ky tapped the folder.

“That’s a copy of what was written originally, with an update from maybe a hundred and fifty years ago. Not worth the paper it’s printed on, but you needed a copy. I know ground warfare isn’t your thing, and you were right to get your people out ahead of the trouble in Miksland, but I don’t have a spare thousand or so troops to lend you.”

“Any idea when this mysterious possible attack might take place?”

“No. But my gut tells me it’s coming. Not today or tomorrow, but if he’s got powerful and most of all wealthy allies in Port Major, it could be within a few tendays. There are riots in both Makkavo and Esterance; word is some ground troops have broken into the armory at Fort Jahren and marched toward Makkavo’s portside.”

“If we’re in your command, then how do we get more supplies?”

“Ask me, or my aide. We’re well supplied at the moment, so I can release ammunition, firearms—”

“Transport?” Ky asked. Molosay looked confused. “If there’s already an element of this conspiracy in the city, it would be stupid to march the entire cadet corps on foot across town to the government complex. They’ve had no training in urban maneuvers.”

“I’ll connect you with someone,” Molosay said. “I’m sure we have vehicles, but… do you have room to park them over there?”

“Some, certainly. I don’t know how many it would take. No Land Force background.”

“I’ll see that you get that information in the next two days.”

It was three days before a Colonel Hatch called her and explained that the only transportation available for the Academy was a unit of four buses usually reserved for transporting dependents. “And we need a week’s advance notice to reserve them,” Colonel Hatch said. “The forms for reservations are here in the transport division office—”

“That won’t do,” Ky said. In those three days she had reviewed all the information she had and conferred with the senior Land Forces instructor on urban tactics. He had not been encouraging about what she could hope to accomplish, and she was not in the mood for procedural nonsense from Transport. “Transportation is needed pursuant to Emergency Orders Local—”

“Emergency? What emergency? Why haven’t I been told?” Hatch sounded completely rattled.

“Emergency Orders Local states that, in case of attack, the Academy is tasked with supporting the honor guard at the Presidential Palace and Government House,” Ky said. “General Molosay has told me to develop a new plan for doing so, and that involves arranging transport from the Academy to those locations. As an attack would be without warning, that transportation must be immediately available.”

“But—but what if it’s scheduled for another—what if it’s full of dependents—”

“That’s why your initial option won’t do. The Academy needs a permanent installation of enough vehicles—armored, preferably—sufficient to transport cadets—”

“Cadets! You’d be taking cadets into—”

“A combat zone, yes. Because that’s what Emergency Orders Local says to do. So let’s start over. I need transport for the three upper classes of cadets and another fifty to sixty—”

“But that’s over a thousand—”

“Major.” Ky’s tone cut him off. “If you like, I can have this conversation with your commander. It’s true I do not have a Land Forces background, as you probably know. That’s why I’m not simply telling you what models and numbers I need. This is supposed to be your area of expertise.”

“We don’t have enough,” Hatch said, in a calmer voice. “A third of our transports are either off on remote assignment or in maintenance. Those four buses are all I have to spare, and they’re spoken for through eight days from now.”

Ky thought longingly of Vatta Transport and Stella’s ability to move trucks seemingly at an instant’s notice. But a convoy of Vatta freight haulers would be just as obvious and less secure for her cadets. She wondered, though, about Hatch and his reluctance to cooperate. “I’ll see if I can knock something loose for you,” she said, and ended the call. She was shaking her head when her new clerk came in.

“Something wrong, Commandant?” Bik Kamat, a corporal from Joint Services Headquarters, had brought a completely different feel to the former secretary’s office.

“Major Hatch of Transport,” Ky said. “What have you got there?”

“Major Hemins’s latest assessment of the second years’ performance, and Colonel Laurent’s notes on the defense of Government House. With annotated plats, as you requested.”

“Thank you,” Ky said. “Anything urgent in the next hour?”

“No, Commandant. Do you want your lunch sent in from the Academy mess or Commandant’s Residence?”

“Residence. I’ve annoyed Chef already by skipping too many meals.” Ky grinned at Bik, who grinned back. “Tell him to make that two lunches, unless you want what the mess has.”