Jack Campbell - Invincible

Geary sat, looking at nothing for a while after Captain Smythe’s image departed. Being forced to acquire raw materials from Syndic sources, to acquire anything from Syndic sources, was a bad position to be in. The only good thing about it was that the Syndic CEO he had dealt with at Midway had given the impression of being… he couldn’t say trustworthy, not when it came to a Syndic CEO. That would be ridiculous. But CEO Gwen Iceni had struck him as pragmatic enough to know how important good relations were and how important his fleet would be to the safety of her star system.

Though if the fleet got to Midway too late after the enigmas did, there might well be no Syndics at all left there to deal with.

“We have to be prepared to fight our way through Hua,” Geary said to the assembled ship commanding officers of his fleet.

They looked back at him, some determined, some resigned at the prospect, none of them looking enthusiastic.

Captain Badaya had a dissatisfied expression as he glowered at the star display above the conference table. “Why can’t the Bu—the spider-wolves tell us anything about the enigma defenses at Hua?” He turned his scowl, now accusing, toward where Emissary Rione and General Charban sat.

Rione gave Badaya back a look of bland authority. “It can be very challenging for humans to comprehend the meanings of even other humans who have different perspectives and experiences. Such as, say, military and civilians. We are still trying to establish basic concepts in communicating with the spider-wolves. We are far from their being able to enumerate information that specific.”

“Captain Badaya,” Charban said, his own tones using the familiar delivery of one officer speaking to another to subtly emphasize his comradeship with the military here, “if my assessments of the military nature of the spider-wolves are correct, they are not an aggressive species. Anyone who attacks them will quickly learn the error of their ways, as we can see from the state of this star system, which they use as a defensive barrier; but I am confident that they do not attack. That would mean that the enigmas, who have much more extensive experience with the spider-wolves than we do, would not feel the need for massive defenses at Hua. The enigmas would know that such defenses would be superfluous.”

“They might have just picket forces?” Captain Bradamont suggested. “Sentries? Like lions facing off against sharks. The lions would know that if they go into the shark environment, they’re going to get chewed up, but they wouldn’t worry much about the sharks coming after them.”

“They would still need some defenses,” Captain Tulev pointed out. “Perhaps not major defenses, but something. Defenses are many times driven by perception of threat, not the reality, and we know that the enigmas personify the concept of paranoia.”

Geary nodded. “We’re assuming something in the way of strong defenses, but not something too tough for us to handle.”

Captain Duellos was eyeing the display. “If our assessments are right, and the enigmas are sending a strong strike force against the Syndic-controlled star Midway, then they will have collected available ships for that mission. We should not encounter much in the way of enigma warships at Hua.”

“Yes,” Badaya agreed. “ If the enigma fleet is on its way to Midway, it won’t be waiting for us at Hua. But it would still be nice to know,” he added with forced sarcasm and another glare toward Rione, “at least whether or not the enigmas had a hypernet gate at Hua!”

Charban shook his head. “The spider-wolves either won’t or can’t tell us that.”

“As I told you earlier,” Geary said, “the six spider-wolf ships with us will not aid in any action against the enigmas. They might consider providing that kind of information as being such aid. But that leaves us in no worse shape than we were when we sailed through enigma territory the first time. We’ll arrive at Hua, see what’s there, and head for Pele. We will plan an automated evasive maneuver for the fleet to use at Hua just in case the enigmas have a conventional minefield in place there.”

Commander Neeson rapped his hand on the table as a thought struck him, the software obligingly adding in the sound even though he had actually hit a table on his own ship. “The enigmas have faster-than-light comms. When we go through Hua, they can warn their attack force headed for Midway that we’re coming.”

Badaya shrugged. “So then they’ll wait for us at Pele, and we’ll beat them there.”

“If the enigmas want to fight at Pele, we’ll fight them there,” Geary agreed. “There’s nothing we can do about the enigma ability to warn their attack force that we’re on the way, but that does emphasize the need for us to move as fast as we can to get to Midway.”

“Admiral,” Captain Jane Geary said, “if we detached the captured superbattleship, we could make more speed.”

Admiral Lagemann had been invited to the meeting this time, and many officers looked toward him, while others looked toward Geary.

“My ship is a pig,” Lagemann agreed. “The engineers are not ready to risk powering up the cores yet, and the main propulsion units are mangled, so we couldn’t move even if we did have power. But we can defend ourselves if anyone tries to board us.”

“Not very well,” General Carabali objected. “You only have a company of Marines aboard. I’d like to at least double that.”

“The temporary life support we rigged on the BKS can’t handle that many extra bodies,” Captain Smythe objected.

“Can your engineers add more life-support capability?” Geary asked.

“They could. I’d have to haul them off other high-priority tasks to do that.”

“ My engineers,” Carabali said, “can break out portable landing-force life-support gear intended for operations on hostile surfaces. That can take care of the extra requirements.”

Smythe frowned in thought. “Can I see the specifications on that gear, General? I don’t doubt your assessment, but I’d like to know what we have in place.”

“You wouldn’t object, then?” Geary said.

“To using Marine equipment? No, Admiral. It’s designed to be compatible with fleet equipment, and General Carabali’s combat engineers know their trade.”

“It’s nice to hear a fleet engineer admit that,” Carabali said. “If you approve this, Admiral, we’ll have it done before the fleet leaves this star system. The captured ship will have embarked two companies of Marines reinforced with some heavy-weapons detachments. No one will take that ship from us without a very stiff fight and a very powerful boarding force.”

Commander Shen looked slightly more dissatisfied than usual. “I don’t object to the idea of reinforcing the Marines aboard the captured ship, but anyone trying to land such a boarding force will face a very stiff fight before they get there. Orion and her sister ships will not be easily overcome.”

“I for one will feel very secure with eight battleships and two companies of Marines between me and any threat,” Admiral Lagemann commented. “And, of course, that superbattleship’s armor will be between my prize crew and any threat as well.”

“Good. Let’s get that done,” Geary ordered.

Jane Geary leaned forward. “Does that mean we’re detaching that ship under escort?”

“No,” Geary said firmly, “or at least not yet. That captured ship is of immense value. I’d have to detach half of the fleet to escort it, and until I have a better idea of what the enigmas have available in terms of warships, and whether we’re going to meet them at Pele, I don’t want to split the fleet.”