Jack Campbell - Leviathan

“We survived,” Geary said. He was in his stateroom aboard Dauntless , reviewing the damage to his ships in the long fight at Bhavan and wondering whether Captain Smythe could find the funds necessary to acquire a lot of replacement fuel cells. Timbale’s call had been a welcome distraction. Geary spoke frankly to the image of the other admiral. “Which was a victory compared to what might have been.”

“Well, Black Jack can’t be beaten, right?” Timbale offered with an encouraging smile.

“He damn near was at Bhavan,” Geary said. “They apparently built those dark ships to beat me, and, for once, the government was far too successful in achieving its goals.”

“You’ll find a way,” Timbale said. “The living stars wouldn’t have given you this challenge if they didn’t think you couldn’t handle it.”

“In that case, I wish the living stars had a lot less confidence in me,” Geary said. Everyone says basically the same thing, that surely Black Jack will find a way to beat the dark ships. But Black Jack himself can’t think of a way. I sure as hell can’t beat them in a straight-up fight with what I’ve got.

Timbale smiled as if uncertain whether Geary was joking, then shifted to a resigned look. “Speaking of the government, I wanted to give you a heads-up. Orders have arrived to reassign Tsunami , Typhoon , and Haboob .”

“Why not Mistral as well?” Geary asked. “Why leave me with one assault transport?” Not that the assault transports were any use against the dark ships, but the transfers coming now did feel like adding insult to injury.

“I have no idea,” Timbale replied.

Geary paused to check Mistral ’s status on his fleet database. She was in as good shape as the other assault transports. There didn’t seem to be any reason for her to be left at Varandal while the rest of her division of ships was sent off on another assignment. “Do you know where Tsunami , Typhoon , and Haboob are going?”

“Unity.”

“Unity?” Geary stared at Timbale. “Why?”

“Contingency emergency evacuation force,” Timbale explained. “That’s what the orders say.”

“Evac—?” Geary shook his head and tried to speak calmly. “They’re finally taking the dark ships seriously? I guess this is a clear sign the government has lost control of them and is afraid where the dark ships will attack next. I assume that fleet headquarters told the government that every assault transport in the fleet combined wouldn’t be able to lift off the population of Unity.”

“You can’t assume anything with headquarters, but I guess three assault transports have got enough capacity for the important people, and that’s what the government was probably worried about,” Timbale said. “Oh, and they’re supposed to take most of your Marines with them.”

“Most of my Marines? To do what, hold back the crowds trying to find space on the assault transports?”

“I don’t know, Admiral.” Timbale spread his hands. “This set of orders is clear-cut. You either do as ordered or you violate the order. There isn’t any work-around on this one.”

Geary nodded heavily. “I understand. Fine. Tsunami , Typhoon , and Haboob will go to Unity, along with… how many Marines exactly?”

“Two of your three brigades, plus their supporting elements. Two thousand, one hundred in total. General Carabali is to go with them.”

“Do I get to at least choose which two brigades go and which I keep?” Geary asked.

Timbale squinted at something. “Ummm… no. First and Second Brigades go with the assault transports. You get to keep Third Brigade. Are you feeling the love?”

“Not at the moment.” But after Timbale had ended the call, Geary sat frowning in his stateroom for a while, wondering what was really behind the orders. The government has access to a lot more assault transports than the few I had. And a lot more Marines. Why do they want mine at Unity?

He called General Carabali. “Have you heard about the orders for the assault transports and two-thirds of your Marines?”

“Just now, yes, sir.”

“Do you have any idea why the orders designated your First and Second Brigades to go to Unity and the Third to stay here?”

“Yes, sir,” Carabali replied, a slightly apologetic note entering her voice. “While you were detached, I received a request for recommendations on which of my brigades was most effective at assaults. Based on their experience and their commander, I replied that Third Brigade was the most qualified. That may be why it was designated to stay here. I sent you a notification on the matter, but with everything else going on, you might not have noted it.”

“Thank you for being diplomatic about my not seeing it,” Geary said. “So they’re leaving me the best brigade?”

“That’s a relative term, Admiral,” Carabali said, a little stiffly this time. “All of my brigades are the best.”

“Understood,” Geary said. “And I agree with you. I should have spoken more carefully. Do you have any indication of what your mission will be at Unity?”

“No, sir.”

“Thank you, General. Let me know if you need any assistance preparing for the movement of your Marines.”

He sat back when the call ended, now having even more questions than before he had spoken to Carabali. I was thinking I might need some of my Marines if I could locate the dark ship base. Someone who could seize the dark ship facilities and disable them without destroying them. I want the evidence of those facilities if anyone tries claiming the dark ships never existed or weren’t official or some other nonsense.

If I do need some Marines for that task, it sounds like the Third Brigade is the unit I would have picked. And that’s the unit that is being left for me. But why do that without talking to me about it?

And it’s all meaningless anyway if I don’t know where the base for the dark ships is located.

Ancestors, I really, really need some help here.

The alert on his stateroom hatch announced a visitor.

“Admiral.” General Charban displayed his now-usual attitude of trying not entirely successfully to deal with frustration. “I’m back from my stay on Inspire . May we speak?”

“Of course,” Geary said. “Take a seat. I imagine that you’re glad you weren’t with us at Bhavan.”

“I know something of how you must have felt, Admiral.” Charban shook his head. “I was in a few ground battles where I was praying for a miracle. Fortunately, either the living stars are fond of me or chance worked in my favor. I don’t think I would have been able to get my force intact out of a situation like that you faced at Bhavan, though.”

“You probably would have thought of something,” Geary said. “Any breakthroughs in the matter of the Dancers?” he asked, naming the alien species which resembled the unholy offspring of giant spiders and wolves, and which were the closest things to friends that humanity had found among the three alien races so far encountered. Given that the other two races, the mysterious enigmas and the homicidally aggressive (as well as cute) Kicks, were both dangerous foes, it did not take much to be friendlier toward humanity. But the Dancers, in their own, mystifying ways, did seem to regard humans as allies.

Charban sat down and shrugged. “Breakthroughs are even harder to come by with no Dancers actually present to talk to. On the other hand, I’m not dealing with vague and simplistic replies from them on a routine basis, so it could be worse.”

“It could definitely be worse,” Geary said. “The dark ships won’t even talk to us.”