Jack Campbell - Leviathan

The resulting silence around the table was finally broken by Captain Armus. “There is a real Unity Alternate?”

“Yes,” Geary replied. “The code for the gate there was already in our hypernet keys but needed to be unlocked for us to see it. The key aboard Dauntless has already had the necessary unlocking code loaded, and after this conference, I will be transmitting that same code to all of your ships.” He paused, seeing in everyone’s expressions the questions that statement created. “This is a fully authorized software patch. I received it from the government. This is an official tasking. The government wants Unity Alternate neutralized.”

“Neutralized?” Badaya exploded. “What is it we are neutralizing at our own government’s secret alternative command base?”

“The dark ships,” Geary said. “As well as potentially rogue elements of certain organizations.”

“Which organizations?” Captain Vitali asked.

“I don’t know. Neither does the government.”

“You did say rogue elements,” Captain Duellos conceded.

“Wait a moment,” Badaya said heatedly. “You are saying that the government, which has been eyeing us with suspicion that we were a threat to the Alliance, is now depending on us to clean up a real threat to the Alliance?” From Badaya’s injured tone, the idea of acting against the government never would have occurred to him. No one listening would have guessed that Badaya had once been at the forefront of those agitating for a military coup.

“That’s right,” Tanya said, absolutely deadpan.

Badaya frowned. “All right. Then we’ll do that. We’ll show them!”

“The Dancers are accompanying us,” Geary added. “They want to help take down the dark ships.”

“What if our paths cross, Admiral?” someone asked. “What if the dark ships head to attack Varandal while we’re on our way to Unity Alternate?”

“We’re going to get the job done at Unity Alternate and get back here,” Geary said. “No delays. It’s far from ideal, but we can’t sit around Varandal or any other place waiting for the dark ships to attack. We have to hit them where they aren’t and where it will hurt the most.”

“We must succeed,” Captain Tulev said. “We will succeed.”

“Exactly,” Geary said.

As the images of the other officers once again vanished in a flurry, that of Commander Neeson lingered briefly. “I guess you don’t need me to find that gate anymore, Admiral.”

“No,” Geary admitted. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you until now.”

“A gate hidden on our own hypernet keys!” Neeson shook his head. “The hypernet was ‘discovered’ by scientists in the Alliance and the Syndicate Worlds almost simultaneously, just in time to keep the war going as both the Alliance and the Syndicate Worlds had begun staggering from the effort to continue it. None of us realized that the enigmas had leaked the technology to both sides for just the purpose of keeping the war between humans going. We’ve never known everything about it. I wonder how many other secrets the hypernet holds?”

“Let’s win this fight, then find out,” Geary said.

Neeson smiled and saluted. “That sounds like a plan worthy of Black Jack, if you’ll excuse me for saying so, Admiral.”

“Just this once.” Geary watched Neeson’s image vanish, then walked with Desjani out of the conference room.

He was surprised to find Victoria Rione waiting for him in the passageway outside the compartment. “I want to transfer to Mistral , Admiral.”

Desjani said nothing, but disapproval was obvious in the way she held herself.

“Why?” Geary asked.

“Three reasons,” Rione explained. “One, your Marines are supposed to collect all possible intelligence material stored on the facility there. I have the experience, and a unique set of software tools, to assist in that. Two, if the Marines encounter security or paramilitary forces defending the facilities and want to avoid a pitched battle, I could assist greatly in negotiating a surrender of the defenders. Three, if my husband is indeed being held somewhere on those facilities, I want to be there to get him out.” She looked toward Desjani. “And, fourth out of three, my presence would probably be less disruptive aboard Mistral .”

Tanya looked directly at Rione, speaking sternly. “If your presence on Dauntless is judged as needed by Admiral Geary, then you are more than welcome to stay here. You will be treated with every professional courtesy.”

“You know how much that aggravates me, don’t you?” Rione said dryly. “Admiral, I cannot help you in a fight against the dark ships. There is nothing to negotiate with. But I can be of great help to the Marines. I am asking to be allowed to assist them.”

“What about talking to the Dancers? You were one of our primary points of contact with them,” Geary pointed out.

“You don’t need me for that now,” Rione said. “The Dancers are finally speaking plainly enough to those with the skill to phrase the questions right. I wouldn’t dream of crowding Lieutenant Iger and that lieutenant with the lovely emerald hair, who seem to prefer being alone together in that comm room.”

It all made excellent sense. There was no reason to object. And yet Geary felt an odd sense of disquiet as he considered his answer. Discounting that feeling as the result of having to face the uncertainties of another battle with the dark ships, Geary nodded to Rione. “You make a good case. There is plenty of room aboard Mistral for you since they are only carrying two battalions of Marines. I don’t know why I haven’t already thought to ask you to transfer to Mistral .”

“I know how much you personally enjoy having me around, Admiral,” Rione said, smiling as Desjani’s glower deepened.

“I’ll have to do without your immediate company for a while for the benefit of the Alliance,” Geary said. “I will let Colonel Rico and Commander Young know that you are coming to work with them. Captain Desjani, can you arrange an immediate shuttle lift to Mistral for Senator Rione?”

“With pleasure,” Tanya snapped. “By your leave, sir.” She saluted, then walked off rapidly down the passageway, crew members scattering as they saw her coming and judged her mood.

“Do you have to do that kind of thing?” Geary asked Rione heavily.

“It may be some sort of compulsion,” Rione said. “I’m sorry. It’s a shabby way to repay your hospitality.” She met his eyes. “Good luck, Admiral. Tell Captain Desjani I regret the difficulties that I have caused her.”

Rione walked off as well, leaving Geary staring after her and trying to recall the last time that Rione had used Desjani’s name.

He had been wondering what he would do if the dark ships erupted from Varandal’s hypernet gate as his fleet was approaching it. But as the First Fleet and the Dancer armada grew closer to the huge structure humans called a gate, which was actually a vast ring of hundreds of tethers that held a particle matrix in the desired form, no threat emanated from it.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can complete the mission,” Geary sent in a message to Admiral Timbale that would not reach Ambaru Station for hours.

Desjani had already called up the hypernet key controls. “Unity Alternate is selected as the fleet’s destination, Admiral. The hypernet field is set wide enough to include the entire fleet as well as the Dancer ships. We’re ready to go whenever you give the word.”

“Thank you, Captain. Activate hypernet.”

She touched the command, and the stars vanished.

There was none of the mind-dazing shock of transitioning into and out of jump space, no gray haze filling jump space around them, no mysterious lights. Outside the bubble in which the fleet traveled, there was, literally, nothing. In fact, as it had been explained to Geary, the fleet wasn’t really traveling. It had been at one gate, at Varandal, and after a few days all of the human warships would be at the other gate, at Unity Alternate, without technically having traveled between those gates.