Chapter 15

V.A. Broun said, incredulously, “You have a plan? You mean you really expect to defeat them?”

Jay: ”Well, yes. Why not?” But I could feel that she was anything but confident.

Another Admiral: “What do you need from us?”

Jay: “Confusion ... I need to have every ship you can put in space going every which way. Out to Thor 2, out to other asteroid belts, out to other planets -- and back. Scoop gas from the gas giants; you’ve got four of them in the system. Go to your forts. The forts are mobile, right? Have them fire their engines, get them started to move closer to interpose themselves between the Bug armada and Arnis. Then plan a mass confusion of ships back to somewhere else. We should need about three or four days of confusion. And stay out of contact with the Bug fleet, if they don’t speed up. If they change course or speed, we’ll make another plan.”

Admiral: “And the point would be...?”

Jay: “To let us get to the Thor 2 asteroid belt undetected. We have to get there fast and stop fast. That’s going to make a footprint. It will be seen. If we bury it among a lot of signals, it can get lost.”

Broun: “What are you planning to do once you get to Thor 2?”

Jay: “We’re going to kill bugs. Just the bugs, not the ships.”

Broun: “But ... how?”

Me: (to the room) ’Admiral. You saw what we did to the crew of the Silex and the Lincoln. We can do more than that.’

There was silence in the War Room; they all knew what we’d done to the crews.

One man in a Captain’s uniform (A USN Captain ranks just below an Adjunct Admiral) said, “First of all, Admiral Reoux would disagree with this plan, and he remains “near dead” at the hands of these ... creatures. Their plan is unproven, uncertain and very expensive. Ships going all over. Scooping from gas giants when we have plenty of fusion fuel. It’s folly.”

There was, again, silence in the room. Broun turned on the man. “Captain Gronski, what would be the ‘expense’...” he made the air quote with his fingers. “ ... of having Arnis destroyed?” The silence endured for another two beats. “We, in this room, over the past months of planning, have come up with no plan at all. Admiral Reoux approved a plan that called for the complete abandonment of Arnis, with the USN retreating in full...”

That caused Shah Renya to gasp. “You can’t be serious.”

Broun: “Serious as death, m’am. Yes, Shah Renya. Reoux ordered that you not be told. I’m sorry.”

Renya: “He is a traitor! You can’t just abandon five and a quarter billion people.”

Broun: “We’re not. You relieved Reoux. He is no longer in charge.” He eyed Gronski carefully. “I hope that we all understand that.”

Me to Jay: ‘Gronski is still hostile to us. He believes Reoux should be the commander here.’

Jay to me: ’Even I knew that. And I didn’t need to read any minds. (mental chuckle)’

Broun continued: “And we have some people that present a viable possibility of success...”

Kray to Me and Jay: ’Gronski thought: “People? A USN traitor and two creatures? I don’t think so.”’

Broun again: “ ... So ... we’re going to split into four operational groups. For the first three, each will take a third of the defense force and plan a confusing, irregular plan of maneuver. Each will have their ships go to Thor 2 and the other gas giants. A fourth group will handle the movement of the forts.”

A random voice asked, “Why split up into three groups, sir?”

Broun: “Because that way there won’t be any recognizable pattern to the irregular movements ... I’m sure we’ll have issues that come up as we do this, but are there any questions we must address now?”

The Lieutenant with the headphones touched Jay on the arm. “No change in speed, m’am. They’re spreading out some.”

His update was loud in the silence of the room. Then the Admirals broke into small groups and the volume of quiet planning went up.

The Shah came to Jay and me. “Could I see you both in my cabin for a few moments, please?”

Kray followed as we followed the Shah to her quarters.

Renya thought to us. ’Is this method of speaking acceptable? Can you hear me?’

Me: ’Yes, your Highness. Perfectly.’

Renya bared her teeth in the human smile. ’Would you be able to delay your departure for a day -- maybe less? I’d like you to come to Arnis with me.’

Jay: ’I don’t think that now is the time for diplomatic receptions, your Highness.’

Me: ’She’s not thinking about that, Jay. She wants us to scan her ministers and see where the traitor is.’

Renya: ’I was right about you, sulGrahhll. You can read thoughts, can’t you?’

Me: ’It’s not something I’d want known by a wide audience.’

Renya: ’I want to... ‘

Kray: ’Dad ... someone with hostile intent is trying to do something to the Meriah I.’

Jay: ’Details, Kray. Fast.’

Kray: ’I gave him a series of “electric” jolts when he got to within 25 feet. Let them think it’s something in the ship. He was going to disable something about the thruster system. He was operating under orders from Reoux’s assistant.’

Merlin: ’If I can intrude. I would not have allowed it. But he would have damaged something.’

Renya: ’All of you can speak mentally? You have a formidable team, sulGrahhll. Will you come to the palace? You have more mental abilities than you let on.’

Me: ’I think it’s safer to be dealing with the Bugs. But I think that we can make a visit to your court ... Jay?’

Jay: ’Yes, it will take only two days to get to our target. We have time ... Good thinking Kray.’

Renya: ’Kray?’

Me: ’You Highness, may I present my son and the ninsulGrahhll, Krayshall.’

Kray: ’Pleased to meet you, m’am. Sorry about interrupting before.’

Renya: ’I understand completely. It’s a pleasure to meet you, son.’

Me to Jay: ’”Son?” She’s only two years older than he is.’

Me to everyone present: ’You’re worried because you think your father was poisoned, m’am?’

Renya: ’Renya, please. No “Highness” or “m’am.” I’m not comfortable with all that formality.’

Me: ’Yes, m’am. (laugh)’

Renya: ’Yes, I’m worried about that. I’m sure some people want to take over the government.’

...

Seven hours later, we landed in Arnis City, the capitol of the planet, and the location of the royal palace. Considering the uncertainty of the surroundings, Jay and I decided to leave Kray with Merlin and the Meriah I. This time, there were no incidents. Maybe the “resistance underground” had spread the message of the “danger” of approaching the Meriah I.

We had a welcoming luncheon at the palace with all the state trimmings. The Ministers of State, Defense, Interior and Finance were all of the opinion that Shah Renya was not competent to rule the planet. The Finance Minister, moreover, was planning to marry Renya and then have her killed, leaving him as the ruler of Arnis. The Ministers of Communication, Food Supply, Trade and Public Relations supported her, though some had doubts about her age.

Renya: ’sulGrahhll, how is he planning to force me into marriage?’

Me: ’Two of your bodyguards, Jerrod and Dulak, will abduct you. There will be a marriage ceremony in front of a compliant magistrate. Then you will be ‘indisposed’ except by video conference. After a while, you will die. If he can arrange it, you will die in childbirth.’