Retreat and Adapt Read online

  "So we must wait until we meet the enemy at our gates before we know if it's effective?"

  "Not necessarily, Mr. Prime Minister. Several months ago, using the powers vested in me by this body, I authorized a bold plan to test our new Phalanx Destruction system. I hesitated to mention it earlier lest word leak back to Space Command."

  * * *

  It had been torture holding their tongues until they were assured of the secure privacy available aboard a Space Command ship, but once Jenetta and Christa were ensconced in Jenetta's VIP quarters aboard the SC battleship Ares, they opened up completely. Admiral Holt had specifically asked Jenetta not to bring Eliza with her to his office, and she understood once he explained the full details of Christa's recovery through the use of Project Springboard. But Eliza, third officer aboard the Ares, was able to join them now since it was second watch. The reunion behind closed doors had been spontaneous and heart-warming as they celebrated Christa's return to good health, then began to catch up on all the news they hadn't been able to share until now.

  "You're kidding!" Jenetta said. "Mikel Arneu is a woman now? He's had a sex change?"

  Christa was sitting on the carpeted deck pulling a brush through Tayna's thick fur, while Cayla, Jenetta's other Taurentlus-Thur Jumaka, lay on the deck next to Jenetta with her head in Jenetta's lap. Eliza was also on the deck, leaning against a sofa while she enjoyed a large bowl of delicious chocolate ice cream from Jenetta's well-stocked kitchen.

  "Yes and no," Christa said. "It wasn't a regular sex change like anyone can have performed over the weekend at any large clinic or hospital. He went through the Raider DNA Manipulation process. He's a real woman now. Or I guess I should say she's a real woman now."

  "Complete with uterus and ovaries?"

  "Yeah, the works— as far as I know. He, I mean she, told me that she was in pain for a year while her DNA reconfigured her pelvis. I assume that included all the proper plumbing. She said it was excruciating, and she couldn't move without hurting."

  "That's the first good thing you've told me," Jenetta said with a smile. "She deserved every second of it."

  Between spoonfuls of ice cream, Eliza chimed in with "Yeah, and then some."

  "I knew they intended to kill me before they left," Christa said, "so I'm lucky to have survived. I really, really thought I was dead when Kasim shot me."

  "Uh, yeah, it was a close one," Jenetta agreed. "We almost lost you. We're lucky the doctor placed you in that stasis chamber when he did and that the Dakistee stasis chambers operate the way they do."

  "Yeah, he saved my life. I'll have to thank him when I get back to Dakistee."

  "And Kasim really told you he was responsible for drugging Jenetta and creating you and me?" Eliza asked.

  "Yup. He said he did it to prove to himself that he understood the process well enough to produce new clones."

  "Then he must have been successful in deciphering the Ancient Dakis graphics before we did."

  "Yes. We hadn't reached that topic yet, but he'd had months to study the equipment before Jenetta arrived on the planet. For such an intelligent person, and considering his senior position in the labor force, he would have had no trouble sneaking into the facility to study the equipment at night. I can only imagine his frustration in having to play a subservient role to the young scientists there."

  "I'm going to recommend you for a commendation for a job well done," Jenetta said. "The stasis technology alone is worth everything you went through. It's going to have far-reaching benefits for the Galactic Alliance. And discovering the sleeping Dakistians will change the face of that planet, and perhaps the Galactic Alliance."

  "I'd trade the commendation right now for a ticket back to the Hephaestus."

  Jenetta smiled sadly. "I wish I could. But the Admiralty Board wants you on Dakistee for a while. Don't worry, you'll get back to shipboard duty."

  "Isn't that what you always told yourself?"

  "Yes, but you have a friend who's very highly placed. Do this job and I'll find a way to get you on a ship."

  "Okay, sis. I hadn't really considered not doing it."

  "I know," Jenetta said with a smile.

  "So you'll be heading back to Region Two right away?" Christa asked.

  "No. I'm going home to see mom first. And I'm going to talk to the Admiralty Board while I'm on Earth."

  "Ooh. See if you can get me freed up from Dakistee," Christa said jokingly.

  Jenetta smiled. "The job on Dakistee is an important one. I know it's not what you want, sis, but it'll be excellent experience. When I was the commanding officer at Dixon and then at Stewart, hardly a day passed when I didn't learn something new that would serve me well later in my career. And to paraphrase something Admiral Holt once said to me, 'You need a little rounding out.'"

  "Okay, but I still think I'll be bored out of my mind."

  "Only if you're lucky," Jenetta said with smile.

  The SC battleship Ares departed for Earth a week after dropping Christa off on Dakistee. Jenetta had accompanied Christa down to the surface and thanked the medical staff for the quick action that saved Christa's life and for their efforts in meeting the other medical emergencies following the attack at the archeological dig site. Madu, the pro tem president of the Dakistee people, was performing administrative duties on another part of the planet and so missed the opportunity to meet with Jenetta on this occasion, but Jenetta met with the diplomatic staff charged with handling public relations for the temporary government and toured the new-found facility. She also renewed her association with the Loudescott archeological staff and visited the Space Marine base at North Pendleton.

  * * *

  The Ares was just hours from Earth when a light chime seemed to sound next to Jenetta's left ear. It was followed by a message that a Priority-One communication had just arrived in her message queue. Already seated behind the desk in her office adjoining the Admiral's bridge, she held up a hand to silence her aide, Lt. Commander Ashraf, in mid-sentence and said, "I have an incoming Priority communication, Lori. Hold your thought for a minute."

  Jenetta leaned into the area where the computer could perform a retinal scan for verification of identity and instructed the machine to begin.

  When the computer was satisfied with the identity of the recipient, an image of Admiral Augustus Poole filled the screen. His voice could only be heard through Jenetta's CT so that anyone within range couldn't eavesdrop on the Priority-One conversation.

  "Hello, Jen," the image of Poole said. "I'm sorry to disturb you while you're on leave, but I felt you should be aware of an incident. Three weeks ago, the Yenisei reported making DeTect contact with three ships and announced an intention to pursue and investigate. That was the last we heard from them. I've declared the ship officially overdue and ordered every other DS ship within two hundred light-years to immediately proceed to the Yenisei's last reported position to begin a search operation. Unfortunately, the Yenisei was operating at the furthest reaches of Region Two, out near the Ruwalchu and Hudeerac border areas, so there were only two ships within range. One is the scout-destroyer Thames, and the other is the DS destroyer Duluth. Both ships should be nearing the area by the time you receive this message."

  "Augustus Poole, Rear Admiral, Upper Half, Base Commander, Quesann SCB, message complete."

  Jenetta sighed loudly as she sat back in her chair.

  Ashraf, seated across the desk from her, could see the sadness in her admiral's eyes. "What is it, Admiral? Anything you can talk about?"

  "Since we first entered Region Two to conclude our conflict with the Milori, we've only left twice. The first time, we were only gone a week before the THUG pack began to wage war to arrogate our new territory. We returned and saw an end to that conflict, and since then things have been reasonably quiet. Now we leave the Region again, and suddenly we have an incident reminiscent of the last time. I'm no sooner back in the vicinity of home when someone starts trouble."

  "What kind of trouble
? Another invasion?"

  "The Yenisei is missing after reporting that it was pursuing three ships."

  "Missing? For how long?"

  "Three weeks."

  "But the Yenisei is Dakinium-sheathed. No three warships should have been able to take him down before he could get a message off."

  "That's why I sighed. No three warships should have been able to take him down. So how many warships are out there this time— twenty? fifty? a hundred? a thousand? ten thousand? And what are their full intentions?"

  "Perhaps it's only a problem with the Yenisei's drive, like the one the Colorado experienced where everything short-circuited and left you without propulsion and communications."

  "I hope so, but it seems like too much of a coincidence. If the Yenisei was chasing after three unknown ships, a double-envelope shouldn't have been needed. Scout-destroyers are capable of speeds up to Light-487 without resorting to their maximum speed capability. No— I fear the worst."

  "Then we should get back there as soon as possible."

  "All that can be done is already being done. Admiral Poole is very capable of handling the situation. And I've already notified the Admiralty Board that I'm coming to Earth."

  "But surely this new problem is far more important than a meeting with the AB."

  "Perhaps, but we won't be able to establish that until we know what happened. We'll continue on to Earth. Now, about that issue with the Milori High Council…"

  * * *

  Chapter Two

  ~ February 25th, 2286 ~

  The Ares received a straight-in approach by traffic controllers when it reached Earth. Captain Gavin hadn't declared an emergency or requested special treatment, but Earth Space Traffic Control had been advised that Admiral Carver was on board, and a supervisor decided it wouldn't do to keep Earth's greatest heroine waiting to disembark while the ship spent the better part of a day slowly following standard traffic protocols for approaching the planet.

  When the Ares had established a stable position in Earth orbit, Jenetta and her aide, Lt. Commander Ashraf, made their way to the Ares' shuttle bay where a small ship reserved for her exclusive use was waiting. The flight crew had already completed the preflight and received Earth sub-orbit permissions and approach routes. They were ready to depart as soon as the shuttle was buttoned-up.

  Gone were the days when Jenetta could pilot her own shuttle, but there was always that Marine fighter on Quesann with her name on the cockpit. Whenever the burden of supreme command in Regions Two and Three weighed too heavily upon her shoulders and she could get away for a few hours, she enjoyed a bit of full-throttle wave hopping and canyon skimming in the more remote areas of the planet. Her flights never failed to fill her protection details with near heart-stopping sensations of dread as they trailed from a safer height, but the occasional outings were sometimes the only way Jenetta could cope with the incredible pressures of a job she had never wanted and still remain sane.

  Jenetta would have preferred to go directly to the Potomac Space Command Base where her family owned a home in the adjoining military housing subdivision, but she knew that would be impossible on this first trip back to Earth since defeating the four powers that attempted to arrogate Region Two. Annexation of the space formerly claimed by the Tsgardi had substantially increased the size of Region Two, and the space annexed following the defeat of the Uthlaro was so massive that it was designated as Region Three. Naturally, all unclaimed space between the conquered territories and the Galactic Alliance Frontier Zone had immediately been claimed and added to the two new regions. Jenetta's incredible victories had more than quadrupled the size of the Galactic Alliance. And since her promotion to full Admiral had taken place while she was still in Region Two, she couldn't possibly avoid all the pomp and ceremony hurriedly planned following notification of her return home.

  The shuttle from the Ares touched down at the Galactic Alliance Headquarters Complex in Nebraska at the appointed time. Jenetta, her ribbons and medals shimmering brightly, looked resplendent in her dress uniform. She was even wearing the peaked cap she disliked so much. This was actually the first time she had worn either it or her medals since her last trip home.

  At the same parade ground where she had first been honored so many years ago, the cloth emblem of every member planet in the Galactic Alliance was represented on one of the tall flagpoles arranged in five concave, semi-circular rings that faced a massive stage. The February wind gusts kept all of the flags flapping wildly and ensured that the heavy winter coats of the several thousand attendees seated in the folding chairs that filled the field were closed tightly to preserve as much body warmth as possible.

  Owing to the unpleasantly cold weather, the ceremony began as soon as Jenetta arrived, and speeches by red-cheeked officials and dignitaries, spoken through billowing clouds of condensed breath, were kept to a minimum length. All members of the Admiralty Board were present, including Rear Admiral (Upper) Yuthkotl, the Nordakian officer who formerly held the rank of Admiral of the Fleet for the Nordakian Space Force. With the NSF now fully absorbed into Space Command, he had finally taken a rightful place on the Admiralty Board. Admiral Hubera's disgrace and subsequent retirement meant that the board was still composed of ten admirals.

  When it came time for Jenetta to speak, her two jumakas accompanied her to the microphone and stood at her side, staring out at the audience while she spoke. Where in the past, the male spectators might have spent their time ogling Jenetta's gorgeous legs, on this occasion most eyes in the audience remained glued to the two magnificent beasts who never left Jenetta's side. Perhaps an occasional pair of eyes would have focused on Jenetta's legs if she hadn't opted to wear trousers on this cold February day instead of a skirt. Like the other speakers, she kept her comments brief.

  Jenetta was already wearing the medal honors earned since her last appearance on Earth, as well the insignia of her rank, so there was no physical presentation of honors, but each honor was detailed in chronological order for the present audience and for the vid cameras capturing the event for nightly news programs and posterity.

  When Admiral Moore, the Admiral of the Fleet for Space Command, closed the ceremonies, the attendees stood, clapped, and cheered for several minutes, then hurried away to warm vehicles or more weather-hospitable environs. Jenetta took a few minutes to shake hands and exchange greetings with the people assembled on the stage before they too dispersed to escape the frigid mid-winter Nebraska temperature and icy cold winds. As Jenetta hurried to a waiting vehicle, thoughts of the year-round pleasant weather at the Region Two Headquarters base on Quesann filled her mind.

  Her shuttle was ready to lift off as soon as Jenetta and her small entourage were aboard. Flight-plan requests had already been approved, and they were on their way to the Potomac Space Command Base within minutes.

  The commanding officer of Potomac had arranged for a small welcoming ceremony, and after disembarking from the small ship, Jenetta smiled and shook the hand of each senior officer lining the shuttle pad perimeter as they were introduced. It was too cold to stand around, so Jenetta took her leave as soon as possible. Three covered oh-gee vehicles filled with Marines surrounded the VIP limo carrying Jenetta, Lt. Commander Ashraf, and the two jumakas. Even though access to the housing area was limited to military officers, their families, and approved guests, there would always be at least a dozen security people near the house while she was there.

  Jenetta received the expected ebullient reaction as the front door of her family home opened. She barely had time to utter the words, "Hello, Momma," before Annette Carver cried out in delight and leapt into her arms.

  As Jenetta bent to accept her, Annette coiled her arms around her daughter's neck and showered her with kisses and happy tears. Jenetta responded in kind, although a little less demonstratively. The jumakas, having been here before and understanding the familial relationship, knew there was no danger from the parental attack. They merely stood and watched in fascination.
<
br />   "Mother Carver, let the poor girl come in out of the cold," Jenetta heard from inside the house. Her sister-in-law Marisa came into view as Annette relaxed her arms and Jenetta was able to straighten up.

  Annette sniffled and wrapped her right arm around Jenetta's waist as she pulled her into the house. The jumakas moved inside as well, followed by Lt. Commander Ashraf, who closed the door.

  As soon as the wintery elements were once more sealed outside, Marisa moved in to hug her sister-in-law. Although they corresponded regularly by vidMail, this was their first in-person meeting. Marisa had known that Jenetta was almost as tall as her husband Richie, but the height still came as a bit of a shock because she was used to seeing Jenetta in a head-and-shoulders perspective only. But she didn't let the half-foot difference stop her from embracing her sister-in-law like a family member who had been away for a long time. "Hi, Jen," she said as they touched checks.

  "Hi, Marisa. It's wonderful to see you in person at last. I wish I could have attended your wedding."

  "We military families understand such things. Richie cryo'd a piece of the cake for you during the reception. And thanks again for the great wedding gift."

  "You’re most welcome. I'm glad the store had the pattern you posted in the bridal registry."

  "The set is perfect. Richie and I both love it. I hope you have time to stop over to the house before you have to leave."

  "Just try to stop me. I'm dying to see all the things I've only seen as small images on a vid screen. I've scheduled three weeks for vacation, so there should be plenty of opportunity to get together."

  "You mean the Admiralty Board won't be commandeering all your time on this stay?"

  "Not a chance. I'm naturally going to visit them, but this trip is as much a vacation as a business visit."

  "Wonderful," her mother said. "Are you hungry? We were just about to sit down to dinner."