A Call to Vengeance by David Weber & Timothy Zahn & Thomas Pope

Author:David Weber & Timothy Zahn & Thomas Pope [Weber, David & Zahn, Timothy & Pope, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Space Opera, Military, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction
ISBN: 9781476782102
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2018-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“So there it is,” Admiral Locatelli said briskly. “Do you have any questions?”

Captain Clegg looked down at her tablet, her pulse thudding in her ears. Did she have any questions?

Damn right she had questions.

What idiot thought it was a smart idea to send one of the Navy’s most advanced warships way the hell over to Silesia for who knew how long on this fool’s errand?

Who had signed off on the plan to put a civilian aboard a military mission?

And worst of all, was she really supposed to take orders from a Tactical Officer and a Chief—a Chief!—if one of them decided it was necessary?

“No questions, Sir,” Commander Alfred Woodburn said from Clegg’s right.

“None here, either,” Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Norris added from her left.

Clegg pursed her lips. So her new Exec and Chief Engineer were going to wimp out? Fine. She could carry this one herself.

“Yes, Sir,” she said. “I have a few.”

Locatelli glanced at Lady Calvingdell, seated quietly at his left, and seemed to settle himself more sedately in his chair. “Proceed, Captain.”

“Let’s start with a few concerns, Sir,” Clegg began, choosing her words carefully. “Personnel and chain of command are the two biggest. You said SIS is a largely civilian organization, Yet this mission is under their auspices instead of ONI’s?”

“The relationships here are a bit complicated,” Locatelli conceded. “Part of that’s due to the fact that SIS is freshly-minted and no one is yet entirely sure how it fits into the existing structure. But be assured that ONI—and System Command—are going to be solidly in the loop.”

“It’s actually a bit more complicated than that,” Calvingdell spoke up calmly. “For the moment, anyway, ONI doesn’t know SIS exists.”

Clegg shot a look at Woodburn. “Excuse me?” she said.

“There are certain political aspects that still need to be worked out,” Locatelli said reluctantly. “As far as ONI is concerned, the underlying purpose of your voyage is to use Casey’s new sensor suite to check out the various vessels and defense stations you’ll be encountering, with an eye toward friend-or-foe analysis. That data will be Chief Townsend’s responsibility as head of the new department of Signals Intelligence. At the same time, he and Mr. Long will be working the third layer: to gather information that will hopefully bring us to Tamerlane and the group that attacked us.”

“I see,” Clegg said. Not that she did, really. This whole cloak-and-dagger thing was bizarre, not to mention ridiculously complicated. “And aboard Casey it’ll just be the three of us, along with Long and Townsend, who are in on this?”

“And Mr. Hauptman, yes,” Calvingdell said. “The current Special Intelligence Service chain of command runs through me to the Minister of Defense.” She looked at Locatelli. “With System Command also in the loop, of course.”

“I see, My Lady,” Clegg said.

“And I see you have more reservations,” Calvingdell added.

Clegg took a deep breath. Since she’d asked…

“You spoke just now of chain of command,” she said. “There’s also the fact that the orders you’re giving me are vague and open-ended.

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