Kris Longknife: Daring by Shepherd Mike

Author:Shepherd, Mike [Shepherd, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2011-09-05T22:00:00+00:00

33

A plan is only a beginning. Kris had learned that at her father’s knee, watching campaign plans fall apart only to be hammered back into something else. She’d experienced it enough on her own as a Navy officer. Sometimes it had fallen to her to make other people’s plans implode.

Other times, someone else had done the honor to her.

Still, an entire civilization had never hung on any of the plans she’d made.

And none of the plans had ever taken two interstellar races into a war with a third in order to save a fourth.

But then, there’s a first time for everything.

The Vulcan’s completing the installation of the neutron torpedoes on the Hornet, Intrepid, and Fearless was number one on Kris’s list of what needed to be done before she took on the huge mother ship. So when the skippers of the Vulcan and Fearless called an hour later, she answered the call immediately.

“We’ve got a problem,” the skipper of the Fearless said.

“Possible sabotage,” the skipper of the Vulcan said.

“You’re not sure it’s sabotage,” said Fearless.

“Those wires didn’t cut themselves,” replied Vulcan.

“Hold it. Hold it,” Kris said. “What’s wrong?”

The view changed to show a bundle of wires cut smartly in half.

“How’d that happen?” Kris said.

“We don’t know,” Fearless said.

“Someone cut them,” was the Vulcan’s answer.

“It does look like someone cut them,” Kris said.

Silence answered her conclusion.

“It seems we have a reluctant tiger,” Colonel Cortez said from behind Kris.

“Reluctant tiger?” Kris said.

“Someone doesn’t want to be in on this fight,” the colonel went on. “Be they a coward or just God’s anointed to keep two galactic species from going to war, they don’t want the neutron torpedoes to go active.”

“Has anyone complained to you, Commander?”

The skipper of the Fearless shook her head. “Everyone seemed excited to be taking on the planet rapers. Being the first to use these torpedoes makes it one for the history books.”

“I think someone wants to skip their place in the history books,” Kris said, then came to a conclusion. “Nelly, put all the skippers online and the admirals, too.”

“Do we have to involve everyone?” asked Fearless.

“I’m afraid so.” Kris quickly filled in those who joined on net. Admiral Krätz seemed torn between indignant at the cowardly action . . . and strong support for the idea of the torpedoes’ not going live. The rest listened quietly.

“I know that tradition requires us to hunt down the dog who did this and keelhaul him, but I don’t have time for tradition at the moment,” Kris said. “We also can’t afford to post guards at every point where a ship might be vulnerable. Therefore, I propose you offer anyone in your crew a ticket home. If they want, they can ask for a ride back to human space on the freighters, the courier ships, or the Vulcan. Those ships will not be going with us. Anyone who wants to skip the coming battle can go home on them.”

“And if too many of the crew ask to use your ticket out?” Admiral Channing asked.

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