The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Guardian

Desjani made a face. “We’ll have to coordinate the drops of the Marines and the movements of our ships and shuttles so that everything happens within an extremely precise timeline. I don’t like timelines that require that kind of precision, that don’t have room for the unexpected, but I guess we don’t have any choice. How do we get those Marines out after we’ve pulled up the prisoners?”

“I think our battleships can handle that,” Geary said. “General, consult with your experts, give me a firm go/no-go, then get me a plan. Emissary Rione, please contact the Syndic CEO again, tell her the military bureaucracy and regulations are still holding things up but we’re planning on heading back in soon to get the prisoner recovery done. Lieutenant Iger, have your drones keep a close eye on that area and collect any more information they can without compromising their presence. Ensure that Lieutenant Jamenson is kept apprised of new information. Lieutenant Jamenson, keep doing what you’ve been doing. Commander Hopper, anything you can tell the Marines about the likely configuration of the Syndic trigger will be a great help. Contact General Carabali directly but keep Captain Smythe in the loop.”

Commander Hopper sighed, her eyes reflecting fatalistic acceptance. “I need to go along with the Marines when they drop.”

“What?” Geary, Smythe, and Carabali all said the same word at the same time.

“There are too many uncertainties about the trigger, and comms may be interrupted when the Syndics realize what we’re doing. You need someone there to look at that trigger and figure out what to do with it.”

“My scouts—” Carabali began.

“If they do the wrong thing, we lose six thousand prisoners,” Hopper said. “This trigger is going to be unique. It may have been designed to thwart the usual disabling techniques. The training and experience of your scouts won’t be sufficient to deal with it.”

“Can you do a stealth landing?” Smythe asked. “Keeping up with the Marines?”

“I’ll have to.”

Carabali eyed Hopper, nodding. “Let’s see whether you can. I’ll need you on Mistral as soon as possible, so we can see how you do in the simulators.”

“She’s even tougher than she looks,” Smythe offered.

“Let me know how it goes,” Geary ordered. “Let’s get to work.”

After the images of the others vanished, Lieutenant Iger lingered. “Admiral, about Lieutenant Jamenson . . .”

“Are you still concerned about her access to intel materiel?” Geary asked.

“No, sir! Absolutely not. She would be—she is—a tremendous asset. If she could be transferred to the intelligence office aboard Dauntless, I am certain that we would, uh, work very well together.”

“I see.” Unseen by Iger but visible to Geary, both Desjani and Rione grinned, though as soon as each realized the other was smiling both changed their expressions. “Don’t you think Lieutenant Jamenson’s hair would be distracting?”

“Distracting?” Iger asked. “I, uh, didn’t . . . really . . . notice . . . That is, no, sir.”

Geary nodded solemnly, grateful that a career of dealing with sailors had taught him how to keep a straight face in situations like this. “I will consider your recommendation, Lieutenant. However, I did make Captain Smythe a firm promise that I wouldn’t poach Lieutenant Jamenson from his staff, and she is carrying out some extremely important tasks for me aboard Tanuki.”

“Oh. I see, Admiral. I wouldn’t—”

“But I didn’t promise Captain Smythe that you wouldn’t offer her a different position. Feel free to speak to her about it.”

“Yes, sir!” Iger saluted hastily and rushed from the compartment, pausing only to hold the hatch as Rione followed.

Desjani waited until the hatch closed before she laughed. “A tremendous asset?”

“She would be,” Geary said.

“And I’m absolutely sure that’s all that Lieutenant Iger is thinking about.” Her smile faded again. “This op is going to be a bitch to carry off successfully.”

“I know.”

ELEVEN

“TELL the Syndics we’re going to make two passes above the prison-camp area,” Geary told Rione, “because we require two shuttle lifts to get all of the prisoners up.”

The fleet’s orbital track had been very carefully calculated so that the planet’s surface would track a bit to one side under it between passes. On the first pass, the fleet would pass just west of the prison-camp area. On Syndic displays in their control centers and command posts, the fleet’s orbit would be projected with one hundred percent certainty that the second pass would bring the fleet directly over the camp.

Windows showing Captain Armus of Colossus and Captain Jane Geary of Dreadnaught were open near the fleet command seat on Dauntless’s bridge. “You’ve got your initial maneuvering orders. Captain Armus, once your portion of the battleship force is cut loose, I want you to do everything you can to support the Marines on the ground at the trigger site. I don’t care how much of the surrounding landscape you have to tear up.”