The Lost Fleet Beyond the Frontier Invincible

BY the time they heard back from CEO Boyens again, the Alliance auxiliaries were busy mining raw materials off several large asteroids and converting the raw materials into new fuel cells and parts almost as fast as they could be dumped into the bunkers. The Alliance fleet was concentrated into a single formation, swinging in orbit about the star Midway, as everyone once again focused on repairs as a result of battle damage or systems simply wearing out as they exceeded their designed life spans.

Geary had been going over the reports on his battleships. He hadn’t lost any battleships, but the line between “lost” and “beat to hell” seemed to be growing thinner and thinner. Some of his battleships were so badly hit that they were barely combat capable, and a few others shouldn’t really be risked in combat again until they could get major repair work in a fleet dock.

And then there was Invincible, which though very hard to kill, certainly deserved the term “threat magnet.” Until he got that former bear-cow superbattleship back to Alliance space it would attract every possible attacker, all eager to find out what bear-cow technology might be learned from the ship. He had a nasty suspicion that the Syndic government itself might try something with their now-very-limited resources, given the unparalleled value of Invincible to anyone who could get their hands on her.

The spider-wolves seemed more than capable of looking out for themselves, but accidents could happen, and an encounter with a drifting mine or similar hazard might be very hard to explain when conversations were still limited to simple concepts. And from experience and the reports about star systems near Midway, some of the people in Syndic space who were inheriting pieces of the former Syndic military as the Syndicate Worlds fell apart were far from trustworthy or predictable in what they might do. A group of fanatics might try a surprise attack, especially since Geary couldn’t keep the spider-wolf ships safely nestled within a screen of his own warships. The spider-wolves, the Dancers, went where they wanted to go.

All of which meant that Geary wasn’t in a particularly receptive mood when the latest message from Boyens came in.

CEO Boyens didn’t seem to be in a particular receptive mood, either. He was openly glaring now, not trying to hide his unhappiness, not bothering with false gestures of camaraderie. “I am unfortunately constrained by the peace treaty that exists between the Syndicate Worlds and the Alliance, though it seems only the Syndicate Worlds is truly interested in honoring the letter and spirit of that treaty. Therefore, I cannot take the actions I wish to take to defend the Syndicate Worlds and its citizens from the overbearing arrogance of a foreign military force.”

Geary had asked Desjani to view this one with him and the emissaries, and she seemed about to collapse from mirth. “Oh, feel free to try to defend it against us. Please try.”

“Your journey home may not be as smooth as you anticipate,” Boyens continued. “Since you have declined my offers of assistance, I won’t bother providing any information I may have access to that might smooth your trip. However, I will pass on one item that I think you will find of great interest.”

Boyens paused, plainly enjoying the anticipation he expected his audience to feel when they viewed this message. “You will doubtless be overjoyed to learn that one of your comrades, an officer, did not die as you thought during one of the battles in the Syndicate Worlds’ home star system.”

Michael? Is my grandnephew still alive? Did he survive the destruction of Repulse? Geary didn’t know whether his heart had truly stopped for a moment or if he had imagined feeling such a thing.

He felt pressure and looked down to see that Tanya had reached across and tightly gripped one of his hands, her expression anxious.

And then CEO Boyens, who might have guessed the sort of hopes his statement had raised, smiled. “Yes, more than one officer who was thought to have died in that battle still lives and is being sent home to the Alliance as we speak. Their ship left Prime before my flotilla came here.”

Wait a minute . . .

“Why would he be telling us good news?” Desjani muttered, her grip tightening on Geary’s hand as she voiced his own dawning suspicion.

Rione was by his other side, her face harsh. “More than one officer?”

“Do you know who he means?” Geary asked.

“I wish you an interesting journey back to Alliance space,” Boyens said. “And I guarantee you will find interesting things happening in the Alliance upon your return. For the people, Boyens, out.”

Desjani uttered a curse under her breath.

“The new Executive Council of the Syndicate Worlds,” Rione said, her voice hard, “is interfering in Alliance space. Just like the old Executive Council before the war began.”

“What are they doing?” Geary asked.