The Lost Fleet – Dauntless

Most of the officers present seemed to at least outwardly share Desjani’s elation at the recent victory. The glaring exception was a block of ship commanders seated on either side of Captain Numos and Captain Faresa, who were stone-faced at best and actively glowering at worst. Geary looked from one of them to the next, reading their ship’s names, and realizing all had been assigned to Formation Fox Five Two during the battle. Some of the officers met his gaze when he looked at them, but most managed to avoid his eyes.

Geary leaned back, taking a moment to sweep his gaze across the rest of the officers “seated” at the table, and Captain Desjani, the only other person physically present in the room. “We’ll be leaving the Kaliban System soon. Our work here is done, and we’ve given the Syndics a bloody nose. I want to personally congratulate every ship in the fleet for the parts they played in winning the recent battle.” The words were met by a lot of smiles and an increase in the antipathy from Numos’s group. “My intent is to leave Kaliban tomorrow. We’ll head for the jump point that provides access to a system named Sutrah. Sutrah probably hasn’t been abandoned, as there’s a good habitable world there, but its unlikely to have much in the way of defenses.”

Numos finally spoke, his voice icy. “Why are we not going to Cadez?”

Geary gave Numos a long look. “Because Cadez is too obvious an objective. It’s on a straight line back to Alliance territory, and it’s on the Syndic hypernet.”

Faresa spoke this time, her tone as acidic as usual. “We can access the Syndic hypernet from there and get home very quickly. Why don’t you want to do that?”

Geary felt heat building in his head. “I want to get home as quickly as any of you.”

“Do you?” Faresa challenged.

“Yes. I’ll remind you, Captain, that any Syndic system on the hypernet can be very easily and quickly reinforced by the Syndics. If I were the Syndic commander and I knew we were at Kaliban, I would have very substantial forces sent to Cadez in order to guard against our arrival there and to prevent our use of the hypernet gate at Cadez.”

Commander Cresida spoke with exaggerated casualness. “Since the Syndics have a gate at Cadez, they don’t need the jump points, do they? They could mine the hell out of the jump exits.”

Captain Tulev nodded. “True.”

Numos made a dismissive gesture. “I for one am not afraid to confront a strong Syndic force.” The words and tone clearly implied that the recent victory at Kaliban didn’t count for much since the Syndic force had been badly outnumbered.

Captain Duellos, looking off into the distance, spoke blandly. “Yet you didn’t do a very impressive job of confronting the Syndic force in the recent battle.”

Numos’s face reddened with anger. Captain Faresa answered, though. “It’s not the fault of Captain Numos that the ships under his command were deliberately mispositioned so as to deny them a proper role in the battle.”

Tulev shook his head. “The fleet commander gave proper orders to all formations. I could hear them as well as you.”

“You were far away from my formation, and far away from the Syndics as well at the time!” Numos snapped.

It was Tulev’s turn to flush. “The ships under my command engaged more enemy units than yours did!”

Geary spoke loudly enough to cut across the argument. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not here to question anyone’s courage.”

Numos focused on Geary again, acting as if he’d not heard Geary’s admonition. “Had I been given proper opportunity to engage the enemy, I would’ve left no grounds for anyone to imply I lacked courage!”

“Your orders, if properly followed, would’ve given you ample opportunity,” Geary replied, trying to keep his temper in check.

“You were many light-seconds from the scene of my engagement, yet you insisted on maintaining absolute control of my ships’ movements.”

“I had no trouble doing that with every other formation engaged in the battle, Captain Numos. They followed the orders they were given.”

Numos leaned forward, his voice rising. “Are you saying that the duty of the Captain of a ship of the Alliance fleet is to do nothing except follow orders exactly? That we have no discretion to employ our ships as our many years of combat experience dictates?”

Geary barely refrained from snarling back at Numos, taking a long moment to calm himself before he spoke. “You are well aware that your instructions for this battle included the authority to alter movements as necessary if you believed the tactical situation so required. You had that discretion, Captain Numos. Don’t attempt to blame me or anyone else for the results of your own actions.”

Numos stared back at Geary, his face hard. “Are you accusing me of incompetence? Are you trying to imply that I bear the responsibility for the losses we suffered? Are you-”