"I understand," Gebauer said. "I'll let the purchasing department know. Leader Reese, I'd like you to know it has been a pleasure serving with you. I think it might be time I retire," he laughed, "on some planet where I'll be happy staying until I die."
After several hours reminiscing over old times, Plimson and Gebauer left for the Red-tail. I called an emergency meeting of the Freeland elders, my staff, and Bradshaw. They were all assembled four hours later.
* * *
"I've made decisions as the Leader of the Riss which have enabled anti-Riss and anti-Freeland antagonists to win support in the SAS General Assembly. As a consequence, Admiral Plimson has been forced to resign—" The room erupted in conversations. I waited for them to stop before continuing. "His replacement will determine our future relationship with the SAS. Sources believe it will either be Admiral Gleason—who commands the Home Fleet on Eden—or Admiral Yorke. Gleason's a reasonable man, whereas Yorke hates the Riss and Freeland. The consensus is that Yorke will win. Because my leadership has facilitated this development, the Riss, Riss-humans, and Freeland Elders must decide whether I should be replaced. I tell you now, although I will not start a war with the SAS, I will not acquiesce to hatred." I paused for a drink of kaffa and waited as groups huddled in conversation—the Riss didn't need to.
<The Riss don't want to fight and would submit to being quarantined but we are afraid it would lead to our annihilation over the centuries. We therefore wish you to maintain your position as the Leader of the Riss Nation,> Thalia broadcast to the Riss-humans, as a formal declaration by the Riss. I concluded the eight Riss being hosted by the humans constituted an elder committee which spoke for the Riss when necessary—like now.
<Yes. New position since humans became hosts for Riss.>
Pavao waited until the room had quieted before speaking. "I don't like the idea of fighting the SAS. I was born, raised, and swore to serve and protect the citizens while in the SAS Navy." She paused while looking around the room. "But I'm now a sister to the Riss and a citizen of Freeland and will defend them against aggression by any nation. Since I don't have a clue what we should do in preparation and you do, you're stuck with the position."
<I do?> I didn't have a clue either, since I didn't know what the threat would be.
<Yes, you do. You Leader.> A vid of the Riss, Riss-humans, and elders sitting around staring up at me while I stood at a blackboard writing.
<I don't!> I screamed mentally.
<Then Riss and Freeland doomed.> An image of Freeland with burnt-out buildings and forests and bits and pieces which were once the space station floating in space. The sight froze me. Only Ni'Shay's voice brought me back.
"We, the citizens of Freeland, have tasted freedom and would rather die than give that up again. And like Captain Pavao so eloquently stated, we don't have a clue how to proceed, so you are now the senior elder of Freeland."
"We trust you," Iglis said, apparently speaking for Byer and Seng, who were nodding agreement. I should have run out the door and hidden, but thanks to Thalia the tension in my body eased and my chaotic mind calmed.
<Why me?>
<Bad luck.>
I laughed and felt released from the paralysis that had consumed me. When I looked around the room, everyone had a concerned look. "I'd like to announce I'm getting married to Sean Bradshaw…tomorrow. Elder Ni'Shay, I would appreciate if you would make the arrangements." After a minute of stunned silence, pandemonium.
The next several hours were like a party. Food and drinks appeared and Sean was persuaded to tell how we met and stories of our time at Hephaestus, the premier naval college for fast track lieutenants. Then by some unknown sign or signal the room quieted and everyone returned to their seats.
"Thank you, friends. I don't know what will happen over the weeks and months to come, but we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I've canceled the shipment of Irises to the SAS on the thin pretext of an accident in production. Damaass, I want them and those destined for the UFN to be reconfigured and launched in Freeland space. That should give us around forty. Sheva, red-Wraiths are a priority. If we must fight, I want the war short and decisive. Each cruiser is to have double their normal number of missiles. Jaelle, the current Cerberus in production must have priority…and Pavao, you and I will seek candidates for hosting Riss."
<I'm sorry, sister,> I sent to Thalia, hating to imprison more Riss, but I had come to realize the Riss couldn't enforce the quarantine since they weren't capable of killing when not threatened nor did I want to force them to become capable.
<We understand. A critical position like Leader,> Thalia sent after a burst of images between the other Riss in the room.
<Elissa, Zhang, collect the Riss on Saipha and deliver them to r-Saga in the Red Dwarf system. She will know were to take them. Then return here,> I broadcast to the Riss-humans.
<After the wedding?> Elissa asked.
<Yes,> I reluctantly answered, hoping the situation in Eden would take time to develop into action. If Yorke were appointed the Secretary of Defense, he would need time to get organized before he could take any action against Freeland—months, hopefully.
"Iglis, you now own the SAS and UFN Comrelays. All incoming and outgoing messages go through you. When the SAS arrive, I don't want them being able to communicate with Eden or Eden with whoever they send unless it's in our best interest."
"Yes, ma'am." Her eyes widened in surprise. The Comrelays were supposed to be private unless a court gave permission to query specific senders or recipients.
"Freeland must consider itself at war with the SAS until it knows it isn't." I paused. Scanning the room and seeing only nods, I continued. "Commanders Byer and Seng, you need to ensure that your units are prepared for action. None of us want a war with the SAS, but we shall not avoid one at the expense of the Riss or Freeland."
"Yes, ma'am," Byer and Seng said decisively.
"Software?"
"I leave it to you and whoever you select to help." I took a drink of kaffa while surveying the room. "I'm preparing for war while hoping we can reach a compromise with the SAS on the quarantine, making this an interesting training exercise. But if the SAS want to rule the Riss and Freeland, our preparations might make the difference between being free people or slaves."
CHAPTER FOUR
Surprise Developments
I woke to find Sean propped up on one elbow staring down at me.
"Second thoughts?" I asked, not sure if I wanted him to say yes or no. I loved him, but there was a war coming and he would be safer on Eden.
"Yes," his look turned serious, and I held my breath. "Why now? I'm not complaining, just curious. You've always resisted getting married because you thought it would interfere with you being the Riss Leader. I understood with the Alien crisis and then the JPU, but now it's the SAS."
I kissed him. "I feel the same way now, Sean. And it's the reason I could never have you on the same cruiser as me. I go weak in the knees every time I see you. I couldn't perform at my best with you on the same ship. So life with me won't be easy, but I'm selfish and want you in my life as much as I can. If you can put up with me under those conditions…"
"Those conditions are acceptable. You're the only woman I have ever wanted, and limited time with you is far better than years without seeing you. Now I have some conditions." He smiled as his hand stroked down my back to my buttock.
"What?" I squeaked out as my body tingled with pleasure.
"I'd like a Riss position."
I froze and the tingling stopped. It shouldn't have been a surprise. He had been a navy captain. Had I expected him to sit home waiting on me? But a war was coming.
<Thalia?> In desperation I sought my companion's council.
<Me copilot. Never married.> She sent an image of her clothed in a nun's habit.
<You would
be the oldest woman in the monastery.>
<Slow learner.> Image of her with a dunce cap.
<He wants me to give him a position.> I felt like smacking her, which got me even more frustrated.
< You Leader. Figure out.>
"Talking with Thalia?" Sean asked, a grin on his beautiful face.
I nodded. "She has a standard set of answers to all the questions she doesn't want to answer, You High Riss, You Leader, Me copilot, and Still learning."
Sean laughed. "Well, Leader?"
"I'm marrying another Thalia," I punched him on the arm. "I've called for volunteers to host a Riss. Although I'm the leader of the Riss, I won't order any Riss to give up her freedom just like I won't order any human to host a Riss. It has to be their choice. Those selected will captain a Cerberus cruiser. Interested?"
"Yes to all three."
"Three?"
"Marrying you, becoming a Riss-human, and commanding a Cerberus."
<Time to get up. Ni'Shay has people here to prepare you for the wedding,> Terril sent.
When I opened the door, several women grabbed me while several men entered the room to get Sean. They put me in a car and took me to the Ni'Shay clan house and spent the next couple of hours bathing, shampooing and setting my hair, applying makeup, and finally dressing me in a frilly white wedding gown. When I looked in the mirror, I resembled an old fashioned gypsy, with ribbons in my hair, multiple beads and chains around my neck and wrists, a three tiered flared dress, and flat shoes with bells.
<Party time,> Thalia sent. It wasn't me…but I liked the look and the message it sent—today I was a woman, not a captain. It was a time to celebrate and forget work and worrying.
"Of course, I never thought I would see this day. Sean probably didn't either," Terril said from where she was leaning against the wall.
"I thought he would find someone…"
"He did—you. At least now he'll get to see you every month or two." She laughed. She was right. Sean had been waiting for years and there were long intervals between us getting together. Work would still interfere, but at least we were on the same planet. And if he also hosted a Riss…
The women interrupted my thoughts, pulling me out to a limo which drove us to a large castle-looking building. When we entered, Seng stood there.
"If you don't mind me walking you down the aisle, Byer is standing with Sean."
"No, my friend. I'd like that. You were there in my darkest hour." I put my arm through his and we marched down a red carpet between the forty or more tables where people stood while an organ played Here comes the bride. Byer and a minister stood with Sean, who watched me with a smile on his radiant face. I barely remember the ceremony or the exchange of vows. All I can recall is Sean's loving look. Afterward, we were led to a large round table where my Riss brothers and sisters, Byer, Seng, Iglis, and Ni'Shay sat. For the next hour, they roasted Sean and me. Then the dancing began and food was served. We left a few hours after people stopped coming up to congratulate us.
* * *
Reluctantly, I staggered out of bed the next morning as the sky began to brighten.
"Where are you going?" Sean asked after yawning.
"You have a date with Captain Pavao."
"I shouldn't be going on dates on our honeymoon." Sean blew me a kiss.
"She's going to test your tactical skills. It's a test everyone applying to be a Riss-human will be given. No grades. It's Pass or Fail."
"Mine must be excellent. I caught you."
"I must love clowns, because I now have two."
We took the shuttle back to the Eirene, where Pavao met us. "Hi Sean. Are you feeling up to a workout in the simulator? After all, it's your honeymoon. Nadya has a tendency to think we're robots that don't need rest."
"So long as she's not in one of the opposing cruisers, I'll be fine." He smiled at me and stepped into the simulator Pavao had sitting in the senior officers' shuttle bay. After he closed the door, she stepped into the monitor's booth at the other end. I walked over and stood behind her as she dialed up a simulation labeled Riss-human Qualification #1.
As I watched, Sean worked his way through the ten scenarios Pavao had prepared.
"I'd say he passed," Pavao said as he finished the last simulation. "A respectable showing, especially after his honeymoon night."
"A bit too aggressive, but that may be because he's in a simulator and the loss of a ship doesn't cost lives," I said, a little concerned.
"Simulators test reactions and decision making in a vacuum, but I think he showed good judgment on most of the tests."
"Let's change the rules."
"How?"
"Let's give points for kills and subtract points for hits on his cruiser."
"Worth a try. Sean," Pavao said into the mike connected to the speakers in his booth. "I'm going to change the rules. During these next simulations, you get points for hits on the enemy cruisers but lose points for hits on your cruiser."
The retesting took an additional two hours. When Sean emerged, he was sweating and looked exhausted. I gave him a kiss and a cup of kaffa as Pavao joined us.
"Sorry about that, Sean. It was unfair having to take the test twice after a hard night. You can blame your wife for the change of rules. Nevertheless, you did extremely well, and it will serve as a good benchmark to evaluate the other applicants."
"The Riss are neither heroes nor cowards," I said while rubbing his tight shoulder muscles. "When you look at how few Riss there are, that must be considered before you decide to enter an engagement with the enemy. We like to think of it as fighting smart. Our solutions must always take into account the long view, so choosing not to fight is always an option. I know you're tired, but you have a date with the Riss."
"I thought I already had one with a Riss."
"Now you have one with…"
<Thalia?>
<Twenty-two,> Thalia sent.
"Twenty-two." I said, surprised by the large number.
<An honorable Riss position.> Thalia sent an image of a Riss with an official gold medallion hanging from her neck and a purple banner from shoulder to waist with Ambassador embroidered in gold. I understood. They needed humans to function in a human dominated space, but needed representation when decisions were being made and the ability to exercise control to ensure their ethics weren't violated. Yes, being hosted by a human was an honorable Riss position.
CHAPTER FIVE
Candidate Bradshaw
The shuttle delivered him and Nadya to the meeting area where the twenty-two Riss waited some fifty meters away in the shade of several large trees. They sat on the ground in a semicircle facing a padded wooden bench.
Sean knew he was being fast-tracked as a candidate for one of the three Riss-human slots Nadya had reluctantly agreed to fill to captain the new Cerberus cruisers. He had been around her for years and had a good feel for what it meant to be a Riss-human. Of course, knowing what it meant and wanting to be one weren't necessarily the same thing. If he could be the captain of a Riss cruiser without hosting a Riss, he might have preferred to forego the Riss, but he couldn't. Riss-human was the only captain or even XO position open, and he didn't want a civilian job on Freeland. Yet, that was what he would get if no Riss wanted him as a host. He had commanded an SAS Heavy cruiser and couldn't imagine himself a civilian on a planet. He’d known it was a possibility when he agreed to marry Nadya and stay on Freeland. Today he faced reality—he had caught the woman of his dreams, but it might cost him the career he loved. So he was in a quandary as he prepared to join the group for his interview and barely heard Nadya's parting words.
"My only advice, Sean, is to be honest." She kissed him once and left. She didn't need to hear the exchange and felt her presence might unfairly influence his responses.
"Good morning," Sean said as he sat, knowing he was being interviewed for the position of host but that unlike a normal interview where you tried to impress the interviewers, he needed to be open and candid, knowing th
ey could sense his emotions.
A Riss with salt and pepper hair covering her body was first to sign. Sean thought middle-aged, around one hundred fifty years old. Her translation box responded in a relatively normal voice with a neutral accent.
**Why do you wish to host a Riss?**
Sean didn't answer immediately, searching for the truth. "Because it's the only way I can captain a cruiser on Freeland," he said, hoping the truth wouldn't doom him to the planet.
**I'm sure Leader Reese could make an exception. We all have voice boxes,** a solid-brown haired Riss's box said. He too was middle aged, Sean thought.
"No, she couldn't, wouldn't, and shouldn't." Sean smiled. "As much as being grounded would crush my dreams…one of my dreams, I wouldn't ask nor want her to treat me differently."
**Why?** a black-haired Riss asked. He seemed younger, under a hundred.
"She hates being Leader, but her actions are always in the best interest of the Riss. Making me a captain without a Riss companion would degrade the functionality of the cruiser and threaten the success of any mission it was assigned. On any cruiser, a Riss-human would be more efficient than a human, but on a Riss cruiser the difference would be greater. Having a non-Riss-human captain on a Riss cruiser would be like having a Riss captain on a human ship." Sean had to laugh at his comparison and hoped the Riss would understand the problem. Apparently they did as several were nodding agreement, and he thought a few looked to be smiling.
**When you order the weapons officer to fire on a ship, what do you feel, knowing intelligent life is on the other ship?** An older white-haired Riss asked.
The question took Sean a long time to resolve. "In truth, I don't feel—or maybe I ignore that I'm killing others—my thoughts are on duty, country, and the lives of my crew. Those are the reasons I joined the navy—to protect and to serve."
**What if you have to fight the SAS?** the salt and pepper Riss asked.