"You're right, Admiral Plimson. Our immediate reaction was to be part of the force that encounters the JPU. To kick ass. The Riss tend to take the longer look. Like you, my people and I trust Leader Reese's actions to benefit the SAS," Byer said.
"She has the total trust of the Scorpions," Seng said.
"Admiral Butler wouldn't let me leave even if I wanted to, which I don't." Iglis snorted a laugh. "He knows Leader Reese is two steps ahead of everyone else."
"Leader Reese?" Plimson turned toward me.
"Although the Riss do not seek revenge against the JPU, you have to trust that the Riss and I want to stop them. Having said that, I do not know what that action will be. And yes, I'm concerned about Freeland. It is vulnerable and needs protection for its citizens and technology."
* * *
"Terril, would you be willing to head a special Riss-human security team?" I asked. We had left Eden yesterday, and I had spent every hour in worry over the security issue.
"Of course, but do you think it will work...oh, you're not talking about an SAS team, are you?"
"No, I don't think that would work. Today it might. If you take the security personnel for the detached unit on board, they might tolerate you. But what about tomorrow? Next year? If the Yorkes have their way, I wouldn't be surprised if the SAS detached units got pulled for ‘more important' work. He doesn't support the MSA unless it's helping the SAS."
"You're asking me to leave the SAS and be…"
"Riss," I blurted.
Terril stood there frozen. "Damn you, Nadya. Now you're doing it to me."
"What?"
"Forcing me to make a decision that will change my life in ways I can't even begin to understand. I'm going to do what Pavao did—get drunk.
CHAPTER TWELVE
UFN - Dunn: Reunion
We entered Dunn space some six days later.
< Dynasty requesting connection.>
"We missed you, Leader Reese. At your convenience, Admiral Wattson and I would like to meet with you. Nothing formal."
"I'd like that, Admiral Zhu. It's been an interesting year."
"Yes, I would imagine. Whenever you are ready, let us know," Zhu said, and cut the connection.
I thought the comparison between Zhu and Wattson amusing. Zhu left the meeting time and place for me to determine; Wattson would have wanted to meet with me immediately.
"About time. We only just heard you were in Eden. Nothing from Damaass."
"Sorry, Nance. Damaass is alive and well on Freeland. I felt I had to stop in Eden to talk to Admiral Plimson, and I picked up my old detached units while I was there. I didn't want to update you via the Comstat. Some things are best discussed in person. I'd like a meeting of all the Riss-humans, as soon as you are all available."
"I'm informed you will be in orbit in five hours. I think you can count on us all being there then." She laughed. "Good to see you alive, Leader. You had me scared to death. This Leader stuff isn't fun," she said, cutting the connection.
"Leader Reese, Terril," her voice said at the door.
"Come in, Terril," I said, not sure what to expect. She looked like she hadn't slept in days.
"How does it help if I'm a Riss-human?" she asked, dropping down into one of my chairs. "Why can't I just put on a Riss-human uniform?"
"You will live longer, so you will be around to protect us—"
"How much longer?"
"Thalia says it depends on who selects you. From one hundred to two."
"Years? All of you?" she asked, eyes wide.
I nodded. "And your health will improve, along with an ability to maximize your strength, reflexes, and senses."
"You have always claimed you never used...Thalia, while doing Si'jin. Was that true?" Her eyes narrowed while she awaited my response.
"No, never...without the person's knowledge," I said, remembering that a couple of my Si'jin masters had asked for a demonstration.
"If I say yes, what happens?"
"I contact the Riss for volunteers. You spend several days talking with them so they can get to know you and you them. Then if one selects you, there is an insertion."
"They select?"
"Yes, there has never been a case where both weren't content with the arrangement—when the Riss weren't forced to make a selection."
"So, no one may want to be...hosted by me?"
"True. Both you and the Riss must want the pairing, even though your reasons and hers may be different. Most of us did it initially for very selfish reasons, although none of us is sorry we did."
"Alright, but I want a demonstration first. You and Thalia against me. Right now, before I change my mind." She bounced out of the chair and headed for the door, with me following.
In the Scorpions' area, we each changed into workout clothes. When we entered the workout bay, Seng was there, and a crowd of Scorpions had gathered.
"Leader Reese?" Seng asked.
"Gunny Terril and I are going to have a friendly match, except I'm going to cheat."
"Cheat?" Seng asked. I nodded and walked over to where she stood, bowed, and assumed a ready position.
I could feel the world around me slow, and all my senses overwhelmed me: hearing, smell, sight, even my skin felt alive. Terril stood deathly still waiting, unaware of Thalia's magic.
Normally, I would have waited for her to show some movement; she was humanly better than me, and any movement by me gave her an advantage. But today, it wasn't necessary. So I took a step backward, an amateur's mistake, and she exploded into me—knee driving toward my groin, fist at my ribs, and elbow at my head. But my reflexes were like an animal's, and she seemed in slow motion. I collapsed onto my right leg and swept through her leg on the floor, sending her airborne. But she somehow used that force to twist in midair so she would be facing me as she descended—ready to defend herself.
But before she completed the twist, I sprang into the air above her and delivered a kick to her spine. A crippling blow if I chose to fully extend my leg. She couldn't deflect the kick because she was spinning in midair when it was delivered. She landed flat on her stomach and stayed there for a moment, although I knew she could have tucked on the way down and rolled to a fighting position if she had wanted. It was her concession to having received a fatal blow.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, she rolled onto her back and sat up. "Damn, like fighting a ghost."
* * *
I had drinks and snacks prepared before the Riss-humans began arriving. I hadn't realized just how much these people were family and how much I missed them.
"Get something to eat and drink and get settled. It's a long story and will take a while. I'd like to tell the story twice. Once with no questions, just listen. The second time, I'll answer each and every question, but in sequence."
It took six hours, not counting a stop for dinner.
"What now, Leader?" Pavao asked the question everyone including me had on their mind.
"Where is our allegiance?" I asked, causing the room to go silent as everyone sought their own answer.
Eventually, Zhang looked up and smiled. "You speak for every Riss, Leader. So what do you say?"
"My words are the words of every Riss, when I speak for the Riss. But my words are not the words of every Riss-human. Each one of us may choose to have the Riss returned and to take another path." I paused to consider my next words. "The Riss have always been consistent and have chosen to avoid conflict whenever possible. They would not have fought the Aliens, since the Aliens did not wish to kill them, only to confine them to a planet. I dragged them into the madness."
"The Riss could have stopped you." Zhang again, a small smile on his lips.
"True. I rationalized that Admiral Plimson had supported the Riss over the years and had earned their support. However, the SAS United Council and their navy, judging by Admiral Yorke's remarks, do not feel an obligation to honor the MSA. So, except for some special people, the SAS's allegiance is to the SAS first, which isn't surprising. The question is then, ‘Am I a citizen of the Riss Nation, or of the SAS?'"
"The answer for me is simple. I'm not going to give up Thalia and rejoin the SAS navy. So then, if I'm a Riss citizen, I owe the Riss protection before I owe the SAS or UFN or anyone else. That does not mean I intend to ignore the JPU. They hate the Riss and would destroy them if they won. The Riss have already given the SAS and the UFN an advantage over the JPU, but the Riss priority must be Freeland, since they are part of the Riss Nation and are defenseless."
"Yes, Leader Reese, you speak for me as a citizen of the Riss Nation. While I would never do anything to harm the UFN, I chose to join the Riss Nation, and that is where my allegiance belongs."
"I agree," Pavao said, followed quickly by each person. "I guess you get to keep the position of Leader, Nadya."
"Oh, I did forget to mention that we Riss-humans are going to have our own security unit, a Riss unit headed by a Riss-human," I said, barely keeping the smile off my face as everyone held his or her breath, awaiting the name of the security head. "Put out the word I want Riss volunteers."
"Who?" Sheva asked after the breathing began.
"Terril!" Pavao exclaimed and then laughed. "She blind-sided you too, didn't she? No wonder you look like you were mugged. The good news is you won't be sorry. Feel free to talk to any one of us."
* * *
I needed sleep after my match with Terril, so I scheduled the meeting with Zhu and Wattson for the next morning. Terril was part of my detail as I left for breakfast. I found Seng, Byer, and Iglis sitting together. They waved me over.
"Good morning, Captain," Seng said, and I received nods from Byer and Iglis. "Rumors are circulating that the Riss-humans met yesterday. Any decisions?"
"Yes and no. The Riss fleet will be returning to Freeland, but any further decisions will depend upon what we discover about the JPU. Have you heard anything, Commander Iglis, that you can tell us?" I said, smiling.
"I'm a spook. I'm not allowed to tell you anything unless its information we made up to get you to do something," she said with considerable control, then smiled. "But this is a Riss ship, and spook discipline is lost in space. We appear to have lost contact with Lycus and Fool's Hope. Assuming the aliens aren't back, it could mean they are under JPU control or..."
"Sounds logical. It would be interesting to know JPU's approach to conquest. Are they destroying everything and leaving, or using the Aliens approach and leaving a guard like they did at Freeland."
"True. You have to know your enemy before you can defeat them," Byer said quietly, as if speaking to himself. "And the number and type of cruisers he's using to attack the planets... We would be fools to rush in without knowing."
I agreed.
* * *
As I exited my shuttle on the Dynasty, I was greeted with a twenty-man honor guard.
"Welcome aboard the Dynasty, Leader Reese," a commander said after a bugle call and a sharp salute. He stepped aside, and Admiral Zhu stepped forward, with Admiral Wattson at his side.
"It's good to see you alive and well, Leader Reese. I suggest we retire to my quarters, where we can talk in comfort," Zhu said.
Wattson scanned me like he expected to find the answer to some question, then nodded.
"No one expected you to survive," Wattson said as we followed Zhu to his spacious quarters, which included sleeping quarters, an office, and a sitting room. He took us into the sitting room, where we were served drinks. Zhu and I had tea, and Wattson had kaffa. Terril and Xun, Zhu's personal bodyguard, sat in the back of the room. Zhu smiled as he set his cup of tea down.
"It will be interesting to find out which of the many rumors circulating about you are true. At least we know the one about you being killed isn't true," Zhu said.
"Word from Eden is that Freeland is no longer occupied by the JPU. Is that true?" Wattson asked.
"No thanks to us and our MSA," Zhu said, looking toward Wattson.
"Well, Reese did tell Pavao to tell us the Riss were not invoking the MSA." Wattson said.
"True, but even so, Admiral Plimson wanted to prepare the SAS for an assault on Freeland, but the Sadr United Council wouldn't authorize any force to liberate Freeland," Zhu said, raising a hand to stop any reply. "I have to admit that although I recommended we wait after considering Leader Reese's request and possible logic, the Emperor and his Imperial Parliament's subsequent actions indicated they would also have refused to honor our MSA with the Riss. I must conclude therefore that the Riss are no longer bound by the agreement."
"We have to band together. Otherwise, the JPU will have a distinct advantage with their superior numbers, especially if they were able to upgrade over half their fleet at Freeland," Wattson said, somewhat agitated.
"What do you say, Leader Reese?" Zhu asked. In contrast, he appeared amused.
"The empires do seem to be focused on protecting themselves, so we are forced to do the same. But I will share with you the events of the previous year." I spent the next several hours discussing the invasion, occupation, and demise of Admiral Huber's task force.