Duty, Honour, Love
Chapter 32

Admiral Katares sat behind his metal desk in his office a tasteful T’Arni mural on the wall behind him. On the desk were a number of datapads and above his head several holo screens floated. He sat there staring into the air. Captain Karasena’s latest report a cause for concern. With Admiral Prmi and General Pitney on another mission he was running out of options. He was beginning to see a bigger picture. He picked up a datapad and viewed the images on it. Captain Stillway’s report and the data from his ship showed the same images as the ones that had been obtained from the destroyed relays in the Ocato System. Stillways images were clearer. It looked as if the old enemy were truly here. “Rhosani,” He growled. But who could he trust? The only ones were currently in hyperspace it would be weeks before they emerged. What worried him was the current war was a diversion making both the Confederacy and the Terrans look in the wrong direction. He could see all the pieces but not the whole plan. With both Com Ops and the Terran High Command compromised it seemed he very little choice is his actions.

His door bleeped as it slid open. A young T’Arni woman stepped through. She was dressed in a blue and grey pin stripped short skirt that rode high on her thighs and jacket of the same. Her blouse was lilac as were her thigh length stockings. Her long blonde hair was in a braid down her back. In her hand was a datapad. On the back of that same hand was a tattoo a ‘U’ and an upside down ‘U’ intersected by a line the symbol of the Confederacy. It was a sign the woman was a tepe or telepath or in this woman’s case she was an empath and couldn’t read minds.

“Veri?” Katares addressed the woman. “What is it?”

She was a civilian all tepes were supposed to be but he knew that to be a lie. Dareia was one but they exiled her to Erikino. They weren’t supposed to be in active service. Veri was good at her job, which was why she was his personal secretary even if she dressed like a Human.

“Sir you wanted to know if anything flagged up as relating to Erikino showed up.” She gave him a winsome smile. She as the Humans would say ‘had the hots’ for him.

The mention of Erikino had him alert. “What is?”

She handed him her datapad. “Recon Team fifteen sent a priority message.”

He knew where the team was he had sent them there on the info he’d got from his deep agents. He didn’t trust anything Com Ops sent him and now it looked like his reasons were justified. He stared at the message confused. “That all of it?” he asked her.

“Yes sir,”

It appeared the Rhosani weren’t about to make a move yet. They were sending their proxies instead. Yet the disappearance of a planet in the Ocato System was a puzzle to what these Rhosani were up to. It seemed that they weren’t strong enough to take on the Confederacy or the Terrans head on. “Warn Erikino,” he said handing back her datapad.

She tapped a few icons on it frowned and tapped the icons again. “There seems to be a problem?” she announced.

“Erikino side,” he asked his blood running cold.

Veri shook her head. “Our side someone is actively blocking all comms to Erikino.”

“Find out who,” he ordered.

“Yes sir,” she replied.

Katares waited until she gone before making a decision. As much as he trusted Veri’s loyalty there were some things he’d have to keep from her. He turned on his comms. An image of an elderly Human with cropped white hair and a goatee beard appeared on the holo screen. He was wearing a Confederacy dress uniform. Admiral Jerome Jericho supreme commander of Com Ops one of the few people he could trust.

“What is it now Katares?” Jerome sounded more weary then angry.

Katares came right to the point. “I need at least three heavy cruisers.”

“There is a war on you know,” Jerome replied.

“Yes there is a ‘war’,” Katares said. “And we’ll lose it if we don’t act quickly.” Katares wasn’t talking about the Confederacy/Terran war.

“You talking about what happened to Ocato?”

“This is an extension of that.”

“And where am I sending these ships?” Jerome sighed. “When have things got so complicated?”

“Have the captains contact me directly,” Katares told him.

“I see you are worried about the compromised comms?”

“Compromised yes?” Katares wasn’t talking about the comms although he was sure that Jerome’s comms were being monitored by the enemy.

“Very well I get them to contact you as soon as possible.”

Jerome cut off the comms.

Katares waited a moment before turning his comms back on. His next call was to another older looking Human. Not as old as Jerome but had the same weary expression. Like Jerome the newcomer was also dressed in a Confederacy dress uniform with two gold stars on his collar. On one cheek was a deep scar. A Cell Stitcher could have easily repaired that but the Human had steadfastly refused. It was a reminder of the disaster on Anoxi where the Human had lost many of his loyal soldiers.

“General Osward,” Katares said to the Human.

“Katares,” Osward gave Katares a curt nod.

As he had done with Jerome, Katares got straight to the point. “What forces do you have with you?”

“Most of my people are scattered throughout the Confederacy. I’ve got four battalions with me two of which are training battalions.” Osward looked directly at Katares. “Why?”

“I’ll need them for a mission?”

“Who the Terrans, Orsini?”

“Raiders they’re about to hit a world in the Drakaf System.”

“Your intel solid?

“It is,” Katares told him.

“If I do this we talk about ‘her’ I want her re-instated.” They both knew who they were talking about but neither wanted to tempt fate by naming her directly.

“We can talk about that after she returns from the mission I’m sending her on.” Katares wasn’t going to elaborate on it.

“You’re sending her on a mission and Com Ops okayed it?”

“This was from the top but I can’t go into it you understand.”

Osward stared out of the screen at Katares for several moments. “Right you do this for me and I’ll forever be in your debt. She’s one of the best.”

Katares spoke again. “I will but I need you on Erikino.”

“That’s the name of the planet?”

“In eight weeks.”

“Another Anoxi?” Osward asked anxiously. There had been delay after delay and Osward’s division had arrived too late to save the colonists or the negotiation team.

“That’s why I said eight weeks. I want to stop another Anoxi before it starts.” It wasn’t the real reason but it would spur Osward into action.

“I see,” Osward said and the screen went blank.

Katares hadn’t a chance to relax. The door bleeped and it opened before he had could deny entry.

Veri entered a chagrined expression on her face. “Sir you have a visitor.”

She stepped aside to let a T’Arni male enter his old fashioned clothes in the muted pastel colours the T’Arni so loved. The T’Arni’s long pale hair was tied into a simple ponytail. Katares instantly stood to attention and saluted. Prince Leonto was an old time friend.

“Your Highness?”

“Just Leonto to you Katares we’ve known each other long enough to dispense with the formalities.” Katares saw him glance at Veri.

“Had I known you were coming?”

Leonto waved Katares concerns aside. “Informal means informal.” He gave Veri the eye she blushed.

“Veri get his highness a drink,”

“Yes sir,” she stuttered then composed herself. “Coffee?”

“That would be delightful,” Leonto said with a wink.

Katares waited until Veri had gone before speaking. “This is formal I know you too well your highness.”

The smile slid off of Leonto’s face. “There goes my subtle disguise.” The Prince of Nithus dropped his playboy persona turning more serious. “Sheila has given me some disturbing reports.”

Sheila had been an investigative reporter before becoming the official royal reporter. A very good one at that but she gave it up to be near Leonto. Katares suspected she was still an investigative reporter but her reports were going direct to Leonto. It was also mentioned that she was sharing his bed. None of this mattered to Katares although there were Humans that were scandalised by that.

“And?”

“Don’t be coy Katares I just want to know if they are true?”

“What is?” Katares asked guessing the answer.

“That the old enemy has returned?” Leonto gazed at him intently.

Katares couldn’t lie to the prince. “Yes.”

“Just yes?” Leonto’s rebuke was mild.

“They’ve stolen a world.”

“What invaded.”

“No it’s gone without a trace. We’ve got a few images but they confirm it,” Katares said reluctantly. We don’t want a panic we’ve got enough to deal with keeping the Terrans off our backs.”

“Oh you don’t know the Terrans have a problem of their own. They’ve attacked the Orsini Commonwealth.”

Katares stared at Leonto his ears disbelieving. “That’s plain stupidity.” Unfortunately he could see the rational with what he had learned lately. He quickly told Leonto what he had learned. “Of course it fits it weakens the Terrans until they are too weak to fight.”

Leonto nodded thoughtfully. “It’s how the Rhosani operate they haven’t changed tactics in over thirty thousand years.”

“Yes I’ve gathered that,” Katares replied.

“We need to prepare in secret we can’t let them know we are onto them,” Leonto said thoughtfully.

“I am on it.”

“Good, I like to stay and enjoy a drink with you for old times but we both have work to do.”

Leonto left. Katares stared at the door for a while then shook himself out of his depression. Leonto was right he still had a job to do and hopefully have time to complete it. He wasn’t going to let the Rhosani win no true T’Arni would.