Read Online The Last Charge (The Nameless War Trilogy Book 3) by Edmond Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Edmond Barrett
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asked.
“Transponder is showing it as the diplomatic cruiser the Mandela , sir. She jumped in at the same time as the Aèllr contact. She isn’t moving. Records say she should be at the Mhar home world.”
“The Mandela is transmitting, sir,” reported a communications officer. “Diplomatic encryption sir… Sir, we do not have the key for that encryption.”
“Sir, signal from Headquarters. Priority One, we are ordered to… ordered to… we’re ordered to stand down.”
“Confirm that!” Lewis demanded.
“Sir, that’s confirmed. We are ordered to stand down. The whole fleet is ordered to stand down. Orders on the authority of Admiral Wingate.”
The bridge went silent. Looking around, Lewis could see confusion on some faces, alarm on others and fear on a few, both officers and crew. Whatever else, a crew needed to think their commanders were in control. On the display the Aèllr cruiser was slowly moving towards one of the outer markers.
“Very well,” Lewis said, forcing himself to speak calmly. “Captain Holfe, please have a shuttle prepared. I may need to return to the surface.”
By the time the shuttle was ready orders had arrived from Headquarters instructing his return. As soon as he landed, Lewis was escorted to Wingate’s office. The atmosphere had changed in the few days he had been away. From one of fatalistic gloom, to something uncertain; junior officers and ratings watched Lewis pass, searching for some clue to indicate whether this development could be viewed as good news or bad.
When Lewis was shown in, Wingate was standing at the window, while Admiral Fengzi was sitting frowning. Wingate held a glass of something in his maimed left hand. They’d never been friends as such, always superior and subordinate, but Lewis had known Wingate for a long time. He knew that those days when his superior poured a very small measure of whiskey into a glass were never good ones.
“Sit down, Paul,” Wingate said without turning. “Gentlemen, I expect you are aware of the new arrival.”
“Yes, sir,” Lewis replied. “Clearly they were expected, sir. So why are they here?”
“Well it’s not to join us,” Wingate said heavily. “Although God knows we wouldn’t turn them down if they did.”
“Then why are they here?” Fengzi asked.
“A few months ago the Aèllr Confederacy unexpectedly contacted our diplomatic mission on the Mhar home world. They made clear that they knew how vulnerable we are. They also made clear that they regard the Nameless as a serious threat to the Confederacy. Because of that, they see no advantage to themselves if we get wiped out. Much of the information we have on the Nameless comes from them.”
“Yes, we’re both aware of that,” Fengzi said impatiently.
“What you won’t be aware of is that with the opening of a direct line of communication to central government of the Confederacy, the Council decided to explore whether they could be persuaded to offer material assistance.”
“From the Aèllr! ” Fengzi burst out. “Good God! What the hell...”
“I’m not finished,” Wingate cut across him.
He raised the glass to his lips then lowered it again.
“The answer was a very firm no. Apparently, there are senior elements in the Confederacy’s central government that would favour at least offering logistical support, while we could still carry much of the burden. But it has become equally clear from various Mhar sources that those elements could not carry the Aèllr home world, much less their various colony worlds. For them, this is a war being fought a long distance away, by people they don’t care much about.”
“But something has been agreed,” Lewis said, “or that ship wouldn’t be here.”
“Yes.” Wingate paused to put down the untouched glass. “That ship is here as part of a project codenamed The Lazarus Protocol. While the Aèllr are unwilling to get actively involved at this time, those central government
“Transponder is showing it as the diplomatic cruiser the Mandela , sir. She jumped in at the same time as the Aèllr contact. She isn’t moving. Records say she should be at the Mhar home world.”
“The Mandela is transmitting, sir,” reported a communications officer. “Diplomatic encryption sir… Sir, we do not have the key for that encryption.”
“Sir, signal from Headquarters. Priority One, we are ordered to… ordered to… we’re ordered to stand down.”
“Confirm that!” Lewis demanded.
“Sir, that’s confirmed. We are ordered to stand down. The whole fleet is ordered to stand down. Orders on the authority of Admiral Wingate.”
The bridge went silent. Looking around, Lewis could see confusion on some faces, alarm on others and fear on a few, both officers and crew. Whatever else, a crew needed to think their commanders were in control. On the display the Aèllr cruiser was slowly moving towards one of the outer markers.
“Very well,” Lewis said, forcing himself to speak calmly. “Captain Holfe, please have a shuttle prepared. I may need to return to the surface.”
By the time the shuttle was ready orders had arrived from Headquarters instructing his return. As soon as he landed, Lewis was escorted to Wingate’s office. The atmosphere had changed in the few days he had been away. From one of fatalistic gloom, to something uncertain; junior officers and ratings watched Lewis pass, searching for some clue to indicate whether this development could be viewed as good news or bad.
When Lewis was shown in, Wingate was standing at the window, while Admiral Fengzi was sitting frowning. Wingate held a glass of something in his maimed left hand. They’d never been friends as such, always superior and subordinate, but Lewis had known Wingate for a long time. He knew that those days when his superior poured a very small measure of whiskey into a glass were never good ones.
“Sit down, Paul,” Wingate said without turning. “Gentlemen, I expect you are aware of the new arrival.”
“Yes, sir,” Lewis replied. “Clearly they were expected, sir. So why are they here?”
“Well it’s not to join us,” Wingate said heavily. “Although God knows we wouldn’t turn them down if they did.”
“Then why are they here?” Fengzi asked.
“A few months ago the Aèllr Confederacy unexpectedly contacted our diplomatic mission on the Mhar home world. They made clear that they knew how vulnerable we are. They also made clear that they regard the Nameless as a serious threat to the Confederacy. Because of that, they see no advantage to themselves if we get wiped out. Much of the information we have on the Nameless comes from them.”
“Yes, we’re both aware of that,” Fengzi said impatiently.
“What you won’t be aware of is that with the opening of a direct line of communication to central government of the Confederacy, the Council decided to explore whether they could be persuaded to offer material assistance.”
“From the Aèllr! ” Fengzi burst out. “Good God! What the hell...”
“I’m not finished,” Wingate cut across him.
He raised the glass to his lips then lowered it again.
“The answer was a very firm no. Apparently, there are senior elements in the Confederacy’s central government that would favour at least offering logistical support, while we could still carry much of the burden. But it has become equally clear from various Mhar sources that those elements could not carry the Aèllr home world, much less their various colony worlds. For them, this is a war being fought a long distance away, by people they don’t care much about.”
“But something has been agreed,” Lewis said, “or that ship wouldn’t be here.”
“Yes.” Wingate paused to put down the untouched glass. “That ship is here as part of a project codenamed The Lazarus Protocol. While the Aèllr are unwilling to get actively involved at this time, those central government
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