A Greater Interest: Samair in Argos: Book 4 (65 page)

              “We’re just going to leave?” Braelock demanded, not quite sure what he was hearing.  He wasn’t being insubordinate, he genuinely didn’t understand.

              The major’s glance was filled with irritation.  ”Yes, Lieutenant, we’re leaving. 
Byvennot
is lost and the soldiers on this ship can do nothing to save her.  We will bypass the planet, transit the system and move on to Bimawae.”

              “But we have orders to stop here for supplies,” Braelock protested.

              The major took a step closer.  He was a battle-scarred veteran of many campaigns during the war as well as hundreds of raids and boarding actions since their exile.  He feared no one but he remembered that no one but he recognized that while old, Braelock was by no means harmless.  However, he could not let a mere lieutenant dictate terms.  Nezerek was in charge of this mission and he was third in command of the division.  Braelock knew this and was also well aware of the general’s orders.  But it was his ship and he had a saw in where they went.

              But there was no chance here.  There were four enemy corvettes in the system and they had made short work of
Byvennot
, the only ally they had out here.  TC2741 had a company of ninety-three grenadiers with two assault shuttles, but they could only get in and do their thing if they could fly in close to their target.  If the corvette captains didn’t feel like accommodating, they could just stand off and hammer the freighter, or the shuttles, into free-floating ions.

              “No.  We’ll leave here and head for Bimawae to try our luck there.”

              “You have the troops and your shuttles have stealth capabilities,” Braelock grumbled, turning away.  “
Take
one of the corvettes.”

              Nezerek considered this.  But then he shook his head.  “No, they’re already in a heightened state of alert and their active sensors are banging away.  I don’t want to be caught out in the open trying to sneak in close and get hit with an active sensor ping.  The stealth would be compromised and we’d have an angry and paranoid enemy after us.  There are far better hunting grounds.”

              Braelock huffed out a sigh, looking to his displays.  “Do as you will.  Helm, alter vector to bypass the planet.  Do not be clumsy in your maneuvering.  Try to make it look as though we never intended to stop here but we were just passing through.  I don’t want to attract any more attention than necessary.”

              Major Nezerek nodded in approval.  “Thank you, Lieutenant.  Hopefully Bimawae will provide more satisfying sport.”

Chapter 21

              “Wait, they want
how
many A2s?” Tamara asked, incredulous.

              Galina yipped a laugh.  “Twenty.  I know, I’m impressed as well.  I didn’t think R3 Systems would be willing or able to pull together the necessary funding for that many, but apparently they’re firm in their commitment.”

              “They want all those replicators for what?” Tamara asked, putting a hand to her forehead.  “They’re going to put everything into the moon base?”

              “They’re splitting their resources,” Galina told her.  “From what my sources tell me, they’re moving forward with the planetary shipyard project.”

              She shrugged.  “Well that can only be for the good.  Get more industry and repair capability.  And if they can build and service more ships, that means more will come here and… well you know.”

              Galina gave another chuckle.  “I can never quite understand human behavior and especially yours.”

              Tamara blinked.  “Mine?”

              “Yes,” the lupusan replied.  “You’re in charge of the largest and most powerful industrial operation in the star system. 
You
should be building an orbital yard, but you don’t.  In fact, you’ve deliberately left the field open for someone else to exploit.  Why?”

              “Because I don’t want First Principles to start looking like this gargantuan evil empire.  And I don’t want FP to the be only stop for people wanting to do things.  If there are options, then there’s competition and we’ll all push each other.  Besides, if FP is the only game in town, eventually, the government is going to decide they don’t like the way things are going and will move against us.”

              “Surely you don’t think that they will send troops and ships to take company assets,” Galina said, sounding horrified.

              “You’ve forgotten already?”  Tamara shrugged.  “They’ve done it before.  I don’t think that Colonel Gants would participate in another attack, but that doesn’t mean that the council won’t find a way make an accident happen.  Or just make the whole thing legal and break up the company.”  She sighed.  “I don’t want that to happen.  I don’t want to screw over all our workers.”

              The lupusan waved her hands.  “Wait, wait.  You’re worried about the workers?”

              She scowled.  “Of course I’m worried about the workers.  But it’s not just that.  I don’t want everyone looking at us, worrying that the company is going to jack up prices or cut wages or strangle productionor something just because we have the monopoly.  And besides, we’ve got enough projects going right now that opening up another shipyard just isn’t practical.  Let R3 build it and get more ships and shuttles out there.  Orbital infrastructure.  They’re paying us for the A2s, that’s fine with me.”

              Galina looked at her for a long moment and then shrugged.  “If you say so, Tamara.”

              “I do.  Now, what’s the status of the new implants?”

              The new prototypes were ready, and several sets of new command modules had been assembled and implanted.  All of the senior staff had gotten a set, with Tamara, Galina, and Vincent getting the command datasets, and Tiyanna Moreetz, Ka’Xarian and Eretria Sterling getting a secondary sub-command set.  It had gotten to the point where Tamara had needed her guards to all but threaten to hold her down for Eretria to agree, but in the end she acquiesced, not without a great deal of complaining.  Once the new command datasets were integrated, then eight shiny new FP-brand industrial replicators were delivered to the shipyards, and four more to the
Samarkand
.  Tamara and Galina had been discussing sending more to the Kutok mine, but plans for that were on hold for the moment.

              “Everyone who needed to get a set has done so, yourself included, so I hear,” Galina replied, smiling.  “Did they remove your old Republic Navy implants?”

              “No,” Tamara said ruefully, shaking her head.  “I just got an upgrade to the firmware and a few new bits and bobs.  If I do end up meeting with a Republic admiral or other high ranking officer or civilian official, the will be able to still shut down my Navy implants.  So, with some handy knife work and some nanite assistance, Kassix was able to implant my FP command set separate from the Navy set.  I won’t lose function or command access, which is a good thing.  Though,” she said, thoughtfully, tapping her chin.  “I certainly wouldn’t say no to a really good look at the Republic’s tech database, get a good sniff at what their software geeks have gotten up to in two centuries.”

              “No good is my guess,” Galina said, her voice bitter.  But then she shook her head.  “But it’s a moot point.  You’re not really thinking of mounting an expedition to the Republic are you?”

              “No, though I wish we could manage it somehow.”  Then she waved a hand.  “But that’s a plan for another time.”  Then she looked to her CFO.  “So what are we doing about Heb?”

              Galina blinked in confusion at the abrupt change in subject.  “Other than our regular cargo runs and the small defense squadron sent by the Navy, I wasn’t aware we were doing anything about Heb.”

              “I’m thinking we should send a team out there.”  Tamara sounded more as though she was talking through an idea to herself than carrying on a conversation.  “Yes, I’m thinking we should.”

              “Tamara, be reasonable,” the she-wolf chided.  “Yes, the second factory ship is out of the yard hands, but we area still trying to scrape together a crew for her, an engineering AI, to say nothing of the engineering team she needs to run her.  Tamara, the ship doesn’t even have a name.”

              “I know,” the woman replied.  Then she shrugged.  “What if the ship was crewed by techs and engineers recruited from Heb?  We get people from FP here in Seylonique to work as supervisors and officers on the ship, but we get the actual workers in Heb.  We train them up and eventually they take over the more difficult aspects of running the ship.”

              “What is it that you want, Tamara?” Galina asked. 

              She chuckled.  “There’s no rule stating that we have to stay bound to one star system, Galina.  We
can
hire people from other systems, even set up offices elsewhere.  It’s a brave new world out there, my friend.”

              The wolf looked disgusted.  “I’m sure the council won’t be thrilled about you branching out,” she noted sourly.  “The council doesn’t even like you very much in this star system.”

              Tamara grimaced.  “Considering how much First Principles is paying in taxes, they should be ecstatic whenever we come up with some new moneymaking idea.”

              “And now you want to go to Heb to, what?  Make more money?  You don’t have enough riches here in this system?  You have accumulated enough wealth to try for a council seat, Tamara.  So could Vincent.”  She considered her words.  “So could I, actually.”

              “Well,” she said sheepishly, “it makes sense.  But what I want is for us to have completely safe passage in all star systems and just focus on industry and hauling cargoes.”

              “We both know that’s not going to happen,” Galina harrumphed.  “So you sent the new factory ship to Heb and… what?”

              “Well,” she said, “I like Captain Hogan’s idea of an orbital platform to store goods.  And while it really wouldn’t require something as potent or dedicated as a factory ship to put together, it would be a good starting point for the tech crew that would actually be doing the building.  Something interesting and important for the team to cut their teeth on.  Might as well start somewhere.”

              But Galina shook her head.  “But that’s not the real reason to send the factory ship to Heb.”

              “But it is a good one,” Tamara countered.

              “But it’s not the real one,” Galina insisted, smiling.  “Blast it, Tamara.  I’m your CFO.  You can’t conceal things from me.”

              Tamara sighed.  “I’m not trying to hide things from you, but my thoughts weren’t fully formed on the subject.  But I’m further along now.”  She hurried along, seeing the wolf’s impatience.  “I’ve been thinking about this ever since the council cracked down on our defense spending.”

              The wolf’s ears perked up in understanding.  “You want to build more ships.”  It wasn’t a question.

              Tamara nodded gravely.  “I do, but not for the reasons everyone thinks.  I don’t want to overthrow the admin council, or challenge the Republic or storm the Federation, or even carve out my own little empire here in the Argos Cluster and crown myself Empress.  Thos are ridiculous.  I want more ships because we have growing industry and prosperity being threated by these pirates and their warlord.  Now I know money is an issue for the government.  There’s only so much to move around.”

              “Surprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot of graft and stealing going on,” Galina admitted, clasping her hands before her.  “I was surprised and pleased when I found that out.  Took a fair bit of doing to get that information, to be honest.  I can’t believe things are running so aboveboard.”

              Tamara made a face at her.  “Well, it’s manageable, certainly, but even with that minor miracle, I think we’re approaching the bottom of the barrel of what Seylonique’s Navy can reasonably afford to build and maintain.  There’s maintenance, upkeep, fuel, supplies, crew salaries.  What am I saying?” she laughed.  “You know all this.”

              Galina nodded.  “Well, I think if push came to shove, they’d come up with the money for the ships and the crews.”

              “I don’t think there’s any pushing or shoving going on.  And honestly, the Seylonique Navy centers around the
Leytonstone
,” Tamara pointed out.  “Without that battlecruiser, our Navy here is nothing more than a light squadron.  Verrikoth already has three cruisers and if he were to come back and fight smart, even
with
the
Leytonstone
, we’d be in serious trouble.  We don’t currently have the firepower to stand up to his forces as they were during the battle a few months ago, and you can’t honestly sit there and think that he won’t be adding more ships to his line of battle.  We need more, no.  We need more and we need better.”

              “You want to build cruisers in Heb?” Galina asked, incredulous.  “They don’t have the mineral wealth to do the building, Tamara.  You’ll have to ship in the goods and materials from here.  As well as fuel.  Seems like a huge waste.  And who’s going to pay for all this?”

              “For the moment, we will,” Tamara replied simply.  “I’ve looked at the numbers, Galina.  We could build two of those modified pirate cruisers.  We can afford to build them,” she repeated.

              “But with the company funds available, and assuming you don’t want to run any department in a deficit, we’d only be able to fully fund
one
.  And I have to tell you, Tamara, I’m not thrilled with these numbers.”

              “More cargo runs, then?” Tamara mused.  “Or more cargo runners?”

              Galina shifted on her seat.  “Well of course that would help.  More runs mean more profits, but we can’t afford anything huge like
Ma Mystere
or
Grania Estelle
.  And certainly not with the bulk freighter’s crew levels.”

              “All right,” Tamara stated.  “We’ll put a pin in the cruiser conversation for now.”

              “Thank you,” the lupusan said, relieved.

              “But not in the plans for Heb,” Tamara went on.  She waved a hand at the lupusan’s disgusted look.  “No cruisers for now, I promise.  Not yet, anyway.  No, I’m thinking that Heb could use a small repair slip.  For the Navy corvettes, of course.”

              The wolf seemed to brighten.  “Of course.  And if we can use your idea of hiring local workers, we can start trining them up, perhaps even get more interested in joining.”  But then her expression hardened.  “What else are you planning?”

              Tamara got a faraway expression for a moment, then blinked and looked at her.  “Well, I just cut orders for two more cargo ships.  The same size and class as the
First Horizon
and the
Yellow Dolly
.  And once those are done, I think we’ll pause in the number of new projects, at least until the recruiters can get more bodies on the roster.”

              “Thank you, Tamara,” Galina said with a huff.  “I know you’re enthusiastic about expanding, but racing forward too fast will leave us overextended and in trouble.”  She raised one of her taloned fingered hands.  “I’m not saying that we can’t ever move forward or capture opportunities, just slow down a bit.”

              “Yes, mummy,” Tamara said with a smile.  Then she sobered, rubbing her forehead.  “I know, it’s the old ‘ask me for anything but time’ argument,” she lamented.  Then she shook her head.  “The pirates aren’t done, Galina.  I can feel it.  They’re coming back.  Maybe not today, but they will be back here.”

              Galina nodded gravely.  “But bankrupting the company is not the way to defeat them, Tamara.   You have too many people depending on your good judgment for you to wreck the company on a topic that isn’t even our responsibility.”