Coming Home (Free Fleet Book 2) (33 page)

She stood.

“Alright, you two, you're going to have new training.” To someone else the girls looks would have been one of neutrality, but to Yasu they were practically rolling their eyes and saying “Come on, we're already the best damned fighter's you've got.”

“You're going to work for Hachiro's theatre.” She grinned as the two looked confused.
Hopefully, movies and dealing with people constantly will have something of an impact,
she thought as Natsuko spoke up.

“But who will look after you then, mistress?”

It was Yasu's turn to look unimpressed.

“Takahashi.”

Taniko's expression said,
Bout time
.

While Natsuko's was,
Are you sure?

Yasu nodded to the silent questions.
Trying to humanize the Sato sisters and be friends with Takahashi, I think I'm going space crazy.

Chapter Gaining a Press Officer

Evelyn had been surprised by the speed with which the Free Fleet had gone through their fleet, trainees, and then Hachiro. Altogether, it was a lot of real estate to cover. Yet they'd done it meticulously, giving her no where to run. That said, she didn't make it easy for them to find her even as she'd come to that assessment.

They'd dragged her out of some duct, frisked her, and then taken her to Resilient. She knew the corridors and the familiar smell.
It's strange how we gain connections to a place where we thought we might die,
she thought as she was made to face the back wall of the bridge. She was then ushered into the conference room behind the bridge.

“Thanks,”
thee
Commander Salchar said to the Commandos who saluted before leaving, Salchar tossing them one in return.

The man looked perfectly at ease with an unbound woman that had recorded him in battle and had hid in his fleet. The Kuruvian Shrift shrugged before continuing to work on his data pad, he obviously didn't think what was going on was any of his business.

“Want anything? Water? Food?” he asked as she looked for any signs that he was overly mad. He looked as if he was sitting on a tropical beach sipping a Mai Tai for the way he acted.

“Water might be good.”

He grabbed a water bottle from his leg and he threw it across the table. She grabbed it and sat down, squirting the contents into her mouth.

“Okay, so when do you want to go home? We have shuttles running every four hours still for trainees,” he said as he sipped on something warm looking.

“Uhh, as soon as possible would be nice,” she said as the door opened in a rush.

“Ms. Sparks!” She whirled around and was greeted by the grinning but harmless smile of Rick.

“Haven't you learned to knock at this age?” Salchar asked as Shrift chuckled.

“Nope, rather like the shock and awe aspect,” Rick responded, Salchar grinning from this.

Rick walked around to the other side of the table as he looked to Evelyn.

“So, how would you like a job, Ms. Sparks?” he said with a grin as everyone in the room stared at him.

“What? I am chief of staff,” he said defensively as Salchar flicked his hair out of his eyes and Shrift shrugged.

“Why would you want to hire me?” Evelyn asked carefully.

“So we can have you talk to the people protected by the Free Fleet-”

“And make some propaganda up that the Free Fleet is awesome.”

“No, and get the separate races used to one another and comfortable with working one another.”

“Huh?” she said, looking to Salchar who was sitting back, listening to what was going on. Shrift was still on his data pad.

“Okay, so these races have never met one another. Other than interacting with the Free Fleet these other planets and solar systems could just not exist. I want you to report on the different systems, religions, really get into the different societies and pull them apart, get people thinking about the other races, and not just their own. Hopefully, it will also give them ideas for trade, such as Earth making technology and Chaleel supplying food stuffs now Earth's been messed up. Or a trade with the Kuruvian's for rare elements and mining assistance,” Rick said as Evelyn sat down.

“You're trying to link them together in such a way that they care if the other is attacked. That way they will help the Free Fleet grow.”

“Essentially, yes. You saw that we need people to fight this war, people that we don't currently have. Now, this might sound pretty dictatorial as most political leaders called us,” Rick said and Salchar's expression soured.

“But as of now, the Free Fleet is the only force that these five races have in hope of protecting them against the Syndicate. Yet we're not tyrannical, no matter what people have said, and we're trying to incorporate everyone into our Fleet so we have a fair system where no race is put ahead of another.”

“Yet that's you saying it,” Evelyn said as she sat back. Her natural reporting skills making her devils advocate even if she approved of what the Free Fleet was doing, no matter what the political leaders were saying as well as their news networks. After being part of a system where each individual was cared for, she knew that the Free Fleet was the best thing that Earth had going for it. Though, she wasn't going to say that.

“That's why we want you to do the reporting, a third party to look at not only the races but the Fleet. We want you to see what issues we have, how we're different and similar to other militaries,” Rick said, his look imploring.

“Yet not in a way that would reveal any military secrets.” Salchar added as Evelyn found herself nodding and biting her lip in thought.

“What about me sneaking aboard and all that?” she asked hesitantly.

Salcahr's eyes sparked. “Evelyn, what you did was deceitful and pulled people away from their jobs which might save people one day. We're going to have to learn how to trust one another, so no more lying or messing with people.”

Don't do this and your out,
she silently added. “You have my word.”

Salchar seemed to weigh her before looking satisfied.

“We've got some time, so think on the job,” Rick said.

“Well, she's all yours, the next shuttle is in three hours,” Salchar said as Rick stood.

“Well, shall we then?” I'm due to meet my wife for some food in the mess. I bet that running around tired you out,” he said as Evelyn stood. She had little choice, and if they were keeping her hostage they were by far the best mannered hostage takers she'd met thus far.

Rick made sure she looked at the back wall again as a woman that looked as if she lifted shuttles for fun met them with crossed arms.

“You going to lolly gag around all day?” she asked as she tapped her foot.

“Well, I was.”

“No excuses,” she said.

“But!”

“None,” she said as her face split into a grin and Rick kissed her.

“Hello, dear. This is Evelyn Spark, she was the one that made the video.”

“Highlighted the third tier gunnery on ports sides ineptitude. Off by a full three degrees on that rail gun round!” She huffed as she pumped Evelyn's hand.

“Uhh, I'm sorry.”

“Not your fault at all. Thank you for pointing it out. Having it all over Earth will make them the better for it,” she said with a conspiratorial grin as Evelyn found herself smiling at the intense woman.

“Well, my beautiful ladies, shall we get some food?” Rick said with a grin as Marleen turned and crooked an eyebrow at him. He kept up his smile as Marleen laughed, holding Rick's hand as they began walking.

“Coming, Evelyn? I do love to see the Commandos playing hide and seek, but it seems it tires them out a bit,” Rick said as Evelyn followed the two. It took her a few minutes to work up the courage to talk.

“So, how did you two meet?” she asked.

“Well, I was waiting in the squad pod when this dolt came from the ceiling yelling Geronimooooo.” Marleen simulated the falling.

“Seems he lost his few remaining brain cells.” Marleen winked at Evelyn as Rick squinted at her, a grin on his face.

Evelyn didn't know why, but she was already beginning to like the ridiculous pair. At first her questions were slow, and then she forgot where she was and fell into the role of a reporter, something that came to her naturally as she'd interviewed her father before he died covering protests in Africa.

Kids had thought her weird when she interviewed her teachers, usually sending them to the breaking point. The workplace had been the same thing for her then VICE had helped her and she'd reported on everything possible. VICE was no longer a thing, but the people that made it up kept in contact with one another. If she was going on this ride, she could think of a few more people that could join her.

Look at me, Dad, I'm interviewing kids that were trained by a PDF-impersonating Syndicate. Doesn't get more bizarre, does it?
she thought as she was hanging onto every word Rick and Marleen said.

****

I looked across to Shrift as I sat down in my seat with a sigh. With everything going on, I needed to keep on top of not only the progress with my people, training, and relations, but also the engineering side. Without ships, guns, and Mechas we were not going to win the war.

“That went well,” Shrift said.

I shrugged. “Hopefully she isn't like the reporters that bug me for my comment on anything, from fashion to my love life and my tactics.” Shrift laughed, looking at my face of weirded out confusion.

“Back to the ship yard and dock?” he asked, a grin still on his face.

“Alright, onwards and upwards,” I said, getting comfortable in my seat as I pulled out my data pad, damned thing was a life saver. I never left home without it.

“Now, for weapons systems, Felix and Min Hae have come up with some interesting designs. They're testing them right now, but they could add significant firepower to our ships.”

“Did they turn away from the plasma weaponry?”

“Yes, they agreed that the technology is so unstable that, while it is very effective, it does more harm than damage as we saw with the battle cruisers.”

“Also, have you placed the order for the Gatling guns and other PDS's?”

“Yes, I have, I have an armor contractor that is interested in joining the fleet. It makes sense, really, if we're making reactive armor big enough to fit on a space ship that we have it in space. The costs in fuel will be astronomical otherwise, and the resources are more readily available,” Shrift said.

“Makes sense. Now, I know that Eddie had plans for the hull from the last battle as well as one of the operational battle cruisers, have you been able to sway him into using that hull as the base and the cracked BC for whatever he needs?” I asked.

“Yes and no. Yes, he'll use them, but he wants to put all new systems into it.”

I nodded. “Very well, I'll want it in full fighting order, anyway. Once our current forces are fixed up then I want to start getting the broken destroyers and such into the line then use anything left to get me carriers, proper carriers. Min Hae and Felix are only able to make bastardized versions so far, but I want real ones.”

Shrift nodded to my words as he made a note, talking as he did so. “Shall we continue with the extending of the dock?”

“Yes, I want everything growing. Nancy is going to be key to us with our oncoming battles, and she won't be much use to use without the materials she needs.” My face turned sour.
It's all damned numbers, if we could use the market, however, maybe make loans, then have them pay it off.

“We're going to need some accountants,” I said.

Shrift looked at me with clear confusion. “Accountants?”

“We need some people to look into the financial workings of the Union or... Resilient?” I looked to the ceiling.

“Yes?” she responded.

“Would you be able to assimilate the information on the banking systems of the Union?” I asked, probably sounding a little hopeful.

“Lare would probably be more interested in that, he like's numbers. At this stage he's basically a child AI, so he's making way more connections than I ever could, though he needs more processing power. I do too.” She finished and I looked to Shrift.

“I'll get right on that,” he said and I saw him scroll to the top of the list and do just that.

“Now, Resilient, could you have Lare have a look at Union laws, specifically the rules about loans?”

“Certainly, he's been looking for something new to do.”

“How is he doing? Has he made any decisions?”

“Not yet, though he's interested in the Free Fleet and what it does. For now he needs more computing power and to get his physical aspects fixed.”

“That's reasonable, though as he is not personnel of the fleet then he will be one of the slower jobs, unfortunately.”

“I understand. We need ships capable of defending our interests and our charges. Working on him would possibly not get us closer to either of those goals.”