Impulse (29 page)

I heard her spraying freshener on my clothes, the kind of thing only a woman would think to do, and then shaking them out. “These are pretty randy,” she said from the cabin. “I hope she was worth it.” I said nothing to that, but it was easy to pick up the tinge of resentment in her voice.

I was out and dressed in a few minutes, or so it seemed to me, and we were on our way to the captain's briefing room at 0528. We stood together in silence as the lifter took us up five decks to the conning tower and the nerve center of
Starbound
.

“How do I—” I started.

“You smell like roses and paprika,” she said. I let that sink in for a second, then started to laugh. She resisted for a few seconds, then joined me. I lost it at that point, giggling as if I were still drunk, which I supposed I still was despite the hangover pill. She elbowed me to get me to stop. When that didn't work she slugged me hard in the upper arm.

“Oww! Goddamn it, that hurt!” I cried in mock pain, still laughing. She cocked her arm to hit me again, but this time I was having none of it.

I grabbed her arm as she swung and pulled her in to me, pressing her close with a hand in the small of her back, all the giggling gone in a second. We stayed that way for several seconds, feelings present that had stayed unspoken between us. Then I kissed her.

It was long and passionate, and she matched my inappropriate advance with plenty of enthusiasm of her own. After a few long moments of this, she pulled away from me, looking up into my eyes.

“You're still drunk,” she said softly.

“Perhaps I am,” I said, refusing to release her. She tried to step back then, but I held on.

“Goddamn you, let me go!” she said as she shrugged free of me, untangling herself from my grip. We both took a moment to straighten up our uniforms at the last second as the lifter slowed to a halt and then opened onto Starbound's Command Deck.

There were three rooms on the deck: the bridge, Captain's Office, and here at the rear of the deck, the Command Briefing Room. I looked down the hall toward the bridge with longing, then stepped off the lifter and went left into the Briefing Room. I snapped to attention and saluted upon entering, and at the head of the table Captain Jonas Maclintock saluted back to me without getting up. It was 0532.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it, Commander,” Maclintock said, then motioned to the chair next to him on his left. “Have a seat.” I did and tea was passed around promptly, which I took as I looked about the room at the other officers. There were six, all men, none of whom I recognized. There were three lieutenant commanders, one of whom was a chaplain, and three first lieutenants. Serosian, I noted, was still absent. Dobrina took the seat next to Maclintock on his right as he introduced me around the table, showing no indication that he disapproved of my scent, and then he started in with the briefing.

“Our orders, gentlemen,” began Maclintock, “are clear. We are to activate the jump gate on Levant B and proceed via the jump point to determine the status of
H.M.S.
Impulse
. There, we will perform a rescue if possible, and destroy her if she cannot be salvaged.” The last part hit me hard, like a blow to the chest. I had never considered that we might not recover
Impulse
. I was also surprised navy brass had been so decisive and so quick to respond. Perhaps I'd underestimated Admiral Wesley.

“Both Commander Kierkopf and Mr. Cochrane here have experience serving on
Impulse
, plus Mr. Cochrane trained here aboard
Starbound
as a cadet. They will both be vital to our success. The Admiralty has seen fit to name Commander Kierkopf as XO for this mission, and though I know you all have some misgivings about losing Commander Tannace to the First Contact mission on Levant, I have full confidence in our new XO,” he said, nodding to Dobrina. It was what he had to say, whether he believed it or not, and I suspected similar words of false praise were coming my way.

“Lieutenant Commander Cochrane will serve as our longscope officer, and I believe he will do a fine job in that capacity. Historian Serosian has assured me he's more than up to the task.” He nodded my way while I wondered what about my behavior so far had given him that impression. The faces around the table all eyed me, but their expressions gave away nothing. These were experienced spacers and to them I must have come off as a child, the overprivileged son of a royal family that they didn't even officially recognize yet, though they all knew it was likely the monarchy would be reestablished soon.

The door buzzed and then opened and a striking red-haired woman in a green Carinthian Marine Corps uniform with the rank of colonel entered. She saluted Maclintock and then took the seat directly opposite me, which had been left open.

“Commander Cochrane, may I introduce Colonel Lena Babayan, commander of our Carinthian Marine detachment here on
Starbound
,” said Maclintock. I stood and stuck out a hand and she took it, looking at me with sharp, piercing green eyes.

“A pleasure,” she said in a husky voice. Her grip on my hand was as firm as any man's.

“I've asked Colonel Babayan here to review the status of our marine detachment,” said Maclintock. “Colonel, if you please.” Colonel Babayan stood and faced the other officers, a plasma pad with notes on it in her hand.

“We're staffed with sixty marines for this mission, in four squads of fifteen each, half Carinthian and half Quantar The Quantar teams are commanded by your man, Sergeant Marker,” she said, nodding to me. “But I retain overall command of the detachment. Each of these units is equipped with upgraded heavy weapons: double-barrel coil rifles, shoulder mounted RPGs, heavy grenades, and the latest EVA suits. We've swapped out our Downship and light shuttle for two heavy bulwark shuttles, which means we've also had to discard the individual dropships. This means we will carry a higher risk by putting all our marines in just two ships, but the bulwarks are much better suited for this type of scenario than the dropships. Based on your experience with the HD displacement wave weapons, Commander Cochrane, would you agree with my assessment?” I looked up, surprised to be asked a question, but recovered quickly. Dobrina shifted in her seat as I started to speak.

“The bulwark shuttles are more durable at close range against any conventional weapon, no question,” I said, then continued. “Their ablative plating makes them less vulnerable to energy weapons and concussion mines. But nothing will stand up well to a hyperdimensional displacement wave or the anti-graviton plasma we faced, especially without a Hoagland Field at least as large as
Starbound
's. And quite frankly, sir,” I said, turning to Maclintock, “those are the weapons of choice we saw in both incidents here at Levant.”

Colonel Babayan pondered this a bit. I used this pause as an opening to get more information. “Colonel, under what scenarios are we planning on deploying the marines?” Babayan looked around the table, and others returned her look of surprise.

“I thought you had been briefed?” she said.

“No,” I said, embarrassed. But I wasn't about to admit I'd been out drinking and hadn't read my reports. She frowned and then continued.

“Three scenarios. One is a rescue aboard
Impulse
. Second, a defense of
Starbound
, and third,” she paused at this, “an attack on an Imperial ship, Cruiser class or higher.”

“With marines? Is this something we're expecting?” I asked. “Has anyone here besides Commander Kierkopf and I actually seen an Imperial ship in the last hundred and fifty years? Do we even know if they're still functional?”

“No one knows,” cut in Maclintock. “But based on your encounter with the unmanned HuK, we have to be prepared for any eventuality.”

“I'll forward you the scenarios again,” said Colonel Babayan, pressing commands on the pad with a stylus.

“One last thing before we move on, Mr. Cochrane,” said Maclintock, “I'm making you responsible for the marine teams, specifically for their integration and joint training. I expect any two marines, Quantar and Carinthian, to be able to operate as a unit with no breakdowns in communication or performance. Colonel Babayan will be your go-to for how to get this done, but I'm making you responsible for the outcome.”

“Yes, sir,” I said. He was giving me a bone to prove I belonged, but he couldn't have failed to notice my lack of preparation. My first staff meeting and already I was showing the command crew of
Starbound
that I wasn't ready.

The rest of the meeting was taken up by general orders about staffing, shifts, and the like. He told us all to be prepared for departure from Artemis on one hour's notice.

“Thank you all,” he said, “Dismissed.” Then he turned to Dobrina and me as the staff filed out. “Please stay, Commanders,” he said. We sat back down. When the room had cleared he swiveled in his chair to face me.

“I wanted to apologize for our introduction yesterday, Mr. Cochrane. It was inappropriate of me and insulting to you,” said Maclintock.

“Understood, sir,” I said. He nodded and then looked to Dobrina.

“I also want to apologize for the circumstances you've been put in, Commander Kierkopf. The crew aboard
Starbound
have had the same XO for the last two years, and most of them feel losing Devin Tannace to the First Contact mission is just navy brass playing politics to make an opening for you. I don't agree. I've checked your record with the Carinthian Navy and it's a damned fine one.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said.

“And don't grieve for Commander Tannace,” continued Maclintock. “He's up for command of one of the new Lightships launching next year.”

“I'm sure he'll make a great captain,” I said, not really knowing if he would or not. Maclintock nodded again and moved on.

“That being said, neither of you can expect to be accepted here until you've earned it. The
Impulse
rescue mission should give you both plenty of opportunity to do so. Specifically, Admiral Wesley has given me personal orders to get that jump gate above Levant B operating. Mr. Cochrane, I understand you have some experience with this thing?”

“I've been in the control room, yes, sir, but I've never operated the machine,” I said honestly.

“So my question to you both is this, then,” said Maclintock, “can you get this thing operational?” I looked to Dobrina and she answered for us both.

“We damn well can, sir,” she said. Maclintock nodded.

“Then I'll issue the formal orders putting Commander Kierkopf in charge, along with a requisition for any equipment or personnel you need,” Maclintock said. “You'll be her Number Two on this, Mr. Cochrane. The marine teams will escort you down to B. Anyone else you think you'll be needing?”

Dobrina opened her mouth, about to say no, I suspected, so I piped up with, “Just access to Historian Serosian.” Maclintock nodded.

“He'll be available to you as time permits,” said the captain. Now I nodded. “I'll give you until tomorrow to assemble your team, Commander,” he said to Dobrina. “Then I expect to see you on the surface of B. And remember, much of your reputation on this ship will rest on your success or failure on this mission.”

“Understood, Captain,” said Dobrina.

“Now if you'll excuse us, Commander, I have some personal business to discuss with Mr. Cochrane,” he said. I tensed at this, expecting a chewing out about my preparation, or lack thereof. Dobrina saluted and left, off to plan the mission. I turned to my new commanding officer.

“Now, son, as to expectations,” he started. “You're new here. You're very young, and you're also the likely heir of the would-be Director of Quantar. None of that is lost on me. But we all take our chances equally out here. You'll have to prove yourself to me and to those men you just met, all of whom are experienced spacers.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And it would help if you didn't come to the morning staff smelling of brothels and the bazaar,” he said.

I nodded without making eye contact. “Understood, sir. It won't happen again.”

“Good,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “So we've both made one mistake already. Let's make sure we don't repeat them.”

“Aye, sir,” I said, stiffening in my resolve.

“Now, onto more serious matters. I reviewed your training record aboard
Starbound
before I took command, and it's a good one. Top five overall, number one on the longscope in the entire service, and your friend Serosian raves about your potential. But this is not about potential, son. This is about performance.” He stopped there to let his words sink in.

“You've been given the rank of senior lieutenant commander aboard. Whether that's deserved or not isn't my problem. I expect you to act the part. Keep this ship running, carry out my orders, rely on your experience from this Levant incident. Hell, that experience is something you have over all of us. I'll be relying on you to provide leadership. Don't hesitate, or you will lose the confidence of those men who just left the room.”

“Also understood, sir,” I said. He pushed back from the table, as if to get up and leave, but stopped and turned toward me instead.

“There is one more thing,” he said. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “It's been brought to my attention that you lost a very close personal friend in the first attack on
Impulse
.”

I didn't hesitate. “I did, sir.”

“I want you to know that all the senior staff are aware of that fact, and you have their sincerest condolences, and mine.”

“Yes, sir.”

Maclintock eyed me with his steel blue eyes, taking my measure. His next question surprised me.

“Was she your first?”

“My first?” I stumbled. What the hell was he asking?