The Chronicles of Heaven's War: Burning Phoenix (27 page)

“Systems are fine, Admiral.” The acting
bridge officer calmly answered. “Signal officer and weather deck
report open skies and all is well.”

Gabrielle thanked her for her report.

The bridge officer went on to state,
“Captain Dunamis has gone forward to hangar bay two, to await the
arrival of Commodore SarahSands, who has just arrived on the
packet, Senegal. She is preparing to transfer over to the
RavensRook on the tender, Cortney. The Commodore should be aboard
in about thirty minutes. Do you have any orders?”

Gabrielle thanked the attending bridge
officer and then replied, “Yes, please request the Cortney to stand
by to receive me. Send my luggage to the tender and make request of
my staff to meet me there for departure at four hundred hours.
Please inform the Senegal of my plans, for I will want to be under
way as soon as may be after getting aboard. Also, please send the
ship’s surgeon to my cabin, for I’m in need of his assistance.”

The bridge officer hesitated at hearing the
Admiral’s last request, but quickly obeyed. “As you wish,
Admiral.”

Gabrielle shut off the intercom and sighed
as she rested her head in her hands, her elbows on the table. The
faint throb of the RavensRook’s powerful engines soothed the
admiral’s spirit. A quiet pulsing that sent the slightest of
rhythmic tremors through the ship felt so reassuring, telling her
that all was well aboard and that, much to her relief, some of her
senses were gradually returning.

Gabrielle began to ponder what must be done
regarding the latest disaster. It might be hours before the fleet
would hear report about the Chisamore. She would make sure to
reveal this matter to the bridge before then, but not until after
seeing the surgeon. After all, there was little else that could be
done other than shift some of the Fourth Fleet east to cover Eden’s
Gate. They needed to keep a strong carrier presence there, just in
case.

The woman fussed, shaking her head. “Eden’s
Gate, that
Hell hole
...” she muttered, wincing as her
headache surged anew. It was a terrible place to defend, no safe
ports within two weeks’ hard running. How many thousands had
already paid the supreme price for holding that portal? How many
more must do so? ‘The portal has to be held at all cost.’ That was
the consensus of the Council after retaking it during the Persian
Debacle, and that is how it was to remain. That gate must be held
no matter the loss to ships or crew.

Ah well, there would be a new armada soon
gathered to protect that quadrant. Gabrielle was personally making
preparations to accomplish it. It was the reason the newly
appointed commodore, SarahSands, was replacing her aboard the
RavensRook. She was a capable officer to take charge of this
Stargaton Fleet, the battle group being the largest in the
quadrant. The admiral was pleased that Command had approved her
recommendation for the woman to receive that post.

Gabrielle smiled. Sarah was not only a close
companion, but was an excellent strategist and brave fighter. She
and Sarah went back to the Aphrodite Wars, the woman showing her
mettle throughout those long conflicts and far beyond. During the
Great War, Sarah served as first officer to then commodore,
CythereaNoah'ha, remaining in the Navy from that time until now.
Yes, she was an excellent officer and a good commander. She would
do well leading the Stargaton Battle Group.

Gabrielle’s smile quickly faded. Rumors
echoed within the military that the children’s new king and new
field marshal were not bonding well. It was believed by some that
Mihai was jealous because one of her closer companions had not
received the commission, Planetee being one of the names bantered
about. Others thought her surrender of power for the acceptance of
a ‘
looks impressive but has no real authority’
crown
affected her, especially since the new field marshal was quickly
making her strong presence felt by the many changes she was forcing
upon the
old
Army, giving little consideration to the
established
way.

At the moment, the Navy was still placed
under the command of the field marshal, but Gabrielle was aware
that winds of change were coming soon. Mother desired to maintain
the current arrangement until after the Prisoner Exchange, not
wishing to add to the turmoil. War was soon coming - war fought on
a scale unknown in this world before, with battles that would make
the Day of Tears look like a skirmish. The present structure of the
military would be incapable of handling its coming responsibilities
successfully.

Gabrielle frowned, pondering, thinking to
herself. Mihai sat the throne as supreme commander, king over all
the realm of the Children’s Empire, but it was an empty title.
Right now, Trisha had greater power, thus being the
real
authority in the kingdom. To create a cohesive fighting machine,
the field marshal’s position of power needed to diminish, at least
in the eyes of the people, so that Mihai’s kingly glory could not
be questioned. Why Mother chose not to do this before the Prisoner
Exchange puzzled the admiral, but Mother had her reasons, and when
she was ready to reveal them she would, and not until.

Well, that really was of no concern to the
admiral. Mother did as Mother wished to do. Yes, Mother had sought
Gabrielle’s opinion, but she felt it was more of a respectful
formality from Mother than her seeking any real input. Long had it
been since she was searched out by Mother other than to surrender
up a little comfort in troubling times.

It was probably for good reason Mother acted
this way. She had a game on and was playing it close, thus leaving
little room for deviating from her grand plan. Something was up
with the Prisoner Exchange. What it was, Gabrielle was unsure, but
it was going to be
big
. The woman’s heart jumped with a
secret desire to be there for it.

A sudden rap on the door interrupted the
moment. After being hailed, an orderly stepped in, hurriedly
handing Admiral Gabrielle a decoded script. “Short notice...” The
admiral said, bemused. Looking up at the orderly after reading it,
she asked, “Has Captain Dunamis been notified yet?”

The orderly confirmed, “Yes, I personally
informed him before coming here, believing it would expedite the
time the captain would need to prepare for his departure. With your
permission, the communications officer will notify the RavensRook
to stand down until the next window, about six hours hence, Captain
Dunamis feeling it prudent under these circumstances. It will give
him needed time to brief his first officer on the operations of the
ship before his leaving.”

Gabrielle smiled approvingly. “First Officer
BuetraSega will do well on the bridge in Captain Dunamis’ absence.
I will leave it in the hands of the new commander, Commodore
SarahSands, to decide who should replace Dunamis as captain of this
ship.” It pleased her to have had the new king and her council
approve the recommendation to have Captain Dunamis promoted to
commodore over the newly commissioned Royal Fleet, commonly called
the ‘King’s Fleet’. He would personally take command aboard its new
flagship, soon to come off the ways, the royal fighting barge,
RananAhot. A heavily armed transport of imperial cutter class, it
was designed for dignitaries on their long official sojourns.
Complete with spacious wardrooms and large cabins, it was a
luxurious ship of state built upon a heavy fighting platform. With
its supporting escorts, it would be a formidable foe in a heated
contest should the enemy attempt its capture.

Before dismissing the orderly, Admiral
Gabrielle made arrangements for the commodore to be provided with a
tour of the ship and to be properly introduced to the officers on
board. “Captain Dunamis will be quite busy, and I have some special
needs to be tended to before greeting my friend. Please send my
apologies for my failure to be there to meet her. Have the
attendants deliver her luggage to my apartment and tell them to
remove mine to the Senegal.”

Gabrielle stood, her migraine lashing out in
blinding pain and nauseous upset as she did. Wincing from the
sudden discomfort, she waited to speak until the headache eased.
“Would you invite the commodore to dine with me, here, at nineteen
hundred hours, and also inform the mess regarding my needs? I have
some private business to conclude with the commodore and wish not
to be disturbed. Please arrange to have someone stationed at my
door to see that is so.”

The orderly promised she would do as
requested. Gabrielle thanked her and turned toward her apartment as
the orderly departed. Opening a valise that sat beside some of her
luggage on the bed, she pulled out a small bottle of tiny pills.
Removing a half dozen of them, she swept them up into her mouth,
downing them with a sip of water. Scooping up a kerchief, she
turned and sat on the bed, pondering the day’s events.

She smiled as her sick headache began to
fade. Dunamis was a fine choice for royal fleet commodore. He was a
good man, tough and resolute. His stellar service to the Empire was
renowned, many of those years spent walking the bridges of their
great, mighty dreadnaughts. The man was well-disciplined, calm
under fire, but aggressive when the battle turned to his advantage.
The fellow was also good-natured and patient, often necessary
qualities when tending to the wants of overly spoilt diplomats who
had little knowledge of real war. Mihai also knew and liked the
man, and he liked her - a good thing. She could be quite a pain
when her mood was up. Yes, Dunamis was a good choice.

Putting the kerchief to her nose, Gabrielle
wiped away a drop of blood. Looking down at the crimson stain
soaking into the cloth, the woman calmly shrugged. The strictnoisun
always did this to her, but it did ease the pain. Tomorrow she
would wake to a bleeding bowel and swollen, tender abdomen, but a
clear mind. She thought it worth the cost. For several years now,
this is how the woman had been coping with her growing cancer. The
healing machines could only stay the sickness, hold it in check. If
a cure were not found, her body would eventually be consumed by it.
She shrugged again, would death really be so bad? So many had
already preceded her there, what was one more name added to the
list of names in the Silent Tombs?

Shaking her head to clear her mind of its
self-pity, Gabrielle attempted to contemplate the day’s earlier
events - events that carried the ring of long-forgotten days left
unheeded by the excitement of the moment - events that should not
have been so lightly dismissed. Again she pushed those feelings
aside, instead, returning to earlier hours.

She strummed her fingers on the bed as she
thought, rolling her eyes upward toward the ceiling. Her favorite
child, Mihai, was - or would soon be - engaged in deliberations at
the Prisoner Exchange. Would Mihai heed the wisdom of Mother and
give free rein to her new field marshal to conduct business, seeing
it was customary for the second in command at such proceedings to
be the spokesperson, conferring privately at times with the one in
charge? Gabrielle doubted it, knowing the unwarranted animosity
Mihai felt toward Trisha.

‘No...’ Gabrielle sadly shook her head. The
child might well forge onward recklessly, thinking she, alone, had
the leadership qualities needed to make such a rescue of her
beloved, imprisoned comrades. Now, without even the slightest of
Gabrielle’s mental gifts to guide her, the girl might well dive
into a hopeless morass of political intrigue that could do no one
good. Indeed, might get many killed! This was too much to think
about. It hurt the woman’s head. She tried to consider other
matters.

‘Let’s see...’ Soon she would depart to take
command of the super-class carrier, Sophia, a wonderful ship,
largest of the new class dreadnaughts, grandest ship to ever come
off the Navy’s ways. Pity its construction was so far behind
schedule… should have come on line months ago.

Gabrielle’s mind drifted back to the moment.
An entire fleet of tenders was held out of service waiting the
arrival of the Sophia. Had she been delivered on time, the
Chisamore could have been hove to in port, or better yet, sent off
to the scrap yard, instead of being forced to do another patrol out
in those forsaken reaches of empty space. Because the Sophia wasn’t
readied on time, the old rattrap, Chisamore, was forced out on
patrol where its horrific demise would devastate any chances of
assisting Mihai at the Prisoner Exchange.

Gabrielle clenched her fists and cried out,
“Because of this I can’t help her! Why, oh, why did this have to
happen now, today?!”

The woman froze, her eyes fixed in a blank
stare, her heart racing with memories that she struggled to recall.
Finally, a cloudy vision of a time in the distant past filled the
woman’s mind. There, on a night long ago, during an age filled with
demons and deception, she leaned over a dying charge, her quivering
lips lamenting, “Why? Why did the engines have to fail? Why
today?”

Gabrielle’s eyes filled with tears of angry
frustration, seething, “
Damn him! Damn his worthless skin!
Should ‘a killed him when I had the chance… before Mother begged me
to let him live
.” Gabrielle’s headache returned with a
vengeance as her mind raced with recollections of another day long
ago that also led to calamity and the near death of so many of
Mother’s loyal children. Visions of that distant time raced in upon
her so that their images were as if only now happening.

She moaned in pain, clutching her head,
living again that regrettable moment as she kneeled over Darla’s
broken body. “My little darling sister, I am so, so, sorry! But how
does one contest against the Fates and win?”

Their ship’s engine overheated, nearly
imploding because the main cooling system malfunctioned. All that
had saved them from sure disaster was that the main drive servos
had depended on the same cooling, thus shutting them down and
warning the crew of the impending engine failure. Although the
souls onboard the ship had been saved, poor Darla suffered so
because of their forced tardiness.