The EDF was swollen with pride because of the “decisive blow” they had struck against the “intractable” Roamers at Hurricane Depot. Trapped between her military service and her loyalty to her heritage, Tasia found the whole idea insufferable.
When she first heard the EDF making its bold victory announcement, like an ape beating its chest, she just stared, listening to the whistles and cheers for a numb moment. Then, without a word to her fellow soldiers, she went to her quarters feeling as though she wanted to vomit. Lying on her bunk with the lights dim, while EA stood silently in a corner, Tasia squeezed her eyes shut and wrestled with her emotions, deeply disturbed, angry, and helpless.
Since they had been roundly beaten by the hydrogues, the Big Goose had decided to turn its might against an enemy they thought they could defeat. The EDF had waved their banners, stomped down hard on the clans, and then celebrated as if the destruction of an unarmed and unsuspecting Roamer transfer station proved their valor.
Tasia now understood all too clearly why her assignment had changed recently, why she’d been relieved of her Manta, though the Eddies could ill afford to lose a battle-proven commander like herself. The EDF had been planning the raid on Hurricane Depot all along, and it was obvious they didn’t trust her.
Since she could not dictate EDF policy or battle plans, Tasia filed a formal protest with Admiral Willis. Challenging her unjustified reassignment was the only way she could think of to fight back, using the knowledge of the military bureaucracy she had learned over the past six years.
“What have I ever done to make you question my ability to serve, Admiral?” She knew the real answer, of course, but Tasia remained rigid in Willis’s office, her nostrils flared as she kept her anger in check. “You’ve seen my performance scores at EDF training—I’m one of the best pilots you have. You assigned me as Platcom on a Thunderhead weapons platform, then promoted me to the bridge of a Manta. You even had me deliver a Klikiss Torch at Ptoro.”
“I am completely aware of your impressive record, Commander Tamblyn.”
“So why was I stripped of my command?”
“Don’t play dumb with me.” The Admiral folded her knobby hands and gave one of her patented grandmotherly smiles. “You are also a member of a Roamer clan, and Chairman Wenceslas has decreed Roamers to be unfriendlies, based on their refusal to provide vital resources in time of war. Now, I knew you weren’t going to be pleased about it, but I made the best possible choice, given the alternatives.”
Her eyes were bright, and Tasia could see that the older woman truly had given the matter a great deal of consideration. Willis continued: “Think—would you rather we forced you to participate in an assault on a Roamer depot, just to prove yourself? Or General Lanyan could have ordered you in for an extensive debriefing to make you reveal everything you know about Roamer clans and settlements. Taking you out of the picture was the preferable solution, I think.”
“But, ma’am, we don’t need to make up new enemies! We have our hands full enough with the drogues.”
Willis remained cool. “The Roamers made themselves our enemies, Commander. There was no call for them to be cutting off our ekti supply.”
“I’m sure they see it differently, Admiral. Has there been an investigation into Speaker Peroni’s claims that EDF ships have secretly raided and destroyed Roamer cargo transports?”
“Such claims are preposterous, Commander. You’re a soldier in the EDF. You should know better than that.”
Tasia lifted her chin. “Excuse me, Admiral, but since we just destroyed an unarmed civilian Roamer facility, how can I be confident of any such thing?”
“You’re on the verge of insubordination.”
Tasia bit her tongue, calming herself. Finally she said, “I understand the EDF has taken a hundred or so hostages from Hurricane Depot.”
“Not hostages, Commander, prisoners of war.”
“I wasn’t aware the King had actually declared war on the Roamers.”
“We each have our own definitions.”
“Would it be possible for me to see them, to speak with one of their representatives? Given my background, maybe I can help resolve the disagreement. I’m not doing any good making kleebs run obstacle courses on Mars.”
“You’re a halfway decent soldier, Commander, but you’re no diplomat. You just let the Hansa take care of political matters, okay?”
“Shizz, Robb Brindle wasn’t a diplomat either, but that didn’t stop the EDF from sending him down into Osquivel to talk to the drogues.”
“And look how that turned out.” The Admiral nodded, clearly thinking the discussion was over. “In the meantime, you need to do a little soul-searching—are you a member of the EDF, or are you still a Roamer in your heart?”
Tasia hesitated. “Can’t I be both?”
“Not when they’re at war with each other.”
No doubt Internal Affairs investigators were looking into Tasia’s past behavior. If they ever discovered that she’d sent EA to warn Del Kellum’s shipyards, she might indeed be brought up on charges of treason or espionage. She would have to be extremely careful and give them no cause to look at her with greater suspicion. . . .
After she was dismissed, Tasia went to her quarters, but found no answers there, even when she used her Listener compy as a sounding board. EA offered no useful advice whatsoever.
With the destruction of Hurricane Depot, Chairman Wenceslas had thrown down the gauntlet, escalating tensions when he could easily have resolved the problem. The man had always been so cool and businesslike, but this course of action seemed highly questionable to her.
Once they had crossed this line, the Eddies would not leave the clans alone until they had proved their point. But Roamers were not likely to concede defeat. How could the EDF understand so little about the Roamer mind-set? It was a bad situation bound to get worse.
And Tasia’s job was to train more recruits for the ships that would attack clan strongholds.