“Isn’t it vital for an Imperial to give speeches? Actually, forget as an Imperial — as a commanding officer.”
“I can give a speech when taking us into battle. But what do I tell a group that’s here to drink? Besides, I couldn’t subject the soldiers to what would amount to a practice session for me.”
“All right, then quit complaining.”
“I wasn’t complaining. I was just giving you my opinion.” Lafier raised an eyebrow. “Did you want to be complimented?”
“No, that’s not...”
“Very well then.”
Gnomboch’s efforts were rewarded when the tables settled into their designated positions. “By all means, you may now dine. The rugs and seats have been prepared. You may of course use them at your leisure. Please enjoy the food and the opportunities for pleasant chatting,” he said, audibly relieved, before descending from the mound.
“Thank you very much, Linewing Gnomboch.” Jint raised a cup to him.
“I thank you,” said Gnomboch, exhaustion written on his face. “I was nervous.”
“I’ll be relying on you from here on out, too.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What drink are you taking?”
“Tirec mlémr (grape juice), please. I still need to act as master of ceremonies.”
“Don’t get so tense up there. You should enjoy it, the same as everybody else,” smiled Jint.
Jint made to take his cup, but someone handed Gnomboch a cup a moment sooner. It was Ecryua. Surprised, Gnomboch took it, and Ecryua poured him something without a word. Jint couldn’t tell what it was, but it definitely wasn’t grape juice.
“Thank you very much, Deca-Commander,” said Gnomboch dazedly.
Ecryua glanced at him, then left their side. Was this how she apologized?
“That reminds me, what was Deca-Commander Ecryua...”
But Atosryua’s arrival cut his question short. “Good work.”
Out of reflex, Jint was dangerously close to saluting. Not saluting felt awkward, strangely. It was like his hand didn’t know what to do. Thankfully, that hand was holding a cup. He lightly raised it in her general direction. Safe.
“This was quite the idea, Lonh-Dreur,” she praised.
“Thank you very much.”
“I don’t know when we’ll be returning to the capital,” said Atosryua, “but when we do, it’ll be my turn to treat you to a feast.”
“I look forward to it.”
“As well you should. If you ever feel like writing a transfer request, wait until after that banquet.”
“Ma’am, I’d never make such a request...”
“I must say,” said Atosryua, scanning the soldiers all around, “we took more losses than I imagined. I wanted a few more people here to celebrate with us. Though I want to spend my money in Lacmhacarh.”
“It’s just as we predicted beforehand,” said Sobash, who’d come to chat.
“Is that right? Just personally, I was expecting the fight to be a bit easier.” She sipped her apple cider. “And to think, the real fight is yet to come.”
“Is that so?” asked Lafier, her interest piqued. Her cup was already empty.
“Want another of the same?” asked Jint, taking it off her hands.
“Yep,” said Lafier.
Jint wet the stirring rod in the mead. While Jint made her concoction of choice, Atosryua was discussing an operation that Fleet Command was considering.
“Is this not confidential, ma’am?” asked Sobash, uneasy.
“I’m just speculating they might go ahead with this sort of operation. It’s not as though I was eavesdropping.”
“I’d like to ask you the basis behind that speculation, if possible,” said Sobash, his tone suspicious.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Senior Staff Officer,” said Atosryua. “That is classified.”
“I have to wonder whether such an operation would be effective.”
“It certainly would,” she said. “The enemy is holed up in the outer planets of the system, or more specifically, in satellites that were turned into strongholds. Even if I were Commander-in-Chief, I’d hit them with raid ships. In this instance, there’s no more effective method than opening fire on them from warships flying at sublight speed.”
“I see,” said Sobash. “But surely, a single squadron wouldn’t be enough.”
“Of course not. I couldn’t stand it if the mission were pushed on just us. But we’ll be the leading squadron.”
“What an honor,” he smiled wryly.
“That sounds like just the operation to test the limits of a raid ship’s acceleration,” butted in the Ship Commander of the Marscaubh.
Before she knew it, the Ship Commanders were gathered around Atosryua.
They must’ve already tested that, thought Jint. Must be a joke.
“Here you go,” said Jint, handing Lafier her drink.
Lafier promptly took a sip and gave him a nod. “Mmm. It’s good.”
“Good,” he beamed.
“My, though, what a pain this star system is,” sighed Atosryua. “Who knows how many weapons will be coming at us.”
“But men and women in uniform aren’t so endless,” said the Ship Commander of the Chtucaubh.
“Quite so,” nodded Atosryua. “There’s no end to enemy ships. Which means we need to make our primary objective taking human lives.”
“That’s war. It can’t be helped,” said Sobash quietly. “Man has yet to develop the technology to wage war without risking human lives.”
“True,” said Atosryua. “But there’s a psychological difference between people dying as a result of sinking ships, and sinking ships in order to kill the people on them.”
“That’s a unique way of looking at it,” opined the Ship Commander of the Nacaubh.
“You don’t agree?”
“No, ma’am. It’s not as though the way we fight will ever change, is it?”
“I suppose not,” she granted. “That said, something just isn’t sitting right with me.”
Jint understood how she felt. It seemed the Abh had a tendency to regard the crew as components of a ship, at least during wartime. Jint hadn’t grown that accustomed to Abh sensibilities. Seeing as Atosryua’s father was a Lander, it stood to reason she harbored some Lander sensibilities, albeit not to Jint’s extent.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” said Atosryua indignantly.
“It doesn’t?” replied the Nacaubh’s Ship Commander half-heartedly.
“Kemar is the PSSU’s largest munitions star system,” she explained. “More accurately, it’s its only munitions system. The nation’s productivity is centered almost entirely in Kemar. So why would such a system be on the border with a hostile nation? That’s the reason we have to go through such a hard time. Did they not realize that signing the Four Nations Alliance Accord made the Empire their enemy?”
“I think that’s a history problem,” said the Ship Commander. “That system was their munitions system since before the signing of the accord. Granted, they did neglect to transfer it away after the accord came into effect...”
“I understand that,” said Atosryua, interrupting his long-winded monologue.
“Ah.”
“On the other hand,” said Sobash, “we have that lack of sense to thank for the end of the war being in sight, don’t we?”
“What do you mean? The end of the war?” Atosryua inclined her head.
“This system has lost any means of communication with the outside, so the PSSU has lost any ability to continue to prosecute the war,” Sobash opined. “From here on out, they must do battle using their stockpiled reserves, and they can’t possibly rely on the aid of their allied nations. Not when they’re stuck between the neutral Hania Federation and we of the Empire.”
“Are you saying the PSSU will drop out?”
“I agree with the Chief of Staff,” said the Ship Commander of the Chtucaubh. “I don’t think they’ll be able to avoid that eventuality.”
“In that case, I can’t really complain,” said Atosryua, though her tone did seem a little let down, in a way.
“I feel it’s rather a shame,” said the Ship Commander of the Marscaubh.