[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. Perhaps you might want to receive thisin private, lord elcap.It s personal to you, from the Fleet Control Board.Martinez excused himself from the wardroom and stepped into the corridoroutside. Go ahead and transmit, Roh, he said.The message, from the secretary of the Control Board, was brief and to thepoint.In his musical Creefile:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.d%20Empire's%20Fall%2002%20-%20The%20Sundering.html (71 of 324)23-2-2006 20:21:29Williams, Walter Jon - [Dead Empire's Fall 02] - The Sundering voice thesecretary informed him that the board had decided, on receipt of LieutenantCaptainMartinez s last communication, that Light Squadron Fourteen should fromreceipt of this message be placed under the command of its senior officer,Lieutenant Captain Kamarullah.A burble of astounded laughter escaped Martinez s lips.He was far tooastonished to feel resentment at this outrageous usurpation.They re going toreally feel silly when they hear about what just happened here, he thought.Hewondered if they would change their minds.No.Of course they wouldn t.They d never admit they d made an error injudgment.And in any case the order needed to be obeyed. Message, personal to CaptainKamarullah, Martinez dictated, and tried to suppress any sign of inebriationas he spoke into the silver button-camera on his cuff. Orders have just come from the Fleet Control Board placing you in command ofSquadron Fourteen.Naturally I will endeavor to comply with any instructions you see fit to issuetoCorona.I will immediately inform the other ships of&  He hesitated, havingalmost saidmy command. Of the squadron, he finished. Message ends.He had the message sent, and spent a few moments assembling the words he woulduse to his other captains. My lords, he transmitted finally,  I must inform you that the Fleet ControlBoard has decided to place the squadron under the command of CaptainKamarullah.It has been a privilege to command LightSquadron Fourteen during the last month, and to have led you in an engagementwhich has done great service to the empire.I believe we may view ouraccomplishments with great satisfaction.I will be honored to serve alongsideyou under Captain Kamarullah s command, and I hope that in the future we mayscore an even greater success against the enemy.Not that this was very likely under Kamarullah, Martinez thought, but thesentiment seemed worth expressing.He sent the message, and then paused for amoment outside the wardroom door, as he considered the new dynamics of thesquadron.Kamarullah s wish had been granted, and he now was in command.But Martinez,his rival, had just won a bloodless victory over the enemy, and more thanjustified the confidence that Do-faq had placed in him.He d brought all hiscaptains through the fight without harm, and earned their trust.He couldexpect decorations and possible promotion, and Kamarullah could not.Kamarullah had just replaced a man who had made history, a commander who hadwon a great victory and who had earned fame and the thanks of the empire.Kamarullah s victory could only turn to bitter ashes in his mouth.Page 53ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe Fleet Control Board had just made Kamarullah an object of ridicule.file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.d%20Empire's%20Fall%2002%20-%20The%20Sundering.html (72 of 324)23-2-2006 20:21:29Williams, Walter Jon - [Dead Empire's Fall 02] - The SunderingCheered by this thought, Martinez returned to the wardroom, and acceptedDalkeith s offer of another glass of wine.The lord secretary of the Fleet Control Board was a Cree, and he spoke inrounded musical tones like the chuckling of a spring. & I call to Your Lordships attention, he read,  Lieutenant Captain LordGareth Martinez, commander of Light Squadron Fourteen, who as the firstsquadron commander on the scene developed the plan of battle which hissquadron and mine together followed.I earnestly hope that Your Lordships willconsider Lord Gareth worthy of promotion or some other distinction. I also call to Your Lordships notice the following officers, whose servicehas been exemplary, and whose contribution to the victory at Hone-bar was byno means negligible& Lord Chen listened to the list of names as relief sighed through his bones.Captain Martinez had achieved distinction in the action at Hone-bar, somethingthat would make Lord Chen s own dealings with Lord Roland Martinez less opento question.In addition to securing the victory, Martinez had saved theClanChen, which made Chen s pocketbook less empty and his sense of gratitude morepersonal. Your Lordships most recent instructions, the lord secretary continued, required me to leave two ships at Hone-bar in order to secure the system andthe Hone Reach.As the recent victory has lessened the threat to Hone-bar, Ihope my decision to leave only theJudge Qel-fan will meet with YourLordships approval.I will bring the rest of my ships to Zanshaa at the mostexpeditious possible speed.Lord Chen suppressed a smile.In fact the board s instructions in regard tothe defense of Hone-bar had been erratic, and tended to change from moment tomoment depending on the persuasive power of those members with interests inthe Hone Reach.From one day to the next Do-faq had been ordered to defendHone-bar with his entire command, with his squadron alone, with a singlefour-ship division, and with a number of ships ranging from one to five.Nowonder Do-faq had decided to take matters into his own decisive hands.The lord secretary s voice burbled on. I regret to report that I have ordered Captain Dix of the InvestigativeService to inquire into the breakdown in communication that permitted theNaxids to surprise us at Hone-bar.Wormhole stations should have observed theapproach of the rebels many days in advance, and though the captain of Hone-bar s ring attempted to pass off the breakdown as the fault of a negligenttech, the explanation defies reason, and an investigation should be undertakenif only to clear those officers now under suspicion.Itrust that this order meets with Your Lordships approval.file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis.d%20Empire's%20Fall%2002%20-%20The%20Sundering.html (73 of 324)23-2-2006 20:21:29Williams, Walter Jon - [Dead Empire's Fall 02] - The Sundering In the eternal light of the Praxis, I remain& Lord Pa Do-faq, SquadronCommander, etc.The lord secretary looked up from his reader. Shall I repeat any of themessage, my lords? That will not be necessary, Tork said, answering for them all.His roundeyes, mournful in his pale, fixed face, gazed around the broad table. I amsure we are all aware of how this victory lessens our anxieties.I suggestthat the lord secretary be ordered to write a congratulatory reply to the lordPage 54ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlsquadron commander, and that we all append our signatures.There was a murmur of assent.The lord secretary glanced down at his displayand got busy with his stylus.Lady San-torath, who represented Hone-bar in convocation, spoke first. I mdelighted to congratulateDo-faq on his victory, but I wonder if he s not gone too far ordering aninvestigation of what seems to be a simple communications error [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]