Page 3 of Clan and Command

“And you think I can infiltrate the Basma’s operation somehow?”

Hobato stepped close to him. “I’m counting on it. Maf’s going to be desperate for someone in the admiralty. Especially now that we’ve discovered the operative he had in our midst.”

Piras’s blood froze. “A traitor? In Fleet’s High Command? Who?”

Tranis’s voice came out in a growl. “Rear Admiral Banrid. He was arrested moments after our meeting began and is now in custody.”

Piras stared at him in disbelief. Banrid was an affable man, the kind of officer who won support from underlings through friendly authority rather than strict hard-assery. Piras’s opposite, if he was to be truthful about the matter. Still, Banrid was the last person Piras would have suspected of turning traitor.

Then again, that was the point, wasn’t it?

Piras concentrated on what was most important at the moment. “What is it you want from me? To feed the revolt bad information? Set them up somehow?”

Hobato shook his head. “The Basma won’t fall for any of that. He’s too smart. You’ll have to prove your worth to him by providing him with real data he can use against us. But only for a little while. Only for as long as it takes you to be pulled into a position where you can do something about his fleet.”

Tranis spoke up. “We want you embedded deep into the revolt, Admiral Piras. Functioning like a real part of it, fighting against us, trying to destroy the Empire. At the same time, you’ll be discovering their weaknesses and plans. From there, you’d disrupt their operations on our behalf.”

Hobato scowled darkly, his first real hint of discomfort. “First, we have to get you in.”

Piras considered. “That’s not so hard on the surface of it. We know the Basma has more spies within the fleet. It’s discovering who is the enemy among us and winning their trust that’s going to be the trick.”

Hobato gave him that grim smile again. “That’s not your mission. I want you to go straight to the source, if possible. I want you with personal access to Maf or Browning Copeland. Or both.”

Piras blinked. They were coming at him with their proposal too fast for him to order his thoughts and understand what was being asked of him. “That’s right. You did mention you wanted someone in Maf’s inner circle. Not here at Fleet Headquarters.”

“You’re to eventually find yourself on board a destroyer full of double agents, ready to fight at the Basma’s side.”

Hobato nodded to Tranis. The younger admiral stood and bowed, signaling the meeting was coming to an end. Piras was still unsure of what was happening, and he said so.

Tranis replied, “The captain of the destroyer who will deliver you to Maf, should all go according to plan, will be contacting you today. He’ll supply you with the details.”

“I can’t hear it from you?” Piras’s head was swimming.

Hobato shook his head. “I prefer to remain in the dark about how you will carry out your mission to get into the Basma’s good graces. It will make it much more believable if the particulars remain unknown to me. Tranis is to be kept out of the loop as well.”

Tranis added, “Admiral Hobato wanted you to understand this is coming from the top. That this assignment, while almost unthinkable to a man like yourself, is indeed valid.”

“Will I hear from my contact over com or in person?” Piras hadn’t used his com scrambler in so long, he wasn’t sure it would even work.

“He’ll drop by your office. His visit shouldn’t seem out of place. He says he’s well acquainted with you already.”

Piras snorted. “That would be half the damned fleet seeing as how I was on board ships in some capacity for so long.”

“He says you’ll know it’s him right away.” Tranis gave Piras a searching look, curiosity lighting his bearded face.

Hobato was all business, as usual. “Talk to your contact about the mission. He’ll explain the whole scenario for you to consider. Let Tranis know your decision when you make it.”

“Will Admiral Tranis be my link in some form until I join up with Maf?” Piras was relieved to hear himself sound as neutral as the fleet admiral.

“You will speak to him again only to confirm your participation. As far as the rest of it, you’re on your own. Make the decisions you must to gain Maf’s trust.” Hobato hesitated, then put his hand on Piras’s shoulder. “The costs may be high, but do whatever it takes, Admiral Piras. We have to win this damned war or it will be genocide.”

Piras knew Hobato didn’t overstate the situation. Maf’s fanatical determination to rid the empire of the Earther women and their half-Kalquorian children was what had started hostilities in the first place. He and his followers would stop at nothing to cleanse Kalquor of the ‘infestation’.

He said, “I’m supposing I’m on my own if any activities I commit on behalf of the mission are discovered?”

“We will proclaim complete disavowal of what we’ve discussed today,” Tranis confirmed. His eyes darkened as he said it.

Hobato bowed to Piras. “Good luck to you, Admiral Piras, no matter where your path leads. For honor and Empire.”

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