(Two)

War Room

SCVN Saratoga

16 April 2065

1300

Eleven officers the rank of Colonel or above were seated in Commodore Ross' conference room. A slightly higher number of adjutants and a few XOs were cooling their heels fourteen decks below. Redundancy. Not all the people in the know were in the same place at the same time. In fact similar meetings were taking place on the supercarriers USS Lexington, HMAS Vengeance, and DRC Cao Xuegui. The S-2s (Intelligence Officers) started the briefings with information that was, for the most part, old news to the participants.

"Our enemy has to know that large numbers of Earth forces are on the move, but our destination has apparently been unclear to them. Large numbers of Chig vessels appear to have been withdrawn from the Kappa Reticuli since we last had eyes-on intelligence in this sector. It is postulated that these ships took part in the battles for Demios and Ixion, or were pulled to reinforce Anvil.

There have been reports of increased harassment at Tartarus. Increased enemy activity has been reported around Anvil and Ixion, but the Chigs seem unable to organize an effective counterattack in any one area - or are holding back their forces to see what we will do next."

This last statement brought a few murmurs from the assembled officers. The S-2 promptly continued.

"Madame Secretary, Diane Hayden, reportedly reviews the situation daily, and - daily - reissues the United Nations "HOLD" order on Operation Roundhammer, the invasion of the Chig homeworld."

Again there was murmuring from the group - louder this time, with more than a hint of frustration. The S-2 spoke over the noise.

"The United Nations is attempting to start a dialogue with the enemy in hopes of starting serious peace negotiations. In the meantime, however, the Security Council has not declared any cessation of hostilities. I repeat: There is NO cease-fire."

The room became quiet once again, and he continued the briefing.

"There have been no more experimental Sewell-fueled Chig fighters reported in any sector. Intelligence speculates that the project has either been dropped or was at least moved to the back burner after a single Earth fighter was able to destroy the prototype."

"The pilot had grown overconfident is all. He didn't know how to handle fear. No matter what he may have thought or believed - he really wasn't ready to die for it. I had no fear. I was ready to die. I just wanted it more that day," McQueen reflected.

The people in the room who knew that it had been McQueen who had taken out the Chig ace were too well bred - or too well trained - to call attention to him by looking in his direction.

The Intelligence officer continued. "There is hope - and evidence to support that hope - that the Chigs believe that the secrets of their new fighter have been broken. Sewell fuel exhaust does not register on conventional sensors. However, we now have its mass spec signature. Prototypes of new spectrometry sensors are being distributed to our recon flights and selected fighters units for testing. Now, gentlemen, down to the business at hand: Operation Brass Ring."

The briefing lasted forty-five minutes.

Task Force 85, under the Command of Admiral H.B. Nash, was to converge on the Kappa Reticuli from six different directions. The force contained 16 super carriers, 20 light carriers, 4256 fighter aircraft, 150 bombers, 632 ISS wing configurations, 200 assorted aircraft, 14 battleships, 125 destroyers, 30 cruisers, 38 troop transports, and 42 supply vessels. On board those vessels were 2 divisions of US Marines, 2 divisions of Republic of China infantry, 1 division each of EEC Marines and infantry, 1 Oceanea combined division, 36 combined artillery, and 4 international Marine provisional brigades. It was a total of 165,624 assault troops.

Early reconnaissance had shown there to be only two inhabited bodies in the system. The third planet, Cerrus, and its moon, Kazbek. The Earth force was to advance from six different directions - north, south, east, west, above, and below. A seventh arm of Task Force 85 was to be dispatched to cover the Butterfly Nebula.

Sixteen ships were to be dispatched to blockade Kazbek, along with the troop transports and most of the supply ships. Force Recon teams were to be sent down with the sole mission of disrupting communications. The goal was to avoid direct confrontation with the enemy (which, it was reported, was over 90% Silicate renegades) until Cerrus was "neutralized."

"H" hour was designated 0330, local time, 20 April 2065.

Saratoga

En route to Kappa Reticuli

1445

Colonel McQueen and Captain Shane Vansen moved purposefully through the passageways of the Saratoga en route to a meeting with Captain Chan. It was their first private meeting since the Colonel's return. Unfortunately it had to be short, to the point, and done on the move.

"Before we join Captain Chan," McQueen said, "what about Damphousse?"

Shane was not in the least surprised by the question. McQueen knew them all well, and he had a keen eye.

"2063 Yankee really took its toll, Sir. Don't get me wrong: Phousse can hold her own. She's gotten five Chig fighters - one on one - in the last few months. Vanessa is flying better than ever, but"

"But what?"

"She She It's like she is pulling away. She is more distant - distracted. Fatalistic. If it was anyone else I'd say that she thought her number was up."

McQueen remembered when Vansen had told him that she thought that she wasn't going to come back from a mission. He recalled that his answer had been brisk and unembellished. But it had served its purpose. She had come back. The feeling had passed.

Vansen read his mind. "I told her what you told me, Colonel. About making your own luck It didn't have the same effect. I don't like it, Sir. Vanessa is starting to get to get."

The Colonel thought of Vanessa getting all weepy when she had seen him. Crying was not her style at all. Or at least it didn't used to be. He stopped abruptly and Vansen had to turn and take two steps back toward him.

"Yes. Yes I know," McQueen said softly, and then spoke with more strength. "Captain, I want her with me - on Temporary Duty. This will be clear in a few minutes."

Shane's mind worked at incredible speed. "He said temporary. And I know how Vanessa

feels about him - especially after she had the visions on Daedelus. I know that he tried

to do what he could for her. He tried to take the heat off of her. This could be a good

thing. He did say temporary."

"Aye, aye, Sir, " she said, giving him look of understanding.

"Very well. Let's see Chan," McQueen said, and they were off again.

Interrogation Room Four

Saratoga

1500

McQueen was addressing Captains Chan and Vansen. The briefing had an air of informality that was comfortable to Shane - and something new for Marshall. What McQueen had to say was old news to Chan. They had discussed it at length during the boring hours on The Hue City. But McQueen was determined that there be no confusion. People needed to know who was who, and what was expected. The Colonel was permitted to build his own team - the privilege of his rank - and in his mind Chan had earned the right to be there while he did it. The sooner his adjutant started working with the Cards, the better. Commodore Ross' idea of having the Captain bunk with them had been brilliant. It was only three days, but every minute counted.

"Vansen, the Fifty-eighth is being TDY'd to the Twenty-third MEU. As CO it is within my authority to form a Maritime Special Purpose Force - MSPF - a special-operations-capable force that we can tailor for specific missions or use to augment other conventional or special operations. This MSPF will be under my direct command. Captain Vansen, as of this moment you are to take command of this special force - the Wildcards. You will work extremely closely with Captain Chan. We are all going to be busy people, and he may on occasion have to speak for me. Take the next two days to get to know each other."

Shane experienced mixed emotions. It felt so right to have McQueen giving her orders again - to have him in command again. But he was no longer just the CO of the Fifty-eighth. He now commanded an entire Expeditionary Unit. Over 2,500 Marines. A heavy responsibility. The Colonel now had a staff and an adjutant, and he would need them. Even if technically she would report directly to McQueen, it was not unreasonable that Chan would be a contact point.

"Just as long as he doesn't try to run interference," she thought.

Marshall Chan read her mind. "It this case, Captain," he said, subtly emphasizing their equality in rank, "I won't be running interference for the Colonel. I'm ordered to run interference for you."

Chan had come up with the line late one night on The Hue. McQueen had liked it then, and now, facing Shane Vansen, he liked it even better. "Yes, Captain Marshall Chan can play well with others."

Captain Vansen was forced to give a slight smile that mimicked McQueen's.

" Good," McQueen thought. " They're starting to speak the same language. They're starting to read each other's minds." McQueen chose to give Vansen a bit of information.

"Captain Chan commanded a platoon on Minerva and on Ixion. Don't worry, Vansen, he will know what you need to get the job done."

Shane had thoughts of her own. "McQueen has had this Marshall Chan around for four months. And if he didn't think that Chan could do the job, the guy would be gone. He hasn't always been a REMF and he seems to have McQueen's trust. More importantly, he will have access and the Colonel's ear." Still, old habits die hard, and Vansen put a slightly different spin on the assignment than Chan might. The difference was just who was joining whom. "Welcome to the Fifty-eighth, Marshall," she thought.

"Our mission, Sir?" she asked.

"The Wildcards have been held in reserve specifically for this mission, code-named Brass Ring. We are going to take Kazbek."

"Sewell fuel," she whispered.

McQueen nodded and then spoke. "We are assigned to take the mine on Kazbek. There have only been a few men on the ground on planet: The colonial survivors, of course; the Special Forces team that extracted us; and us."

All three officers knew - without saying as much - why Special Forces was not significantly involved in this mission. There had been the distinct taint of Aerotech all over Special Forces and the Alien Intelligence Unit. Both areas of the military had been given a quiet "housecleaning" over the last few months. The dust still hadn't settled.

"The mine and its environs are the responsibility of the Twenty-third MEU. Until that time comes, Vansen, the MSPF will troubleshoot for us. We will use you where we need you. You will be playing fast and loose, and I will probably have to use you for some liaison work. I will need all your eyes and ears."

"Understood, Colonel." she said. The Fifty-eighth, while under McQueen's command, had been well used to improvisation and special missions. Usually they were the sharp point of the spear. It was like old times.

"The rest of the Fifty-eighth is in Orientation Room 14-A, Colonel," Chan said.

"Let's go."

The briefing with the Wildcards took forty minutes.

Captain Chan was to stay on the Saratoga with the Wildcards until the invasion began. Staff Sergeant Marsh was to move up into officer's country - to the Wildcard's quarters - to familiarize the team with the communications codes and channels. Damphousse was to join McQueen on the Hue City. She was to learn the communications from McQueen's Command Post team. And she was to get up to speed with the large picture of the engineer's mission as well. Essentially Damphousse would become Colonel McQueen's communications whiz and his personal pocket engineer.

"Any questions?" McQueen asked. There were none. Chan gestured for permission to speak.

"Captain Chan?"

"Sir, I've set up a workroom for us. Storage room B-9, deck sixteen. I've arranged for us to have dinner there at 1700."

"Damn, he is an efficient SOB. I have been lucky to have him," thought McQueen.

"OK, enjoy the next hour, people," McQueen said. "It's going to be your last free hour in the foreseeable future."

As the team began to leave the room, Cooper grabbed Nathan by the arm. "Play along. I wan'na see if we can get some of those new Chiggy sensors for our Hammerheads. The Colonel told us to ask Chan. Let's see if 'Chan the Man' can do it. Maybe he really can get us what we need," he whispered. The two approached the Colonel's adjutant. "Captain Chan, you wan'na join us for a swim?"

McQueen heard the invitation and could not suppress his urge to eavesdrop. "Now what in the hell is Hawkes up to?"

Chan paused, momentarily confused, and then said: "Thanks very much, Lieutenant. I think that I would. Carriers. So there really is a swimming pool?"

Nathan had warmed to Cooper's plan and was ready to play along.

"Captain, we also have a bowling alley, shooting range, and the zero gravity chamber too. But the pool is considered an emergency water source. So may I suggest that you comport yourself appropriately," Nathan said.

Vansen, who had also overheard the exchange, saw the question on Chan's face. "What he means, Marshall, is "Don't pee in the pool."

The Wildcards left the briefing. McQueen, now alone in the room was forced to consider ruefully: "I wonder how long before they teach Chan the Man' how to run with scissors?"

End Chapet Two

AlRai M. Wheels