Lox Cosgrove returned to his own office, much smaller than the deceased Max Lenart. He laid the paper on his desk, looking at the signature that was barely dry. He press a bottom on the com link device on his desk. He waited for a connection; someone to respond to his call. “Yes?” A deep and rustic voice asked. Cosgrove knew who it was. He swallowed some air and replied, “The release has been signed. It is finished.” Cosgrove felt a heavy burden being lifted from his shoulders. This was but one problem solved for Cosgrove, being the most important. He had his share of issues including shoulder pain, headaches and insomnia. The latter effects being tied to getting this release signed. He couldn’t wait to be off the radar of the directors. As of this afternoon, TX109B was no longer his issue.
The men at the other end of the link nodded with a mixture of solemnity and satisfaction.
“Well done, Cosgrove,” Director Markus Arano sounded pleased. “Although I am surprised that Dr. Lenart gave his consent so readily. It was my understanding that he advocated a slower application of 109B than you wanted.“
Cosgrove chose his next words carefully. “We came to a meeting of minds. He agreed that the needs of the System required expeditious application.“
Arano read between the lines. “I trust you extended our thanks.“
“I believe it’s fair to say that he is honored beyond words.“
One corner of Arano’s mouth quivered, but he refrained from grinning outright. He stroked his chin, as though deep in thought, until the impulse passed, and he glanced up at the other seven men seated around the in the darkened room. The only light was natural light, from the window facing the twin suns still peeking over the horizon as they set. Deio I and Deio II cast a golden glow and long shadows across the room.
Arano, a clever, self-possessed man, was the youngest of the group, but nearly outranked everyone in the room. He was clean-shaven, decisive and confident, with a military affectation- although he never spent a day in the service. Following chain of command wasn’t one of his strengths. He answered to only two men, and they both sat at the table with him.
He made most of the Directorate Council nervous. He demonstrated a reckless disregard for both protocol and politics. His superiors often joked that Arano’s attention span and temper were almost as short as his hair. He was impatient, rarely waiting for an answer to be finished, usually demanding answers before a question could be completely asked.
“Enjoy your retirement. We’ll take it from here,” Darren Stayvos commented. Stayvos was the contrary of Arano. He was reserved, free from the kind of stress that his colleague exhibited and caused. He was older and scarred- both physically and emotionally- by his wartime service. He was known for clear thinking, rationality and calm, never succumbing to the temptation to give swift orders based on either opinion or the heat of the moment. Stayvos, Arano and one other Director controlled the Senate. Their words were iron-clad. Every order they gave was usually followed, no questions asked.
“Well done,” the white-haired man at the head of the table said, nodding and patting the table. Director Viktor Shurilo was the eldest of the group and the most influential. The only native son of Shadostro among them, he was a genuine warrior with a sterling reputation for fighting and bleeding for his planet. He truly lived up to his office of Admiral. He was genuinely admired as a planetary hero, but these days he tolerated flattery only as a matter of courtesy to the citizenry.
He had learned through many campaigns that political power could trump military prowess any day. Determined to protect his beloved navy from political whim, he accumulated as much as possible. Having accomplished that, he had become what he had hated, as ambitious men often do. Now an expert politician, he viewed the military as merely another weapon in his arsenal.
Admirals Karl Roland, Gri Norton and Dalton Grove, along with Commanders Anthony Soltazo and Shen Rhazine, rounded out the Directors Table.
Markus ended the transmission with Cosgrove. “We’ll talk later,” he said dismissively. As he disconnected the communication link, he announced, “Now for Senate passage.“
“I have concerns about the implementation of this project,” Admiral Grove interrupted. “Do I understand that this steroid will be administered to all field personnel?“
Grove was considered by some to be the weak link among the council. “Sentimental, sympathetic and stupid,” Arano often described him in uncharitable moments. Unlike other colleagues, Grove usually stressed the troop welfare over acceptable loss ratios. He had been Lenart’s constant defender during the development of TX109B.
“So do I,” added Norton. “What if some personnel refuse to receive the steroid?” Admiral Gri D. Norton had a sizeable fleet to staff, and didn’t like personnel changes after assignments had been finalized. “What’s the policy for dealing with that?“
“Any personnel refusing to follow the order to take the drug- and this will be a direct order- will be court martialed and discharged,” Stayvos replied firmly. He wasn’t known for indecision. Always at least three moves ahead of everyone else, once his mind was made up on an issue, he was rigid.
“And what if enough troops are willing to accept court martial rather than take a drug they don’t want” Norton demanded. “We can’t replace that kind of man power at the drop of a hat.” The pitch of his voice rose at the end of his objection. He was stressing and Markus’ facial expression wasn’t helping his stress level.
“Well, we could hire mercenaries, Nort,” he suggested with a sneer. “They tend to be more flexible about the kinds of orders they are willing to follow.“
“Gentlemen, this doesn’t need to get personal, and there is no sense adding fuel to the fire,” Shurilo interrupted, giving Markus a withering glance, which he didn’t notice. “Mercenaries are always an option, but we don’t need to go there, yet. The vast majority of the troops will take the drug; I’m sure of it.“
“So calm down Admiral. Your little fleet will be just fine,” Arano remarked in a patronizing tone that was impossible to miss. “Besides, men are plentiful. Drones always are. As long as command remains constant, it’s just a matter of strategy.“
Marcus was still unaware that he had been the target of Shurilo’ rebuke. He assumed Victor had been correcting the admiral.
“See, that’s where we disagree,” Grove charged. He leaned forward in his chair, forearms flat on the table with clenched fists. He was the fire to which Stayvos had referred.
During the brief interchange between Markus and Norton, Grove’s face had contorted from grave concern to determined fury. As many enemy commanders had learned to their regret, Grove could be a very hard man once he had decided that an adversary wouldn’t listen to reason.
Before he could lash out, Stayvos intervened.
“Shut up, Markus,” he murmured.
Arano’s head whipped around to stare at the older and wiser director. The young man settled back in his chair silently, his face red with humiliation.
With Markus silenced, Grove unclenched his fists and took a deep breath, which he released slowly. He knew he hadn’t won the argument; he had only been granted the floor to register his objections.
“Won’t the steroid render troops unmanageable? Won’t it increase insubordination? And what kind of CO would willingly expose his men to the kinds of risks they would be prone to take under the influence of this drug? What if the side-effects actually put the COs’ lives in danger when they give an order that countermands the soldiers’ intents? This puts commanders in a terrible position, ethically and physically. Any one of them worth his salt will just refuse to pass out the dosage.“
“Not if they are ordered to,” Stayvos said flatly.
It took a moment for the implications of Stayvos’ comment to soak in, but once they did, Grove’s fists clenched again- until his knuckles were white knobs hard pressing against the skin of his hands. He looked from face to face, first with disbelief, and finally with rage as he met Shurilo’s eyes. He shook his head.
“No. Not a chance. I won’t allow it.“
Markus coughed and addressed Grove quietly. “We, as a group, and with the senate’s approval, are in charge of Navy policy.“
“Complete control?” Roland inserted. Admiral Karl Roland was usually conservative, normally- but not always- weighing in on the side of troop welfare, like Grove. “I don’t appreciate the cavalier manner with which some in this room decide policy.” He looked at pointedly at Markus. Everyone else did too.
Sometimes, Shurilo reflected, having a real jerk on your team is a benefit. They actually enjoy taking the blame for hard decisions. In some ways, Markus was a treasure.
Stayvos lifted a hand to settle everyone down. “Gentlemen, insubordination won’t be an issue, because TX109B doesn’t officially exist. Officers cannot know about this drug, and they will not.“
“So we’re just going to lie to them,” Grove stated, his fury could be seen by everyone.
“How do we keep them from suspecting problems or noticing mood changes in their own men after the dosage begins? We choose commanders because they have qualities like discernment and instinct. They’ll add two plus two and figure out that the drug has increased disciplinary lapses.“
“They can’t be allowed to notice… and the only way to accomplish that level of operational security is by giving the drug to the COs.” Markus stated.
“You plan to administer TX109B to commanding officers first… without their knowledge?” Roland’s jaw dropped. “So we’re just going to tuck one more injection in along with their flu shots?” Admiral Karl M. Roland finally joined in the argument, siding with his aging mentor, Dalton Grove.
“I think the question should be one of efficacy,” Rhazine commented. “Is this good for the military effort? That should be our only consideration. Will enhanced field capability shorten the war? If so, then all these objections are simply rhetoric. It is our job to provide a scenario for victory, not to be the conscience of the System.“
This was typical for Shem Rhazine. He usually listened to both sides of a debate to locate the power players’ position, and then asked a summary question that would move the decision in their direction. He was the freshman on the Directorate Council, but he had plenty of ambition. Sooner or later Arano would overstep his authority- or Roland would blow a gasket and strangle him- and there would be room for Rhazine’s advancement.
Roland’s mouth was set in a tight line while a nerve twitched in his right temple. When he finally spoke, his tone was rife with desperation.
“Never mind ‘good for the military,’ Rhazine. This isn’t… good. I’m hearing us say that we think it’s just fine to mentally assault our commanders, and turn them into coconspirators by giving them an order- which they cannot disobey- to administer the same drug to their troops- without their knowledge.” His forefinger pecked at the table on the last three words.
“Ultimately, this will save lives. Insubordination cannot be allowed to take place in the chain,” Norton stated. His objections had, apparently, been satisfied.
“And we won’t have to worry about other officers in our own fleet making irrational decisions based on gut feeling or whim,” Rhazine added. A veteran of many battles, Rhazine had almost been killed twice when chain of command broke down.
“Is that why Commander Scaven is not present?” Roland demanded. “Because you didn’t want to risk him knowing about the drug? Because you knew he would refuse to administer it to his unit commanders? Because you knew he would trust his gut on this project and refuse to follow orders?“
Silence. Everyone around the table- as well as the entire Shadostrian fleet- knew that Matthias Scaven was not only capable of disobeying an order that contradicted his morals, his devotion to his men, or his gut- more to the point, he was likely to disobey such an order. Scaven possessed a personal system of values that directed his behavior, leading him to make decisions that politicians interpreted as completely unrealistic.
He also scared them half to death.
Stayvos took the question. “Scaven’s presence at this council meeting has never been mandatory. Besides, he is, at this moment, receiving 109B during his fitness-for-duty exam and immunization inoculations. That order immediately went into play as soon as Shadow Host was seen as a viable drug, long before it was ‘approved’ on paper. It was the first priority.“
Stayvos wouldn’t meet Roland’s eyes as he answered. “I didn’t want to do that- I really didn’t- but the most able field commander we have, must follow orders. We can’t afford to waste his… ability… any more than we can afford to allow him to control his strategy. If there had been any other way to get him in line for this initiative, we would have done that. There wasn’t.“
Roland was speechless. Scaven was his friend, his classmate in the Academy. And his friend had been betrayed, abused, and psychologically mutilated. He swallowed hard to keep from retching.
“I’m sorry, Roland. We just couldn’t take the chance on him.” Stayvos knew of the admiral’s friendship with Scaven.
Roland sank back into his chair in shock. He sat in silence for a long time while his associates found something else to look at. Then he realized he wasn’t breathing. He gulped air, sniffed, rubbed his eyes, and sat listening to his heavy pulse thunder in his ears.
He turned to Grove, who had been his mentor as well as Scaven’s, and didn’t like what he saw there. Grove’s eyes registered resignation and shame. While it was obvious that he didn’t like the situation, it was also clear that he agreed that Scaven was necessary to the project. He agreed that Scaven was bound to refuse both accepting the drug and the order to administer it. Without 109B in his system, their old friend was operationally untrustworthy.
They had not taken an oath of friendship, but of service to Shadostro. They were soldiers before they were friends.
This knowledge passed wordlessly between the two men. Roland finally turned away. He felt like his own father had kicked him in the face.
“I call the question,” Shurilo said. “Do we proceed to obtain Senate approval and funding?“
Four men immediately said “Yea.” Grove swallowed, obviously miserable and ashamed of himself. He finally gave a single short nod. Roland abstained.
The Directorate Council sat in silence. Everyone there sensed that subtle changes and realignments had occurred among their membership. A lifelong friendship had ended. The directors had more power than ever.
No one stood between the troops and TX109B.
“The motion carries,” Shurilo ruled. “We will submit the funding request to the Senate for approval. You’ll take care of that, won’t you, Markus?“
And that, as they say, is history.
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