Riss Series 5: The Riss Challenge by C. R. Daems
Authors: C. R. Daems
Tags: Science-Fiction
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sitting back, preparing to answer questions.
"We don't have fighters to train with," Iosif said, giving me a smug smile.
"That's the good news," I said, and Terril choked on her kaffa. "You'll get to help design them." I held up my hand to stop comments. "You will have to create a simulator to begin training. I expect ten fighters to be operational within eight months."
"That's impossible!" Sorin said, eyes cast downward as in thought.
"Impossible, no. Difficult, yes. Impossible if you are content to live as slaves under JPU rule. Difficult if you intend to support the Riss in kicking the JPU out of Freeland space in ten months," I said. The three sat silent, looking back and forth from me to Terril.
"I agree with you. It seems impossible," Terril said, looking back at the three and laughing. "But if Leader Reese is planning on kicking ass, I'm going to be at her side with a unit of...Blue Kraits."
"Well, I'm tired of being grounded and wouldn't mind kicking JPU ass," Anca said looking toward Sorin and Iosif, who nodded.
* * *
I sat reading Neifeh's proposed schedule, wondering if he really expected us to be able to meet it or was looking for an excuse to get nasty.
"Costin, can you connect me to the Invincible? I need to talk to Admiral Neifeh," I asked, sitting down where the camera could record me.
"Sure, Ioana. I'm sure the Admiral would love talking to you," he said with a grin. A few minutes later, the Admiral's face appeared on the monitor.
"What is it, Ioana. I hope it isn't upsetting news." He sneered. "I've lived up to my end of the bargain. I had to reluctantly admit he had recalled the troops from Freeland, except for reasonable security at each of the three main industrial facilities: Alesd, Bacau, and Rupea.
"You will have to be the judge of that, Admiral Neifeh. The plant at Bacau was geared to producing missiles for the SAS, UFN, and JPU cruisers in the recent war against the aliens. Its total capacity could meet your schedule if your cruisers can use the six different sizes those ships required." I paused to take a drink of kaffa and await his reaction.
"How long?"
"If you will give us the specifications for the ships you want missiles for or let our engineers see the tubes, we should be able to produce prototypes for any that vary from the current JPU missile we were producing for you. Changing them all to meet your specifications...three to five weeks depending on the differences. Two if they are all going to be the same as the one we have been making for you."
"There will be three different types. I will have the specifications sent to you and the number required for each. You have three weeks to make the conversion."
"Then there are the panels that are required for the Dragonfly missiles. As you are aware, Admiral Serhat refused the panels, since he wanted the Duster and Dummy missiles only. Therefore, we have no idea where you want the panels, what size they will need to be, the writing on the keys and controls, or how they will be connected to your system. If the current panels for the SAS and UFN—"
"You've made your point, bitch Ioana. I will send a shuttle for your engineers tomorrow morning at eight hundred hours. Don't push my patience." He cut the connection before I could reply.
"He almost sounded reasonable." Costin gave a short laugh.
"Because he had little choice. But you can bet we earned another entry in his black book. Probably reviews it every night before bed, fantasizing about what torment he will exact for each entry."
"Not a nice thought, Ioana."
"I'm afraid the Admiral doesn't believe in win-win solutions. He likes he wins you lose solutions. So, we have to make him feel like he's winning. Contact the senior engineers for the panels and missiles, and have them here tomorrow at eight."
CHAPTER SIX
Freeland: Blue Kraits
Terril stood in front of a group of one hundred seventy, mostly men, in a remote and rugged area of Freeland. They didn't look like the
"We don't have fighters to train with," Iosif said, giving me a smug smile.
"That's the good news," I said, and Terril choked on her kaffa. "You'll get to help design them." I held up my hand to stop comments. "You will have to create a simulator to begin training. I expect ten fighters to be operational within eight months."
"That's impossible!" Sorin said, eyes cast downward as in thought.
"Impossible, no. Difficult, yes. Impossible if you are content to live as slaves under JPU rule. Difficult if you intend to support the Riss in kicking the JPU out of Freeland space in ten months," I said. The three sat silent, looking back and forth from me to Terril.
"I agree with you. It seems impossible," Terril said, looking back at the three and laughing. "But if Leader Reese is planning on kicking ass, I'm going to be at her side with a unit of...Blue Kraits."
"Well, I'm tired of being grounded and wouldn't mind kicking JPU ass," Anca said looking toward Sorin and Iosif, who nodded.
* * *
I sat reading Neifeh's proposed schedule, wondering if he really expected us to be able to meet it or was looking for an excuse to get nasty.
"Costin, can you connect me to the Invincible? I need to talk to Admiral Neifeh," I asked, sitting down where the camera could record me.
"Sure, Ioana. I'm sure the Admiral would love talking to you," he said with a grin. A few minutes later, the Admiral's face appeared on the monitor.
"What is it, Ioana. I hope it isn't upsetting news." He sneered. "I've lived up to my end of the bargain. I had to reluctantly admit he had recalled the troops from Freeland, except for reasonable security at each of the three main industrial facilities: Alesd, Bacau, and Rupea.
"You will have to be the judge of that, Admiral Neifeh. The plant at Bacau was geared to producing missiles for the SAS, UFN, and JPU cruisers in the recent war against the aliens. Its total capacity could meet your schedule if your cruisers can use the six different sizes those ships required." I paused to take a drink of kaffa and await his reaction.
"How long?"
"If you will give us the specifications for the ships you want missiles for or let our engineers see the tubes, we should be able to produce prototypes for any that vary from the current JPU missile we were producing for you. Changing them all to meet your specifications...three to five weeks depending on the differences. Two if they are all going to be the same as the one we have been making for you."
"There will be three different types. I will have the specifications sent to you and the number required for each. You have three weeks to make the conversion."
"Then there are the panels that are required for the Dragonfly missiles. As you are aware, Admiral Serhat refused the panels, since he wanted the Duster and Dummy missiles only. Therefore, we have no idea where you want the panels, what size they will need to be, the writing on the keys and controls, or how they will be connected to your system. If the current panels for the SAS and UFN—"
"You've made your point, bitch Ioana. I will send a shuttle for your engineers tomorrow morning at eight hundred hours. Don't push my patience." He cut the connection before I could reply.
"He almost sounded reasonable." Costin gave a short laugh.
"Because he had little choice. But you can bet we earned another entry in his black book. Probably reviews it every night before bed, fantasizing about what torment he will exact for each entry."
"Not a nice thought, Ioana."
"I'm afraid the Admiral doesn't believe in win-win solutions. He likes he wins you lose solutions. So, we have to make him feel like he's winning. Contact the senior engineers for the panels and missiles, and have them here tomorrow at eight."
CHAPTER SIX
Freeland: Blue Kraits
Terril stood in front of a group of one hundred seventy, mostly men, in a remote and rugged area of Freeland. They didn't look like the
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