{"id":5270,"date":"2016-09-05T00:01:24","date_gmt":"2016-09-05T05:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=5270"},"modified":"2016-09-04T17:50:17","modified_gmt":"2016-09-04T22:50:17","slug":"forge-of-war-chapter-8-cowboy-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=5270","title":{"rendered":"Forge of War 8 – Cowboy Diplomacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people say that if you can\u2019t play golf, you can\u2019t participate in proper politics or diplomacy. Those people have obviously never played poker. You can\u2019t bluff in golf. You can\u2019t stare down your opponent. Winning is all about your own skill, not about actually beating<\/em> the other guy. Poker is social and political and diplomatic by its very nature. And those who have mastered them all are scary to play against.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cowboy Diplomacy<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jack followed Charles through the hatch into a room that his mind was finally beginning to consider large. Back home, it would have been impossibly tiny. In space, it was far larger than anything in the United States Navy. Even fleet carriers like Constellation<\/em> had nothing like this. Bookshelves and paintings and holograms and plants and a dozen other knickknacks framed a closed hatch in each of the four bulkheads that made up the room. Comfortable looking chairs, and even a sofa that looked like it could double as a bed filled the room, making it look like a comfortable piece of home.<\/p>\n

Aneerin waited for them, standing next to one of the chairs. He waved for them to come in and Betty and Dorothy stepped close behind them, allowing the hatch to close.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish you all good health, now and forever,\u201d Aneerin said in a formal tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wish you good health, now and forever,\u201d Charles returned the Peloran greeting.<\/p>\n

Aneerin motioned towards a pair of chairs next to a bookshelf overflowing with what appeared to be honest-to-god paper books, and Jack and Charles sat down as commanded. Betty and Dorothy found seats against another wall, though their holograms lacked the weight to sink into the seats. To Jack\u2019s eyes they appeared to hover over the chairs. It was a small trick he\u2019d learned for spotting cybers. One of many. He turned to Aneerin with a frown. He understood why Aneerin might want to talk to Charles as he was the commander of the squadron now, but he couldn\u2019t figure out why Aneerin would want to talk to him<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmmm. The dreaded \u2018what am I doing here?\u2019 question,\u201d Aneerin said as he sat down and placed his hands in his lap, seeming fully at ease.<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He\u2019d heard Aneerin was good at reading body language. Jack really didn\u2019t like being read.<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize,\u201d Aneerin said and his eyes strayed to the small bandage covering the spot on Jack\u2019s forehead that had been sliced open. \u201cI understand you were gravely injured in the battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m better now. Better than a lot of the pilots,\u201d he said, not really wanting to talk about the dream.<\/p>\n

Aneerin nodded slowly. \u201cIndeed.\u201d He turned to Charles, seemingly accepting Jack\u2019s words at face value. \u201cI apologize for the losses you suffered. Your Johanson will be particularly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou knew him?\u201d Charles asked, surprise in his tone.<\/p>\n

Aneerin shook his head. \u201cI never met him. But good squadron commanders are hard to find, and he will<\/em> be missed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he will,\u201d Charles said, his tone controlled but Jack caught an edge of sorrow in it.<\/p>\n

Jack shook his head, a flash of anger burning through him. \u201cHis sacrifice wasn\u2019t necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin recognized his mood and cocked his head to the side as the hatch opened and Hal walked in. \u201cI agree. But could you tell me why you chose that word?\u201d Aneerin asked, the edge of an order underneath the civil tone.<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s eyes narrowed and he chewed on his lip, meeting Aneerin\u2019s gaze. Aneerin looked genuinely curious, which either meant he didn\u2019t know what Jack meant, or he was really good at acting. Jack grunted, shook his head, and began to explain. \u201cYou know as well as I do that the Shang didn\u2019t have you trapped. What we just did at Fort London proved that. You could have dove at any time at Fort Wichita. Instead we surfaced to save you because we didn\u2019t know what you could do. Johanson died there, but you didn\u2019t need<\/em> the help we brought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin pulled in a deep breath and rubbed his chin for several seconds. \u201cSo you think his death is my fault?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack pursed his lips and considered his answer. Truthful or diplomatic. He chose truth. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack noted with a corner of his mind that Hal reached the wall next to another bookshelf and leaned against it. Betty jumped out of her chair to join Hal at the wall, leaning against it as she moved in close to whisper to him. It really was amazing how cybers could act so human without seeming to think about it. Of course, if you asked them they were<\/em> human. Jack hadn\u2019t come to a conclusion yet, but he was certainly leaning towards the conclusion that they thought<\/em> they were. And maybe even that they were<\/em>, which did interesting things to many of the world\u2019s major religions.<\/p>\n

He returned his attention to Aneerin in time to see the man glancing towards the cybers as well. Aneerin smiled, shaking his head to bring them back on track.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood insight,\u201d Aneerin said in an approving tone. \u201cI do not absolve myself of fault, but I would state for the record that your conclusion is not entirely accurate. Hit and run was a viable tactic at Fort London because the fort was still operational. The British still took heavy casualties, but Fort London\u2019s point defense kept most of them alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cFort Wichita on the other hand was largely reduced in combat effectiveness and could do little to protect the ships around her. Had we performed hit and run assaults at Fort Wichita, the Shang would have accepted the losses we gave them while continuing to surround and destroy all of your American forces. I allowed them to trap us in order to force them to concentrate much of their fire on my ships. That reduced the casualties to your fleet while your squadron moved to flank them. Did you really not question why your battle plan changed at the last minute?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack frowned at Aneerin. \u201cSo you changed the standard operating procedure of an entire Battle Squadron, and took crippling to a third of your ships, in order to buy time for a single fighter squadron to support you? I don\u2019t buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should not,\u201d Aneerin said in the most frigid tone Jack had ever heard from a Peloran. \u201cI requested that your Admiral Warcheski task a destroyer<\/em> squadron to support our flank. Not a fighter squadron.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack blinked as he considered the words. Many things began to make sense. \u201cOh,\u201d he said, his voice betraying his beginning doubt in Aneerin\u2019s guilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Aneerin returned with a grim expression. \u201cA full destroyer squadron could have shattered the Shang flank with a single salvo. Your assault killed a single cruiser. They adapted quickly and you would have been overwhelmed had I not performed a counterattack. The time spent on that counterattack delayed my reinforcement of the main battle around Fort Wichita, causing American casualties to mount. Admiral Warcheski died because he thought he could drive them off by himself, without listening to me,\u201d Aneerin finished. Disdain dripped from his tone.<\/p>\n

Jack nodded. Aneerin\u2019s argument made sense. Except one thing. \u201cIf Admiral Warcheski didn\u2019t listen, why did he send us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin gave him a predatory smile. \u201cHe did not send you. Your Constellation<\/em> creatively interpreted her orders and sent you on her own initiative. She was smart enough to see what he would not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack frowned. \u201cMom<\/em> sent us?\u201d He shared a glance with Charles who seemed just as surprised as he. \u201cI didn\u2019t know she could do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin\u2019s smile turned gentle. \u201cThat is because you have not yet accepted that cybernetic intelligences truly are what they believe themselves to be. She and the other cybers recognized my plan and agreed to send the only hyper-capable assets they could task without violating orders. You,\u201d he said with a wave of his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far in advance did you have this battle planned?\u201d Charles asked intently.<\/p>\n

Aneerin smiled again. \u201cLess far than you would think. Farther than you might guess.\u201d Aneerin sighed. \u201cStrategic and tactical awareness is part of the basic genetic makeup of all Peloran. I do not suppose I planned<\/em> any of it with my conscious mind. I definitely did not know the Shang would attack when they did. But within seconds of their assault, I had a plan ready to repulse them using all Alliance ships in range with minimal casualties.\u201d Aneerin shrugged. \u201cAdmiral Warcheski chose to follow his own plan. He is now dead, as is your Johanson. I apologize for not being able to prevent the latter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles met Jack\u2019s gaze for a second before turning back to Aneerin. \u201cYou cannot control everything, I suppose.\u201d Jack caught the trick in the question and scanned Aneerin for any hint of a \u201cwell I should have\u201d in there.<\/p>\n

Instead, Aneerin pursed his lips. \u201cIndeed,\u201d was all he said. \u201cYou are most perceptive, Charles. Your family should be proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack narrowed his eyes, considering the interplay. Either Aneerin truly didn\u2019t think he should control them all, or he had caught the word trap and said he didn\u2019t to fool them.<\/p>\n

Aneerin turned to him with another smile. \u201cYou doubt my motivations, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack met his gaze without hesitation and answered him honestly. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin nodded in approval. \u201cGood. Always doubt those who would put themselves in positions of authority over you. They may not always have your best interests in their hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your<\/em> interest is of course in our<\/em> best interests?\u201d Jack asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Aneerin said, opening his arms wide as if he had nothing to hide. Jack didn\u2019t believe that for a split second.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d Hal interrupted the conversation from his position against the wall with Betty. \u201cWe have an incoming message. It appears the President of the United States wants to talk to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Aneerin asked, gazing back and forth between Jack and Charles. \u201cWhat a coincidence.\u201d His expression looked calculating and Jack had the undeniable feeling that nothing about this situation was coincidental. \u201cI wanted to talk to her too. Please open communications. I assume she wants us in her office?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe does,\u201d Hal answered with a smile and stepped away from the wall to take a more formal stance. Aneerin came to his feet and motioned for Charles and Jack to follow suit.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe good, boys. You are about to see your President,\u201d Aneerin said, the ease he had affected before melting away into the smooth and cool demeanor that Jack had long learned to equate with the Peloran.<\/p>\n

Jack came to his feet and swiveled his head to see Charles and Dorothy on their feet as well. Betty stood next to Hal, looking every bit the consummate and professional cyber.<\/p>\n

\u201cAchieving datalink\u2026now,\u201d Hal said as the walls of the living room rippled and changed.<\/p>\n

One second they were standing on the Guardian Light<\/em>. And then the holoemitters in the bulkheads faithfully recreated a much larger office on Earth for the benefit of everyone in the room.<\/p>\n

Jack shifted his feet back to look at the massive rug on the floor that declared this to be the office of the President of the United States. He brought his head up to see the President\u2019s desk and the President behind it. He gulped.<\/p>\n

The President of the United States looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth. It wasn\u2019t a surprise really. Six months ago she had been the junior senator from Colorado, sick from a particularly nasty strain of the flue. Then the Shang dropped several hundred missiles on Washington DC during the State of the Union address. The designated survivor had been in Los Angeles when a large chunk of Yosemite Station hit the city dead center, leaving her the highest-ranking representative of the Federal Government. The wholesale destruction of the majority of the career politicians in Washington had rammed some serious steel into her spine and Jack approved of that. A true War President sat behind her desk, most definitely unhappy at the moment, and he realized he really did not want to be on the receiving end of a War President\u2019s unhappy glare.<\/p>\n

Jack came to attention and brought his hand up to salute her. He surreptitiously scanned left and right to see Charles, Dorothy, and Betty saluting her as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish you good health, Aneerin,\u201d she said through tight lips. \u201cNow and forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin gave a brief bow of the head. \u201cAnd I wish you<\/em> good health, Madam President, now and forever,\u201d he returned the standard greeting.<\/p>\n

She turned to Jack and Charles, wearing their very obvious United States Marine Corps service uniforms. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Constellation<\/em> is damaged, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Charles answered professionally. \u201cThe Admiral offered us a place to land, repair, and refuel. We were discussing the battle when you called.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s eyes narrowed further and her eyes flicked to Charles\u2019 rank insignia. \u201cWhere is your commander?\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles licked his lips. \u201cColonel Johanson did not survive the battle, Ma\u2019am. I am the senior surviving officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112, Ma\u2019am. I accepted the Admiral\u2019s offer, Ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack suppressed a nod of approval. Charles was earning his spurs all right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see,\u201d the President said and turned her study to Jack. Jack carefully held his salute and did nothing else beyond staring straight ahead. \u201cVery well,\u201d she finally said and returned their salute. \u201cAt ease,\u201d she ordered and turned back to Aneerin as Jack and the others lowered their hands to stand at ease. \u201cThank you for helping us at Fort Wichita,\u201d she said, though she looked unhappy to say it. \u201cMy Joint Chiefs assured me your help would not be needed. I see they were wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin nodded towards her. \u201cIn a great many things, Madam President.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President pursed her lips and frowned, obviously unhappy with his statement. \u201cMy Joint Chiefs tell me that you allowed the Shang to escape,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin took in a deep breath and answered her in a simple and clear tenor. \u201cBecause I did not wish to send the vast majority of the fighting men and women at Fort Wichita to Annwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack blinked and looked at Betty in confusion, wondering what Annwyn was.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the Peloran afterlife,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d he whispered back, returning his gaze to the President. An aide stepped away from her and she had the same dawning look of comprehension on her face that he assumed was on his.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u2026that bad?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is, Madam President,\u201d Aneerin answered, looking totally and utterly calm, in complete control of the situation. \u201cThe Shang do not surrender. Back them into a corner, and they will kill you or die trying. Leave them an escape route if the battle turns, and they may take it. We might have won at Fort Wichita, we might have lost, but our casualties would have been nearly total, and their attack on Fort London would have been a complete success. The damage to your ships was too severe for them to have fought much longer without catastrophic losses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy wasn\u2019t I told this?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin pursed his lips, looking like he\u2019d just bitten into a sour fruit. \u201cBecause your Joint Chiefs have not yet come to terms with what the Shang just did to you. Again. They do not wish to tell you what happened until they know what happened, and most of them are incapable of understanding the magnitude of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will not have you insulting soldiers who have served their country well, especially in front of other soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin took in a deep breath, letting silence rule for a few seconds. \u201cMadam President, you are in your position because the Shang made a tactical and strategic error when they bombarded DC. They killed a large number of federal bureaucrats and politicians and news reporters who would have hampered your war effort. Some of them because they did not believe in war, some because they did not believe in your country, and some through no greater fault than their own incompetence. They did not similarly cull the worst of your military high commanders. If you seek to win this War, you<\/em> will need to do the culling, Madam President.\u201d<\/p>\n

She glared at him for several seconds, her lips pursed. \u201cYou suggest that some of the representatives of this country were traitors?\u201d she said in a cold voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Aneerin answered, lips pressed thin. \u201cI state it without reservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President continued to glare at him. \u201cCan you prove these allegations?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin sighed. \u201cNot to the satisfaction of your legal system. Your courts would throw out much of the evidence due to means of acquisition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack could have sworn he saw a smile on the President\u2019s face for a moment. \u201cSo you got it illegally, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin cocked his head to the side. \u201cMany traitors hide their activities by making the methods of proving their nature illegal. That does not make the evidence any less accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President frowned. \u201cTrue. Although I\u2019m not certain I would call anyone who died that day a traitor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack suppressed a scowl at the obvious political speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps you would not,\u201d Aneerin answered. \u201cAnd in fact most were not. But some were<\/em>. And some of those<\/em> were not in Washington when the missiles came.\u201d<\/p>\n

A thoughtful expression came to the President\u2019s face. \u201cSo if you are accurate, they are still working to undermine us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin returned her gaze for several moments. \u201cIndeed.\u201d She continued to stare at him and he sighed. \u201cThey saw many in Washington DC that day as a threat to their future. And based on my information they greatly preferred the designated survivor in Los Angeles to you. They considered him more\u2026reasonable than you. They are most displeased that you<\/em> became the highest-ranking survivor of the government. They are greatly<\/em> displeased that you are now President.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack gasped as a thought came to mind, catching the disapproving attention of the President. He froze when her gaze hit him. But Aneerin just chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe our young pilot has a question he wishes to ask,\u201d Aneerin said with a smile.<\/p>\n

The President looked at Aneerin in confusion, then back to Jack with her calculating gaze. He felt like she was measuring him from head to toe and coming up with a giant question mark as to whether he was worthy of the measuring. \u201cAsk,\u201d she finally ordered.<\/p>\n

Jack cleared his throat, feeling like he wanted to be any place but right where he was. \u201cI was just wondering,\u201d he finally said, real slowly and carefully. \u201cHow accidental it was that you got sick the day before the rest of the government was killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath. He watched as the War President disappeared from her body language, replaced by a woman rubbing her eyebrows. She looked up at Aneerin and nodded. \u201cThat is<\/em> a good question, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin looked at Jack like a proud grandfather. \u201cIndeed. It is<\/em> a very good question. I hope he continues to ask such questions in the future. It is always helpful to have a healthy distrust of those in power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression hardened and Jack saw the War President return. \u201cYou didn\u2019t answer the question. Why was<\/em> I sick that day? Did you know what was going to happen that day? Could you have stopped thirty million Americans from dying?\u201d she asked in a harsh voice.<\/p>\n

Aneerin froze and swallowed, then looked for a chair and sat down in it, hard. Jack followed his every move watching the cool and collected Peloran fall in favor of a troubled and sorrowful man. Aneerin shook his head after nearly half a minute. \u201cI did not know,\u201d he said with a frankness that Jack recognized for its rarity. Peloran could not lie, but they were very good at double speak when they got rolling. \u201cMy sources said they were planning something,\u201d he added, sorrow in his voice. \u201cI passed my concerns on to your people. But I did not foresee the sheer scale of it all. I underestimated them and you paid the price. For that I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President smiled at him. \u201cI accept your apology, Admiral. Though that does still leave the nature of my illness in question.\u201d She looked at Jack and Charles, as well as Betty and Dorothy, disapproval back in her face. \u201cBut such issues should not be spoken of here I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin returned to his feet with a smile on his face. \u201cPerhaps. Perhaps not. They are trustworthy or I would not have invited them here. In fact, I believe they have the mettle to make good squadron commanders in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack swallowed as the President measured him again. \u201cInteresting,\u201d she said slowly, looking as if she were putting a great amount of thought to the idea. \u201cSo you are willing to tell me who would be good military commanders?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin smiled. \u201cI am willing to give you my input, Madam President. The final decision is, of course, yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President chuckled. \u201cOf course. I suppose you have names for the military commanders you think I should\u2026cull as well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin nodded and turned to Hal. \u201cHal, please send her the file.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2026have one ready?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed.\u201d He raised his hand. \u201cWait. Remove Admiral Warcheski\u2019s entry before transmission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hal smiled. \u201cFile is edited. File is sent.\u201d He looked at the President. \u201cYou should have it on your personal pad now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President looked down, scanned the file, and her face went white. \u201cYou\u2026you would have me remove this many people?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin sighed. \u201cMadam President. We both know that ranks above two stars are only given to those who have the political allies to secure those ranks. Your predecessors valued the ability to talk well, not kill well. You need a new Sherman or MacArthur. You know as well as I do that those on that list would not stand well in such company.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President shook her head. \u201cThis list would be a shakeup of almost the entire upper branches of the United States Armed Forces. The sheer chaos of making changes this large could ruin us.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Aneerin\u2019s turn to sigh. \u201cPlease understand me, Madam President. We held the line, and we did not lose our ships. It will be another three months before the nearest Peloran Battle Fleet arrives. How many ships can you build in those three months?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout Yosemite\u2026\u201d The President shook her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly. The Shang dealt you a mortal blow. That your people still stand at all is admirable. I am pleased that I judged you rightly. Now I have pledged you all the aid I can give you, and I will hold to that pledge. But the first and most important mission we all have is to preserve what we have left until reinforcements arrive. We must buy time. I just bought you some today, and we did not lose every ship in the Terran system buying it. Now it is your turn to help us buy time by promoting your competent officers and giving them the commands that they are ready to perform. Give me allied commanders who can fight at something beyond a squadron level, who can fight with<\/em> me and not against me, and we will drive<\/em> the Shang screaming from your systems. I have fought the Shang before. You have not. Please listen to my advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin paused, took a deep breath, and shook his head as if he didn\u2019t want to say something. \u201cPlease.\u201d He shook his head again and set his jaw. \u201cThe Peloran were created to defend the Albion. We failed at that task. The Albion died because they were too arrogant to listen to our advice. They created the entire Peloran race to fight for them and then they thought they knew war better<\/em> than us. They did not. We could have saved them, if only they would have listened<\/em>.\u201d He stopped, closed his eyes, and took in several deep breaths. Jack watched the calm Peloran mask return and he wondered just how hard Aneerin had to work to maintain it. Finally Aneerin opened his eyes again, the epitome of Peloran calm. \u201cMadam President. I pray that you listen. I cannot, and never will, demand<\/em> it. But I ask you to please<\/em> listen to my advice. I watched the Albion die. I do not wish to see your people follow them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026see.\u201d The President took a long breath before continuing. \u201cThank you for your candor, Admiral.\u201d She grimaced. \u201cAnd thank you for your advice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are welcome, Madam President.\u201d Aneerin glanced at Jack and Charles. \u201cMay I make one more request?\u201d<\/p>\n

The President followed his glance before returning her gaze to the Admiral. \u201cYes. Of course, Admiral.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. My losses have been\u2026I dislike the term catastrophic, but it is close. I have lost over fifty percent of my fighters. It will take time to rebuild new fighters, and I do not have enough left to effectively screen my formation at this time. You on the other hand have more fighters than you can find ships to fly them off of. We find ourselves in the position of being able to reinforce our respective weaknesses. I request that you assign some of your fighter squadrons to fly off my ships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. I\u2019ll\u2026make certain the orders are sent out as soon as possible, Admiral.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCould you\u2026order it\u2026now, Madam President?\u201d<\/p>\n

The President glanced at Jack and Charles one more time. \u201cI suppose so. Explain why if you will?\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin waved a hand towards Jack and Charles. \u201cYour Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 saved my ships from taking considerable damage, and then helped me drive the Shang away from both Fort Wichita and<\/em> Fort London. I would like to make that working arrangement permanent, if you are willing, Madam President.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s jaw dropped at the idea, but he somehow pulled it back up when the President turned to examine him and Charles. She returned her eyes to Aneerin. \u201cThey are yours for as long as you need them. I\u2019ll tell General Brage\u2026\u201d she trailed off and scanned the list again. \u201cGood, I see he is not on this list.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not, Madam President. He is very good at his job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I\u2019ll tell General Brage to have the appropriate orders written up, but they are yours right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Madam President.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you<\/em>, Admiral.\u201d Her look grew shrewd. \u201cAnd perhaps you can upgrade their fighters while you are at it. If they are defending your ships, it might be in your best interests to do so of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin smiled back and rubbed his chin in amusement. \u201cOf course, Madam President,\u201d he finally said. \u201cI think we can arrange for some\u2026modifications in your basic Avenger package. I might even be able to have the modifications sent to your factories so that future production does not need<\/em> the upgrades.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Admiral,\u201d the President returned. \u201cYour help will always be accepted. And your advice will be listened to. Good health to you, now and forever,\u201d she finished in a respectful tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood health to you, Madam President. Now and forever,\u201d Aneerin answered.<\/p>\n

With that, the datalink ended and the Office of the President faded away to be replaced by the living room again.<\/p>\n

Jack swallowed and turned to study Aneerin as the Peloran simply stood in place for several long seconds. He finally turned away from where the President had sat and looked at Charles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to your new duty station, Charles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charles and Jack shared a look that said, \u201cWhat have we just stepped in?\u201d before Charles turned to Aneerin. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aneerin turned away from Charles and smiled at Jack, spreading his hands out wide. \u201cSo, what do you think now<\/em>, Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack frowned, wondering if he should truly say what he thought. He grunted, and opened his mouth, determined to say it. The Admiral had asked after all. \u201cI\u2019m thinking playing poker with you might be a mistake,\u201d Jack said in a suspicious tone.<\/p>\n

Aneerin\u2019s smile grew wider. \u201cIndeed. Let us hope that the Shang feel the same. I would hate for them to decide to call my bluff and attack us, right now, in force.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Charles said with a grim smile, drawing the word out as he looked back and forth between them. \u201cThat would not be good.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some people say that if you can\u2019t play golf, you can\u2019t participate in proper politics or diplomacy. Those people have obviously never played poker. You can\u2019t bluff in golf. You can\u2019t stare down your opponent. Winning is all about your[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-medron-pryde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5270"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5282,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5270\/revisions\/5282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}