The Ascent

Chapter 22

Having returned from his visit to Bright Fortune, Sherman called for a meeting of all his fleet officers on the Battle of Kuzikos. He had a powerful personality and I'm sure he called for a face to face meeting because he thought he could strong arm us all into going along. While the commanders were somewhat encouraged by Bright Fortune's words, most were not quite ready to trust him.

"I've spent the last day and a half with Bright Fortune, and I'm convinced he has plans for us and eagerly wants us as his ally."

"And you think Moony is the only reason he has been acting suspiciously toward us?" Solomon asked.

"I'm certain of it," Sherman snapped. "I know Moony has been talking to the owner-operators, trying to get them to come over to his command."

"Do you think Bright Fortune will denounce him?" Ormond asked.

"Yes. That's why I've insisted that whoever is responsible be considered a traitor—not just to Righteous Ruler but to the fleet as well."

"I'm just not comfortable sending all the FCs over at the same time," Smith said. "His change of heart—if those things have hearts—seems a little too sudden."

"The logic is irrefutable," Sherman said, growing agitated. "It really is in our mutual best interest to work together. Anyone who has worked against that has undermined us both. I've made that clear to him."

Smith just shook his head.

"But I need you there." Sherman paused and took a calming breath. "After this, Bright Fortune is likely to want the fleet under the command of some one person he can trust. Even if Moony is arrested, that man has surrounded himself with other treacherous and deceitful men. I need the support of as many people as possible to secure the position. If I could pack that ship with every command officer in our combined fleets, I would."

I couldn't help but notice how he assumed we would all just naturally support his bid for leadership of the combined fleet. It was true that we had all largely followed him by unspoken agreement when Shines Like the Sun died. He certainly had more real battlefield experience than the rest of us—even more than his elder fellow Spartan Commander Smith. If he had a quick temper, it only seemed to be a problem in peacetime. In battle I never saw a more calm and self-assured man. In truth, though I enjoyed serving under Phil, he had difficulty dealing with some of the more unruly elements of his command, preferring to merely set a good example and withhold rewards from those who didn't support the team. I could never stand to serve under Sherman in peacetime, but in war, I couldn't think of a better commander.

* * *

"I don't want you to go," Phil said later. "I have a funny feeling about this." He had sat, lost in silent thought, on the shuttle back to the Athena. Once back in his quarters, he ordered me to stay behind.

"If you think it's a bad idea, then you shouldn't go either," I said.

"I have to." He gave me a smile meant to be reassuring. "I'm probably just being paranoid, but I don't want any of my fleet officers going just in case something goes wrong. There's still a lot of tension in the air between Moony's crew, Sherman's crew and the Cacks."

"I thought you were taking Cathrine with you."

"She won't actually be going to the meeting. I decided to position her nearby with some ships just in case. They'll just be visiting the merchants for supplies." He gave me a wink. "I suggested to the other fleet commanders that they do the same and they agreed."

"Let me go with you. Leave Cathrine behind."

"No. I want you here with the fleet."

"What about Harlow?"