Chapter 20
The Task
HIMS Ultor Sanguinis, Orbit of Erdi
Rather than dwell on her bitterness about being secretly implanted with a bomb in her skull, Yasuko threw herself into her training that much more. She would show them that they wouldn't be needing that button.
Yasuko had been training about a week when she was summoned by Admiral Lavrov. They met in the same conference room where she was first introduced to the Admiral. Even though she didn't know the names of a lot of the officers there, she recognized most of them from last time, but there were also a few more she hadn't seen yet.
Upon entering the room, Lowen stood at attention and said, "Leutnant Meyer and Yasuko Rodrigues reporting as ordered, Herr Admiral."
"At ease," the Admiral said. "Take a seat."
They did so, and once they were seated, the Admiral then said, "I've been following your progress, Miss Rodrigues. Your training has been going well. You have adapted to your new arm faster than most."
"Thank you, sir," Yasuko replied.
"Because you are progressing so well, I believe we can advance the timetable. The Emperor's birthday is coming up soon. Delivering this world and eliminating the last remnant of the Sun Faction would be a fitting gift."
Yasuko held her tongue. She didn't much like the idea of her revenge being used as some foreign nobleman's offering to his distant master, but if she got what she wanted and they got what they wanted, everybody wins, right?
One of the officers Yasuko didn't know then said, "Our objective is a decapitation strike on the enemy capital. Thanks to your inside information, Miss Rodrigues, we can hopefully make this more of a surgical operation than it would have been otherwise. Our primary target is the enemy pretender, of course, but we also want to kill or capture all first- and second-tier leadership. We will first send in five commando groups, each consisting of three twenty-four-man teams, to secure the central mainframe, weapons systems, the reactor and docking bays. Once these objectives are accomplished, a pacification force of five thousand Marines will board the station and the special operators can proceed to the high-value targets. As you requested, Miss Rodrigues, you will be on the team that goes after the pretender."
"And my parents?"
"Every effort will be made to take them alive, but we cannot make any absolute guarantees."
Yasuko knew she couldn't ask for anything more than that and needed to be grateful for the accommodation they were giving her, even if it was just words at this point.
The next person to speak was Captain Tereshenko, the Ultor Sanguinis' Intelligence Officer. Yasuko had already been through several sessions of debriefing with him, where he went over her story and what she knew about Sturla and the Capital with a fine-toothed comb. He was never particularly hostile or overtly suspicious of her, but dealing with him was always exhausting.
"The intelligence we have gathered corroborates your account of the level of resistance we can expect," Captain Tereshenko said. "Approximately ten thousand Imperial Guards and nearly as many household troops providing security for the resident noble houses, as well as a number of operatives answering either to the pretender or the various lords."
"The Imperial Guard will fight to the death," Yasuko said, "whether Sturla is still alive or not. The household troops will stand down if you take their masters alive and make them give the order. Some of the special agents... you might be able to cut a deal with them if you can make them a better offer."
"That was our assessment," Captain Tereshenko replied. "Our primary concern will be the Central Division defending the Royal and Forbidden Precincts, yes?"
"Yeah, they're the best of the bunch and the most loyal. You may not have to kill all the Peacemen, but Central..."
For the other audience in attendance, Captain Tereshenko clarified, "The Peacemen, the Outer Division, the Capital Police, the Commission for Peace and Public Order, etc."
"Sturla used to be the High Commissioner," Yasuko said, "so he knows their operations inside and out. The Capital's practically his playground."
The one officer from before, who was apparently in charge of operations, said, "We have plans in place to counteract his eyes and ears. It should help redirect resources and relieve some of the pressure on the infiltration teams."
He then told Yasuko, "You will receive a detailed briefing when you join your team. For the purpose of this mission, you will be granted the provisional rank of Fähnrich. You will not have any command authority, but you also will not answer to anyone who is not an officer. Leutnant Meyer will act as your immediate superior."
"Me, sir?" Lowen asked. "I don't have the necessary training for special operations."
"You have training enough, Leutnant," Admiral Lavrov said. "Your primary concern is keeping an eye on Miss Rodrigues and ensuring she stays on mission."
"Afraid he might need to push the button?" Yasuko asked.
She got some severe looks from several of the officers and a rather nervous one from Lowen, but the Admiral didn't seem to mind. He simply replied, "I certainly hope it does not come to that, Miss Rodrigues, but I did not get where I am today by blind faith in others. I am making considerable allowances for you, but I do not want you to think I can be taken advantage of. Stick to the mission and you will get what you want and more besides. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"You may not be thinking beyond the objective right in front of you, Miss Rodrigues, but you could go far with us if you do well. That will be all, Miss Rodrigues. You and Leutnant Meyer are dismissed."
Lowen stood up, went to attention and said, "By your leave, sir," and the two of them left the briefing room.
After walking a short while, Lowen asked Yasuko, "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Yasuko held up her right hand and said, "This'll have been a big waste of your taxpayers' money otherwise."
"I'm not worried about the taxpayers, Yasuko. I'm worried about you."
"I can take care of myself."
"The man you're after has already nearly killed you once."
"And I intend to return the favor," Yasuko replied, "and show him how you finish a job."
Lowen didn't say anything, but Yasuko could guess what he was thinking.
"Look, Lowen, I don't need you tryin' to protect me. I'm doin' this. I have to."
"And if the pretender is the one who finishes the job?"
"Then I hope one of our boys sends him to Hell so we can have a rematch."