"Unpleasant Surprises"

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

"Did you know about this?!"

 

"Nice to see you, too, Colonel," General Kimura said dryly. "And a fine model of a military salute that was, to be certain."

 

Harper was unmoved. "Forgive me if my decorum is somewhat lacking," she snarled. "Finding out that I've been circumvented tends to put me in a temper."

 

"I presume you're referring to these transfer orders," Kimura said. "I only got them a few minutes ago myself. I assumed they'd passed your desk already."

 

"This is the first I've heard of it!"

 

"Well, then, it seems you have more than one problem on your hands. Is it possible your second-in-command --"

 

"Day knows better than to approve something like this without notifying me." She leaned in towards the screen. "I have to wonder how it got approved without touching your desk, General. Fleet brass stealing Marines?"

 

"It's not theft when they're freely offered," the general replied coldly. "I suggest you deal with Zimm, Colonel, before someone starts to question your command." His image blinked out abruptly.

 

It seemed she'd pestered Kimura once too often. He was probably still annoyed with her over the Academy assignment, she reflected ruefully. She'd have to send him a prime cut of Agincourt's next booty to sweeten his temper.

 

In the meantime, there was another general she could turn to.

 

"Computer, contact General Alexander Donovan. Address on file. My personal encryption." A soft beep indicated it was working.

 

A gratifyingly short time later, the general's image appeared on the small screen. "Colonel Harper."

 

She sat up straighter under his eye, inclining her head to him respectfully. "Sponsor."

 

He smiled. "Charlotte," he replied, tone warming. "What is it?"

 

"I have a personnel problem I was hoping you could help me with," she admitted.

 

"Not another traitor on your ship, I hope."

 

Coming from anyone else, that remark would have raised her ire. For Donovan, Harper merely shook her head. "Nothing like that." She transmitted the transfer orders to him, knowing that at his end of the line, the screen would now be showing an inset of the text file. "That just arrived," she said.

 

Donovan's eyebrows soared as he read. "Marines leaving the battalion? Charlotte... You're not slipping?"

 

"Give me some credit, Alex," she answered, exasperated. "The orders themselves don't surprise me much. Zimm's in bed with my chief of security -- possibly literally; the rumors are unconfirmed -- so I can understand why he'd change over. No, the problem is that the transfer didn't go through me, Day, or Kimura."

 

Leaning in towards the screen, she continued intently, "I didn't hear a word about it until that came. None of my sources picked it up. It shouldn't be possible! Yes, I lost a little influence over... but not so much that I'm not getting prompt information from my networks. Something funny is going on here."

 

He nodded slowly. "All right. What do you want me to do? Block the transfer?"

 

"No, let it lie. But would you bring your sources to bear on it? Find out how they circumvented me so completely? I need to know where and how mine are compromised."

 

"I can do that. But, Charlotte --" He leaned in as well, and the concern in his eyes was warming. "It sounds like your Security Chief is gunning for your job."

 

She considered that carefully, despite her immediate instinct to dismiss it. "No, I don't think so," she said at last. "Day's, maybe, but Paradox can take care of herself, stars know."

 

"You're certain?" Donovan pressed. "Going around you like this..."

 

"She's too young," Harper answered, and held up a hand to forestall his objection. "I know, calendar age means nothing. But she's just not ready for starship command; she'd never hold it together. Besides, she's got too many enemies just in her own department."

 

"And now she has one fewer."

 

"True," she conceded, "but it doesn't feel like a coup set-up. No, I think our clever cat is trying to secure her own power." She drummed her fingers on the desk, staring past the screen. "I'm not inclined to block her," she admitted. "She's a good department head, and the ship needs stability. But I can't have her operating behind my back like this."

 

"If you need me to tell you how to manage your officers, Charlotte, you're not the woman I sponsored," Donovan told her wryly. "But I'd do something about Zimm, before word gets around."

 

Harper snarled in frustration. "I can't stop him, and I can't kill him," she complained. "He's not worth making enemies over."

 

"That's true enough," Donovan agreed, "but there are other means at your disposal. Traditional means, if you understand me."

 

She did. A smile slowly spread across her face. "You always give me clarity," she said, inclining her head to him again.

 

"What are sponsors for?" Donovan smiled. "I'll look into it for you, Charlotte. Meantime, you go deal with your miscreants!"

 

"Aye, sir."