“That low life degenerate, scum sucking, verminous piece of trash!” Sonya screamed, ripping off her VR headset. She wanted to throw her headset across the room. She had been getting the run around. She was now officially a phariah and no career conscious and self respecting officer would have anything to do with her. Fortunately she had not done anything against regulations and they couldn’t kick her out of the service. Her latest attempt to get a meeting with an assignment officer had been canceled. Here on station she was going to go insane. Maybe quitting was a good idea. The rat bastards of Fleet Command couldn’t handle the truth and didn’t want to see the Union of Enlightenment for what it was. They were obsessed with the belief that the UE’s didn’t want a hot war, they just wanted a cold war they could use it to maintain internal control, an enemy they could point at and demonize, to unite their people and persecute political rivals.

In the privacy of her quarters aboard the fleet command, on space station General Christopher White, Sonya was glad the rooms were soundproofed. Maybe it was because she had fought them in deep space but deep down inside she knew they were wrong. The UE’s wanted a war, but internal social pressure wasn’t the main reason. They couldn’t tolerate seeing other people be successful and the Republic was successful.

She stood up to pace. As a full bird colonel in the Republic Space Fleet, her quarters weren’t shabby, but she was also a ship’s Captain without a ship. She should be in deep space, away from all this political pandering and myopic generals who couldn’t see past their shiny stars. War was coming and they refused to see that. They were too caught up in tradition, history and peace, despite a shooting war with the Han a few decades ago.

A call came in. Requesting a VR link but she didn’t feel like putting that damned thing on so she opened a voice link. It was from her friend Colonel Cortez, one of her friends from personnel.

“Hey Nancy,” Sonya said, looking for something to punch.

“I heard,” Nancy said. Of course she had heard. She was one of the senior officers in personnel and had probably known before Sonya did. She would have had to sign any papers and she knew the assignment officer’s schedule better than her own.

“I’m really sorry,” Nancy said. “I know how much you wanted command of the Indomitable.”

“I’m never going to command a ship again am I?” Sonya asked.

“General Keating may retire some day,” Nancy said. “Or he might have some fatal accident brushing his teeth with a blazer pistol.”

“I won’t retire,” Sonya said. But right now she wasn’t so sure. What were her options?

“Don’t give up,” Nancy said. “And don’t do anything stupid.”

“No,” Sonya said. Trying not to sound as depressed as she felt. Nancy was a good friend, perhaps her only friend, but she was a professional fleet officer first. “I won’t. I just want to stretch my space legs.”

“On a side note a Colonel Austin Santiago wants a meeting with you,” Nancy said.

“Who is he?” Sonya asked. She didn’t remember any Santiago’s.

“Fleet Intelligence,” Nancy said.

Sonya rolled her eyes.

“No,” Sonya said. “I absolutely will not transfer to intelligence. I’m a Captain, I should be commanding a ship.”

“Talk with him,” Nancy said.

“Intelligence just has little couriers,” Sonya said, realizing how limited her options were. “I guess beggars can’t be choosers. A ship is a ship.”

“You have too much rank for a piddly little courier,” Nancy said. Sonya wasn’t sure how to take that. Fleet Intelligence didn’t operate larger vessels and that is what Sonya was used to commanding. The Wanderlust had been her last command. A deep space cruiser that had been decommissioned due to age and battle damage after she tangled with a trio of UE strike cruisers. She should have been put in charge of the newer model deep space cruiser, but the war with the Union of Enlightenment had broken out and deep space exploration or patrol ships were in very low demand. Even though she had managed to drive off all three of the enemy cruisers there were other officers they wanted to put in command of combat ships. ‘Reliable and trusted’ officers.

She had proven herself in battle but the stigma of being a deep space captain made regular fleet officers nervous, the recent exercise she had designed had guaranteed she was persona-non-Grata now. Deep space captains had a reputation for being strongly independent and hard to work with.

“You should talk with him,” Nancy said.

“General Keating would like that, wouldn’t he?” Sonya asked. “He would love to see me reduced to a crew of three aboard some Intel space boat.”

Nancy was silent.

“Fine,” Sonya said, resigned. Guest instructor, Simulation designer and UE fleet analysis was not settling well with her. After his last defeat the ‘great’ general Keating wouldn’t let her near the combat simulations again, she certainly would never be allowed to program them. He wouldn’t even let her control any OpFor forces. “When?”

“Now,” Nancy said. “I’ll send you a link. He is waiting.”

“Okay,” Sonya said reaching for her VR headset. “Thanks.”

“You are welcome,” Nancy said. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Sonya said. Why was he waiting for her?

Colonel Austin Santiago was a tall, hawk looking individual. He was a memorable looking individual and Sonya wondered how he had managed to rise so high in Fleet Intel. Weren’t they supposed to be non-descript, easily forgotten? His office was a generic star scape. His desk was plain and there was absolutely no personality in the office. He had far too many medals and awards on his chest for a regular intelligence officer. It looked like a salad had exploded on his chest. Sonya would have to find out what most of them were later.

“Thank you for coming, Colonel Blackwell,” he said, standing to shake her hand.

“Thank you Colonel Santiago,” Sonya replied. He had a firm grip. He looked more like a combat line officer than an intelligence officer. Some of the awards could only have been earned in battle. A purple heart? Who got wounded in the line of duty anymore?

“I understand you were passed over for command of the Indomitable?” Santiago said. His voice and attitude was neutral and that grated on Sonya’s nerves a bit.

Sonya tried to keep her scowl from reaching her face, she wasn’t sure she succeeded.

“I’m more of a deep space officer,” Sonya said. “The Indomitable is a new battle cruiser of the wall.”

Santiago nodded.

“I’m relieved,” Santiago said, showing some emotion. “The Indomitable is a fine ship and even with General Keating trying to block your assignment it looked like you might get it. I had to interfere. General Keating really appreciated the assistance.”

Sonya stared at him. You couldn’t really kill someone in VR. Where was he physically located?

Who was this little shit to block her from getting the command she deserved?

Santiago stared at her, waiting for a response. She didn’t give him one other than silence.

“You don’t have anything to say?” he asked.

“I am disappointed,” Sonya said, keeping her anger in check. It would accomplish nothing to lose her temper here. “I would like to think you have a good reason. I don’t think we have ever met before. I’m not generally in the habit of making enemies of my fellow officers.”

Santiago nodded.

“No outburst? No cursing?” Santiago asked looking at her.

“I would like to know why,” Sonya said, trying to keep the anger and bitterness out of her voice.

“I don’t think you are a suitable battle cruiser captain,” Santiago said. “Too independent, too experienced, not the best team player. Tend to think too much and that causes a problem when given specific orders.”

Sonya remained silent and Santiago raised one of his eyebrows, encouraging her to respond.

Was he trying to piss her off? Get some response out of her? Did he really think she would be dumb enough to strike at him in a VR?

Finally Santiago shrugged.

“Have a seat then,” Santiago said and motioned toward a chair.

“I would really like to know why I’m here before I waste my time and get comfortable Colonel Santiago,” Sonya said.

“Austin when we are alone please,” Santiago said taking a seat. “I have need of a captain. Several in fact, but you are the top of my list.”

“I’m not interested in commanding a courier,” Sonya said, still standing.

Santiago chuckled.

“Of course not,” Santiago said. “May I call you Sonya?”

Sonya stared at him. Not willing to give him that, but not willing to anger him either.

Santiago stared at her for a minute and his smile grew.

“Cautious and prudent,” Santiago said. “Good.”

“The LRS Reaper is not under standard Fleet command,” Santiago continued. “Nor is the LRS Reaper the only raider that will be deployed.”

Santiago motioned to the seat and Sonya sat, her mind now racing.

“You have my undivided attention Austin,” Sonya said sliding into the seat without taking her eyes off Santiago. Everyone knew about the Reaper and how it had forced the Han to the negotiating table.

Santiago leaned back.

“LRS Reaper and the newer vessels will be operating under the aegis of Operation Shadow Strike,” Santiago said. “Everything about Shadow Strike is classified. Even the name. You are now authorized by way. A new class of vessel is being commissioned. Bigger and more powerful than the LRS Reaper, this new vessel is like nothing you have ever seen. Nearly five kilometers long, with four marauders, unlike the Reaper’s two, this vessel will be able to operate independently for decades, maybe a century. As captain of the vessel you will also be responsible for four marauders. The commanders are likely to be standard fleet, good at working in a team and able to follow orders, I’m still working on the details.”

Santiago’s smile was infectious.

“I’ve reassigned you to the Intel group,” Santiago said. “Effective the moment you entered my VR chamber. I’m still working on getting you an executive officer and command staff. Sorry but while you can make recommendations, I can’t make any promises. In a broad sense your job will be like the Reaper’s, travel to UE space and make a major nuisance of yourself.”

“I can do that,” Sonya said with a smile.

“There are some problems though,” Santiago said, losing his smile. “Probably for the first year or so you won’t have a full crew. The LRS Huntress can hold thousands, but you will only have a few hundred.”

“Why?” Sonya asked.

Santiago’s smile became grim.

“This is only a small part of the war effort,” Santiago said. “Like everything else we have to ramp up. Few people are taking the cold war with the UE’s seriously. The problem is that I need raiders in UE space right now. If I wait until all my ships are fully manned I could be waiting years. The missions and operations of the LRS Reaper will be released for your viewing only so you can get a good idea of what you are getting involved in. I don’t expect you to go easy on them.”

“The UE’s killed my dad many years ago during a trading mission to the Confederacy,” Sonya said. “I won’t go easy on them.”

“One of the reasons you were chosen,” Santiago said. “You may have to make some very hard, blood thirsty decisions. Mercy should not be a consideration. We need them hit hard and aggressively, and don’t stop hitting until they surrender. You have proven your non-traditional thinking and capabilities with the recent exercise.”

Sonya nodded.

“And if they exercise the final option against Everett?” Santiago said.

“I will have no problem exercising the final operation against New Terra or any of their habitable or semi-habitable systems,” Sonya said with ice in her voice.

“But not as a first option,” Santiago said.

“Of course,” Sonya said. “I won’t start genocide, but I will definitely finish it. I am vengeful, but I’m not bloodthirsty or completely merciless.”

Santiago nodded. She was a woman of her word, but Santiago knew that some decisions could not be made without being in that situation. Austin couldn’t fault her if she backed down but she had the potential he wanted. She could be a cold hearted, merciless bitch but she got the mission done, politics and career be damned.