Riss Series 5: The Riss Challenge Read Free Page A

maintain readiness. The crews on the Mnemosyne and Eirene have been assigned for going on two years. With your permission, I'd like to form a couple of replacement units for the Ghosts and Scorpions so that we can rotate units every eighteen months, giving their personnel a six month leave."
    "That should solve one problem—leave—but create another," Plimson laughed. "Judging by the comments I get from Riss detached units, you're creating a new elite service. I'll bet you could get a couple of thousand volunteers, officers and enlisted, if you were planning on adding more cruisers."
    "I think the Riss have reached their capacity for now. I'm planning on dedicating six to SAS, one to UPN, and one to Freeland."
    "To ex-Raiders?" O'Malley asked in a surprisingly neutral tone.
    "Be assured, Admiral O'Malley, only the Riss can operate a Riss cruiser, and no Riss would help a non-Riss. Like you, I understand human frailties and don't want to see a Riss cruiser used against any nation except in true self-defense or per our mutual support agreements."
    "True self-defense?" O'Malley asked.
    "Yes. Many believe revenge and preemptive strikes constitute self-defense. The Riss do not."
    "You have my permission to recruit for your replacement crews," Plimson said, then looked to Terril. "No offense, Admiral Zhu, but I hope you intend to use SAS detached units and Scorpion security on the Mnemosyne...and what about the two non-SAS cruisers?"
    "Admiral Plimson, a Riss-human is part Riss, so even if he or she became unstable, attempted to go rogue, or agreed to cooperate with a mutiny, the Riss would take full control. It has happened before."
    "That's a good example, O'Malley. Leader Reese's actions often seem unreasonable until you hear her reasoning and understand the logic behind it," Plimson said.
    "You don't have to worry about security on a Riss cruiser with UFN detachments, Admiral Plimson. Whoever has a UFN detached unit will have a Red Dragon detail for security," Zhu said. "What about the...Freeland detachment?"
    I laughed. "I'm afraid I haven't seen that far into the future."
    * * *
    "Who would like to start?" I asked when everyone was seated. It had been a couple of months since the treaty had been approved, and I had begun holding a regular weekly staff meeting which included the Riss-humans.
    Commander Byer nodded to me. "Colonel Seng and I have been working on a replacement plan. If we down-size the fighters from fifteen to ten and the Scorpions to sixty, we can form another Ghost and Scorpion unit. And Admiral O'Malley has been very cooperative in helping identify volunteers for a second unit. They are ready for you to interview. Once you approved the second group, we could begin the rotations. The feedback has been good, and the troops are excited over the rotation scheme."
    "I think our only concern, which is personal," Seng said looking to Byer, who nodded, "is that the rotations mean that you would wind up on a different ship each time. I know Commander Byer and I would prefer being on the Mnemosyne."
    "I too would prefer you on the Mnemosyne," I said, glancing in Terril's direction. "If you can think of a solution, I'd like to hear it. Commander Iglis?"
    "First, thank you for allowing me to interview the merchants. I know they are now under Riss control, and you didn't have to. As you requested, I no longer check their logs, but I think they are being every bit as cooperative as before. They know the information goes to you. That being said, nothing much is happening. Now that the war is over, I tend to spend most of my time on rumors—about what you are doing." Iglis laughed. But between Admiral Plimson, Admiral O'Malley, and even Admiral Butler, because you continued to allow me access to the merchants, the rumors are pretty well under control. You have to admit, you make us all nervous." Iglis's face flushed slightly, while receiving nods and snorts of agreement from around the table. "There is something going on