"We Regret To Inform You..."

Carstairs brow sagged as he read the fleet loss reports.

Captain Follitt of the Barber had four children back home in Melbourne.
Captain Katkov of the Savannah was leading his first command.
Captain Kelley of the Medusa had been a classically trained pianist.
Captain Rawls of the Norden spoke four languages.
Captain Allen of the Morgan collected Chinese pottery.

And they were all dead. They and most of their crews and so many others. So many young men and women... Fathers, mothers, sons and daughters all. Carstairs despised the form letters that Earthforce sent to the widows and children left behind and whenever possible, he would dictate something more personal to the families of those left behind. But how do you tell a man's wife or a woman's husband that their spouse is dead because of you sent them to die? What solace could they gain from knowing that you wish you could trade places with their dead? And, lastly, what of all the others? The ones he didn't know? All the nameless, faceless crewmen whose families would get nothing more than a form letter, a funeral and a flag?

Carstairs looked at the picture on his desk of his wife, daughter and granddaughter all posed together. Focusing on the little two-year old smile he thought to her. I will go to hell for all the death I have caused, but I will leave the galaxy safer to play in. I made that promise to your mother and I make that promise again to you.

Two raps at the door. Carstairs knew who it was: another meeting he didn't want to have. He straightened his jacket, leafed through some papers to burn a few moments of time and exhaled. "Enter."

The door slid open to reveal a short, heavyset man with graying strands of hair hanging down over an eyepatch. Each step he made forward seemed to shake the room until he stopped at the edge of Carstairs desk and saluted. "General Piotr Hrudek reporting."

Carstairs noted the lack of a "sir" at the end of that last sentence and shot a salute back. "Welcome abord, Pete. I see they finally gave you a star." Carstairs remembered that ever since the Academy, Hrudek never liked being called "Pete".

Hrudek's eyes almost imperceptibly reacted and he replied in his gravelly not-quite-Polish/not-quite Ukranian accent. "Well, some people can't rely on being liked. Unlike you, we have to earn it." Their two eyes met and their stony, unmoving faces betrayed all the love and respect these two men had for each other.

Carstairs broke the silence. "Why are you here?"

"You asked for another Orestes so here I am."

"Most Orestes still have Captains, not Generals. Did they send you to replace me?"

Hrudek betrayed a hint of smile at the thought. "Not originally. But after that run-in with the Dilgar three days ago, who knows?"

The tension returned but Hrudek broke the silence this time. "You had a bad time. Today I take it easy on you."

Carstairs wasn't sure if that was sincere or meant to be a barb of some kind. He was sure that he didn't miss these verbal fencing matches. "Then say what you have to say."

Hrudek let go a little and began to speak more openly. "I'm here because the scope of things has changed a bit. Now that we're fighting two forces in this system, it has been decided to have two commands: one for the Dilgar and one for the Centauri."

'One for the Centauri' arched Carstairs brow. "Really? So Earth has decided to take the gloves off?"

"Yes." Hrudek replied. "Nobody in Earth Dome thought the Centauri would go to war over the actions of one House, especially for a system on the other side of Narn space. Through diplomatic channels, we have learned with more certainty that Centauri Prime will not significantly or militarily protest any actions against Centauri forces here. So we came to help you kick them out. You will remain in overall command but I will be in command of aggressive elements meant to drive out the Centauri specifically. After the incident with the Primus, there is much support back home for fighting them. And if we run into Dilgar, too, all the better."

"That's very forward thinking of Earth Dome." Carstairs didn't entirely buy it.

"It's not. I was sent to support before. This decision was transmitted to me this morning. You should have it through channels later today."

"Why didn't they send it to me first?"

Hrudek leaned forward with his stony grin. "Because I wanted to tell you myself."

Carstairs shifted uneasily in his chair. "This is insane, you know. Everything we waste against the Centauri is something we could use against the Dilgar."

Hrudek grew pensive for a minute. "True. But back home, people like the idea of driving the aliens away. Many people are happy to fight the Dilgar because it'll keep the other aliens from coming to Earth space as refugees. And the Centauri may look like us but they're nothing like us."

Carstairs betrayed a grin. "I have at least one commander who would beg to differ with you on that point."

"No matter. Many people back home want this, therefore Earth Dome wants it. Vox populi..."

Carstairs leaned forward. "Nobody ever finishes that quote. 'The voice of the people is the voice of God. But what if the people are mad?'"

Hrudek chuckled. "We are at war! Everyone is mad!"

Carstairs shifted uneasily again. He knew that the war had become a kind of fever for some. But it was a little distasteful to see it in someone so high up the Chain of Command. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes. I'm sorry you have to write all those letters." For one moment, Hrudek let an almost sympathetic feeling slip out. But only for a moment. "Next time, don't get beaten by Horatio Nelson!"

Carstairs needed no reminding how Napoleon's naval ambitions were destroyed by the same tactics the Dilgar used on him. "I am still in command here, General. When I want your advice, I shall ask for it. You may now leave my office."

"Yes, sir, Admiral, sir!" Hrudek stood, offered a half-hearted salute and turned his back on Carstairs as quickly as he could to leave.