Strong and Courageous Read online

  The door creaked open, and two nuns in full robes and habits walked in, bowing slightly in front of Sarno.

  The older nun was Emma Kaufman; she was a veteran member of the Terran Coalition Marine Corps; the younger was their resident fighter squadron commander, Oni Arendse. Arendse had served for several years in the CDF, achieving the rank of captain before she mustered out and joined the order. “Sisters, thank you for joining me this evening,” Sarno began. “Have you considered the proposal the CDF has given us regarding the situation on Monrovia?”

  Both nuns nodded, but Kaufman spoke for them. “Yes, Mother Superior. I’ve given it much thought and prayer.”

  “What’s your position on the matter, then?”

  “It’s difficult not to look at the practical considerations in addition to the moral aspects,” Kaufman said. “The equipment that’s on offer… we need it to keep up our operations tempo. There’s no shortage of people in this galaxy that need our help, especially along the frontier where the CDF lacks resources to keep the peace. Put that aside, how could we possibly turn away when hundreds of thousands of people are being murdered, and sleep at night knowing we could have made a difference?”

  “We’ve studied the available intel on the Monrovian military. As far as conflict goes, we’re very well prepared to fight them, Mother Superior,” Arendse said. “We’d have complete air superiority with the offer of latest generation CDF space superiority fighters. I concur with Sister Kaufman, however… we cannot turn away. I feel that conviction in my soul.”

  Sarno steepled her hands together. “I have prayed for guidance for hours as well. I have to balance the needs of the order with our mission to protect the weak and the innocent. That is at times a difficult balance, one that leads to not taking on a cause that is demonstrably just but would also lead to the destruction of the order. I agree with both of your assessments. I believe we have a path to victory should God choose to grant it to us. Therefore, we will take on this cause. Summon as many sisters as we can from all ongoing operations. We’ll need a force of seven to eight thousand to have a reasonable chance for victory.”

  Kaufman bowed her head. “Yes, Mother Superior.”

  Arendse also bowed in respect. “I will prepare the pilots, Mother Superior.”

  “Godspeed, Sisters.”

  10

  “I find it hard to believe that your government is sending a religious order of… what did you call them again?” Aibek asked, his head tilted to the side.

  “Nuns,” David said, glancing around the bridge of the Lion.

  “Wouldn’t it be far easier just to invade them, expose their crimes, and allow the galaxy to decide for itself?”

  “XO, I already made that argument, in triplicate, to command. Our job now is to follow orders.” David realized he sounded precisely like MacIntosh had earlier. Ah, the joys of being in charge. Why’d I sign up for this again?

  “Conn, TAO,” Ruth interjected. “New contact, bearing two-eight-zero, mark positive fifteen. Range fifteen thousand kilometers. Contact identified as a Gonzalez class light transport, designated Sierra fifty-seven.” In CDF nomenclature, a contact designed as Sierra was non-hostile, and not considered a threat.

  “Acknowledged, TAO. Well, XO… I think that’s the first wave.” David smirked before he turned toward Taylor. “Communications, get me a vidlink with Sierra fifty-seven.”

  “Aye, sir! They’re contacting us, sir. Transferring to your viewer.”

  A few moments later, Sarno’s image appeared on David’s viewer screen. To Aibek’s previous point, he found himself startled by her appearance in a traditional white and black nun’s habit and a simple black cloth dress. Desperate times, though, called for desperate measures.

  “Mother Superior Sarno,” David said, hoping he didn’t butcher the pronunciation of her name. “I am Colonel David Cohen, commanding officer of the CSV Lion of Judah. Greetings and thank you for your assistance.”

  Sarno’s tone was business-like. “Thank you, Colonel Cohen. It has been a long journey, and I am anxious to proceed with our mission. I understand that we are to meet onboard your ship to review the transfer of material and pick up intelligence.”

  “Yes, ma’am. We’re ready to receive you and your delegation at any time.”

  “Then we would like to come over now, Colonel. I understand that time is short.”

  David nodded. “Very well, send a shuttle over.”

  “Thank you, Colonel.” The image blinked out after she finished.

  Aibek stared at David. “Direct.”

  “Just the way I like it, XO.”

  Twenty minutes later, David, Aibek, Hanson, Ruth, Amir, Calvin, and Kenneth Lowe all sat in the conference room on deck one. David pondered how the CDF would avoid being tied back to the sisters’ actions. We’ll use the contractors to keep this as clean as possible. It’s thin, but… the spin doctors will be able to use it.

  “I understand that this is a bit unorthodox, folks,” David said. “I believe, however, that it’s our best chance to help these people, as I’ve explained previously.”

  Calvin crossed his arms in front of him. “We’re giving civilians a lot of military-grade hardware here, sir. Some of this stuff is cutting edge, especially the crowd control weaponry.”

  “The nuns place a premium to safeguarding life. They specifically requested non-lethal weapons, though I do agree we’re going out on a limb here, Colonel.”

  The hatch swung open, interrupting David as several women in long robes and the same black and white habit walked in. The woman in the lead bowed slightly. “Colonel Cohen, I am Mother Superior Sara Sarno. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. May I present Sisters Emma Kaufman and Oni Arendse?”

  David stood, as did the rest of those in the room. “Thank you, Mother Superior, Sisters. A pleasure to meet all of you. These are my senior officers—Lieutenant Colonel Talgat Aibek, the Lion’s executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Amir, Carrier Air Group commander, Lieutenant Colonel Calvin Demood, MEU commander, Major Arthur Hanson, chief engineer, First Lieutenant Ruth Goldberg, Tactical Action Officer… and finally, Kenneth Lowe. Mr. Lowe oversees the contractors onboard. His personnel will be transferring the supplies.”

  Sarno offered a slight smile. “That’s quite a mouthful, Colonel. Though, with so many crewmen on this ship, I would expect an impressive number of officers.”

  David gestured to the open chairs at the table. “Please, have a seat.”

  The three nuns sat down gracefully, after which David and his team returned to their seats. The marine that had escorted them closed the hatch door behind him, leaving the room secure and silent.

  “Mother Superior, thank you for joining us. I’m assuming you are fully briefed on the planet below?” At her nod of assent, David continued. “We’ve prepared an intelligence file with targeting information on the planet’s military forces. Monrovia’s National Guard is limited in size, with roughly fifty thousand active-duty soldiers. It does, however, have more than half a million reservists in its ranks.”

  “My understanding is that their level of technology is far behind the Terran Coalition’s,” Sarno said as a point of fact.

  Calvin spoke up. “Correct. For instance, their main battle tanks with hover capabilities would be what we consider to be second generation of ‘modern’ weapons. Ours are sixth generation. CDF Intelligence analysis believes that one platoon of our tanks could eliminate a division of theirs. They lack the weaponry to break through our protective materials.”

  “I still have concerns that sheer numbers could overrun us.”

  David nodded. “We share those concerns and will supply you with the Lion’s entire supply of area denial weapon systems. If you come up against a large force of infantry, those weapons will make anyone within two thousand meters feel like they’re on fire, and the closer they get, the worse the effect gets.”

  “The plan is sound, Colonel. My sisters and I have prayed—oh, how we ha
ve prayed—and I believe it is God’s will that we help in any way we can. Once we’ve transferred the new weapons and supplies to my flagship, I will call the rest of the sisters to battle. They’re waiting a couple of lightyears away. I would ask that you stay on station until we’re safely on the planet’s surface.”

  “That exceeds my orders, ma’am,” David said slowly.

  “I see. Will the space superiority fighters given to us have anti-space loadouts as well?”

  “I can set you up with some anti-ship missiles, Mother Superior,” Amir said in his accented English. “Monrovia has planetary defenses, but they’re also behind the times. I doubt they will be able to offer much resistance. Regardless, the fighters you will be receiving will be more than a match for Monrovia’s antiquated air forces.”

  Ruth leaned forward in her chair, “Mother Superior, if I may… I thought nuns were generally dedicated to helping the sick and needy. I’ve never heard of such an organization as yours before.”

  David raised an eyebrow and glanced at Ruth with a questioning look. The truth was, though, he was just as interested in the subject as she was, and he assumed everyone else in the room was too.

  Sarno smiled in return. “That’s a question I get often. Our lineage traces back several centuries to when the Exodus had first occurred, right after humanity began to spread out from Canaan. There was a period when military forces were few and far between. We tried to help keep the peace, and in time, we grew. At first, there were only a few hundred members of our order. We expanded greatly during the war with the Saurian empire; it overtaxed the CDF and left them unable to police some of the border planets. We’ve again grown during the ongoing war with the League. We try to fill in the places where the unjust would prey on the weak. Most of our sisters served with the CDF before joining the convent, but some come from neutral planets. A few are even defectors from the League of Sol itself.”

  “How do you get funded?” David asked, now thoroughly intrigued. “I can’t imagine keeping what amounts to a private army going is cheap.”

  “The same way all religious orders get their funding, Colonel: charity. That and our brother order of monks work for and donate their earnings to our coffers. They keep our equipment in good shape, too. We’re very selective of which causes we take. Only after much prayer and supplication do we decide to accept a request. The justness of the cause must be completely above reproach.”

  David nodded, fascinated by the concept. “I must say, Mother Superior, what you’re doing is unique. I salute you and your sisters. I’m also thankful that you were able to help these people, especially when we can’t.”

  “I believe the proper term is ‘won’t,’ Colonel Cohen,” Sarno said, her gaze unflinching.

  “Orders are orders, ma’am.”

  “Just following orders has been used throughout the history of humanity to justify some of the worst possible atrocities. The Nazis, the nuclear destruction of San Francisco before the Exodus, and practically everything the League of Sol does. Let us not forget that refusing to act can in and of itself be a moral crime,” Sarno spat back at him

  David’s face betrayed shock; he’d stepped on a landmine unknowingly. “Mother Superior,” he said, in the most diplomatic tone he could muster. “I may agree with your assessment, but my job now is to equip you for this fight and then ship out to engage the League. My prayers will go with you, as will the thoughts and prayers of everyone in this room.”

  Sarno inclined her head. “Then I thank you, Colonel Cohen. When can we begin the transfer?”

  Kenneth cleared his throat. “I’ve taken the liberty of preparing the supplies in cargo bay one. I’ve got a crew standing by to move the gear once your sisters finish inspecting the goods.”

  “That is acceptable to us.”

  “Very well. Mother Superior, you and your crew would be most welcome to join my senior officers and me tonight for dinner,” David said with palpable relief.

  “Thank you for such a kind offer, Colonel, but we must decline. Our order is very simple, and we will spend tonight praying and beseeching God, his Son, and the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength to see us through this battle.”

  David stood. “Then we’ll let everyone be on their way. Good luck and Godspeed.”

  Sarno stood, as did the two sisters with her. David gestured for the door, and the Lion’s crew filed out, along with the two sisters. He and Sarno took up the rear. “I’ve meant to ask, how is it that General MacIntosh and you know each other?”

  Sarno smiled. “He and I served together. Since I took over the order, he’s helped us on several occasions. Much of our better equipment is CDF issue.”

  “Well, that makes sense. The general is a Catholic after all.”

  Sarno reached out and put her hand on David’s shoulder. “He thinks much of you, Colonel. Keep up what you’re doing and stick to the narrow path.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked off with the two other women, their robes sweeping along the floor of the passageway and attracting looks from the crewmembers passing by.

  After the nuns had returned to the cargo bay and the transfer was underway, David decided to make his way to the synagogue, also known as the shul, onboard the Lion. The ever-present tug between his faith and his duties pulled at him as he removed his tallit gadol, or prayer shawl, out of a simple cloth bag his mother had made for him many years before. As it was mid-watch, there weren’t many others in the shul, and he made his way to the small office in the back of the expansive room. He stuck his head through the door and saw Rabbi Kravitz hard at work behind a computer panel.

  “Rabbi, do you have a minute?” David asked.

  “I’ve always got time for a fellow Jew, David,” Kravitz replied in his jovial voice. “Pull up a chair and tell me what’s on your mind.”

  David shut the door behind him and pulled one of the chairs in front of the desk back, sitting down heavily in it. “Rabbi, do you believe that we always have to follow orders?”

  “Are you asking me as a fellow officer or as a Jew?”

  “Let’s start with just another Jew,” David said, his face drawn.

  “I think we have to weigh every decision that we make, and I don’t think that God accepts just following orders as a defense for acting against His mitzvot,” Kravitz said, referencing Jewish law.

  “We agree then, Rabbi.”

  “Have you been ordered to do something wrong?”

  David shook his head. “I’ve been ordered not to interfere in the Monrovian situation. The Lion is to enable a third party to deal with the problem and move on to our next engagement zone with the League. Admiral Kartal is marshaling forces to attack a League-held border planet that has a high lithium ore concentration.”

  “Would that have something to do with the Little Sisters of Divine Recompense?” Kravitz asked with a smug grin on his face.

  David laughed. “Rabbi, you always know what’s going on. I marvel at that.”

  Kravitz winked. “Direct line to God.”

  “Yes… they’re going to deal with the Monrovian government. But…” David paused for a moment, his voice failing him, afraid to say what he was thinking. “Rabbi, I was taught and raised my entire life as a child that we would never again sit back and allow innocent people to be slaughtered simply for what they chose to believe in. I’m being ordered to turn away, to step aside. I don’t doubt that these nuns can handle the Monrovian military. But I think by not fighting myself, I’m sinning against God.”

  Kravitz sat back in his chair as he steepled his fingers together. “That’s a difficult judgment to make, David. As a fellow officer, don’t you realize you might be subject to severe repercussions for disobeying a direct order?”

  “I do. I’m not going to order my crew to disobey orders, but I can’t just forget this and move on.”

  “Are you looking for advice or my blessing?”

  David smiled ruefully. “Both?”

  “I
think you‘re a man of deep feelings, and I think you have a need to punish evildoers. I want you to remember that the Torah says that repayment for evil deeds is the Lord’s job, not ours.”

  “It also says not to allow others to die or come to harm by our lack of action.”

  “Oh, so you think you’re the rabbi now, eh? Maybe I should retire and let you take over here.”

  David, in spite of himself, laughed. “I meant no disrespect, Rabbi.”

  “I know you didn’t, David, but I worry for you. I can’t tell you not to go and try to right this wrong. For all I know, God wants you to go and will somehow work through you for the betterment of us all. I do want you to check your heart and be sure of your intent. If you want to help save others, then that will work together for good. But if your motivation is to gain revenge on those who have committed these atrocities, it will come back harshly on you.”

  David nodded. “Thank you for that perspective, Rabbi.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to take a temporary leave of absence from my post, leave the ship in the hands of the XO, and do everything in my power to help the nuns.”

  “General MacIntosh will not be pleased.”

  “If the general is half the man I think he is, he’ll be upset, but he’ll understand. I think he’d do the same if he were in my place.”

  “I suppose we will both get a ringside seat to see if you’re right, David.” Kravitz shook his head sadly. “Just don’t get hurt down there, okay? It took me long enough to get stationed to a capital ship with a Jewish commander. I’ve come to enjoy eating in the wardroom.”

  David laughed out loud; something about the rabbi’s manner was like a salve for the soul. “That’ll be my number one reason for keeping my head attached to its body, Rabbi.”

  “Good, good!” Kravitz too smirked a bit before leaning forward in his chair. “Will you come to prayers tonight?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it, Rabbi.”