by Chris Hechtl
“Appeal to the Secretary. See what she says,” Phoebe demanded.
“If it comes between the secretary and a directive from the president, I'm pretty certain I know who's going to win there,” he said with a shake of his head. “We're new in this. I knew coming in and trying to throw our weight around and take over was a mistake.”
“Then why did you do it?” Phoebe demanded.
“We needed to get the chain of command clarified of course,” he said as he rose from his seat.
“You are backing down?” she demanded.
“Yes,” he said flatly. “We can always change our minds later,” Fred told her. Phoebe reluctantly agreed.
He was quiet and reserved when he received the briefing on Prometheus the following day. The briefing was specific about the latest mission updates as well as on the chain of command. He found out after the meeting that Phoebe had somehow appealed the decision through the ansible but had been summarily slapped down for her efforts.
She didn't speak to him when he returned to their quarters later that evening. Captain Logan was in charge of the mission; that was all there was to it.
]][#]]]{OO}===}==>
They finally got an answer to a burning question when they were informed that they had been assigned a Spacebee unit. Four personnel were confirmed to be en route, not the platoon Shelby had wanted and requested. She was a bit put out over that news, especially when she heard that some of them were not only fresh out of training as she had been warned, but they had also been near the bottom of the score board—one noncom and three enlisted. No officer to keep them on track, though she was getting some headway there. BUPERS said they'd try to scare one up for her.
Their TOE wasn't too impressive either; according to the attachment, they were going to be outfitted with a limited amount of vehicles and equipment. They had one space tug, a class 2 industrial replicator, a couple robots, a couple tool chests, a small fusion reactor, rolls of cable and piping, and some other bits of equipment in chests and containers. She shook her head at that as she looked up to her XO.
Cynthia's lips had drawn a thin hard line on her face as she too had read the news. She was clearly upset by it. “I don't know what we're expecting them to do. Not a whole hell of a lot obviously,” Cynthia said with a shake of her head. “Certainly not building landing strips on planets or going around overhauling stuff!”
“I expect they'll provide the technical know-how and the ship's company plus the natives will provide the labor,” Shelby mused.
Cynthia opened her mouth to protest but saw it was fruitless so she closed it. She finally shrugged fatalistically. “It is what it is I guess.”
“You got that right. We can't change the powers that be minds on this. Spacebees are few and far between, and there are too many jobs here for them to attend to it seems,” Shelby said. “We'll just make do.”
Cynthia nodded. Spacebees, the engineers who went around working on various projects in the growing reborn Federation, were highly sought after. “Yes, ma’am. I guess we will.”
“Definitely,” Shelby growled.
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Later that day Shelby found out her request for Jethro McClintock's services as her lead Marine noncom had been denied by BUPERS. Curious, she did a little digging and checked the grapevine, but in doing so, she got her hand slapped by Captain Teague. “Whatever he's up to, it's hush-hush as in burn before reading and keep your nose short and mouth shut,” Irene said. “Don't get too nosy or you'll lose a centimeter off your nose … or more,” she said.
“Okay. Damn though,” Shelby said with a grimace.
“There are other Marines, Shelby,” Irene said helpfully.
“Yes, I know,” Shelby drawled. She smiled at Irene's expression. “There is an old saying. Aim high. See what the other side is willing to settle for,” she said.
Irene blinked and then nodded slowly. “I see,” she said. “Well, in his case you aimed a bit too high.”
Shelby nodded. “I didn't think they'd give us him. He's a big image here even though he's trying to keep a low profile. I doubt they'd want him out of contact for as long as our mission is,” Shelby explained. “But then again ….” She shrugged.
“It might actually be a good thing for him to be out of contact for an extended period,” Irene said slowly. “But you don't know how long you'll be in Tau. I didn't see a completion date in your orders,” Irene pointed out.
“That's because there isn't one. We don't know how long this will take. We know Tau is sparsely populated, but we don't know much about the sector. All of our information is decades out-of-date as you know. The most recent ship to have passed through the sector didn't go beyond Airea 3 and didn't talk much.”
“I know that. We tried to negotiate for more information through the ansible. They gave us a bit, but we had problems when they got wise and tried to charge us for it. My liaison on Airea 3 couldn't come up with what they wanted; they wouldn't accept credits. The local government refused to back him so they left,” Irene said.
“Frack,” Shelby said in frustration.
“My sentiments exactly. We do know that the scout ships have made it into the sector and that they generated some positive interest. So, your mission should have some groundwork laid out for you.”
“It'd be nice if one or both of them were there on the other side waiting for us with a download,” Shelby said. “But I suppose that's too much to ask for,” she said with a shake of her head as Cynthia entered her office. Her XO saw the holographic bust of the spook and went around the desk so she could be seen by the camera.
“Right. So, back to the topic at hand, we need good Marines. More importantly, we need Marines who can lead and train personnel if necessary. And that is just Marines. We also need doctors, engineers ….” Shelby shook her head. “And yeah, spooks,” she added.
“We are taking on a lot of personnel, ma'am. I understand dependents are also being offered slots?” Cynthia asked as Irene's image frowned thoughtfully.
“Yes, including children,” Shelby said with a grimace as she turned to look up at her XO. “I'm still trying to figure that one out. I think we may be biting off more than we can chew. But keeping families together is important. Though I'm not sure how many families would want to sail into the unknown.”
“True, ma'am,” Cynthia said.
“I didn't know that your mission is open to spouses and dependents,” Irene said. “That certainly complicates things on your end in some ways, but simplifies some of the personnel issues undoubtedly since you will be establishing a base. So far I've only found two personnel to go with you.”
“Damn,” Shelby muttered.
“I know, tell me about it. We're drawn in too many directions at the moment. Planets, the different war fronts, plus our own missions into the sectors. I'll put a call into Captain Montgomery and see if he can get you more personnel from Antigua. No promises though. I think, like the engineers, medics, and what have you, you're going to have to accept the dribs and drabs we can offer you at this time. It is cold, but the needs of the people here and the war front come first,” Irene said.
Shelby nodded. “Understood, ma'am,” she said quietly.
“But, your plan to open up to families certainly opens up the available pool of personnel. With the right incentives, I'm sure I can scare up at least one or two more personnel to go with you. No promises though.”
“Thank you.”
“As far as the Marines go, you'll need to discuss that with General Forth. They are his people after all.”
Shelby nodded.
“If I may be so bold, where are you planning to stick the civilians? And I'm guessing the civilian dependents of the crews as well? You can't have them rattling around in your ship or one of the warships.”
“That … is still up in the air. I have an idea, but I don't know if the brass will go for it considering they are pitching problems on scaring up the ships I'm supposed to have,” She
lby said.
“Well, good luck with that,” Irene said. She looked away to something off camera. “My time is up. Have a good evening, Captain.”
“The same to you, ma'am,” Shelby murmured. Cynthia smiled and nodded to the spook as her image cut out.
“What was that about, Skipper?” Cynthia asked as she stepped back to the front of the desk.
“I apparently set off some alarms when I tried to get a certain Marine to join the mission. I hadn't known that he had such protections. Why, I don't know.”
“A certain Marine?” Cynthia asked as she took a seat.
“Yeah, a Neocat I served with. When the idea of having to train personnel came up, he naturally came to mind. I served with him on Firefly.”
“I see.”
“He's something special … for a jarhead,” Shelby said with a half-smile. “But, he's unavailable. No surprise. So, we make due I suppose.”
“What about that transport you've got in mind?” Cynthia asked.
“Ah, that is a topic for a different time I suppose. I'm doing my research. I'm going to pitch it to the brass and see if I can get a bite tomorrow during the progress report meeting.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Cynthia drawled.
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Commodore X'll'rr worked on the plan for opening the eastern front with her staff in-between her usual duties running the First and Second Battlecruiser Squadrons. Things were looking up; she'd gotten the basic plan sorted out, the latest INTEL, and support ships were being designated for her use.
She had put in a request for a Marine recon or cadre unit to go along for the ride in case of ground OPS. She knew she needed to launch her plan before Captain Shelby finished getting her Prometheus expedition underway however; otherwise, the ships earmarked for her might get poached and then she'd be forced to wait as more ships came online or came back to Pyrax.
She was getting Third Fleet's First Battlecruiser Squadron as her main component. She had lobbied for the second and third as well, but Admiral Subert had been adamant against it. That had put a bit of a crimp in her plans and forced her to scale back her objectives. She also made it clear to the Admiralty that if she ran into too much resistance she'd be forced to stand down or raid only, not perform the orbital scorched earth tactics they desired.
Her calculations had to be adjusted when a familiar ship returned to Pyrax space.
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“So, Admiral Irons and BUPERS in Antigua cleared spouses and dependents for your mission. That certainly frees up some of the available pool, though I don't know of many takers,” Lt Strongbirth said.
“I know. If you have some military families … you know, with both spouses in the service, it might be nice. But I know most service members marry outside the service.”
“For good reason, raising a child is hard enough with both parents working and in the line of fire,” Lt Strongbirth said.
“Agreed,” Shelby replied with a nod.
“But, it is a good thing, even though it complicates the planning.”
“I took that into account from the beginning actually,” Shelby said.
“Oh?”
“I didn't think the available pool of personnel could stretch to cover the mission easily so I decided to cover that base. Which is why I requested four Liberty transports,” Shelby explained.
“That is out,” Saul said with a regretful shake of his head. “I talked to Captain I'rll. She's adamant that we don't have the hulls. Not for everything you need.”
“I realized that. But shifting them to Doras is out too. That puts too much of a strain on equipment and personnel. We'd need five times the amount of personnel to do the same mission,” Shelby said, nodding to the head of BUPERS.
“The captain is correct. The Dora option is not a viable one either,” the elf agreed, looking at the human chief of staff. “Why Commander Ch'n'x pitched the idea to her without consulting Captain I'rll and myself I do not know. I haven't gotten an answer out of her yet.”
“Drop the subject,” Admiral Subert stated. He turned to eye Shelby. “You have a backup plan, Captain?”
“A contingency plan, yes, if scaling back is necessary,” Shelby said. “I also have an out-of-the-box alternative,” she offered.
“What's the alternative?” the Admiral asked.
“We buy back Oasis of Space XCIV.” That made all three other officers blink at her owlishly in surprise. The Admiral frowned but sat back, seemingly considering the idea.
Saul glanced at his boss, then shook his head as he turned back to the captain. “It's not in the budget. Besides, we don't know if they'd sell. They've got commitments to their customer base, and it would take a long time to get the ship refitted, longer than your scheduled departure date.”
“I see,” Shelby murmured.
“We can still look into it,” Admiral Subert said. The commander turned to him in surprise. He shrugged. “It's an option, if not for her than for other plans. Running personnel in the convoys for one. Having the ship refitted as a hospital ship is another,” he said.
“I see, sir,” the chief of staff said.
“So, you can't get either option I believe. What is the fallback?” Admiral Subert asked.
“Well,” Shelby cleared her throat. “I might be able to squeeze the civilians into two Liberty transports if necessary. It will be tight however. They won't like being on board for the extended lengths of time we're expecting to be sailing for. The transports are not liners.”
“They'll deal with it. So will the crew. Two I think we can swing,” the admiral said with a nod.
“I think Commander Ch'n'x was hoping you'd take one but …,” Saul grimaced when the Admiral gave him a sharp look. “I believe two will work.”
“Just having the two will leave me short on carrying support and replacement personnel however; that is why it was a contingency plan. We're going to be months, possibly years from support here,” she reminded them.
“I've been discussing that very problem with the Admiralty. I think we've come up with a solution, one that is pretty much in line with your previous request,” Lieutenant Strongbirth said, using her 3-fingered hand to move the information around on the projection in front of her and then sending it off to the main viewer in the room.
All eyes turned to it. It was a formal document with attending attachments. “You asked for permission to recruit personnel. That has been done many times, most recently by Admiral Irons. Training them to standards will be an issue, but we can deal with that by sending them here later.”
“It is not a good solution,” Admiral Subert said with a grimace.
“But it is a compromise we have to make to complete the mission,” the lieutenant stated. She turned to the captain. “That is a matter of last resort of course. We need to keep our training standards homogenous, but we know you will be out on a limb with little support beyond what you bring with you.” Lieutenant Strongbirth said.
“Thank you.”
“Good. Now, the next point …”
Saul looked up with a frown. He put one hand to his right ear, which drew the attention of the elf and got her to stop talking for a moment. “Admiral, news from the B101a1 jump point. Caroline has arrived,” he said.
“ETA?” the admiral asked gruffly.
“Three days.”
“Very well. Continue then,” the admiral said with a nod to the lieutenant.
“Yes, sir,” the elf said with a slow nod. “Very well, the next point …”
Chapter 11
Caroline returned to Pyrax without much fanfare. Once the light cruiser docked at the Naval Annex, the additional personnel debarked with the crew; Commander Garretaj was on hand to greet them. The senior officers were mildly put out that they weren't the big splash. They had turned into minor news given the coverage of Protodon. Captain Perth was amused, “No bands, no ticker tape parades. Nothing. So, we've had our ten seconds of fame and the galaxy has moved on
, apparently,” Captain Perth said.
“Apparently so, sir,” Lieutenant Brock agreed in an annoyed but amused tone of voice as he shifted his duffle. Caroline needed a refit after that last crossing. The Admiralty hadn't been thrilled about it but both Commander Galavant and the skipper had been adamant about it. Apparently, they'd convinced Captain I'rll after they'd sent the Veraxin their logs and data. “I guess it's a good thing in a way, sir,” the navigator said.
“Oh?” the Neochimp captain demanded. “How do you figure?”
“If it's common place, which hopefully it will be, I'll take an uneventful ride over hoopla any day, sir,” Brock stated sagely.
The captain grunted then nodded. “True.”
“Apparently, politics are getting complicated with Bek, sir,” Lieutenant Oppenheimer stated, coming up behind them. The captain and navigator turned and stopped.
“How so?” the captain asked, cocking his head at the Neoorangutan.
“I just got word from a friend. It hasn't hit the news yet, but Commodore Logan got a less-than-stellar reception after we dropped him off. He essentially got exiled out of the star system. The powers that be are not amused,” Oppie said, shaking his head.
The captain's eyes narrowed. “How do you know this? And how did he exit the star system without us?” the captain demanded.
“Remember all that cargo we dropped off?” Oppie asked. The captain nodded, pursing his lips in thought. “Most of it has been sitting in storage collecting dust since we dropped the first load off,” she said. The captain blinked. “He used it to rebuild a ship when they signed off on the Harbor Station idea. He took a crew over to B102C. Just got there actually. He's been talking to Admiral Irons through it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” the captain murmured. “It explains the reception now I think,” he said thoughtfully. He turned back to see the Veraxin flag officer talking with the commander. It was apparent from the rear admiral's buzzing tone that she wasn't amused.