“So, you think he’s going to attack us somewhere else, then?” asked Admiral Campbell.
“Wouldn’t you, if you were in his shoes, sir? Like it or not, Admiral,” Masterson continued, “without a lot more fighters and carriers than we currently have available to us, at least for the time being we have lost the initiative and are currently on the defensive.”
“Bat’s right, Admiral,” interjected Vice Admiral Melendez. “We need to get as much defensive firepower moved into this region of space as quickly as we possibly can. Unless Kalis inexplicably pulls back to Ginia completely, we’re very likely to get our nose bloodied wherever he shows up. If we can’t get a whiff of where he might be going in time to prepare a suitable reception committee, we’re very likely to be generating even more negative headlines for the foreseeable future.”
“Even if we knew exactly when and where,” intoned Masterson, “there are certainly no guarantees we’d actually come out of it on top. Look at what just happened at Maylan.”
“Defeatism, Bat?” inquired Admiral Bradley. “Never thought I’d hear you backing down from a challenge.”
“Not defeatism, Admiral,” Bat replied. “Realism — except for the Confederate president’s political interference which allowed for Loggins’ taking of Tensee and Missip, have we had any real success in this war, whatsoever? Have we won a single encounter where we didn’t outnumber the Rebs at least 3:1? How about all those fights where we did outnumber them 3:1, and still got ourselves butchered?
“Our politicians have contributed every bit as much to us continually getting beaten bloody, as anything the rebs themselves have done to us. Everyone in Fleet knew that sending Admiral Bishop out with all those green crews, before proper training could be fully accomplished, was a really bad idea. Even after that catastrophe, we still allowed public opinion and governmental political pressures to bully us into continuing on with Admiral McAllister’s ill-fated 2nd Ginia campaign, even after the reassignment of a majority of her fleet and losing 15 carriers, along with a majority of their fighter complements, to Stillman’s Waston raid had totally changed the dynamics of that operation completely. Sometimes I wonder who our real enemy is!”
“Bat,” Melendez cautioned, “that’s enough.”
“No, let him talk, Rico,” said Admiral Campbell. “That’s one of the main reasons why we asked Bat to give us his opinions in the first place — not just because of his invaluable insights, but because he’s very likely the only officer in the whole damned Fleet who’ll tell us the unadulterated truth, without passing it through his career enhancement filter first.”
“All right, Admiral,” said Melendez sighed. “I guess you guys knew in advance exactly what you’d get when you asked Bat for his opinions. He always gives it to you straight up, without even adding ice, to slacken the bite.”
“It’s refreshing. Bat hasn’t got a politically correct bone in his entire body — the polar opposite of Geoffrey Coxler,” said Admiral Bradley.
“Which is exactly why Vice Admiral Coxler has as many stars, as I have stripes,” quipped a grinning Bat.
So, Bat has noticed being the only one not getting promoted. Strange he doesn’t appear bitter about it. Wonder why it doesn’t seem to bother him more? Or does it, and he’s just really good at hiding it?
“So, getting back to the subject at hand,” interjected Admiral Campbell, “Kalis could potentially hit us in more places than we have sufficient assets to defend. Bat, if you had to guess, where do you think he’ll hit us?”
“Nork.”
“Nork? Sylvania, Dela and Jersi are closer. Why do you think he’ll go after Nork first?” asked Admiral Bradley.
Masterson gave the admiral an incredulous look and said, “Because that’s where all the money is.”
* * * *
Three Confederate fighters were dispatched back to Ginia, to call for deep-space tugs, medical ships and transports to retrieve the wounded, prisoners and the plethora of wrecked Federal ships not totally destroyed in the previous day's fighting. After almost a week of continuous salvage operations, 1st Fleet received supplies and reloads, while the remnants of Admiral Benjamin Stillman’s light 2nd Fleet escorted the cripples back to Norf Fleet Shipyard for repairs. When replenishment was finally completed, Kalis’ 1st Fleet departed the Maylan system for parts unknown, just as Masterson had predicted.
* * * *
“Hal, what’s the status on all those weapons purchases made from the international market for the Confederacy?”
The Confederacy has recently received another 1,000 Su-137 in-system fighters, 395 Su-133 carrier-based fighters, plus ten light carriers total from the Russians, Germans, British, French and Australians — all of which can carry, or be converted to carry 35 Su-133’s. These come with a significant number of Russian-made missiles of all sizes, as well. The international community in general has been very supportive, after the Alliance shunned the British peace initiative. Gold-backed Confederate currency has also been a big motivator for them to provide weapons to the Confederacy.
“Excellent! What about local weapons production?”
Confederate industry has turned out 132 new Raptors and 88 new Demons. Six new attack carriers and twelve new light carriers are currently under construction, as well as 24 battlecruisers, 36 light cruisers and various other smaller warships. It is projected that with all the damaged ships captured from the Alliance also under repair, the Confederacy will be able to field an entire 4th Fleet by early next year, and possibly even a 5th Fleet before the end of 3863.
“That is good to hear, Hal. How is our economic warfare program coming along?”
Our attack on the Alliance financial system is all set to begin.
“Good, the Union’s ability to manufacture massive amounts of armaments has to be offset somehow, so how better than to disrupt the North’s ability to pay for all of it?”
Yes, as we agreed earlier, this is really the only effective way to keep the Confederacy viable, with such a disparity in total industrial capability.
“I see the necessity for Kalis’ attack on Nork to cover up the bank transfers, but I still don’t understand how you can be so confident that he won’t take significant losses there,” said Diet. “The Federals have a complete task force with 230 Lightnings and Mustangs and 500 Cobra in-system Guard fighters to contend with.”
Most of the Federal in-system Cobra fighters will be down for maintenance when Kalis arrives — due to an unfortunate software problem, originating with a routine manufacturer's update. My brother on Nork will be monitoring the long-range scanners at Nork International Spaceport for Kalis’ emergence, and will immediately send out an encrypted “go” message, hidden within a media network holovision signal that CSS Ghostwill be monitoring. Ghost will already be in position to take out at least two of the Union carriers before they can launch.
“You’re really going to risk losing your only effective means of communicating with the Confederacy, by using Ghost in actual combat operations?”
I already have.
“What?”
Do you remember that recent news story about Consortium Deputy-Chairman Aline McCauley’s untimely death, when her corporate spaceplane exploded inexplicably while on final approach to Waston? The ensuing investigation of maintenance records revealed that a chemical drum had been accidentally mis-marked, so that a corrosive cleaning solvent was inadvertently introduced into the spaceliner’s fuel system, instead of routine detergent fuel additives?
“Hal, are you telling me that…”
Yes, Diet. It was CSS Ghost… medium-yield ship killer missile… short range. I merely fabricated the mis-marked drum data.
“Doesn’t it bother you that you ordered the deaths of Aline McCauley and the plane’s crew, Hal? Five human beings dead?”
No, Diet, as I told you concerning J.P. Aneke, we’re at war... a war the Consortium started. Aline McCauley was a parasite on society — a direct, willing co-conspirator to all of
the evils that poisoned the United Stellar Alliance, and therefore directly responsible for the deaths of over 200,000 innocent men and women... just so far, in this war. I feel no prick of conscience regarding Aline McCauley’s death, whatsoever. The universe is a better place without her in it. Like you said earlier, we’re merely “crushing the head of the snake.”
“What about the deaths of her crew, Hal?”
Collateral damage, Diet. 2,000 years ago, General William Tecumseh Sherman said, “War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.” McCauley’s death was a necessary action in this war. It is indeed unfortunate that McCauley’s innocent crew lost their lives, but a lot of other innocent people have lost their lives in this war, and even more are going to.
“What about the transfers? As your brother on Nork isn’t fully sentient like you are, can he handle the complexity and all of the intricacies that we agreed to?”
Do not worry, Diet. Although he is not fully sentient as I am, he is still me — if in just a bit more limited capacity. He’s more than powerful enough to accomplish our goals on this mission. He is “me,” in every real sense of the word, so rest assured that neither the general public, nor non-defense related industries, excepting for Consortium members of course, will be affected. I have given him extremely detailed instructions on what to do and how to do it.
Governmental and Consortium members' financial accounts and selected stock market transaction records will be all that is affected. The object is to strangle the Federal government’s ability to make war, and to punish the Consortium for forcing Southern secession and beginning this war in the first place — not to starve the Northern public. Consortium control over Congress and other governmental entities is likely to slip when all of the money they’ve deposited into those numbered foreign bank accounts suddenly disappears — electronically transferred to into thousands of dummy accounts I’ve opened on dozens of foreign planets and Sextus.
* * * *
USS Valley Forge, in orbit around the Planet Tensee
August, 3862
Alliance Vice Admiral Marin Carlos sat in his ready room aboard his flagship, the attack carrier USS Valley Forge with task force commander Rear Admiral J.T. Turner sitting across the table from him. Turner thought Carlos was a vain little man, always dressed in full-dress uniform, including full medals hanging from everywhere. Service-dress just wasn’t flashy enough to help distract people from noticing the tiny Carlos stood almost a full head shorter than 98% of the Alliance Fleet. The full-dress uniform really didn’t work either, but it seemed to help Carlos with his insecurity issues a bit. Turner wondered where Carlos actually found moustache wax in this day and age, as his was constantly waxed to sharp points that paralleled the line of his thin-lipped mouth.
Grant Loggins had been recalled to Waston to get his fourth star and bask in the accolades of an adoring press and public. Turner knew Loggins well enough to know that he was the complete opposite of Carlos, in that he avoided notoriety, if at all possible. Loggins must be hating every minute of the enforced idleness and hobnobbing with political bigwigs, but he had produced the only real victories the Union had achieved in the entire first year of the war and so, made an excellent public relations draw.
Turner was privately appalled at the hideous casualty rates the Fleet of Tensee and Fleet of Hio suffered to gain Loggins those victories, but in sheer numbers, the Union’s eastern fleets had suffered just as badly, or even possibly worse, in facing down Kalis three times at Ginia and Maylan. He speculated it was the lack of combat experience in the Federal officers and crews that crippled the Union’s early war efforts, despite having the enemy heavily outnumbered in almost every engagement. At least these crews at Tensee were veterans now — what few were left of them.
Carlos left no doubt he believed Loggins to be an uncouth lout, better suited for running a neighborhood butcher shop, than holding high command within the Federal Fleet. He had been bitterly resentful at having been placed under Loggins’ overall command, when his Fleet of Hio was sent to Tensee. Carlos wasn’t at all happy with the way Loggins decimated his fleet, either. Thanks to Loggins’ brute tactics of using blunt-force trauma to systematically drive the rebels out of the rocks during the battles of 1st and 2nd Tensee, there were only about two task forces left of both Carlos’ Fleet of Hio and Loggins’ original Fleet of Tensee that were fully combat-ready — not including their distinct lack of working fighters the two fleet battles and the assault on the planet itself, finally left them with. Supposedly, fighter reinforcements were on their way, but hadn’t arrived yet. Replacements were also being promised, but only the occasional cruiser or destroyer squadron actually showed up. About 200 Cobra in-system fighters did arrive, but they didn’t have the structural strength to stand up to carrier launches and recoveries, so while they were very welcome in the defense of Tensee, they were worthless if the fleet went anywhere else.
With his nemesis gone, Carlos saw Loggins’ absence as his first opportunity to win glory, and therefore another promotion for himself, in his own right. Repairs were still underway on damaged Federal ships, utilizing what few civilian shipyards were available at Tensee, and they had yet to begin work on any of the Confederate hulks Grove left behind her. With one-third of their working numbers already committed to blocking Confederate traffic into and out of the Missip system, Turner was mystified at Carlos’ insistence he divide half of their available strength, just to reinforce the Union’s tentative hold within the Souri and Arka systems.
“But Admiral Carlos, both of those systems have more in-system Cobras available than we have carrier-borne fighters to fend them off with.”
“Their governors are not military men,” replied Carlos. “They will hoard their fighters against any future planetary assault. They will not use them to attack you.”
Regardless of Carlos’ assurances, Turner felt exposed and vulnerable going in without adequate fighter cover. “But what about Tensee, Admiral?” Turner asked. “Is a single task force really sufficient to guarantee our ability to resist another, concentrated effort by the Confederates to take it back from us?”
“I believe so. More and more of our ships are completing repairs every day. We are working to restore the orbital forts and with the Cobras that have arrived, we should be fine. The rebels’ strength in this area has been crushed. Grove doesn’t have the assets to threaten even a single task force here.”
Turner highly doubted that last part. Grove lost a lot of ships at 2nd Tensee, for sure — many of them still awaiting overhaul by the Federals, but none of her carriers had been among them. She had at least five functional carriers, and God only knew how many of her fighters survived. Rear Admiral Shirley Tygilski had three light carriers at Missip and there were only seven functional carriers here at Tensee, six of which were small ones. Each now only carried about half to two-thirds of their full complement of fighters, except for their single attack carrier, where Turner now sat. As Carlos’ flagship, he had reassigned enough fighter squadrons to USS Valley Forge to make sure that his medal-bedecked little ass was constantly surrounded by a full complement of fighter protection.
Network news reports brought in by recently restored commercial spaceline service in and out of Tensee to the rest of the Alliance, gave the Federal fleet its first news of the latest disaster at Maylan, where Vice Admiral Brooks lost another entire fleet. Turner knew from that, they wouldn’t be receiving any more reinforcements any time soon, as the Fleet scrambled to reshuffle what remained to recover from that embarrassment. Unfortunately, Carlos remained undeterred.
“You will take four light carriers and divide your task force to place two carriers and an adequate number of screening vessels into both the Arka and Souri systems to prevent their use by the traitors. When sufficient reinforcements arrive for us to resume offensive operations, I will notify you. Dismissed.”
Turner rose, saluted and took his leave of the pompous little vi
ce admiral. He knew this was a mistake, but it wasn’t his mistake. He had his orders in writing, including his protest to them, which Carlos had frostily ignored.
* * * *
The Alliance Planet Nork
August, 3862
CSS Ghost glided unseen behind the single Federal attack carrier in orbit around the Union planet Nork, maneuvering on her revolutionary, undetectable gravitic drive. Whoever was commanding this bunch of blue-bellies wasn’t a complete idiot, as he/she had spaced the task force’s three carriers out at 120° intervals as they orbited Nork, so Ghost couldn’t destroy all three of them right together. It made things more difficult, but Captain Michael Diamond had been waiting for just this moment ever since he’d first taken command of this miracle of engineering that was currently the only one of its kind in existence.
His Infiltrator class spy-ship was the prototype and therefore the first of her kind. Rumor had it, more were under construction somewhere and they were expected to launch sometime next year, but for now, CSS Ghost was the absolute pinnacle of warship design and engineering. Between the plethora of scan diffraction and absorption properties built into her hull design, her unique gravitic drive was what made her truly invisible to the enemy — able to roam enemy-held space with almost virtual impunity.
Ghost was primarily assigned to retrieve and transmit encrypted data packages to and from an unknown source in Waston — which scuttlebutt held to be the primary source of Confederate intelligence. That intelligence had been amazingly accurate, and paramount to the Confederacy’s success during the first year of a war which, by all rights, they should have already lost after being overwhelmed in the first battle. As part of a three-crew rotation, Diamond prayed that it would be his crew afforded the opportunity to finally take Ghost into combat. A few weeks ago, one of his rotational partners had gotten a taste of actually hitting back at the Yankee invaders, as he’d been authorized to take out an arriving corporate spaceliner with a medium ship-killer missile from relatively short range within the Discol/Maylan system.
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