"Hello!" Fred's pleasant voice says as her stunning face appears on my screen.
"Hi, Baby. Will you and Bryant be okay if I don't make it home for dinner? I think I'll be in the office until near midnight."
"We'll be okay. But, we'll really miss you. And, what about saying goodnight to Bryant?" She asked.
"Would you like to bring him up here? I could break for a quick dinner. Then, I'd go on when you two leave. He loves to see the ship and my work."
"Sure. What time?"
"How about five-thirty?"
"Sounds great. We'll be there."
"Can you let Ed know. I'll advise Dave Angstrom. What would you like?"
"Let's have a picnic?"
"Okay. I'll tell Dave fried chicken, potato salad, and cole slaw. I'll see you at seventeen-thirty."
"We'll be there." She said with a big smile as she disconnected.
I informed Dave and told him I wanted it served picnic-style - on a big beach blanket - on the floor. He actually seemed excited at the thought.
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By the time they arrived, my simulations of the rough draft were programmed into the system and were moving holographs playing out in the air over the picnic lunch. Bryant was exuberant and mesmerized. He must have asked a hundred questions about the battle and how the simulations and plans are assembled. It turned into the dominant topic as we enjoyed our dinner. Even Fredricka enjoyed the entire presentation. She'd never seen how this part of my job is done.
"But, you know war is not a good thing, don't you son? People get hurt, killed, and displaced by it. And the money we spend on it and on protecting our space could probably feed an entire world."
"Yes, I understand. But the simolations are neat - kinda like a video game.' He struggled with the one word. 'Boy, you sure have a lot of work to do, Dad." Bryant reflected aloud as he admired the moving images.
"This is not all my work. Nearly six hundred people have contributed to this. But, it is my job to tell them what I need to get done and how I'd like to do it. When they come back with all their ideas, I build a final plan like this. But, it's not finished, yet. That's why I have to work late.
These projections are called simulations.' I emphasized the pronunciation. 'They are like giant video games that allow me to see how the whole idea works. I can see some problems in parts of it. So, I have to find ways to improve it and run the entire recreation again. I keep doing that until our plan becomes the best one I can create. I have to get it to your Uncle George, tonight. He needs a couple of days to include it with his plans."
"Gee dad. You guys are really smart. I think I'd like to do what you do when I grow up."
"If that's what you still want then, that's great. But, you may want to do something else by the time you're bigger. And, that's okay too - just as long as you try your best at whatever you do."
"Don't worry, dad. I'll be the best Admiral ever."
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I spent until one o'clock in the morning modifying the entire proposition to a satisfactory state. By that, I mean it's my job to develop a scenario that's going to give us the biggest pop for our Sovereign with the least probable losses.
In the end, it didn't look much like what we'd developed when we were looking at executing in May. Our opponents withdrawal and redeployment changed everything. 82 Eridani now had three times the enemy strength we saw there back then. It required making the best use of all assets under my direction. Pre-assault mining, seven hundred sixty-eight of our warships, two hundred fifty-six Polemista Frigates, twelve Epsilon covert Frigates, and fourteen SOCC subs had to be coordinated in the most efficient possible manner to deal with the nearly thirteen hundred enemy vessels and three giant orbs. The latest edition included surprise, deception, and exploiting Isesinis tactical deficiencies.
An hour later, I was satisfied with the final version after running it through our editing application. The Zeta plan was nearly two hundred fifty pages including charts with an additional six hundred of lower echelon details and supporting documents. I e-mailed it all to George with the final sims and a suggestion to the timing of the overall operation. Then, I sent a memo to Roh and Elasima explaining my late hour, advising I wouldn't be at my desk until thirteen hundred, today, and copying the proposal to them. I will need their assistance. Both know their jobs well. And they'll ensure the daily orders and duty rosters are managed correctly.
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I feel a lot better today as I take my place in my office. Despite my late start, yesterday, I felt hungover the entire day. The previous night's marathon had sapped me. I guess I'm unable to do the all-nighters' anymore without paying a price. As I power up the datapad, it indicates dozens of incoming mail items, but I am especially interested in the one from George. It requires decryption, so I'm sure it's a response to the submission I sent him thirty hours ago.
MEMO
CLASSIFIED - SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root I.D. Eps-11571#W739/?
From:F. Admiral G. Bryant C&C / Epsilon HQ Commander
To:F. Admiral K. Brubacher C&C Zeta HQ / Commander
C.C.C&C Commission Members, CIC, SOD
Re:Pending Operations
Date:October 28, 2271
Admiral,
You will find specific orders attached pertaining to our upcoming operations. I have also included the approved version of your general battle plan. There has only been one change to your proposal, and it is based on your suggestion regarding the timing of the overall assault. In this version, you will confront the enemy one hour earlier than previously discussed. Likewise, Epsilon will begin one hour later. The diversionary team will start two hours before you.
Regards,
Flt. Adm. G. Bryant
Over the next hour and a half, I see that copies of all the other endorsements are landing in my mailbox. These include defensive redeployments within our recaptured area and two feints that are planned to confuse our opponents.
Based on the approval, we have limited time to practice, so I quickly set about releasing orders to my subsidiaries. They were prepared in anticipation of the authorization and include directives relating to practice and war games. There is a set of instructions for each of my Tier 2 Commanders, and the Tier Two operation borrowed from Gamma Command. However, I'm careful to inspect all my documents because they were done on the day I was feeling so dull.
All the way down the chain, Commanding Officers would complete the same procedure. So, when my Tier Two Admirals receive their mandates, they will pass their directives to the Theatres, and so-on down the line. Since it is standard for everyone in the chain to copy me on any instructions regarding an operation originating at my level, I begin receiving copious amounts of mail. In the end, I monitor over a thousand communiqués associated with the campaign or its preparations.
Starting the next morning, I travel to a different Command's Headquarter's every day tracking their training measures. At first, they are conducted by each individual Theatre Command. Then, they are run in combination at the Tier Two level. After two weeks, El and I alternate supervision of "all-Zeta" rehearsals. Finally, we run all versions of the plan with a significant portion of Delta Command standing in as our opponents. But, Fleet Admiral Addison Blythe throws a little kink in our exercises. She comes up with responses we hadn't considered. I ponder them and amend my documents and orders. Then, I copy George explaining the reasoning, and he quickly forwards a modified master document and all the necessary approvals with his thanks to Addison for " a good catch."
So now, there are eight forms the Zeta assault may end up taking, depending on what we find at the moment of contact and the Isesinis response to our blitz. We continue practicing all of them. The intent is to see the
enemy reaction and identify which alternative is required, immediately. Our attack must be flexible and reflexive, at all times. As a final test, Addison first counters with one method, then quickly changes to a different one. We do this several times to improve our effectiveness and hone our skills. By November 10, I'm satisfied. We're ready.
But, on that day, I receive a memo sent to George and me by Savign asking us to review the most current surveillance of our targets, carefully. I ask Svesion and Sparks to attend me with the appropriate files. What I view reinforces my belief in both Kil Kos' wily tactical skills and the security of our covert operations. He has altered the configuration of standing Regional Headquarters' Fleets. They are now within three-disc formations. The orbs are located at the hub of a central one. The other two contingents are positioned above and below the one holding the Polyhedrons.
It's evident from this that he has identified his troops' inability to think three-dimensionally and has adopted this scheme to compensate. It's also apparent, he's still not aware of SOCC mining operations. Kos has not realized that a great deal of our success has come from neutralizing a substantial portion of his flotillas before a shot is even fired. But, this does require a change in our initial approach. We've always entered the fields from above and below at one end with limited support around their perimeter provided by SOCC. We will need to emphasize the use of both our covert support units on the middle disc. And, we will need to ensure a majority of Isesinis' vessels are boobytrapped. I alter our plans and forward them to George suggesting a two-week delay in launch date for training. He approves.
I reencode my sims with the new parameters. I still end up with eight possible avenues that are very similar but vary with different responses from the protective enemy layers. I reschedule practice and war games. Delta employs the new enemy layout in their opposing role. By November 24, we're ready. George, Savign and I agree the big day will fall between December 10 and December 15. We will all grant leaves. Then, we'll conduct two more days of rehearsal and decide the precise date.
....................................................................
For their part, Boets' and Basi's roles haven't changed. And, they haven't had time to get bored. The constant delays have provided an interval to mine each and every warship, orbiting shipyard, and communications platform circling this world. And, they've been able to identify more ground targets which have either been penetrated by covert ground forces or entered into their ships' weapons targeting computers. They have also had time to receive Admiral Savign's approval of changes to their assault operation. They will now conduct four waves of bombardment, targeting three hundred and twenty surface installations.
Their combined operation is actually quite simple. On whatever date E-day happens, they will detonate all space-borne enemy assets at three hundred hours fifty minutes. By four hundred, they will be aware of all the speeding shrapnels' trajectories and will adjust accordingly. The order to fire the first wave of Spears and particle cannons will come at one minute after the hour. Bombardment will continue for one hour. It will be stopped for a two-hour period of resupply and damage assessment. Then it will resume for another hour. This will be repeated until all three hundred twenty sites have been hit. The final volley should be complete by fourteen hundred hours. They will take thorough sensor and imaging scans of the planet over the subsequent hour. After mission completion, the combined Command will reorganize and jump out as Isesinis support begins arriving.
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On Saturday, December 2, 2271, we are so close to our staging launch that it is time to take all the exceptional internal actions we've secretly discussed. Though unsure of the innocence or guilt of all the parties mentioned, it's time to act on information that arose as a matter of course in reports from General Naabaahi's mission. In most cases, he was unaware these contact lists and journals involved names of people within the OFSA. He did not know if they were actually communicating with the Admiral. But, he included them because they originated with Chan.
Sparks had ordered ISIE to locate and initiate surveillance of all those people over six months ago. Some were clearly working for the traitor. Others were questionable. And, there was a group Sparks was sure had no knowledge of Chan's interest in them. But, in an abundance of caution, Sparks sought and received warrants for the arrest of all two hundred twenty-one on suspicion of espionage. One hundred ninety-three were Officers and Enlisted personnel within the OFSA. All were arrested today.
Each person would be thoroughly investigated and undergo grueling interrogations. Sparks knew he would drop charges in about a third of the cases. But, they would all be held until all Epsilon and Zeta Fleets had returned from the mission. There'd be no pipeline to Kos regarding this operation.
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Admiral Nichols looks out over his reduced Armada contemplating the approaching maneuvers. It's a smaller formation because he's loaned one complete Tier Two Command to Fleet Admiral Brubacher of Zeta HQ. His Headquarters is currently parked at Lalande 21185, a faint red dwarf just over eight light-years from Earth. And, his remaining two hundred fifty-six massive warships are still an impressive enough force to draw attention if they make a move. Which is what George Bryant is counting on.
Stephen had recalled them all from patrol duty to reconfigure in an assault arrangement by six hundred hours December 1, 2271. They'd been conducting drills to attack an Isesinis force of two hundred and thirteen Cruisers and Carriers. Addison Blyth had loaned Steven a part of Beta operations to play their foils in the rehearsals.
Several times Steven instructed his outfits to conduct a short jump as if practicing unified execution of an attack launch. And, every time the heading was as if leaving for Chi Orionis.
....................................................................................
Similarly, Fleet Admiral Shah is conducting training at Barnards, where he has three full Theatre Commands staged in a strike configuration. Another portion of Blythe's flotilla is assisting Delta in their preparations. And, like Nichols, Tso has his people opening conduits and leaping in the direction of 107 Pisces repeatedly. There is a formation of two hundred eighty-four Isesinis ships at that system.
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Zeta Command has all returned to 61 Virgo, now. It's twelve hundred hours on Tuesday, December 5, and I am in my office just closing off things so I can head out for lunch when my system annunciator sounds off. I receive up to a thousand e-mails a day, but with the pending actions, I feel I should check before my departure. It's from George.
TACTICAL ACTION MESSAGE #CC-CTO-0013435
CLASSIFIED - TOP SECRET (NTK)
ENCRYPTED - Authentication Root I.D. EPS-8467A+649*^
From:F. Admiral G. T. Bryant C&C Chief of Tactical Operations
To:All Field Deployed Headquarters Commands
C.C.F. Admiral G. Tonaka C&C Rigil HQ Chief of Operations
Re:Mission # CC - 34612-C
Date: December 5, 2271
Admirals,
You are ordered and required to commence all operations included in the above action with the intent of launching the first phase for contact on December 14, 2271, at four hundred hours. All other subsequent engagements should be scheduled for launch and execution based on timing indicated in the above-listed Mission Plan number and bearing the above date and time in mind.
F. Adm. G.T. Bryant
As I released my own TAMs to my subordinates, I could hear my system as it repeatedly announced incoming copies of orders being sent throughout the entire OFSA. The alarms continued over the next several hours as the chain reaction spread all the way down to Supply Ships and Mobile Hospital units.
Since this had the potential to be one of the most intense fights
we'd ever experienced, I left everything running and locked-up my office as I headed home to speak with Fred and Bryant at sixteen hundred hours, thirty minutes. I am sure other HQ Commanders would be doing the same.
"How's my beautiful wife and wonderful son doing, today?" I beamed my widest smile to them as I entered our apartment.
"What's up?' She asked inquisitively. 'You never come in like this."
"We're executing that big operation. I need you both to leave on my Admiral's Craft. I'm ordering all Commands to do the same. You'll all form a Fleet here at Wolf. You'll have five Frigates for protection and a supply ship to keep everyone fed until we return."
"Is that really necessary. You've never done that before." Fred whined.
"Yeah, I don't want to leave you, dad." Bryant whimpered.
"It's just a precaution. This will be a big one. And, it could get very intensive. Even the Examiner could end up involved, somehow. So, I don't want to risk you two. In fact, I don't want to endanger any of the innocents aboard our operations. The eight Admirals' ships can take over six hundred and their five Frigate security flotillas will handle the rest. And each Fleet Commander's yacht will be there, too. I don't want to have to worry about anyone but the troops." I explained.
"What time do we disembark?"
"Our launch time is very early. So, I think you should pack and be off the Examiner by twenty-one hundred, tonight. That's what I've asked everyone to do."
"Can we at least all have dinner together?"
"Yes, of course. But, let's go out to the pub. We can have some fun, too. But, I have to be back at my desk by seven-thirty. I'll break away again to see you guys off."
Chapter 22 Kick-Off
Wednesday, December 6, 2271
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain
George's plan was full of devious deceptions. Epsilon and Zeta would launch, first, because each had to travel for seven days. Then, Nichols and Blythe would head out the following morning, since their trajectories were four days flight-time.
Righteous Reign Episode 4 Ragged Remnant Page 20