Bryant put pressure on science teams to glean as much from the recovered craft, bodies, and prisoners as possible. One of the live captives spoke English. This was not really a surprise since the team believed they'd been visiting Earth for centuries. Over the next few hours, a computer team discovered home system charts that seemed to indicate Lambda Bootis was the home planet to the grays. However, this double's secondary star was not normally inside the Empire. From Earth and Rigil, the OESA had been unaware this was a binary system, because of the brightness of the principal star, which is blue-white twenty-five times the brightness of Sol. It turned out to have a yellow-orange, K-classified star in an eccentric orbit around it that kept the inferior partner outside Empire space most of the time. Though it would be a light year inside our territory for a short portion of its orbital period, it spent the majority of its time from there to four light years outside our borders. From the center of our territory, it either cannot be seen because of its parent star, or is outside our region and appears of no consequence. The Empire had always been very definite on border determination, and so spent very little time and resources on systems even slightly beyond its borders. So, we had just missed the fact that there was an intelligent space faring species inhabiting two planets in a system right on our border that was part of a wider system inside our territory.
George requested that Tom Stevens, Grace Tonaka, and Marie Ste. Laurent meet him in the brig of the Columbia.
"What's up boss?" Stevens asked after the three had paid their respects.
"I am a somewhat worried that this little test of our defensive capabilities was not without cause. I've received information that these grays are from a system right on our border. I am afraid that they may have innocently misconstrued our intentions. They may have felt a major attack was a necessity and this was the test to precede it. I want to send Marie in with one of them. They speak English, so coax a little out of it, Marie. We need them aware of the fact that, we know this was only a test and that a more powerful attack will follow. But, we need them to believe that we see ourselves as a peaceful species and are baffled and do not understand the reason for the attack. I think Marie will be convincing. I believe she is the one to prod them into talking. We shall just observe. Are you okay with that, Lieutenant?" Bryant focused the question directly at Marie.
"Yes, sir, but why do you feel we brought this on?" She asked curiously.
"...just a hunch, Marie. You'd better get a move on. A Fleet could be on the way, right now." Bryant gently steered her toward the cell door with pressure on her shoulder as he finished.
Marie's interrogation took over an hour. For half an hour the alien did not respond, at all. It seemed to be her genuine concern for its well-being that softened it. Once there was a dialogue, it took half an hour to get to any meaningful details. She spent fifteen additional minutes getting specifics and confirming everything, then exited the cell.
"Sir, the Empire's rapid expansion towards their system is what has them worried. They believe we are an aggressive, hostile species. I reminded him of their visits over many centuries, and of the fact that we have empathy and compassion as good attributes to temper our bad ones. I explained that the expansion was relatively peaceful. That we negotiated the memberships into the Empire. Argat, our alien, says that the real fear was created by the fact that we moved so fast and are governed by a dictatorship. I explained that the people chose our form of government to prevent the paralysis of previous ones. I also pointed out that it is not a dictatorship but a cooperative government with democratic representation. Argat elucidated that the two incidents at Rho convinced them it is a military-backed dictatorship. I explained to him that a vast majority of Rho citizens want membership in the Empire and a small percentage of the population started a civil war, each time. I indicated that the rebels based their division on a philosophical point of view, something that caused widespread destruction, suffering, and death in Earth's past. And that, because of that, it's the Empire's policy to eradicate that type of rebellion. I offered Argat our constitution, bill of rights, and criminal code to study if he wanted. Argat is male, by the way, and he was in charge of the vessel we took him from and second in command of the mission." Marie finished.
"Marie, would you go back in and ask if he would speak to me for a few minutes? You may tell him who I am and my position, here." Bryant suggested.
"Aye, sir." She responded as she turned to the cell.
A few minutes later, she straightened in her chair and made eye contact through the glass pane. "Sir, Commander Argat will speak with you." She called out as she waved him in.
"Argat, I am Vice Admiral George Bryant, and I lead the Fleet that met you, today. I am sorry for any losses. We only believed we were defending ourselves, our people, and our territory. In our Empire, we offer our hand in friendship when we meet someone. We offer the right hand because it is usually the one that holds a weapon. We are in effect welcoming discourse without the threat of battle. I offer you my hand now." Bryant said as he extended his right hand toward the alien. There was a substantial pause.
"Thank you, sir. I welcome discussion with you." Argat responded as he took Bryant's hand. George noted that though the skin was silken, the touch was cold and clammy.
"Very good, sir.' Bryant responded with a smile as they shook hands. He went on slowly, maintaining intense eye contact with Argat, though he did not know whether or not Argat could gauge his sincerity by his facial expression. 'We do not wish to attack your worlds. In fact, we can barely maintain the space we control, now. Humans are a curious lot, and it was that curiosity that dragged us all the way out to the borders we have now. As we spread out, we met similar species who wished to share in our technology, wealth, and system to create a strong mutual bond. Inside that territory are nearly fifty other species, we do not govern. We control the space around their systems, but we leave them alone. The Empire exists for the benefit of its members not for the demise of non-members. The border we protect was set as a goal nearly two centuries before we ever got there. It was a goal to create a buffer that would give the Empire space to defend itself. It was also a large enough region to use for the study of this part of our galaxy. The only battles we have fought since this expansion were either with our own people to quell rebellions like the ones at Rho, or to defend ourselves against outside attacks like yours. I personally have suffered because of decisions made at Rho. I was forced to make some very harsh choices at one of those incidents, myself. I cannot express to you the depth of guilt and remorse I have felt because of this. But, it was necessary. We have seen these rebellions last centuries and kill millions, if not quelled completely and immediately. We do not take those actions lightly. They are done for the benefit of the more than five hundred billion citizens we protect. We believe that a small minority should not be able to threaten the well-being of the vast majority. We have not acted aggressively toward anyone as we expanded." Bryant stopped there to allow his words to penetrate and to give Argat time to respond. There was another long pause.
"Yes, I understand your meaning, and I sense your remorse in the actions you felt necessary at Rho. But, taking those actions into account, along with the fact that yours is an Empirical state, and looking at the relatively fast expansion of your Empire, can you blame us for thinking we should act to prevent an attack?" Argat was quite eloquent as he responded.
"No sir, I cannot blame your people at all. But, I do wish to prevent a war. If your people attack, we would be forced to bring all available defenses to face the threat. If we each put hundreds or thousands of warships on the field, millions will die. This is unnecessary since we would never attack you in the first place. I am prepared to take steps to ensure your confidence in our trustworthiness. I have the power to make agreements for the Empire to establish new relationships, protect our territory, and improve the commerce for our people and their partners. Do your people make such pacts with others?" Bryant finished.
"Yes
, Admiral we do. We adopted the idea from your people. Over centuries of watching you, it was one of the things we borrowed that improved our lot." Argat replied.
"Good. Do you know what a treaty is?" George asked.
"Yes sir, we like the agreements you call treaties. We have treaties with several other systems farther away from Sol than we are located. Are you proposing such an accord?” The alien asked.
"Yes, Argat, I am. I have the authority to negotiate such an agreement for the Empire, but I would need to meet with someone at a similar level from your world. I would like us to trust each other and be friends - not enemies." Bryant offered.
"I am not authorized to conduct such a negotiation. However, I am sure my people would send a representative or empower me if they knew all this." The Gray said.
"It was my intention to release you, anyway. What is left of your Armada is not a threat to us, and we do not keep or kill our prisoners. We will assist in reviving your vessel, and I will release you, in the hope that you will go back and speak to those in authority. I sincerely desire us to reach a peaceful settlement so we can enjoy friendly relations with each other. We would trust your people as a neighbor since you spent centuries visiting us without relative harm. It would be good to know we have a friend on our border." Bryant replied with a smile.
"Very good, Admiral. I will convey your wishes to my people." Argat attempted to return the smile to George, unsuccessfully.
"Please call me George. On my world friends call each other by their first names. I hope we will become friends." The Admiral said as he stood and offered a hand.
"Thank you, George. You may call me Argat. I too hope we can become familiars." The Gray responded. Surprisingly, he had finally chosen a correct but uncomfortable word to convey a thought. His command of English impressed George.
With that, the meeting ended. Bryant sent off the expansion proposal and battle summaries the next day as promised. The report was filed within the structure of existing typical digital documentation, but the proposal was presented as a one hundred eighty-page document complete with supporting graphs, charts, and ancillary references. George had been able to take a little time to personally see Argat and his contingent off on their thirty-seven light year trip home. Assuming the Gray's technology had similar limitations, Bryant knew he would not hear back for between two and three weeks, at the earliest.
…………………………………………………………………
You will be receiving another handout, now. It brings you up to the present." I finished as I tapped my data pad and turned to exit the room.
Chapter 9 Expansion!!
May 23, 2248
"As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew." Abraham Lincoln
On Tuesday, May 23, 2248, George Bryant received a bulletin from headquarters. By then, he'd negotiated a treaty with the Grays. The Empire would create a small dent in its outer border at Lambda Bootis.This would actually cut a notch into the boundary, allowing for three light years’ territorial claim around the entire Lambda Bootis system. Since it was not inhabited by humanoids or members of the Empire, this was a small price to pay for peace. In return, the Grays agreed to a mutual non-aggression clause, to establish immediate diplomatic relations with the Empire, and to meet to negotiate mutually beneficial trade pacts at the earliest opportunity. George had again been heralded as a hero of the Empire. The Boots’ embedded press corps filed story after story about him and the incident. He was called to Headquarters and presented with the Orion Peace Award by the Emperor, in person. This award had never been given to a military representative. In nearly two and a half centuries, it had only been granted to diplomats twice before. But, it was the bulletin that actually meant something. It was directly from the C&C and copied to the Emperor, First Minister, Council Members and all OESA Quadrant, Theatre and Fleet Commanders. It made official the adoption of the Boots' Fleet expansion plan which would commence in the Boots Fleet, immediately. For an announcement, it was a relatively long document, outlining the entire scheme, presenting new Chain of Command block diagrams, and generalizing capital and operational budget increases for each level to attain the goals described in the arrangement.
George had been in constant contact with Bill Stephenson throughout the wait, and during a visit to headquarters had sat with him updating Stephenson on the specific plan for Boots should the overall proposal be approved. So, it was less than a day later when Bryant received warrants promoting the appropriate people to the necessary levels so they could be assigned to the positions George had reserved for them. There was also an authorization for Marie's promotion to Commander for her work in aiding in the peaceful resolution of the Gray situation. Locally, she had already risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, but George had expressed his desire to elevate her and the Divisional staff to the Departmental level. They had already assisted more than four hundred after the great loss of life during the battle with the Grays. Many of those had suffered greatly at the death of friends and would have normally gone to Earth or Rigil for help. Boots had kept them functional and had helped them recover because of Marie and her people. She was also awarded the C&C Order of Merit.
Bill sent an additional private memo to George. He advised him that he'd lobbied the C&C to make Counseling a service-wide divisional operation, but wanted it to go departmental. Admiral Stephenson had not pushed for that because he wanted to offer the Departmental Headquarters Command to Marie since she had created the whole structure. But, Bill didn't want to make that offer until George and Marie made their relationship more permanent "if you get my drift." He knew, if she were made a departmental HQ commander, they would transfer her to Rigil unless she was married to a Fleet Commander. Then, they would allow her to operate from his Fleet. It was Bill's way to give his blessing and prod them along. During the waiting period, Marie and George had become closer. She virtually lived in his quarters, now. He could no longer envision life without her. They both found it hard to keep the outward appearance of a professional relationship. Both wanted only to be in each other’s arms when they were together.
Once he had a full grasp on the document's contents, he called in his Chief.
"Come in." He called as he waved without raising his head when Moahu knocked on the door frame.
"I guess you failed me, Moe." He said as he held the datapad displaying the document over his lowered head for Tahu.
He raised up and watched Moe a few seconds after he felt the pad's removal, from his hand. He couldn't seem to erase the ear to ear grin on his face as he watched the Chief excitedly navigate the document page by page. Thank goodness the Chief never looked up at George as he read on.
"Wow, this is great, Admiral. They went for it all." The Chief called out.
"Yes, you will be busy Moe. You need to prepare positional offers for Tom Stevens, Grace, Steven Nichols, Marie Ste. Laurent, and Brigadier Malcolm. You must arrange a meeting so I can go over plans and expectations with them. Once they accept the offers, you should post the announcement of their promotions. You also need to post only the basics of the expansion, so all our personnel will understand what is happening. And most importantly, you have to arrange the promotion ceremony and one hell of a party for them all - even better than your last one, if you can top it. Can you handle all that Moe? I'd like to have the offers on my system in an hour.' Bryant said through his big smile, then added. 'And Moe - you did a great job. Thank you."
"No, sir. Thank you for the opportunity. I can't believe I almost rejected this position. I love this job. And this makes it worth all the work" He said as he shook the data pad in the air, then banged into the doorframe in his haste to exit the Admiral's office without so much as a "by your leave." George could only chuckle about it. It was great to see Moe so enthused.
Fifteen minutes later, his system enunciator alerted him to an electronic memo. It was from Moe, and all the offers were impeccably done and complete. George added his signature,
then sent each to its appropriate recipient. Half an hour later, the annunciator announced more incoming. As he opened the e-mails, he saw they were responses from all concerned accepting their offer and agreeing to attend a meeting at thirteen hundred hours. Another alarm turned out to be a memo from Moe advising of the meeting at thirteen hundred and that Hangar-A would be empty for the ceremony at fifteen hundred hours - and A and B on both Carriers would be set up for the dinner/dance to commence at eighteen hundred. There was also a request for authorization for galley overtime for both Carriers. They would bring in additional teams to get it done on time. George okayed the expense.
At thirteen hundred all the requested personnel were at his door, along with Moe and his personnel, accounting, and logistics Department Heads.
"Let's head to the boardroom. We'll have more room there." George ordered as he grabbed his datapad.
"Everyone get comfortable. Moe have the galley send up refreshments and light food. We'll be here about ninety minutes." George ordered.
When everyone was seated and relaxed, he hit an icon on the pad sending an image to the projector.
"This is the plan for the Fleet as it will be when this is all done. As you can see, we will essentially have four Groups that cannot officially be broken into squads. Each Group will have a Carrier, a Cruiser two Frigates, and a Sub. Two supply vessels are actually going to be attached to the Task Force Commands and will be servicing two Group commands. Each Carrier will house a Group Commander who will report to a Task Force Commander. The Task Force Commander may use each Group independently or together. Group Commanders will hold the rank of Commodore Level seven. Task Force Commanders will be at Rear Admiral level eight. Each Carrier will also carry a Regimental Marine Commander at the rank of Colonel which is level six, with multiple Battalion Commands. Two regiments will be under the control of the Task Force Level Seven Brigade Commander, and the Brigade Commands will be under the leadership of the Fleet Level Division Command who will be a level-eight General Officer. Each Marine Regiment will be staffed at a level around two thousand including operational and command personnel. This will put the Division at a level just under nine thousand including Administrative Staff. That means that each Group will incorporate five warships manned by around ten thousand three hundred personnel, in total. Fleet capacity will rise to twenty fighting craft, four supply vessels, and between thirty-five and forty thousand, including managing Staffs. So we will need to acquire two additional Carriers, two more Frigates, and two supplementary Subs along with all the people it will take to man them and create the Commands and Staffs we need to direct the operation. We will require nearly eighteen thousand additional people to run all this. Three more Officers will need to move into Flag positions for the new Commands, and we will need two new Brigadiers once General Malcolm is ensconced as a Division Commander. This will create openings which will ripple down through the Groups. We will also need additional Senior Officers to command the new vessels and Senior Staff for the Departments and Shift Commanders. Again, this will undulate down through the Groups. So, you will all need to build a register of recommendations for the Senior Staff you will need and who will replace them in their current positions. Once you have figured it all out, you will need to create a list of new personnel to fill new or vacated positions. I have one of Grace's Officers as a Group Commander, already. I will need one more recommendation from her and two from Tom's Group. You may also draw from headquarters or other Fleets to fill those most senior positions, but, I caution you. It is important to develop the rising stars within our own Fleet. You will be surprised at what you'll find, and you’ll maintain a lot of loyalty as a result of your actions. We need to satisfy those other five senior positions, quickly. Those people must be included in the planning and development. I will want your recommendations by tomorrow. We will need to complete promotions and assignments within the week. Once all our internal moves are made, and we begin to draw outside personnel, there is a formula provided by the C&C, so all Fleets will share in new graduates from the Academies. For every new Officer and enlisted we take on, we will be able to draw one experienced person from each Quadrant Command. So, our ratio will be one new person for every four veterans.
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