Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition
Page 50
"And, it should be. When your department was conceived, I came back to Midgard and advised my people of its creation, purpose, responsibilities, and authority. I made sure they knew that, when your people show up, they are to feel welcome.' Nichols explained. ' Why don't we head down to the club for a drink. You got a hundred people here to do the work for you, and another eight thousand parked outside if you need more help. I hear the ESS Examiner is quite a vessel." He says.
"Yeah, in fact, why don't we have that drink in its pub. Then I could show you the newest thing in floating headquarters." I reply with a smile.
Once in the pub, Lowry’s, aboard the Examiner, Stephen orders a glass of chardonnay and I order a draught beer.
"Where did you come up with the name Lowry’s for this place? It’s pretty catchy." He inquires.
"It's sort of a theme. We are an investigative unit. The ship is the ESS Examiner. So, we decided to carry the investigation theme through the ship. Justin Lowry is a famous fictional detective created by an author named K. L. Davis in the late twenty-first century. Banerjee's outlet up the corridor is called Jake’s after another fictional detective, and so on. We carry the theme throughout. The main mess hall is named Shamus’s, and the officers' mess is known as Devon’s Eatery for Charles Devon - just adds a little fun to our lives. Some of those stories were pretty poorly written, but they appealed to the masses. Those detectives are referred to regularly, by people as if they're real." I explain.
"That is a good one. All the Commands should do it. We're a tactical military command. Based on that, we should rename our pub Paton's Place and officers' mess Eisenhower's Eatery. We could use old WW2 military leaders' names. I like the idea." Admiral Nichols says with a chuckle.
"You know, Stephen, I meant to ask you something when we were back in your office.' He leaned in as I spoke. 'I came across an interesting situation during our investigation of Canis Minor Fleet. They came through it with flying colors, by the way. We cited them with a positive recommendation for excellence. But, during the examination, we found a person in a senior accounting position who was way over his head. Other people had been covering for him. Since I had the knowledge, and I know a Commander of a large Command can't possibly know every little thing going on with each and every Officer and Crewman, I advised Admiral Gigantean. I felt that I would want the knowledge if I were in his shoes. Would you like us to do that for you? Even if there is nothing contrary to cite - let you know personally and confidentially of any potential weakness?" I asked quietly.
"That would be most thoughtful. I'd accept that kind of information with thanks." He responded genuinely.
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MEMO
CONFIDENTIAL
From:Admiral K. Brubacher Inspector General
To:Admiral Stephen Nichols Commander Fifth Mobile RAC Theatre Nine Command
Re:Investigative Audit GB257-0906 - Theatre Nine Command
Date:September 19, 2257
Admiral,
I would first like to thank you for the warm reception and the welcoming hospitality you afforded our investigative team during our visit ending September 15, 2257. It can be most unnerving having a group of that size uprooting your command. Conditions can develop that make the process tense and uncomfortable for the investigators too. You and your people handled the situation with aplomb.
I must compliment you on the professional way Theatre Nine Command operates. We found no deficiencies of any type in any operation within the Command. It is a textbook example of how an operation of this size should be run. This opinion appears in the report forwarded to the OESA C&C and copied to your superior Admiral George Bryant Commander Fifth Mobile RAC.
I have attached a very short list and supporting reports on four members of your Command. Though they have not managed to negatively impact any final outcomes within the operations, they appear to personally operate far below the standards of their peers and your expectations. Information in this paragraph and in the attachments is for your use only and has not been distributed to anyone else.
I congratulate you on the state of your command and thank you again for your warm hospitality.
Admiral K. Brubacher Inspector General
..........................................................................................
We are parked with the Loki, again, so I have been able to spend considerable time with Helena. Daytime is packed with planning and arranging all the details of the wedding. The wedding party, their attire, the cake, the menu, the music, invitation lists, the bride's dress, dance music and dinner table layout have all been determined and are locked in. Location was a big issue. I wanted it aboard the Examiner. Helena wanted it aboard the Loki. But, Stephenson and Bryant convinced us it should be aboard the Midgard or the Valhalla. Their bridges and hangars allow for a much grander event. Considering the Midgard was already the site for Stephen and Olivia's wedding, we chose the Valhalla, with the Loki doing second duty for the dinner. The Phoenix Fleet would be parked at the Valhalla for the event since invitations were extended to all off-duty personnel who could attend.
The wedding gown is something to behold. It is an original design by Helena, herself. The dress is various shades of white silk, satin, and taffeta. The bodice is long and relatively sleek flaring from calf to the floor with only a two-foot train dragging behind. The snug waistline sports a white faux cummerbund that suggestively wraps around Helena's delicate waistline. A white/off-white Cavalry-styled two button single breasted over-jacket sporting wide lapels and epaulets give the whole ensemble a military flare. She went to great pains to make sure the creatively elegant design fit within uniform specifications in the Rules and Regulations of the OESA, then went to a lot of trouble to get it approved by the Secretary of Defense and the Office of the OESA C&C as official Flag-level dress attire for state functions. Along with the one for the wedding, she had a second version made and approved in more traditional service blacks and grays. As uniforms, both versions can now be worn fully garnished with rank insignia and service medals, ribbons and lanyards. Her maid of honor and handmaids, all officers from the service, will wear full military dress uniforms to accompany her. The military look and complementary colors of the bride and her handmaids is a striking picture to behold.
The whole thing created quite a sensation when the bride and her party were asked to model for press corps pictures released to the public. Since the Helena would now be in uniform during the wedding, it's planned with much more military flair. For instance, all will be asked to rise for the Orion Empire anthem just before the actual ceremony begins. The groom, best man, and ushers will be saluted by the wedding official when they arrive at their stations. There will be a salute, and present arms with ceremonial swords as the bride completes the wedding march to her groom, and she too will be saluted by the official, when she takes her place. The Emperor will present the married couple to the attendees at the end of the ceremony. These are not plans we just went along with for the Empire's official function. We planned it all together, over the months since the announcement, taking all the right steps to get every included military action approved. We also spent considerable time with George and Marie Bryant discussing their experience. Being the first, they were the obvious people to go to for advice. We are luckier than them.
The Valhalla hangar has handled significant events already, and it's calculated it can hold over nine thousand for dinner with serving stations and bars set up in fifteen different locations. The Loki hangar will be used the same way, but to scale. We will have a dinner seating at nineteen hundred hours and another at twenty-three hundred thirty hours, allowing for a total of thirty thousand to be served throughout the evening and night. But, we will only have to travel between two vessels instead of four like the Bryants did. Since it is centered in the Valhalla, Moe took command of all the facility and dinner functions.
Meanwhile, business has to continue, so I create a schedule for investigations. I also generate post-dated warrants for all the Commands on that calendar, which is double encrypted. I stored a copy for Colonel Sparks and one for me, on the system, so only he and I can access those documents. I key the encryption for his file to his command codes and for my file to my codes. I call him in and advise him, explaining that investigations must continue even through periods like my upcoming wedding and that he is running that end of the show, from now into the near future.
Sparks, Roh, the Investigations, Enforcement, Intelligence Battalion Commanders, the Forensics Department Head, Accounting Department leader, and I sit together refining processes and procedures from past experience. We agree that all future audit teams will be created in multiples of thirty-five, using the established team breakdown with the addition of more Intelligence Officers inserted as investigators. Once all that's made clear, I adjourn the meeting, asking only Sparks and Roh to stay behind.
"Chris, do you remember the two questions I asked you before deciding to make you my Marine Commander?' I paused and waited for a positive indication. 'You asked the same question of everyone you hired, so your intelligence people should understand the order you will give them all. As they are roaming a Command during an investigation, they are to view everything in the light of those two questions. If they discover something that seems to be contrary to the answers required, they are to dig in quietly and get all the details and report to you and me. The other thing they are to watch for is tactical orders without a link to the C&C. In other words, a Fleet or Task Force Commander who directs an action that does not seem to relate to orders from the superiors all the way up the chain of Command, or the responsibilities outlined in the Rules and Regulations. These actions could just be a Commander extrapolating or following Rules and Regulations, in a perceived emergency. Or, a link up the Chain of Command that is not obvious may exist. But, if they suspect a Commander is issuing unlawful orders, they should acquire all available facts and contact one or both of us. I must know of it, without delay. I have the means to investigate tactical orders up that Command line. If directions turn out to be unlawful, we will make arrests immediately, even if we have to turn a team around and go back to the Command and do it.
The schedule on the server is brisk. You have four thirty-five person long distance craft. We don't know where a Fleet will be a month from now so a lot of the investigations could involve long distances in shuttles. We will move the Examiner to centralized positions, when possible. But, we won't be able to do that in a lot of cases. The schedule is based on the size of the investigation. If you are examining a Quadrant or Theatre Command - it seeks to do only one other Fleet investigation at the same time, to mete out the shuttles properly. If your orders are for all Fleet examinations, it will schedule four at the same time. The calendar sets up four and a half days travel each way, six days for the investigation and two days after the return for forensic wrap-up and reporting. So every seventeen days, from now on, your people are starting new audits. Rotate your crews regularly. You have enough personnel so each team should only have to hit the road once every three or four months. I need your results, late on the second day you are back to the Examiner, from a mission. Thirty percent velocity is authorized for travel to and from all missions. That means you can look at the schedule for current targets thirty-four light years or less from the Examiner. If we are too far from one, exchange a mission with another elsewhere on the calendar, but complete the maximum in each seventeen day period, and never exceed four and a half days travel time each way, at thirty percent. Always remember that the shuttle crew must reset chronometers, after a jump.
I cannot put the intelligence protocol I just outlined in writing. It would not be a very good intelligence operation if there were stuff left around for people to find or steal. The warrants lay out the scope of the examinations, except intelligence. But this covert information gathering protocol must be an understood part of each audit. Are you okay with that?" I finished.
"Yes, sir. You are essentially giving me an unwritten order that intelligence is a part of every investigation we do. Your directive is understood because it is intelligence. You are saying that agents will be embedded proportionally. I read that as thirty-five personnel, the way we laid them out before for a Fleet investigation with the Intelligence Officers as investigators. Proportionately, that would be one hundred and five for a Theatre or Quadrant Command. You are saying we must test for loyalty to Edward III versus the Crown and loyalty to the Commander over Edward III. We are also searching for unlawful tactical orders. I would assume these are directives that would somehow negatively impact the Empire or a part of it or are contrary to the intent of the C&C, the statutes of the Empire, or OESA Regulations. If we suspect any of these circumstances, we are to gather evidence and report, immediately. I understand and will carry out that directive. I understand the need for secrecy. In that light, the portion of each future team that is intelligence officers will be the only part of the team that knows their real purpose. Everyone else will believe they are investigators, sir." Sparks finished.
"Chris, I want you to understand that this is not just paranoia or a whim of mine. When we were chartered, I was instructed of this avenue of our operations by the C&C, Admiral Bryant and Admiral Nichols in the presence, and with input from Emperor Edward III. I can tell you, for a fact, that Edward has good reason to fear a coup, and is supported in his suspicion by the C&C and several Quadrant Commanders. That is the reason, the intelligence aspect was added to our responsibilities. They believe that rebellion will come from inside the OESA since the only military units large enough to conduct an operation like that would be within our service. They have suspicions as to who, but not sufficient evidence to accuse and arrest them." I explained.
"Sir, I never had any question of your motives. I know you are loyal to Edward and your superiors are loyal to him. And, I understand the mandate embodies the highest authority. Don't worry, we'll get it done." Colonel Sparks said as he rose from his chair.
Chapter 19 Manipulations
Monday November 16, 2257
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte
Wow, what a ride! The Inspector General's Branch has gone crazy. The teams finished the reports for a round of investigations on Tuesday, October 6, and the shit hit the fan. There were two targets in that round. A one hundred ten person team, led by Colonel Sparks himself, dropped on Quadrant Four on September 21. Another group of thirty-five boarded the Flag Carrier ESS Guyana to do an Audit of Puppis Fleet, a Quadrant Four Theatre Eight operation.
After reading the reports, I asked Admiral Bryant to send Phoenix Fleet to transport ten of my Enforcement Officers back to ESS Guyana to serve four arrest warrants, and to support them with force and Marines, if necessary. In the meantime, I would take the Examiner to Rigil, accompany one hundred forty-five officers, as a show of strength at Headquarters, in the four shuttles and serve at least seven arrest warrants on Quadrant Four Command. I would speak directly to Fleet Admiral Stephenson. Sparks' Teams had struck gold. They'd discovered evidence of a plot, at both ends of a chain starting at Quadrant Four and ending in some or all of the Fleets in Theatre Eight Command.
The proof of a plan to use force to squash anyone, including the C&C and the Council, supporting constitutional changes in the status of the Throne was in electronic communications between the Quadrant Four Commander and the Puppis Fleet Commander. From these two Commands, it looked like it involved the Theatre Eight Commander and several Fleets under his Command. However, the same infor
mation seemed to exonerate the Theatre Seven Commander and the Fleets under her Command. She had told her boss he was fomenting rebellion, and she would report him if he continued. So, Quadrant four Commander Admiral Naabaahii had just avoided Theatre Seven and continued his scheme with Theatre Eight and its Fleets. When I first read the report, I was nearly sick to my stomach. It hurt me deeply because I remember when he helped in the war that created Mobile Fifth Command as the Orion Fleet Commander. He had come to the aid of Admiral Bryant when George was having trouble holding recaptured areas in 2249.
In the Puppis Fleet, we arrested the Fleet Commander, both Task Force Commanders and the Fleet COS. At Quadrant, we detained Naabaahii, his Chief, and five Department Heads. Naabaahii wept silently as we put cuffs on him to take him away. I don’t believe it was out of fear of the impending legal action, but more from the humiliation of having been caught breaking the law. Puppis Fleet Task Force One Commander physically resisted. I don’t know where he thought he would go if he succeeded. In both locations, the teams spent another three days actually tearing things apart. They attempted no on-site analysis. Instead, Command data for every discipline, along with all communications, was copied to the Examiner system, so we could forensically analyze everything. We rescheduled the next visits on the calendar to October 13, replacing those on the docket with the Theatre Eight Command and the Orion Fleet.
I reported to Fleet Admiral Stephenson. At first, he was shocked and saddened at the thought of anyone in the service being charged with anything so serious. He recovered quickly, though, almost rubbing his hands in glee. One of two questionable Commands would be unable to respond to an unlawful order or request, from the First Minister and/or the council. This would actually work in the Emperor's favor when he submitted his first Constitutional change. I advised him that we were extending the investigations to gather more evidence - IGB would be auditing all the Fleets in Theatre Eight. He asked me if we could do Seven, first. He would need to be sure he could trust the Commander before submitting her nomination as Quadrant Four Commander. Both, Theatre Commands would have to be run by their remaining senior officers until replacements for their leaders could be named.