One thing Helena and I comprehend is that though we make all our repositioning jumps at four-tenths light-speed, the enemy makes theirs at fifteen percent. I am beginning to believe their ships are incapable of faster FTL flight because of structural weakness.
On January 6, 2259, the enemy is creeping toward the border, in an attempt to shorten their attack time without appearing to be making a hostile move. I calculate it will take twenty-nine hours for them to get within half a light-year of the border employing these slow jumps. We hold fast. This move still fits within the plan. In the middle of all this, my system chimes.
MEMO
From:Flt. Adm. W.O. Stephenson OFSA C&C,
Flt. Adm. G. Tonaka OFSA C&C
To:Adm. K Brubacher Commander OFSA Inspector General Branch
Re:Year End 2257 Budgets 2258
Date:January 3, 2259
Admiral,
Thank you for your report "The Year 2258" which also included the period from June 1, 2257, to December 31, 2257. Your staff is to be commended. The reports were extremely accurate and thorough. We also appreciate the insights in your letter summarizing the period and its challenges.
Though we are sure the last eighteen months has been stressful, you have done a remarkable job. Our long-term plan for IGB assumes relatively continuous fast growth to meet objectives. You will note in the attachments that your Capital and Expense Budgets for the year 2259 are approved. We noticed you projected the need for four additional carrier groups in this period and have our shipyards working to fill those needs, though they will require your order to deliver. This will bring your "fire power" to the equivalent of four complete Fleets and your personnel to the vicinity of one hundred ninety thousand by the end of this fiscal year.
Continue the good works. Our regards,
Fleet Admiral W.O. Stephenson
Fleet Admiral G. Tonaka
"I will.' I thought. 'I will."
At six hundred hours on January 7, sensors pick up two hundred sixty exit apertures opening between my two Fleets at our central, rear positions. Just like the ancient John Wayne westerns I've seen, the cavalry has come to the rescue in the nick of time. George asks if there is anything he can do. I relinquish command to him and his superior force. He advises he will deploy sixty vessels to each pincer point and hold sixty in the middle. He also advises he has eighty more vessels two light-years back. He orders us there and directs Boots and Draco back to the outsides. We are all to be held in reserve. No one died, yet. All my chess moves saved those two overwhelmed Fleets.
I watch as he deploys about forty percent of his Raptor fighters, making more than fourteen hundred other craft visible at any one time. He also directs three subs spotted throughout the front to momentarily uncloak, then go dark again. I understand the ploy. Now the enemy will know there are invisible ships but won’t know how many.
I will not see this battle. I'm like a sports fan. I value this man's tactical and wider strategic skills. I would enjoy seeing it and cheering him on. I'd feel the same if it was Stephen Nichols. They are the maestros of space warfare. Aside from the messages I monitor, I won't know the details of what happens here for quite a while. It's nearly a year until we're able to audit Fifth Mobile RAC again and get to read all the logs and communiqués in detail. I have to wait until then to tell that story.
End
“There is never a right time for anything. There is just a time. You throw a dart at a calendar to pick a date; and, you do it on that day.” Emperor Edward III in Righteous Reign by T. MacDonald
Righteous Reign II
Righteous Rule
By
T. J. MacDonald
©Copyright 2016 Thomas J. MacDonald
All rights reserved.
Righteous Reign and Righteous Reign II - Righteous Rule are registered for copyright, in Canada, under the terms of the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention.
To Tanis, Tyler, Treff, Travis and our grandchildren.
Episode 2 - Forward
Out of nearly half a trillion citizens in the Orion Federation, I am the one in the best position to access any information; no matter how secret or sensitive. As its Inspector General, I am privy to all manner of minutia. That makes me the best person to tell this story.
This is the second episode in the George Bryant saga. He is undoubtedly the greatest man to live in my lifetime.
George's story is one of leadership. Though a man of deep feelings, strong convictions, and impeccable ethics, he is also a tactical genius capable of leading wars waged on massive scales. He'll do anything to defend the people and institutions he cares about.
As this episode opens, Admiral Bryant is facing the most insidious enemy seen by the Federation, yet. As he looks for a way to break the stalemate that has turned the conflict into a war of attrition, he must also resolve a deadly threat to the fledgling democracy.
Many other peoples' stories wind their way through George Bryant's, including my own - we are all connected. In one way or another, we all owe George for the success we have achieved on his coattails. But, ours is also a tale of great hardship and sadness.
Admiral Kurt Brubacher Inspector General
Part One
Chapter 1 The Plan
Friday, August 2, 2261
"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." - Leon Trotsky
"Action Stations - Action Stations!" The Loki Captain's voice calls out calmly over the ship's hundreds of loudspeakers, to the accompaniment of nerve-rattling claxons, augmented by red strobes flashing throughout the corridors and major spaces of the massive Carrier Class Vessel. The atmosphere immediately changes from calm and dispassionate to what seems like mayhem; as, nearly nine-hundred on-duty personnel drop - whatever, to scramble to their assigned battle positions.
Just, three minutes earlier, Captain Sareat Altafir had reported the abrupt move of the "Inscrutables" to his Group Commander Commodore David Simmons. The account went all the way up the chain to Vice Admiral Elasima, Commander of Phoenix Fleet, and orders ricocheted back, in very short order.
Usually parked just eight thousand kilometers from the border, quite near their antagonists' projected touchdown, the entire Four-Group-Fleet was now rapidly accelerating toward the boundary to meet the enigmatic foe head on; and, repel any possible territorial incursion. All the while, each of the four Carriers was launching four Raptor class fighters, from their forward launch tubes, every seven seconds. Their twenty massive warships, four invisible "sub" class vessels and three hundred of their fighter craft would stand against the fifty-five enemy ships that had initiated the sudden leap to the line, separating the Federation from CauDo space.
The "Inscrutables" parked a massive contingent of warships, two light-years outside the Federation frontier, in CauDo space, over two years ago. There are somewhere close to two thousand craft in their armada; which stretches one hundred ten light-years along Orion Federation territorial limits. Phoenix is just one of many Fleets in Admiral Bryant's Fifth Mobile Rapid Action Command that are searching for a way to vanquish this threat; without offending the CauDo; who are great trading partners and neighbors.
"Stand down from action stations. Recall all fighters. Return all weapons to standby." Altafir's voice peels out; as the flashing red stops - throughout the entire vessel.
It was another "head fake." Their opponent stopped short; then, jumped back to their original position.
"They were testing our response time." Vice Admiral Elasima says to his Chief of Staff.
…………………………………………………………………………..
Admiral Tom Stevens cantilevers over the desktop peering down on the map image displayed on his personal datapad, laying in the middle of the surface. He straightens and taps the three-dimensional icon, and a holographical image is projected into the space over the desk with all objects located correctly. Tom circles the desk; intently peering into the projection; seek
ing any infinitesimal change that may have occurred over the past ten hours; since his last check. Nearly, three years of constant little redeployments, interrupted by malicious attacks, have reinforced the need to analyze this enigmatic enemy very prudently.
The desk rests near his credenza, office chair, and two attendant seats at the end of his expansive office on the port side of the sprawling Flag Bridge of the FSS Midgard; an enormous supercarrier class vessel employed as his mobile command station. More than ten meters away, at the other end of the room, three couches, two chairs, two end tables and a coffee table are nested to establish a conversation pit; where, up to thirteen can participate in meetings, debriefings, and general discourse. An extensive, fully stocked bar, graces the port wall below the two large viewing windows between the two defined spaces. Ceiling lights and sconces illuminate areas of the room; which is tastefully decorated with the addition of corner tables, lamps, paintings, and tapestries.
Tom's workspace is out of the way of critical control areas in this chaotic chamber. Eighteen operational stations, echoing those on the navigation bridge, ring the extensive control area. In the center of the semi-circular space, two ergonomic seats sit in the middle of the "Executive Station"; though, they are seldom used. More often than not, Flag Level Commands are operated from the superior's office. In all, the Asgard houses over nine thousand personnel; including the seventeen hundred staff that run all of the Command's operational departments. Though it varies, from ship to ship, there are an additional six hundred eighty-nine civilian spouses, children, and contractors aboard the mighty vessel, too.
Now approaching sixty years of age, Stevens' lanky, athletic physique still casts an impressive shadow on a wall. And, just as inspiring is the way he leads the half million people deployed throughout the twelve fleets he commands. His system annunciator sounds off. It’s a TAM from his boss, Admiral Bryant.
It hadn’t been that long ago; when, Admiral Stevens' smoldering career had convinced him; he would retire from the OFSA as a Group Commander; holding the rank of Commodore. But, his progress had been revived; when, George Bryant was assigned to command Boots Fleet, back in 2248. George had enough prescience to see that; though Tom’s career had stalled because of the waning needs of the organization, he still possessed all of the same skills, talents, and dynamism that propelled him to Flag ranks so quickly, earlier. But now, his résumé offers a lot of experience, too. A skirmish, two wars, and a very widespread insurrection had forced the service to swell to something close to twice its size when Bryant assumed command of Boots Fleet. Much of the expansion had been planned and executed by George, himself; and, in each iteration, he always found new, more challenging, roles for Tom. Now a full Admiral, Stevens was one of seventeen people controlling divisions of the gargantuan service.
Fleet Admiral Bryant is now one of eight, at the very top, who guide policy, strategy, and growth of the more than four million engaged in the service of the OFSA. He is one-third of the triumvirate that controls the entire organization; and, commands Mobile Fifth RAC comprised of three Theatre Commands like Admiral Stevens'. Tom runs Theatre Nine, Admiral Palakiko has Theatre Ten, and Admiral J. Coquinas commands Twelve.
Though called Theatre Commands, these three organizations are tactically analogous to Quadrant Commands, according to the definition of them in the OFSA R&R. Each manages twelve fleets of twenty warships from the very large, super-carrier classed, mobile stations; along with twelve autonomous frigates, a slew of supply vessels and a hospital ship. A carrier, cruiser, two frigates and a “sub” combine as one of four Tactical Groups that make up each Fleet, commanded by a Vice Admiral. Two of these Groups are managed by a Task Force Command, and the two Task Forces answer to the Fleet Commander. Two supply vessels are attached to each Task Force. Each of these Task Forces is run by a Rear Admiral. So, though they are smaller than the typical Quadrants, these Commands are much grander than the standard Theatre Command. Most Theatres are responsible for eight of these Fleets; but, he, Coquinas and Palakiko administer twelve each. And, they each control their twelve autonomous Frigates; a feature not endowed on the other commands. Fifth is the largest Quadrant level organization of all - by far.
Quadrant Commands have been around since the earliest days of the service. When they were initiated, there were only four; and, each was responsible for one-fourth of the space in what was an Empire, at that time. Hence the "Quadrant Command" nomenclature. Each Quadrant Command has two Theatres of Operation - one north of the zero-degree ecliptic and one south of it; and controls a region of space spanning six hours by one hundred eighty degrees out to the one hundred light-years Orion Federation Border. Quadrant Commands are located on Rigil in the Kentaurus system. It was named to honor the ancient Arabic name; given the system ten centuries ago. A standard eight-fleet Theatre Command is manned by around three hundred twenty-two thousand, including staff; give or take for individual needs. Theatres Nine, Ten and Twelve brush the half million personnel mark each. So, at over one and a half million, Mobile Fifth RAC is more than twice the size of the other six hundred fifty-thousand-member quadrant level commands.
Quadrants and their subordinate commands patrol fixed regions. Mobile Fifth RAC is a rapid action force that can be deployed to any area of the Federation quickly, from wherever it is located. It is possible to place seven-hundred-twenty substantial warships brandishing all their weaponry and nearly fifteen thousand fighter craft into a hotspot, anywhere in over four million cubic light-years of Federation space, in three weeks or less. A regional Theatre Command needs only to provide a holding action until Mobile Fifth RAC arrives. Thus, any significant threat can be addressed without compromising defense or patrol of the rest of Federation Space.
“I’m sure glad we got new orders.’ Stevens mumbles to the empty room. ‘These past three years have been bullshit. I’m sick of playing those sick bastards’ games.” He finished as he looked up and out the viewport toward the enemy encampment, too distant to actually see.
George is returning from a planning meeting at headquarters on the planet Rigil. He is still several days away; but, has sent orders via the Casimir Laser Communications System. CLCS can get a message back to Fifth five time faster than it would take him to traverse the distance, himself, in FTL flight mode.
CLCS is a communications system theorized by George himself during the war, with the Spiel, in 2249. With a lot of engineering and scientific help, he was able to prove that lasers could be used to carry data signals inside a wormhole. It gave him a substantial advantage in that war; and, has since served us well by shortening communications times dramatically.
Anyway, Tom sits and begins composing TAMs to his Fleets; incorporating specific orders to the “Subs.” The other two Theatre Commanders would be doing exactly the same thing; he thinks to himself. George wants the “subs” all grouped together and away from their parent Fleets; but, still under cloak. He could write the orders directly to the covert vessels’ captains; but, proper protocol dictates their orders come from their immediate commanders. So, he writes them to the Fleet Commands who will pass them to their Task Force Commanders; and then, on down through the system, to the cloaked vessels.
There are several categories of official communications in the OFSA. Tactical Action Messages are orders that direct the redeployment and offensive or defensive operation of a tactical field command incorporating multi-layered sub-commands. A Command Action Order is used to instruct another, or others, to complete some action that is not, for the moment, tactical in nature. These are directed to the leader of multifaceted subordinate authorities, too. Both of these can be general, or specific, in nature and are always registered documents with traceable identity numbers. It is rare to see a TAM or CAO that is not classified and encrypted. Then, there are the Command Action Messages. These are sort of like an order to assist, or an operational instruction when the originator is unsure of the objectives of the task. CAMs are often classified and sometimes encrypted. Memos
come in a variety of hues. Some are simple communications to make a point or request information. Others may be designated with a security classification and even encrypted, to discuss the reasoning to a tactical situation. Still, others may be to offer or announce a promotion, change in policy, an event, or report on a result. A memo may contain a revision to an order or information that changes the execution of one; whether tactical, policy or a matter of procedure. Finally, an order can be conveyed verbally. A verbal order carries the same weight as one written in a document. Verbal orders require both the administrator and receiver to record them in their departmental logs. There are relatively grave consequences for failing to properly record an oral directive. However, received, a lawful order is to be obeyed by subordinates.
A lawful order is defined in the Rules of Conduct within the OFSA Rules and Regulations as:
"Any order issued by a senior to a subordinate or subordinates that;
Does not require the subordinate(s) to disobey the laws, statutes, and Constitution of the Orion Empire.
Does not require the subordinate to disobey any chapter, section or sub-section of the OFSA Rules and Regulations.
Does not require the subordinate to enter into any criminal action or venture.
Does not necessitate the subordinate breach acceptable standards of moral or ethical conduct, as defined in the OFSA Rules and Regulations.
Does not belittle the recipient or ask the subordinate to disparage others.
Does not require the subordinate to breach the terms of any international or interstellar treaty agreed to or enforced by the Orion Federation.
The service member may agree to comply with an order not conforming to the above; if, that person deems it personally acceptable for the purpose of achieving the general welfare of the Orion Federation; in whole or in part."
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