Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition

by Thomas J. MacDonald

  Historians are generally resistant to use only the official military record to base their reports on, and glean information from as many sources as possible including the press. In that light, I think it is critical to complete a background report on those times that may serve as a reference.

  I would like to request you make time available for up to two three-hour interview sessions. I ask in this manner because the time consumed will depend on the volume and detail of all the events that occurred.

  Thank you.

  Fredricka Whitehead

  I responded positively - setting aside six hours over the next two days.

  ....................................................................................................................

  Bryant Edward was five last March and will be entering Grade 1 in September. He is about six months younger than his classmates; but, he is very advanced. His pre-primary teachers convinced me he should begin the next phase of his education early. They had to overcome my fears of taking away part of his childhood.

  I am very aware that school is designed to gradually transition a child from "play-learning" to "work-learning." I was afraid that losing that extra year would hurt his development, somehow. But Dr. Savage assured me that he was mature enough to handle this little push. She was confident that keeping Bryant in pre-prime would be like holding him back and that could do even more harm. So, in a month, he joins the "big kids."

  We still have a lot of fun in the evenings. I play with him for about an hour each night. The games are different, now. He is no longer interested in squeeze toys. His play revolves around models of dinosaurs, spacecraft and the wide range of fictional superheroes that have survived the centuries. And, I read to him every night. He seems to look forward to that. But, he will grab a book and start to read when he gets tired of me. I don't bath him, anymore. There is no splashing in the tub. He showers now. Sometimes he needs help drying off or dressing. But, he is relatively independent for a five-year-old.

  Fredricka and I spent six hours over the next two days going over all the events of the period she referred to. I held little back. Security would not be an issue; since everything from that period has now been disrupted and opened to examination by a principal enemy.

  By Monday, I received all the feedback from my people about last Friday's meeting.

  Admirals Hurst, Nguyen, and Coreora have ordered the FSS Inspector, Infiltrator, and Discovery supercarriers to take up stacked positions. They are transmitting the pulsar signal. However, we might never get a response to it. It only travels at the speed of light. It would take it over a hundred years to cross the Federation. It's still good locally. If someone's within a half light-year of us, they will receive it in the next six months. But, we need an alternative way.

  I call Rho, Elasima, Urquhart and Astinov to my office, immediately. Astinov's ship the Investigator is the farthest. It will take him an hour to comply.

  "So, we still have a problem." I start the meeting once everyone is seated comfortably in my office with a beverage in hand.

  "I don't know about you, but I don't have a care in the world." Elasima quips.

  "What's the glitch, boss?" Rho queries.

  "Our pulsar idea is fine if some of our missing brethren are relatively close by. But, what if Epsilon is hiding on the other side of the Federation. We need a better way to find them or communicate with them."

  "I agree,' El responds. 'And, I had an epiphany about that. I think we should position long range sensors around the border. We have millions available throughout all our Fleets; so, I believe we should encircle the Federation with a couple of thousand. We can program them to store data and communicate to different points once each day. If we send a ship to meet the communication, we should have regular updates without giving away our primary location. We could position them all a light-year, or so, outside the border; since it's likely, any survivors will stay close to the boundary. It means we would have a picture of our entire perimeter every day. Once we locate a friendly, we'll transmit a short message directly to the location. Hopefully, they won't move, in the meantime."

  "I am also leaning towards the notion that we should broadcast to our people. They need to know they haven't been forgotten. And, the enemy needs to understand they are in for a real dogfight." I add.

  "Actually, I've been considering suggesting that to you for awhile.' Astinov injects. 'Our citizens must be getting very discouraged by now."

  "And, the message may be picked up by other OFSA units. It may help us find them." El comments.

  "Okay, I'll put the message together. Then we'll transmit it to all the permanent receiving stations on member planets and at OFSA facilities. I'll also get the frequencies and encryption from Fredicka Whitehead so we can send this out on press channels. Some of those must be operational, still. I base that on the assumption that the enemy may need official ones to communicate throughout the region and won't consider the press system important. And as the senior commander, it's got to be my job to handle.

  The three Theatre Commanders will oversee the probe deployments under Admiral Elasima's coordination. Do you think it's a plan? Or, is it all a waste of time?"

  "No, sir. It's not a waste of time. There is not much else we can do. But, we have to do something. It's good to be proactive again. Sitting around waiting sucks!" Astinov blurts out. All the other heads nod in agreement.

  "Okay, let's get to it!" I rise from my seat. The meeting's over.

  ..............................................................................................................

  We bear our warmest greetings to all citizens, officials and military representatives of the Orion Federation. We wish you all to know that a large and vigorous contingent of our military has survived the brutal attack of April 2267. We are not about to let this blatant trespass escape retribution. And we will not allow Orion Federation Citizens to spend their lives under the yoke of an authoritarian state.

  The Orion Constitution states that "the government and any and all defensive forces it maintains will use every means to protect and defend its citizens and members and to repel any foreign or alien invaders of its territory." Statutes enacted in support of this clause give the highest ranking civilian authority the power to act unilaterally to that end. In the absence of civilian leadership, it also states that this responsibility falls on the highest remaining level of the military.

  In light of the above; and to facilitate our continued resistance; we are today declaring a state of Martial Law. This directive is recognized by the statutes under the Constitution and gives the administrative commander(s) the absolute mandate to act in the name of the Federation in all matters. These same laws license the surviving authority to make and enforce laws and directives to aid in the restoration of the legitimate governing power. It further permits that temporary management to direct Federation Citizens in any and all matters that may aid in the achievement of these goals. Though Martial Law strips away most constitutionally guaranteed rights, we will try to maintain some sort of adherence to those principles that have made our civilization so healthy, vigorous, and robust.

  You are asked to aid our resistance movement in any way possible. Supply and service of our vessels arriving at you world are imperative. Those who are qualified may be asked to provide covert research and development of weapons, propulsion or defensive systems we may need. And on many worlds, locals may wish to establish ground level resistance cells to disrupt our mutual enemy. We only ask that you take all precautions to guard against further loss of civilian life. We would also like to hear from any groups capable of transmitting to us. If possible, the position and strength of enemy forces would be of great assistance. The knowledge of the current disposition of our King, government officials, and any military prisoners would be comforting.

  Fleet Admiral Kurt Brubacher C&C OFSA

  per

  OFSA Command and Control Commission

  Th
e message was transmitted to all fixed receiving stations. I had composed it in a manner permitting all surviving C&C to participate in the authority. I did not want to run such a massive endeavor alone.

  ...........................................................................................................................

  It took a few days; but, we finally started receiving responses. The remains of Beta were hiding nearby and not with another Command in Virgo as we'd heard. They examined the pulsar and sent out a feeler. Their Senior Command had been destroyed. Only Tier Three supervision survived. So, I invoked my authority as a C&C and ordered them temporarily attached to my flotilla. Twenty-two Beta Fleets and two Tier Three Command Headquarters appeared a week later.

  Nichols was the next to respond. Our "Marshal Law" message had been coded to automatically retransmit to any forces that temporarily linked to the communications system. He received it four days after we sent it and spent another day locating us. I advised him we had the remains of Beta with us. He responded that he would move his contingent closer to us and would visit my headquarters in a few days.

  George Bryant answered the calls the day after Nichols. He was in Virgo. He'd keep his Fleets there but would come for the summit with Nichols. He would be here in four days traveling at thirty-percent.

  The conference went well. We all agreed to an action plan. Then, we modified the War Measures notification slightly and transmitted it with all three signatories. It was much more official, now. And, we had a triumvirate to run the OFSA with. Our initial objective was to capture an enemy craft. We can't do a lot of damage without knowing how.

  We spent another day together just enjoying the revival of our friendships.

  "What made you set up camp here?' Steven asked.

  "When I received your message that two Quadrant Commands were destroyed and no damage was done to the attackers, I knew we had to take unusual steps. But, when you added we should find a good hiding place and wait until one of us comes up with a way to fight this enemy, I decided this would be best. It's off the beaten track and away from high traffic colonies near our border. And, this system has raw materials to harvest. It seemed like the best bet." I responded.

  "Yeah, it's a pretty good hiding place all right. Would you want to jump back in around here, when you're ready?" George asked.

  "Not really. Somewhere in Boötes, Hercules or Virgo would be the best. It's rich in OFSA infrastructure. That makes this place all the better for hiding. We're nowhere near a potential front line." I responded.

  "Do you have a plan?" Steven asked.

  "I notified all my sub-commands we were switching to tactical and surveillance operations only, for now. We are seeking a lone enemy ship traveling through space. The plan is to use whatever it takes to overpower it. Five, ten or even twenty vessels pounding it should overload the shields. We need to capture one, so we can examine it." I responded.

  "Sounds good. And, when you finally have their technology?"

  "We steal their design and install it in our ships so we can fight back, Steven. Then, we conduct raids on small groups from five to one hundred of their crafts. If you guys adopt the tech changes too, we can fight on a larger scale." I explained.

  "I'm in. Just get that ship." George responded.

  "Me too. And, best of luck. Even one Isesinis ship is a threat." Steven added.

  Then, they departed. We will meet again in a month.

  MEMO

  IN THE CLEAR & NOT CLASSIFIED

  From: F.Admiral K. Brubacher ZETA Commander

  To:Admiral Savign Commander ZETA -SF SOCC

  C.C.Admiral A. Urquhart Zeta T1-1 Commander

  Re:Enemy ship?

  Date:June 11, 2265

  Admiral,

  I have just finished a three-day visit with both Fleet Admirals Bryant and Nichols. Their Commands have survived the invasion intact, and they are anxious to resume action. They feel we will work best if all three units coordinate activities. However, they also believe it is absolutely imperative that we capture an enemy vessel, as planned.

  Please intensify your surveillance throughout the region you are patrolling with the ultimate goal of locating a single enemy ship. Waste no time in calling on Admiral Urquahart for support when you do locate one.

  F. Adm. K. Brubacher

  The following morning I received a memo from Fredricka. The article stemming from the interviews was complete and attached. It was an episodic and lengthy video presentation broken into installment segments. I started to review it. But, I decided it would be best to read it later.

  That evening after Bryant was asleep, I started examining it. I sort of dreamed my way through it, if you know what I mean. As it made me recall things as if I was back in the middle of them.

  Chapter 2 Back in the Day

  Wednesday, December 31, 2262

  "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." Vince Lombardi

  Byline - Fredricka Whitehead OFSA Zeta HQ Associated Press Pool Reporter

  Recently, the OFSA fought and won a devastating war on behalf of the Orion Federation. As a result, two worlds outside the Federation petitioned for membership. The Federation has expanded its borders to meet the obligation. But, this inflation creates a need to extend services and protection over an area now double the size our Federation was before. The following reports are a compilation of information available to the public and interviews kindly granted by Fleet Admiral Kurt Brubacher the Zeta Headquarters Commander.

  On Friday, December 5, 2262, Fleet Admiral Brubacher boarded his personal craft for the journey back to the FSS Examiner from Rigil. All the C&C and Senior Admirals have been in meetings, forums, negotiations and at legislative sessions continually for the past four and a half months. It's been absolutely grueling. They spent continuous twelve-hour-days hashing out the details involved in doubling the size of our little corner of the Milky Way. It requires a considerable effort to initiate universal governmental authority throughout the new expanse. And, though they created this great list as if everything happens sequentially, all its various facets are triggered at the same time - midnight, Monday, December 1, 2262.

  Looking back at the meetings, Kurt says; he was seldom bored. There was a lot of ground to cover to determine all the aims and expectations for the next long while.

  Admiral Brubacher explained it all. "First, the OFSA will need to survey all the new systems and determine which are inhabited by "friendlies" and the ones that aren't. Then, they will grade them by development. The ones incapable of space travel will be ignored, for the moment. Technologically advanced societies will be carefully approached and solicited for membership. The Federation will not force anyone to join it; but, we will create a "dead zone" around those that don't. Trade routes will avoid these areas, and their occupants will be restricted to journeys within them.

  These introductions are often dangerous and require a great deal of preparation. Teams of experts create and occupy "duck blinds" from which to observe the potential new members. Meanwhile, orbiting craft monitor planetary communications. Once the contacts' language is mastered by our translation system and the team is satisfied with the prospects' viability, the interaction will be initiated by a fully isolated pair of Federation representatives. Qualified contacts are usually scientist who demonstrate an ability to handle stressful situations well. Full environmental suits protect the legation from environmentally based hazards and biological contagions and shield the objective from them. This is often a stressful operation because meeting an alien in full protective space gear can be unnerving, to say the least. We have scared the living hell out of some people, occasionally. These "introductions" often face several false starts before blossoming into consequential discussions.

  Meanwhile, a team of specialists will go to both newly accepted members' home worlds to "align" their government operations with the rest of the Federation. OFSA outposts will be established o
n each, and our economic experts will convert trade and commerce to a Federation Sovereign based system. Planetary constitutions, laws, and statutes will be examined and proposals sent to the local legislators; so intersecting areas conform to Federation norms. At the same time, similar discussions, negotiations, and interactions will be instigated with all the new affable "high-tech" worlds encompassed by the latest boundary change.

  The third component of the expansion is the OFSA itself. On inauguration day, it will begin functioning under the direction of a Command and Control Commission of nine five-star officers. In preparation for all this, I will be elevated to Fleet Admiral along with the four "Quadrant Commanders" on Sunday, November 30. Ian Malcolm will be promoted from General to Marshal and installed on the C&C panel, in the same ceremony. All of these officers will be assigned to their specific "Tier 1" responsibilities; which run in parallel to their overall OFSA administrative obligations. At this level, each distinct authority will no longer be known as "Quadrant Command" but will be designated a "Headquarters" grade Tier One organization. The former Quadrant operations will now be known as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Headquarters. Mobile Fifth RAC will become Epsilon Headquarters, and my IGB Command is to be referred to as Zeta Command. Zeta's Tier 2 secondary organizations will be known as Zeta One and Zeta Two Commands and will be run by full four-star (level 11) Admirals. All the HQ Commands will be configured that way. But, only Epsilon is already staffed in this manner; so, ten level ten Admirals and two Lieutenant Generals will be raised to the next step, during the November 30, rite. The Tier 3 structures will still be called Theatre Commands, but will be named based on affiliation - Theatre 11 will now be known as Zeta One-T1 Theatre Command or as Zeta One -T1-T2-1 Command. They will be run by full Admirals at grade ten. Zeta Command is still the IGB with all its previous responsibilities, but with workload doubled as a result of the expansion. All other senior promotions will be managed by their particular Tier One Commands but still requiring all the necessary approvals, as before.