Admiral's Ghost

by NB VanYoos

  * * * *

  Similar to the other buildings in the capital complex, the Supreme Military Command contained housing for nearly all the staff members who chose to use it. When at capacity, the military complex housed over twenty thousand people, including the deluxe accommodations afforded the Supreme Commander.

  Above ground, the complex soared fifteen stories into the sky with wonderful views of the surrounding city. The top two stories of the main building were the Supreme Commander’s lodgings and offices. These deluxe accommodations came replete with a full staff just smaller than the Admiral’s estate. All of this was paid with taxpayer monies, and more than once the Admiral had commented on the extravagance, especially during war.

  Despite this, Tyler and Toosia settled into their quarters, each taking a separate bedroom. They were not yet to the point where they would share a bed, but Tyler remained hopeful. In the meantime, he was happy just to have her with him.

  After the press conference, they spent time debriefing and reviewing the poll results. The numbers proved to be of great relief as they indicated no backlash from his religious comment. His numbers were stronger than ever, obviously rising because of his triumphant return.

  The Emperor would see the same numbers, thus it was imperative to show a strong Imperial allegiance uniting Poolto. This took a great deal of the threat away from the Emperor, and made the public feel confident the government spoke with a unified voice. This would be important moving forward as hard decisions were made.

  Although the buzz in the press concerning the religious comment died down, the Marshall’s networks indicated it had not gone away completely. Many religious factions were using it as a propaganda tool to spread their message. It was expected, and the Admiral’s staff felt it, too, would eventually die down. Despite the optimistic assessment, the Marshall assigned resources to key places in the fringe to keep an eye on things.

  Everything about the capital complex was foreign to Tyler. Even the Admiral’s memories provided little insight. Tyler knew the Admiral had never liked Yooso and he suspected this was part of the reason why the Admiral spent most of his time in space. The immense size and abundant population made it cramped like a spaceship, but the culture and environment did not match. Tyler received all the respect his position demanded, but he sensed an over abundance of impatience.

  Considering the Vice Admiral’s new offensive plan, Tyler wasn’t surprised everyone felt pressured. The Vice Admiral had done plenty to build momentum for his plan while Tyler was recuperating in Tooland. This wasn’t lost on the Marshall who expressed concern that progress had not been adequately relayed to him while absent. Although they did not meet open opposition, the undercurrent was running parallel to that of the Vice Admiral.

  The Admiral’s staff knew they needed a fast, clear path to re-establish their power. The military wouldn’t wait forever, even if their greatest leader urged caution. Tyler knew when push came to shove, they would side with the Emperor who ultimately held all the power. The only way to prevent this was to give them all a better alternative.

  The problem was they didn’t have one. So far, intelligence was spotty at best, and non-existent at worst. The military still couldn’t figure out why the Admiral’s attack hadn’t worked. By all calculations, they should have defeated Krildon and taken the home world. Something went wrong, but they didn’t know what.

  It was as though Krildon knew of the attack, even though it had been one of the most well guarded secrets. This was why Tyler and the Marshall were uncomfortable with the Vice Admiral’s plan. What if it became compromised? It could spell certain defeat for Poolto? Based on that, why did the Emperor side with it? The Emperor was a shrewd man not prone to rash decisions. Still, something didn’t feel right, but Tyler couldn’t figure out what.

  There was nothing in Poolto’s history or the Admiral’s memories to compare the current situation with. The government had perpetrated the enormous lie and needed a way to justify it. Tyler didn’t believe Krildon felt cornered, especially if they had intelligence from inside Poolto. Unfortunately, Poolto didn’t have the same intelligence on Krildon.

  Most within the Admiral’s staff felt it was impossible a citizen of Poolto could betray their planet, but Tyler knew there were no Krildon within parsecs of Poolto, let alone within the military. Because the two species were physiologically different, it was impossible for someone from Krildon to disguise themselves as a Poolto citizen. Assuming it was a security leak, that left only one conclusion: they had traitor in their midst.

  What was the motivation for someone to betray their home world? Money? Power? Tyler assumed the list was vast. Betrayal was a common theme in the drug underworld of Earth, but luckily for Raul, no one had betrayed his organization or network. If they had, Tyler assumed they would have done it for money and power.

  On Poolto, however, it was something of a puzzle that Tyler imagined might never be solved. It was hard to imagine such a bitter hatred of the enemy could be put aside just for personal gain. Nearly everyone had lost something during the missile attacks early in the war. The scars from that devastation ran deep, and Tyler guessed most would never consider profiting from the ongoing conflict.

  Tyler decided it was better to focus on the immediate concern—getting the Admiral’s power back. He was thinking about that very problem as he made his way to a conference with the senior military staff. Since returning to Yooso, the Admiral had avoided meeting with the Supreme Military Command. The Admiral’s staff held them off until they settled in.

  The Vice Admiral was running this conference, and that alone was reason for concern. The Marshall confided he didn’t see any advantage or benefit to the conference and had already approached the Vice Admiral with those sentiments. As expected, the Vice Admiral had dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

  Rumor had it many in the senior staff were not happy about the lie they had helped propagate, and they were anxious to move past it as quickly as possible. A great victory would assist that effort, so the Vice Admiral used this as a tool to promote his plan.

  The fear was real and even the Admiral’s staff admitted it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the lie concealed. Too many people had been involved and too many had suffered. The situation took its toll on military morale, and the senior staff believed a new mission was needed to move past the problem.

  Unfortunately, this played directly into the Vice Admiral’s hands. Support for his plan steadily grew despite the early efforts of the Admiral’s staff. Tyler understood they had their work cut out, especially since the Vice Admiral would use the conference to undermine support for the Admiral who lacked a counter-plan. Tyler feared it might work.

  A leader without focus, vision, and certainty bred discontentment within the ranks. For the moment, Tyler could offer none of those things. Loyalty only went so far.

  Tyler walked through the double doors and into a conference room sized for about fifty people around a large oval table. Each seat contained a separate viewer to watch presentations and data. In the center of the table, a holographic projector was used to display three dimensional plans and reconnaissance intelligence.

  Tyler accessed the Admiral’s memories and noted the Vice Admiral sat at the seat reserved for the Supreme Commander. Tyler moved to the seat at the opposite end of the table, thankful for an end seat. Marshall Sliss had already sat to the right of the empty chair, apparently signaling to everyone else the end seat was Admiral Osloo’s. As he sat, everyone stood at attention except the Vice Admiral.

  “At ease, gentlemen, no need for formalities.” Tyler said.

  Everyone re-took their seats, and Tyler acknowledged many of the members with a nod of his head. There were a few empty spots at the table, but Tyler was a bit early.

  While they waited, he scanned the room. The interior walls, chairs, and small tables were laid out for the aides of the senior staff. Tyler noted the Marshall’s aides, Kooren and Beelen, sat together focused o
n their devices. The Marshall stared at his own view screen while text scrolled rapidly across it.

  Tyler was informed that, per protocol, a senior official from the Emperor’s staff would attend. As a civilian, he was seated at one of the tables against the wall. His position was to the back left of the Vice Admiral, and he was accompanied by several aides. Tyler didn’t recognize the man, although the Marshall said his name was Heeller. He was one of Regent Sneerd’s right hand men sent to observe and report. To Tyler, he was a spy.

  The conference would run for three days, and the first day was filled with keynote speeches, agenda reviews, and updates on current military readiness. The Admiral was not among the keynote speakers, but the Marshall warned Tyler he would likely be asked at the last minute. Again, this sort of impromptu action would play well for Teesen.

  The clock indicated ten minutes past start time, and the last of the attendees finally sat down. The Vice Admiral rose and signaled for everyone’s attention.

  “Welcome, everyone,” the Vice Admiral began, “I hope these next three days will help bring our war efforts into clearer focus.”

  Tyler surveyed the occupants, but most were pre-occupied. Many flipped through papers or stared at their view screens, but this didn’t deter the Vice Admiral.

  “We are fortunate to have Admiral Osloo joining us for the entirety of this event, an event he would normally chair.” Somehow, Tyler didn’t think the Vice Admiral looked all that ready to give up the chair. “We also hope he will take this opportunity to share his own thoughts on these proceedings before we adjourn a couple days from now.”

  Well, there it was, as predicted, the Vice Admiral wanted to put the Admiral on the spot. The Marshall had been correct—better to address it now.

  Tyler decided to stall the inevitable, “Thank you, Vice Admiral, I am more than willing to share my thoughts in these proceedings; however, my staff and I are just settling in, so I am depending on all of you to share your thoughts that I may reflect on your collective knowledge.”

  That put the onus on them, but didn’t excuse Tyler completely. The Admiral had a history of delivering momentous speeches at any military gathering, so Tyler would need the Admiral’s staff to prepare something before the conference ended. For now, he held the Vice Admiral at bay.

  The Vice Admiral stared directly at Tyler. “Very well, Admiral, we look forward to you sharing. Meanwhile, let’s get underway with our first keynote speaker. Marshall Siitoo, I believe you are the first?”

  The Admiral knew Marshall Siitoo quite well. He was a fabulous administrator who ran military supplies. Marshall Siitoo and his staff were meticulous, making sure everything was accounted for. The Marshall had consistently worked miracles with supply logistics, and keeping civilian contractors honest and on time. He was known as the man responsible for trimming fat while keeping morale high. Tyler had been assured he was on the Admiral’s side.

  “Thank you, Vice Admiral Teesen. Fellow colleagues, and honored guests.” He nodded toward Heeler who patiently watched. “We are faced with a crisis from which we have many possible paths.”

  Tyler listened as the Marshall ran down an overview of the losses they had suffered from the battle over Krildon’s moon. The numbers had risen since Tyler had last seen them. Apparently, many of the surviving ships were being scrapped due to the heavy damage. They were barely operational, and fixing them would cost more than replacing them.

  Tyler watched his view screen as statistics scrolled past painting a picture of the current operational resources. It was adequate for a good defense, but not sufficient for a large offensive. He watched the Vice Admiral as these numbers were displayed. Teesen showed no signs of concern.

  Next to Tyler, Marshall Sliss was busy with his device, sharing data with others on the staff. Tyler knew they would be preparing something based on what they saw here today.

  Finally, Marshall Siitoo delivered some good news. Most of the defense contractors had new shipments that they’d been working on for the last year. The timing was perfect and would raise force strength to sixty percent of original.

  Unfortunately, most of the equipment still required final stages of testing and certification before they could be put into service. The current estimate placed completion between four and six months. With dedicated military resources applied to the process, it could be sped up by a month.

  So, this was how the Vice Admiral was justifying his hasty battle plan. Tyler saw they would proceed. The Vice Admiral’s plan would require the new equipment, and Teesen, with Imperial backing, would skip space trials and certification testing to meet his deadlines. Dangerous Teesen, very dangerous.

  Tyler recalled many past battles where entire units were lost because of malfunctioning equipment. This was the reason why such rigorous testing cycles were put into place. Admiral Osloo had set testing as top priority after several bad incidents early in the war. Teesen was willing to cast all that aside on the slim hope they could overwhelm the enemy’s forces.

  Tyler watched the screen and saw the replacement for his lost flag ship. It was the latest and greatest technology Poolto could offer. Unfortunately, like all large ships, it needed at least four months of space trials before it was battle ready. According to the screen, it was currently undergoing some of those trials.

  When Tyler looked at the new ship, a small part of him felt a thrill of excitement. He realized the Admiral inside was the source of this giddiness. The Admiral always felt more comfortable in space. On his flag ship, he was in command and he controlled the smaller ships around him. Tyler highlighted the flag ship and ran through the specs.

  The Admiral’s memories confirmed everything, but Tyler was amazed at the weapons and capabilities it possessed. It would be a formidable weapon, but not if the Vice Admiral put it into battle before it was ready. Nearly half the weaponry was new designs. To Tyler, that meant bugs and flaws that still had to be worked out.

  Tyler looked up from his viewer as Marshall Siitoo delivered the last of the supply news. Production on the mining colonies was at a hundred percent, but this caused backlogs since the depleted forces weren’t able to consume the supply chain fast enough. The Marshall indicated it was a problem they needed to solve immediately as available storage facilities would soon exceed capacity.

  Marshall Siitoo shot Tyler a look. Tyler knew it was because Marshall Siitoo and Admiral Osloo had designed the supply chain together. The Marshall was assuming they would be the logical people to solve the crisis. Tyler agreed and happily noticed Marshall Sliss taking serious notes. Tyler felt confident they would solve the problem.

  Tyler nodded to Marshall Siitoo, indicating ‘Don’t worry, we will work it out with you’.

  Satisfied, the Marshall finished his keynote and sat down. The Vice Admiral hadn’t liked the exchange between Tyler and the Marshall and stepped in to take command of the situation.

  “Thank you, Marshall, please contact my staff immediately so we may resolve this production problem before we reach a crisis. Admiral Osloo, I hope we can count on your counsel to resolve this?”

  So, Teesen wanted to be involved? Fine, let him, then he will see who really had the power.

  Tyler smiled magnanimously, “Of course, Vice Admiral, my staff and my counsel are always available.”

  They both knew it to be false, but played it out for everyone in the room. Tyler noted the Emperor’s man watched the exchange intently before jotting notes.

  Don’t worry Emperor, all is civil—for now.

  The next two speakers took the remainder of the morning describing training and troop readiness, as well as the current defensive plans in place. Tyler’s knowledge of the Admiral’s memories confirmed the defenses were adequate, as long as nothing else changed. At least the Vice Admiral could do something right. Defense had always been his strongest suit, so Tyler wondered about his new aspirations to launch an offensive.

  As the last speaker finished his summary, they broke for lunch. Tyler
looked forward to the first speaker after lunch. The schedule indicated Marshall Triin of military intelligence would present the latest and greatest on enemy forces. Triin was definitely one of the Emperor’s men, and had always worked closely with the Imperial intelligence community. That had traditionally served Admiral Osloo fine since Triin had access to a lot of the same intelligence the Emperor did.

  Marshall Sliss had many of his own people within military intelligence, and that back-channel typically provided more intelligence than was reported in forums such as this. They knew the Emperor loved to control all of the intelligence, so they constantly watched for misinformation. Power and control walked hand in hand with intelligence, but their network had been in place for years, and so far, had never been compromised.

  Regardless of its timeliness or efficacy, Tyler was interested in seeing the latest. According to Marshall Sliss, the intelligence community had kept the latest news tight to their chest. That meant it was valuable.