by NB VanYoos
* * * *
The following day brought an onslaught of press conferences, media interviews, and meetings with Supreme Military Command staff. Tyler felt he’d handled them well, especially playing up his new role as a consultant to the Supreme Military Commander, Admiral Teesen. Of course, nothing was mentioned about the Commission he was heading to analyze and help execute the next offensive. That was highly classified information.
Once Tyler told Toosia about his resignation and new position, she accepted it gracefully. She wore her placid face, but Tyler believed he’d seen surprise twinkling within her eyes. He assured her his role in the military would slowly diminish after the next campaign. At that time, he promised, they would build a normal life together in Tooland. As always, she accepted these promises with grace and unnerving calm.
After surviving the multitude of press events, Tyler began building his new commission. Because he headed it, he had the final word on who would join. Despite this obvious power, he split the board in half between supporters of Admiral Osloo and those of Admiral Teesen. He maintained control to break gridlock should it occur.
All nominees accepted graciously and swore to uphold the virtues of the Military Code of Ethics. Tyler sensed they wanted an end to the war, but now that he had taking over the administrative aspects of the offensive, most were willing to entertain a more cautious approach.
Marshall Sliss and Admiral Osloo’s staff accepted the change immediately and demonstrated their unwavering ability to organize, plan, and execute. Their efforts essentially led the Commission with Tyler providing his input.
They embraced their Admiral’s resignation, although the Marshall reported disquieting rumors about careers and futures. Tyler nipped it in the bud by instructing Marshall Sliss to assure all the staff their military progression would not be hindered by a change in their leader’s status. In fact, Tyler promised future positions of their choice, assuming they succeeded with the Commission.
It staved off their fears, and most returned their focus to the task at hand. Good thing for Tyler, the task was large and required administrative skills that surpassed that of Admiral Osloo. Tyler was again relieved to have Marshall Sliss and the Admiral’s wonderful staff.
By the end of the day, they were well on their way to completing a fully functioning commission with a charter, agenda, and schedule nearly fleshed out. It was nothing short of a miracle, and had required a great deal of cooperation between all the staff in the Military Command. They even acquired special offices for the Commission located on the seventh floor below the military complex. It happened so rapidly, even Tyler had yet to see the new quarters. Everything fell into place and Tyler felt they were on track to preventing a would-be disaster.
He had several last minute issues to resolve before retiring to his quarters. The largest was getting field trials underway on several ships near completion. They would try to shorten the length of the trials, but he felt confident they couldn’t be completed in less than six months. The Imperial Palace and the Supreme Military Commander would not be overjoyed with the news, but if they could convince the Commission to agree with the assessment, Teesen would have no choice but to back the plan.
Unfortunately, Tyler still needed an excuse for his trip to Siirneen. He dreaded meeting Nayllen and the associates, but he recognized the danger if he didn’t. So far, a viable solution that wouldn’t raise suspicions eluded him. He sat quietly in an empty conference room, racking his brain. Sadly, he couldn’t rely on the Marshall since he wanted to remove the man from the threat Nayllen posed.
I have an idea, Adanni’s voice offered quietly.
Tyler wasn’t in the mood for Adanni yet he needed to resolve the issue. Fine! Share.
Tyler felt Adanni bristling from his clipped response, but he didn’t care.
I see from the Admiral’s memories there are many military installations throughout the asteroid belt. In the past, the Admiral has hosted meetings to discuss strategies with his commanders. Although they never met on Siirneen, it is as likely a place as any.
Tyler chewed on the suggestion. It made sense, but it was a meeting that was typically reserved for the Supreme Military Commander, not a Commissioner. How could he pull it off without looking like he was taking power from Admiral Teesen? The last thing he needed was for Admiral Teesen to be involved.
I’ve got it! A revelation came unbidden from the Admiral’s memories. We can hold an administrative meeting with the second in command rather than commanders!
Tyler knew the second in command usually directed supplies and administrative matters for units. This freed commanders to deal with strategic operations, troop movements, and battle field tactics. Perfect!
Okay, Adanni agreed, what is your pretense?
My pretense? Tyler knew it was a good question, but he didn’t have one prepared.
Adanni interrupted. How about we plan the meetings around a logistics theme to validate the supply chain required for the offensive? It seems like a logical thing a commission might do.
Tyler didn’t want to admit it, but Adanni was on target. They had to validate the supply chain anyway, why not do it with the officers in the field? It would bypass the higher ranking officers that were in charge of units and regions, but it made sense to work it from the bottom up rather than the top down. After all, who had more to gain or lose than those on the front lines?
Perfect, Adanni, you may be useful yet!
Interesting, Adanni replied flatly, I was thinking the same thing about you.
Tyler left the conference room to track down the Marshall and get the new plans underway. He needed the meeting three days from now, but he had to be there in one. It was tight, but if anyone could pull it off, the Marshall could.
As he walked down the corridor, he thought about telling Toosia he was going off-world. He didn’t relish the prospects but had to face up to the task. His mind was filled with multiple ways to break the news to her, but everything seemed likely to undermine the progress they had made in their reunification. As he turned into the staff offices, he decided he would be direct and truthful.