Desperate Measures: The Issog

by C. R. Daems

  "Admiral Gutierrez, move your fleet back to the three-second mark from the Wave. There you will ensure none of the Issog escape. Captain Lipscomb, all ships capable of skipping will move to the seven-second mark, including the Sakhmet. Captain LaFon, you will see if you can give the Issog a reason to skip to us."

  "Yes, ma'am," Lipscomb said as Gutierrez stormed out of the room with Morrison and Marsh following in his wake.

  "Zoe, what's your assessment of the Fourth's engagement?" Simons looked not only serious but interested. Lipscomb frowned, probably thinking it inappropriate to ask a squadron commander to comment on an admiral's performance. Not to mention he was the senior captain in the fleet.

  "Marsh made a serious mistake skipping into the Issog's configuration. He should have waited for the first wave to arrive. That said, Admiral Gutierrez's attitude made Marsh feel he had to prove himself and his squadron. He and his squadron fought bravely but accomplished little toward helping the fleet. The fleet also fought well, but the outcome was inevitable given the number of skips the Issog had remaining and the fleet choosing to waste skips to engage them."

  "I agree, Zoe. The Odin squadron has been a real eye-opener. Faster targeting and skips are the Issog's advantage, not their commanders or equipment. Take that advantage away, and the Commonwealth captains are their equal or slightly better." Perkins nodded toward me with his glass raised and laughed. "Oh, and I love Copernicus."

  * * *

  I don't know what Gutierrez told his captains, but they did pull back to the three-second mark while the Sixth moved all of its cruisers to the seven-second mark, which was a four-second skip for the four Vamps, B13-B16. Simons agreed I would start the engagement after the fleet recovered its skip capacity.

  At the designated time, I executed a four-second skip, calculated a vector to B14, the closest batmobile, and twelve seconds later fired six missiles. Being less than eighteen thousand kilometers from B14, the missiles took less than ten seconds, and five scored direct hits—although B14's status remained green. As I awaited a response, I didn't envy the Issog commander. If he fired on me, the fleet at the seven-second mark could skip and fire while he reloaded. Of course, he could skip away—but where? Fifteen cruisers were between him and the Wave. And he couldn't sit there and let me continue to shoot at his squadron.

  Seconds before my six empty tubes were loaded, B13-B16 skipped to the seven-second mark and fired fifteen seconds later. To my relief, the Sixth Fleet skipped one light-second—half to the six and half to the eight-second mark—and seconds later the half at the six-second mark skipped back and thirty seconds later fired. The Issog skipped to the eight-second mark and fifteen seconds later fired. The Commonwealth cruisers skipped back to the seven-second mark. Simultaneously, I skipped to the eight-second mark and thirteen seconds later fired six at B15. At the same time, the Amsit and Sobek joined me and fired eight missiles. They had apparently not fired last time but waited. This time I was within ten thousand kilometers and caught the Vamps by surprise. All the missiles scored, as did most of the missiles from my squadron. B14 went Red and B13 Yellow.

  I imagine the commander had a monster of a headache, and another decision to make within the next forty-five seconds—the time for the pesky cruisers to reload. They skipped back to the seven-second mark, close to the Sakhmet. I followed.

  They fired fifteen seconds later at the Sakhmet, which then skipped, along with half the fleet. I fired six at B13 and it went Red. Their next skip surprised me, a three-second skip to the four-second mark. Unfortunately, they were within missile range of the Fourth Fleet for more than two hours and had no skips remaining to avoid hundreds of missiles targeting them.

  Simons came online minutes later. "Let’s get our marines on the ground and give the people of Yorklan something to cheer about." She was smiling. We didn't lose one ship.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  New Hope. Celebration

  The Fourth and Sixth Fleets arrived in Hew Hope three days later without Simons. She had decided to visit Utopia. She left Captain Perkins in charge of the Sixth Fleet, much to Admiral Gutierrez's annoyance. Not that there was any need for someone to be in charge of the fleets, since we were in New Hope to make repairs, treat the wounded, and get a little R&R.

  Perkins and I met two nights later at a restaurant featuring old-Earth Moroccan style cuisine. When we entered, I felt like we had been transported to another time and place. Inside, we were met by a slender young woman with long black hair. Across her forehead was a strand of silver disks that looked like coins, and matching earrings dangled from her ears. Her dress was ankle length with long wide sleeves and filled with gold embroidery.

  "Good evening gentlemen," she said with a slight Arabic accent. "Do you have reservations?"

  "Yes, Perkins."

  After a minute checking her tablet, she smiled. "This way, please." She led us to an alcove which had a knee-level table surrounded by cushions to sit on and others which served as back rests. The walls contained painted murals of desert scenes and Arabic structures. The ceiling was made to look like we were inside a tent, and reinforcing the illusion, the alcove had tent-like flaps that could be closed for privacy.

  Another woman in similar clothing served us mint tea, bread, and an assortment of appetizers on a large platter.

  "This is different," I said, looking at the assortment of food on the table.

  "Something to get our minds off the war and killing," Perkins said while breaking off a piece of bread and scooping up a light brown paste of some kind. "Hummus. Why do you think Simons ran off to Utopia so quickly?"

  I scooped up a small amount of the Hummus and found its lemon flavor interesting and quite good. "To get rid of Admiral Gutierrez before he gets Marsh and the Thor squadron destroyed. It's what you and I discussed after the Yorklan engagement last time. The Odin concept requires an admiral who is willing to work with the captain as well as a captain who has a feel for the Issog. Unfortunately, Gutierrez is a heroic-type leader who believes in all-or-nothing tactics which play into the Issog strengths. And I'll wager Captain Marsh's experience against the Issog was as part of a squadron. In other words, he followed orders, and probably under someone like Gutierrez."

  "I have to admit, captains in a squadron, and even those leading a squadron, aren't part of the overall strategy. They aren't encouraged to take independent action." Perkins picked up another piece of bread and scooped up creamy-looking chunks of something. "Cucumbers." He smiled as he put the food in his mouth. After wiping it, he continued. 'What would you do if you were Fossett?"

  I laughed. "No thanks. Not even in peace time." I had given the situation some thought, not that Fossett or Simons would ask my opinion. "Disband the Fourth Fleet and give Simons the cruisers—including the Thor squadron—and reassign the Odin squadron."

  Perkins’ head nodded unperceptively, as whatever he had in his bread hung halfway to his mouth. "How about giving Gutierrez the Sixth Fleet and reassigning Simons and the Thor squadron?"

  I choked on the cucumbers I had just begun chewing, sucking some in my air passage. I gagged, coughed, and spat up food for several minutes, trying to clear the obstruction while Perkins banged on my back trying to help. "I guess that means the idea doesn't appeal to you." Perkins was trying to look serious but had trouble holding back a laugh.

  "I'm not sure if Gutierrez or I would hate the idea more."

  * * *

  Simons Visits Utopia

  "What brings you to Utopia, Simons?" Fossett’s calendar had been full, but he agreed to meet with her at the Senior Officer's Club for dinner. The club was small but the equivalent of any upscale restaurant with an excellent chef, tablecloths, China, crystal, security, and privacy at the member's request. "I hope it's not bad news." He choked out a short laugh. "Of course, you wouldn't be here if it were good news."

  "It isn't bad news, just a heads-up that I thought was better discussed in person rather than sent via a courier." Simons picked up her wine,
sniffed, and took a sip awaiting comments. When Fossett nodded, she continued. "The Sixth had a very successful engagement at Durban and lost only five cruisers against an Issog force of sixteen." Simons smiled when Fossett’s eyes opened wide in surprise and a grin split his round face. "Our success is directly contributable to Zoe and the Odin concept. She understands the Issog's tactics and is like a fly buzzing around the food at a dinner table. She gets them to chase her, using up their skip allowance, and makes them so mad they commit errors of judgment."

  "You can bring me news like that anytime, but of course, that's not what you came to tell me," Fossett said, looking at Simons with narrowed eyes.

  "We then moved on to Yorklan, where the Fourth led the assault. They also encountered sixteen cruisers, however the Issog commander at Yorklan had a different defensive configuration. The Thor squadron received heavy damages in their initial encounter, and the Fourth lost thirteen cruisers to destroy the twelve Issog cruisers waiting near the Wave. Because of the heavy losses, the Sixth finished the remaining four."

  "Losses?"

  "None."

  "Why did the Fourth have such heavy losses?" Fossett asked, leaning toward her.

  "Admiral Gutierrez doesn't believe in the Odin concept. Consequently, the Thor squadron feels like it should outperform any other squadron, and Gutierrez believes in overpowering the bugs, as he refers to them."

  "Isn't that somewhat true? The Odin cruisers should be able to outperform the other cruisers." Just then the waiter delivered the steak dinners and Fossett began eating.

  "No. Zoe and I believe the Odin squadron is best utilized in the role of irritating the Issog into using their skips and setting them up for the first wave of our invading force. When the Vamps are low on skips, they are far easier to kill, and when they are mad or pulled out of position, they make mistakes."

  Fossett sat eating without saying anything for half his dinner. Finally, he wiped his mouth with his napkin. "If I understand the numbers, Fourth Fleet’s remaining cruisers are just the amount needed to bring the Sixth back up to strength." He looked to Simons, who nodded at the apparent change of direction. "And Admiral Gutierrez, while fearless, isn't using the…Thor squadron to its potential because of his more aggressive approach. In fact, his approach could put the Thor captain in jeopardy." Again, Fossett paused until Simons nodded. Then he continued eating. When they finished, he ordered a custard pudding and coffee. Afterward, he smiled and sat back in his chair. "I have the perfect solution. I'll promote Captain Perkins to Junior Rear Admiral and give him the Sixth Fleet, and I'll give you Third Fleet along with the Thor squadron. As a Senior Rear Admiral, you will be responsible for the Third and Sixth Fleets. Problem solved." He gave Simons a satisfied grin.

  "What about Lipscomb? He is the senior captain in the Sixth," Simons finally said.

  "Do you think he and Zoe will make a good team? Per your reports, which I read, Perkins and LaFon are a good team. Lipscomb seems to resent LaFon. Keep the Sakhmet for your command ship and Lipscomb…or I'll reassign him along with Gutierrez if you think that will cause problems."

  * * *

  Over the next three weeks, cruisers began arriving from around the Commonwealth. They didn't know any more than those of us on New Hope. They were told to report to New Hope but not why. Two weeks later, Admiral Simons arrived along with eight cruisers. She immediately called for a meeting of all the captains. We met on the Sakhmet. When I arrived, the conference room was nearly full. While I collected a cup of coffee, Marsh approached.

  "Good morning, Zoe. Have you heard about Admiral Gutierrez? He has been recalled back to Utopia."

  "Not officially, but scuttlebutt said he left on a courier," I said, not wanting to repeat rumors. "How are your squadron's repairs coming?" I thought to change the topic, as I didn't want to discuss rumors. We would know the facts soon enough.

  "Within the week, we should be fully operational again—" He was cut short when Simons's aide called "Attention." Simons entered with two stars on her shoulder boards—Rear Admiral Upper Half.

  "At Ease and take your seats." She waited as everyone either found a seat at the conference table or in one of the chairs against the wall. There looked to be close to forty captains present, and the conference table could hold no more than twenty. Perkins and I found seats against the wall. "Over the next week, we will be forming two fleets, the Sixth and the Third. In general, the cruisers which survived the engagement at Yorklan will be absorbed into the Sixth, while those selected from other stations will form the Third Fleet. I will officially command the Third for now, but have responsibility for the Third and Sixth. Captain Lynch will command the Sakhmet. Captain Perkins is promoted to Junior Rear Admiral and will command the Sixth." She smiled. "Congratulations Admiral Perkins, your flagship is the Heptet. Captain Wallace will replace you on the Tefnut. I expect the Sixth will be operational in two weeks. We can't deal with the Arrith until we kick the Issog out of our space."

  Every sailor and marine on the Sakhmet must have heard the roar of Yes Ma'am, from the assembled captains.

  * * *

  Perkins called me to the Heptet an hour before he had scheduled a meeting of the Sixth's captains. I entered his new office and saluted.

  "At ease, Zoe. You were partially correct. Fossett did disband the Fourth. I like his solution, if not the promotion."

  "Congratulations, Admiral Perkins. It has a nice ring to it. I think Fossett and Simons made an excellent choice. Lipscomb is a good officer but doesn’t have the flexibility…"

  "And he isn't fond of you," Perkins said, but the twitch of his lip took the sting out of the remark.

  "You're right. He blames me for Simons leaving Durban unprotected." I shrugged. Lipscomb may have been right.

  "You were a contributing factor. Even I was shocked initially. Leaving did feel like an act of betrayal. However, it was the right decision." He paused for a sip of coffee while watching me. "Simons and I agree you need to have a few sessions with Marsh and his squadron. Simons has asked Mikel to come back and upgrade the Third into an Odin Fleet. That will be an excellent opportunity for the Odin squadron to work with the Thor squadron and share your experiences." He laughed, then turned serious. "I told you before I didn't want to be an Admiral in war time—too many lives resting on my shoulders. So…I expect the Odin squadron to keep the Sixth's losses low. Actually, very low."

  "Yes, Admiral Perkins, that will be my squadron’s number one priority."

  "Number one, Zoe, is to keep the Odin from getting destroyed." Perkins looked to the back of the room. "Colonel Akar, is she behaving?"

  "Yes, sir. Captain LaFon has been very cooperative." He nodded without expression.

  "Good. Because without Captain LaFon, I'm not going to enjoy being an admiral." He stood. "Let's join the others. We don't want to disappoint Admiral Simons. Besides, it will be embarrassing if she has the Third Fleet ready to party before the Sixth."

  Outside the door waited Lieutenant Commander Lesha Starnes, Perkins’s aide. When she saw us exit, she opened the door to the conference room, waited for Akar and I to enter, then called Attention as Perkins appeared.

  "At Ease." Perkins took the seat at the head of the table. As he shuffled through some papers, Starnes placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "The Sixth is now composed of five standard squadrons of three cruisers and an Odin squadron. Because of recent upgrades, the Sixth is officially an Odin Fleet, which means each squadron commander will have an additional panel added to his or her cruiser. But our first order of business is assignments. Commander Starnes is sending each of you a list of your positions. For my staff meeting tomorrow, I'll want each squadron commander to brief me on the status of their squadron: status of crews, repairs, and assessment of your squadron's operational readiness. I know that isn't much time, but Admiral Simons wants us operational in two weeks. That means fully crewed, all repairs completed, and ready to kick ass on her command."

  "Yes, sir," the group responded w
ith glee.

  * * *

  Mikel arrived two days later with a team of engineers, and to my relief, Kwon and Elaine. I arranged to have Marsh, Howard, Baker, Bergan, and Lahti on the Odin along with Kwon and Elaine with their equipment in shuttle bay one.

  Everyone stood when I entered. "Relax. Marsh, you know Kwon from Next Robotics. She is going to upgrade your implant and work with you to get it operational. We are going to try to do it simultaneously while we review, via the simulator, previous engagements with the Issog. Admiral Simons is not Admiral Gutierrez. She wants you to avoid shootouts with the Issog. Your job is not, repeat, not to kill Issogs, but to harass them into using their skips, and to make them mad. The madder the better, because mad Vamps make the same stupid mistakes as mad humans." I watched Marsh and his captains. "What I and my squadron are going to do for the next two weeks is share our experience and our knowledge of the Issog, and how we have managed to piss them off."

  "What about participating with the Third Fleet's exercises?" Marsh asked. Howard and Baker appeared to have the same question.

  "Good question," I said. "The Odin and Thor squadrons are not really part of those Fleets. You could lead the Sixth as easily as the Third or some other fleet. In a sense, our job is over when the first wave enters the system. I'm not saying we won’t help if we can, but that is not our assignment. Admirals Simons and Perkins would prefer we stay out of harm’s way. In fact, you and I have orders not to help another cruiser if it endangers our cruisers."

  "Why?" Marsh asked, looking shocked.

  "For the same reason you're assigned Mactans. Although it sounds heartless, those other captains and their ships are easily replaced. You're not. If the Odin and Thor are going to help win this war, you must understand your responsibility is not to kill Issog, but to harass them into doing foolish things the fleet can use to destroy them." I pointed to Baker and Howard. "To a lesser degree that also applies to the Thor and Odin squadron's cruisers. While you're easier to replace, a well-tuned Thor and Odin squadron is not as easy to replace, and is far more crucial to the fleet's success than the fleet's other squadrons, as you will see over the next two weeks."