by C. R. Daems
"Permission to come aboard," I said after exiting the shuttle.
"Permission granted, Captain," she answered loudly. She appeared young for a full commander, in her thirties, tall, and trim. Her narrow face was surrounded by unruly dark-brown curly hair cut just above the shoulders. "Welcome aboard, Captain LaFon."
I could feel her trepidation, although she hid it well. I was sure Marsh had told them I was assuming command because of my experience and he was being assigned another Odin cruiser. But the crew would have heard I had lost the Odin and would rightly have questions and concerns. "Sir…your staff has been assembled as you requested. They await you in the conference room."
I couldn't help a mental smile at her unease in accepting that I had replaced Captain Marsh by her hesitation in saying your staff and the conference room rather than your conference room. It spoke well for Marsh and the loyalty he commanded. "Lead on, Commander. Everyone will have questions and concerns best addressed quickly." I noticed her almost imperceptible nod of agreement. She said nothing more as she led me to the conference room, where nine individuals waited.
"Attention,' Amaya said loudly as she stepped inside the room after Akar and braced to attention.
"At ease." I walked to the empty chair at the head of the narrow conference table and sat. "Why the change?" I said, knowing that was the question on everyone's mind and therefore the best place to start. "Because the Odin was destroyed and I lived, giving Admiral Simons two Odin pilots and only one Odin cruiser. So, why me and not Captain Marsh?" I continued with the obvious question on everyone's mind. "Partly seniority, partly experience, but probably the overriding reasons are the techniques that Captains Lahti and Bergan and I developed in the invasions of Durban and Yorklan and my experience with Copernicus. In the end, Admiral Simons is trying to make the best use of her available resources, knowing we have to defeat the Issog with sufficient resources remaining to take on the Arrith." By the look on everyone's faces, that put the issue in perspective—not a personal decision but a strategic one. I nodded to Bergan, who sat to my left. He nodded.
"I'm Captain Bergan, I command the Sobek. I’ve been with Captain LaFon from the beginning of the Odin squadron. It's been an exciting ride." He nodded to the woman on his left, a waif of a woman with short black hair showing streaks of grey. Her pixy face had piercing black eyes.
"I'm Commander Dawson. I command the Thor's fighter squadron. From my discussions with Captain Marsh, it doesn't appear we will see much action in an Odin squadron," she said, cocking her head as if awaiting an answer.
"A squadron of Issog fighters took down the Odin," I said, knowing she had probably heard the rumor. "We are still developing tricks, so you never know. And then there are still the Arrith, and they won't fight the same as the Issog." That seemed to give her reason to hope her squadron would see action, and she nodded to the man to her left. He dwarfed her, not only in height but also in mass, with his broad shoulders and chest. His rugged face appraised me for several seconds before speaking.
"I'm Colonel Houston, commanding the Thor's marines. I heard your Mactans saved you on Berlin." His gruff base voice wasn't speaking a question but demanded a response.
"Yes, along with a squad of outstanding marines the Issog would long remember if they had survived the introduction," I said, knowing Akar and the Mactans had nothing to prove and would have said the same. "Marines on a cruiser may not see action much, but when they do, it's frequently a life-saving difference," I added, and the colonel relaxed back in his chair and nodded to the middle-aged man across the table from him, who looked to be an age to retire except for the war. Average height, a little overweight, with a round face and receding hair line.
"I'm Commander Locke, the XO for the Backup Bridge. Second time to the war front." He looked quickly to Commander Amaya, who sat next to him.
"I'm your primary Bridge XO. I'm looking forward to seeing your tricks." She smiled. "From all accounts, the Odin squadron has made a significant difference in reducing our loss ratio against the Issog." She looked to Captain Lahti, who sat to my right.
"That's true, Commander Amaya. As Captain LaFon frequently reminds us, the Issog aren't stupid and they are quick, but she has a way of getting in their heads and making them do stupid things the fleet can use to their advantage. I know from personal experience. I'm Captain Lahti, commanding the Amsit."
"Thank you. I didn't invite the section heads this time because time is short. We will be leaving for Alexandria in a few hours. It's a three-day trip, so we will have time to get better acquainted and to discuss our strategy."
* * *
Several hours later, the fleets were in their assigned positions, and timing had been established. The Thor squadron would precede the first wave of the Sixth Fleet by five minutes, then the rest of the fleet five minutes later. Afterward, the Third Fleet.
During the three days to Alexandria, I visited each of the sections in an effort to learn as much about each member of the crew as I could, and for them to get to know their new captain.
Like much of the additions to the war zone, the senior officers were new to their positions and ranks. The engineering officer, Mark Cain, had only one tour with the Second Fleet, although he had six years’ experience. In his early thirties, he was young for a Lieutenant Commander in charge of the section. Like many, his initial service had been guarding and servicing systems which hadn't been attacked by the Issog. As the war lengthened and the Issog captured one system after another, cruisers not occupied were used to fortify the front line and to replace the high losses incurred as each side fought for supremacy. Until the Odin project, the Issog had been winning the war of attrition.
Unlike Cain, this was Lieutenant Commander Susan Holm's first tour to the war zone as well as her first experience as the commander of the environmental section. She looked like she had just graduated college with her athletic figure, long blonde hair tied back in a rope, and a nervous smile. But she had six years’ environmental experience and knew the system. I suspected getting used to being in command would be her biggest challenge. To her credit, the tour to the front didn't appear to bother her as much as proving herself.
Commander Cortez had twelve years’ experience and three tours to the front. Like me, he had been wounded, only his extensive injuries had required six months of treatment. He was a short, stocky, no-nonsense individual.
Doctor Wells, a commander, was much like Doctor Felder on the Odin. She too had decided her duty was helping the war effort and had left a comfortable position in the surgical department at the Utopia Medical Center to join the navy, insisting she wanted to serve on a cruiser in the war zone. She looked like someone's grandmother: short, slightly overweight, greying hair, but with piercing grey-green eyes that missed nothing. Unlike Doctor Felder, she had seen trauma center chaos and was preparing her staff to cope.
I met with Commanders Amaya and Locke several hours before our scheduled exit into Alexandria.
"Any last-minute instructions, Captain?" Amaya asked as she sat looking around the Bridge. "It's eerie seeing all these stations shut down like we were docked at a space station. You must feel like a superwoman, being able to control all the ship's functions."
"It's an awesome feeling. Everything seems accelerated because there are few delays between wanting and happening," I said, trying to explain something that had to be experienced, like sight or smell. "If something happens to me, it's your responsibility to get this cruiser safely back home. It's not to kill the Issog, or to help kill the Issog. If we survive, your responsibility is to learn how the Issog think and respond to situations so that you will be able to fill the next captain vacancy. Although I will not be attempting to kill Issog, I will be trying to make them use up their skips and to reposition them to the first wave's advantage. The exercise should help you understand the Issog, and maybe help in any subsequent encounter with the Arrith."
* * *
I began the procedure of locking down the
Bridge stations in preparation for our exit into Alexandria. Then I sat preparing mentally for the upcoming confrontation, with Akar's When we fight, we fight ringing through my mind. I couldn't help wondering if my skip right into the Issog fighters had resulted from my being overconfident or too aggressive or having lost focus for a second, giving my opponent the winning edge.
"Battle Stations, Wave exit in thirty minutes," I announced and slowly emptied my mind, determined not to repeat my previous mistake. The stakes were too high.
When we exited the Wave, I watched as the ESP came to life. Four batmobiles were at the one light-second mark, approaching the Wave at five hundred fifty gravities. Nothing else was in sight. They were evacuating Alexandria. I smiled as I connected to the Amsit and Sobek while simultaneously clicking my ICD to Commander Dawson. When their faces appeared on the monitor, I responded.
"The Issog are heading for the Wave. Release your fighters. Afterward, pick the closest target and fire. If they return fire, then skip a light-second. After that, respond as appropriate." I didn't feel like I had to remind them they weren't here to kill Issog but to harass them. The fleet was the designated killer.
As expected, the Issog skipped the one light-second to avoid a missile war for the hours it would take them to transverse the distance. I selected the batmobile tagged B4—which was the furthest from my squadron—and fired twelve missiles. The Issog didn't return fire, intent on reaching the entrance to the Wave. I scored ten hits and B4 went Yellow. The Thor's fighters descended on the wounded cruiser like starving hyena and the ship exploded less than a minute later. Only one batmobile managed to enter the Wave.
Five minutes later, the first wave exited the Wave. I contacted Captain Hannah via a tight-beam connection. When she appeared on my monitor, she looked confused.
"No Issog?" she asked, her gaze on the ESP.
"No, they were getting ready to leave when we arrived. The squadron managed to stop three. One got away. I don't know if there are any more in system, but space looks clear for at least six light-seconds."
"Did you receive any damage?"
"No, they were too intent on leaving to stop and chat."
"Good. What now?"
"We'll follow you toward the planet and await orders."
Hannah nodded and cut the connection. She issued general orders to proceed at half speed toward Alexandria while awaiting Simons and the rest of the Third Fleet's arrival.
When both fleets had assembled, we made two skips over the next sixteen hours. To everyone's surprise, the Issog had deserted Alexandria space, adding weight to my conclusion that they were pulling back and consolidating their strength elsewhere. That also suggested they didn't have enough cruisers to survive a war of attrition. Consequently, they were looking for an all or nothing confrontation where they felt they might have the advantage. I agreed. Against forty or more batmobiles, one Odin squadron wasn't likely to entice the Issog into making a significant mistake. When it came to target identification, firing, and skipping, the Issog were clearly the masters. If they had a hundred cruisers, we might need as many as a hundred fifty to win. Even if we had that many cruisers, it would leave us totally defenseless against the Arrith—confirming the Issog weren't stupid. They understood the situation and had not only nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
Simons ordered several hundred marines deployed to the surface to assess the situation and provide the civilians with whatever help they needed. Fortunately, the Issog saw humans as cattle and made no effort to kill their captives when they decided to leave. The marines spent the next four days treating the survivors, relocating them, and destroying the Issog's buildings and equipment.
Simons scheduled a staff meeting on the morning of the fifth day with key members of the Third and Sixth Fleets. We met on the Sakhmet in her conference room.
"Attention," shouted a tall blond Lieutenant Commander seconds before Simons and Perkins entered.
"At ease," Simons said as she and Perkins found seats. "That was a neat trick you played on those Issog cruisers." She looked toward me as she spoke.
"In the right circumstances, it's very effective," I said.
She nodded. "Very. According to Colonel Estrella, the survivors have been treated and relocated inland and the Issog buildings destroyed. Based on his discussions with the civilians, seventy percent of the population died under Issog occupation and less than ten percent evaded capture." The room was quiet when she finished. That shouldn't have been a surprise since the Issog had captured Alexandria more than three years ago. In reality, it was fortunate anyone survived. "Judging by Berlin and Alexandria, the Issog are consolidating their forces. The million-dollar question is where." She paused and drank her coffee, content to await comments.
"There are only three systems left: Angeles, Hydera, and Kammu," Wallace said, stating the obvious. "I think the critical question is how many Issog cruisers remain—and their deployment, because they are definitely expecting us."
"It's an excellent chance to defeat the Issog once and for all," Captain Barker said, his eyes sparkling at the thought.
"Without knowing their numbers, it's an excellent chance to lose a fleet or two," Perkins said, mirroring my thoughts. "Captain LaFon, if they have forty cruisers at the next system, what can the Odin squadron do to give us favorable odds?" He sounded like he was interested, but his eyes said he already knew the answer.
"Nothing. Any commander with twenty or more cruisers will not be pulled out of position by three cruisers, and if he is any good—which most are—then he will suspect an invasion and position his command accordingly," I said.
"Are you indicating we can't win against twenty or more Issog cruisers?" Barker asked.
"No, I'm suggesting in that case the ratio of kills will favor the Issog by three to two based on our historical record."
"I tend to agree, said Simons. "The Issog would have the advantage in a large-scale engagement because of their quicker targeting ability. Therefore, I think it's critical we understand which systems they are planning to use and the total cruisers at each system. Suggestions?"
"Scouts?" Hannah asked into the silence that followed.
"That could produce deceptive results, since the scout’s sensors a unlikely to detect cruisers at the eight-second mark or more, or ships with their systems inactive. And jumping into a system thinking there are twelve cruisers when in fact there are forty would be disastrous," Perkins said.
"The Thor," I said. "One Odin cruiser may not be effective attacking a large force, but it may be useful as a scout."
"We could lose the Thor," Simons said, frowning at me.
"Early in the campaign, that might have made a difference, but we all seem to agree it can have little impact anymore on our attacks, if the Issog are consolidating their forces." I shrugged, indicating I wasn't sure.
"Let me think about it," she said as she rose, ending the meeting.
* * *
"Ma'am," I said, "the Odin concept is centuries ahead of anything we have today, but in its present stage of development and implementation, it's better used as a diversion or to gather information, and not as an attack cruiser. That will remain true until we can mass-produce them. In my opinion, the immediate need is information gathering, since a mistake at this point could result in our inability to contain the Arrith." I reached for my cup of coffee, awaiting some comment. Simons had scheduled a meeting with her and Perkins the next day to hear my argument on using the Thor to scout the remaining three systems under Issog control.
"We could lose the Thor, and the new Odin won't be operationally ready for another three to four weeks… And Marsh doesn't have your experience or grasp of the Issog," Simons said, and turned to look at Perkins.
Perkins shrugged. "If we agree with Zoe's premise, that the Odin cruiser’s greatest value is in deception and information gathering, and that it wouldn't be useful in an engagement where the enemy had large numbers, then losing the Thor is not as important as the
potential information it could provide."
"What about Admiral Fossett's wrath if the Thor is destroyed and LaFon killed or captured?" Simons asked, shaking her head as if she could hear Fossett's response.
"Whether the decision is right or wrong, you get the credit if the result is good and the blame if it's bad. I think you have to forget the captain is Zoe and decide what the best use of the Thor is." Perkins looked to me. I nodded my agreement.
"How do you plan to proceed?" Simons asked while giving me a convince-me look.
"I'll start with Angeles and then report back here to give you the results. Then, depending on your next move, I’ll try Hydera and again report back to wherever you're waiting. Then Kammu, depending upon you orders."
Simons was quiet while she filled her coffee cup and drained it twice. "Phase one is approved. To Angeles, look, and return to Alexandria."
* * *
One hour later we were heading for the Wave. Bergan and Lahti were disappointed they weren't going along but understood they would be at much greater risk while at the same time being unlikely to contribute to the reconnaissance mission. I waited until we were in the Wave to brief my staff, as I felt an urgency to get going because it would take five days for the round trip to Angeles.
"Good evening," I said two hours after entering the Wave. "The Thor is on a reconnaissance mission which may decide the fate of the Commonwealth. We believe the Issog are consolidating their forces, and it's critical for Admiral Simons to know not only where but how many. A decision based on insufficient information could lose the war with the Issog, or win the war with the Issog with insufficient cruisers surviving to take on the Arrith. Our first objective is Angeles, then Hydera, and finally Kammu."
"What do you think, Captain?" Amaya asked the question on everyone's mind.
"It's dangerous, but your captain is not suicidal. I don't plan on being in system for more than a couple of minutes. Exit the Wave, have a quick look around, and leave. Our mission is not to engage or kill the Issog, just to collect information and get it back to Admiral Simons so that she can make an informed decision. Surprises are good if you spring them on your enemy, and bad if your enemy springs them on you." That seemed to satisfy everyone. "My job is to quickly recon each system—how many Issog cruisers and their configuration. Your job is to keep the Thor operational and be ready if I need your support."
