by Chris Burton
“Why am I not up against the Disciplinary Panel?”
“I would have thought that was obvious and indeed to your benefit. There are vested and procedural reasons why this case has come to me to rule on. In any case, while I find you guilty of the crime, I cannot actually do anything, other than make a note on your file and confine you to quarters for the remainder of your tenure as a student. Alpha has compelled us to suspend or indeed withhold any sentence on academy Jump Ship students, because of the current military position with the Kryl. You are very lucky, Mister Costello, but know this, it is highly likely that you will go straight to the front line.”
“So, I have got away with it?”
“Not if you put it like that. I would have kicked you out and requested criminal proceedings. You are without doubt one of the best pilots to have graduated from this academy for many years and yet I fear for you. If you do not control your temper and you fail to operate as an effective team member in the field, then I am sure your days are numbered.”
“Is there any point me sticking around for graduation? Why don’t you just send me on now?”
“That would suit you wouldn’t it? You are not an Alpha officer until you graduate and without that, you would qualify only as an NCO pilot. You really would be cannon fodder then, believe me. More importantly from your perspective, your tutor will actively seek the best role for you. This cannot be achieved until you graduate.”
“So, what now?”
“I am confining you to academy staff quarters under house arrest until graduation day, when you will be allowed back to your apartment to prepare for graduation. Think of this as an opportunity to cool off and reflect on what has gone wrong with you in the last year. You should be leaving here with an 8.5 at least, Enson. A 7 looks likely now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Crisis
Combat Droids, SED, Earth’s Shield System, Closing the wormhole. None of these things were on the agenda a few weeks ago and now, suddenly they were top priority. The new Kryl fleet’s arrival had put Alpha into crisis mode and yet, this created opportunities, as well as threats. The question was where to start?
Thomas Koenig and his trusted chiefs of staff, Jonas Kohn and Chris Clarke, sat down at 9:00 a.m. sharp, the day after news came that the new Kryl ‘invasion’ had started. They gathered in Koenig’s library, each sat on a two-seater sofa, with a wooden coffee table to the center and glass console tables to the left of each chair. It was a comfortable and informal environment and one where Koenig felt secure. It was where many of their more productive sessions took place.
Koenig’s inner cabinet was in session.
“So gentlemen. The Kryl are here again, a battle is underway and I think it is fair to say that we are up against it. Apart from our offensive strategy, we need to finalize definitive plans for closing the wormhole, Earth’s shields, the SED and combat droids. As well as put together a coherent argument to present to the Admiralty bench, the media and the ECG. I suggest we start with our battle strategy. Chris can you start?”
Clarke looked ill at ease. He did not show the air of confidence portrayed by his CIC. It was clear he was very concerned about the latest situation.
“Things look very grave. We think there are at least two thousand Kryl ships now in the Tri-star System, with yet still more coming through. The latest Intel shows the Mother Ship has come through, but this one is much bigger than the original, measuring some ten kilometers across.”
Kohn referred to the holographic images of the Kryl fleet and the Mother ship, which projected onto the table in front of them.
“As you can see it is very well-protected. We can only surmise what is inside but the proportions of this new fleet make them a huge threat to us.”
Koenig pursed his lips with his hands and then calmly offered his interpretation.
“We do have an idea what we are up against and with the assistance of the Sentinels, the Betanica Sect and a consolidated APF fleet; we can amass some five hundred vessels. As per the last battle, it is the Jump Ships, which are critical, and our key strategy will be to flood the arena with a very large number of Rapiers, Sabres, and indeed Hunters. Once we weaken their front line defenses we can start to break them up and then use battlefield weapons, PBA, Teutonic etcetera.”
“The loss of lives with the Jump Ships alone will be enormous.”
“Yes. This is the main reason why we will not fight the main battle with them in the Tri-star System. We will draw them out, so the fight is in open thru space. Our Jump Ships can use their full capabilities rather than the free for all massacres which occurred during the first battle.”
“What if they do not play the game?”
“If you mean, if they do not leave the system? Then we will play the waiting game. This will allow us to build up our Jump Ships and ships of the line.”
“The bench will ask why you are not out there and that there appears to be no coherent chain of command. Is Haines or Shenke heading up the fleet?”
Koenig could sense the challenge in Clarke’s voice, but he wanted to foster a comfortable environment for discussions, he let it pass.
“Admiral Haines is the senior commander, but Shenke is the battlefield commander. Tactical decisions will be shared, but with Shenke making tactical maneuvers in the field. As for me, I am Commander in Chief and I have more than enough to keep me occupied here. I have every faith in both of them.”
It was Admiral Kohn’s turn to join in now.
“Thomas. With the greatest of respect to Haines. He is too laid back to head this up. Shenke needs to be promoted. He is the best we have in the field at present. The bench is going to need some reassurance and this miss-match of collective responsibility will not convince them. You need to keep them on board.”
Koenig paused and reflected before commenting further.
“I think you are probably right Jonas, but for now, we will monitor and see how this pans out. We will leave a token number of ships, headed by a four or five star commander to ‘observe’ the Kryl fleet. Has that been communicated to Haines, Chris?”
“Yes. I have emphasized caution. There will be sub space weapons available and the system would not be a good place to trigger a sub space reaction.”
“Good. Let’s leave that and move on. We cannot do anything about closing the wormholes until the Kryl fleet has left the system. I presume our technical teams are on standby to act once the path is clear?”
“Yes, although there is no definitive solution yet,” replied Chris.
“Keep me informed.”
“Jonas, how is the shield system?”
“Improving, but still inadequate. We have all the technicians in place and they are still surveying the situation. The weakest areas were prioritized and several have been strengthened. I am being briefed daily.”
“Jonas, I cannot over emphasize the urgency of this. If all else fails the Kryl fleet could be in the solar system within three to four weeks. We will hold them off as best we can, but if we and then SED fail, the shields will be all that remains to protect Earth. This is your top priority. Keep me updated on a daily basis.”
“Of course. I am due to speak to the lead technicians this afternoon. I will keep you posted. What news of SED?”
Jonas was keen to detract from the shield issue. He was very worried. There seemed very little prospect of the shields being ready in such a short time scale. He tried not to show his anxiety. Koenig would feed off it and right now, they all needed to be positive.
“A good question Jonas. There are still two concerns. The SED infrastructure, which is defunct and the Combat droid issue. I am assured that the droid operating system will function only remotely and not autonomously. I do however have concerns about whether the Kryl could seize control of the droids remotely, but there is no way to prove this outside of combat. There are, as you know 250,000 droid units ready for uploading and these will now be integrated into the live combat capability for the Earth bound
troop contingent. They will remain in Exeter, in their pre-upload state, but can be called upon, uploaded and transported to any location in the world quickly. No further units will be manufactured until the new operating system is proven in combat.”
“If the Kryl can take control remotely. There will be a further quarter of a million enemy troops on the ground. Isn’t it a bit risky?”
“Yes, but each droid unit has an independent self-destruct device. This can be remotely triggered but does not form part of the main ops system. Again, there could be concerns about the Kryl, assuming control and remote detonating, but I am assured the security protocols are complex. They would have to assume control of the operating system first to gain access. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens. There is no way we could ignore a quarter of a million extra troop units.”
“What about ratification? We are going to have to ratify this and various other decisions made with the Admiralty bench. That is going to be a tough one to explain.”
“Yes Jonas, we do, but we will be selective about what we put forward for ratification, at least until after the droids are proven or not.”
“What about the infrastructure?” Chris Clarke was quiet for a while.
“The Jump Ship division will fall seamlessly under the existing Alpha Two defensive contingent. There are too many Hunters and not enough Rapiers or Sabres but plenty of good pilots and as a backup they could be invaluable. The land forces, including the marines, troopers, and droids will remain under General Mike Lee. This is his area and I would not presume to tell him how to run a ground war. The Airborne and Sea division will now come under Admiral Smythe, rather than General Lee.”
“You said the infrastructure was defunct?”
“Yes. General Lee could not manage all three divisions. The land forces division is still top heavy, but Lee is redistributing his key personnel and has created a flatter command structure. It should work better. The question is whether they would have any impact on invading Kryl forces and again, we just do not know!”
“And not something we want to put to the test.”
“Absolutely not...but I fear we may not have much choice.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Graduation
Four long years.
Four long and very eventful years, some filled with pain, others with happiness, but now it came down to this. Today was Graduation day and as each Enson’s name was called and they triumphantly walked the short distance from their seat to the stage, they became an officer. As each, reached the top of the stage, the Chancellor would greet them, address them by their new title, reveal to them their passing grade and utter a few words of congratulations, before they returned to their seat. In each case, the auditorium erupted as their fellow officer candidates showed their appreciation for the magnitude of what they had achieved.
There was no particular order. Steve Costello was called a few minutes before. He seemed happy enough with his grade. Probably couldn’t believe he was allowed to graduate, thought Jake. Carla came next and she left the Chancellor with a beaming smile, which continued as she sat down next to Jake. She winked at him and kissed him on the cheek.
Now it was Jake’s turn. His name was called and he stood up and smiled at Carla before exiting his row and commencing his walk to the stage. Strange that he felt slightly unsteady on his feet, as he reveled in the significance of the occasion. He reached the stairs, climbed them, and was greeted by the Chancellor.
“Lieutenant Carter. Congratulations. 9.6 is the second highest grade this year. I know you have had a tough year, but your future looks excellent. Well done.”
Jake thanked the Chancellor and returned to his seat. So that was it, he thought. In just a few days, he would head for his first posting and his time with Carla would end. How long would it be before he saw her again? Would he ever see her again?
* * * *
“So, where’s Steve? I did not see him leave the hall.”
“Over there by the plasma display.”
Carla and Jake ventured towards him. Steve looked distant, but looked up and smiled as they reached him.
“7.3. Not bad. Could have been a lot worse. What did you get Jake?”
“9.6. Jake quickly dismissed his score. “I think 7.3 is a reflection on how well you must have done on your Geometrics! Overall, that is an average grade for Alpha graduates. That will open things up for you, I am sure.”
“It will be front line SED and you know it. I just have to hope I can get a Rapier posting. Carla you seem happy.”
Carla tried to avoid getting involved in the conversation. It was good that Steve was on speaking terms with them, but he was still a shadow of the man she used to know. Now, though, was the time for celebration. They had all graduated and they needed to enjoy what little time they had together.
“Yes, 9.3 was better than I expected. I guess we are all going to get some good opportunities now. Just have to wait and see what surprises our tutor has for us.”
“I told you. It will be front line SED for me. Jake will get a decent ship of the line posting and you will get into Alpha communications. You two will get what you want. I should as long as I get a Rapier. To be honest, I just want to get the hell out of the damn academy and get flying again.”
* * * *
Last night had been enduring. The new Alpha officers descended en masse to the Refectory and then toured the bars outside the academy until the early hours of the morning. Jake woke in Carla’s bed with a headache, made worse by the early start and the thundering reverberation of a large bulk carrier, fully laden, struggling to clear the take off zone at the South Downs Space Port. He showered and took ‘hangover’ pills and felt much better. Carla dressed into her new Officers fatigues and looked very sexy. God, why did the bloody term have to end, thought Jake.
“You did not have to get up yet. Your tutor meeting is not until this afternoon.”
“I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible. Can I walk you down to the tutor’s office and wait?”
Jake agreed and within ten minutes, they set off. They waited briefly outside Steve’s apartment, before realizing he had obviously left already. This was not the way it was supposed to have been, thought Jake. Barely six months ago, they planned their journey in to see the tutor, post-graduation. They would be drawn to see him together, based on alphabetical surnames. They planned to storm the tutor’s office and demand a JS posting at the same location. It was all a ruse of course, but at the very least, they were supposed to have walked in together and had an outside chance of a posting in the same location.
“Whatever they offer you, make sure you get the one which delays your departure from here as long as possible!”
Jake laughed.
“I will try, but to be honest, what with the Kryl invasion. I am not sure I will get much choice. I am also kind of restricted with my suspended combat status.”
Steve was already sitting outside the Tutors office when they arrived. He also adorned his new officer fatigues. Jake was due to go in first so he took the chair nearest the office.
“Here we go then. Look sharp Steve. We could still get the same posting yet!”
“What makes you think I want a posting with you?”
Before Jake could respond, the tutor’s door opened and he was ushered inside.
“Good morning Lieutenant Carter. Take a seat.”
Jake sat down in front of the tutor’s desk. He was nervous. Where would he end up?
“Your grade was excellent. Second highest this year and there is no shortage of people wanting a piece of Jake Carter. I had twenty-seven postings which came up on the reserve system this morning and I have reduced this to what I think are the best eight. I presume that you still wish to take a Jump Ship posting, even though you are still signed off from combat flying?”
“Yes.” Jake stuttered, he was about to say, Sir, but realized he and the tutor were now the same rank. “I would like to be as near to th
e action as possible.”
“Of course. There are five posts in the battle fleet, two at stations on route and one at Alpha Two. This last post would be ideal. You can’t do much until your leg mends properly and this way you get lots of non-combat flying hours.”
“I would like to think I still have a lot to offer in a front line capacity. Are there any junior CAG posts?”
“Yes, two. The first aboard the Griffin, a type 36, class C cruiser as Assistant CAG. The second aboard the Viceroy, as a deputy assistant CAG on one of the sub JS decks. They are both good posts. The Viceroy post is excellent, but you would be a very small fish in a huge sea!”
“Where is the Griffin now?”
“She is in the battle fleet, but she is a back up vessel.”
“Not much chance of her Jump Ships being used in front line combat then. What are the other posts?”
“They are on a variety of C class ships—all would be straight JS pilot roles. So from a combat perspective you would find yourself little to do over the next few weeks, although it is possible that a CAG position could become available on any of them.”
“Are any of the C class vessels on the front line?”
“The Antibes. She is a C class 15 galaxy cruiser. One of the newer ones and so a fast ship and she will definitely be in the thick of it. Sound interesting?”
“Yes, I think so. I am not sure about the CAG positions and if I can be signed off faster then so be it. I think a smaller ship sounds better and with my tactical knowledge of the Kryl, I may even find my way to the bridge in some capacity.”
“Sounds like you have made a decision, although I would try to avoid letting your imagination run away with you. Rookie JS pilots are not exactly top of the pecking order. You have to earn your stripes, so to speak.”
