Rust Bucket

by Atk. Butterfly

  "One Captain wasn't in it?" he asked.

  I explained, "Only one ship's captain. I had to temporarily replace him with Commander Remm for the purposes of demonstration and control. I'd like to see him in action on his own, plus I imagine if there are any replacement ships and crews, I should get them trained as well before I leave this squadron."

  He nodded and said, "Okay, I understand you now. That makes sense. I'll have Headquarters get onto the assignments immediately. I'm looking forward to having this squadron ready in two more weeks."

  I replied, "Yes sir. They will be ready. They behaved well out there and I'm proud of them."

  ***

  The replacements arrived the following day. I moved Majel to a different light cruiser, so she could continue to get experience, as I promised I would do after the first battle to the Captain of the ship she was on. That went some extra distance for me in keeping everyone's respect as we trained the three new ships in squadron tactics mixed with individual initiative. The week was filled with more inspections of ships, learning about the crews, scrambling, battle stations drills, and mock charges before we went on another patrol.

  ***

  The patrol sector was another lightly used sector. It was rare for enemy units to be spotted in it. Our squadron went to it and spotted a single enemy scout that left immediately before we could get anywhere near it. I could tell that most of the bridge personnel were disappointed at the enemy ship escaping. We patrolled for the entire week without encountering any action. Instead, we had to content ourselves with more drills and mock charges.

  ***

  Upon return to the base, I spoke at length with the captain of my cruiser to give him pointers on how to keep the new ships and crews in top preparedness and what to do if they seemed discouraged or hesitated when an actual battle started to develop. He listened very attentively and took notes. Then I turned over the Berserker Squadron to him and wished him luck before Majel and her people returned with me to Headquarters to receive another assignment.

  ***

  "I'm sorry to hear that the sector didn't provide any action for training purposes. Do you think they'll be all right without that?" the Fleet Admiral asked.

  I replied, "It would have been better if I were there to get them more thoroughly indoctrinated into a battle situation, but this will still work out well as long as the squadron continues to remain alert and practices whenever it's possible. Enough of what they need to be doing will become automatic by then that they should hold together as a unit. They did better than the units I've trained before. You gave me a good bunch of people and ships. I appreciate that if only because they didn't need as much attention in order to apply themselves to the training."

  "I'll take that as a compliment. I presume you're here for another assignment?" he asked.

  "Yes sir. That is meant as a compliment and we are here for another assignment," I responded.

  He said, "Okay. I thought at first that it would really take you two or three months to get the first squadron trained. I've had Headquarters staff working on your next assignment for when you finished. They're still working on it, so I'm going to ask you to bear with us on this and take the week off. You can use the guest quarters for yourselves and the enlisted personnel. I'll have another squadron for you before the week is out."

  "Thank you, sir," I replied as I accepted his handshake before I saluted to leave his office.

  "Well, what now?" asked Majel once we were outside.

  I said, "We do what he suggested. We'll take a week off to relax and get ready for another squadron. We'll take a look at the squadron before we promise how long it will take to do the training. If the ships are in good condition as the last ones were for the most part, then we'll promise a month. If not, then we're going to need additional time."

  She said, "No, I know about that. I was hoping that maybe you'd invite me to your room."

  "I understand now. Well, that's a thought. You sure that's what you want to do?" I asked.

  "You know of any other way to spend a few days that feels as good?" she asked.

  I answered, "Not really. Well, let's check in first."

  ***

  A week later, the Fleet Admiral gave me the new assignment. "This one isn't as easy. This is probably my worst squadron. Care to give me an estimate?" he asked.

  I said in reply, "If it's as bad as you seem to feel it is, then I'll say somewhere between two to three months. I'll know more when I see the ships and personnel."

  He remarked, "Two to three months, huh? Well, if anyone can do it in that amount of time, I guess it's you. I'll give you full discretion and authority again. Your flagship is the cruiser, James. The personnel are a real bunch of misfits. I hope you're up to the challenge."

  "Yes sir. I'll do my best," I said as I saluted before I left. Already my mind was contemplating what I could do with the 13th Squadron. I reached the outside and joined Majel and her personnel. "Here's our assignment. According to the Fleet Admiral, we're in for a rough one. Something tells me that he's only partly right. Let's get there and see for ourselves."

  ***

  We left in the hover provided for us by the Fleet Admiral and arrived at the new squadron site a few hours later. Already half the day was shot just to get there. I started going through the ships one by one with Majel following close behind. If nothing else, the Fleet Admiral was right about those personnel being misfits. I'd never seen a whiskey still on board a warship before, but I found one. I had to admire the ingenuity of whoever created it. I left it alone for the time being, unsure if I could turn it into part of the training or not. There would always be plenty of time to destroy it later if it proved to be an obstacle. The ships, for the most part, were almost the worst I'd ever seen. Even I wouldn't want to face the enemy in some of them. Majel seemed as shocked as I at some of the glaring deficiencies we found.

  "Well, let's find our personnel and see if we can shake them up some," I said as we exited the last of the ships.

  "You going to do it like you did the last squadron?" Majel asked.

  "Depends on where and how I find them," I replied.

  ***

  We began our search at the recreational hall where we found a number of personnel, officers and enlisted, in a drunken state. I decided that I didn't want to be shot by a drunk, so I didn't pull my projectile weapon and fire a shot. Instead, I went to the bar, found the bartender, and told him that the bar was closed effective immediately until I ordered it open again.

  Majel and I then went through the officers billets. We continued to find scenes of debauchery. More than once, we walked into the middle of couples and small groups of men and women engaged in sex with bottles of liquor lying about. I could see that it was definitely going to take some time just to get them sober and acting like Navy personnel again. We started rounding up the personnel we found sober enough to walk and herded them outside as they were where Majel kept them together in a loose formation. A few of the personnel were sober enough to be embarrassed by their state of dress. As for myself, I didn't care what they did or looked like on their own off duty time. What I was after was putting a squadron into shape.

  It took almost the remainder of the day to round up everyone from wherever they were and herd them where Majel could keep them together. A lot of them got sick over thinking what was about to happen to them. I finally had them all together just about seven that night. Then I started in on them, saying, "You are going to stay out here until you're sober. We're not going to dish out No-Alk, either, to sober you up. I don't care how you're dressed or whether you're hungry right now. You might as well find the softest piece of concrete you can within arm's length because you're not going anywhere. Anyone who tries to leave this formation will be shot. When you feel that you're sober, you can stand up to be recognized and motioned forward. One of us will test you to see that you are. Only then you will be allowed to get cleaned up, dressed, fed and maybe get some sleep." I turned to Majel. "Se
nd a couple of your people over to the dispensary to get alcohol testers and bring them back here. Also, have one of them get over to the Dining Facility and tell them that I want a table out here with coffee and cups, plus a trash can. Send someone else over to supply and have them send out a portable toilet. Then send your people to get some supper and send some back for us."

  Majel went over to her personnel and sent them on the different tasks while I kept watch over the squadron. I could tell that it would be a long night.

  The tasks were completed soon. Majel and I sat eating our supper as we watched over the squadron. So far, only about thirty personnel were sober enough to be released from the formation. I sent them to clean up the recreation hall. I wanted a place big enough where I could brief everyone, especially my officers.

  Gradually during the night, a few more personnel sobered up and were sent to perform various tasks. Most of the personnel didn't even know who I was yet. I hadn't introduced myself. The only thing they knew about me was that I was a Captain who threatened them. I was a little surprised that none of them tried to shoot me instead. By morning, most of them were waking. I had Majel march them to the Dining Facility, as they were, to get some breakfast and round up the others from their billets, either in the officers' quarters or from the ships. By then most of them were sober enough to understand instructions. After breakfast, Majel moved them to the recreational hall where I was waiting for them.

  "I am Captain Oden, your new squadron commander. From now on, you will not be drunk or carousing around while on duty. You can do those things while on your own time. This squadron is going to shape up now. This is not negotiable. In a few minutes, I am going to give you all assignments to carry out and you will carry them out immediately. This squadron is going to learn how to fight both as a squadron and as individual ships. When we go into battle, we will win. I want all ships' Captains and First Officers outside right now! Majel take over."

  I walked outside and was met by a mostly undressed bunch of officers who stood around looking at me. "First Officers, you will assemble your crews and take them to your ships. There you will conduct an inspection of your ships and locate all deficiencies. Then have maintenance work on them. I expect most of the repairs to be completed by noon tomorrow. I have already spotted a few problems that will take longer. Move out! Ships' Captains, you'll go to Headquarters and pick up all the personnel records for everyone in the squadron. Report back to the recreational hall with them where you and I will go over every one of them together. Move out!"

  ***

  A few hours later, maintenance was already at work on some of the deficiencies. The ships' Captains had returned with the personnel records. The ships' Captains looked a little more like officers since they were all finally dressed. We spent the next four hours going over their personnel. Amazingly, most of the captains actually knew most of their personnel. It gave me a little hope that they might shape up sooner than I feared.

  Then I started with them, the First Officers, and the pilots as I taught them how to run the squadron with ships' Captains having the option of individual initiative. Strangely, they seemed to like the idea a lot more than other naval personnel.

  ***

  Eighteen of the ships were ready by noon the next day and minus one whiskey still. I pulled the first scramble right at supper time. Their time was pitiful. I released them to get supper instead of having them take off into space. At least I had some idea of how badly they were going to perform at night. By the next morning, the last two ships were ready and we took off into space to do our initial drills at battle stations along with weapons testing.

  ***

  I pulled a scramble two nights later and their time was about the same as for the earlier daytime scramble. I then told them that I would leave the next time whether they were on board or not when we got back to port. "Men and women take note. The next time we scramble, you have exactly five minutes to be on board or you will be left behind. I don't care if you're twenty feet away when the five minutes are up. The hatches will shut and the ships will lift off whether you're in the way or not. I don't care what you look like when you get on board, just be on board before the five minutes are expired. Do not disappoint me for you'll only be getting yourself killed by the ships as we launch."

  ***

  The next night, I pulled two scrambles, one in the early evening and one late in the morning. I kept the units practicing hard at everything until I could see some semblance of order and discipline returning to the unit. I hadn't given the squadron a name yet and really wasn't too concerned about that since there were more important things to do. However, since they were beginning to shape up after a week of work, I decided that it was time to instill some spirit into them other than the kind they drank. I thought back to my speech with the officers and pilots when I told them that I wanted the enemy to think we were crazy for combat and fear us. I also wanted a name which would help to instill that fear whenever it was said. I finally chose to give them the title of the Grim Reaper Squadron. It was close enough to what I wanted for inspiration and fear. The squadron surprised me sometime later the next day when I discovered that they took to the name with enthusiasm. They even had a Grim Reaper painted on the nose of every ship of the squadron by then.

  ***

  The Grim Reaper Squadron didn't get into a patrol sector for two weeks. Then we were finally there and had the luck to discover several enemy ships. I announced the charge over the lightbeam radio and watched the ships go into combat against the three alien ships. The unit performed much better than I thought they would. I was beginning to rethink my opinion of the members of the squadron since they took to the idea of individual initiative better than other personnel. I decided to test my thoughts and called back to Headquarters. "Fleet Admiral Cain, I'd like to take the squadron on an unlimited excursion of all our sectors."

  "Why?" he asked.

  I said, "Because I think we've hit paydirt in this squadron. I think they're ready. Did you monitor the engagement we just had?"

  He replied, "Yes, I did, Captain. But that was only three enemy ships."

  I said, "Maybe so, but the way they aggressively went after the enemy convinces me that they're ready for bigger game, if we can find it."

  He said, "Very well. Permission granted. I will have all sectors notified right now that the 13th Squadron is going to be moving about unrestricted. Good luck. I think you're going to need it."

  I replied, "Thanks, Admiral. We'll do our best not to disappoint you."

  I turned to the Captain of my flagship and said, "Set course to take the squadron through all the sectors. We're going hunting!"

  "Yes sir," she responded.

  A few minutes later we were moving through space and leaving our sector to check out as many sectors as possible. When we entered the third sector, there were two enemy ships. Three of our squadron's ships peeled off at them before I could even announce the charge. I went ahead and backed them up with the rest of the squadron as we destroyed two more enemy ships. All during each engagement, the Communications officer gave a description of the fighting.

  ***

  Entering the fifth sector we came across an enemy scout who wasn't fast enough in leaving. The rest of the sectors after that were empty. Our tactics were having an effect on the enemy. We spent the rest of the week moving from sector to sector, trying to catch the enemy napping and coming up empty-handed.

  ***

  The Grim Reaper Squadron returned to base to be met by the Fleet Admiral who looked at the men and women who came off the ships in amazement. "How did you get them shaped up?" he asked.

  I answered, "I kept them up late and gave them honest work, sir. If nothing else, you have the beginnings of one of the finest squadrons you'll ever see right in front of you. Give them something to do and plenty of it. They'll respond. They've been kept too far away from everyone else and the action. They got bored. From there they went downhill. They're also very individualis
tic. This squadron technique is particularly suited to their personalities. I recommend they be given as much opportunity to fight the enemy as possible. I can stay with them another week or another month, but I don't think anymore time from me is going to make them any better. What they need most is to be used and respected. I don't think they'll disappoint you."

  He said, "I'll take your word on it. I really thought that it would take you much longer to prepare this squadron, even longer than the two to three months you estimated. Okay. Take a week off and come see me. I'll have an assignment that you won't want to miss. I guarantee that."

  ***

  I spent the next week at the same base with the Grim Reaper Squadron along with Majel and her personnel. We watched the squadron scramble twice to intercept enemy penetrations into their area of space. Both times, they succeeded without a loss and crushed the enemy totally. Before I left for Headquarters, they left on another deep space patrol. They were looking forward to it. They had been given one of the hottest sectors around.

  ***

  When we got to Headquarters, we were just in time to hear, along with the Fleet Admiral, the description of the battle going on between an equal-sized enemy squadron and the Grim Reaper Squadron. We listened intently to the flagship communications officer as the ships charged at the enemy. Visuals were greatly limited to what was selected by communications on board each ship for transmission. Having been there with them not long ago, I could visualize what the rest of the battle appeared like to the men and women of the squadron.