Righteous Reign The Series: E-version Boxed Set Edition
Page 45
Another reason is his loyalty to me, Admiral Nichols, and Admiral Leeds. And, finally, he is smart and empathetic. When he becomes aware of what's going to happen, I'm sure he will stand with Edward. The last part of the plan is your wedding. It has to be scheduled for six months from now. Stephen will marry Olivia a month before. Two royal weddings in a month will keep a lot of people dazzled. And, it will undoubtedly occupy the press. We will need that diversion. Can you live with that time frame, Helena?" George asked.
"If it's going to be that big a splash, it'll take that long to plan." She responded.
"Okay, the most important part. What do you say, Kurt?" George asked. I paused for what seemed an eternity but was actually a couple of minutes as I pondered the issues and formulated my response.
"Making a decision like this, without knowing everything, is very complicated. The secrecy makes it tough. But, I have always trusted you, sir - and Admiral Nichols. I have admired you and made you my model. So, I will take a shot and say I'm in all the way, no matter what is said tomorrow. I believe you would not do, or ask me to do, the wrong thing. I accept the promotion and the reassignment, and I'm relieved you all know about Helena and me. Thank you for that Your Highness. You are very perceptive." I said with a smile.
The meeting dissolved. Helena received confirmation that Anna and Dave had accepted and were on the way. Anna had detected the urgency in the message. She had authorized forty percent of light speed, in the vortex. They would land at seventeen hundred hours, in full dress uniforms. The rest of the day was a whirlwind.
MEMO
To:All OESA Field and Headquarters Commands & all personnel
From:Fleet Admiral B. Dickinson OESA C&C,
Fleet Admiral W.O. Stephenson OESA C&C
C.C.Office of the Orion Empire Secretary of Defense, Emperor Edward III
Re:New Headquarters Command
Date:June 1, 2257
All,
Recent events have made it apparent that, though we trust the majority of our personnel, that faith cannot be blind, and we must be aware there is always a tiny percentage of any group that will take advantage to satisfy their lust for power or, their greed for wealth. To highlight this point, I will mention that former Rear Admiral Lee Chan, Captain Amrit Singh, and Leading Crewman Huard Bolger were sentenced to long prison terms for an elaborate embezzlement scheme. It became apparent during the same investigation that there'd been a widespread manipulation of personnel, by the same perpetrators. Besides the abuse, the conspiracy involved a sizeable theft of money, and an operation designed to steal OESA materials and sell them on the Black Market. This is an unacceptable situation.
To root out any other such criminal conspiracies, deter any future ones, detect mishandling of personnel and the misuse of power in any venue of our organization, we wish to announce the creation of a new Headquarter Department.
Be advised that by the authority of the C&C, and with the approval of the Orion Empire Council, the Orion Empire Representative Assembly, the Secretary of Defense and Emperor Edward III, an investigative Headquarters Department has been created and entrenched in the Rules and Regulations of the OESA. This new HQ will be formed immediately and will be called the Inspector General Branch (IGB).
This investigative unit will hold full Headquarters Department status but will be temporarily housed in the ESS Valhalla, due to constraints in office space. It will be commanded by a Level 10 Flag Officer, and, will be manned by a Staff of around five thousand personnel. Embedded within its structure, full investigative and enforcement divisions will be authorized and warranted by the Empire to enforce its laws and the Rules and Regulations of the OESA. They will have the full powers of arrest and detainment held by any other such agencies throughout the Empire. Since this department will have the full license to investigate the minutia of all operations of any Command, each and every member of the IGB will be painstakingly vetted and granted the Empire's highest level of Security Clearance. An investigative order from the Commander of the Branch (Inspector General) will carry the same authority as a criminal warrant or subpoena issued by a court of the Empire, or in the name of the Emperor. All personnel presented with or made aware of such an order, will yield full access and offer no interference in any investigation, as outlined in the official order. Your compliance to the Branch is not just requested but is also required by the amendments made to the OESA Rules and Regulations.
We trust you understand the need for this change and the fact that this new Department is under tight control by C&C Staff Offices to ensure it does not abuse these wide-ranging powers. IGB is also under the scrutiny of a new sub-committee authorized by the Defense Committee of the Orion Empire Representative Assembly. The Department's Commander and representatives will be required to appear before, and report to, this sub-committee, on a regular basis. It is not our intent to create a police state or to restrict the freedoms our citizens enjoy.
Fleet Admiral B. Dickinson OESA C&C
Fleet Admiral W.O. Stephenson OESA C&C
MEMO
To:All OESA Field and Headquarters Commands & all personnel
From:Fleet Admiral B. Dickinson OESA C&C,
Fleet Admiral W.O. Stephenson OESA C&C
C.C.Office of the Orion Empire Secretary of Defense, Emperor Edward III
Re:Inspector General Branch Commanding Officer Appointment
Date:June 1, 2257
All,
Please be advised that at seventeen hundred hours, this day, Rear Admiral Kurt Brubacher, currently Commander Phoenix Fleet Task Force One will be elevated to the rank of Admiral (10).
We also wish to advise you that, effective seventeen hundred hours, today, Admiral Kurt Brubacher will be assigned as Commander OESA Inspector General Branch.
Admiral Brubacher has had a distinguished career with our service. He has demonstrated keen abilities as a trouble shooter and investigator and has contributed to our institution tactically and organizationally. He has a daunting task ahead. Staffing a new full department, establishing operating protocols and procedures, and beginning investigative operations in the required timeframe will not be an easy job. We expect his Department to start functioning in six weeks, and be fully operational in four months.
Congratulation to you, Kurt and best of luck.
Fleet Admiral B. Dickinson OESA C&C
Fleet Admiral W.O. Stephenson OESA C&C
Other memos, from Admiral Nichols, regarding promotions and reassignments rippling from my promotion flew through the system. When Anna and David arrived, they were hustled into Admiral Bryant's office. He spent ten minutes summarizing and highlighting the changes and the need for them, without conveying the underlying intelligence reasons. He pretty much stuck to the line in the announcement from the C&C. The rest of us entered the room, after that. Both Anna and David were somewhat stunned when the Emperor appeared in the room with us.
Following that, we went to the amphitheater. It was well represented with people from both Loki and Thor, along with, a multitude from the thousands on the Valhalla. The ceremonies advanced to a lot of fanfare - but without a snag. It took less than an hour to complete all the promotions and assignments. There were only very brief statements, instead of the usual long speeches from the event hosts.
From there, a select group went to the lounge for a brief cocktail party. I did have two glasses of champagne, this time. Helena toasted me. Bryant toasted me. The Emperor toasted me. When I could move away from the more senior officers, I sought out Tahu Moahu who I recognized from our time in Boots Fleet.
"Vice Admiral Moahu, can I have a moment of your time?" I ask as I take his elbow and gently guide him away from other ears.
"Yes, Admiral, of course. What may I do for you?" He inquires.
"First of all, please call me Kurt." I offer my hand.
"And, you may call me Moe. My friends call me that. Any friend of Admiral Bryant is a friend of mine." He said with a smile as he shook my hand.
&n
bsp; "I guess this is my first official function for my new Command. You are COS of Fifth Mobile, and that means you administer an extensive Staff. My Command will need a large Staff - about a third of the size you run. I know that the service is stretched thin, now. I'm aware I'm not going to be able to grab a Chief who is doing this job, already. Besides, I would not want to cripple some other large Command by stealing their Chief of Staff. But, I assume you meet other Chiefs in your duties and know some of the senior people in the other large Command Staff Offices. I also guess that, a Command the size of yours would have a Deputy or Assistant COS, or some other such person you consider your right hand. So, I need your advice." I stop.
"What would that be Kurt?" The Fifth Chief asks me.
"I need to know if you could recommend an assistant or deputy of a large Staff office in a Quadrant or Theatre Command that would be able to take on a Chief's job and build the new Staff Office, from the ground up?" I ask softly. There's a very long pause. I can see his internal computer is crunching the numbers and variables.
"I can think of one, I could recommend to you. She is a young Finnian Commodore who is deputy COS in Admiral Mkali's Theatre Two Command by the name of Rohkea Sielu. He has a top notch COS, so you shouldn't harm the operation. It will take time to fill such a vacancy, but they will carry on. I mention her because she is very dynamic and is looking for a more exciting challenge. Your new operation might be just the thing for her, and for you.' He said with a smile. 'Shall we get another drink?" He moves on as if we hadn't spoken of business.
"Yes, let's do that," I respond with a smile as we turn toward the bar. We pass the time chatting for fifteen minutes. People begin leaving, so I corner Admiral Stephenson.
"Sir, may I have a moment of your time, in private?" I ask.
"Certainly Kurt. And, call me Bill, in private, please!" He barked with a smile.
I used his elbow to steer him out of earshot of the others.
"Bill, it has come to my attention that, a young Commodore who is a deputy COS in Theatre Two is looking for a transfer. Would you help me pry her loose? I think I'd like to make her my Chief. Her name is Rohkea Sielu." I add.
"Go ahead and make the offer. I'll text Mkali, right now. She's yours - if she agrees." He says.
"Thank you, sir. Having a Chief now will shorten my time assembling a staff." I reply.
"I just love your attitude, my boy. Especially the way you sought out Moe for help, and the way you came straight to me. I think we picked the right man for the job." He laughs aloud as he finishes sending the message.
I couldn’t believe I was so transparent that he knew I was picking Moahu’s brain. I excuse myself and go off to prepare one of my own messages.
MEMO
From:Admiral Kurt Brubacher Commander OESA Inspector General Branch
To:Commodore Rohkea Sielu Deputy COS Theatre Two Command
Re:Offer of Promotion and Reassignment
Date:June 1, 2257
Commodore Sielu,
Your desire to move to a different style of Command has come to my attention.
I believe that the OESA Inspector General Branch (IGB), and added challenges, may be what you seek. This department will run continuous blitz type, surprise investigations of all other Commands in the OESA, except that of the C&C Office, which falls under the purvue of an Orion Representative Assembly committee. It should be a fast-paced, exciting, and busy operation. Our staff would be comprised of up to four thousand representatives of all OESA departments. A portion of each unit would be engaged in managing our own operations. The rest of each section would be forensic experts in their fields, able to analyze data and evidence we recover in investigations. An additional five to six hundred would make up the Investigation and Enforcement Divisions of the Inspector General Branch. Though a Headquarter's Department, The Inspector General Branch would be housed aboard Mobile Fifth Command's Flagship, the Valhalla. Travel to remote investigation sites would be facilitated by the Phoenix Fleet or one of its sub-commands. We would usually be housed aboard the ESS Loki during these trips.
I would like to offer you a transfer to the Inspector General Branch and the Position of Chief of Staff. You would have the daunting task of building a complete staff from the ground up. However, that responsibility will be mitigated by certain guarantees of staff availability made by the C&C.
You would be promoted to the level of Rear Admiral (8) to enable your control of this operation. The Inspector General Branch is primarily a Field Command, and the Valhalla travels all over the Empire, so you also gain the ability to see all the worlds of our realm.
Though I would hope you will accept this offer, I will need your immediate response. Since the COS spot is the first link in a very long chain, time is of the essence.
Admiral Kurt Brubacher Inspector General
I send the message knowing round trip time for a reply is two and a half days. Then, I go to seek out Malcolm.
"Hi, General Malcolm, I'm Kurt Brubacher." I introduce myself with my hand extended. He takes it, and we shake hands warmly.
"Everyone knows who you are, Admiral.' He responds with a smile. 'Are you enjoying your party?" He inquires.
"Yes General, I'm getting a lot of work done," I reply.
"Is that so. I suppose this is no social call, then." He asks.
"We could go over and get another drink and chat for awhile. I just wanted to set a time I could see you tomorrow, to go over the Marine Contingent in my new staff." I explain as I start creeping toward the bar.
"I have a morning meeting, but I'll be available anytime through the rest of the day if you come by my office," Ian responds.
"Fine, I'll see you there. Yours is an enormous command; isn't it, General? Somewhere around seventy thousand with staffs, isn't it? What's it like to control an operation that big? I query.
"Well Kurt, you did twenty-five thousand. It's not much different, except for significant tactical situations. You have more subordinates in the levels immediately below to help get the job done, so it doesn't seem that much worse. Most tactical situations occur suddenly, and at the Division Level, so I don't see a lot of that, anymore. Battle planning would only come to me if there were a widespread war affecting the entire Fifth, at the same time. But Marine Tactical Plans are usually more like planning a skirmish. The broader area planning is actually dictated by the Theatre and Quadrant Commands since our forces are assigned ship by ship to each Fleet. So, I don't have the luxury of sending the fourth division here and the third there, because they will be where the Fleets take them. My job is more like a policy maker. What to do when you board a craft or the tactics used in ground attacks. I manage an army of one hundred forty thousand, but the Field Commanders actually control its field maneuvers. It would be a different story if I were asked to put fifty thousand troops on a planet. I would take overall command of a force like that. Why do you ask?" Malcolm inquires.
"Oh, I don't know. I think it's because this new assignment makes me feel I will never have a larger tactical command. I think I may be trying to vicariously experience it through you." I answer with a smile.
The party on the Hangar Deck is incredible. Each of these spaces is fifty percent bigger than on a standard Carrier. Using one for a bash like this means you can easily hold a lot of guests. The event seems familiar. It is patently Moe's doing. I brought Helena as my partner, not as a Fleet Commander. That way, she ends up seated on my left at the head table.
At nine hundred in the morning, we reported to Admiral Bryant's office. George, Stephen, Bill Stephenson, Helena, Edward III, Malcolm, Blackman, Tonaka and I ringed the conversation area. The Emperor started the discussion.
"When the first Emperor Edward founded the Empire with Old Tom he expressed his dread at a dictatorship. He and Old Tom worked to craft a Constitution that would create a hybrid cooperative government halfway between a dictatorship and a democracy. What they came up with was a representative authority that respected the people, but
could be controlled by my predecessors to get things done. But, through all the generations of my family since, we have all been taught to detest the fact that we are peoples’ rulers. None of my family has ever wanted that. I don't really want it. Each Emperor planned to leave the position. People should control their own destiny, even if they make mistakes.
Because of the way my family has run the Empire over all the generations, our citizens are unaware that they really live under a dictatorship. The Constitution actually gives all the power to the Emperor. Without my assent, a bill does not pass. I have the authority to start a piece of legislation and order it passed, in the end. And because there are maybe two hundred statutes from all the one hundred worlds and the Empire's legislative Assembly that are counter productive to the people I do interfere a lot more than people realize. These aberrations represent only a couple of bills from each world and for the Orion Legislature every year, so no one really notices how much interference there is. There are more than eleven thousand acts passed every year in all the different assemblies, so I do not intervene in on a large percentage of the business. I nullify about one and a half percent of the statutes sent to me every year. And, what I say is the end of the road. There is no one to check on me. This creates two problems.
The first is that we cannot be certain that every Delnikov will follow the pattern. It is possible for me to leave the Empire in the hands of a tyrant. This could be catastrophic. That person would have the power to make the lives of most of our half-trillion citizens unbearable. To prevent this, each and every Emperor has sought the right moment and the right way to turn the Empire into a democracy. The problem is that we are all weak. People love the Delnikov Dynasty because they have never been ruled by a despot. They love us because their lives are rich and full and comfortable. But there are no guarantees.