"Every piece." Sergeant Yurivan waved grandly toward the stage that dominated the front of the hall. "Now I'm trying to learn all the secrets Stark here has been keeping from the rest of us."
"What makes you think I know any secrets?" Stark wondered.
"You're alive," Yurivan pointed out, "and you ought to be dead several times over. There's usually a limit on how many dumb things a grunt can do without getting taps played over his or her heroic funeral, but you, Stark, you just keep on rolling. You're either very, very smart, or very, very lucky."
Sanchez tilted his head just enough to take part in the conversation. "Maybe he's just very, very dumb."
"Could be," Yurivan agreed cheerfully. "How come you guys look so glum?"
"Because," Stark stated with forced solemnity, "we are here to be lectured on some General's theories for revolutionizing warfare. I'd rather be shot at."
Yurivan beamed happily. "Me, I love it."
Reynolds raised one skeptical eyebrow. "You got a concussion, Stace? Or are you just trying for a mental discharge?"
"Neither," Sergeant Yurivan insisted. "I just love the concept this General dreamed up. 'Sin energetically.' What a great idea!"
Stark stifled a laugh. "Stacey, it's synergy, not sin energetically."
"You fight your way, I'll fight mine." Yurivan sat back with the self-satisfied grin of a class clown who'd scored a joke while circles of smiles and guffaws radiated out from her position as surrounding soldiers repeated the gag to their neighbors.
"Attention!" The Sergeants leaped to their feet, standing rigid as a full Colonel in a faultlessly tailored and creased uniform strode onto the stage, an entrance flawed by the Colonel's staggering attempts to move in low gravity.
"Seats," the Colonel commanded with an air of great dignity. "I am Colonel Penter, Lunar Expeditionary Force Joint Command Headquarters staff. I have the pleasure and duty of providing you with an overview of the brilliant revolution in operational military activity that has been developed by General Meecham." Fumbling beneath the center-mounted podium, the Colonel finally located the switch he'd been seeking, causing the heavy curtains behind the stage to roll apart with slow majesty. The opening revealed a large briefing screen that now dominated the stage behind Colonel Penter, displaying a sector of the front in ultrahigh-resolution, color-coded, 3-D-terrain-enhanced, integrated-data elemental glory. "As you can see, we've assembled a perfect picture of the total environment and now have an unparalleled grasp of the military situation on the lunar front."
Stark leaned slightly to whisper in Vic's ear. "Since when do collecting and displaying data elements equal understanding things?"
"They don't," she muttered back.
"As General Meecham had the insight to state," the Colonel lectured in the tones of an elementary-school teacher, "understanding the enemy is the first prerequisite to defeating the enemy."
"Excuse me, sir," a Sergeant somewhere far to the right side of the briefing room called, "but didn't Sun Tzu say that a couple of thousand years ago?"
The Colonel paused, his mouth a thin line. "Comments are neither required nor desired. I expect silence and full attention while presenting this information. Now, as I was saying, understanding of the enemy requires an exhaustive analysis of mind-set parameters fused with historical biases toward action and inaction within discrete decision matrices. These matrices are in turn heavily influenced by enemy perceptions of our own projected, expected, and traditional force employment options."
Smiling confidently, Colonel Penter raised a dramatic finger for emphasis. "Synergy Warfare is based upon careful calculation of the correlation of forces taking into account every physical condition and weighing the subsequent results against the critical nonphysical conditions to produce a definitive course of action with a finitely determinable outcome. For example, in a sample limited-force engagement this correlation is partially determined by measuring relevant combat-impacting factors as they relate to force employment considerations. Application of variables regarding terrain effects is achieved using exhaustive analysis of available data as processed through applicable force-movement and deployment models. Logistics requirements are based on historical-use data streams that reflect current trends in depletion of consumable stockpiles during periods of high-stress activity. Naturally, some approximations must be used in all cases to smooth out jagged anomalies in curve rates of projected applied analyses."
"Naturally," Sanchez whispered softly.
"The proper force application vectors," Colonel Penter droned on, "are determined by high-level secondary and tertiary branch analysis with a heavy emphasis on decision-linkage theory and high-tempo crisis management tools." He paused, raising a finger on the other hand for additional emphasis, so that the raised digits framed the wall of medal ribbons covering most of his chest. "I might add that this particular facet of Synergy Warfare received special praise when General Meecham briefed the Joint Staff."
Goody for him. Stark felt his mind fuzzing as the relentless stream of jargon continued unabated. This would be sort of funny, in a sick way, if so many lives weren't riding on this verbal pile of garbage.
"These paradigms are essentially self-evident operational/strategic vectors impacting on each other in an eminently predictable fashion. General Meecham's special contribution to the modern art of war is the recognition that clustering of operational paradigms into highly focused yet diverse grand tactical applications produces an uber paradigm capable of overcoming standard resistance models with multiplication factors dependent only on special considerations and the mental discipline of relevant commanders at all levels." The Colonel produced a laser pointer, holding it like a sword of triumph as he swung toward the display screen at his back. "This presentation represents a typical nonexceptional situation on a discrete portion of the lunar front. Individuals without a grounding in Synergy Warfare concepts would conclude that attacking forces would require a significant material advantage in order to overcome resistance from defenders employing commonly established defensive measures applied by inherent traditional warfare mind-sets as modified by current transitional trends within physical force employment constraints. This, of course, is not actually the case."
"What the hell is he talking about?" Stark whispered fiercely to Vic.
"I doubt if even he knows," she breathed back. "As Napoleon once stated, the moral is to the material as three is to one." Colonel Penter swung his laser pointer triumphantly, outlining a portion of the display with quick slashes. "In this area, application of Synergy Warfare in its most rudimentary form would allow concentration of our forces to achieve a three-to-one material superiority. By applying the higher-level paradigm clustering inherent in properly focused Synergy Warfare, we re-create and enhance the basis for Napoleon's greatest victories. In short, with this material advantage magnified by employment in accordance with Synergy Warfare, we automatically enjoy the equivalent of a nine-to-one advantage!"
An audible murmur ran around the room as one Sergeant stood to speak. "Excuse me, sir, but are you saying three soldiers equal nine soldiers in your planning?"
The Colonel nodded with obvious satisfaction. "That is correct, if highly simplified, as far as it goes. Of course, when other superiority-enhancing paradigms are applied and multiplied by our own technological superiority, conservative estimates indicate an effective virtual superiority in the range of twelve to one."
"Three soldiers equal twelve soldiers?"
"No, no, no! One soldier equals twelve soldiers!" Colonel Penter gestured grandly. "This is, as I said, a conservative estimate that does not even factor in the obvious huge advantage granted our forces by our overwhelming superiority in leadership by our senior officers."
Oh, God. Stark stared, speechless for a moment. They based their plans on the assumption they're playing with twelve times as many people as they've actually got? And they're congratulating themselves on how brilliant they are to do that? Before he could muster any res
ponse, another Sergeant stood.
"Begging the Colonel's pardon, sir, but is that display meant to portray the actual situation in that sector of the front?"
"That is correct, Sergeant. This is, I assure you, a definitive display."
"Colonel, I'm sorry, but that's not a complete picture, sir. There's a number of enemy fortifications missing."
Penter nodded sharply. "Of course. Those extra fortifications were carefully evaluated and assessed to be either abandoned or the product of deliberate deception operations."
"Sir?" The Sergeant's dismay was plain to see. "Colonel, sir, I've led patrols along that front. A lot of them. Those fortifications are there."
"No, Sergeant, they are not. We are well aware that, shall we say, exaggerated estimates of enemy capabilities have been used to justify a long-term lack of results, but—"
"Colonel," the Sergeant broke in, clearly furious at the implied insult, "you can't achieve material superiority by wishing away some of the enemy forces."
"I told you," Penter declared in icy tones, "that this picture of enemy capabilities was developed by careful analysis of all available intelligence."
"Colonel, nobody asked me or anyone else at the front about those capabilities, so I don't know where you got this 'intelligence.' "
Penter didn't so much grin as bare his teeth. "I seriously doubt that General Meecham or his planners require the input of a disrespectful Sergeant in order to reach the necessary conclusions about enemy capabilities."
White with anger, the Sergeant sat abruptly, even as Stark muttered in Vic's ear. "He gave himself away. 'Necessary' conclusions about enemy capabilities, the Colonel says. If they didn't decide the enemy forces were weak enough there, Meecham's plan couldn't work even with this moral superiority nonsense."
"Right," Reynolds agreed. "They did wish away enemy capabilities they didn't want to deal with. Easy to do when you're not gonna have to face them personally."
"If I may have everyone's full attention," Penter announced over the rising buzz of conversation, "I will continue telling you what you need to know." The laser pointer swung again, moving in great, sweeping arcs. "The enemy mind is his weakest point, and that is where Synergy Warfare concentrates its efforts. By employing multiple diversions across a wide area, the enemy's attention is distracted. By then striking with a carefully sequenced succession of heavy, closely coordinated attacks against several sectors, the enemy is unable to reinforce threatened areas and will exhaust his reserves by rushing them from place to place. Adhering to a precise timeline is, of course, critical to achieving this goal. The enemy will be unable to determine the most critical point as our forces strike at him repeatedly. Most importantly, by employing our forces in a visually intimidating and aggressive posture, we ensure the enemy defenders are overawed. Their firepower will avail them nothing if their fingers freeze from fear on their triggers." Penter smiled triumphantly. "That last sentence is a direct quote from General Meecham."
Stark stood, despite a frantic but futile grab by Vic to keep him in his chair, drawing the attention of the room as he did so. "Colonel, given your intentions to employ Third Division in this assault, I submit it would be wise to either provide them more training in movement under Lunar conditions—"
"Impossible. We will not dither away our opportunity for victory."
"—or build enough flexibility into your precise timeline to account for the difficulty Third Division personnel will have moving under unfamiliar conditions through unfamiliar and difficult terrain."
"Impossible," Penter repeated. "General Meecham's theory of Synergy Warfare demands the precise coordination of all elements in order to generate a quantum magnification of force on narrowly focused areas."
"Colonel, you can't have a precise timeline if your planning doesn't reflect real-world constraints."
"Our planning reflects our doctrine, Sergeant," Penter insisted, nostrils flaring.
Sometimes it's a good idea to think instead of quoting doctrine. "Colonel," Stark continued out loud, "the Third Division troops can't make a precise timeline over lunar terrain. At best, they'll either sacrifice formation integrity, or any attempts at maintaining a covered advance. That's not theory. That's fact. Any rock-eater can tell you that."
"Rock-eater." The Colonel shook his head in disapproval. "I assume you mean a lunar veteran. Unfortunately, Sergeant, you lunar veterans need to be remotivated. Staff planners are certain good troops will make that timeline."
"SUAFO," Reynolds muttered, the soldier's acronym for Shut Up And Follow Orders.
"With all due respect," Stark stated flatly, "is the Colonel saying we are not good troops?"
"My words speak for themselves, especially since good troops wouldn't be questioning every word I say up here! The next individual to comment from the floor will be charged with insubordination. Am I clear?"
Stark stood for several seconds more, his eyes fixed on the Colonel, then finally sat with enough deliberation to earn another glare from Penter. The Colonel swung his laser pointer some more, reciting Meecham's theories with the apparent enthusiasm of a recent religious convert while the enlisted personnel sat watching in a silence so complete that it began to draw annoyed glances from the officer. Finally he shut off the pointer, resheathed it in his pocket with all the dignity of a warrior putting away his weapon, and glowered at the assembled Sergeants. "It's obvious anything else I might say would be wasted. This briefing is over." He walked off the stage with another staggering attempt at dignity.
"Somebody forgot to yell 'Attention!' " Sanchez observed.
"I don't think forgetting had anything to do with it," Stark suggested. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Stacey Yurivan stalked by, glowering, as she also headed for the exit. "I've just about had enough of this crap," she declared to no one in particular, then focused on Ethan. "Hey, Stark. You gonna let them get away with this?"
"Sure, Stace, I'm gonna walk into the General's office, tell him he's an idiot, and plant my boot in his backside."
"Really?" Yurivan asked, brightening.
"Hell, no. You think I'm crazy enough to do that?"
"Oh." Yurivan managed to look disappointed. "If anybody's crazy enough, it's you, Stark."
"Thanks," Stark replied with all the sarcasm he could project. "I bet afterward you'd feel bad about serving on my firing squad."
"Real bad," Yurivan said with a grin. She reached to grab his arm as Stark began to move away, leaning close. "You ever do decide to do something, you let me know, Ethan."
"What are you talking about?"
"Maybe nothing. See you around, Stark." Yurivan vanished into the crowd.
"Is there something else going on that I don't know about?" Stark complained.
"Not that I know," Vic stated with a hard look. "Is there?"
"Don't you go weird on me, too. Hey, just a sec." Stark strode over to a comm panel they were passing, keying in the number for his Squad's quarters. Sure enough, Mendoza sat there, studying a vid screen of his own intently. "Hey, Mendo."
Mendoza looked up, startled, before focusing on the comm panel. "Yes, Sergeant?"
"You ever hear of some guy named Napoleon?"
"Napoleon Bonaparte?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Some big-time General."
Mendoza nodded vigorously. "Yes, Sergeant. A very big General some centuries ago."
"He win any battles?" Stark wondered.
"Oh, yes, many battles. He was a genius at land warfare for his time."
"Huh."
"Of course," Mendoza added thoughtfully, "Napoleon's armies also suffered terrible losses, especially when he ordered attacks against strong defensive positions. Then there was the invasion of Russia."
"He invaded Russia?" Vic asked.
"Yes, Sergeant Reynolds." Mendoza made a sorrowful face. "He lost practically the entire invasion force, about a million men."
"A million?" Stark questioned. "You sure about that?"
"
Yes, Sergeant. It was a military disaster of almost un-equaled scale."
"Thanks, Mendo. See you later." Stark killed the comm connection, staring sourly at his companions. "Great. Our brass admires some guy who lost a million soldiers in one op."
"They're taking advice from him, anyway," Vic agreed.
"We have seen the future of warfare," Stark deadpanned, "and it sucks."
"You're just upset because you didn't think of Synergy Warfare first," Vic observed dryly.
"Nah. I'm upset because I still don't know what the hell Synergy Warfare is."
"Simple." Sergeant Sanchez grunted. "Synergy Warfare is how you win battles without enough firepower or ground troops."
Stark nodded, all levity gone. "Yeah. You think Synergy Warfare is going to impress the enemy as much as it does our officers?"
Stark's War Page 23
