Federation Reborn 1: Battle Lines (5 page)

During the tour he found out about the Navy SEAL program. He'd heard something about that; he frowned and made a note to check his briefing notes later. The idea amused him immensely, so much that he had to take a visit to the beach after lunch to see the latest group of recruits being put through their paces.

He watched from the air jeep as a group of squids carried what looked like air-filled ocean boats of some sort over their heads. He shook his head. To some it was a strain; to others it was impossible. But the Neo apes in the group seemed to handle it with pathetic ease. But he could tell from a gorilla's dyspeptic expression that she wasn't at all thrilled about getting into the ocean. He snorted.

Lieutenant Simpson came up and saluted; Andy then stood at parade rest while the admiral surveyed his command with his eyes. Chief Petty Officer Sho was busy bellowing at the recruits to hurry it up from on top of a boat. The recruits strained as they chanted and tried to pick up the pace. The neochimp hung onto a lanyard to stay upright in the shifting boat.

They kicked up some sand and dust as they charged past. The Admiral waited until they were further down the beach before he shook his head. “I find it hard to believe you could bootstrap such a program, and
marine
trainers?” the Admiral tisked tisked.

The Lieutenant spread his hands apart. He had no problem with the jarheads. They could be sadistic, but they got the job done. “It's what we have to work with, sir. We're training the next set of recruits ourselves. There aren't many though, not many naval personnel in the system interested. We are getting requests from other star systems though. I'm not sure how to handle the requests. How to handle transport and well …,” he shrugged, “the whole process.”

“Good man, at least you are admitting your ignorance,” the admiral replied in approval. “Though it's not wise to admit it in front of a flag officer,” he stated with a trace of a teasing smile. The lieutenant flinched. He smiled at the SEAL's discomfort. “No harm done I suppose.”

The lieutenant nodded. “Sir, we need experience. We need combat experience.”

“You need more training. Yes, combat will come; it is the best learning environment for some. It is the final proof of training. But combat is waste. You'll lose people and the experience they had acquired. So be careful what you wish for. Don't be so eager to die son, no matter how much you want to prove yourself.”

The lieutenant's eyes flicked, but he nodded dutifully. “Yes, sir.”

“You know, I think we had a SEAL washout at Lemnos. One of the marines in security, he may have wanted back in; I'm not sure. You may want to give him a call, see what he knows.” The admiral frowned thoughtfully.

“She,
sir,” Commander Garretaj stated from behind them.

“She?” the admiral turned his frown on the commander.

“Yes, sir. Sendril, sir, a genie Staff Sergeant Chalis Sendril I believe,” the commander said, checking the records through his implants. He nodded when he got confirmation, including the confirmation that despite her medical issues her bump in grade had gone through. He sent them to the admiral's inbox, but the admiral casually waved the email aside. “She's in Antigua currently, sir, still recovering from her injuries and time shock counseling, sir.”

“I see,” the admiral nodded. His lips puckered at the mention of time shock counseling. He'd had a couple of rounds with a counselor, but although it had put some things in perspective, he preferred to get into the work. There was absolutely nothing he could do to change the circumstances of what had happened, the loss of friends and loved ones. It hurt, but it was undeniable. The best medicine in his estimation was working towards a new brighter future. He cleared his throat and nodded a second time. “Good catch, Commander. I'll see if I can get her transferred here,” he stated, turning back to the lieutenant. The SEAL lieutenant nodded back to him.

“That's what a chief of staff is there for I believe, sir,” the commander said, with a bit of a preen in his voice.

“That and keeping me on track. Good work, Saul. I know we still have some issues to work out, but you're doing fine. But the real test and the real work won't come until we get to Pyrax. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and dig in then.”

“Yes, sir. I'm looking forward to it.”

“I know. I am too,” the Admiral admitted.

The admiral dismissed the lieutenant to return to his duties and then continued his inspection tour.

They didn't really need the young Ensign Timberlane as a guide. Both the rear admiral and his chief of staff, Lieutenant Commander Saul Garretaj, could have accessed their implants to get a map and guide. Or they could have accessed the base's dumb AI.

Phil turned slightly to look at the commander out of the corner of his eye. The man was distracted, most likely using his implants to handle paperwork instead of paying attention to the tour the admiral judged. He was a stocky man with sandy hair. Saul was a sleeper from Lemnos like he was, a junior administrator who had served on several stations before being transferred to Lemnos. He had been a lieutenant before Admiral Subert had him jumped to his current rank and had him assigned as his chief of staff.

“Sir, is it okay to have a meet and greet with the local colony administrators? They are keen to meet you,” the chief of staff asked. There was a broad hint in his last sentence.

The admiral frowned thoughtfully. “Politics,” he muttered.

“They are a bit rough around the edges, but I think you can handle it, sir.”

“I can handle my own, son. I've rubbed elbows with senators and others back …,” the admiral cut that sentence off. “Yes. Fine. Make it a dinner.”

“A formal dinner?”

“If … yes. We can use the publicity I suppose,” the admiral stated as he returned the salute of a squad of marines out on a jog. Unlike some he reveled in breaking out his dress uniform and showing it off he thought as he struck the salute.

“Understood, sir. We'll need to be back at the guest BOQ in an hour then, sir,” he stated.

“Did you hear that, Ensign?” the admiral asked, glancing at the driver and guide.

“Aye aye, Admiral. I'll just cut the recreation and live fire centers off the list since they are on the other side of the island.”

“Perhaps we can tour them the next time we are here.”

“Yes, sir. It is going to take at least twenty minutes to get back to the BOQ. I'm plotting a new path now, sir,” the ensign stated. After a moment he turned the wheel and changed the vehicle's path. He cut off another jeep, but the small flags and stars flapping on the rods cut off a shouted reprimand from the marine officer in the other vehicle. He didn't salute, however.

“Let that man know he's out of uniform,” the admiral murmured over his shoulder to Saul. Saul nodded gravely as he made a note.

---<>---<>---

“Do you think we'll get more support, sir? We need dedicated assault craft. I'm talking marine aerospacecraft, drop pods, and dedicated aerospace gunships, sir,” Major Pendeckle stated.

“All that will have to come from Antigua,” the colonel replied.

“You're kidding,” the major replied with a grimace.

“No, afraid not. Admiral Irons has the keys for that hardware.”

“Which means it'll have to be shipped in to us. And you wanna guess what the priority will be?”

“I know,” the colonel replied. He shook his head. The major was right; they needed dedicated hardware. Not just drop shuttles, ground vehicles, drones, and the occasional assault shuttle but the full kit and caboodle he thought.

Aerospace gunships were the latest thing the major had taken a shine on. They had come in many different forms and varieties over the centuries. It was hard to choose one and getting the mix right on each world would most likely be hit or miss. Armed drones were a given, but they could only do so much.

He was old school; he preferred to have a mortal in the loop. Control transmissions and telemetry could be hacked or jammed. A person in the pilot's seat couldn't. Sure it put a life or lives at risk, but that was the price of being a marine.

“It's not just the actual hardware that's a bottleneck though; it's the damn ordinance for it as well. Has anyone thought of that yet?” the major demanded.

“I suspect you just did, but I bet the admiral has thought of it. The question is, what he'll do about it. Hopefully, something soon.”

“Yes, sir.”

“They are going to need help for Protodon. I know Lewis did an outstanding job on Hidoshi's World, but we can't expect that to happen every time, everywhere.”

“You think they'll call us up?” the major asked hopefully.

Jersey nodded. “I'm pretty sure Protodon is a good place for your boys and girls to cut their teeth and get blooded. Hopefully not too badly, but …,” he shook his head.

The major nodded grimly.

“There haven't been any orders yet, but I expect them soon. Most likely starting with penny packets before someone decides it's a good idea to send in more. Hell, for all I know they'll draw them from that convoy to Kathy's World!” He threw a hand up in despair and then let it fall.

“Yeah. That'd suck.”

“Most of the trainers and recruiters can handle it. And Gunny McClintock is there; I know he can handle whatever anyone throws his way.”

“Yeah, but even if he's in that damn super suit of his, it's not worth spit if the ship he's in gets blown up around him,” the major reminded him.

“Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of too,” Jersey murmured. “How goes the tour?”

“He's not showing much. Apparently the SEALS and Special Forces didn't go over well.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. He did have a good idea to pull one of the marines in to lend a hand with the training syllabus.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Apparently she was a SEAL washout. She knows some of the tricks and stuff they did. Lieutenant Simpson sent me an email requesting her services sometime.”

“I see. I'll get her here,” the colonel replied.

“Thank you, sir.”

“How are the sleepers integrating?”

“Not bad, sir. I promoted Lieutenant Lyon to captain as you ordered. He's good, sir. He's running his recon company through the ringer now. The other companies are starting to step up out of self-defense.”

The colonel exchanged a shark-like grin with the major. “Always good to hear. Everyone needs a little Valenko treatment now and then. Keep me posted.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

---<>---<>---

One of the best things about being in Agnosta was his ability to catch up on current events that the rear admiral had missed during his time in transit between Triang and Agnosta.

Fortunately the download had already been completed prior to his arrival. Nothing had been flagged for his immediate attention so he had put a majority of the reading off for when they were underway again.

He had a lot of catching up to do; the galaxy had changed. He shook his head as the tender finally broke orbit and headed to the Pyrax jump point.

“I'm surprised they didn't shake loose a warship, sir,” Commander Garretaj stated. “Though I am gratified we didn't have to squeeze into a corvette or frigate I suppose,” he said with a theatrical shudder.

“True,” Phil replied absently, scanning the dispatches. The admiral waved off such considerations when he finished his present reading. “I have seen the current lists; every warship is vital. Having one to nursemaid me to Pyrax is a waste.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“It shouldn't take me long to get through this backlog. Once we're finished, I want to go over the plan one more time and crank in any new intel. Look into plugging any holes here,” he stated, waving the tablet. The commander nodded.

“We're going to have to hit the ground running you said, sir. But things will have undoubtedly changed by the time we arrive,” the commander stated.

“Not that much,” the admiral stated, shaking his head. “Oh, I suppose the Horathians could have attacked Pyrax while we're headed there. Or Admiral Irons might have ordered a ship to go somewhere, or news may have come in from down south. Isn't that Tender overdue?
Prometheus
?”

“We're still out of contact, sir. We know she got as far as Airea 3, sir, since a civilian freighter passed through there. They had headed to Beta 443.”

“And they should have jumped from there to Nightingale and then on to Epsilon Triangula and then to Gaston.”

“Yes, sir.”

“John has dispatched
Firefly
south to look into the situation. Since she wasn't in Gaston to get the orders, it will take some time before she gets them.”

“Are you considering sending a ship to investigate from Pyrax, sir?”

The admiral frowned thoughtfully. “
Prometheus
had an escort. Two frigates I believe. So I think she should be okay.
Should
be,” he said. He exhaled slowly then waved the tablet again. “Draw up some contingency orders to order a ship to look into the situation just in case. Have them on file. And crank that into our calculations on ship strength in the alternate plans.”