Rust Bucket (30 page)

      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 individualistic. 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.

      "We've just taken out one of their ships, it's a destroyer class ship. There goes another one of the enemy ships! Two of our ships are peeling off from the formation. They've got one of the enemy ships in a cross fire. There he goes! It looked to be the size of a light cruiser. We've taken a hit that I just felt. Didn't feel serious. Oh, we just lost one of our destroyers. Okay, there goes what was probably the enemy flagship. She's falling apart in pieces! We're changing course to take on a light cruiser. We're scoring hits! I just noticed another enemy destroyer class ship rupture into space! Some of the enemy ships look like they're trying to escape now. They're turning . . . Yes! They are trying to escape! There goes another enemy destroyer in pieces! We're picking them off now! I just spotted two of the enemy ships collide into each other. They're fouled up. One of our ships just peeled off from the formation to take advantage of them. He's getting hits on them! One of them is destroyed! We're helping out with some of our guns. There goes the other ship!"

      The Fleet Admiral was smiling when he realized that the battle was turning out into a slaughter of the enemy. He looked up at me and said, "We've got to celebrate before I give you your next assignment. That was a great battle!"

      I accepted one of the drinks he poured for Majel and myself and waited for him to raise his glass. He gave the toast to the Grim Reaper Squadron and I drank along with him. Then he picked up a packet and handed it to me. He said, "Captain, it's every officer's dream to command a heavy cruiser. You're going to get your chance. You'll be training a thirty-ship squadron with a heavy cruiser, the
Excalibur,
two cruisers, three light cruisers, twenty destroyers, and four scouts. I'm going to have the two squadrons you trained for me take over their sector on an alternating basis. They both seem up to the task. The 9th Squadron has been in a lot of action, but it hasn't made any headway. I think only its size has kept the enemy at bay until now. See what you can do with it. I'd like to see this war end soon. My son is on one of the ships. I'm expecting you to treat him as you did every other man and woman. I am not going to tolerate any favoritism from you concerning him."

      I replied, "Yes sir. I won't show him any. Well, Majel, how would you like to play with a cruiser?"

      I watched her eyes light up as she realized she would get to command for a short while one of the largest ships in the Navy. Only the heavy cruisers were bigger.

***

We left shortly afterwards for the base where the 9th Squadron was stationed. We had to be flown to the station. We took all the personnel records with us that time. The Admiral gave us a few personnel to assist with moving the records and for returning them. I spent some time looking at the records while in transit. I had a head start on what needed to be done.

      Upon our arrival, we found the entire squadron waiting in formation for us. I went ahead and used the formation to my advantage to introduce myself and my objectives in no uneven terms. A few minutes later, I inspected their ships while their captains accompanied me as I crawled into recesses that looked like no one had checked them since the ship was built. I explored crannies, nooks, storage closets, gun stations, engine rooms, bridges, and anyplace else on the ship I could get into. When we finished, they each had lists to turn over to their First Officers for maintenance. Then they accompanied me to the recreational hall where we set up the personnel records and went through them.

***

The following day, the ships were being repaired while I went over tactics with the officers and pilots. As much as I wanted to get into space on the bridge of a heavy cruiser, tactics was more important. It was the reason for my being with them. With the addition of scouts, I found that I had a class of ship that I hadn't used before nor made any provisions for in my training program.

      The scouts were essentially four person ships consisting of a single officer, pilot, and two gunners. They were very short range and relied on having heavy cruiser support for deep space voyages. The officer handled the navigation, sensors, and communications, as well as giving orders to the pilot and gunners. If nothing else, the scouts were extremely fast, but lightly armed, having only a pair of Mark II singles. I looked over their capabilities and realized that there was more use for them than they had been used for. I worked on a plan that would soon put them to good use for more than just scouting.

***

Within a few days, the ships were all up to my standards. The officers and crews had been given training on what I expected them to do in a battle. It was time to take the squadron up for some drills and mock charges. The squadron went up and every ship, including the scouts, practiced all the drills and tactics.