Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift (44 page)

Admiral Rauark let the meaning of her last comment soak in before she continue
d.

" There have been small skirmishes between the Xotoli and Confederation forces but they have been limited to naval forces. The Confederation has not been able to
even attempt to recapture a single planet or system we have lost for lack of the ground forces that we need to occupy a planet. As Colonel Sand has been predicting this for the past twenty-five years. Without ground troops to dig the aliens out we can only destroy the planets we desire to retake. The military as now configured means we would have to destroy our own citizens and the very resources we need to retake a planet. We have to have a large ground force as soon as possible."

Dasan stared at the slowly rotating schematic of the planets of the Confederation. The Xotoli had gone for broke when they attacked not only Ceti
but also Rift. If they had taken Rift they would have won the war in a single massive stroke. While they had not succeeded they had certainly crippled the Confederation and its ability to strike back quickly. It was worse than he had thought.

"The Confederation military
as it is now configured is designed to fight small wars and peacekeeping. That was demonstrated quite effectively in their attack on Rift. Had it not been for our Colonel Sand and Sergeant Major Aijuba risking their careers to have just a demonstration Brigade the Confederation would be sitting in a much worse position. We must completely reconfigure our force structure and their capabilities. This includes not only the Navy but also the Legion. The present Navy is not configured to invade a planet and hold it, much less against a strong defense. The Legion as currently organized, is excellent for patrolling and minor skirmishes that have made them so valuable for hundreds of years. During our long peace configuration of the Navy and Legion has met our needs, but neither as they are presently organized, meet the threat from the Xotolis'. So there is a need for profound changes to both services."

Dasan was having a hard time keeping up with what the Admiral was saying. What she was laying out would completely transform the military
; he felt as if the ground under him were changing. Everything he knew and understood about his career and the military was no longer true. He kept glancing back at the slowly rotating Confederation map as if he could find where he fit in now. He wasn't able to find his place anymore.

"The Corporations have been pushing for private army's and
navy’s given the size of the change that needs to happen. They have been very aggressive in the media and politically in pinning Rift on the Navy and the Legion’s lack of preparedness. The Legion especially has been vilified for its lack of preparation. Since they will make money on the Navy by refitting and building new ships no matter the decision, they have been aggressively pushing for their security forces to take the Legions place as the army for the Confederation. With the salaries they pay they have been able to attract a huge number of volunteers. Given their training is just an expansion of their security forces, it falls woefully short of what we know is needed. In six months they have fielded an entire division and are working to field as many more as possible."

Again the Admiral  paused. Dasan glanced at Aijuba
; they both knew that a division meant over five thousand strong with all the supporting arms and logistics. That would be impossible to train, equip and organize without cutting corners on everything from training to equipment.

"Since they have stepped into the void left by the Legion
, they are now the major military force in the Sol, Bernard and Sirius systems. Not to mention that Rigil Kent who for they're own reasons, have just signed a contract with Ecomcon to raise an entire army of five divisions. Eidi and Procyon have decided to enact their right to raise militias and they are forming defense armies on their own. Sol and Rigil Kent both have hired Von Fleet to raise Penal Battalions from their prisons. Penal Battalions I still can't believe that they felt the need to do that. Yet is how threatened the remaining systems feel."

Usiche paused and shook her head. To think criminals could take the place of
well-trained troops was incomprehensible to her.

"So as you can see
, the military situation is in chaos and we must move quickly to become the recognized professional military force."

Dasan sat in silence
; it was worse than he could have imagined.

"Then there
are strong political coalitions developing that want to pull back and fortify just the systems nearest Sol and let the Xotoli have the rest of the Confederation and find new sources of crystals."

"That would be a disaster
. The Xotoli would never stop with just what they have. They want it all and will come to take it," Dasan burst out.

Admiral Raurk held up her hand.

"You are preaching to choir Colonel. First the Secretary General firmly believes as I do that the Confederation cannot have a private military and survive. A military made up of citizens of the Confederation is vital to the Confederation now and in the future. Citizens must be willing to fight for their freedom and their way of life. The only way to do that is through a military arm of the elected government not a private force. The current military must change to meet this new threat, to prove the Secretary General right, but most of all must demonstrate to the citizens of the confederation that it is only way for the human race to meet this threat with men and women willing to die to protect their way of life. First you need to understand all of those problems are my problems and you need to focus on the jobs I am about to give you. General Buchman and I will fight those fights, along with Admiral Lule."

Admiral Raurk touched one of the floating panels and a list of ships with project management statistics along side
appeared.

"I will start with the Navy. Our present ships do not have the capabilities we need. Working with Admiral Lule
, the Von Fleet Corporation has been more than generous in their willingness to go forward with construction of the new Navy without contracts in hand. Not only that but they have not joined the political or corporate forces pushing for the privatization of the military. They have been staunch allies."

She touched the screen in the air in front of her and a Tarawa class ship appeared above the desk. It slowly rotated as she spoke.

"We are converting and building more Tarawa class ships as we speak, as well as converting some battleships into larger troop carriers. We are well on our way to converting the Phoenix into the first carrier in Confederation history. New fighters are on the drawing boards under a design build contract. We hope to have the first of the new class of fighter ready for testing in a year. In addition, Von Fleet has laid the keel of the first carrier ever to be constructed. We expect to build at least fifty more in the next years. So the transformation of the Navy is underway. It has not been easy or without our own internal fights, but it has begun."

No one else in the room blinked
. Dasan was sure they knew all of this before the briefing but he was still having a hard time grasping the size and scope of the effort that was needed to build a new navy. It would take everything the Confederation had to pull it off. It would also take the combined political and corporate will and right now there was none of that, instead they were fighting one another for control of the transformation. A knot of fear gripped his stomach. This was going to be a very close thing.

"Now for the bad news. There is a critical need for as many ground forces as we can muster as soon as we can equip and train them. That is why as of today
, the Security General has ordered that the Legion be disbanded immediately. You along with General Buchman and Command Sergeant Major Aijuba are now officially retired with full benefits."

Sand was on his feet immediately. He started to speak but nothing came out. It made no sense
- the only organization capable of doing precisely what the Confederation needed was being disbanded.

"Admiral
, that is absurd. What are they going to do? Where will the troops come from?" Dasan said.

"Patience Colonel
, and do sit down before you fall down," Admiral Raurk said.

The Admiral had a rather amused look on her face now that Dasan had calmed down enough to notice that she had not finished her briefing.

"Colonel, please. The Confederation realized their mistake of twenty-five years ago and as soon as the news of Rift reached Sol a huge drive began to enlist new recruits for the Navy and the Legion to meet the needs of the war. The Navy had no problem reaching their quotas and then some. There is a waiting list as we speak, until enough training facilities and ships can be built to handle all of the new recruits. You see the Navy learned some very difficult lessons after this battle. We can no longer use just a few Legionnaires on each ship as our protection and force projection. The Xotoli taught us that the hard way. As I just mentioned the Navy is at this very moment reconfiguring the fleet."

Dasan looked over at Aijuba
- they could only stare at one another. The Navy completely reconfiguring its basic force structure, the very heart of the Navy had to change to meet the new challenges of this new war. The cost and effort was staggering even for the Confederation.

"Now
, as for the Legion. In spite of the threat that no one can argue, the Legion has not been able to come close to meeting its recruitment goals. Frankly everyone thought that the Legion would appeal to many possible recruits given its role in saving Rift and in a real way saving the Confederation. Yet the numbers were woefully short and of those that did enlist, most never made it past selection."

Dasan and Aijuba could only look at one another then back at the Admiral
, the Legion gone, their lives for the past decades and a long and distinguished history of service to the Confederation was now only a chapter in the history books. It was hard to believe even hearing it from the Admiral.

"There were two reasons for the lack of new enlistees. The first was the aggressive campaign by the Corporations in vilifying the Legion not only as unprepared
but also as a group of criminals, adventurers and worse. The Security General ordered a public opinion study done immediately and what we found should probably been understood by us all, but we lost sight of how the Legion was perceived. Even before the corporations campaign it was viewed just as the corporations had described it, they were only reinforcing an already held perception. In other words there was a stigma that had become a common perception that the Confederation could not overcome. So that is why the Corporations media campaign worked so well."

Dasan knew the Legion had been viewed that way for a long time. It is why so many Legionnaires married other
Legionnaires; no one else would have them. Dasan was not the only one to have their family disown them upon enlistment. Some families had funerals when someone enlisted to symbolize that person was dead to them. No they all should have seen that one coming.

"Given the critical
need for ground troops the Confederation has decided to establish a new force just as elite as the Legion."

The Admiral again paused for effect. She knew
what the shock the disbanding of the Legion had to be to both Dasan and Aijuba; she wanted to make sure they were ready to hear the rest.

"The Security General along with the full weight of the Congress has voted to establish a new branch
of the military. One that will fit our new needs, yet provide the kind of warrior the Legion did for centuries. So it was my recommendation that a Marine Corps be formed. The Security General put me as head of  the study of the Legion and what we would need to replace them on a much larger scale. I had been studying your published papers since Rift in an effort to answer the question for myself, before she asked me to lead the committee. You constantly used as a reference the Marine Corps in your studies to prove the need for ground troops, so  we included questions in the public survey about how they perceived the Marine Corps. Apparently through games, books and history the perception of the Marine Corps was better than that of the Legion. Given a naval-borne army of ground troops is by definition a marine corps we recommended a Marine Corps be stood up as soon as possible. So as of today the Confederation Marine Corps is now established."

Dasan could not speak. It was all too much. He is now retired at a time when they needed his skills the most and a Marine Corps is being formed without his input. Seeing the look on Dasan's face
, Usiche continued.

"Colonel
, please do not jump to conclusions yet. I can see by the look on your face you’re getting ahead of the information you have. Since you are retired from the Legion you are now appointed to the new Marine Corps as a General under General Buchman. You are to assist him in building this new Corps from the ground up. Oh, I haven't forgotten you Sergeant Major. You too have retired and are now a Major in the Marine Corps."

Aijuba opened her mouth to speak but the Admiral held up her hand.

"I know it is an insult to make you an officer after your long and distinguished enlisted career but I have a feeling you get used to being saluted."

The Admiral leaned back in her chair with an amused look on her face as Aijuba tried to speak. Finally after several seconds she finally put Aijuba out of her pain and said
,