Blood War 1: Last Stand of the Legion: Rift (45 page)

"The proper reply is to say thank
you ma'am."

Aijuba smiled finally and said
,

"Thank you ma'am."

"Now to a few specifics so we can get down to business. General Sand and Major Aijuba you are to form a Special Operations Battalion. I read the Marine Corps history and they had such a battalion organized at the start of one of earth's many wars. It was called the Raider Battalion. Their job was to begin to fight back as soon as possible after a Rift-like attack on their fleet. They began with small raids to keep the enemy off balance and to learn the lessons we will need to develop the proper tactics, equipment, and force organization. These lessons will be used to build a much larger organization once it has been recruited and trained. You will use the remnants of the Legions Armored Infantry and any other Legionnaires you feel qualify. You and Colonel, sorry, General Sand are light years ahead of the rest of us and we need you to begin to identify the others in your old Brigade capable of assisting us in the formation of the Marine Corps. Any Legionnaire who does not want to join the Marine Corps will be given the option of transferring to the Navy as a pilot in the newly formed Naval Aviation Wing. We will need their experience. Many have already volunteered and are servicing as the foundation for the newly formed squadrons."

Usiche nodded toward the beautiful Anjin sitting next to her.

"Istas, will be your contact with the Anjins should you need intelligence. They have people now on Ceti who are sending us invaluable information. You can trust her with your life. I do. Should you need specialized information about the Xotoli or their hybrids, equipment, tactics, anything. Istas is at your disposal."

Dasan looked a
s Istas’s dark beautiful hard eyes met his. He had no doubt she or one of her kind would get information he might need, no matter what.

"General Sand and Colonel Aijuba my first order to you both is to go through the surviving Legionnaire enlisted and officers and choose those most suited for the Raider Battalion. We need to get that Raider Battalion up and fangs out ready, as I have heard some of your troops call it. We need to use what we have as soon as we can."

"Any questions?"

"Budget and administrative support?" Dasan asked. He knew administrative support would play as big a role as training and equipment.

"There is no budget, anything you need, anytime you need it. The Marine Corps is priority one. Administratively ask for it and you'll get it no matter what. Any issues come directly to me. Do not let anyone slow this down."

The Admiral paused fo
r affect.

"I cannot
emphasize enough the need for the military to strike back at the Xotoli as soon as possible, no matter what the scale. We need to show that the military is capable of the flexibility necessary in the war. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I have just laid out a huge undertaking for you both and I am sure there will many questions that will need to be answered but I think you have enough information to begin your jobs. Any general questions for me at this time?"

Dasan and Aijuba looked at one another but neither could think of a question. It would take time just to absorb the size and complexity of the jobs Raurk just outlined, she was right more questions would come later.

"No, Admiral. I don't think we have any questions at this time."

Admiral Raurk smiled.

"Good then get out of my office and build me a Marine Corps."

"Aye, aye ma'am." Dasan said.

Sand and Aijuba stood up and came to attention then about faced and walked out of the Admirals office. Once on the other side of the door they turned to one another in astonishment. Their lives had been completely transformed in a matter of minutes. They were to be an integral part of the fight to defeat the Xotoli, something they had spent their careers striving for and now it was at hand. Instead of feeling elated Sand felt the weight of the challenge but he looked over at Aijuba who had been at his side from the beginning. She was looking at him with pride and if he read those hard dark eyes properly, love.

Sand pulled from his pocket the worn faded blue handkerchief he had been given so many years ago. It seemed to represent the commitment to the war ahead. She and all the little girls like her
throughout the Confederation depended on him, Aijuba and the other remaining Legionnaires and now the new Marine Corps. Sand and Aijuba strode out of the door as they had a lot of work to do.

SOL SYSTEM

EARTH

CITY STATE NEW YORK

CONFEDERATION NAVAL HEADQUARTERS

OFFICE OF ADMIRAL TAMARA LULE

Lieutenant Commander Ririsa Grogen was nervous as she waited outside the Admirals office. Since the destruction of the Capella and her eventual rescue from the lifeboat she had little contact with the Navy. After a lengthy stay in the hospital and the mandatory leave that was required of all survivors of ships destroyed in battle she had little time to do anything but think. She had been proud of her command and her career but now she was not sure if she were worthy of another command. The loss of a vessel even in battle was no small thing to go on one's record. She had heard nothing through official channels through all the
past months.

Naturally she had heard of the officers who had not lived up to their commands as they were demoted or retired. It was a natural transition from essentially a peacetime Navy to a Navy facing a
n all out war of survival. She had no idea how Naval Operations would view her actions. Ririsa had never been anyone's favorite, she was too abrasive and out spoken. She had ruffled quite a few feathers of those above her during peacetime, much less during a war.

She had no back channels or friends in high places
, she had had no time to cultivate such relationships. The ship and her crew had been her only focus and now she had neither. So she had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side of the door. The door opened and a Rear Admiral came out with a small staff looking very important. She only glanced at Ririsa before moving briskly on, his small staff following closely behind. The Admirals secretary touched her ear as she listened to instructions then said with a smile,

"You may go in now Commander
, the Admiral is expecting you."

Ririsa stood up and straightened her uniform. She had not seen or spoken to Lule since before the battle. So this was going to be quite a meeting. The doors slid open and Ririsa strode in to stand at attention in front of Admiral Lule's desk.

"Lieutenant Commander Ririsa Grogen reporting as ordered."

Tamara Lule took a moment to look up from her desk. Her face was stern a
s she looked Ririsa up and down before she said,

"What in the hell are you doing Ririsa? Would you stand at ease for fucks sake, it's me
, Tamara and we're alone."

Ririsa let out a long breath
e, she had been holding it without realizing it.

"I...I didn't know..how I would be received. I mean I did lose my ship and..."

Tamara’s face became serious.

"
Sit down. Ririsa you didn't lose your ship, you followed orders and fought your ship as few other Captains could. What you and Lung did will go down in Naval history as one of the most courageous acts in naval history. If you had hesitated we would not be sitting here. You created the confusion we needed so our strike could be as successful as it was. You are one of the true heroes of Rift."

Ririsa could only
sit there stunned by what Tamara had said; the loss of her ship and so many of her crew had blinded her to any other interpretation of the battle. She knew what she had done was right, given the same situation she would do it again but the loss had been so personal.

"Tamara
, all I can think of was my ship and the crew and what they did for me. I asked the ultimate of them and those men and women came through for me. You fight for your ship and your shipmates, not for some pie in the sky slogan."

"Exactly and the
y're actions speak volumes about their Captain."

Tamara let Ririsa sit there for several moments before she said
,

"I called you
here for a couple of reasons. The first is your next assignment. As you know we need a new class of ship and we need it yesterday. We are moving toward developing our own carriers; how long that will be is classified even for you and me. In the meantime we are converting the old Phoenix into the first carrier in the fleet. She was in dry dock with her drives out and was in the middle of a complete overhaul when the attack came. The damage done during the attack is actually making the conversion easier. She will be ready for trails in a few months. She needs a Captain and I have recommended you."

To jump from a destroyer command to a new class of ship that was an old battleship was unheard of no
it was unprecedented. Ririsa sat there unable to speak.

"She will need a real task master to get her ready for trials and put her through her paces. I can think of only one person to do that and that is you Ririsa. Do you want her?"

"Yes Admiral, of course I do. I would have been honored just to be considered much less given the command."

"Good
, there is only one problem."             

"Ma'am?"

"You are the wrong rank. I am afraid I am going to have to promote you to Captain so you can take command."

Captain
she wasn't even on the list for promotion. It was going to be years before she could even be considered in normal times.

"Yes, times are different Ririsa. I had to run this past Admiral Rau
rk to get it O.K.'d. You know what she said?"

"No, Admiral?"

"You mean, she is not a Captain yet? Get your ass in gear Admiral or I'll give her your job."

Ririsa couldn't help but laugh.

"Now some people have requested that they be at your promotion ceremony."

Tamara touched her comm on her desk.

"Sadira, is everything ready?"

"Yes Admiral."

Tamara stood and said,

"If you will follow me."

Tamara led her out of the door and down the hall where Sadira the Admiral’s beautiful secretary was waiting. She opened the door for them and they walked into a room full of men and women in uniform. Everyone rose and stood at attention when they entered.

Ririsa started to recognize
faces she had not seen in months. There was Lieutenant Tmesgen who miraculously survived a number of explosions. There was Steiner smiling that great smile of his and Redmond the young spaceman at the helm that day. They were all here. Her crew. Ririsa was speechless.

"They have all requested to be at your promotion
," Tamara said.

Ririsa stood and faced them
, staring at the men and women who had willingly put their lives on the line for her and the ship.

"Not only have they requested to be here for your promotion
, but each and every one of them has asked to be assigned to the crew of the Phoenix."

That did it. It was all Ririsa could do not to tear up. All her guilt and fears of what her crew had thought of her disappeared. They had fought together and were
willing to follow her into future battles. They trusted her with their lives. Without thinking Ririsa snapped to attention and saluted her crew, as one, they returned her salute.

"Since you are at attention it is my pleasure to pin the eagles of a Captain on your shoulder and give you your four stripper boards."

Tamara saluted Ririsa and Ririsa returned the salute.

"Now the crew has asked if they could give you something to commemorate the day."

A young Petty Officer in the front row stepped forward.

"Captain
, I am Petty Officer Jakob Petrussen. I was chosen by lot to represent the crew. We wanted Lieutenant Tmesgen to be the presenter but he insisted it be by lot. I was in Gun Mount 13. I am the only survivor. Every man and woman in that crew had faith in you and your decisions. When they were killed, cooks and technicians replaced my crewmates. They were true sailors till the end staying at their posts and fighting as if that had been their primary job. It was because of your insistence on cross training for everyone and when the time came it only took a few instructions and they were able to replace my crew. It was because of you and your leadership. Mine was only one example; there were hundreds of others throughout the ship. I hope you stay for the celebration so we can tell you all our stories. Now we have something for you."

From behind his back Jakob pulled a small
box out and handed it to her. When she opened the box she found a ring that looked very much like her Academy ring but instead it read The Capella. On the inside of the ring was etched the inscription "To the best Captain in the Fleet, from her thankful crew". She was beyond words; it was everything she could do not to cry in front of her crew.

"
Mr.Temesgen said you left your Naval Academy ring on the Bridge. So we thought you might like another one only different. It's a piece of the Capella, Captain. It came from Petty Officer Jacques it was…well it was uh embedded in a certain part of his anatomy. You know where he sits down. He said we could have it. "

That bit of humor saved her the embarrassment
of crying in front of her crew. She laughed and said,

"Please tell Petty Officer
Jacques for me that he cannot have this back."

Everyone laughed.

"Now since this calls for a real celebration and enlisted men and women cannot be admitted to the Officers Club I have made special arrangements for food and drink so the Capella crew can celebrate. And by the way I have Legionnaire guards at all the doors to keep things down to a dull roar," Tamara said.

Everyone laughed.

"I do have one thing to say," Ririsa said.

The room suddenly became
quiet.

"Today
when we drink, we will drink to the Capella and our lost shipmates."

Everyone stood silent for a moment until Ririsa said
,

"The drinks are on me."

The room erupted cheers and her crew soon surrounded Ririsa. Tamara slipped out of a side door, as much as she would have liked to stay and celebrate she had more promotions and demotions to handle before the day was over. These were long and difficult days but this was one of the best of them all.