Empire in Crisis (7 page)

DeChastelaine shook his head and smiled. “I
don’t think we can afford to take the time to do a thorough search now. I’m
throwing you into the deep end, Logan, but before you panic, know this. I’ve
arranged for a package of training materials on the Advanced Flag Officers’
Fleet Combat course to be put together and sent here. If you spend every waking
minute on it on your way to the 107th, you might get through it all. Even if
you don’t, you’ll still have a better grasp of fleet tactics than you do now.
I’ve already made arrangements for a light cruiser to take you there. The Guard
will take you back to your quarters to get your things, and then they’ll take
you to the spaceport where a shuttle is waiting to lift you to Pegasus. Here’s
your Imperial Warrant authorizing you to assume temporary command of the 107th,
with complete authority to make whatever changes to her command structure that
you deem necessary.” He handed Logan a gold-colored data tablet.

Logan took it with obvious reluctance. “I hope
My Emperor understands that I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee a victory.”

“I do understand that, Logan. Your best is all
I can ask for.”

“May I ask what my orders are when I take
command of the 107th?”

“Well, that’s a good question, Fleet Commander
Logan. Given your understanding of the situation, what do you think your orders
should be?” asked DeChastelaine with a smile.

This time Logan smiled too. “I think defense of
the Tango Epsilon 33 starbase should be a priority, with the caveat that if the
107th is facing superior enemy forces and is in danger of being destroyed, I
have the option of withdrawing even if that means leaving the starbase
undefended. If forced to retreat, the 107th should attempt to maintain contact
with enemy forces while avoiding battle until it can be reinforced. If I feel
that I have an opportunity to push the enemy away from TD33, I would like to
have that flexibility in my orders too.”

DeChastelaine was impressed. It took a lot of
courage to ask for permission to abandon the defense of that starbase if faced
with a dangerously superior enemy force. A less competent officer would be
tempted to use that loophole as an excuse to avoid battle, period. He didn’t
think Logan would do that. He turned back to Hood.

“What are your thoughts on those orders,
Commander, especially about retreating the fleet if faced by a superior force?”

“I agree with Sub—, ah, Fleet Commander Logan
completely, My Emperor. If the 107th were to be destroyed, the only force left
between the enemy and Earth would be Capital Fleet, which has been depleted of
the bulk of its cruiser squadrons. I’d have to check the wormhole networks and
fleet dispositions, but it may be that no other fleet could get here in time to
reinforce Capital Fleet if the enemy pushes forward quickly. Keeping the 107th
intact is, in my opinion, strategically more important than defending TD33 to
the last ship.”

“I agree. Defending TD33 is meant to draw a
line in the sand, ‘This far and no farther’. But the last thing we want to do
is encourage them to push in further after destroying a whole fleet. If you
have to retreat, try to evacuate the starbase personnel if you can, but don’t
put the whole fleet at risk in doing so. I imagine that you’ll want those
orders in writing before you leave?”

Logan looked a little embarrassed. “Not
necessary, My Emperor. I switched the tablet to record when I asked the question.
I have your verbal orders recorded now.”

Oh, that’s clever. Written orders are almost
always open to some interpretation as to the intent behind them. If he has to
defend his actions before a Court of Inquiry, my verbal orders will be hard to
misinterpret.

“Good thinking. Time to get moving, Fleet
Commander. The Guard has your training package. Good luck, and as a personal
favor to your Emperor, try not to get yourself killed.”

“Yes, My Emperor.”

As soon as Logan left the room, DeChastelaine turned
back to Hood.

“I see no reason why you need to stay here now,
Commander. This search is no longer needed, and you can return to your
strategic planning task in the morning. Go home and get some sleep, and I’ll
try to do the same.”

When Hood had left, he returned to his personal
quarters and made sure that his staff understood his explicit instructions not
to wake him if Admiral Hiakawa called unless there was some new and urgent
information.

As he climbed back into bed, his favorite
sexbot offered to give him a gentle back massage, and within minutes, he was
asleep.

Logan’s first surprise came when the light
cruiser Pegasus arrived in the star system that contained the inhabited planet
New Sevastopol and the starbase Tango Epsilon 21. That was the system where the
107th Fleet had been stationed. It already should have left to head for TE33 by
the time Pegasus got there. Logan was alarmed to find the fleet still there.
The only good news was that the starbase was still in contact with TE33, and so
far that starbase hadn’t been attacked. Logan had Pegasus establish contact
with the 107th fleet flagship. Corvosier’s Flag Lieutenant appeared on the
screen.

“What can I do for you, SubCommander Logan?”

Logan realized that having the insignia of a
Fleet Commander would have been a good thing to bring along, but now he would
have to manage without them.

“I’m here under personal orders from the
Emperor, Lieutenant. I have to speak with Fleet Admiral Corvosier as soon as
possible. Where is he?”

The Flag Lieutenant did not look impressed.
“He’s in a meeting with his senior staff and asked that he not be disturbed.
Perhaps later—“

“No,” interrupted Logan, “my mission is urgent.
Get Corvosier on the screen right now, Lieutenant.”

“I don’t believe that’s an appropriate way to
refer to a superior officer, SubCommander.”

Logan was prepared for something like this. He
held up the gold-colored tablet. “Do you know what this is, Lieutenant? It
contains an Imperial Warrant that the Emperor personally handed to me to use as
needed. Among other things, it gives me the right to refer to Fleet Admiral
Corvosier any damned way I please. Now you’ve already lost your position as the
Fleet Commander’s Flag Lieutenant. If you want to keep your rank, you better
get Corvosier on this screen before I count to a hundred.”

The stunned lieutenant quickly left the screen.
Logan didn’t bother counting. As long as Corvosier showed up within a
reasonable length of time, the Lieutenant would keep his rank mainly because
Logan had more important things on his mind.

When Corvosier did finally show up, his
expression was one of indignant anger. “You better have that Imperial Warrant,
SubCommander, or I’ll have your guts for wall decorations.”

Logan inserted the tablet into a console slot.
“You should be able to see the Imperial Warrant on your screen now, Admiral. By
direct order of the Emperor, you are to return to the Capital where you’ll be
given a field promotion to Fleet Group Admiral. I’m to assume command of the
107th  Fleet, effective immediately. My acting rank is that of a Fleet
Commander, even if my uniform does not carry the appropriate insignia. Do you
acknowledge transfer of command authority, Admiral Corvosier?”

The realization that he would receive his
fourth star caused his indignation to quickly evaporate. “Well, ah, this
warrant appears to be legitimate. I acknowledge your assumption of fleet
command.”

“Thank you.  My first question is what is this
fleet still doing in this system when you received orders to move forward to
the Tango Epsilon thirty-three starbase system days ago?”

“I don’t expect a junior officer such as
yourself to understand, but moving an entire fleet for an indefinite stay in
another system requires preparations that take time. I was actually in a
meeting to be updated on how those preparations are going when you demanded my
immediate presence at this console.”

“I’m afraid that the normal kind of delay is
unacceptable under the circumstances that we’re facing. I can tell you that
Emperor DeChastelaine was expecting you to expedite preparations even if that
meant sending the fleet forward without being prepared for an indefinite stay
in another star system. The logistics could have been taken care of later.”

“That’s an easy statement to make if you’re not
in a position to be held responsible for a fleet’s falling efficiency due to
shortages of spare parts, SubCom–, ah Fleet Commander Logan. I was not prepared
to risk that outcome.”

Logan shook his head in dismay. Corvosier
didn’t seem to understand that the Empire was now at war and that corners had
to be cut due to strategic imperatives. “As I’m now in command of this fleet, I
am responsible for its performance and I WILL take that risk. I would like
yourself and Undaunted’s CO to meet me when my shuttle arrives in a few
minutes. That’s all for now, Admiral.” Logan cut the connection before
Corvosier could say anything.

Logan rushed back to his quarters to pack his
things, and then realized that a Fleet Commander didn’t have to rush. By the
time he was finished packing, Pegasus was close enough for a shuttle to carry
Logan the rest of the way to the flagship. Pegasus’s CO was waiting for him in
the Hangar Bay. He seemed relieved that the SubCommander/Fleet Commander was
leaving his ship.

“I know you’re anxious to take Pegasus back to
the Capital System, but you’re going to have to stay here a bit longer,
Commander,” said Logan as he shook the officer’s hand.

“I’m going to take a wild guess that when
Pegasus does head home, we’ll have more passengers aboard.”

“Exactly,” said Logan with a smile. “This fleet
needs a swift kick in the ass, and sending a few officers back home in disgrace
is a good way to clear out some of the deadwood. Good-bye, Commander.”

When the shuttle arrived at the flagship, Logan
was pleased to see Corvosier and the ship’s CO standing off to one side. As
soon as the shuttle came to a stop, Logan stepped through the open hatch and on
to the Hangar Bay’s deck. He stopped and waited. Protocol required that an arriving
Fleet Commander be given the traditional greeting that in this case should have
been an announcement over the loudspeaker to the effect of ‘107th Fleet
arriving!’ There was no such announcement and no marine honor guard. As Logan
watched Corvosier and the Senior Commander approach, he debated whether to make
an issue out of the botched greeting. On the one hand, his authority could
slowly evaporate away if he neglected to use it, but on the other hand, coming
across as an egomaniac drunk on his own authority was not the kind of
impression he wanted to project.

When the two officers came up to Logan, he
resisted the habit of saluting first. His acting rank and position required
Undaunted’s CO to salute him first. The Commander did so after a slight hesitation.
Corvosier wasn’t required to and didn’t. Logan then carefully returned the
salute with what he hoped was textbook precision. He then exchanged
introductions with the Senior Commander. With that out of the way, Logan looked
back at the shuttle.

“My gear will have to be taken to my quarters.
How soon can you be packed for your trip back, Admiral?”

Corvosier looked surprised by the question.
“Since the Fleet will have to remain in this system for at least another 48
hours, I expect to have plenty of time to get packed. I’m sure that temporary
quarters can be arran—“

“Is there any technical reason why Undaunted
can’t leave orbit right now, Commander?” asked Logan.

Corvosier’s expression quickly reflected his
anger at being interrupted, but he said nothing.

“Well, no, there’s no technical problem keeping
us here, but we do still have several officers on the planet.” Undaunted’s CO
was about to say more when he saw Logan turn back to look at Corvosier.

“This fleet will leave this system long before
48 hours are up. In fact, Undaunted will be breaking out of orbit in less than
two hours. Unless you want to come with us to TE33 as a passenger, I suggest
you make sure you’re packed and on a shuttle before we leave, Admiral. However
I will take your suggestion about moving into other quarters. Is there one
available that would normally be assigned to a senior staff officer,
Commander?”

“Yes, I believe there is, sir.”

“Fine. Please have my gear moved there. And
before we head to the conference room, I want to make something clear. From now
on, when a Fleet or Squadron Commander steps onto this Hangar Bay deck, there
will be a marine honor guard and the traditional announcement. Is that clear?”

“Clear, Admiral,” said the CO.

Logan remained silent during the quick walk to
the conference room. While a newly arrived Fleet Commander would usually engage
in pleasantries with his officers, Logan didn’t think that the situation
warranted such behavior, and he didn’t really feel like chatting anyway. As
they approached the conference room door, he said, “When we get inside, I’ll do
the talking.”

He had never been inside a conference room on a
super-dreadnought and was surprised by how big it was. The second surprise was
that it was full of real officers as opposed to the holographic images that
were usually the case. The fact that Corvosier apparently insisted on every
commanding officer shuttling over to the flagship for this meeting was a
testament to the man’s ego. As they approached the oval-shaped table, Logan
noticed that there were two empty chairs. He headed for the empty chair on the
left and was surprised when Corvosier took the other one, which left his Flag
CO without any place to sit. When Logan reached his chair, he stood behind it.

“There has been a change in command of this
fleet. Don’t let the insignia on my uniform fool you. I have an Imperial
Warrant, which I have shown to Admiral Corvosier, that authorizes me to assume
command of the 107th Fleet, effective immediately. Admiral Corvosier has acknowledged
this transfer of command authority. My name is Tyler Logan, and as far as all
of you are concerned, I have the acting rank of Fleet Admiral and the position
of Fleet Commander.” Logan paused to sit down and noticed that the room was
dead quiet.

“I was surprised to find the 107th still here
in this system. I had expected to catch up with the fleet in the Tango Epsilon
Thirty-three system. The fact that you received orders to move forward to the
TE33 system three days ago and you’re still here is not good news. Admiral?”
Logan turned to look at Corvosier. “Why haven’t you sent at least some
squadrons forward, even if not all squadrons are ready?”

“Divide the Fleet into smaller groups so that
they can be overwhelmed separately? Not a good strategy in my opinion.”

“Normally I would agree with you, but this is
an unusual situation. How many squadrons are ready to move right now? Raise
your hand if you command a squadron and it’s ready to leave orbit immediately.”
Logan looked around the table carefully. Not one hand was raised. Logan
resisted the urge to smile. He was about to deliver the first kick. Hood had
transferred the service records of all officers in the 107th to Pegasus before
it left Earth orbit, along with her sorting results. He had taken some of his
study time to scan the data, memorizing the squadron designations and the names
of each Squadron Leader, along with their overall rating. He already knew the
names of some of the people who would be sent back to Earth.

“Why isn’t the eighty-sixth battlecruiser
squadron ready?” Logan had the commanding officer’s name memorized but not her
face. When he heard a woman’s voice answer, he looked until he found the
speaker.

“Well, ah—“

“Just a minute, Admiral Cassidy. Admiral
Corvosier may not mind if you answer a question while staying seated, but I do.
Standing will help me remember who is who, and besides, it’s the accepted
protocol.”

Cassidy stood, and after clearing her throat,
began speaking again. “Six of my battlecruisers have equipment deficiencies
that in my opinion should be addressed before the squadron leaves orbit, ah
Fleet Commander.”

“Do these deficiencies have anything to do with
warp drive, maneuvering drive, weapons or tactical systems, Admiral?” asked
Logan.

“No, sir. However—“

“So your squadron’s status is therefore
considered operational?” interrupted Logan.

Cassidy hesitated before answering. “Well…yes,
that’s true but—“

“But nothing. If a squadron can move and fight,
then there’s no reason to hold back. I’ve reviewed your service record, Admiral
Cassidy, and I find it wanting in several key areas, not the least of which is
fighting spirit. You are therefore relieved of command of the 86th and will be
detached from the 107th. Transportation back to Sol will be arranged. The most
senior commanding officer in your squadron will assume temporary command. Your
presence here is no longer required, Admiral.” The room, which had been quiet,
was now abuzz with murmurings as the stone-faced woman left the room with as
much dignity as she could muster. Logan looked around and saw shocked and angry
faces. Well they would be a lot more shocked and angry before this conference
was over.