Tales of the Black Admiral
The Best of Times Call for Desperate
Measures
“Do you know what
they told me?”
Cyarkos Rhulson’s
voice carried through Amphi-3, somehow filling the space in spite
of its naturally introspective tone. Nazyless estimated that
perhaps 100 people were assembled here. Based on their dress and
the various looks of confused discomfort, he estimated that about
half were civilian guests invited by Rhulson to participate in the
simulation, as he himself had been. The other half were their
Proximate Guard counterparts, matched up to keep watch on them.
Nazyless’ own Proximate shadow sat next to him now, having
patiently rebuffed two days of his insistent questions and
speculation. If Aspirant Khatijah knew anything about Rhulson’s
plans, she wasn’t saying. She met his excited grin with a
professional glare.
“They told me,
’You’ll never make Admiral with an attitude like that.’ “ Rhulson
paused for effect before continuing. “It’s about climbing the
ranks, you know. It’s about building a bigger pension; earning a
better commission for your son or your niece. It’s about throwing
your destroyer around like a child with a toy in the hopes of
doing something that’ll make the simcasts and get you on the next
big Council.”
Rhulson paced the
stage area methodically as he spoke. Nazyless had noticed that the
Group Captain was never really still, though he somehow never
appeared nervous or busy, either. It was as if his thoughts were
always moving so quickly that his body felt the need to do things
just so it wouldn’t get left behind. Rhulson stopped briefly,
making eye contact with those in the audience as he spoke.
“The military, of
course, should be used for the public good. It should be a
sacrifice and a service. It should be a tool that is used and
honed, a sharpened blade for protection and exploration. The Bjaki
Federation is rusty and dull. I think I’ve displayed adequately
that the Aegis is useless. It can be manipulated and exploited. It
is soft and unused. The children of powerful families walk the
halls of warships like they were vacation retreats. The fleet
stays close to home and family while the colonies are left
defended by supply ships.”
He paused in his
speaking and resumed his casual pacing. In many ways he was an
unremarkable man with a slight paunch and thinning brown hair
shaved and stubbly. His posture lacked the proud stiffness of the
commanders of lineage. No one ever commented on the squintiness of
his eyes, however, as they carried an irrepressibly focused
authority. No one in that room could deny the passion or surety in
that gravelly voice.
“Neighbours,” he
said as if reading a title.
“The Core
Commonwealth is our friend. Goods and technologies move freely
between us, yet they are a more aggressive economic and
exploratory force. They do not conquer or even threaten our
settled worlds, yet they settle the worlds on our very doorstep
and exploit the resources nearest us that we should be taking.
Their action is a fine counterpoint to the inactivity of the
Federation. You can see how quickly they grow in comparison. They
are hungry to explore and conquer, while the Federation is content
to form Councils, cast votes, and under-develop a few unprotected
fringe worlds.”
“The Ptatl are
essentially remote, neutral, and involved in building relations
with the Commonwealth. Their social fabric is extremely
competitive, however, and their trade with the Commonwealth may
leave them in a hungrier position than we can, at the present,
imagine.”
As a military
writer, Nazyless had heard many of Cyarkos Rhulson’s orations
before. He had been pushing this sort of speech on various
Federation Councils and Assemblies for several years, attempting
to spur them to initiate reforms and use the Aegis to expand and
protect the Federation. Rhulson’s political evaluations were
always keen and his plans, frankly, made a lot of sense as far as
Nazyless was concerned. Nazyless could also be sure that Rhulson’s
insight was being wasted on dead ears at home. The Federation ran
on an old, well-entrenched system of tradition and nepotism. It
would not be easily swayed by mere logic.
“And the Makkuth
are nothing short of the greatest threat the races of the Bjaki
Federation have ever seen. Before the Federation even formed, both
Humans and Bjaki clashed with the Makkuth. They’ve never done any
real damage to our settlements but it’s only a matter of time
before the next raids begin. We are all painfully aware of how
little we actually know about them or their civilization. They
swarm like bugs for years, then disappear just as quickly. The
invasion we just simulated, or something far worse, could be a few
years or mere days away. The Federation is convinced that leaving
the Makkuth alone is the route to peace. They are not interested
in understanding the enemy or the reason for their hostilities.
They are content to leave themselves ignorant and unprepared.”
Rhulson stopped
for another of his casual pauses, meeting eyes throughout the
audience. It was hard to tell what sort of conclusions he was
drawing behind those squinting eyes, his stoic confidence unbroken
and unreadable. His appraisal of the crowd complete, he drew a
breath and was off on a different course.
“I’ll spare all
you the rest of my usual discourse. You all know my views and, to
some degree, sympathize with them. That is why you were given the
opportunity to join us on this little expedition.”
“We’ll come back
to this little voyage we’re on, though. I’d like to make a few
comments about the simulation first, if I may.” He scratched at
the side of his mouth absently, thoughtfully, as he looked around
the audience as if sincerely seeking objections before continuing.
The audience remained quiet and intent.
“You were invited
aboard the Sophia and promised two demonstrations that the Bjaki
Aegis is completely ineffective. This, I have delivered.” He
resumed pacing, hands casually held behind his back now. His
concentration intent and his voice almost absently mirroring the
thoughts in his head, it almost seemed that he was talking out
loud to himself.
“The first
demonstration was that Aegis tactics are ineffective, in general,
and specifically useless against a reasonably sized Makkuth
invasion force. I attempted to display that a focused, combined
arms assault on a haphazardly defended colony world would end in
disaster for the Federation. Even under the auspices of a
remarkable commander...” he briefly paused and indicated his own
person with a flourish, flashing his quirky smile to the audience
before continuing.
“...the Aegis is
limited by a lack of discipline on the bottom and a lack of
initiative at the top. Command, frankly, is given to the inept.
And those who actually wish to respond to the situation around
them are hampered by poor equipment, incapable subordinates, and
restrictive protocols. The Bjaki Aegis is simply unable to adapt
to surprises or the changing conditions of combat.”
“You may think
we skipped the second demonstration when we left so hastily. To
the contrary, that was the second demonstration. The second
demonstration was that the Federation is populated by fools and
can be completely and utterly manipulated by anyone who knows it
well. I have managed to gather three of the most powerful ships in
the Aegis, stock them with full combat provisions, and populate
them with a hand-picked crew and many of the greatest minds in the
Federation. All to fulfill a personal agenda. As far as the Bjaki
Federation is concerned, they allowed a relatively minor commander
to manipulate all these resources and people into place, only to
reiterate the same points that have been made for the last five
years. The truth, however, is that my agenda was to steal these
ships. And, in fact, I have.” He stopped and gazed around his
audience. Then he grinned. “Pretty good, huh?”
There were
sparse, surprised chuckles throughout the audience. Nazyless
grinned at his young Proximate bodyguard, who couldn’t help
returning a bit of a smile. He liked the oddly charismatic Group
Captain and his rambling revelations and was glad that Khatijah
could share his enthusiasm. She wasn’t the classic lithe Bjaki,
this Aspirant Khatijah, her jaw strong and her nose slightly large
and convex. Her face had the typical Bjaki length and her cheeks
were sharp enough but her body was thicker and her movements less
elegant. There almost seemed to be some Human somewhere in her
bloodline. In the time she had spent as his escort, he had become
familiar with her cold determination and her need to perform her
assigned tasks exceptionally. He could admire her dedication to
the military lifestyle but thought she needed to work on her
personality a bit before it was totally lost behind that stoic
facade.
“I guess there’s
no point in going on about the “why” of it all. You’ve all been
invited here because you’ve expressed views similar to mine and,
not coincidentally, to those of every crew member on board these
three ships. The Federation is weak. It needs to expand and
explore and learn to protect itself. The universe is a dangerous
place and we need to reach out and take control of it before it
reaches out and takes control of us.”
Nazyless smiled
to himself this time. The Group Captain was a bit paranoid. While
he never lingered on it, this issue of needing to conquer the
hostile universe always seemed to creep into his arguments. Deep
down, Rhulson’s opinion probably had some real merit but it never
failed to amuse Nazyless the way it rang from this unshakable,
logical commander of men. Nazyless was sure that it, in no small
part, went towards undermining Rhulson’s credibility with the
Bjaki political types who continued to ignore his initiatives.
“Those of you who
are expecting us to turn about and return to Balinino to embarrass
the Aegis and Federation politicians can change your thinking
right now. This is the real thing. We have commandeered these
ships and will be undergoing a voyage which will take us well away
from the Bjaki Federation and the rest of the civilized galaxy. We
will be establishing a self-sufficient colony and, eventually, an
empire of our own.”
A buzz ran among
the civilians in the amphitheater. Even Nazyless couldn’t help but
be a bit surprised. The Group Captain’s seemingly audacious plans
had just become outright madness. It was Aspirant Khatijah’s turn
to smile at him, a knowing and not unfriendly smile, amused at the
extent of his surprise. Nazyless could almost hear the click in
his head as pieces fell into place. He suddenly knew three things
without question.
First, the entire
crew was in on this. The entire population of all three ships:
four watches per ships of first-rate commanders and pilots, cooks
and technicians, medics and stores persons. The number of
professional Aegis crew that had volunteered for an audacious plan
like this was staggering… let alone the logistics to arrange,
organize, and keep the entire operation a secret. Nazyless was
impressed.
Second, the Group
Captain and everyone involved in this scheme were insane and
headed off to die on some remote planet, if they made it that
far.
Third, Nazyless
was absolutely going to be with them. Heart still pounding
slightly from the announcement, he smiled widely back at
Khatijah.
Cyarkos Rhulson
waited patiently for the snatches of conversation to die down
before continuing. From the extensive document in his head, he
read his next subtitle, “Here’s where we’re at.”
“We have
commandeered the Lady Sophia, a Vigilant II class, next-generation
Command Carrier. She is packed with the latest logistical,
communication, and situational equipment. She carries three full
flights of fighters, one full flight of assault bombers, and a
wide variety of utility craft. The Lady Sophia will be the command
ship of our little fleet. There could not be a more flexible and
practical ship for the task.” He paused and gave another of his
dark little smiles. “I have seen to that.”
“We have
commandeered the Sculpture, a Punchdagger class, next generation
Arsenal Ship. Her Behemoth railguns are two of the most advanced
and devastating weapons ever devised and mounted on a starship.
She is outfitted with a large variety of ship-killer missiles and
defensive energy weapons. Her grav drives are stunningly efficient
and severely oversized for a ship of her tonnage. Her sensing and
detection equipment are exceptional, supplementing those of the
Sophia. The Sculpture is designed to quickly and efficiently
dispatch ships many times her own size and will provide the
protection we may need on this outrageous expedition of mine. She
is commanded by the unequalled Captain Bakhir Nawra.”
Nazyless knew of
Captain Nawra, an exception in many rights. A quick, practical
thinker and incredible strategist for any race, Nawra was a
Balithrim. The Balithrim were a hulking, hairy race with a brutish
reputation. They evolved symbiotically on Memphix as the sister
race of the Iliene where, traditionally, the Iliene did the
thinking and the Balithrim did the lifting. From Nazyless’
experience they weren’t dumb, just disinterested in politics and
professional decision making. Captain Nawra had smashed a lot of
conventions and stepped on a few Bjaki toes on his way to
captaining the Sculpture. Whether his decision to join Rhulson’s
expedition made him more or less smart, it certainly made him that
much more remarkable in Rhulson’s mind.
“Finally, we have
commandeered the Extrigent, a Memphix class Troop Transport and
Assault Ship. She’s old and she’s ugly but she’s one of the most
rugged and versatile ships ever designed to insert troops and
cargo into hostile environments. She is stuffed to the doors with
weapons, equipment, supplies, and extremely loyal Proximate
troops. She is commanded by Commander Tarine Siran, one of the
most able and underappreciated command personnel in the Aegis. You
can thank her for much of the planning and execution that went
into creating this little fleet of ours.”
Nazyless had no
doubt of that. Siran was another exceptional thinker and had long
been at the right hand of Rhulson in his attempts to initiate
change in the Federation. She had a solid metal core, that one.
Her parents were explorers and, as a brilliant young Iliene, she
had been expected to follow their scientific pursuit, not to run
off and become a Proximate Trooper. She had been told, in no
uncertain terms, that she was too fragile for ground combat duty,
more suited to running the grav drive of a starship or crunching
numbers for the Federation Trade Council. But she had weathered
and excelled at every test they had presented her with, pushing
her way up through the ranks of the Aegis Proximate. Along the
way, she had pushed just about every button that could be pushed
on the old-school Bjaki and, as a result, still held the position
of Commander when those of privileged birth had been promoted past
her. Nazyless himself had written an article about the injustice
done to this brilliant Commander but, not surprisingly, it had
seen little success in official channels of publication.
“We have taken
the finest hand-picked ships, commanders, and crew from the Bjaki
Aegis. We do not foresee survivability as an issue on this voyage.
We have supplies, equipment, and provisions. Once we reach a
hospitable planet, we have the essentials to make it our own.”
“And that brings
us to you folks. I hope you will not be modest in appraising
yourselves as some of the finest minds in the Bjaki Federation. In
the past, at least to some degree, you have publicly supported my
opinions or actions or at least professed similar ideas regarding
the ineffectiveness of the Federation. If you are willing, you are
to be the architects and mathematicians, physicists, strategists,
physicians, and artists that will enable us to build a better new
civilization in a better new place. I will not comment on the
maneuvering it took to justify bringing you all onboard for the
simulation but it does again show,” he said with a grand,
open-armed gesture, “the ridiculous things that are possible
within a ridiculous system.”
There were a few
chuckles and mumbles from the audience. There were various looks
of concern, bewilderment, and excitement.
“Together we have
the opportunity to build a society with strength and structure
that will not fail in the face of adversity, nor wallow in
complacency when times are good. We can build a society that will
grow and explore. It will reward those with talent by fostering
that talent. The strong shall protect, the curious will explore,
the intelligent will devise and develop. Everyone will fit where
they fit and not where they are placed by a centuries-old
hierarchy hobbled by the directives of the lame and inbred.”
“These ships and
these crews will take you to a new world. There, together, we have
the opportunity to build this new society. I understand that some
of you will have garnered some reservations during my speech. This
is a lot to absorb in a short time. Personalized briefings will be
conducted with all of you but, for the moment, let me assure you
that you are under no obligation to continue on from here. We will
be making a brief stop in three days time at which point we will
publicly broadcast our succession from the Federation and announce
our formation of an independent government. We will safely drop
those of you who don’t wish to continue and we will inform the
Federation that you were, in fact, abducted against your will. You
will survive in relative comfort until Federation forces can pick
you up. You can resume your normal life and have an outrageous
tale to tell. I hope, however, that you will all join us and live
a historic adventure.”
“In a short time,
we – all of us – will be establishing the Councils that will form
a provisional government. Our current military structure will
remain in effect, for the time being, and is to be absolute. I
hope that’s something you can understand and live with. Until we
have cleared Federation space and, realistically, while we are
confined on these ships it will be necessary to maintain a secure
chain of command that is solely privy to the specifics of our long
term mission plans. In addition, those of us who are, or rather
were, members of the Aegis are the only ones capable of running
our little fleet as a fleet. For security reasons, outgoing
transmissions have been locked down and details of our agenda will
be revealed only when it is safe to do so. I apologize for the
rigidity of things but it’s necessary since this is still
effectively a military operation at this point. I assure that
we’re not out to build a regime.”
“Ultimately,
there will be a Governmental Assembly, which will take over the
administration and decision making for our new colony and guide us
into whatever shape we eventually take. I would ask you all, for
the moment, to take some time and consider such issues as what is
important in a Constitution, what government offices may be
necessary now and in the future, and the method we will use to
choose the leaders that will carry us into the future. What are
our short term and long term aspirations, not as a group of
pirates and fugitives but as a fledgling nation? Once we have
completed our provisioning stops and are on the final leg of our
journey, we will establish the Governmental Assembly en route. It
will be a new government, created and populated by us. Together,
we build the future.”
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