February 796 UC Heinessen
Tanya
"If we do not capture Iserlohn within the next twenty years. The Free Planets Alliance will collapse." That was what Fleet Admiral Sidney had told me a week ago.
A week ago, I was told I had a choice between a one-sided Court Martial where I would be found guilty and blamed for the losses of Astarte and forced out of the Military. A week ago, I accepted a mission from the Fleet Admiral to capture Iserlohn Fortress using a half thought out suggestion I had made as a Cadet in the Officer Academy. Without thinking through the implications and fallout of conducting such an action such as taking Iserlohn. A week ago, I was told I had months to deliver Iserlohn or else the Fleet Admirals protection would be gone as he would be out as would I shortly after.
Now here I was in the planning room with some of the most advanced servers and simulators the Alliance could pull together. As they were being constantly fed information from around the Alliance and what could be gathered of the Empire as well. To give the most accurate predictions of any battle or plan. Right then I had it displaying the Iserlohn Fortress in all its imposing defiance.
All I needed now was my fellow officer to help me plan out the capture of the station.
"So, we are to work together again." Yang Wen-li said as he entered the room, with the door closing behind him.
"Correct, Rear Admiral Yang Wen-li." I nod and turn around to face him. "We have been given the impossible task of capturing Iserlohn Fortress and delivering it into the hands of the Alliance within the next several months."
At this he sighed and came to join me near the projector of the Fortress itself. He stood to the side, arms crossed and stared at the projection. "You already planned out how to capture the station back as a Cadet?" He asked looking over the image before looking back to me there was a barely noticeable hint of dissatisfaction when he brought up that I wrote this up in the Academy.
"I wrote out several suggested strategies to be considered once all other options had been tried and failed. My suggested strategies at the time did not take in the political ramifications of doing any of them. Nor did I imply that they were the only correct way to do so. Attempting to ram the station with large asteroids sounds great on paper. Until you remember there are millions of people inside that station. Same with developing technology to deploy Seffle Particles to destroy the station. Millions of people who live on that station will die. Plus doing so will fully awaken the Empire unlike anything before has. While attempting to use Fezzan will just push them fully into the Empires side and they are already leaking information to the Empire about us just as well as they leak information to us to the Empire." I paused to see his reaction to me telling him that Fezzan was playing both sides.
Most people did not seem to believe that the Fezzan would betray us to the Empire but accepted that they gave us information on the Empire. As if the Empire would share anything with the Fezzan if it did not get anything about the Alliance in return. There was a reason it was allowed to stay neutral in this 150-year long war. And Yang Wen-li seemed to consider the possibility that Fezzan was indeed playing both sides.
"Now with that said. Let us agree that the information we are going to talk about does not go beyond you and me. Fleet Admiral Sidney knows that we plan to take Iserlohn, but he does not know how we will do it. This way we keep the number of individuals who know what we are doing limited to you and me. And further compartmentalize it by only telling portions of the plan to those who need to know their part in the operation to come." I suggest to him. Good operational security was always a good thing to have and prevented the Empire from ever learning what we were doing. It was a good necessary precaution in keeping them in the dark about our plans for Iserlohn.
He took a second to think before responding and nodded his head in agreement. "I can agree to that I suppose. Though this means you and I will be working closely together this time?"
"Correct, I will oversee the 13th Fleet with you as my second-in-command. I will make sure that the 13th Fleet is combat effective, while you will ensure that the needs from the personnel of the Fleet are met and taken care of."
"And what of the planning for taking Iserlohn? Which of us handles that?" He asked as he glanced back at the hologram.
"Both of us. I wrote up a fourth strategy to capture Iserlohn Fortress, one that was less resource intensive and which the cost of lives was far lower. If it works out properly. If it does not, then neither of us will have much of a chance to learn just how badly we screwed up."
"And what is this fourth strategy?" He asked looking back at me.
This time I entered a set of commands into the interface and the hologram changed. Showing an old medieval castle.
"We are going to infiltrate the station and remove the Thor Hammer from play. So that we can bring in a larger invasion force to capture the station. Or to use an old Earth tactic. We are going to send someone in to disable the big scary siege cannon and open the gates for us." As I say this the hologram showed a spy sneaking into the stone castle and disabling its defenses before lowering the gate to let an army in.
He nodded along in understanding so far as he thought it through. He then brought up a very important point. "What about the fleet that is inside the fortress? How are we going to get it out?"
"I do have a history for using electronic warfare and bluffing my enemies with false electronic signatures. I was figuring I do the same again." I smiled proudly.
Hm, he must have done a simulated battle against such tactics and not fared so well for him to have that kind of a reaction as he frowned once more. Still so long as he puts his best foot forward, I can work with him.
"Now then, I feel we should discuss exactly 'how' we are going to capture Iserlohn. It's good and all to talk about ways to take it. Now we need to work out a means to do so." I add and together we spent the rest of the day discussing exactly how we were going to capture Iserlohn.
…..
Rear Admiral Yang Wen-li
"Imperial Cruisers and forty uniforms?" His good friend Rear Admiral Caselnes asked as they both walked down the halls of the Naval Headquarters.
"Yes. We do have some Imperial ships we captured before, right? As for the uniforms… Just try to find them." He asked after talking with the 'Reaper of Arlesheim' he found it curious that it was easier to get his hands on Imperial warships then it was to get a hold of Imperial uniforms. As if having the uniforms made someone a traitor. He knew that capturing working examples of Empire technology was important for the Alliance to catch up and gain an even footing. Surely attempting to gain access to any working Empire technology should have been hard then getting a couple of uniforms?
It was not much of a secret, but the Alliance was falling behind the Empire when it came to technology. The Battle of Astarte proved as much when the Reinhard displayed their newest jamming technology to disrupt their communications and datalink capabilities. That was a weakness that needed to be covered soon.
But it would also do just as well to not be involved in this war to begin with. With his new salary he could retire soon and become a history teacher so that he could teach the next generation not to make the same mistakes as all the ones that came before. But before he could retire, he needed to do one last thing to ensure that the Alliance did not fall when he did retire.
He just hoped he did not lose a part of himself in doing so. Working near the Vice Admiral had the unfortunate tendency to have a person sent to some of the more dangerous deployments. The same could also be said of him. He had been there for the Fourth Battle of Tiamat and the Sixth Battle of Iserlohn. But he was not the master architect of those fights, instead he had been a participant.
A participant in several of the bloodiest battles to date. And he was now getting involved with someone whose nickname inspired images of death. It would be almost comical if the reason for their being brought together was not serious.
"I realize it's to prevent intelligence leaks, but still, making demands without telling me the plan you need them for?" His friend sounded upset, he better try and placate them.
"Now, now. I'll treat you to a glass of cognac." He told him with a soft smile.
"Not good enough. Make it three." Caselnes agreed making him smile and chuckle a little.
"Consider it done." They continued to talk about other things he would need and of course Caselnes complained about not being given any details but being given such requests. With him promising to give him this and that as compensation. He was glad he had such a good friend he could rely on.
Eventually they made it to one of the canteens built inside the Headquarters to stop talking about business and talk about other things.
Such as getting the MPs to watch over Julian to make sure he did not get harassed by the PKC in his absence. "Oh, there's one other thing I need to ask for."
"What is it?"
"Given what's happened with the Patriotic Knight Corps, I'm concerned about leaving Julian alone while I'm away. Would it be possible to dispatch the MP to the area?"
"Well, of course. That's a simple matter. But is leaving him in someone else's care out of the question?"
"I did of course consider the option, of course, but…" He couldn't help but smile as he remembered the little passionate speech Julian gave him before he came here. He recounted it to Caselnes.
"So… I just couldn't do it."
Caselnes laughed. "That's one dependable kid! Got it. I'll arrange them right away."
"I appreciate it."
"Sure"
"So how is working with the 'Reaper of Arlesheim'?" His good friend asked him bringing her up just when he had convinced himself not to think of her.
"Haa…" He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "She is an odd one. One moment she can be perfectly reasonable. But if you start believing that you are talking to a normal person such as you and I. She proves why she earned her title after Arlesheim." He told him and shook his head.
"Interesting, that would explain some of the odd papers she submitted while in the Academy." Caselness said nodding along. "In logistics we have another name for her."
"What is that?" Yang asked interested.
"Tiamat," Caselness replied.
"I fail to see how you can compare her to something from ancient Terra of an even more ancient creation myth." Yang said shaking his head.
"It has more to do with her personality and her subordinates. She is smart and ruthless and is often considered a monster herself. But that isn't the end of it. Her subordinates are extensions of her will and thought process. If she is focusing on something else, they will pick up the slack for her and perform the task exceptionally. Two of her former subordinates are already Vice Admirals. She has two more who are close to being chosen for promotion to Vice Admiral. Tiamat is known as the mother of monsters in that old myth of yours and she is also known as a five headed dragon from hell that is smart and ruthless and obsessed with power in other books." Caselness pointed out.
"Now you're just bringing up a fantasy monster from a tabletop game." Yang laughed to lighten the mood.
"Hah, true, but it fits." Caselness laughed happily and then pushed his glasses up in place.
"Now… let's get to the topic at hand." Caselnes said and handed him a binder labeled top secret and handed it to him.
The 13th Fleet Personnel Distribution Plan… What an odd situation he had found himself in by agreeing to Sidney's plan he thought to himself. Work with Vice Admiral Tanya, capture Iserlohn and be promoted to Vice Admiral in charge of the 13th Fleet. He wondered what was going on behind the scenes to make the Fleet Admiral make the two of them work together like this. Still, he better pay attention, if he was going to be given a Numbered Fleet even if he planned to retire immediately after capturing Iserlohn. He needed to know who he was working with and what his fleet would consist of.
…..
Tanya
12,800 ships and 1,408,000 soldiers. That was what we were given to work with in taking Iserlohn Fortress. There were fewer ships than my own 3rd Fleet, but it was greater than what I was expecting. I was not going to turn down commanding so many ships. But I also needed to get the fleet in shape for when she deployed.
Yang and I had agreed on a general plan of action for how we would capture Iserlohn. In both of our opinions, I was too noticeable a face to be seen going around getting the items we needed. So, the difficult part of procuring assets, resources, and personnel we needed to fulfill the intended purpose of the 13th Fleet and for capturing Iserlohn. Would rest on Yang Wen-li's shoulders. It also helped that he was a more affable person than me.
Though he had been surprised to hear me admit it. I knew I could rub people the wrong way. The Court Martial awaiting me should we fail and live was proof enough just how much I could rub people wrong. Which was even more surprising to some that I had people who were willing to stand beside me.
Which brought me to the video call I was now having with two people. One was Vice Admiral Manfred Leroux he looked very much like a statesman with red hair kept trim and to the side. While the other Vice Admiral Euanthe Fisher reminded me of a librarian I once knew. She allowed her black hair to reach her shoulders but not to pass them.
"It is nice to speak with you again, Admiral." Saluted Vice Admiral Manfred Leroux.
"Hello commander." Echoed Vice Admiral Euanthe Fisher.
Both were previously my sub ordinates. But had since moved on to become Vice Admirals, taking the place of two others in charge of the 12th and 8th Fleets respectively. With the former Admirals of both getting postings elsewhere. Borodin was now in charge of the Rantemario Starzone while Appleton oversaw the Shiva Starzone.
"Manfred, Euanthe." I replied and saluted them in return. "It is nice to have people I trust close by." It really was, considering there was apparently a portion of the military that was set against me.
"Have you finally learned to embrace your bad luck, commander? Manfred asked me jokingly.
"Luck is just the layman's term for talent. Unless you wish to test your own against me?" I asked him, raising a questioning eyebrow at him. "I do still have my Spartanian fighter ready to deploy."
"Nope, no ma'am I'm good. I just noticed you have an entirely new fleet that is not the 3rd Fleet."
"Is there a reason you are in charge of a different Fleet, Admiral?" Euanthe asked.
"I've been asked to babysit the 13th Fleet and train up its eventual commanding officer. Apparently, I've started a tradition of training up new competent Vice Admirals and command wants me to make sure that the next person in charge of the 13th is as capable as you two are." I told her.
"Is that so? Can we meet the fresh meat-? I mean newest member of our group?" Joked Manfred.
"They are busy with another task right now. They have shown promise and the Fleet Admiral has great hopes for them. Right now, I am just making sure that the fleet they inherit is up to my standards. Which is where you two come in." I tell them.
"What do you need us to do?" Manfred asked.
"I need you both to work together as defenders of a moon. While I command the 13th to try and take it from you." I tell them both.
"24,000 against 12,800?" Euanthe asked, looking for confirmation.
"Correct, Lohengramm was able to snatch victory from us at Astarte when outnumbered two to one. I want you and your fleets to learn the lessons I learned while you teach me and the 13th the lessons you have learned since you became your own Vice Admirals." I told them both.
Euanthe and Manfred both thought for a moment before looking at each other and then back to me before nodding.
"It has been too long since we have had a proper training exercise." Euanthe stated.
"I could do to test out some theories of mine." Manfred replied.
As they both agreed to face me in our own mock battle. I had a few plans already in mind for how to get past the disparity in numbers and I was certain they also had some ideas on how to properly prepare themselves to face me. Well, we would just have to see how things went then.
…..
For as large as 13th Fleet was. It had a distinct lack of capital ships. Which meant I needed to change my own normal strategies.
Battleship Squad 12 Ships
1x Battleship
12x Spartanian Fighters
6x Cruisers
4x Spartanian Fighters
5x Destroyers
Battleship Squadron 400 Ships
1x Command Battleship
12x Spartanian Fighters
3x Carriers
192x Spartanian Fighters
33x Battleship
396x Spartanian Fighters
198x Cruisers
132x Spartanian Fighters
165x Destroyers
1x Sub fleet 5x Squadrons = 2,000 Ships
13th Fleet 12,800 Ships
6x Sub Fleets + 2x Battleship Squadrons.
32x Squadrons
I fully expect Yang to make changes to the fleet when he took command. But I could at the very least give him a good starting place. By making sure that each Battleship squad had at least one Cruiser capable of conducting Electronic Warfare and another capable of conducting Electronic Counter Measure and Electronic Counter Counter Measures. Count Lohengramm had unveiled an improved version of the Galactic Empire jamming technology. Using it to a crippling affect against the Alliance Fleet gathered against him.
Until we could develop a successful counter to the Empire's improved toy. I would have to make do with what I had. Depending on how the capture of Iserlohn went I might be able to submit a paper on proper tactics to counter the Empire's improved jamming technologies or ways to better work while being jammed. It was useful to have ships that could conduct either EW or ECM/ ECCM. But that only gets you so far. You need tactics and strategies to counter their use or work within their operation if you are unable to surpass or counter it.
Before Astarte I could safely say my Fleet could hold its own under Imperial EW, ECM and ECCM. But as our fleets drew closer. The jamming field we encountered was so much stronger that even my own counter measures were being strained. While I had trained my fleet extensively for such situations. We were only one fleet; we had been but 14,000 ships out of several hundred thousand. We were only 1,960,000 soldiers out of 50,000,000 and while I trusted my former subordinates, now peers to carry on my legacy in the off chance I do fail at Iserlohn. They too are just themselves and they are only in charge of one fleet each with only a couple thousand ships and while they will most likely carry out my teachings for the next generation or two of future admirals.
How long will it take before my teachings are forgotten? How long before the status quo of lining up in front of your enemy to shoot them like some Napoleonic era style general returns? How long until the Empire finds another Reinhard von Lohengramm and that time, the FPA does not have an effective counter such as myself or Yang Wen-li?
Well, those are questions for the future to find out. We only have twenty years to figure out a way to solve our issues of today.
And today we need to come up with an effective strategy of dealing with the Empires newest version of jamming technology.
…..
March 796 UC Heinessen
Tanya
It has been a month since I took over all command of the 13th Fleet and began bringing it up to something close to what I would expect of my 3rd Fleet. Since then, I have put them through their paces with the help of my former subordinates. We only managed to get some of the necessary drills and practice that I intended. But at least I was able to pass on what I had learned worked and did not work against EW and ECM/ ECCM to them. They in turn were able to help me turn 13th Fleet from a group of survivors from the Battle of Astarte and a bunch of new cadets fresh from the Academy. Into a well-organized and resourceful fleet willing and able to carry out the orders of those in charge.
I was even able to get a chance to see Yang Wen-li command the fleet in my stead. Predictably though he did not take to it immediately. Instead looking bored and disinterested in the war games and battles with the 12th and 8th. Though once things took on in earnest. He invested himself in the actual inner workings of things and proved that Astarte was not just a fluke. There was a spark in him for greatness, but he was holding himself back.
Hopefully, I can help him get that sorted out. There is no reason for a person to be holding themselves back in a war. And while I respect his restraint, he is too restrained, impassive. Which is why I thought him lazy. Maybe if I threw him into the cockpit of a Spartanian and did squad sized combat between the two of us?
I know he is not trained in the use of a Spartanian, but neither was I and I took to that like a fish to water. Of course, flying is second nature to me. Nothing matches the freedom of being able to fly around on your own and the Spartanian is as close as I'll likely ever get in this life to the freedom of flight, I had in my second.
However, I was not on the bridge of the Hyperion right now, instead I was heading out to a remote base outside the city to meet the current head of the Rosen Ritter. The most elite group of special infantry, composed entirely of former citizens from the Empire who took refuge in the Alliance. They fought the hardest out of any normal special forces within the Alliance and made a name for themselves throughout their existence.
They were also not trusted within the Free Planets Alliance. Being former Imperials or descendants of former Imperials. The Rosen Ritter were treated as the black sheep of the military. Being deployed in situations where the Alliance needed rapid hard-hitting units that could take objectives quickly and without notice from the Empire until it was too late. But also receiving little in the way of recognition and thanks from the Alliance because of their former ties.
I have never worked with the Rosen Ritter before. Yet from the after-action reports and the types of missions that they go on. Each member of the Rosen Ritter is equal to at least ten regular soldiers. Which would mean gaining their help in taking Iserlohn would be invaluable. Yang had told me that their commander, Captain Walter von Schönkopf wanted to see me before he agreed to being a part of our operation.
"Identification and reason for visit?" asked a bored sounding soldier keeping guard at the front gate to the compound to which we were heading.
"Vice Admiral Tanya Vielfraß and Captain Avenir Shvets. We are here to speak to Captain Walter von Schönkopf." Avenir introduced us and handed over the paperwork and IDs to grant us permission to the compound. Since this base was for a group of special forces who were the best that the Alliance had. Only certain personnel were allowed to visit. I know I could pull rank and force myself into the compound if I needed to. But there was no need or reason to do so. I had been asked to come so I would follow normal procedure.
"Everything checks out. Welcome to the home of the Rosen Ritters, Admiral, Captain." He saluted and let us drive through.
Once we were past the check point Avenir spoke up. "How a mere Captain could think to summon an Admiral is beyond propriety. If you don't mind me saying, Admiral."
"We need him, and he knows it." I state with a simple shrug. "Yang already got most of the groundwork settled with him. If anything, I'm certain he just doesn't want to be sold down the river without knowing who he is working with." I say as we park next to the same car that Yang and his adjutant Lieutenant Greenhill drove here in.
"Admiral, you are the most honest, hard-working person I have ever worked for and I'm grateful for it every day. How anyone could not trust you is absurd. How anyone could think you would betray them is slanderous." Avenir states firmly as he parks the car yet does not get out right then.
"Avenir, I appreciate your hard work and dedication to your job. But we are in perhaps one of the safest bases on Heinessen next to Naval Headquarters. Captain Schönkopf and his men have been under as much scrutiny as you and I have. We owe it to our fellow brothers-in-arms who were forced to flee the Empire to trust them even when their allies and the people of the Free Planets Alliance are wary and mistrustful of them." I say and move to leave the car.
"Yes Admiral." He replied and got out as well and stood next to me. Standing next to each other there was a noticeable difference in height and build. I looked like one might expect from a woman who was moderately athletic. While Avenir looked exactly like the comically tall and large muscular body builder who could lift half a ton if pressed to do so. Together we entered the compound and asked around for Captain Schönkopf.
While Illia was my adjutant/ assistant and would have been the normal choice to come with me to another base. Avenir served a different purpose than Illia.
Avenir was the Captain of the Serebryakov being given the command after I had been promoted to Commodore, he oversaw the carriers' operations and deployment of its squadrons. He was also without my approval or acquiesce, my unofficial bodyguard when traveling anywhere outside Headquarters or 3rd Fleet. As if I might somehow be targeted by some unsavory people and be unable to defend myself.
In my second life I had met plenty of people such as him who wanted to protect me. Even though they knew very well that I did not need protection. But I've since learned to live with it and make the best of the situation. I still didn't approve of the added voluntary protection. But his presence also had the added benefit of making sure the rest of the Command Officers of the 3rd Fleet did not start worrying about me.
After asking around for Captain Schönkopf we were directed to walk through the locker room to the adjacent meeting room. Sighing internally, if they though making me see men in their skivvies or less would affect me, they were mistaken. As far as hazing rituals went, it was less offensive than most but not something to encourage.
We were about halfway through the locker when a group of men surrounded us while wearing their regular under shirts and pants. I simply raised an eye at the group. I was wearing my uniform with my Vice Admiral pins clearly visible. While Avenir was keeping an eye on the group.
The leader of the group took a step forward and decided to talk for them all. "Well, well if it isn't the Princess come to visit the rest of us lowly soldiers." He spoke smugly as if his superior numbers gave him the advantage. Technically they did, but two lifetimes of war has trained me to be ready to handle large groups of people in enclosed spaces. I wasn't going to overpower the group alone sure. Nor would I take them all out. But I was confident enough to hold my own and put enough hurt on them if need be.
"I do not know why you refer to me as 'Princess', but you must not know me very well if you think I do not take the time to familiarize myself with those under my command." I replied to him unamused.
"Is that so? Then why haven't you visited us before now? After all we're all just like you, refugees and descendants of people who fled the Empire. Yet you have never spared a second to come visit your kin and fellow people." He smirked. "Are you ashamed of us perhaps, Princess? Did daddy tell you not to get involved with the riff raff and dregs of the Alliance who abandoned the Empire?"
"If you are implying that I am somehow ashamed of my heritage. Or that I have been purposefully avoiding your unit. Then one, you are mistaken about me and two, vastly over inflate your importance to the Alliance and the fight against the Empire." I state.
"But daddy told you to stay away from other Imperial traitors then? Why am I not surprised." He said picking up on me not refuting his last point.
"What father would not suggest his daughter avoid self-important louts as yourself? Now are you going to move or am I going to have to ask my Captain to make you move?" I asked tired of this little bout of hazing.
"What's the matter Princess? Tired of being around your fellow soldiers from the Empire?" He asked not moving.
"Avenir," I say loudly and clearly.
"Yes Admiral."
"If this man does not move in one minute, encourage him to move."
"Aye Admiral." He replied and stepped around me to stand between me and the soldier in front of us.
"Ah, you're a big one, aren't you?" asked the Rosen Ritter soldier.
"And you are playing a dangerous game." Avenir replied.
"Ah, but that is what we Rosen Ritter live for, danger. So how are you going to make me move?" He asked stepping up to Avenir. The two starring at each other with clear intent waiting for the signal to fight.
"That's enough games Sargent, stand down." Interrupted another voice as a man walked into the locker room from the direction of the meeting room. His uniform marking him as a Captain and the small pin on the jacket was that of the Rosen Ritter.
"Captain Walter von Schonkopf." I greeted him as the ring of soldiers began to disperse allowing me to walk around Avenir so I could talk to him directly.
"Vice Admiral Tanya Vielfraß." He greeted me in return. "Thank you for coming to speak with me. I hope you don't mind my men having their own games." He apologized and saluted.
"They would not be the first nor last soldiers in human history to conduct a hazing ritual, Captain. Although I must wonder if it was necessary to do so when you know you have a visitor whom you invited? It does give a rather poor look." I point out to him as I return his salute. In the business world, such things were not approved of at all. Not to mention hazing someone in a higher position would almost certainly result in expulsion. But we were in the military, and we were at war. We needed all the bodies we could get. If an Admiral could not put up with light hazing such as this, they did not deserve the rank.
"I apologize then Admiral. It is a tradition of ours to test everyone who comes here looking for our services."
I wanted to be upset and disappointed that one of the most elite group of soldiers who were meant to be worth ten men a piece. Acted like children to 'test' any person who wanted to have them work with them. I was starting to see why most people did not bother coming out here often or why the Alliance did not make more use of them if this was their operational procedure.
"I accept Captain. Though in the future keep in mind we will be working together. Attempting to haze and test every person your unit is going to work with will be counterproductive and wasteful. Now I believe you wanted to talk to me before agreeing to the proposal Rear Admiral Yang Wen-li approached you with?"
"Yes, if you could please follow me." He asked and took the lead with me and Avenir following behind.
Eventually we reached a secured meeting room which Yang and Greenhill were still in waiting for the captain to return. They looked to have been talking about something important involving Iserlohn as the hologram of the station floated in the middle of the table.
"Greetings Rear Admiral, Sub-Lieutenant." I say entering the room after Schonkopf.
"Greetings Vice Admiral" Yang replied with a little wave.
"Welcome Vice Admiral! Thank you for coming so quickly!" Frederica Greenhill said standing up to salute and giving Yang a small smack on the shoulder to stand. Though he remained sitting.
"At ease Sub-Lieutenant. Though I'm glad at least one of you has the capacity to move and not lounge around." I say giving Yang a stare. I would need to work that impassive and lazy attitude out of him sooner or later. Hopefully sooner rather than later. We needed to take Iserlohn within the very near future.
Soon enough all of us are seated at the table.
"So what have you covered? And what is it you need to know before you agree to working with us?" I asked Schonkopf.
"You are placing a great burden on me and my men, Admiral." He starts. "I do not approve of sending my men on suicide missions. It is why I have encouraged the hazing ritual both you and Yang have gone through. High Command will on any given day think of no less than a dozen suicide missions that will have me and my men die just to achieve some strategically unimportant goal beyond 'hurting the enemies of the Alliance'."
I nodded in solidarity. I was no stranger to the madness of a command structure that was far removed from the front lines constantly asking for the impossible and setting it in my lap and telling me and the 203rd to make it happen. It was a familiar annoyance and one that did not change thousands of years in the future. And here I was with another similar crazy suicidal order to give to him and his men.
"You have my condolences and respect, Captain."
"Thanks, but that does not mean I will accept this clearly suicidal plan you've set in my lap. You've earned my respect in turn coming out here to speak with me, Admiral. For as much as that means to you. But I value the lives of my men too much to tell them to lay down their lives for this plan of yours. And if push comes to shove," He did not finish his sentence but did shrug his shoulders.
"There are those rumors about us and about me being the next commander of the Rosen Ritter to turn traitor after all." He laid out on the table.
"Captain Avenir, please guard the door from the outside." I say as my voice drops severely as a chill enters my voice. Avenir did not say anything as he wordlessly stood up and stepped outside smoothly and quietly despite his size. When the door closed, I leaned forwards and with a deathly serious tone I resume talking.
"Captain Schonkopf," I say dawning every bit the menace I could muster from my last life and this one. "I do hope you are joking. I can stand hazing. I can stand slouches and laziness to a degree. I will not stand traitors." As I speak all eyes are on me.
"I am not a fool, Captain. I did my research on you and your command. You are the best and bravest men and women the Alliance Military has. You personally have no reason to return to the Empire. You have also had several chances prior to this to defect back to the Empire. Yet never did. You are not your predecessors. You are a man of your word and action."
"But if you are being serious at hinting that you will turn traitor on this most important mission. A mission that will determine the future of the Free Planets Alliance. I will execute you here and now and spare the men and women of the 13th your folly."
"Tell me on oath Captain Walter von Schönkopf. That you are not entertaining the idea of turning traitor. Or I swear here and now I will raise Iserlohn and the Galactic Empire to ensure you are found and given a traitor's death." I finish and wait for his response as everyone else seems to be on edge around me and staring at me and then at the captain cautiously.
The Commander of the Rosen Ritter and leader of a thousand men worth ten soldiers a piece. Who has faced many impossible odds and countless foes sat quietly for a moment before he spoke with the same confidence as before. "I swear I am not entertaining the idea of turning traitor, Vice Admiral." He swears and I return to a more normal posture and calm down. "Though, call it morbid curiosity. How would you destroy the station?" He asked.
"Kinetic Kill Vehicles. Asteroids of sufficient size with enough cruiser sized engines equipped would overwhelm the Thor Hammer's ability to intercept and destroy them. And when they get to sufficiently close enough range the gravity from the asteroid will pull the liquid metal armor over the Thor Hammer preventing it from firing. And from there only a few several hundred-meter sized meteors need to impact Iserlohn to render it mission kill. A few multi kilometer long asteroids will destroy it completely." I tell him with all seriousness, referencing my old paper I had submitted as a suggested tactic for confronting Iserlohn.
As I say this all eyes are once again on me. Looking at me with the expression that they are looking at a person who had gone mad.
"Is that all Captain? Or do we have your cooperation?" I asked him.
"Yes ma'am. I will work with you and the 13th Fleet." He replied with what sounded like worry.
"Excellent, now shall we get to working out the details?" I asked and smiled.
…..
April 796 UC Heinessen
Aboard the Hyperion.
I've been aboard numerous battleships in my career and if I did not have my love for being able to fly. Nor my desire to encourage further development of tactics with fighter crafts and carriers. I would fit nicely within the mold of commanding from a Battleship. All the extra armor afforded to one was very much appreciated. And in a Fleet, such as the 13th where the majority of the Fleet consisted of Cruisers and Destroyers and light on heavily armored Battleships. Every bit of armor between you and space beyond was a gift.
Today we were doing drills on our own and getting the last bits of confusion out of our formation. I was in my quarters reviewing the latest reports of the drills when I heard a knock on the door.
"Enter." I instructed and in came Illia.
"Admiral." She said and walked over with a datapad and held it out to me.
"A report came in not long ago after being verified and cleared through Headquarters." She informs me as I take the datapad and read over it while she gives me the shorter version. "Last month Count Reinhard von Lohengramm was promoted to Fleet Admiral of the Galactic Empire an unprecedented achievement for someone of his age and was made Vice Commander of the Imperial Space Fleet."
"Not long after that he invited several notable Vice Admirals into his command and formed his own Admirals Manor from which they gather. It is estimated that he now commands a third of the Empires Naval forces."
"Not long after a rebellion erupted in the Castrop Starzone. But was put down with the only casualties being one Viscount Maximilian von Castrop, with the action being led by the Fleet Admirals closest ally Vice Admiral Siegfried Kircheis."
"It is believed that with this rebellion happening within the Empire's boarders that the Empire's military leadership is possibly thinking of another attack along the Iserlohn Corridor to show their strength and the stability of the Empire to discourage future High Nobles from seeking to pursue their own future." Illia finished.
It took me several minutes more to finish reading the full report. Once I had I gingerly set the datapad down, took a deep breath and leaned back in my chair as I close my eyes.
"We need to move now." I say softly but firmly.
"Admiral?"
"Call a meeting with Rear Admiral Yang Wen-li and his Command Staff. We are moving up our deployment schedule." I instruct and sit normally once more as I steel myself for the difficult part.