All Enemies Foreign and Domestic (Kelly Blake series) (48 page)

      The corps would take a bit longer as there were twelve divisions to return.
 
That would require three lifts plus the 28th Maneuver Support Command.
 
Each lift would be two weeks to load and a week to offload.
 
The 30th Corps would leave the second city and move to the military airfield north of the capital with the 28th Corps Support Command and secure the airfield until redeployed in two months time.

      Damaged ships were returned to be repaired and returned to service, if possible, to be used for salvage if not.
 
The Behemoth was determined not to be salvageable, despite the pleading of Commander Jim Gibbons.
 
It was used as salvage, stripped of parts to support the other Behemoths.
 
It broke Commander Gibbons’ heart, but he accepted the necessity of the action.

      Hundreds of military funeral ceremonies were held all over GR space and veterans of the war attended whenever one was held nearby.
 
The veterans and their families became a powerful political voice and supported the Colonial party.
 
Kelly’s uncle took full advantage of their constituency to maintain his party’s majority position and his position as majority leader.
 
Naturally, military issues were high priority by all parties trying to court this new bloc of votes.
 
A new, larger Behemoth was built to replace the brave ship lost to combat.
 
Commander Gibbons was kept in uniform to consult with the designers on the new Behemoth.
 
All the problems identified in the original ship were fixed in this new ship.

      The new Behemoth was commissioned as a GR Ship on the day that Commander James Gibbon reached mandatory retirement age from the Fleet.
 
The ship was commissioned and Commander Gibbon was given the conn to move the ship out of space dock.

The losses to the Marine assault landing carriers were made good with a new class of assault landing carriers.
 
The F-53 and F-48, two of the oldest fighters ever in the inventory, were replaced with the F-70 and F-72.

* * * * *

      In the packed base chapel on Gagarin, Sergeant Ingrid Solbrig was marched down the aisle by her company commander and given in marriage to Flight Officer Second Class Bradley Mason.
 
In the second row, by special invitation, sat Commander James Gibbons, GRRF (Retired).
 
In an unusual event for a normally joyous occasion, a moment of prayer was held in memory of absent companions.

      It was after the wedding and on their honeymoon aboard the
Adventurer
that Brad told Ingrid that he was heir to the Mason Space Liner Company.
 
He told her this so she would not expect to live an ordinary life.
 

She told him, “I could love you as a flight officer with a modest income.
 
I guess I can love you just as much if you’re rich.”

      Then she pushed him overboard, laughing, “You could have told me sooner.”

* * * * *

      Kelly’s three-year tour as Defense Attaché that stretched to five was finally over.
 
He was called in to see the Chief of Fleet Operations, Admiral Yevgeniy Lavorov, on the matter of his next assignment.
 
The admiral had him brought into his office, had him served coffee, and asked about Candy, young Andrew, his parents, and his assignment as attaché.
 
After the pleasantries had been observed, he handed his pocket tablet to Kelly.
 
It contained a list of twenty-seven names.
 
The text at the top said, “The following officers are respectfully nominated for promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, Lower Half.”
 
The signature at the bottom was that of the president of the Galactic Republic.
 
Kelly’s name was second on the list.
 
Kelly had to sit down.

      Kelly stammered slightly, “Sir, I don’t know what to say.”

      “Well, don’t thank me.
 
The President decided this on his own, not that I don’t agree with him.
 
He’s the one you should thank.
 
I brought you here to discuss your next assignment.
 
I have three to offer you.
 
One is program manager for the Orion-class Scout ship.
 
Two is Chief of the Legislative Liaison Branch.
 
Three is commander of the 2nd Assault Landing Group.
 
It’s getting the next Milton-class assault support carrier and three of the new class assault landing carriers.
 
The next Milton-class is due to be launched in two months.
 
The three new Superior-class ships will be formally named in a ceremony next week, but they will be the Superior, the Baikal, and the Victoria.
 
They are all being built simultaneously at three worlds’ shipyards and will be commissioned in three months.
 
It’s part of a modular design concept build.”

      Kelly thought about all the implications of each assignment as it related to future promotion, his family, his desires, and asked two questions.
 
“Sir, where is the new Orion-class being built?
 
Where will the 2nd Group be stationed?”

      Admiral Lavorov replied, “The Orions are being built on Leonov, where the prototype was built.
 
The 2nd will be stationed at Gagarin.”

      Kelly’s mind was made up.
 
Leonov was a backwater world, chosen to build the prototype Orion because the planet was out of the way.
 
It was not what he wanted to subject his wife and son to.
 
Gagarin had an entire continent devoted to the Marines, with training facilities, huge flag officer quarters, a National Park, and highly rated schools.

Kelly sat up, pulled his tunic down, and said, “Sir, I choose the 2nd Assault Landing Group.”

      The admiral raised an eyebrow and said, “I was sure you would choose the program manager’s job with your degree in Electrical Engineering.
 
Well, we’ll see how the Senate ratification process goes.
 
Your assignment will be announced in two months.
 
You can tell Candy, but keep it to immediate family for now.”

      Kelly sensed an end to the office call, stood, shook the admiral’s hand, and walked out the door.
 
He made his way through the city to his father-in-law’s house, where they were staying pending his next assignment.

      Admiral Craddock knew as Kelly walked in the door and had a bottle of champagne chilled and ready to open.
 
He popped the cork, which brought Candy and Amy.

      Candy asked, “Did you find out your next assignment?”

      Kelly answered, “I was given three choices:
 
Program manager for the build out of four more Orions, Chief of Legislative Liaison, or Command of the 2nd Assault Landing Group.”

      Amy got it and was smiling, but Candy asked, “Wait, how can you be offered those jobs?
 
Those are all Flag Officer positions.”
 
Then it hit her and she jumped straight up in the air.
 
“Oh my god, my husband, the Admiral.
 
When will it be announced?
 
Call your mom!”

Admiral Craddock poured the champagne and solemnly proposed a toast.
 
“To Admiral Kelly Blake.
 
May honor and victory follow his flag.”

The End

Appendix A – Task Organization to Operation Red Spot

Task Organization of Operation Red Spot – Day One

Fifth Battle Fleet

      Xerxes Carrier Task Force (Flagship Fifth Battle Fleet)

      Bolivar Carrier Task Force

      Garibaldi Carrier Task Force

      DeGaulle Carrier Task Force

      Lincoln Carrier Task Force

      10th Task Force (K’Rang)
 

      2nd Flotilla (Angaerry)

      1st Space Landing Task Force

      5th Mobile Corps

            20th Armored Division

            52nd Mechanized Division

            16th Armored Division

            30th Mechanized Division

            68th Mechanized Division

      1st Assault Landing Group

            3rd Assault Landing Division (OPCON to 5th Mobile Corps)

Task Organization of Operation Red Spot – Day Three

Sixth Fleet

      Montpelier (Flagship Sixth Fleet)

      Fifth Battle Fleet

            Xerxes Carrier Task Force (Flagship Fifth Battle Fleet)

            Bolivar Carrier Task Force

            Garibaldi Carrier Task Force

            DeGaulle Carrier Task Force

            Lincoln Carrier Task Force

            10th Task Force (K’Rang)
 

            2nd Flotilla (Angaerry)

            1st Space Landing Task Force

            1st Assault Landing Group

                  3rd Assault Landing Division

      6th Army

            5th Mobile Corps

                  20th Armored Division

                  52nd Mechanized Division

                  16th Armored Division

                  30th Mechanized Division

                  68th Mechanized Division

            1st Unified Force (K’Rang)

                  1st Combined Command
 

                  2nd Combined Command
 

                  3rd Combined Command
 

                  4th Combined Command
 

                  5th Combined Command
 

Task Organization of Operation Red Spot – Day Ten

Sixth Fleet

      Montpelier (Flagship Sixth Fleet)

      Fifth Battle Fleet

            Xerxes Carrier Task Force

            Bolivar Carrier Task Force

            Garibaldi Carrier Task Force

            DeGaulle Carrier Task Force

            Lincoln Carrier Task Force

            10th Task Force (K’Rang)
 

            2nd Flotilla (Angaerry)

            1st Space Landing Task Force

            1st Assault Landing Group

                  3rd Assault Landing Division

      6th Army

            5th Mobile Corps

                  20th Armored Division

                  52nd Mechanized Division

                  16th Armored Division

                  30th Mechanized Division

                  68th Mechanized Division

            1st Unified Force (K’Rang)

                  1st Combined Command
 

                  2nd Combined Command

                  3rd Combined Command
 

                  4th Combined Command
 

                  5th Combined Command
 

            7th Light Corps

                  1st Infantry Division
 

                  2nd Infantry Division

                  3rd Infantry Division

            28th Maneuver Support Command

Task Organization of Operation Red Spot – Day Seventeen

Sixth Fleet

      Montpelier (Flagship Sixth Fleet)

      Fifth Battle Fleet

            Xerxes Carrier Task Force (Flagship Fifth Battle Fleet)

            Bolivar Carrier Task Force

            DeGaulle Carrier Task Force

            Lincoln Carrier Task Force

            10th Task Force (K’Rang)