First Command (26 page)

RSNS
Titan
New Helsinki System, Solarian Republic

Wardroom, Low Orbit

February 22nd  841 AE  (2802 AD) 21:00hrs Local Time

Jonathan closed his debrief book, “Well that’s that then,” he said.

“CORNET II may have been a bust, but might I say that this ship and her crew performed admirably and in recognition of this fact I’m announcing a two day break from training schedules. In light of the fact we achieved a 100% hit rating, I have requested from 3rd Fleet Command that
Titan
be allowed to make her success known. As I expect that they will have no objection, we will commence the crew’s holiday tomorrow with a mounting ceremony and a distribution of 1st rate rations.” The other officers nodded. 1st rate rations would lift the crew's spirits, and after more than three weeks of nonstop training, drilling and activity the crew and officers needed a break.

“Officers will of course hold our own celebration in the Wardroom tomorrow. Dress whites are required, as we will be hosting Captains’ Hu and Cin of the CRS, as well as Commander Juan, the head of the local engineering detachment,” Jonathan leaned back in his chair. “Despite any misgivings anyone here has for other branches of the service, I will remind you that as the sole navy combat unit in the system our cooperation with other forces is paramount. To that end, I want to hear no objections to the fact that Colonel Alice Jixi CO of the 33rd Orbital Defense Brigade will also be joining us.”

“
SANTA MARIA,”
Rodriquez cried in an overly dramatic fashion feigning to swoon in his chair. “We are to be besieged by
Bastido Armee Verta’s?
All is lost.”

It was all Jonathan could do to keep a straight face. His other officers started laughing at the Quartermaster’s wild dramatics. Even Hartic managed to crack a smile at the excitable Warrant Officer.

“Now, now Mr. Rodriquez. They are OD troops, our brothers in arms. I promise not a single filthy ground pounder or tanker in sight. Moreover, only Colonel Jixi and her XO Major White will be joining us, as officers I expect them to be half civilized. So there will be no need for you to defend our girl’s honor with a bout of fisty cuffs. Understood?” Jonathan was only half joking. Rodriquez’s frequent brawling with Army troopers was the main reason he spent so much time in the brig.

“
Ci
my Captain I shall accord them the respect one offers any wog chieftain comes to pay homage in the house of the gods.”

Jonathan just shook his head, and called the meeting to a close.

New Helsinki System, Solarian Republic

On Board
Thungrids Beauty

February 22nd  841 AE  (2802 AD) 21:00hrs Haggerdam Local Time

‘I swear I’ll kill him,’  Gustav Valbern thought not for the first time as he emptied the contents of his stomach over the railing.
Thungrids Beauty
was certainly anything but beautiful. The little tramp freighter chugged along at what would be considered a mild pace by nautical standards, but her 200-foot long bulk was bobbing like a cork in the rough seas of New Helsinki’s Middle Ocean. She stank of sweat, piss and vomit. The plumbing had failed hours ago so there was that lovely stench as well. The tramp freighter usually held a crew of ten. But now, close to 400 NHLF fighters mostly ex Hussar Guards, the most elite of the Warg Regiments, were crowded aboard along with their gear. It was a wonder the thing didn't flounder. Gustav hated sea voyages, but he knew it was necessary. That didn't prevent him from imaging grabbing onto Yaguard’s neck and squeezing until his head just popped off. He’d never do it of course. Gustav Valbern was the furthest thing from stupid, and he knew what happened to those who conspired against a Swerjick. It was nice to daydream though. Gustav and his handpicked strike force were headed south toward their ultimate objective for Operation Rain. The majority of the Insurgent forces, numbering about 15,000 in total, had scattered to smaller firebases after Yaguard’s little urban operation. They had orders to keep the pressure on in the countryside with ambushes, hit and run raids, and terror missions against the civilian population. Select groups were also under orders to infiltrate major urban centers specifically Haggerdam, Therenfall, and Valdora the three largest cities on the planet, and conduct major very public attacks. Gustav knew those raids were suicide and argued against them, but Yaguard insisted, and Andrea backed him up. Originally Yaguard had wanted all the insurgents to conduct urban raids, but Gustav had talked him out of it. The pressure just needed to stay on for the next two weeks. The Feast of Ascension was the date for Operation Rain’s commencement. After this, for all time Gustav thought the Feast of Ascension would mark New Helsinki’s liberation. The thought of driving the Solarians from his world, and once more being the right hand of the ruler of an entire world was enough to make Gustav smile before another bout of nausea forced his head over the railing once more.

RSNS
Titan
New Helsinki System, Solarian Republic

Low Orbit

February 23rd  841 AE  (2802 AD) 18:00hrs Local Time

‘I love my job,’ Jonathan thought to himself. Most of the
Titan’s
crew, except those still on duty, had assembled in the main mess. His crew was formed into neat ranks in undress uniforms around nine long dining tables set with first class rations. Jonathan stood at the head in his full dress whites. First class rations were the navy term for anything fresh and from outside the ship’s stores. In this case, Warrant Officer Rodriguez had secured 150 Glade Swans, a New Helsinki native species of flying  marsupial. They were by all accounts quite delicious. Jonathan and his officers would be dining on one with their guest who’d be arriving onboard in an hour or so. Before that, Jonathan had something to do.

“Men of Women of the RSNS
Titan
you were called on to serve your Republic and you did so. Our orbital strike cleared the way for the Interior Troops and New Helsinki Auxiliaries to secure all known enemy insurgent strikes. Having reviewed the
Titan’s
records, I have noted that in the ten years since she was laid down she has yet to fire a shot in anger. That changed yesterday. In recognition of your performance and to commemorate
Titan’s
great occasion, I have ordered that we make our accomplishment known. Mr. Hartic if you please.”

“Aye sir,” Hartic said. “Raise it up boys.”

Behind Jonathan a large holo appeared. It showed a transmission from the very top of
Titan’s
main communications array. A detail of four Able Spacers and one Specialist in vacsuits were floating near it, one of the Spacers held the pic recorder that was sending the image. The other three armed with nothing more than high-grade stick-tape was attaching a broom to the top of the mast. Once it was in place, all four of those visible saluted as did everyone present in the mess hall. Attaching a broom to a ship’s mast was a tradition as old as space warfare. In fact, it predated mankind's forays into the stars going back to the wet navies of old earth. The Solarian Navy had carried the tradition over readily, and even codified the situations when a Captain could have his ship ‘make her success known’ as it was called. Firing a shot in anger was one of those situations. Jonathan's decision to go ahead with it was a calculated move to reinforce the crew's morale after drilling them so hard. The broom attached, Jonathan saluted his crew who returned it, before sitting down to their meal as Jonathan strode out. 

Jonathan had his own dinner engagement, which commenced at 19:30 hours after the guest had been welcomed aboard. It was far more of a political affair than a social one. As the senior Navy officer in the New Helsinki system, Jonathan was automatically entrusted with the system’s defense. The CRS and OD officers could make that duty either more difficult or less. The Solarian Customs and Rescue Service was a paramilitary service similar to the National Police Interior Troops. They were a law enforcement organization with very large guns. The CRS was charged with commerce inspection, customs enforcement, and any deep space search and rescue. The two Customs and Rescue Frigates
Swift
and
Nimble,
captained by Okora Hu and Dalton Cin, were the only other armed vessels in the system. Both ships were
Pursuit
class revenue frigates. They each measured three hundred feet, and carried a crew of 120 CRS Spacers. Both ships also had a substantial small arms arsenal to allow the crew to engage in boarding actions. To facilitate the boarding of a potentially hostile vessel without damaging it, they also carried an assault shuttle each very similar to the one
Titan
had for her marine platoon. If the shuttle wasn’t an option, they also had stinger pods meant to carry individual gender marines. If combat became unavoidable, each frigate mounted eight plasma cannons and four rail guns along with four exterior missile pods. As a rule the CRS and Navy didn't get on well, mostly due to the difference in their composition. CRS crews were very different from their naval counterparts in large part because of the duties involved. Any vessel in Solarian space caught carrying contraband was subject to confiscation. The vessel was then sold at market value, and the proceeds divided between the state and whoever initially seized the ship and its contraband cargo. Prize money like that could be a tempting target.  While Jonathan and any of his officers and crew could claim a prize, CRS crews forfeit their right to gain prize money when they enlisted. Their share instead was paid into their pension and the CRS Widows and Orphans fund. The CRS also had a far higher bar for recruitment. All CRS enlisted men needed to be college educated, and willing to serve eight years per enlistment. Officers were all former enlisted men who had completed the two-year OCS training at the CRS Academy in New Perth. Both Captains Hu and Cin came off as very gracious and pleasant guests. Hu was still quite happy with Jonathan’s suggestion regarding the insurgents using sleeper pods to smuggle their weapons. He told Jonathan after the first course of pasta flambé, “If they're getting it in that way, we’ll find them.” Captain Cin, a dark-haired, dark-eyed Steader from the Upper Steppe region said very little, but he did seem to have an eye for Lt. Chan, who he engaged in polite conversation across the table. The Army Officers that had caused some fuss earlier were a bit more enigmatic. Major Clarence White, the XO of the 22nd Orbital Defense Brigade, was a nice enough fellow, a Steader of good breeding, but had a definite liberal streak. He, Doctor Walder, and Lt. Halman were involved in a very intense debate on the finer points of New Avant Garde Art. Jonathan for the life of him could not figure out what they were talking about. Colonel Alice Jixi was an entirely different kettle of fish. She was an older woman nearing sixty with platinum blonde hair and two deep green eyes. Her dark green dress uniform was adorned with numerous medals and citations, including four campaign ribbons. She also wore a wound badge and had a very nasty burn scar running from under her chin down her throat, which she didn't bother to hide as she sipped her wine and conversed in measured tones with Commander Trendale. The Army’s Orbital Defense units and the navy had an intense rivalry, but each grudgingly acknowledged the others role within the Republic's Military. In by-gone days, people had thought that once warships advanced enough to throw projectiles from orbit, ground warfare would be all but obsolete. But for every sword there is a shield, and orbital denial batteries came in a variety of forms. The kind deployed on New Helsinki in the service of the Army’s 22
nd
Orbital Defense Brigade came in two forms. The eight dug in batteries were massive rail guns the size of pre-space skyscrapers built into equatorial islands. They could hurl a solid steel slug the size of a small house into any approaching vessel they could get a fix on. The mobile version consisted of a battery of supersonic missiles that were mounted on trucks so they could easily be hauled around. They were well suited for dealing with smaller threats in low orbit and ships entering the atmosphere. They also lacked the weakness of their larger cousins in that they could shoot and scoot as opposed to being very large immobile targets. It was actually an old joke for OD brigades to paint very large bulls eyes on their railgun batteries. If some how all these ground based units and the command post were knocked out, there was always the KV satellites in orbit. These could be turned into kamikaze units against descending troop transports or warships in orbit. OD Brigades knew that no matter what they did they couldn't hold off an orbital attack for ever, which was were the Navy came in. Until now, the Navy’s representation in New Helsinki had been sorely lacking. Commander Tao Juan, the balding little toad of a man who was in charge of the 95th Naval Engineering Brigade, who was responsible for building many of the improvements to the infrastructure of New Helsinki, was not a people person. Jonathan didn't doubt that he was good at his job. The speed with which the orbital elevator,
Skylink 1
and the Star System’s com relay network had been established was testament to that. However, Commander Juan seemed to have an unpleasant habit of ignoring the other service branches except when he needed someone to blame.
Late in the evening he managed to do just that, rising with a great deal of wobbling due to all the wine he’d ingested. Commander Juan offered his glass and said,
“Lt. Captain Pavel and the officers of the good ship
Titan,
I welcome you to our little corner of the galaxy. It is a great thing to share once more in civilized company, good food, and good wine.”