The Black Guardians: Book 4 in the Black Guard series, page 20
56 – A Call to War
"Noam, what is going on?" Geller asked as the three committee members met. "The rumors are consistent. The Crouching Tiger has been destroyed. That makes the second cruiser in only a few weeks. We have no real proof, but I suspect that Outpost and their allies were behind the Skulls attacks and directly responsible for the loss of the Black Leopard and the Crouching Tiger."
"I agree with you, Olivia, on both counts. It would not have taken much for Outpost or one of their allies to convince the Skulls that Jax was vulnerable. After the five captains formed the League of Skulls, they imagined themselves equal if not superior to the Jax and the Black Guard. A successful raid on Jax would have made them legends. The Outpost triad could easily have convinced the Skulls that Jax periodically only has two cruisers guarding Jax, because their cruisers are used to ferry the Black Guard to and from their contracts. They told the Skulls they would inform them when they knew the Jax had four on assignment. The Skulls were not lucky; they had outside help. Eight cruisers against two would have appeared as easy as stealing from a quadriplegic, and later, four against one – easy vengeance for the Skulls’ humiliation and a second chance for glory."
"But without proof, we can't declare war on Outpost without appearing the aggressors." Geller shrugged. "That would permit Outpost to claim we had declared war on the Helix Alliance. I think it is safe to conclude that Ace Joshsa has decided on the sooner rather than the later option in his dream to raze the Jax nation."
"Fuck the Helix Alliance," Lerman snarled. "I say we smash the Outpost triad once and for all. Like the cowardly scavengers they are; they are trying to separate us from the herd, and then cripple us for the kill. If we wait, Noam's nightmare will become a reality."
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a marine sergeant's head peeked in. "Pardon the interruption, but there is a Lieutenant Commander Shaw insisting on seeing Admiral Noam. He claims it is an emergency."
"Thank you, Sergeant," Noam said, rising from his seat. "Put the commander in my private office. I'll be right there." Noam snorted. "The interruption will give us time to cool down and may shed some light on our dilemma. Commander Shaw was the Besra squadron commander on the Crouching Tiger."
"Well, bring him in here," Geller said. "We all need to hear what he has to say."
Noam nodded. "I will, but let me speak to him first. Take a break while I debrief him."
Reluctantly, Geller and Lerman nodded and rose as Noam left the room.
Shaw bolted to his feet when Noam entered his office. "Sit, Commander Shaw. Would you like something to eat or drink?" Noam pointed to the small table, which had kaffa and a few bottles of other beverages, wanting to calm the young man, who looked ready to explode.
"No, well…yes, sir.” Shaw walked to the table and selected kaffa and returned to the chair. To his surprise, Noam sat in the chair next to him.
"Where were you on the Crouching Tiger when it was attacked?" Noah asked in a conversational tone. "Start from the very beginning."
"Well, sir, we were sent to Kenmora to pick up the Black Guard. I heard they had finished their contract and we would be leaving the next day. The next day, a shuttle was sent to pick up the Guard and we were on our way a few hours later. Several hours later, the XO notified me that they had identified three cruisers: the Karambit from Outpost, the Doberman from Valhall, and the Mamba from Lariw. She indicated the captain was talking with Captain Ceder of the Black Guard and would get in touch with me when he finished. When I called back later, Captain Blatt was very angry and told me he would release me with the Tiger's fighters. When I demanded to be released immediately, he informed me he would shoot us as deserters if we left before he gave us permission. A couple of hours later, it was obvious a battle was underway. Eventually, Captain Blatt released the fighters, then subsequently released us."
Shaw paused for a drink of his kaffa. Noam noticed Shaw's hands were shaking.
"Relax, son. It is important I understand the details, so take it slowly."
"Yes, sir. When the bay doors were opened, I could see thirty or more fighters in a dogfight and another cruiser several kilometers off in the distance. I knew we couldn't help the Jax fighters, and it was no place for a Besra. We would be invisible to the Jax and the enemy fighters, but both could and would target our heat signature when we launched. I told my squadron to scatter and meet up at the Wave exit where the Karambit was waiting. I planned to destroy it, then return to destroy whatever enemy cruisers remained.
“But five seconds after my launch, there was a massive explosion, and the fighters and the Besras in the area between the two cruisers were swept hundreds of kilometers into space. When I regained consciousness several hours later, I helped Williams, my weapons officer, to recover from his injuries, and together we made sufficient repairs to return the Besra to an operational status. It was a day later when we returned to the area, but there were no survivors and the enemy had left. We just arrived back a few hours ago."
"What do you think caused the explosion?" Noam asked.
"I've thought about that and think one of the fighters managed to lock onto one of the Besras’ heat signature, and the missile ignited the twelve W8R missiles."
"I want you and Williams to report to the hospital for a physical. You did everything right, Commander Shaw. I will be in touch." Noam left and returned to the committee room.
"We are at war with the Outpost triad and anyone who sides with them. The Helix system is no longer big enough for them and us," Noam vowed in a low growl.
57 – A Unified Clarification for War
Except for those on the Sabretooth, every captain, XO, battalion commander and his second, fighter squadron commander and his second, and Besra pilot and weapons officer had gathered in the War Horse's Shuttle Bay 1.
When Admiral Geller, General Lerman, and Admiral Noam entered, Commander Petron, the War Horse's XO, shouted "Attention!" and everyone rose as the three walked onto a hastily built meter-high platform. Geller and Lerman each selected one of the three chairs and sat. Noam approached the makeshift podium and picked up the mike.
"Good morning," Admiral Noam said as he looked around the bay. "Admiral Geller, General Lerman, and I are present to ensure you understand that the message you are about to hear is from the Jax Military Committee. Today, Jax is officially at war with Outpost, Valhall, and Lariw, and anyone who supports those systems. They have without cause ambushed and destroyed the Crouching Tiger and the Black Leopard and their crew." Noam stopped for a drink of water to let the whispering and comments cease. "When this war is over, either Jax or the Outpost triad, which include Valhall and Lariw, will no longer be a space-going nation or have a functional navy. We will take no prisoners!"
Noam had to stop for the roar from every person in the bay. "My second message is a reminder for each and every person here, a reminder that could cost Jax its world if you forget or fail to heed the message. We have had a long-standing tradition that each chain of command is separate. For example, although everyone on a cruiser is there to support the ship, the battalion commander does not report to the captain and is within his or her right to ignore the captain's orders. Of course, he ignores the captain at his peril if it was not in Jax's best interest, but nevertheless, it is his right to take independent action. Another example, on the surface of a planet, the Black Guard is there to support the army, but it is their right to take independent action, ignoring the ranking army officer. It is a concept that most nations would not understand, but the Jax has found it works for us, because the decisions rest with those with the experience and expertise."
Noam paused again as his throat felt dry. "General Issak and Captain Sapir are great examples. When General Issak encounters a particularly thorny problem involving structures, he tends to use his influence to get Captain Sapir assigned to him. He briefs her on the situation and what he is attempting to accomplish and then gives her free reign to work the problem. As a result, they always have very successful outcomes.
“This year, I have added another command, which is there to support the cruiser but has the right to independent command. That is the newly assigned Besra squadrons. I know it's commanded by very young commanders and the ships they are flying appear similar to fighters, but that changes nothing. The command was created, approved, and sanctioned by the Jax Military Committee. That command is not what it appears on purpose. That command is our ace-in-the-hole against Outpost because we would lose if we had to depend solely on our cruisers. I'm not going to discuss it here, but each captain needs to have a long and thoughtful talk with his Besra squadron commander.
“I have two Issak/Sapir-like examples to emphasize my insistence on the value of independent command. Captain Sitala found the Sabretooth had two Skulls cruisers in front and two behind her. She called the Besra squadron commander, a young woman named Quinn, and apprised her of the situation. Quinn outlined her plan, which did require Sitala cooperate. Sitala thought Quinn's plan youthful enthusiasm and brash, but she agreed since the plan did not involve putting the Sabretooth in immediate danger. The result: the Skulls are no longer a threat, and the Sabretooth didn't get a scratch.
“Conversely, Captain Blatt encountered three Outpost triad cruisers, two of which attacked the Crouching Tiger. He discounted the Besra squadron commander as unimportant, and refused his demand to be released from the fighter bay. Blatt thought he was lord and master of everyone on his ship and ignored a Jax resource that could have saved his ship and the hundreds on board. In addition, he has jeopardized Jax by not only losing a cruiser and a Besra squadron we need in our war against the Outpost triad, but an opportunity to destroy three of the triad's cruisers. Yes, like the situation on the Sabretooth, I believe the Besra could have saved the Crouching Tiger." Noam stopped as the noise was too loud for him to speak over.
Eventually, Geller rose, and Noam sat. As she approached the podium, the bay quieted. "The message from Admiral Noam is classified need-to-know. The references to the Besra are classified as Jax state security, and a leak can get you imprisoned for life. We are not only at war but at war with a nation who intends to scorch Jax and everyone and everything you love."
The committee had intentionally failed to mention why the Sabretooth was absent from the meeting.
58 – Waiting for Action
"What are we going to do for entertainment now that we have destroyed the Skulls?" I whined. "They were like targets at a firing range. Shoot holes in one and while you reloaded, the range master puts up a new one for you. We need to find him some new targets for us to punch holes in."
"It has been easy as there haven't been any fighters in the area," Teressa said. "Fighters would require us to have our engines off, which would limit our maneuverability, not to mention the risk of running into one. Imagine forty or fifty fighters zigzagging around at supersonic speeds."
"That would make it more exciting," I said. "We could alert them we are in the area so they would release their fighters…or we can wait until the cruisers engage before we intercede."
"Teressa, don't give Kat any ideas," Ryan said, shaking his head at her. "She already terrifies me with her propensity to fly between cruisers at supersonic speeds and now that Punch Through maneuver. If one of them explodes while we are still between them, we would be collateral atoms.”
"A good question is whether the Skulls decided on their own to raid Jax in retribution for some embarrassment the Black Guard caused them or whether Outpost and its allies were involved?" Teressa observed. "It would certainly be in Outpost's best interest to have the Skulls attack Jax, hopefully reducing the number of our cruisers, and a warning of potential future raids against alliance members."
"If so, it has backfired," Ryan said, grinning. "Now they know less than they did before the Skulls attacked. How did one Jax cruiser survive against four Skulls cruisers?"
"That's what concerns me," I chimed in. "Now they are too scared to even test us, and with the Malin agreement, they won't even have our merchants to hassle."
"I disagree," Teressa said. "If they cannot differentiate the lies from the truth in the rumors, they will have to test us. Outpost has been working for years to get this alliance approved in order to destroy Jax. They aren't going to stop now. In fact, Kat, you may get another gift from the space gods, and Outpost may risk an all-or-nothing gambit. Or they could start by attacking our cruisers one at a time in a war of attrition. After all, our contracts require we use our cruisers for transportation."
"You may be right, Teressa," I said and smiled at the thought. "Outpost, Valhall, and Lariw were raiders when they came here, so raiding is in their nature. The wise thing for them is to wait for the alliance navy to grow and mature, but like the Frog and the Scorpion fable where the scorpion stung the frog while still in the middle of the river, Output's nature may not permit it to wait for the right time."
"The problem is that there are seven Jax cruisers," Chika said and grinned. "Which cruiser will they test first? The Sabretooth may be the last."
"You must be a scorpion, Chika. That stung," I said and held my shoulder in mock pain.
Everyone laughed, and we went off to the recreation area. In truth, I was more than satisfied with my choices and my life, which were better than good.
I usually collected a group while at the recreation area. The number of men hitting on me had decreased of late, although several continued, determined to be the one that succeeded. I would not have been surprised to learn there was a pool going for the one that got lucky. Ironically, I liked several of the men, but I was still sorting through the issues and had not reached any conclusion. I was the right age to be looking for Mr. Right, but what if I found him? I suspected that might cause me problems I didn't need. On the other hand, it would help to relieve the boredom, and it would be educational. I kind of knew from my brothers that dating was far more complicated than it appeared. Like learning to fly a fighter or Besra, there were a lot of subtleties that came only with experience, and dating had the risk of emotional complications. The damn subject gave me a cruiser-sized headache.
"Hey, Kat, we heard you're an instructor at the advanced fighter pilot training school. Is that true?" a lanky red-headed man asked. He was standing with another man and a woman who I knew to be fighter pilots. A few others moved closer to the group when they heard the question. "By the way, I'm Carland, he is Tansen, and she is Zofie."
"Nice to meet you," I said, shaking hands and nodding to each. "Yes, I'm an instructor at the AFS."
"Then why are you here?" Zofie asked. Slowly, the group around us was growing.
"We only have six instructors, so we have to alternate between teaching the advanced fighter pilot course and Besra training," I said, being careful not to disclose too much. "Recently, I was pulled to teach a course for the Malin pilots, then transferred to the Sabretooth."
"We have the perfect solution." Carland beamed an award-winning smile, which felt like a gotcha moment.
"What's that?" I asked cautiously, wondering if I had just stepped into a bear trap.
"You could teach a class here," Carland said, pointing to the floor, indicating the Sabretooth, and the room became quiet.
It isn’t a bad idea, I mused. It would certainly reduce the boredom.
"Let me talk to Captain Sitala and Commander Trenton. I don't believe Admiral Noam would have any objection, but I will need your commanders' approval.”
That was greeted with a lot of yeses and smiles.
"Quinn, I'm Trenton." A very average-looking man entered the now growing circle. He stood only a few centimeters taller than me, but he had that commanding presence that came with experience and age. "That is a very generous offer, but can you be sure Admiral Noam will approve?"
"Even before Jax took a contract to conduct AFS training for Malin pilots, we were constrained by the number of instructors. So, he would be getting double duty out of me, and it would be a good pilot program to determine if it is a viable approach. Besides, if I have Captain Sitala’s and your approval, he is unlikely to fire me."
That got grins and snorts from most everyone within hearing distance.
"Valid points," Trenton said, appraising me for a second time. "What would this training entail?"
"You, as their squadron commander, would recommend your top pilots. The training will take approximately one month and will be a combination of flying exercises and classroom critiques. At the end, those considered above average will receive a ‘with honors’ on their certificates of completion."
"I will be recommending my best pilots, if I understand you correctly," he said, but it was a question–won't they all be above average?
"Could happen but never has." I gave a wry smile and a small shrug. Trenton laughed.
"I have heard it's a very good school and worth the time," Trenton said and nodded. "You have my approval."
I contacted Captain Sitala the next day, and she agreed to meet with me in her office later that same day. I entered and saluted.
"Sit, Kat. I think most officers would want to discuss a new program with their boss, particularly when their boss is a full admiral." She laughed. "You are very much like Sapir. Both of you are amazingly comfortable with independent command. All right, I will approve you conducting an AFS class on the Sabretooth while we await Admiral Noam's approval. Worst case, we can apologize for not getting his approval first." She laughed again. We spent an hour discussing the exercise time I would need with the pilots.
59 – Party Time
Trenton identified ten pilots for the AFS class: six men and four women.
