Monday. 19:00 Library

The cadets taking the Starship Tactics 202 class were assigned teams earlier that day during class for a group project. The project wasn’t due until just before Thanksgiving break. There were however benefits to getting the projects done early. Convincing half of this team was going to take some work.

“Patrice, I don’t want to be here anymore than you do. But the sooner we get this project done the sooner we don’t have to do anymore work on it.” John just let out a sigh.

“It’s not due for two months.” Richard said as he was protesting the timeline.

“Your right, but in a month, we’ve got the first round of tests to deal with.” Kristin was siding with John.

“Not to mention anything that comes up in other classes. Look, two to three hours tonight, Wednesday and Saturday morning and this should be wrapped up.” John was looking right at Patrice.

“Fine, I don’t want to do this now but the sooner we’re done with it the better.” Patrice gave up and just agreed to the plan.

John clapped his hands together. “Alright, so let’s figure out who’s doing what and then get to work.”

The group proceeded to the next step and threw out ideas on what to research and how to tie everything together. Patrice suggested analyzing how the Confederacy achieved void superiority during the second war with the Alliance. Richard wanted to focus on battleship tactics. Kristin wanted to write about how frigates and cruisers changed tactics between the wars. John agreed that all these topics were good ones, and they should jump on them.

John opted to write an analysis on the creation of battlecruiser wolfpacks during the second war. Each wolfpack had five to eight battlecruisers and up too thirty escort ships ranging from corvettes to heavy cruisers. The wolfpacks were highly mobile and effective in jumping into a system, deploying a ridiculous amount of firepower then falling back quickly and jumping out before anyone could react to it. The Confederate Navy simply used tactics developed by pirates in Alliance space but scaled them up for their use with much large ships and fleets.

They spent the next two and a half hours working on their group project. None of the four liked or even wanted to participate in a group project but it helped reinforce the need for teamwork. Something that they’d being doing constantly throughout their entire careers once they get onto ships. John took the approach of get it done as soon as possible and then focus on other things. They made an agreement to meet at the library immediately after dinner on Wednesday. Saturday’s time would be set later.

21:45 Co-ed Dorm

Alice was working on some pre-med homework on the couch. She was shocked at the amount of homework that was being assigned this semester. Alice had been curious in recent days about why they never saw sophomores outside of the cafeteria or near classrooms. Now she had her answer. Sophomores basically had very little if any actual free time to themselves.

“Hey honey.” John walked into the room.

“Hi. How’s the project going?” Alice smiled as she said that.

“You know I’m with Patrice and Dick, don’t you?”

Alice smiled and nodded. Secretly she was laughing inside. “At least you have Kristin with you.”

John sat down next to her on the couch and put an arm around her. “Managed to convince the other two to get this thing wrapped up asap. How’s pre-med going? Did I hear that right that you’re going psych?”

“Yup, going to be a counselor. I wish I had that brain of yours to digest all this reading. But so far so good.”

“That’s cool. What do your folks think of your choice?”

“They are shocked that I decided to be a doctor. Dad’s super proud though.”

John snickered. “Well naturally…”

Alice elbowed him gently. “You are not finishing that sentence.”

John made a motion that he conceded the point. The couple talked for a little while longer. They set up plans to have lunch off campus together on Sunday. They kissed then crawled into bed, all the studying and schoolwork had been tiring.

But there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Four more working days left until a long weekend. John was not the only one looking forward to a three-day weekend in a week. Besides going to the football game nothing was set in stone, but that didn’t matter. A change of pace was going to be well received.

Wednesday. 18:00 Library

The main library had four wings. Each wing was four stories tall and was completely separate from each other. John always noted it was an awful setup as you had to go down to the ground floor to then walk over to another wing. The wings were separated by a vast area that had several groups of workstations, after-action reports, mission reports and declassified research and development reviews. The group was sitting and working at the workstations in the middle.

The group had their working orders and were typing away at a feverish pitch. John figured he had thirty minutes left on his part and then he’d be done. He was going to offer to write the overview and connecting parts between the parts. Kristin and Patrice were fairly certain they’d be very close to being done today as well. Richard was less optimistic. But the group kept plugging away.

“John, does this engagement work?” Kristin asked.

“Nah, there’s probably a ton during the first war against the Alliance. Should be able to filter your list for engagements that were largely using frigates.” John looked up from his workstation. “Be careful though since you need to find tactics that weren’t in active use in the first war but active in the second.”

“Sweet, thanks.” Kristin had learned very quickly that John’s encyclopedic mind was an amazing tool to have access too.

“I don’t think I’m going to get this shit done today.” Richard was losing focus.

“Keep focusing, just get what you can get done then assess where you’re at later. We still have another hour and a half to work.” John didn’t really want to hear any excuses.

The group continued with the work. John was hellbent on getting this project wrapped up before the football game on Saturday. It was only a short-term time sink, but the tradeoff is getting it done early means they have extra free time before fall break. Plus, there was the rumor that the papers submitted early were graded less harshly, though there wasn’t any firm proof their professor actually did that. Everyone swore that was the case though.

John was typing in some search criteria in his terminal. He was looking to see if any of the battlecruiser tactics used in the second war were used before then. John always laughed when the Navy adapted pirate tactics for their own use in military engagements. What wins a battle, wins a battle though. Pirates are a force that one ought to analyze properly, despite their overall terrible reputation. They are forced to innovate to survive encounters with the military, which allows the military to improve their tactics too.

John was pushing forward with his part of the project. He just had another paragraph or two to write. When he finished typing those, he began proofreading his paper. After another hour of proofing and typing John was finished with his section of the project. He stretched his arms out and got out of his chair to stretch his legs.

“You done?” Patrice asked curtly.

“Yup. Where y’all at?”

“I’ve got thirty minutes left and I’ll be done.” Kristin responded. “I’m going to stay here till I’m done.”

“I’ve got an hour left. Going to take care of what doesn’t get done after PE tomorrow.” Patrice shook his head.

“Got at least three hours left on my part.” Richard was the obvious weak link in the project.

“Alright. Y’all cool if everyone sends me your parts when they are finished, then I’ll combine them and then submit it.”

“Sounds good to me.” Richard had no problem with doing less work.

“So, I should expect your part Saturday morning?” John asked.

“Nah, probably tomorrow or no later than Friday.” Richard shook his head. “I want this shit done with, so I don’t have to deal with it anymore.”

“Roger that, I’m out, see you guys in the morning.”

With that John left the library. There was a slight chill about the air. John was thinking that it was too damned soon to get cold. About midway back to the dorm John received a call. He answered it. “Evening, John here.”

“Good evening, John, James Daniels here. We need to have a talk. There’s a car waiting for you. It’ll take you to the Top Hat and Spectacle pub.”

John looked around and saw the BMW E8 slowing down next to him on the street. “K. Be there whenever.”

John disconnected the call and got in the waiting car that just pulled over.

He shook his head and sent a message to Director LeCroix letting him know that Admiral Daniels wanted to have a chat. John then downloaded a few handy apps that could protect him. The first was a scrambler that wreaked havoc with video and audio recording systems. The second was one that would install a worm into any nearby devices. The worm would forward a copy of any messages received or sent by the device to John. It would also act as a surveillance scrambler rendering nearby cameras and audio receivers useless. The last thing it did would create transcripts of any calls made on the device.

19:30 Top Hat and Spectacle Pub

John exited the car when it stopped outside of the pub. He pressed a few buttons on his tablet before sliding it back in his pocket. John walked in the bar and noticed the retired admiral at the end of the bar. He walked toward him but stopped at the bartender.

“Laphrioag 21, neat please. It’s on him.” John motioned at the admiral. He then walked over to him and sat down. “Evening. So, what was so bloody urgent that you needed to chat with me?”

“You’re welcome for the drink.” Admiral Daniels shook his head. “I presume you’ve heard about Admiral Vandenberg?”

“You mean how they hung the traitorous bastard? Yeah, I’m aware. I’m also aware he and his ilk tried to frame me last spring. So, you will have to forgive me for not pouring one out for the asshole.” John turned to face Daniels and was leaning against the bar.

“Then are you aware they are targeting you again?”

“It’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it?” John took a drink. “I represent a threat to them, captains and admirals in the Navy. They are threatened by a fucking cadet. Their boogeyman is a nineteen-year-old cadet.”

“They aren’t afraid of you; they are afraid of what you represent.”

John was incensed. “Heaven forbid people actually achieve and earn their ranks through merit. Instead of the status quo which results in them being handed ranks because of what families they were born into or who they knew in the corporate world.” John took a drink. “Jesus Christ, you lot are a pathetic bunch. You’re desperately clinging on to power tightly. Haven’t you lot read any history books? Give me one example of someone clinging so tightly to power actually succeeds at keeping the power.”

“You haven’t asked me what I can offer you?” Daniels was smirking.

“There’s nothing you have that I want. I’d sooner have someone kick me in the balls repeatedly than bring myself down to your level for any help you supposedly can offer. Plus, look at all the good your organization has done for the dearly departed and the other thirty or so officers the higher ups sacrificed saving their own asses. Oh, that’s right, they did fuck all for them. They tell them to do x, y or z for them, and then it’s their necks, not the leaders.”

John finished his drink and got out of his seat.

John placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “The recording device you attempted to use didn’t work. I’m aware of your connections with that crowd. Do pass on a message for me. Neither Intelligence nor I will stand for any farther interference in my studies. Thanks for the drink. Let’s not do this again.”

John left the bar and flagged down a cab. He pulled out his tablet and was checking on the messages the admiral had received during their brief conversation. He noticed the admiral was already making a call from the bar. He read the transcribed conversation as it was occurring.

Admiral Daniels: “…of bitch scrambled the recorders. None of them fucking worked. He expected your plan and accounted for it.”

Unknown/Scrambled Voice: “He’s sharper than he appears.”

Admiral Daniels: “Of course he is. How the hell could you not presume him to figure this out? He tracked down my idiot son’s slush funds and took most of it from him. You can find someone else to get at him. I’m not helping you lot anymore. He’s far too dangerous for my tastes.

Unknown/Scrambled Voice: “You will continue to do your duty to those that aided in your career. You owe us.”

Admiral Daniels: “I do, and I will help you, just not with anything to do with him. He was right about one thing, you and the others let the lower ranking officers hang out to dry to cover yourselves. I’m done with any missions against him and there’s nothing you can say to get me onboard again.”

Unknown/Scrambled Voice: “We will find other work for you then.”

Admiral Daniels: “I am not one to give advice to those that haven’t asked for it, but I’m going to offer it here. It is literal suicide to go against him. Even if Intelligence doesn’t authorize it, he’s more than capable of eliminating any of us and making it look like an accident or framing someone else. We should cut our losses and move on.”

Unknown/Scrambled Voice: “We must temper this one’s ambition.”

Admiral Daniels: “I’m not sure you can do that. He appears to be the living embodiment of will. You risk too much going after him.”

The cab ride was short. John used that time to send the audio and transcription to intelligence. He figured there’d be a call from the director in no time. Kristin had emailed her portion of their project to him though, so he copied it and moved it into the overall group project he had already set up.

21:15 Co-ed Dorm

John had paid and tipped the cabby when he dropped him off. He walked into the dorms and took the elevator up to their floor. He walked in and Alice wasn’t there. John figured she was studying with their group. He sent a message to her apologizing for not being at the study session.

He sat down at the terminal and was putting the finishing touches on their group project. He only did a rough copy and paste in the cab. He was about finished with adding how Kristin’s part tied in with his part when he received a call. He sent it over to the TV as he focused on the paper.

“Evening director. You’re probably going to tell me things are a foot, eh?”

“Hello John. Yes, your recording was helpful. Would you care to guess who he spoke too?”

“Third fleet given Daniel’s connections.”

Director LeCroix smiled. “Third Fleet Admiral Uriel Petrov in fact.”

John stopped and scooted his chair back. John thought a bit and cocked his head. He took a deep breath.

“Are you able to green light an op?”

“Depends.”

“It appears the shadow group are unified again, mostly anyways. Let’s get them at one another’s throats and hurt them.”

“And we’d do this why?”

“So, they make mistakes, eliminate their power base bit by bit, and give you lot some leverage over them to keep them in line. Force them to be more careful and act less. When they make mistakes, Intelligence can move on them, and JAG can eliminate the bad actors. Or better yet, have enough leverage to force them to be fucking officers once more.”

“And how do we do this?”

“Well, you’d say no to killing them so that’s out. What’s worse than death for those rich bastards?”

“Attack their base of wealth.”

“Exactly. I’m sending you a plan I’ve been tinkering with. The long and short of it is that we will take money from a large number of accounts all at once. Hide the money by transferring it thousands of times. Deposit a sizable amount in the other fleet’s accounts. Seize a large amount and then ransom the seized amount. Garbage data would be planted so that it is feasible enough to believe and sow distrust amongst the group. Records of certain transfers would be deleted to make tracking them all but impossible.”

“They will profess their innocence as their initial reaction.”

“Which will make the initial deception work since their accounts would be emptied. Then their financial documents will get leaked to them by a lazy bank employee or a friendly one to their cause that shows their money in the other fleet’s reserves. In the end they will all likely determine it was another fleet. Barring that it will appear that it was instigated by the Alliance.”

“Interesting plan. I’ll take it under advisement.”

“The bottom line is eventually they’ll sift through the bullshit they were fed, but their initial reactions, hopefully overreactions in blaming one another, should weaken the wretched bond these assholes have.”

“Clean up your plan and let me know your final plans in the morning.”

The call ended. John swung back and returned to working on the group project. He had that finished in about ten minutes. John switched over to an encrypted account and pulled up a VI he had used in the past. He was trying to determine how he would be able to recycle this devious little bastard for the operation he just recommended. A few minutes later Alice entered the room and interrupted his plan. But John was on to something with his plan.

“You sir are in the doghouse for everyone else.” Alice said, she was pouting.

“Shit came up. Unexpected. That’s on me. I’ll be around tomorrow for them.”

Alice walked over to John and hugged him. “I forgive you. They may not have but you at least have one supporter.”

“Ahh thanks.”

“Well, I am exhausted. I am going to bed.”

“So am I. My head bloody hurts today.” John smirked and followed her to the bedroom.

John’s last thoughts of the day were what kind of havoc he could create with those assholes who believed them to be above the law. It was going to be fun inflicting this pain on them. He was also wondering how much he could skim from them without making LeCroix lose his mind. If he was going to make them pay, he may as well make it worthwhile for himself too.