HGE - Episode 02 - Planning Session

The Holy Galactic Empire
Episode 02 - Planning Session

"What the hell is going on?" Sandar repeated. 

"I want you to look at this and tell me what you think," Jason said as he pulled a screen out of his pocket. He unlocked it and slid it across the bar towards Sandar.

Sandar glanced down at the tablet and saw detailed maps showing patrol patterns. He looked quickly back up at the young lord. "Telling me vague descriptions of events which will soon become present knowledge is one thing; that looks like highly classified military data. If you'll recall, I no longer have a clearance."

"On this, I am acting with my father's full authority," Jason said, "As such I can share the duchy's classified information at my discretion."

Sandar stared at Jason for a long moment before grabbing the screen of the table and beginning to study the data. It showed the times and locations of the attacks as well as the patrol routes for the Saint Paul region for the last three weeks. 

Jason watched the retired general intently, letting him work through the data in quiet. He took another sip of his beer. Jason caught a sudden narrowing of bar tender's eyes. The speed with which his fingers flew across the screen, manipulating the data, increased to a furious rate. Then general turned bartender stopped and set the screen back up on the bar. It had only taken a few minutes. 

"I agree," Sandar pronounced.

"You agree with what?" Jason asked. 

"It's an inside job," Sandar said, "And not a particularly subtle one at that. It took me what? Call it six minutes to figure it out? Was this the data the admirals gave you? You didn't have to go digging for it?"

"That's what they gave me at the briefing," Jason said, "Granted I had to request it again after my first screen broke during the attack."

"What attack?"

Jason and Thomason quickly explained about the assassination attempt which had occurred immediately after the briefing for the latest attack.

"Gods dammit," Sandar cursed, "So after you began to suspect that some of your own admirals were in on it, you asked Captain Thomason here who you could trust."

"And I remembered my old academy instructor," the captain confirmed.

"Culver is in command of the Deephaven fleet correct?" 

"Right."

"He was always a bit of an idiot," the old general said, "I think he could just be an idiot but either him or one of his senior staff has to be in on it."

"Agreed," Jason said, "The orders rerouting the patrols came from his office, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's involved."

"Is Hodgens still the chief navy spook?" 

Jason and Thomason nodded their heads.

"She's always been too smart for her own good. There's no way she wouldn't have seen this. Analyzing data is what she's so bloody good at. Granted our evidence isn't good enough for a firing squad but the evidence you've shown me is at least worth bringing up at a briefing."

"Agreed," Jason sighed.

"Who were the other admirals at the briefing?"

"Admirals Frey, Young, and Brown were all there," Jason said, "But it was mostly Admiral Hodgens' show. Young and Brown didn't say much at all; Frey not much more."

"Is that the way the Admirals are with you most of the time?" Sandar asked, "Only one or two of them with much to say?"

Jason thought about it for a moment before answering, "Now that you mention it, that was kind of strange. Frey usually makes sure to request the other admirals' input in a meeting like that."

"I never dealt much with Frey. The word in the mess was that he had an ambitious streak a kilometer wide, but this?" Sandar trailed off.

"Whatever this is," Thomason said. 

Sandar smiled. "It's quite simple really. They - whoever they are - are attempting to overthrow the House of Falklor and the Twins Duchy. I'm guessing the admirals suggested moving additional units to the Deephaven fleet?"

Jason nodded grimly, but the captain looked between the two of them with a look of confusion. "How in the stars, did you leap to that conclusion?"

"It's a thing of Houses," the old general said, "They like their little feudal wars from time to time. The opening moves of a plan like this are often little innocuous raids like this. The aggrieved party looks weak for not being able to effectively defend their realm, but they have no one to strike back at. So they rearrange their forces to defend against the gnat bites, when in reality there's a mountain lion creeping up to attack from the behind."

"Though admittedly, feudal wars rarely include so much treason," Jason said morously. 

"Yes, although it may not be as bad as you fear," Sandar said, "I could see this being done with only two or three people. One in Deephaven to change the patrol routes, and a couple of admirals."

"A couple of treasonous admirals is a couple to many for my tastes," Jason complained.

"Seconded," Thomason agreed. 

There was a long moment of silence as the three of them contemplated the situation. 

"The fact that you are a member of the imperial family, no matter how extended, makes me think whoever's behind this all is also a member of that select group," Sandar said, breaking the silence. 

"The Empress is not known for looking kindly on those that attack her family," Jason agreed.

"It's either that or some who's particularly audacious," Thomason suggested, "While I understand that imperial blood is important, the Falklor branch of the the imperial tree is rather distant. I wouldn't be surprised if most of your citizens didn't even realize you are part of the imperial family. Sure, all the nobility know what being guarded by imperial marines means, but the commoners? Not all of them. This attack is subtle. These raids aren't just forcing ship reassignments, they're making the duchy look weak and unable to defend its domain."

"I think the captain may be on to something," Sandar said, "These raiders are specialists in clandestine operations. Their ships are built for this kind of thing. That means they're either mercenaries or someone's been building up a cover operations force that they forgot to tell anyone about."

"Neither option would make the Empress happy," Jason said, "She has a rather dark view on undisclosed military organizations operating within the empire."

"Understandably so, considering what happened to her father," Sandar said.

Thomason nodded in silent agreement but Jason looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I suppose that was before you were born," Sandar said, "Thomason here knows because it was undoubtedly part of her training in the imperial academy. Long story short, Emperor Alexander IV was assassinated as part of a plot to overthrow the Imperial Family in favor of House Safford."

"That...explains a lot," Jason said. 

The fall of House Safford had been taught to Jason as a lesson in good leadership. It was said that they had over extended themselves. They had left many of their smaller systems vulnerable. They had been quickly gobbled up in a series of feudal wars with various neighbors. They had taken out loans and when the debts were called in, they could not repay them. The banks in turn, seized more of their assets. A few more short feudal wars lost them what little territory they could claim. The result was that House Safford went from being led by a High Duke to being led by a Baroness of a small moon in only a few short years. The High Duke had died in one of the later feudal wars and the young empress at the time had decided to revoke the title. Instead, she bestowed the title of Baroness to the High Duke's daughter. The moon was said to be too small to be a barony in its own right. As far as Jason understood, it was barely worthy of being called a baronete. But the Empress was said to have declared it a barony so that such a great and noble house like House Safford would not fall out of memory. That now came with new meanings to Jason. The Empress wanted to keep House Safford around as a reminder to those who would challenge her rule. 

"Regardless," Jason resumed, "We need a plan."

"Agreed," Sandar concurred, "I think the first order of business is to bring somebody else into our little group."

"Why?" Jason asked, not immediately dismissing the idea.

"First let me ask you a question, do you trust everyone in this room?"

"Yes," Jason said with only a slight hesitation. 

"Am I correct in assuming that I am the reason for that slight hesitation?" Sandar asked with a wry grin.

"I only just met you, but multiple people I do trust speak highly of you," Jason said.

"Out of curiosity, would your father be one of those?"

"Yes," Jason said, "He said you were pricklier than a porcupine in a cactus patch about some things, but that you were a loyal and honorable marine."

"Huh," Sandar grunted, a little surprised at the endorsement. When Sandar had last spoken to the Duke it had been a shouting match which had fate not intervened to interrupt, Sandar suspected it would have ended with punches being thrown. "I'm afraid that brings up the problem, I'm a marine. So is everyone else in this room besides you. I know you graduated the naval academy, but neither you nor anyone else in this room is an admiral. I know enough about ships to get by, but I can tell that whoever is behind these attacks is one sneaky fucker. Now I'm comfortable fighting a sneaky, but this isn't my kind of fight. I don't know the game of ships well enough to see enough moves ahead to win this fight. I'd never thought I'd say this, but we need a navy puke."

Jason drummed is fingers on the bar as he thought it over. "You said you couldn't see far enough ahead. Can you see their next move?"

"Easy, they're going to hit something bigger. Moving a few cruiser squadrons isn't worth all this effort. They're going to hit something big enough that will force you to move some battleships to cover Saint Paul."

The Story Continues with Episode 03