As a result, I was forced to prepare urgently the necessary ships for a reconnaissance raid, and Ive been politely but firmly asked not to engage in strategic military planning having my captains shoulder straps.
The High Assembly decided to confine itself to traditional measures such as increase the production, review the financing, force the construction, fully cooperate and Conduct additional recruitment to. Complacency, in short. I would call this behavior criminal negligence, but who would listen to me?
Anyway, coming out of the meeting, I almost physically felt the closeness of a sad ending and I felt powerless to change the situation. These people with the big stars on their shoulder straps didnt want to realize that the situation had changed. In the last 15 years, theyve grown accustomed to balance on the fronts, and now perceived the new threat as something ordinary, something that has been dealt with many times and successfully.
But this time, I dont think you gentlemen will get away with it.
* * *
I dismissed Yoon Gao, who was never been called to the meeting, and went back to my office. I missed the Academy classes again today.
After my appointment as Chairman of the Commission of the Ministry of Defense, the Chief of the Academy OSullivan had to allow me to attend classes freely and a partial correspondence course. He didnt like the decision at all, but the General knew there was no other option. And I needed the Academy like air. Without it, there could be no further military career. So I was quite grateful to the old Irishman. Thats the second time hes helped me out, and Im trying not to forget that.
My depression didnt last long. I called Inga, and we went for a walk in Central Park. Inga, in her elegant uniform, that fitted her perfectly, with the senior lieutenants shoulder straps, the Iron Cross on the chest and and the qualification tab with green long bands of combat experience looked irresistible in every sense. Early graduation from the Planetary Commando Academy and my personal relationship with the director of the Academy let me lay my impudent hands on her career. Inga received an extraordinary rank and the Iron Cross for boarding the enemy flagship in the Barnards system. Any commander would gladly accept an officer with such combat experience, but my request didnt give them a chance, and Inga was placed at my disposal as commander of the Land Weapons Test Company together with Lieutenant Fulton and Lieutenant Jaswinder and a dozen other former General Schillers cadets.
A while back, I tried, but I couldnt talk Inga out of a military career. Now, at least I managed to keep her under my supervision. I dont want Inga landing on enemy planets in the first wave of commandos. I dont want it, thats all. By the way, it was the acute reluctance to send her on the attack that led me to the very, very correct idea, but Ill talk about none of it now.
Listen, Igor, said Inga after listening to my emotional account of the meeting at the Ministry of Defence, What did you expect them to do? That they would look into the mouth of some heroic captain who was barely eighteen? As I was able to see, you know people pretty well, you wouldnt expect positive results of your attempt.
Of course youre right, I smiled joylessly, but what do we do now? In six months, well start losing one system after another, and this agony wont last
Well, I dont think I can help you with that, although, if you have to go on any more adventures, you can always count on me. But seriously, remember what position youre in right now. You have a lot of resources in your hands. Tell me, Mr Chairman of the Commission of the Ministry of Defense, can you, for example, organize combat tests of a new weapon by targeting the enemys rear shipyard?
I was thinking.
I guess I can. But its gonna be a local operation that wont solve anything. Quargs have placed their docks in different star systems, and they must be hit simultaneously.
Well, thats why youre sitting in the generals office, so you can think for yourself. Think about it, but not now. Right now, you and I are walking in the park and enjoying some rare moments of relaxation, in case you forgot.
I hugged Inga and we walked slowly to the cosy pavilion by the pond, where there was a flock of fattened, colorful fish. There were kids on the beach who would throw food to the fish and have fun when the fish would bump into each other, trying to get to the good bits first.
Lately, Ive been having a hard time getting my mind off things and resting, I said to Inga in low voice, I keep thinking people around me are already dead. I look around, and instead of all that beauty and carelessness, I see very different pictures. Just look at them. Theyre laughing and smiling like war is just a scary fairy tale, as if you could just close your eyes and it would disappear with all the problems. Why are they acting like this, Inga?
Not everyone knows what you know, Igor, Ingas mood has clearly deteriorated, And if they knew, Im not sure anything would have changed. Most ordinary people dont believe that the world theyre accustomed to can suddenly collapse, and they keep acting like nothings happening.
Sorry to spoil your stroll.
You didnt, but I really dont feel like walking any more. Lets go out for dinner, can you spare me one night?
I shook my head to drive away the dark thoughts, and I laughed.
Until tomorrow morning, Im perfectly capable of putting off all plans to save this world.
* * *
The morning arranged my thoughts in an orderly fashion. Theres no such thing as a stalemate situation, or, I would say, there are almost no deadlocks. Theres always an option, the real question is what price will be paid to achieve the desired result.
I had no intention of dying in an unequal fight with the enemy, it wasnt my plan. I, of course, expected all the resources of the Federation to be mobilized, but as it turned out, I was overestimating my abilities. So we solve this on our own. What do we have?
The former Lavroff Weapons Company, and now the Federal Advanced Weapons Corporation also has some resources, and in my new position, I have the ability to contract out any private armoury companies. Well get to work.
Jeff and Professor Stein listened to me very carefully. Stein only shook his head, and the Chief Engineer wistfully said, If we have ten revealed targets, and each requires about fifty torpedoes, it will take us at least a year to produce 500 unique items the size of a pursuit plane on our own. And thats not all. Were going to need carriers, were going to need command machines, were going to need a lot of hardware. When do we train the pilots? Were never gonna make it.
We wont make it on our own. What I need from you is a project and one or two prototypes to test and train pilots. As soon as the technical documentation is ready, I will offer the Russian Weapons Concern, and maybe not just them, a contract to manufacture our products. So, gentlemen, do whatever you want, you may even spend the nights at work, charge me any money you want, but I have to see a sample in two weeks. Let it look like the fruit of the night vigil of a mad mechanic, but it has to work.
Christinas gonna kill me said Jeff with fake horror, but I noticed in his eyes a feverish glint of anticipation of an interesting new challenge.
Okay, Ill get in touch with Lieutenant General ge and Ill ask him to intensify the training for Cadet Yakovleva, so she wont be around the Academys chief tech for a while.
No-no-no, you dont have to do that, please, bleated Jeff very quickly,if she finds out what caused it