It seemed to end almost as suddenly as it began. I realized that none of the enemy ships were returning fire and sent the order to the ships to regroup. After a few moments, the squadron was regrouped. We quickly checked the two ships we lost and found no survivors. The bodies and combat videos were taken off and put in storage. Then to prevent the enemy from using the two ships, we fired a salvo of heavy weapons at them to destroy them so completely that they couldn’t be salvaged and used against us later. Then we did the same for the enemy ships, firing enough salvoes at them that there were only small pieces of metal floating about. We passed the enemy planet once more and fired a parting shot at them before we withdrew to return to our part of space. Then we returned to our home port to turn over the combat videos to Headquarters, so they could analyze how well the training had gone and whether to make the rest of the Navy do things differently.
The men and women of our ships were jubilant when we touched down and handed over our combat videos to show how much damage we had done to the enemy in one raid. From that moment on, I knew I had a squadron that could perform effectively as a team as well as individually when the situation called for it.
The Fleet Admiral called me to his headquarters office later. I went in to see him smiling and obviously pleased.
“Have a smoke. Care for a drink?” he asked as he took two glasses from the shelf.
I said, “I guess a small one would be fine.”
He smiled and said, “Good. I hate to celebrate alone. I’ve seen some of the videos from the combat your squadron was in. I’m impressed. I’ve had my ears to the ground and found out where you got the idea. Eighteenth century sailing ships and Admiral Nelson. I looked it up. It was good reading. I made it an order for all the other squadron leaders to read it. I don’t think they’ll catch on by themselves. They’re too much into the habit of losing. Now the problem is how to get this old way of fighting back into use throughout the whole Navy. I’m sure you don’t want to go through two months of training just to get nine more ships capable of functioning right. Am I correct?”
I replied, “Yes sir. This is hard work. It might be better to take some of the officers serving on those ships and give them their own commands. Then take the current ships’ captains and make them squadron leaders. That way, you’d get nine squadrons instead of one within the same two month period. They won’t be as successful and I sure wouldn’t send them against the enemy home world until they’re more experienced. But they will be more successful than what we experienced in the past.”
“So, you’re still going to be instructing another nine ships, but you’re giving me a way to get nine, I take it, squadrons reformed?” the Admiral asked.
I said, “Yes sir. I realize you’re leaving me the one experienced crew to show the others how to do everything. I appreciate that.”
He said, “It’s not for that reason. I don’t want to risk losing your services. I may be called selfish for doing that, but right now only you and the people you trained are having any success. It’s the only success we’ve had since winning one battle at the beginning of the war. You had a part in that one, too, as a civilian I remember. Yes, your ship put the naval squadron to shame when you waltzed right between both forces and took out six of the enemy by yourselves with less firepower than the whole squadron had. You managed to embarrass them into attacking and winning that battle. Then they reverted back to how the Navy has been until you took over your ship and showed them how to win. Right now you’re the most important asset this Navy has. Until you create enough leaders to win this war, I’m going to back you to the hilt and let you get away with a lot. Hell, I’d even let you get in bed with my own daughter if I thought it might make you more effective.”
I replied, “I appreciate the compliment, sir.”
He replied, “Compliment, my ass! It’s the damn truth! But, at the same time, I don’t want you to overwork yourself. So take a week off. Give yourself and your crew a rest. Then you’ll have nine more ships while we stay busy with what you’ve given us so far. Get yourself laid and drunk or whatever you do in order to keep from burning out. I want you ready to work in a week. I’m also promoting you to Captain. I’m sorry that it’s still a temporary commission, but it’s the best I can do for now.”
I realized that I had finally caught up completely with my class and passed most of them in the process. Only a few members of my class had made captain yet. The few that had been promoted to captain made it on their own merit, but they weren’t having the impact on the Navy that I was. The only thing lacking in my progress was that my commission was temporary while theirs were regular commissions. I wouldn’t be completely satisfied with my own progress until I achieved a regular commission, the same commission I would have been granted if I hadn’t been dropped from the Academy by the reduction in force. Sergeant Clark’s prophetic words about officers leaving the service came back to me then. That’s when I realized some officer resignations were contributing to my rapid rise in rank. It wasn’t solely attributable to officer losses in battle or my ability.
“Yes sir. Thank you, sir,” I responded.
He said, “Good! Now go give your crew the week off and get yourself some rest and whatever.”
I stood up and saluted sharply, receiving a return salute from the Fleet Admiral that was just as sharp. Then I turned around to leave his office and saw a beautiful woman, dressed very seductively, standing in the doorway.
“That’s my daughter,” the Fleet Admiral said. “Annie, I don’t suppose you’ve met Captain Oden. He’s the young man in charge of the Mad Dogs Squadron that just tore new assholes into the Ape-oids a few days ago. He’s the same Captain who was in command of the Thurman when it did the same thing a few months ago.”
“Hello, Captain Oden,” she sighed in a silken voice so soft and light that it floated on the breeze.
I said, “Hello, Miss Reason. I’m pleased to meet you.”
She walked by me, managing to let her baby-soft body come into full contact where possible with mine, before taking a seat facing her father.
I said, “If you’ll excuse me, Admiral, Miss Reason, I need to see about giving my crew shore leave.” I turned back to the door and exited. I could imagine having her in bed and took a deep breath for a moment as I walked back to my ship’s area and called my crew around.
I stated with a broad smile, “The Fleet Admiral is pleased with the mission results and you are on shore leave for a week. We’ll be training a new group of ships and crews afterwards. We’ll show them how to use our tactics in practice and in real battles, if we can find some enemy ships willing to be our targets.”
The men and women laughed at that remark and then waited for me to say something else.
I went on, saying, “In my own opinion, you did an outstanding job. I can only say well done and enjoy your shore leave. Dismissed!”
They cheered suddenly and then dispersed as each went his or her own way to start enjoying the week off.
For myself, I thought about Admiral Reason’s comment concerning his daughter and her sudden appearance, especially considering how seductively she was barely dressed. The tight skirt with a slit up one side that exposed her leg all the way to one hip and the nearly translucent blouse with the plunging neckline was enough to stiffen any young man. Certainly, I had felt something when she brushed by me and it wasn’t just her that I felt moving.
For my own time off, I decided to visit some of my old friends, particularly the Sarge. I hadn’t seen him in months and it was time to visit him socially instead of because of business. I went inside the ship and put on my shoulder pack before I left the base and took a Yellow to the Academy.