Emerald Repatriation Society: Firefighting (Pt18)
23 Jan 2024Vasil Vasilescu
(<--Part17)The Emerald Dawn has turned me into a firefighter. The closer the carrier gets to full operations, the more fires need to be stomped out. As soon as one crisis is under control, another flares up. Worse, by the time the problems are brought to my attention they have grown from small, controllable campfires into full wildfires with nearly all of them the result of a political or personal conflict.
It started with bringing on Captain Maxwell Whitney as the Ship’s Master. Octavia developed an immediate dislike for the man. Whitney, a retired Captain in the Imperial Fleet, is a direct, no-nonsense type of person who despises bullshit and has no problem calling people out when they offer him a plate full of it. Octavia quickly realized that she could not browbeat or manipulate a thirty-year career naval officer who is as strong-willed as she and who is unimpressed by nobility. That is exactly why I recruited him. If the Empire entrusted him to command an Interdictor, I was certain he’d be able to protect from arbitrary decision making the significant investment ERS had made in the Emerald Dawn.
She wanted Whitney replaced but I doused that fire by convincing her that I would act as the go-between for her and the captain, and that I’d do so by moving my base of operations onto the Emerald Dawn. "The executive board should have a presence on the Emerald Dawn," I told Octavia, "and as VP in charge of Rescue, Resupply, and Repair, I am the logical choice." It would also allow me to continue flying the occasional 3-R mission as well as be the pilot for rescuing high value citizens from nearby conflict zones.
Then, almost as soon as I had moved aboard, Whitney wanted a meeting to discuss force protection. We met in the office adjoining his stateroom. He sat behind a large, crescent moon desk with a wall-sized monitor behind him displaying the status of the Emerald Dawn’s subsystems in a series of slow scrolling info graphs and charts. I did not need any charts to see that he was displeased.
He wasted no time getting right to the point. “I must tell you, Mr. Vasilescu, that I have concerns regarding the ship’s force protection. I am not convinced that certain members of the ERS board fully understand the situation in our proposed area of operations.”
“That is why I am here, Captain. The Director has given me full authority to act on behalf of her and Board to ensure the Emerald Dawn’s first deployment is a success. No one wants this effort to fail.”
“Then let’s not bullshit each other,” said the captain. “I understand the primary mission is to rescue citizens and not to engage the Thargoids, but the ERS board has not given me the tools to ensure the safety of this vessel or the civilians we will be carrying.”
“I read your report,” I said. “The board feels that the compliment of AX escorts assigned to the ship is adequate for the mission. Their primary duties are defensive, to patrol, and, when necessary, provide escort for rescue vessels with high value passengers.”
Captain Whitney touched a few panels on the desk and the monitor behind him shifted to a navigational map with one system highlighted green and another red. “Titan Hadad is less than twenty light years from the Montioch system, our proposed operational area. We both know that the four Eagle light interceptors providing AX escort won’t be able to fully protect shit in a zone as hot as this.”
“You are absolutely correct,” I said. Captain Whitney at first looked puzzled that I did not try to spin the situation into anything other than what it was. “The eagles are Imperial ships protecting Imperial citizens. They are equal parts escort and public relations. Unfortunately, they are all we have at the moment.”
“PR does not keep people safe; guns and guts do. Are there any plans for escorts that can do more than just mosquito bite the Thargoids if they attack?”
“I am still negotiating with experienced AX contractors to provide more substantial force protection. However, I do not see a contract being signed until after the Emerald Dawn is already in Montioch. I am afraid you will have to make do with the eagles until then. Other than that, we can offer reduced repair and resupply costs for AX pilots in an effort to keep them in system and encourage them to keep an eye on the vessel.”
The captain drummed his fingers on the desk before saying, “As this vessel’s commander, I consider not being fully informed of the escort situation to be unsat.”
“Understood, and I regret that I have no explanation why you were not informed.” Stefan was in charge of communications between the board and the ship. For some reason he had not told the captain that more practical escorts would also be contracted, but I did not feel it was necessary to reveal that to Captain Whitney. “As the ERS VP in charge of 3-R Ops, and with my office now on the Emerald Dawn, you can come directly to me with any issues. I promise to tell you what you should hear, not what others think you should hear.”
This seemed to placate the captain, but it was obvious he had reservations about me, an ERS board member, conducting business from the Emerald Dawn. “So, your sister, Octavia, wants you on board to keep an eye on me, does she?” Not referring to Octavia as the Director told me what Captain Whitney thought of the situation and of Octavia.
“To some degree, yes, but I will deal with her. The reality is that most of my time will be spent flying 3-R missions from your ship.” I paused a moment to allow those last words to settle in. Your ship was just as deliberate a choice of words as his use of your sister. The Captain nodded, a small, appreciative acknowledgement as he understood what I meant even before I clarified it by adding, “I have no intention of undermining your authority as Ship’s Master or allowing any other ERS board member to do so. And that, Captain, is a promise.”
The fire with the captain had been stopped. Now, I just need to smother a growing fire with the Bureau of Imperial Slave Rights over their claim that time spent in cryostasis on the Emerald Dawn while waiting to be assigned work on damaged stations should count towards a slave's contracted labor time.
(Part19-->)