Temorary Officers Quarters, Dowding Barracks, New London
Harold leaned back in his chair and read his transfer order again.
TO: FLYING OFFICER HAROLD MCNEAL, ESQUIRE
FROM: ROYAL RESERVE FLEET HEADQUARTERS, ADMINISTRATION STAFF
IMMEDIATE REASSIGNMENT
Effective immediately you are assigned to No 156. Squadron RRF (Recon) / 2 RYR (2nd Royal Yeomanry Regiment).
Report ASAP to SQDN office #156 battleship norfolk, Cambridge.
[ ... message follows ... ]
He took a slow sip of his coffee, a habbit he aquirred during his years in Liberty, and which made him appear strange to his fellow officers. A personal note was added to his orders: "I finally managed to get you transferred to us. Welcome to our odd collection of strangers! Sk?l, Dennis."
He smiled. Yes, odd collection, indeed. No.156 was neither known for it's tough military appearance nor for it's battle merrits. And they were only "Reserve Fleet", so nobody expected them to be heros.
This wouldn't be too different from his last assignment with the fleet replenishment corps.
But this would only be the shiny surface. Behind that screen, it was better for everybody that they seemd to be just flying around, not bound to a scpecific battle theater, not very efficient, just a little recon unit, not closely guarded by curious eyes.
Battle was indeed not their task. They were only lightly armed.
They were to recon.
True recon.
He stood up, put his orders back into the uniform and closed his small travel bag.
Time to leave.
Character 1: Biography of H.McNeal (BAF) Character 2: V.Bontainer (ALG) Character 3: Y.A.Renkov (CIV, still undecided, yet) Character 4: P.Decker (CIV, will work in the mining business)
Battleship Norfolk, Cambridge system
"ENTER"
FO McNeal entered the office of Squadron Leader Henderson and came to attention and reported as ordered.
Henderson waved him to the visitors chair and started to study him with a stare in the eyes.
McNeal sat straight and focused on the wall behind his new commanding officer. Like you do in every military organization.
Henderson read his mind.
"This is not a normal military unit." Hard and matter-of-fact was his voice, suddenly he nodded, came around the desk and offered his hand.
"Welcome to No.156". They shook their hands. "I have 10 minutes for your welcome ceremony, of which 1 already passed. We will spend 2 more on small-talk, 6 on your setup into our current mission and in the last 60 seconds for passing you over to the hands of my quartermaster seargent.
No! From the inside, this unit was definitely not a sloppy reserve recon squadron.
"How is your brother doing?" Harold was surprised - "Well, fine. I visited him and his family 4 days ago. He is currently trying to stand up on his legs." His oldest brother was still recovering from an asteroid accident onboard HMS Scarborough, which killed almost half of the crew a year ago and put his brother into hospital since then. "You know, we were in the same officers course at Dartmouth" - "But, Sir..?" Harold was astonished "I'm sorry Sir, I don't want to be inquiring to much, but then your rank should be much higher?" He blushed red.
Henderson grinned. "That question was to be expected and I like your persistent style - getting information is our job."
"But to answer your question: yes and no." Harold was puzzled.
"YES, my rank should be group captain - NO, to keep up with the cover of this unit, I was officially demoted for refusal to obey orders and lack of disciplin"
Henderson grin was widening even more.
"So if you recently took an eye on your own personal file, you will find some harsh remarks from your former commander in it!"
Harold was shocked again. "What for? I mean .... I can't remember to do anything"
"For your and our cover! - To keep you alive on your mission. - And to keep everybody totally uninteressted into us."
Henderson shook his head "No no, nothing serious, and not with every pilot we have. That would raise to much suspicion. Trust us! Our Security officer nows perfectly what he must fake in the files, that we look totally useless for everybody."
Henderson opened the 3D space map projection. - That was the family part of his speech. - His face straightened as he started to explain the strategic and tactical situation to his new pilot.
"The corsairs have a file on you, did you know that?" Harold was suprised again.
"All in all, they seem to like you killing so many outcasts and mollys on your last assignment." That seems obvious.
"But to save you, from now on: the truth won't go into your official records anymore. From now on your flight recorder will be wiped and loaded with fabricated data, as soon as you land - anywhere and immediately!"
"And no - don't tell me it can't be done. We do it!"
"So, your next operations will be to observe the omega sector in general. That's what most of us do currently.
We want traffic patterns, trade data, movement of people and navigation updates. Further operations will bring you in contact with ground operatives and remote recon posts."
"Your survival depends on your stealth, on your obviously harmless outfit and on your reputation if close contact can't be avoided. Your reputation with the corsairs can be of further help, but you must not get too cozy with them."
Harold nodded quietly - he had not expected to be known in person to the enemy.
Henderson passed him the ROE (rules of engagement) orders sheet:
No restriction on Hessians.
No offensive against any Rheinland forces! Selfdefence only to prepare a retreat.
No battle against corsairs.
Henderon pointed to the last line.
"At least not offensively. When they are in the way - kill them - quietly - and make sure there will be no evidence left!"
Henderson leaned back and grinned again. "For all others, you can treat them as usual in our forces, ......
Harold McNeal look up. There was a but ....
".. but if they are too close to our operations and you can not mask it in any other way - kill them. Again no evidence is your top priority!"
"Ah, and before I forget. If you are in trouble - don't expect our armed forces to go to great lengths to get you out of there. If we receive a distress signal from one of our pilots it is in fact only us who are going out for assistance.
Henderson perfomed a quick look at the clock. Perfect timing. 30 sceonds left for questions.
Flying Officer McNeal had no question that yould be answered in 30 seconds and was dismissed and given into the careing hands of quartermaster seargent Cox to get him settled into the squadron.
As soon as he was alone, Commodore (his true rank) Henderson moved on to the next topic on his agenda. He was to fake the death report of a late pilot. Under no circumstances must the truth about his death be revealed.
"Hm,... why not?" An idea rose. "We will have him died in battle as McNeals flightleader against corsairs on the next mission - that will fit the boy in from his first mission on."
Character 1: Biography of H.McNeal (BAF) Character 2: V.Bontainer (ALG) Character 3: Y.A.Renkov (CIV, still undecided, yet) Character 4: P.Decker (CIV, will work in the mining business)
No.156 Squadron officers mess, Battleship Norfolk, Cambridge system
Flight Lieutenant Spencer, 156/OpsOfficer was sipping his 15year old Cambridge Whisky and studying the fact sheet of the new pilot.
Harold McNeal, 26 years old
born as the 3rd child of Sir Charles McNeal, KBE in New London, raised in Cambridge
performed a Reserve Officer training as a pilot as soon as he was old emough.
studied in Manhatten ....... wait ... interstellar economics and hyperspace-physics
master thesis in both ....
"Oh boy" he thought by himself "an egghead from a politicans familiy" He frowned.
started working with Ageira
....
and suddenly moved back to Bretonia, a year ago
"Now what? What made him running home?" He wondered. This McNeal chap was on the fast lane to success and prosperity.
entered the Royal Reserve Fleet and since then has flown with the replenishment operations.
"Hmm, what do we have about his mission profile?" - His fingers traced the lines.
"Lot's of recon, some VIP escort, some emergency cargos, ... oh! Some hunter-killer missions, too. He's been all around over Bretonia."
200+ recorded kills "Whow! That can't be the same guy." He looked up to the head of the profile if it's still the same document. It was.
"Now lets look at the underside of it" he thought and flipped the profile to the foreign intel section.
very good relations to the Liberty Navy - "hm, no surprise, isn't it"
no intel from Rheinland
Kusari is regarding him well - "Astonishing again, we are at war? Maybe he wasn't often at the Tau31 front? Ah! there it is."
Outcast and Mollys are blank enemy to him - "Well that explains. The KNF regard every outcast killer an honorable man."
Corsair intel indicated a good realtionship - "Something more to wonder" He scratched his chin. "Ok- he never had any missions here so far - nice to have someone who can get a little closer to them." He smiled.
And his smile froze.
"Gaians regard him a friend?" That couldn't be. He looked up - nobody was near him. In fact the room was still almost empty.
"This f***in' Cambridge smartboys." Of course - he was totally sure of it - this McNeal must have many friends from his childhood within these terrorists.
He made a mental note for himself: Never trust McNeal, when the mission comes to Gaians.
"Hm, wait...?" He smiled again - "Maybe this reputation is better to be put to use?" He stared to the ceiling. "Yes. I must not treat this matter as a risk for our operations - I must make it an opportunity... to gather more and better information."
He closed the profile and quickly put it back into his pockets as two pilots entered the mess.
They where still in flight suits and obviously discussing some evasion manouvre, that they just practised in space.
He recognized the dark haired one. It was the new pilot McNeal. He decided it was time to get to know this officer a little better.
"Good evening, my fellow Yeomans" He used their internal nickname. Care to help me a little with the nasty ghost in that bottle?" He gestured to the empty chairs besides his table.
Character 1: Biography of H.McNeal (BAF) Character 2: V.Bontainer (ALG) Character 3: Y.A.Renkov (CIV, still undecided, yet) Character 4: P.Decker (CIV, will work in the mining business)
