The formation was now standing at attention facing Galen. “Closed ranks, march!”
The formation closed back up. Galen said, “Combat experience is a spiritual matter, a severe emotional experience. Fine. You are all grown up and you now have a better appreciation for proper training, discipline and teamwork. And I am going to get back to the training base right now with some drill and ceremonies. Right face! Forward march!”
Galen marched them around the quadrangle, kept trying more complicated movements. Smoked them when they screwed up, tried again. Soon the group performed each step correctly, fell into a rhythm where they moved as a team. Finally they learned to properly execute a counter-column movement, after jacking it up three times. Satisfied, Galen halted them near the entrance of the HQ building. He’d drilled them for nearly an hour.
He said, “Hopefully we won’t need to do this again any time soon. You will go clean yourselves up and make yourselves presentable and come right back here, alert and ready to participate, in not less than one hour, for a proper command and staff call. Fall out!”
The leaders dispersed. Tad grinned at Galen and Spike gave a somewhat dirty look. Galen winked at them and they turned away and went inside. Colonel Baek stepped up to Galen and said, “That was incredible.”
Galen said, “That was necessary to set the tone. It will save lives.”
Chapter Thirteen
Two weeks and three days later, Galen strode into the conference room. The assembled commanders and staff section heads stood at attention. Galen looked around the room at them and said, “Take your seats.” They sat. Galen then moved to his chair at the head of the table and took his seat and said, “Congratulations, Ladies and Gentlemen and Marines. Recovery is complete. Now for a brief of the overall strategic situation. S-2, the floor is yours.”
Major Koa stood and cued the display. “About a week ago, the Mosh managed to take and hold Cherry Fork and pushed on from there and established a defense beyond the city. It was a nasty fight. The Mandarins lost forty eight divisions but the Mosh lost fifty nine. With that accomplished, the Mosh then began offensive operations farther to the south. It was a mad dash across the Western Province, against little or no resistance.
“The Mandarin commander in charge of defense of the capitol city of the western province decided that it was such a beautiful city that he didn’t want it destroyed. He pulled out and declared it an open city. The Mosh rushed right in and captured it intact, space port, space shield, space guns and all. That made the hole in the Mandarin space defenses that much bigger.
“Cherry Fork is already serving as a logistical center for the Mosh and they are massing forces there. We’re also seeing aircraft operating out of there. Fixed-wing, atmospheric flight only, ground-attack aircraft. Fighter-bombers. They patrol the skies over the western province. Although they are no match for our Interceptors, their greater numbers give them a decisive capability against ground forces. We’ve seen them primarily used as air support for Mosh ground units.
“The Mosh have moved right up to the border of the central and northern provinces. In the process, they managed to pinch off forty three Mandarin divisions and they took them prisoner. This war won’t last as long as previous estimates had suggested. In light of that—”
Galen cut him off. “Thank you Major Koa. S-3, your turn.”
Koa sat, Tad stood. He cleared his throat and said, “Our next move is to the north to occupy an evacuated town. Its population was sixty five thousand, so there will be plenty of room for us. We all know that billeting here has been awkward, troops doubled up and Marines sleeping in tents or on gym floors or whatever. We’ve decided to re-locate to better accommodations.”
Tad changed the display. “Here’s a map. It’s the city of Chong-gok op, on the east bank of the Gang-nam River. Ostensibly, our mission is to hold the bridge. But really, it’s a chance for us to spread out and rest up and prepare for later combat action. It places us facing the left flank of the Mosh armies and when they advance we’ll be positioned for a counter attack. In the north, the two Mosh armies are commanded by two Mosh Chiefs who are brothers, sons of the Mosh High Chief. They lost nearly a third of their strength taking Cherry Fork, so we expect them to lick their wounds for a while.
“In the south and the center, there are three Mosh armies commanded by three Clan Chiefs who are cousins to the first two, nephews of the Mosh High Chief. They’ve had it pretty easy but now face a strong defensive line along the western border of the central province. It’s a river and a series of fortified towns. I don’t expect the Mosh to try to crack it, but they could and then make a stab at Mandarin City itself. Their next-best alternative would be a move to capture the industrial valley around Chong-gok op. That’s what we’ll prepare for. We’ll see.”
Galen said, “Thank you.”
Tad sat.
Galen said, “S-4?”
Major Polar stood. “Logistics will head up the transition to our new location. We will be accompanied by the Light infantry battalion, to ensure security is established. We’ll gain access to all the buildings and lodgings we need to occupy through a master code. After that, doors will remain unlocked. So, vigilance is key. Don’t skimp on security. Once we have the areas divided up and assigned, the Task Force can move in and set up shop. First out will be the Marines, generally established along the river front with a fantastic view of the water.
“Following that, the heaviest armor will move first, followed by successively lighter units. The last ground unit to leave here will be the Cavalry squadron. The final part of the move will be the Interceptors. There is a civilian spaceport set aside for our use, exclusively. It doesn’t have hardened bunkers but it does have a medium space shield and an air defense network adequate to protect our air operations, to include the helos.
“As we withdraw from here, each unit will emplace mock equipment so that it appears to the Mosh we are still here. Distribution of the inflatable dummy tanks and vehicles, along with a few transmitting devices, will coincide with the displacement of each unit. And that’s about it.”
Galen said, “Thank you.”
Major Polar sat.
Galen said, “S-1?”
Lieutenant Colonel Johnston stood and smoothed the front of her combat coveralls. “Replacement Battalion is below seventy percent and we project shortage in critical combat skills amongst our infantry units. Specifically, if trends continue, we’ll run out of troopers and privates. There are some recruitable indigenous persons, but it’s not certain if they can be successfully—”
Galen raised his hand and said, “Let me do this.”
Johnston gave a crooked, tight-lipped smile and sat.
Galen stood. “Here’s the deal. Everyone in this room is expendable. Something happens to me, we have a whole ‘nother Colonel right here.” He pointed at Colonel Baek. “Every time a leader goes down, there is a troop or Marine willing, ready and able to step up and fill that slot.”
Galen looked around the room, saw nods. Then he said, “But what about the bottom ranks? When leaders above them step up, some of them step up as well. Before too long, we’re all chiefs and no troops. Two things are going to happen while we’re screwing off in Chong-gok. We are going to reorganize. Cav, your Echo troop will be disbanded and the troops dispersed to fill vacancies across the Brigade. Marines, each of your three rifle brigades will lose its Kilo detachment, once again, to fill vacancies. Some leaders who have stepped up, will step right back down and serve under a new commander.”