Planning Session
A Thursday Prompt story
© 2021 by Walter Reimer


Prompt: strategic

Thumbnail art by  technicolorpie, color by  marmelmm


The military staff of the Confederacy, admirals and generals, stood as Felix walked into the conference room. The leopard acknowledged them with a nod and smiled at the three political leaders who had been invited to attend the meeting. Two of the admirals looked a little surprised that Doren Liang wasn’t with the Admiral-General, and Felix guessed that they hadn’t heard of the bear’s execution yet.

It didn’t speak very highly of their informants and spies. Speaking of such things, ‘M’ was also in the room, along with a fallow doe who looked rather uncomfortable.

The Lord Protector sat down. “Good morning, everyone. Admiral Xi, the military situation, please.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The lights dimmed and a holograph appeared as the red panda femme said, “The Faraway System has fallen, along with the planets Chenyu and Brinkmann.” She paused as two of the civilians applauded. “Thank you,” she said when they had quieted. “The Empire is being held at Lalande, and an attempt to land troops was repelled.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” Felix said, and the lights came back up.

The head of the Supreme Presidium stood. “Your Highness, we,” and he gestured at the leaders of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, “asked to be invited to this meeting in order to see the progress that the Confed military has made.” The canine smiled as the leaders of the Senate and Chamber nodded. “If we can win at Lalande, I am certain that more Colonies can be persuaded to rejoin us, and we will move forward with the resolution.”

Felix’s muzzle drew into a frown. “Sir, I ask you again to please leave it aside. I have far too much to do – “

“Your reward,” the leader of the Chamber said, “for turning the tide, Your Highness. Will you insult your fellow citizens by refusing the honor?”

The leopard’s ears went back and he slumped back in his seat. “If you force me to accept, Ma’am, I will have little choice but to accept – but! I want the vote to be public and absolutely fair,” and he wagged a finger at the three leaders.

“It will be, Your Maj – er, Your Highness,” the Senate leader said, grinning as the others in the room chuckled.

“We’ll see. Was that all?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the Presidium leader said, and the three civilians left the room.

There was a moment as the room was swept for listening devices that one of the other political leaders might have left behind. As soon as the room was determined to be clear, Felix sighed and said, “’M’?”

The minkess and the fallow doe stepped forward. “Senior Analyst Ordonez,” the minkess said.

“Sir,” the cervine said.

“‘M’ tells me that you’ve managed something that the AIs couldn’t do,” Felix said, and several admirals looked startled. “Report.”

The doe bobbed a quick nod. “Yes, Your Highness. The AR-41 cipher is one of the Empire’s low-level military codes, but I’ve succeeded in increasing the reliability of our decryption from seven percent to eight point five. We’ve run several intercepts through, and we have a few ideas, based on the data, where the Kashlani may strike next.” She swallowed and added, “If we can solve it further, it may give us a clawhold into their higher codes.”

“A low-level cipher,” Felix said. He leaned forward. “It’s for logistics, then? Not high-level strategy?”

“Yes, Sir. Supplies and Support Department ships are named in the cipher.”

The leopard nodded. “Where?”

“Kutua,” Ordonez said, and the map moved around and zoomed in to show the system. “It’s a rich colony, on the border of Confed space.”

“We hit them first,” one admiral said. “Catch them napping and block their attempt to concentrate.”

Another officer, a general, added, “Their leadership is reportedly wavering between coming back to us and staying in the Colonial orbit.” She glanced at ‘M’, and the minkess nodded.

“Plan on a pre-emptive strike on Kutua,” Felix ordered. “Objectives are to intercept and drive off the Kashlani and any Colonial Naval presence, and invite Kutua to add their strength to ours.”


***


“She actually did this?” Navot k’Ven asked incredulously. “Balakrishnan told us about an attack on the Home?”

“So it appears,” the Foreign Minister said. “Her aim is fairly obvious.”

“Saving her own pelt, as well as preventing the Sovereign from issuing an extermination edict.”

“True,” the kam said. “I would like you to return to Station NZh-2233. Coordinate with the station commander, and see if the Terran can offer any further information.”

The vir’s tail swished. “Tar mevik, ulzhazhmalā, tī.”

“’You would not?’ Why?” the Minister asked.

“I do not feel that she would be willing to speak with me,” she said matter-of-factly. “I was quite blunt when I told her that there was no option other than a Terran surrender.”

The kam smiled. “That is precisely why you should go.”

She blinked at him. “Aka i’?”

“Ulnt.” His smile widened. “When you’ve had more experience in diplomacy, Navot, you will understand.”