Dawn of the Void

Chapter 61: CSM

James radioed for a ride and they descended to the streets in tense silence. Bjrns staff bid them goodbye, surprised at the speed of their departure, and nobody spoke on the way down. Only when they emerged onto the sidewalk did James turn to the crew, the fresh air and vividness of the street providing the kind of energy that he needed for what he was to say.

Ive turned down Bjrns offer.

Everybody watched him gravely, including Bjrn, whose expression was inscrutable.

Weve got a lot of weapons in our arsenal, and his power is one of them. But for now were going to stay the course, and Ill let him know when its appropriate to use his abilities. Hes agreed to not use his power on any of us without our express permission first. Right Bjrn?

Bjrns expression became professional, brisk, agreeable. Thats right. And apologies, Serenity. My demonstration upstairs was truly out of line. I know youre pissed at me, and rightly so. Ill find a way to make things right.

Serenity just stared at him.

That's a line in the sand that he will not cross again. No exceptions. For now, continued James, lets get our head back in the game. If anybody has any concerns, theyre to bring it directly to me. Yeah?

Nobody answered, but several members nodded.

Their transport arrived a few moments later, part of the resupply convoy that was bringing gear to Brooklyn from some location upstate. They hopped into the back, settled in amongst crates, and rode south through Manhattan, over the Manhattan bridge, and were dropped off at the Marriott before the truck continued its passage to Fort Hamilton.

Serenity occasionally stared at James, her glare accusing, demanding, unsatisfied, but he just raised a palm, the gesture indicating: wait.

The Marriott was busier than ever. Victorious teams had returned from across the city, but the mood wasnt as festive as the day before. Everyone was aware of their losses. James led Crimson Hydra through the lobby, greeting those he knew, waving back to others who called out to him, congratulation team leaders and seeking to project an air of calm and confidence.

James. Jessica emerged from the crowd with her tablet in hand, hair done up in a twist, looking harried and professional as always. It felt like old times. Where have you been? Colonel Hackworth is here and waiting for you.

Hackworth is here? James frowned. He wanted to tell Jessica what had happened, but her expression was intense. Everything all right?

Its complicated. Yes. We won a resounding victory today, but hes got plans he wants to discuss. Now.

I told Star Boy we were taking a detour through Bjrns pad.

All well and good, but Hackworth's out of patience and we need to get with him. Ready?

Sure, said James. "Though we need to talk right after." He looked to Serenity. Coming?

You betcha.

The rest of you settle in. Ill be back when I can.

Jessica led them down a hallway and into a conference room. A dozen men and women in fatigues sat around the table or on chairs set along the backwall, most with laptops open before them. Hackworth was at the head of the table leaning over a large map of the city, discussing particulars with those clustered around him.

Cindy and Star Boy were already there, both working on their laptops, and when James entered they looked up and Star Boy grinned.

Kelly, said Hackworth, straightening. There you are. Congratulations on your success today.

Thank you, sir, said James, trying not to feel wary. We did our best.

Given what you were up against, Im pleased with what you all accomplished. Take a seat. Weve a lot to get through in very little time.

James sat down, Jessica and Serenity pulling out chairs beside him. The other men and women settled in, with most of them studying James with avid curiosity.

Lets get this started. Ive been giving careful thought to how best to handle Blue Light, and how to integrate our civilian members into a traditional military structure. Weve survived the Nemesis 2 Fourth Wave, which gives us almost two weeks to get up to speed and prepare for the Nemesis 3. At first I thought it best to be hands off, to allow you and the former DRC to do your thing, but after analyzing your command structure and how you executed the missions these past two days, I believe some changes are in order.

Hackworths expression was sober, and he watched James carefully as he spoke.

In short, we are to remain a special operations force whose primary organizing principle will be to maximize the synergistic benefits of working in groups of nine. That being said, there is a profoundly important reason that military units are organized as they are, and that is to maximize our ability to execute our missions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Hackworth paused, as if giving James room to protest, but then proceeded.

Now, there is no disputing that you are the heart of Blue Light. But having observed your leadership style, its obvious that once battle begins you operate with an extremely flat hierarchy and limit yourself to acting as a squad leader. The limits to your ability to command and control distant platoons are profound, and leadership is actually displaced to Richard Stokes, who serves as a communications and intelligence officer without formal authority to give tactical commands.

James frowned.

So were going to remedy this situation. I will be assuming direct command of this group, and with the help of my headquarters and headquarters company will ensure that we identify our Mission Essential Task List as well as establishing our Area of Operation, individual Areas of Responsibility, and overall Area of Interest.

Serenity raised her hand. Ive no idea what any of that meant, sir.

Hackworth smiled. Youll learn. Now, we need to develop this infrastructure and our overall mission with an eye on both our timeline and the realities of working with new recruits. As such, well keep things as simple as possible. First Ill explain Blue Lights new command structure and introduce key personnel. I am the commanding officer, and everything that takes place within Blue Light is my responsibility. Normally I would take time to sit with every officer, but we dont have that time, so Ill endeavor to do so as we go. Whats important is that I want you all to know that my door is always open to those with questions or feedback, and that I value officers who show both loyalty and initiative.

Nods all round.

My objective for Blue Light is to create a rapid response special operations force that can bring the new powers humanity is manifesting to bear upon our foes, while also seeking to expand our model across the country and grow our organization as effectively as possible to increase the number of soldiers we can field in future operations. It is not enough to clear Brooklyn, or even all of the New York metropolitan area of our foes. We must think on a national scale, and I believe that what we are creating here will be critical to our nations long-term survival.

More nods. Even James found himself agreeing.

Now, our headquarters unit will be composed of a number of critical officers. My Executive Officer, or XO, is Major Baker. He assists me in executing my vision for the special forces group and be intimately aware of our forces state of combat readiness. He will assume command if for any reason I am removed and oversees our groups administrative and support staff.

The XO nodded around the table. He was a dour man, his black hair so thick and silky it had the sheen of seal fur, and his cheeks were badly pocked so that they looked like the surface of the moon.

My S1, or principal staff officer, is Captain OBrien.

A man in his late twenties inclined his head. He had a doughy complexion, as if hed never seen the sun, but his gaze was sharp and focused.

Captain OBrien will coordinate all aspects of personnel services, finance services, and command information services. He will be assisted by Lt. Cindy Robinson, who will help run the Personnel Administration Center, and ensure that we are recruiting and retaining as many new operatives as we can manage.

Cindy smiled nervously at everyone and almost raised her hand to give a little wave.

Our S2, or intelligence officer, will be Captain Stokes. His implementation of the ASOCC, remote surveillance via drones, and familiarity with the psychology of the enemy, insofar as his gaming background can be credited, has been of obvious utility and benefit to the group already. He will be assisted by more traditional staff, which will bring him up to speed on how to prepare reports, interface with other units, and coordinate with federal intelligence agencies.

Star Boys grin was unabashed.

Our S3, or operations officer, is Major Duffy. She is in charge of operations planning and is expected to anticipate situations that may arise during combat and to prepare SOPs to handle these conflicts.

Major Duffy looked around the table, expression neutral, as if looking for signs of dissent or complaint. She looked to be just a little younger than James was, a handsome woman with all softness flensed from her being. Her red hair was bound back in a severe bun, and her green eyes were as hard and pitiless as those of a raptor.

Finally we have our S4, or logistics officer, Captain OShea, who is our lifeline to the military machine that is the US Army and responsible for ensuring we have all the supplies and operational support we need as we undergo our duties.

Captain OShea was a large man, his face craggy, his hair thinning, and he smiled warmly around the table, then winked and gave a nod, as if saying, count on me, folks, Ill find you a bottle of whiskey on the sly. James took an immediate liking to the man.

Captain OShea will be assisted by Warrant Officer Miles, who will continue her sterling work ensuring this force has everything it needs to operate at peak efficiency.

Jessicas smile was pained.

Hackworth gave everyone a moment, allowing folks to take each other in, then looked to James.

Now, you must be asking yourself where you fit into this command structure. Ive been considering your talents and role carefully and have decided that can continue to do what you do best as our Command Sergeant Major. That would make you the senior enlisted officer in the unit, but most importantly assist me in all matters pertaining to the enlisted ranks. You will assist me in extending my command influence, assess morale of the force, and be essential during critical events. You will have freedom of movement across the formation and will create dialog with subordinate command teams, as well as evaluating their effectiveness and needs.

Now, obviously you will not play the part of a standard CSM. During operations you will lead your Hydra platoon as a Lieutenant and operate under the command of your company captain. We will take the esteem with which the group holds you into account when making our plans, as well as no doubt placing you at the tip of the spear. But as CSM, you will be able to speak directly with me, liaison with the ranks, and then go into battle and do what you do best.

Everyone turned to stare at him, and James realized that on some level Hackworth needed his permission. If he stood and flipped the table, Blue Light would implode.

But he realized that what he felt most strongly was relief. He saw Esmes corpse once more. Thought of teams Manticore, Yeti, and Wraith, and how theyd been overrun without his knowing. Could he have done things differently? Probably not. But having Hackworth here with his team running things while they fought in the field meant that next time it might go down differently.

Yes sir, said James softly, and thought he heard several people exhale in relief.

Outstanding. Serenity, you will assist James as his XO. Again, unorthodox, but it just makes sense. Were going to form five battalions out of our existing force, each led by a lieutenant colonel, and each composed of three companies led by captains. Each company will consist of three platoons, and each platoon will be led by a lieutenant and first sergeant, and consist of your crimson, ivory, and ebon squads. Thus each battalion will be around 250 operators strong, plus support staff, and First Group, as our forces here in NYC will be called, shall consist of around 1,250 operators all told.

Nods all round.

Our Area of Operation will cover the entirety of the five boroughs, as well as much of the New Jersey coast along the Hudson. Each battalion will be assigned a Burrough as their Area of Responsibility, with each Lt. Colonel acting as that sectors commander. The battalion responsible for Staten Island will also oversee the Jersey coastline, but once we recruit and train enough new members to form a sixth battalion, Jersey will become its AR.

Its come to light that a large number of our operators have developed new powers, and that some of these are game changers. Captain Stokes will work with Major Duffy to optimize our battalion composition so as to take full advantage of these new powers. With three companies per battalion, it would be best if two were saber, and the third support.

Hackworth frowned down at the map before him. But as I said at the beginning of this meeting, its not enough to hone our existing operators into peak lethality. Stokes, how many Nem2s does it take for Supplicant 9 to reach Novitiate 1?

Star Boy sat forward abruptly and tapped on his laptop. Ah, it was about 2,441, sir.

And to progress to Novitiate 2?

That would be just over 6,000.

Whereas 6,000 Nem2s is enough to bring 100 or so Mendicant 5s up to Supplicant 5. That is why Im formalizing a Second Group with a parallel structure composed of our military men and women who wish to benefit from what weve learned here and close the gap as quickly as possible. This Second Group will also be 1,250 strong and will be integrated into First Groups operations so as to benefit from their strength and expertise. My XO and Captain OBrien, my S1, will work on organizing Third Group, and will open it to applications from other service members. My goal is to eventually have four groups operation in the city, and to have this be the model that can be duplicated across the nation.

Toward that end, we will use the remaining Nem2s from the first waves at the live hives as training and leveling for Group 2, and once every hive is cleared, will focus our second week before the arrival of Nem3 on getting other Blue Light forces up and running across the country. That will mean a tour of nascent forces on the part of our leadership here, with a focus on Kellys outsized impact on morale and recruitment.

The nods now were more hesitant.

James raised his hand. Sir, is that wise? Pulling me off the streets? Im only Novitiate Level 1. We dont know if thatll be enough for Nem3.

Its as I said, Kelly. Hackworths expression turned grim. Its mission failure to protect New York if the rest of the nation burns. We must establish as many other Blue Light groups as possible if were to stop this tide. Weve seen some good initiative taking hold in Chicago, Portland, and Houston, and Atlanta, but thats not enough. New York has taken the lead in terms of organization, ranking, and military recognition. Now its incumbent upon us to export this model to help as many others duplicate our successes.

James nodded reluctantly. Yes sir.

Good. Each of you has a lot on their plate. Captain Stokes, I want you to review the intel youve received from our new Novitiates on their powers, and to prepare a group presentation for this evening. We cannot plan if we do not know what were capable of. I want as thorough an overview as you can give.

Yes sir, said Star Boy smartly. Im great at presentations. Really good. Plus, Ive already been compiling data. Theres a lot to cover, but its all good stuff.

Excellent, said Hackworth, then gave them all a charming, crooked smile. We have to accomplish in days what takes most battalions a year. We must forge a fighting force out of a group of heroic individuals, graft military hierarchy and order onto what has thus far been a successful militia and do so in a manner that calls to our better selves and allows Blue Light to shine forth as a beacon of hope across the country. God knows it needs one. I want to speak with each of you individually before Stokess presentation, and for you to use the next few hours to get to know each other and prepare for whats to come. Clear? Then dismissed.