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ComNet > Imperial Navy > Archived Naval Story Board > Board of Inquiry: Lehon
 
 
 
Author
Topic:  Board of Inquiry: Lehon
Atrasin
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Atrasin
 
[VE-NAVY] Lt. Commander
 
Post Number:  977
Total Posts:  1957
Joined:  Jan 2008
Status:  Offline
  Board of Inquiry: Lehon
February 23, 2010 11:14:29 AM    View the profile of Atrasin 
One Month after the Battle of Lehon…

Driver awoke to an existence of absolute pain.

Not the pain of a stubbed toe or even of a cut. No, this was the excruciating pain of being flayed alive.  The pain of your guts being twirled like so much pasta on the end of a devilish fork.  The pain of being sliced in two, smashed into an immovable surface at several times the going velocity of a survivable crash and then having your soul mate vaporized before your eyes as you fade into the ether.  It was a pain that never ends.

His surgeries had gone well enough.  The major damage was mitigated and prosthetics had been installed.  He’d been offered a top of the line model, one with synth-skin and even replicated fingerprint on the hand.  He declined. 

He wanted to look down every day and see a reminder of his arrogance and failure.  He wanted the feel of the cold steel against his body at night to remind him that he’d never feel the warmth of Yulia there again.  He wanted to hear the click of his cybernetic leg as he walked around his room at night replaying Lehon again and again.  He wanted to feel the pain of the machine as it ate away at his humanity day by day.  He wanted to suffer, and he wanted others to suffer as well.

His suffering would indeed come first.  Once he was of an ambulatory nature he had been summoned before the NHC to explain Lehon.  It was not a debriefing.  It was a full Naval Inquiry.  Denethor sat in judgment sandwiched by Shazam and Stormz.  Holos were played.  Testimony from the surviving pilots was shown.  Shazam gave a rather limited account due to his limited time on the battlefield.

His flight logs had been recovered and his SitRep logs.  He found out that Ibram had survived his battlefield execution, and been not only absolved of his crimes, but given a capital ship.

Justice is a fickle maid

Admiral Vox looked up at him from behind his tribunal desk, “Quite a debacle Mr. Atrasin.”

“That it was, sir.”

Den looked askance at the comment, “Now is not the time for you wit.  We have the logs, the testimony, and the wreckage of Phoenix Wing.  Now what I want from you is reasons.”

“I wish I could give you a good one sir, but the harsh fact is we got routed.  We went in too weak and uncoordinated.  We had divided commands; Viper under Intel, and the rest under me.  We never synced up and the Rebs hit us hard.  Throw in the faux TIE’s and they treated us like it was our first night in prison.”

Shazam retorted, “But, when you arrived on scene with the Tiamut you claimed command.  Why did you not retreat, reorganize and hit them as one?”

“I attempted it sir, but not hard enough.  The fault was mine.  I should have pulled back both Viper and Nazgul and linked them up with the rest of Phoenix, but I didn’t.  I let my Squadron commanders pick their targets and do as they saw fit.  It was a mistake that cost us dearly. “

His mind flashed to Yulia.

“Once I saw that we were getting our asses handed to us I attempted to regroup the survivors and refocus our attack.  That was when I had my incident with Lieutenant Tyrol.  He refused a legal order and in turn fired on my craft.  I gave him ample opportunity to stand down and rejoin the fight.  He refused and pressed the issue.  I ended the situation in a legal and expedient manner”

Stormz snorted, “Expedient! You shot down your senior Squadron Commander in battle in front of his squadron!  Legal or not, that was not the way it should have been done.”

“With all due respect Lieutenant, you weren’t there.  We were getting pasted. We need Viper to get back into the fray immediately.  Lieutenant Tyrol sought to remove himself and nearly a quarter of our assets from the field.  It could not be allowed.  Do I regret it: no?  Do I wish that it could have played out differently: yes?  Would I do it again if the situation was the same: YES?

“Would you know?” asked Vox as he leaned in.

“Aye sir, I would.  Without order and structure in battle it would have been worse.”

Again Stormz snorted, “I don’t see how it could have been worse.”

“You could have had no one to talk to.  The fact that I called for the only nearby reinforcements, The Atoran Home Fleet, BEFORE we waded into battle was the only thing that saved as much of the Wing as we did.  Frankly, Stormz I’m tired of your snide comments.  If you can do better get out from behind your schoolbooks, strap on a TIE and join us.”

The NTO looked as if he’d swallowed a gundark.  Denethor placed a hand on his arm as if to say, “not now,” and then looked at Driver, “That is quite enough Commander.  None of us are disputing the chaos of the battle…we are merely trying to divine ‘why’ It went so poorly.

“Why?  I fraked up.  I didn’t do MY job as Wing Commander.  I didn’t stand back, ascertain the proper role of the squadrons and create a unified plan of attack.  I acted like a Squadron Commander with a lot toys to play with.  I dove into a battle I should have stayed above, and then attempted to direct the action from within.  Lehon was my fault.  It was all my fault…” his voice trailed off as the visions of the Raven blossoming into a fireball replayed in his mind.

The NHC sat silently as Driver battled his personal demons.  Vox leaned back into his chair, rubbed his eyes and sighed.  He tapped in a few notes on his padd, turned to both Shazam and Stormz and nodded.

“Lt. Commander Atrasin stand to.  It is the finding of this Board of Inquiry that your actions at the Battle of Lehon were indeed negligent.  You were guilty of a dereliction of duty by failing to properly ascertain the variables of the battle and to account for them.  You were also guilty of overstepping your boundaries in regards to your actions with Lieutenant Tyrol.  A good commander knows when it’s time to let some things pass.  Finally, you are guilty of going outside of the chain of command.  While your request for backup from the Atoran Home Fleet ultimately saved the remnants of Phoenix, it should have never taken place.  This is the Vast Imperial Navy, not a warlord’s private fleet.”

Geordi nodded as each of the verdicts were read.  Every one of them was spot on.

“That being said WE also have a duty to the Vast Empire.  News of this defeat would not only crush the morale of the Empire, but embolden our enemies both New Republic and Imperial Remnant.  Therefore these findings will be entered into your service jacket and sealed.  You will retain your rank and be placed at the head of Javelin Wing.  Phoenix Wing will be ‘reassigned’ to a very deep, very dark portion of the Vast Empire for an ‘unspecified assignment’.  The surviving members of Phoenix will be rotated into Javelin quietly and Lehon will never be mentioned again.”

Driver stood in silent shock, “But, but what of my pilots who died there?  Do we write them off as well?”

Denethor fixed Atrasin with his signature scowl, “They are MY pilots Commander, do well to remember that.  They will not be forgotten, they also will not be lauded.  They lost. And with defeat comes a stain.  A stain this Navy and this government can ill afford.  This matter is closed.”

“But…”

“MR. ATRASIN I SAID THIS MATTER IS CLOSED! These orders come directly from Supreme Moff Kadann.  Would you care to take it up with him? I thought not.  Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and decide to have you shot for your failure.”

The NHC rose on Denethor’s movement and left the room leaving a confused and somewhat angry Driver alone with his thoughts.  He knew he was lucky to still be breathing let alone in command of a new wing, but something still didn’t feel right.  He couldn’t just ‘forget’ about Lehon.  The planet was still under Rebel sway and the VE needed what was there.  He also needed closure.  He needed to purge his failure from his soul.  He needed revenge. 
He turned and left the hearing room and returned to his quarters.  He found a new set of duty and dress uniforms waiting for him along with a new flight suit.  The flight suit had his name, rank and the appropriate badges for Javelin Wing.  His desk comm also flashed a waiting message.

To: LCM Geordi Atrasin
Fr: RADM Kam Vox
Re: Javelin Wing

Commander, due to Phoenix Wing’s reassignment in the Outer Regions you are being reassigned to Javelin Wing as its Wing Commander. In this role you will also assume command of the Corvette Taskmaster.  This assignment is effective immediately and permanent.  Report to the Chief of the Deck for transport to your new command by 07:00 tomorrow.  Good luck and happy hunting.


And so the charade began.  Driver would play the game, only because he knew he had no choice.  What he did have a choice on was how this Wing would function.  No more ‘wait and see’.  No more ‘don’t fire first’. 

We are IMPERIALS and it’s time we started acting like it

He grabbed his satchel and jammed the uniforms and his few personal belongings in it.  Exiting the room he made his way to the main Hanger Bay and reported to the Chief.

The puzzled noncom scratched his head, “You’re not due to ship out till tomorrow, Commander.”

“I know Chief, I’m just eager to get going again.”

The Chief nodded his balding head, “I understand sir, but I don’t have a shuttle ready to take you to the Taskmaster right now.”

“Do you have any spare fighters handy?”

“Just that Hawkbat over there, but that’s waiting to be delivered to Academy for training purposes.”

Driver eyed the sleek fighter, “Put it on my tab and tell the Academy it got backordered…and put a little something on there for yourself.”

Geordi winked at the Chief who immediately caught his drift, “Yes sir, shame how those procurements get all fraked up.  You have a safe flight now.”

G smiled.  This Empire was the same as the Old Empire and the next one will be the same as this one.  He slung himself into the cockpit.  It was similar enough to his Avenger that he didn’t need help firing her up.  If he had to take it into battle between the Atrus and the Taskmaster, that would be…problematic.

The ship lifted off the deck and soared through the magnetic containment field into open space.  The Taskmaster lay off the starboard stern of the giant craft and was literally a stone’s throw away.  He coded himself into the fighter during the two and a half minute flight and lightly touched down in her cargo hold. 

Popping the hatch he was greeted by a shout of ‘Captain on Deck’ and a myriad of salutes.  He made them hold it until he clanged down on the cold steel deck.
Saluting the Deck Chief he asked, “Permission to come aboard?”

“Permission granted. Welcome aboard Commander. We weren’t expecting you till tomorrow.” He stated with all the worry he had in him.

“That’s OK Chief, I wanted to get a look at her and get the feel of deck plates under my heels again.  She looks trim.  Your crew did a bang up job on my arrival, you are to be commended.  Please have them make ready for a jump to Ator.”

The now beaming Chief nodded and saluted, “Aye aye sir.” And scurried off to begin the prep for the jump.

Driver made his way to the bridge.  News traveled fast aboard a ship, the bridge crew was not taken by surprise like the deck was.

He stepped off the turbo and was immediately greeted by the XO.

“2nd Lieutenant Jan Targus reporting, sir.” The youngster saluted, his hand visibly trembling.

“Lieutenant.  Lieutenant I have very few rules. Learn them and you will do fine, choose not to and I cannot vouch for your career.  One: do as I say the first time.  Caveat: if I’m wrong…tell me.  Two:  make sure you’re right.  Now, I want you to lay in a course for Ator, best speed.  We’re going to see a man about some upgrades.” his voiced trailed as he walked away from the young officer

“Aye sir”

The Taskmaster heeled about and winked out of sight.

OOC:
this is a one-off to fill in the 'official' reason for all of our sudden apperance in Javelin. 2140 words
WC|CO|LCM Geordi "Driver" Atrasin/CVT Taskmaster/A-1/W:1"Javelin"/mSSD Atrus/TF:A/1Flt /SFC/VEN/VE[=A=][=^SA^=][=^ME^=][=*MA*=][=FOCE=][MC1]{BWC}[NSR:1]{SAS}{SWC}
Vacuus Ordo, Nex  -Without Order, Death
All a man can betray is his conscience. - Joseph Conrad
We few, we happy few. We band of brothers. - Henry V
May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - General George S. Patton Jr.
[This message has been edited by Atrasin (edited February 23, 2010 11:15:47 AM)]
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