Phoenix Rising

Chapter Three: A Day Full of Surprises

Phoenix Rising

Chapter Three
A Day Full Of Surprises

September 6, 2214
9am
Earth Defense Force Headquarters

    “On this, my last day of service to the Earth Defense Forces, my thoughts are of the long and distinguished line of officers who served under me, to whom I owe the credit for our greatest triumphs.” General Charles Singleton knew that those in the room were barely listening to his speech and just waiting for him to retire so they could run the Earth Defense Force without his interference anymore.  The retiring supreme commander of all Earth’s forces looked around the room and had to fight not to bring up the pleasant breakfast he had ate with his daughter Wendy earlier that morning.  She was waiting in the wings, along with the retired Captain Derek Wildstar.  It was that thought that settled his stomach down enough for him to continue.

    “Avatar, Stone, Gideon, Yamanami, Mizutani, the Wildstars…those names are justly famous and will live on long after mine is forgotten!”  Singleton knew he had been a more than capable commanding officer, but he had to admit that, when compared to those he had named, he felt less of a man.  Captain Abraham Avatar, who had led the mission to Iscandar fifteen years before and died just before they could land back on Earth after the yearlong journey, had been a long time friend and drinking partner at the pub near EDF HQ.  Smiley’s was still open, but he hadn’t been able to go back in there for a pint of Guinness ever since his friend’s passing.

    Brigadier General Thomas Stone was retiring with Singleton, but he wasn’t there.  He had volunteered to stay at the office to make sure that some of Singleton’s most private files didn’t find their way into the hands of those that Singleton didn’t want to see such information.  They used to be adversaries, but, ever since the defeat of the Comet Empire, they had become closer.   Stone had been all for stopping the Star Force from taking the Yamato when the EDF Council disregarded the distress signal that they had received.  If Singleton hadn’t stood in Stone’s way…

    “They were men of spirit and conviction.  And gentlemen, I am sad to say that their line ends with you!” Singleton knew what he was about to say was going to cause a scene, but he didn’t care.  The truth needed to be shoved down these do-nothing bureaucrats that the president, in his supposedly infinite wisdom, had appointed to the EDF Council.  And, since Singleton was going to go out with his rank intact, he decided to go out with thunder and lightening. 

    “The Gamilon War galvanized the Interspace Committee into the EDF.  The five years of fire honed it into the greatest force in all of Earth’s history, and the years since have a pack of stagnant, ambivalent, short-sighted bureaucrats who can’t see past the status quo!” 

    “How dare you, sir!” yapped General Didier Beauchamps, and Singleton smiled.  Beauchamps was a bureaucrats’ bureaucrat, who loved to tell those military personnel he considered beneath him exactly what kind of lower life form they were.  They had never gotten along in all their years in the military, and Singleton knew of some of Beauchamps’ constant critiques of his command, despite being always properly polite and orderly in front of his CO. 

    “HOW DARE YOU, SIR!!!” Singleton roared at Beauchamps, who put up a hand instinctively I defense of the verbal onslaught.  “You carped and complained about wasting resources, when all you have done is hinder us in keeping up our military forces to a level to meet the kind of threats we might face in the future!”

    “We have no enemies in this galaxy, sir, so why waste resources when we won’t need them?”  Beauchamps retorted, albeit weakly.

    He would have done better if he’d kept his mouth shut!, thought Singleton as he replied, “Did it ever occur to you that the Comet Empire came from outside our galaxy?  And what about the Dark Nebulans?  And how about the Dinguil?  Need I go on?”