* * * *
As prearranged, Tyler and the Admiral’s staff met for lunch to debrief the morning information. The meeting was held in private conference rooms that were part of the Supreme Commander’s suites. As usual, the kitchen staff provided a fabulous meal served hot and quick.
Lunch was two hours long, and they had much to cover in that short timeframe. Marshall Sliss led the debriefing, assigning responsibility to lower staff members for many of the agenda items. There were two major priorities they needed to move on: the readiness of new equipment certification and the supply chain problem.
One of the staff members reported they’d already been contacted by Vice Admiral Teesen’s staff to resolve the supply chain problems. Tyler listened intently as the person reported the conversation. Officer Slaas was a very reliable and able member of Admiral Osloo’s staff, and she dutifully reported the incident without embellishments. When finished, she waited patiently for questions and instructions.
Marshall Sliss jumped in. “Okay, we have to work with them on this, but here is how it will go. I will talk with Marshall Siitoo to bring him in on our plan. At no time should anyone in the Vice Admiral’s staff be in charge of any aspect of this issue. However, we will involve them as we dictate, creating an illusion they are in charge. Between us and Marshall Siitoo, we can force Teesen’s staff out of the picture by illuminating their ignorance.”
“But, sir,” Officer Slaas rebutted, “Vice Admiral Teesen has a staff member who will surely be put on this, and he knows as much about our supply chain as anyone in this room.” Realizing her mistake, she quickly backpedaled. “My apologies, Admiral, as much as any of us.”
Tyler gave her a reassuring smile and affirming nod. “Apology accepted, Officer Slaas.” He scanned the room. “She is right, of course, I know the person she speaks of, and his knowledge is nearly as great as my own.”
He stood up and walked over to the buffet, selecting a wonderful fruit dessert he was partial to. Everyone waited patiently, looking for leadership to solve this problem.
Tyler retook his seat and placed the dessert on the table.
“All right, here is what we are going to do. The man on the Vice Admiral’s staff is Officer Tooloo Kiir, and he was once the best supply officer I had in my seventh fleet. We cannot show him up, therefore, we must recruit him to our side. Officer Kiir will know he cannot usurp responsibility for this operation from Marshall Siitoo, but he will insist on a major piece of it.”
Officer Slaas looked worried, “But, sir, how can we recruit him?”
“You’re not going to recruit him, I am.” He let them think about that before continuing. “Officer Slaas, I would like you to set up a meeting with him immediately. Tell him we are looking forward to working with him and that we want to discuss some details before we proceed with Marshall Siitoo.”
The Marshall chimed in. “Okay, make it happen, Officer Slaas!”
Tyler looked at his staff confidently. “He will be suspicious, but he will come. The Vice Admiral will insist upon it. However, they will not suspect that I will be the one meeting him. Let’s keep this confidential, it is a small battle, but they all add up over time.”
Tyler was satisfied with how he handled that crisis—if only he knew how he would recruit the officer. Vice Admiral Teesen had recruited Officer Kiir with a promotion long ago. At the time, the seventh fleet commander had not seen fit to promote the ambitious officer despite his brilliance with supply chain logistics. Admiral Osloo regretted the loss, but at the time, he’d been heavily occupied in multiple campaigns, so he rarely involved himself in such trivial matters. It wasn’t trivial anymore.
Funny how things came back to haunt you. Well maybe he could salvage the situation. At the very least, he had to try. He made a mental note to discuss it with Marshall Sliss and Marshall Siitoo. Their advice would be invaluable in dealing with the young officer.
The rest of the debriefing ran smoothly, and Tyler left feeling satisfied they made progress towards regaining power. Although they didn’t really discuss the transition, rumor had it many on the staff were meeting resistance from Vice Admiral Teesen’s camp. It was never overt, but stalls and delay seemed to be the general tactics used. Unfortunately, Tyler knew time was not on their side.