“There are old commanders, and there are bold commanders, but there are no old bold commanders.” - modified Pre Diasporan quote.

 

Given our… difference in hardware levels, one has to be bold to dare to do anything offensive against the Manties, with their hardware advantage. But, I’ve got not one, but a pair of aces up my sleeve, that they don’t know about.

 

First, is the new missile pods. While they’ve been used a little bit in the fighting around Trevor’s Star, Intel says the Manties still don’t know we have them. It’ll be nice to finally strike back, even though it comes with the chance we’ll go out faster. But, if we go out, at least we went out in a blaze of glory.

 

Second, and what seems to me like at least as promising of a long term asset, is my new ops officer. Despite having gotten herself captured, she’s a witch at that tac console. I don’t regret trying for a politically incorrect, but tactically savvy ops officer. If I had the political ability to do so, without either of us being shot for treason, I’d be considering her for an independent command, and outright grooming for flag rank. But, I don’t, so, instead Shannon’s my ops officer. 

 

I’ve been coaxing the stories out of her, slowly, one at a time, as she learns to actually trust me, and I’m glad I got her, given that if I didn’t, she’d more likely than not, be stuck in a shore base with a shitty People’s Commissioner who’d try to grope her. At least her capture has mainly just made her more eager to strike back, instead of breaking her wild side into a timid conservative officer, like so many others, from past wars and historical records.  Although, I do need to desensitize her to looking scared the moment I walk into a room.

 

I also know better than to press her on certain subjects, as she’ll start hyperventilating, trembling a bit (I know she’s trying to mask it away, but I’ve seen it enough to know what’s really happening), and the next day, drinking more coffee (she seems to be haunted by stuff sometimes, and not really sleeping, despite claiming to be fine). 

 

It’s time to charge into things. We’ll be leaving for Adler in a few hours. It’s time to strike back.