Chapter 08 Securing Iserlohn

April 796 UC Iserlohn

Iserlohn Fortress

The week following the capture of the Iserlohn Fortress was busy yet filled with tedium. From ensuring the civilian population did not revolt against us to ensuring that our captured prisoners did not attempt to escape or cause trouble. Yang was recalled the very next day and with instructions from High Command to bring back both the 13th Fleet and the Defense Fleet we had captured. I assumed he along with the 13th Fleet were being recalled to be given a Hero's Return style treatment. While I was given orders to hold Iserlohn.

Which left me alone with 3,000,000 civilians and 1,000,000 soldiers to watch over with only 50,000 soldiers from the FPA to watch over both groups. With help from Ilia, I decided to offer the civilians of the station Citizenship within the Alliance. Taking advantage of an old law that encouraged Admirals to provide citizenship to any Empire citizens recently freed from it.

As for why I offered it to them was rather simple. Many of the civilians here were either family members of the soldiers who had been stationed here or had been hired contractors who were brought to Iserlohn to maintain its various and complex systems. They were also all of them, Commoners or Low Born as the Empire and High Nobles frequently referred to them. With very little freedom beyond what they were allowed by whatever High Noble owned or oversaw their holdings.

Granted, they did not all cheer or celebrate. But the mood and morale did noticeably change and lightened once the offer was made, and people began to apply for citizenship. That necessitated a lengthy background check to make sure that none of them would be spies or infiltrators. But I expected to have the entire civilian population of Iserlohn fully recognized as citizens of the Free Planets Alliance by the end of May.

Which left the next biggest hurdle. Dealing with all the captured soldiers. All the high ranking and thus likely most valuable Officers were brought back with Yang to Heniessen. Likely to be debriefed and used to gather what information could be gathered from them before being given a choice to either defect to the Alliance and aid in the fight against the Empire or face a lifetime sentence as prisoners of war. I expected that a great deal of them would be defecting soon enough. The soldiers that had been left here with me were again mostly Commoners or Low Born and even a few Low Nobles. People who either volunteered to join the military to escape their social station by performing well enough to be recognized and knighted and be considered Low Nobles or just to try and gain more recognition for their own families.

For them, things were a lot more difficult. But I am proud to say that after much discussion and investigation, I managed to convince a full 90% of the former Empire soldiers to defect. Promising them similar citizenship via service with the FPA military would ensure they did not meet nearly the same level of scrutiny that I did. Which left a far more manageable 100,000 soldiers as prisoners or war.

Which left me with managing the station and ensuring its external and internal Self Defense measures were fully operational and not moments away from triggering a self-destruct mechanism.

I was dealing with yet another stack of paperwork, both actual paperwork and digital paperwork. Because the Empire decided to be extra infuriating when it came to anything resembling a bureaucracy. When I was interrupted by a knock on my office's door.

"Enter." I called out while filling out another sheet of paper.

As for my office, I sat behind a wooden mahogany desk with a stack of paperwork on one side, a holographic computer on the other side. While the rest of my office was the opulent gold that the Empire had decided to line every inch of the Command Center of Iserlohn with. I did what I could to have the garish color covered and hidden with pictures of trees from various worlds and ships. As well as small planters with trees in them lining the wall. While in the middle of the room were couches, chairs, and a table for people to sit and discuss at.

In entered Ilia with another stack of paper. If I had not been an HR manager in my first life, I probably would have been angry with all this extra work. But as it was, I mentally acknowledged the additional paperwork I had to look forward to filling out and transcribing into digital format. So that we could do away with all the loose paperwork.

"More work for me? Go ahead and set it over there on that side of my desk." I indicated pointing to the already considerable stack of paper.

"Yes ma'am." She replied and set it down before she then stood before me.

"Anything else Lieutenant?" I asked her as I continued my work. This paperwork was not going to finish itself and I had long since learned to do paperwork and conduct a proper discussion with my subordinates.

"Yes, I think it is time you take a break Tanya." She stated firmly. With a sigh I put down my pen and looked up at her.

"I have not been in here for that long." I countered.

"You have been in your office for the last three days Tanya. I have been keeping track. You stop to rest when you absolutely need to. But you still need to come out of your office every so often. Otherwise, what are the troops going to think?" She asked.

I look from Ilia to the stack of paperwork on my desk and the additional stack she just put on my desk. If I had no more paperwork or interruptions. I could probably finish this by tomorrow if I did not stop and had plenty of coffee to keep me going. But with how infuriating the Empire was with keeping track of things. I could safely assume there would be more paperwork ahead of me.

"Alright," I say and push my chair back so I can stand up. "I will take a break." I tell her and roll my shoulders and relax the rest of my body. "Any word yet from Headquarters on when we will be receiving reinforcements?"

"Admiral Greenhill is due to arrive tomorrow with the 3rd Fleet and with new orders for you." She tells me as we both head out of my office and into the main command center.

"I take it you have already got things in hand for when the Admiral arrives. We don't want to be poor hosts for the good Admiral. After all he is a member of Naval High Command."

It was almost a fact that the High Command consisted primarily of Admirals with Fleet Admirals Sidney, Lobos and Kubersly being counted among their number since they were Fleet Admirals. I did not expect to join High Command when I received my promotion. There were likely too many people in it that were actively against me for that to be possible.

"I already have. Everything will be in order when he arrives." She replies with a nod of her head as we enter a tram and leave the Command Center to head to one of the civilian sector areas. I was letting Ilia guide me at this point, her idea of taking a break differed from my idea of taking a break and since she suggested it. I let was letting her lead.

"Any rumors on what the new orders are?" I asked her. Maybe he was bringing my relief. Someone else who could run Iserlohn in my stead. Making it easier for me to transfer somewhere else. Of course, I would need to figure out what to do with my command of the 3rd I would not be able to keep it if I did transfer. Maybe I should suggest either Gale or Bruno be considered for promotion to Vice Admiral to command it? They are both competent enough to lead it and ensure that the 3rd does not backslide any.

"No, the rumor mill is being remarkably tight lipped about the Admirals orders. Though there are grumbling from sources close to High Command that an important vote was held recently that saw a shakeup in power. No word on what exactly was being voted on or what the results are. But if Admiral Greenhill is coming, he would be the one to ask." She says as the tram comes to a stop outside the civilian sector or Iserlohn.

Stepping out of the tram I get a good look around. This was but one of several areas built to house the modest colony-sized civilian population of Iserlohn. It was all noticeably built to resemble a modern-day city able to sustain a population of 250,000 people. There were eleven other such cities built to complement the six separate command centers.

For a time, we walked in silence among the crowds taking in the sight of a city built into a station. The people did not seem to mind us and there were several other FPA soldiers intermingling with the general civilian populace as well as a few former Empire Soldiers. It was an amazing sight to see. Eventually we came to a small café to sit and enjoy a meal in a booth.

Since we were out among the civilian population we could not talk about work or anything sensitive. So instead, I decided to bring up something else.

"With the possibility of the Alliance reverting to a rebuild and recovery footing now that we have Iserlohn. What do you have in mind for the future?" I asked her.

"I still plan to serve the Alliance." She states quickly. "I will go wherever they want me to."

I offer her a smile, a career service woman. She would definitely be appreciated in whatever command she serves next. I plan to spend at least one more year in the military after I receive my promotion before I retire. I do not intend to spend my life fighting now that we have secured a means to no longer waste lives or resources.

"Just so long as you remember there is more to life than fighting and war." I offered her. "I know you will do well and go far within the Alliance military. You have been an amazing help to me. I know you will be just as amazing for your next commanding officer."

"What about you Tanya? What do you plan to do?" She asks me in return.

"Simple, something I have been planning since I was fifteen. The reason I joined the military in the first place. I am going to start a company and help rebuild the Alliance. With no need to pursue the war any further we can spend the next several decades rebuilding and recovering from our losses. Decades worth of growth and people needing jobs and profit to be made. All from the safety and security of being far behind the front lines."

She smiled and laughed lightly. "Do you think that the High Council or that High Command will so willingly embrace a rebuild and recovery phase?" She asked me. "Rumors from Heinessen and the news we are getting would suggest the opposite. If anything thanks to you and Yang. Both the people and the High Council are itching for more."

I allow a frown to settle on my face as I hear what she has to say. It was always a possibility that people would push for more war. After all the only thing worse than a battle lost is a battle won and we just scored a major important victory. I had thought that with the presence of the peace faction it was a sign people were tired of the war.

But apparently in all centuries. When a person finally gets a taste for victory after repeated defeats. They tend to want more.

"They will be making a mistake if they do." I say softly and with a tinge of disappointment.

"Well, it is just rumors at this point ma'am. I'm certain there is still time to make sure that nothing brash or irrational happens." She says in a conciliatory manner.

"Maybe Ilia, maybe." I nod and lighten a little bit. I had to hold out hope that there were normal rational people who did not want to pursue an endless war. In my first life, people had grown tired of war and actively rebelled against the thought of yet more war. While my second life saw me involved in two of the biggest wars of that alternate earth history filled with magic. Yet even then after those two bloody wars people grew tired of war and wanted peace and prosperity.

Here in my third life, I was born in the middle of yet another war. A war which we could end or at the very least step back from the brink of self-destruction. I wanted to hold out hope that the people of the Free Planets Alliance would embrace that desire for peace and to not pursue this war any longer than it need be.

I would soon learn just how wrong and purposefully blind I had made myself.

To say I was not happy to see Holland again would be a lie.

Nor was he particularly happy to see me as well.

After I had pulled him and his fleet out of the fire and near destruction at the hands of Reinhard von Lohengramm four years ago. He blamed me for the failure of his charge against Reinhard, stating that because I decided to try and steal his 'glory' that Reinhard stopped retreating and instead stood and fought. He staunchly refused to accept that he had walked into a trap that saw most of his fleet destroyed and instead blamed it on me.

Thankfully I had the backing of Vice Admiral Bewcock and Ulanhu on my side to point out that he had been an idiot who disregarded orders and ran face first into that trap and were it not for me he and his fleet would have been destroyed. Which only made the idiot double down. That he should have been allowed to die in battle instead of being demoted! The arrogant idiot would rather waste the lives of others in some vain glorious charge to death. Then admit he was wrong.

I accepted that I made mistakes. I learned from them, and I improved. Holland, in his warped mind, did not make mistakes and insisted everyone learn from him.

Which is exactly what I did. I made sure to point out to all my subordinates that Holland was not a failure. After all, only the heir to the throne of idiots could think of such a maneuver of charging an enemy and stumbling to a stop in front of them, well with their firing range. When the enemy stops retreating from them, without considering that they might have fallen for a trap.

I could only be thankful that Admiral Greenhill was present to keep the man civil.

"Admiral Greenhill." I greeted him with a salute as I met them both at the dock as the Admirals own Flagship the Aeliana docked with Iserlohn. The rest of the 3rd Fleet had come with him and were making their way to various ports in both the Northern and Southern poles.

"Vice Admiral Tanya." He returned the salute. Beside him was Holland, now a Rear Admiral. I can only assume it was thanks to Lobos that he was a Rear Admiral again. He should have been a Commodore still and stuck as a Commodore after what he pulled. But when you have one of the Fleet Admirals backing you. It is hard not to gain a promotion regardless of screw ups.

"Rear Admiral." I say acknowledging the man's presence even as he glares at me.

"Vice Admiral." He responds with venom in his voice. Though with greetings out of the way. I return my focus to the Admiral.

"If you will follow me, Admiral. I will show you the way to the main Command Center." I tell Admiral Greenhill and lead the two men. As a small procession of soldiers and staff follow us from the docks to the tram system.

Once we are on board, I give them both a light briefing on the state of the station since its capture.

"Since we captured Iserlohn. I have taken strides to convince the former soldiers of the Empire to join the Free Planets Alliance. So far out of 1,000,000 soldiers. I have managed to convince 900,000 to switch sides by promising them clemency and citizenship within the Alliance by fighting for us instead of the Empire." I tell them both.

I watch as Greenhills eyes raise up in surprise while Holland only frowns before making his disgust known.

"You gave Imperial Soldiers clemency." Holland stated with alarm his voice raising.

"You do not have to raise your voice and yes I did." I answered him.

"What madness possessed you to trust Empire turncoats!" Holland continued to raise his voice but had not fully actually shouted though he was close. Clearly, he was letting his emotions get the better of him.

"That's enough Rear Admiral Holland." Greenhill cut him off with a firm tone and a glare at the former Vice Admiral. "Vice Admiral Tanya, surely you understand how this appears, right? Never mind promising them citizenship if they serve in the Alliance military." He asks.

"I am aware that it looks bad to others. But it was either employ them giving the soldiers something to do. Or sit on an unused force of almost one million soldiers until the 3rd Fleet arrived to deliver them to a prison planet." I informed him.

"Furthermore, those soldiers are no different from you or me. They are good honest citizens who either volunteered to join the military to seek a better life or they were press ganged into service by the Empire and forced to fight. None of them were particularly loyal to Seeckt or the Empire. Which was why they surrendered once we destroyed much of their fleet and Seeckt during the Seventh Battle of Iserlohn. As for citizenship, the Alliance does make allowances for Imperial or Fezzani citizens to become full Alliance citizens by fighting in the Alliance military."

"It was either offer them a chance at citizenship via serving in the military. Or leave them imprisoned for the rest of the war, possibly their entire lives. Creating a drain on our resources by forcing more Alliance soldiers to watch over them instead of manning the front line."

Admiral Greenhill listened to me silently but seemed to concede to my reasoning and nodded his head in agreement after consideration. It was nice to have a competent superior officer who could at least see the points you were making.

"Very well. I will let Fleet Admiral Sidney handle that once I make a report." He says crossing his arms.

"I have also seen to it that the Shipyards here be ready to construct new ships. Once High Command and the High Council agree to their use." After my talk with Ilia yesterday I made the decision to ready the Shipyards. In the event either the High Council or High Command or both agreed to prolong the war.

While I hoped that the war could end or at least the waste of resources on the FPA's part. The rumors and reports held some truth to them if the High Council decided to pursue the war further. We would need another source of ship and material building capacity that was closer to the frontlines.

This seemed to get his attention. As a slight look of concern crossed his face.

"Did you receive permission from the High Council and High Command?" He asks.

"I am aware I do not have permission to start building new ships. That it requires both the High Council and High Command to approve the construction. However, without any Imperial Ships present. The yards remain unused. I simply readied them in the off chance you have orders for me to use them."

"If I did. How quickly could the Shipyards be reconfigured? And how many ships could Iserloh realistically build if it were fully supported? And did you manage to recover any Imperial blueprints and technology?" He asked me with deep interest.

"Iserlohn is not like any normal Shipyard, sir. Most Shipyards require an entire Starzone for resources and Iserlohn is no different. If we were to use Iserlohn to produce warships. It would produce far fewer than what we would get from the yards elsewhere. But it would be able to produce near anything from fighters to capital ships. As for any specifications and confidential information. We will need to be in the Command Center where I can give you the confidential information. Which I can assure you that High Command will be interested in."

"Even if its production is less than the rest of our yards within the FPA. Having yards this far forwards will play a major role in the battles to come." Greenhill stated agreeing with my assessment.

"I am sure it will Admiral." I was not blind to our need for more ships. But I was also hoping that we could avoid any further battles with the Empire or at least any more costly battles with the Empire.

"Yet as a simple Vice Admiral, I do not have the capability or allowance to use a shipyard. That would take either of the Fleet Admirals, High Command, or the High Council to approve of such use." I say and pass the headache on to someone else; it was useful on occasion to not be a part of the upper echelons.

He gives a rather reserved nod of his head in understanding. As his position within the High Command meant he would have to be a part of any future discussions about using Iserlohn. Adding yet more work for his likely overflowing plate of tasks.

The way I saw how things work, the Fleet Admirals were the Chief Officers of the various parts of the military, while the High Command was its Board of Directors, and the High Council were the majority stockholders of the company. While little old me was just a diligent branch manager who operated an important branch within that company.

Eventually we make it to the main control center after getting off the tram. Which was busy and filled with soldiers and technicians working and running things. Half of which were Imperial soldiers who had been stationed at Iserlohn and cleared by Ilia to continue working. Helping to show their new friends and allies among the Alliance how to use the stations and facilities within the command center.

I could see Holland about to explode in a tirade, I decided to head him off. "As we are still learning much about Iserlohn's many functions and utilities and with soldiers willing to assist us. Allowing us to avoid tripping the stations many extensive security features. Security that if triggered could at best lock us out of the system and at worst trigger the stations self-destruct." I tell them both and lead them over to my office.

"The Imperials actually programmed the station to self-destruct?!" Holland asked incredulously.

"It was a final failsafe. Designed to prevent the station from falling into our hands. In case any of our attempts to capture the station succeeded in allowing us to land troops on it. If the station were to fall and Empire reinforcements were too far away. The Empire decided that denying us Iserlohn was preferable to allowing us to keep it." I explained.

"So all this time…" Greenhill muttered as he rubbed his chin.

"It would not have mattered if we captured Iserlohn at all. The Imperials would have denied it to us by destroying it and anything within several Light Minutes." I nod in agreement. "With it destroyed and whatever forces we brought to try and take it destroyed. The Empire would then send a huge Invasion Fleet sometime after to try and invade us while we were weakened."

That seems to anger Holland. Especially since he had played a major role in planning the Sixth Battle of Iserlohn. A battle we lost and were forced to retreat after sustaining major losses. It would not be inaccurate to assume that a great many of our losses within the last decade seemed to stem from Holland.

"Vice Admiral," Ilia greeted as she came over to me from one of the nearby stations. "3rd Fleet has docked and refueling is underway."

"Thank you, Ilia please have Rear Admiral's Gale and Bruno, come meet with me once Admiral Greenhill and I are done. There is a lot that needs to be discussed." I asked her.

"Yes ma'am." She replies and returns to work.

As she does, I lead both of my guests into the office I have been using and usher them to sit at the table in the center where drinks and some food await. Once both Admiral Greenhill and Rear Admiral Holland are seated, I sit down at the table with them as well.

After a moment Greenhill is the first to speak as he takes out a data pad and hands it over to me. "First, I want to congratulate you on a job well done in taking Iserlohn Fortress. We've tried to take this place for the last thirty years. Vice Admiral Yang Wen-li has already received promotion and awarded command of the 13th Fleet. With your success you are to be promoted to the rank of Admiral." Yes, everything is going well. I nod my head along with him. Soon I can reassign myself to someplace quiet and far away from the front lines.

"You are also being given another assignment." What?

"As Admiral you are to be appointed Theater Commander of the Iserlohn Corridor. All Starzones from Astarte to Amritsar are now under your command. You will be responsible for maintaining control of not only the Iserlohn Fortress. But also ensuring that no other Imperial forces breach past it to endanger the Free Planets Alliance."

I could feel my hopes of a quiet reassignment or retiring any time soon be pushed far out into the future. There was no way they would let me retire so early after appointing me to such a position! If I could shout in opposition to this decision I would. But instead, I merely kept my best smile on and nodded along with what Greenhill was saying.

"Since the last Theater Commander was Admiral Pastolle. You would normally be given his Fleet to use for this task. However, with the destruction of the 4th Fleet and the subsequent induction of its survivors into the 13th Fleet. You will instead have to make use of the 3rd Fleet."

That I was able to keep my Fleet was but a hollow relief, as I would not be allowed to rest. Even if I had Iserlohn to keep the Empire from invading the Alliance. It would not take them long to find a way to counter their own station and either destroy it or retake it. Well now I guess I had my 3rd Fleet to work with as a Defense Fleet. I could only assume but if I was to use my Fleet as a Defense Fleet, I was likely to also be using the Shipyards here to repair and maintain my ships.

But Admiral Greenhill was not yet done dropping despair off at my feet.

"As you are to be Theater Commander of the Iserlohn Corridor. That puts you under direct command of Fleet Admiral Lobos. You will be answering him, instead of Fleet Admiral Sidney and since Fleet Admiral Lobos cannot always be out here in person. You will have one of his staff assistants appointed to your command." he said nodding towards Holland who briefly held a smug look on his face, before it was replaced with a scowl. As he remembered he would be working with me now.

Now I knew why he was a Rear Admiral. He was now high enough rank I could not dismiss him outright and neither could any of my subordinates. Well, I could ignore him, but his position as Lobos right hand man on the scene. Prevent me from doing so. I was going to need to find a way to work around this unnecessary attaché I was given. Especially since he made it loud and clear he despised me before. Now that he had the protection of Lobos and was now my assigned intermediary between the man. He could do and say almost anything he wanted.

Was it too late to ask for a Court Martial and ask for leniency in the shape of dismissal? I would almost prefer being fired to working with a purposefully obstinate subordinate that I could do nothing about. Almost.

I would find a way to get rid of him. It would just take time, careful planning, and maneuvering.

"Is that all?" I asked with a pleasant smile. "Here I was expecting you to have orders telling me I was to lead a headlong charge directly into the heart of the Empire and depose the Kaiser on Odin." I joked and gave a brief laugh. "It will be nice to have an easy assignment for once."

Greenhill kept a straight face and nodded slowly.

"Such a cavalier attitude is unbecoming of your position or post Admiral. It is important that Iserlohn does not fall! The Free Planets Alliance is counting on us holding this station!" Holland states loudly.

"And hold it we will. A station command, even on the front lines sounds like the easiest assignment I could have ever asked for. The only way I could have had an easier assignment was if I were assigned to Heinessen itself." I say with a shrug and a disarming smile which gets Holland to freeze briefly.