Scout Force (25 page)

      
CPT Chang and his two escorts didn’t hesitate.
 
They hit max power and had blasted to several kilometers from the scout when it lit up the black space like a supernova.
 
The blast wave rocked Angie and Kelly, but did no damage to any of the fighters in either group.

      
Angie said, “Well, that was fun.
 
Let’s go get LT Obagwe and tow him to the carrier.”

      
Kelly said, “Thank you Wanda, you saved a bunch of us just then.
 
It’s good to fly with you.”

      
“Thank you, Kelly, it’s good to fly with you, too.”

      
The two ships moved to LT Obagwe's disabled fighter and engaged their tractor beams to tow his fighter back.
 
A shuttle from the nearest frigate was dispatched to retrieve as much debris from the scout ship as they could find.

* * * * *

      
As the six fighters proceeded to the Bolivar, a data pod sped in-spiral.
 
Its laser communicator extended and transmitted the last data collected by the late K’Rang Shadow Scout Ship D’Rella.
 
The data stream sped to the waiting relay satellite.
 
The data transmission completed and the personal messages of Shadow Warriors K’Tella and M’Drek were sent out.
 
M’Drek’s message was to inform his father and clan mates that he died willingly in service to the Empire and to remember him at the reading of the M’Drella.
 
K’Tella sent a message to his Crèche mother that his sacrifice was in honor of her and she should remember his sacrifice to his crèche mates.
 
At the end of the transmission, the pod waited for acknowledgement, received it, and then self-destructed.

* * * * *

      
In-spiral of the fleet, another larger black spot in space waited.
 
Inside it was the orderly buzz of activity indicative of a military vessel.

      
A sensor crewman looked up from his screen, “I think that is the last of the data pod transmission, Captain.”

      
“The captain of the GRS Vehement, latest ship in the Valiant Class of Scout Ships, nodded at his crewman and called across the bridge, “Exec, how long will it take to shut down that K’Rang satellite in our hold?”

      
A Fleet Lieutenant, Junior Grade walked over from his console and replied, “Captain, it will take about a half hour to spin down and secure the satellite’s electronics.
 
I’m closing the hold doors now.
 
We should have normal atmosphere in there in a few minutes.”

      
“Okay, Exec, take care of it and then set course for Antares at best possible speed.”

      
The captain walked over to the sensor crewman and said, “Poor bastards, their sacrifices were for naught.
 
Did we get all the data the K’Rang ship sent since they crossed the frontier?”

      
The crewman looked up from his screen again and replied, “Yes sir, nothing got through.
 
We got it all, every last photon.”

* * * * *

Kelly discontinued his musing, shut down his terminal, and turned in.

Chapter Seven

      
The Vigilant’s return flight to Antares was uneventful.
 
The crew spent the time working on the ship.
 
Anything that could be was fine-tuned.
 
Engineering found a way to gain an extra power .4 light speed.
 
Sensors found ways to increase the sensitivity and resolution.
 
Gunnery ran simulations and qualified 70 percent of the gunners as expert.
 
Some were even better than Kelly.

      
The galley was where great advances were made.
 
Because they had stayed out longer than the 30 days they had scheduled, the galley was getting a little sparse.
 
Cookie found ways to use the remaining rations and the replicator to come up with culinary delights.
 
What could have been several days of dried rations and sandwiches became a feast as the galley crew used the replicator in ways its designers never envisioned.
 
The good thing about the replicator was that mistakes could be fed back in and tried again.
 
It was also faster than traditional cooking once the programming was complete.
 
LCDR Timmons was their most finicky customer, and even he was pleased with the results.
 
Next patrol would see a lot more replicator use.

      
The Antares system appeared on the long-range sensors, and the crew went into a hum of activity.
 
Duty uniforms were brought out of the lockers and donned.
 
Chief Watson had each section giving their areas the once over to make sure they were shipshape.
 
Chief Willis actually looked hurt at the suggestion that his engineering space could be improved.

      
Antares control cleared them into the system and they made a normal approach into Antares Base Space Port.
 
The ship landed at its assigned space and started shutting systems down.
 
The Base ground crew personnel hooked them up to shore comms, power, water, and sewage.
 
Chief Willis initiated shut down procedures on the engines.
 
LCDR Timmons called Kelly into his quarters.

      
“Exec, I want you to look at these sensor records and log entries again to make sure that we haven’t left anything out.”

      
Kelly felt that he had already done this, but if the captain wanted it done again, he would.
 
He knew that the record was important.
 
Their monitoring of the Indigo Consortium and K’Rang meeting was significant.
 
The files would be turned over to Fleet Intelligence and they would glean every last bit of information.
 
The computers on the Vigilant were good, but could not match the speed and power of the systems available to a Fleet Base like Antares.

      
Kelly realized he had been at the task for over an hour when LCDR Timmons asked if he was through and suggested they get some lunch.
 
Kelly closed down the terminal and followed the captain.

      
The ship was deserted.
 
The crew had already left for chow.
 
The ship’s galley had closed down in accordance with base regulations.
 
Petty Officer Benitez was manning the quarterdeck at the gangplank.

      
The captain said, “Benitez, you have the conn.
 
The exec and I will be going to lunch.
 
Is there anything we can bring back for you?”

      
“No sir, Cookie made me a container of coffee before he shut down the galley.
 
I’m good.”

      
“We’ll be back in about an hour.”

      
The captain headed down the gangplank and Kelly followed.
 
Kelly came to a screeching halt when he saw the entire crew in formation and waiting.
 
The captain looked back at him and said, “Fall in on my right side, mister.”

      
Kelly moved to the right side of the captain, even though the junior person generally walked on the left, and marched down the gangplank to the front of the formation where Chief Watson was standing at attention.

      
Chief Watson saluted the captain and said, “Crew all present or accounted for, sir.”

      
“Thank you, Chief.
 
Post.”

      
Chief Watson did a sharp about face and marched to the rear of the formation.

      
The captain said quietly, so only Kelly could hear, “About Face.”

      
Kelly turned and saw a crowd of people seated in the shade under the ship.
 
He saw his parents, Mrs. Craddock, Candy, Tammy, and several officers from Scout Force HQ.
 
He also saw Admiral Craddock standing there next to Petty Officer Benitez.
 
He couldn’t imagine how she beat them out of the ship.
 
Admiral Craddock and Benitez marched over to their position and came to a halt in front of LCDR Timmons.

      
LCDR Timmons saluted and said, “GRS Vigilant present, sir.
 
Officer to be promoted present.”

      
“Thank you, Captain.
 
Petty Officer Benitez, post the order, please.”

      
Petty Officer Benitez began speaking.
 
She must have been wearing a wireless microphone, because her voice boomed over the parking apron.
 
“The President has reposed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities of Kelly Pierce Blake.
 
In view of these qualities and his demonstrated potential for increased responsibility, he is therefore promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade with date of rank of 2321.07.01, signed George Montgomery, Captain, Fleet Secretary.”

      
Kelly waited for the rank to be pinned on, replacing his single gold bars with a single silver bar on each collar, but nothing happened.

      
Admiral Craddock turned to PO1 Benitez and said, “Post the second order.”

      
PO1 Benitez’s voice boomed out over the parking apron again.
 
“In accordance with Fleet Regulation 1001.2.3, Kelly Pierce Blake is authorized to assume the title and wear the uniform of a Fleet Lieutenant.  He is entitled to all the privileges of that grade except those restricted by law.  Signed Thomas C. Craddock, Rear Admiral, Scout Force, Commanding.”

      
Kelly was dumbstruck.
 
He was being promoted from the rank of Ensign to Lieutenant, Junior Grade and then frocked to full Lieutenant.
 
He would still only be paid as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, but other than that he would be a Lieutenant.

Frocking was an ancient practice, used where an officer was serving in a position above his rank.
 
Promotions were limited by law, but positions were limited only by numbers of ships.
 
The Vigilant's executive officer position was authorized for a lieutenant, but there weren’t always enough qualified lieutenants to go around.

      
The admiral and LCDR Timmons reached up and removed Kelly’s gold bars from his collar, replacing them with the twin silver bars of a Lieutenant.
 
LCDR Timmons finished first and shook his hand, “Congratulations LT Blake.”

      
The admiral finished and also shook his hand.
 
“I told you I could promise you promotion in three months.
 
Congratulations, LT Blake.
 
You’ve done a great job as exec of the Vigilant and I expect great things from you in the future.”

      
“Thank you, sir.
 
This is an unexpected honor.”

      
Admiral Craddock said, “Ladies and gentlemen, crew mates, I give you Lieutenant Kelly Blake.”
 
The audience and crew broke out in applause.

      
LCDR Timmons dismissed the crew.
 
Kelly spent the next few minutes shaking hands with dignitaries and the crew, being slapped on the back by fellow junior officers, congratulated, and saluted by Ensign Nielsen.
 
Tammy congratulated him and asked Kelly if he would pin on her rank when she was promoted to LTJG next month.
 
Of course, he agreed.
 
Tammy excused herself, as she had a flight to the southern Hemisphere in a few hours.

      
Andrew and Moira Blake came up, congratulated him, and simply beamed with pride.
 
Kelly hugged them both.
 
His mom had tears in her eyes.
 
She mentioned rather uncharitably that she wished General Bugarov could have been here to see this ceremony.

      
Candy and Mrs. Craddock came up and congratulated him.
 
Candy gave him a peck on the cheek.
 
Mrs. Craddock asked him and his parents over for dinner that evening, told them to dress casually, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

      
As the crowd dwindled away, LCDR Timmons came over and told him he was released for the day.
 
Kelly changed into casual clothes suitable for dinner that evening, and went with his parents to see their quarters.
 
The Doctors Blake were quartered on Admirals' Row.
 
They had a house slightly larger than Admiral Craddock’s house.
 
His parents were highly respected in Fleet.