Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between by Rodney Smith Page B
Authors: Rodney Smith
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pilot.
“Tammy, when and why did you switch to heavy attack? You had a nice safe, cushy rear echelon job.”
Tammy shrugged, “I guess I got bored. I wanted to get into the fight.”
“You’ll get into the fight all right. Those K’Rang ships would have caught you today if we hadn’t surprised them. They would have been on you in five minutes.”
“They were on us yesterday, Angie. Why do you think there were only 24 today? And did you notice something today? The K’Rang fighters didn’t fire any missiles. They didn’t yesterday either. We have stealth coating, which may make it difficult to get a missile lock on us, but your F-53's sure don’t. Why do you suppose they’re holding their fire?”
* * * * *
His senior aviation advisor stood before Shadow Force Commander (Baron) J’Kol and literally shook with rage. He struggled to contain his anger as he waited for the Armada Commander to acknowledge his presence. Finally, Baron J’Kol looked up from what he was reading.
“Explain to me why I have no T’Pok attack ships, Shadow Leader?”
“As I explained two days ago, Armada Commander, the missiles in our supply depot are not compatible with the T’Pok attack ship. We were told we would not get T’Pok ships, so we could not stock for them. It would have been best if we had waited until we had the proper munitions. We have a supply of the proper missiles inbound. They will be here tomorrow.”
“Why were their guns not sufficient to take on these large attack ships?”
“Sir, we did do well against the large ships yesterday. We attacked within their formations and destroyed seven of their ships, but their massed fire and a new type of gun that causes massive damage drove us off after we lost twelve ships. If they had gone in with the proper missiles, the Human ships would never have made it back to their base. We may have been able to save those two frigates.”
Unfazed or unaware of the staff officer’s anger with him, J’Kol pondered for a moment and stated, “Shadow Leader, we learn from our mistakes. You say we will have the proper missiles tomorrow. I have a message here that says we will have thirty-six more T’Pok tomorrow. Let us see if we can discourage future attacks against our pickets.”
* * * * *
Kelly accompanied Admiral Craddock to the yards on Leonov, to visit his new ship and accept it into the Fleet for Scout Force. Kelly would be bringing it to Antares Base in a week. First, he and Admiral Hasselrode would put the ship through its space trials and formal Fleet acceptance. A yard crew and some of the 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted would take her through her paces. The former 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted would then crew her for the passage to Antares Base.
Kelly sat back in the executive transport and tried not to notice Admiral Hasselrode glaring at him. Admiral Minacci had said before take off that Kelly could cherry pick 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted for his crew and Admiral Hasselrode was not pleased. It was not Kelly’s idea.
Kelly read through data sheet after data sheet on the hour-long flight, trying to get a handle on the main technology of the Orion. He tried to focus on the technology that was new to him, but even that was daunting. In exasperation, he brought up the crew manifest. He would have ten officers, including himself: an XO, an engineering officer, a junior engineering officer, a weapons officer, a junior weapons officer, an operations officer, a junior operations officer, a supply officer, and a junior supply officer. That meant one commander (him), five lieutenant commanders, and four lieutenants to run the Orion. He would have one Master Chief Petty Officer, nine chiefs of various ratings and 130 enlisted. That was three times larger than the manning of the Vigilant, his old ship.
Armament was three fast tracking medium turrets outfitted with the new disruptor cannons and three medium disruptor
“Tammy, when and why did you switch to heavy attack? You had a nice safe, cushy rear echelon job.”
Tammy shrugged, “I guess I got bored. I wanted to get into the fight.”
“You’ll get into the fight all right. Those K’Rang ships would have caught you today if we hadn’t surprised them. They would have been on you in five minutes.”
“They were on us yesterday, Angie. Why do you think there were only 24 today? And did you notice something today? The K’Rang fighters didn’t fire any missiles. They didn’t yesterday either. We have stealth coating, which may make it difficult to get a missile lock on us, but your F-53's sure don’t. Why do you suppose they’re holding their fire?”
* * * * *
His senior aviation advisor stood before Shadow Force Commander (Baron) J’Kol and literally shook with rage. He struggled to contain his anger as he waited for the Armada Commander to acknowledge his presence. Finally, Baron J’Kol looked up from what he was reading.
“Explain to me why I have no T’Pok attack ships, Shadow Leader?”
“As I explained two days ago, Armada Commander, the missiles in our supply depot are not compatible with the T’Pok attack ship. We were told we would not get T’Pok ships, so we could not stock for them. It would have been best if we had waited until we had the proper munitions. We have a supply of the proper missiles inbound. They will be here tomorrow.”
“Why were their guns not sufficient to take on these large attack ships?”
“Sir, we did do well against the large ships yesterday. We attacked within their formations and destroyed seven of their ships, but their massed fire and a new type of gun that causes massive damage drove us off after we lost twelve ships. If they had gone in with the proper missiles, the Human ships would never have made it back to their base. We may have been able to save those two frigates.”
Unfazed or unaware of the staff officer’s anger with him, J’Kol pondered for a moment and stated, “Shadow Leader, we learn from our mistakes. You say we will have the proper missiles tomorrow. I have a message here that says we will have thirty-six more T’Pok tomorrow. Let us see if we can discourage future attacks against our pickets.”
* * * * *
Kelly accompanied Admiral Craddock to the yards on Leonov, to visit his new ship and accept it into the Fleet for Scout Force. Kelly would be bringing it to Antares Base in a week. First, he and Admiral Hasselrode would put the ship through its space trials and formal Fleet acceptance. A yard crew and some of the 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted would take her through her paces. The former 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted would then crew her for the passage to Antares Base.
Kelly sat back in the executive transport and tried not to notice Admiral Hasselrode glaring at him. Admiral Minacci had said before take off that Kelly could cherry pick 1st Scout Division officers and enlisted for his crew and Admiral Hasselrode was not pleased. It was not Kelly’s idea.
Kelly read through data sheet after data sheet on the hour-long flight, trying to get a handle on the main technology of the Orion. He tried to focus on the technology that was new to him, but even that was daunting. In exasperation, he brought up the crew manifest. He would have ten officers, including himself: an XO, an engineering officer, a junior engineering officer, a weapons officer, a junior weapons officer, an operations officer, a junior operations officer, a supply officer, and a junior supply officer. That meant one commander (him), five lieutenant commanders, and four lieutenants to run the Orion. He would have one Master Chief Petty Officer, nine chiefs of various ratings and 130 enlisted. That was three times larger than the manning of the Vigilant, his old ship.
Armament was three fast tracking medium turrets outfitted with the new disruptor cannons and three medium disruptor
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