others among the top students of the graduating class were being processed out of the Academy before going on to their first assignments. She hadn't seen his Clan tattoo because she had only seen him briefly and then had only seen the right side of his face. "Acting Tactical Officer?" she thought, "This soon after graduating from the Academy? There must be a hell of a story there!"
The Admiral nodded to the Federation personnel and gave Carlisle a nother perfunctory glance. She looked around the room and said: "Somebody get me a chair."
One of the Marines scooped up the same chair that Carlisle had collapsed into a few minutes earlier and brought it across the room before helping the obviously injured Admiral sit down in it.
"I was wounded in the altercation at the Nexus," explained the Admiral, "It's not too serious, they tell me, but it sure as hell is inconvenient!" She stirred slightly in the chair, to get a little more comfortable and then scanned the faces of the assembled personnel. "I have some information that I received just this morning that I must share with all of you but first I think we'd better bring each other up to date on the current situation." She turned her attention to the Ambassador. "What's been happening out here in the Reclamation Center, Mr. Ambassador?" she asked.
The Ambassador pondered for a moment before speaking. "We have survived some very earnest attempts to kill or capture us by some very determined people, Admiral Kingston. Things are complicated considerably by the fact that I currently have almost three dozen dignitaries from the governments of twelve Santana Quadrant planets on board my ship. As you probably already know, we had to leave the Nexus station in a rather...unconventional manner, and several of them continue to insist that they have been kidnapped. The last several weeks have been...difficult."
"We copied your 'unconventional' exit from the station ," said the Admiral, "That tactic saved us from certain capture or destruction. Whose idea was that anyway? It was brilliant!"
Lieutenant Harvick looked at Carlisle.
"It was Ensign Carlisle who came up with the idea," said Harvick.
The Admiral gave Carlisle a disbelieving glare.
"I see..." was all the Admiral could say.
Behind the Admiral, where the old woman couldn't see him, young Ensign Sukamoto nodded his head slightly as though he were not surprised by the revelation.
" If I may be so bold, how has your group fared and what was the cause of your injuries, Admiral?" asked the Ambassador.
"I got banged up when the cutter we were escaping from the Nexus on jinked to avoid a pulse beam strike. That violent maneuver at over five gees was just too much for this old knee too handle. We managed to get onboard the Asimov just as we saw the Istanbul microjump out of danger. As luck would have it, the crews of the Asimov and the Xerxes had performed several joint maneuvers during the last six months and a number of them had become good friends. Out of concern for them, Captain Nesbitt offered our assistance. We managed to keep a couple of enemy destroyers at bay while we programed the microjump and instructed the Xerxes do the same. After that we covered for them again at the hyperlink zone while they macrojumped out of the system. We had a brief standoff with the destroyer that the enemy left guarding the jump point but she was no match for the Asimov . By mutual agreement, we jumped both ships to the Dalmation system. That one macrojump was all the Xerxes could manage with all the damage she'd suffered. It took us almost two weeks to cobble her back together enough so she could jump again. Meanwhile we heard about the stronghold out here in New Ceylon and we came here as soon as we could. The Xerxes won't be jumping again without some major attention. We were lucky to get her and her crew out of the Santana system at all."
"Well, we are certainly happy to see you, Admiral ," said the Ambassador, emphasizing that he too was
The Admiral nodded to the Federation personnel and gave Carlisle a nother perfunctory glance. She looked around the room and said: "Somebody get me a chair."
One of the Marines scooped up the same chair that Carlisle had collapsed into a few minutes earlier and brought it across the room before helping the obviously injured Admiral sit down in it.
"I was wounded in the altercation at the Nexus," explained the Admiral, "It's not too serious, they tell me, but it sure as hell is inconvenient!" She stirred slightly in the chair, to get a little more comfortable and then scanned the faces of the assembled personnel. "I have some information that I received just this morning that I must share with all of you but first I think we'd better bring each other up to date on the current situation." She turned her attention to the Ambassador. "What's been happening out here in the Reclamation Center, Mr. Ambassador?" she asked.
The Ambassador pondered for a moment before speaking. "We have survived some very earnest attempts to kill or capture us by some very determined people, Admiral Kingston. Things are complicated considerably by the fact that I currently have almost three dozen dignitaries from the governments of twelve Santana Quadrant planets on board my ship. As you probably already know, we had to leave the Nexus station in a rather...unconventional manner, and several of them continue to insist that they have been kidnapped. The last several weeks have been...difficult."
"We copied your 'unconventional' exit from the station ," said the Admiral, "That tactic saved us from certain capture or destruction. Whose idea was that anyway? It was brilliant!"
Lieutenant Harvick looked at Carlisle.
"It was Ensign Carlisle who came up with the idea," said Harvick.
The Admiral gave Carlisle a disbelieving glare.
"I see..." was all the Admiral could say.
Behind the Admiral, where the old woman couldn't see him, young Ensign Sukamoto nodded his head slightly as though he were not surprised by the revelation.
" If I may be so bold, how has your group fared and what was the cause of your injuries, Admiral?" asked the Ambassador.
"I got banged up when the cutter we were escaping from the Nexus on jinked to avoid a pulse beam strike. That violent maneuver at over five gees was just too much for this old knee too handle. We managed to get onboard the Asimov just as we saw the Istanbul microjump out of danger. As luck would have it, the crews of the Asimov and the Xerxes had performed several joint maneuvers during the last six months and a number of them had become good friends. Out of concern for them, Captain Nesbitt offered our assistance. We managed to keep a couple of enemy destroyers at bay while we programed the microjump and instructed the Xerxes do the same. After that we covered for them again at the hyperlink zone while they macrojumped out of the system. We had a brief standoff with the destroyer that the enemy left guarding the jump point but she was no match for the Asimov . By mutual agreement, we jumped both ships to the Dalmation system. That one macrojump was all the Xerxes could manage with all the damage she'd suffered. It took us almost two weeks to cobble her back together enough so she could jump again. Meanwhile we heard about the stronghold out here in New Ceylon and we came here as soon as we could. The Xerxes won't be jumping again without some major attention. We were lucky to get her and her crew out of the Santana system at all."
"Well, we are certainly happy to see you, Admiral ," said the Ambassador, emphasizing that he too was
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