Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between (3 page)

The Vice Chief of Operations, Vice Admiral Charles Brooks took over. “Sir, we can assemble a combined fleet to take back the sector, with an attack to split them in three and defeat them in detail. The plan relies on our new disruptor cannons and our new long-range attack ships.”

The CFO held up his hand and said, “Stop! We are not going to just take back the Eridanus sector. We are taking the war to the K’Rang. We will conduct an attack into the K’Rang Empire and force the K’Rang to pull out of the Eridanus sector to meet us in K’Rang space. I’m tired of always fighting on our turf. It’s time for them to see war visited on their worlds. You two get your staffs together and get me a plan by next Friday. Andrea, get me an appointment with Tom Craddock. There’s an idea he threw at me once that I want to talk to him about.”

* * * * *

Major Mary Chen, all 1.7 meters of her, had four much taller company commanders with their heels firmly locked in rigid attention. “I gave you until 1200 to get your vehicles ready for inspection, then I find two or more major deficiencies per vehicle. I conducted the inspection at 1200 because you asked me to do it early so the Marines who worked so hard on the vehicles could be released for the weekend. If that’s how you want to play this game, you can stand the inspection again on
my
schedule. I’ll be back here at 2400 to re-inspect the vehicles.
You
can explain to your Marines why they’re working late on a Friday!”

She stomped back to the battalion HQ, making no effort to keep to herself the fact that she was pissed. Her boss, Lieutenant Colonel Frank McGuire, called her into his office.

“What’s up, XO? I guess the inspection didn’t go all that well.”

She took a slow, deep breath and began reading down her list of deficiencies. He stopped her after the fifth vehicle.

“How many vehicles had deficiencies and are those typical?”

“All of them, sir, and these are typical. I didn’t nit pick. I focused on major deficiencies that could cause casualties in combat. How are they going to do when we start combat loading these vehicles?”

“What are you doing about it?”

“I’m re-inspecting them at 2400. I’d like the Sergeant Major to drop by. Some of this is poor NCO leadership. He might want to weigh in.”

“Okay, XO, this is your show. Tell the Sergeant Major I said okay. He’d do it anyway. Let me know how it comes out.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

Mary left the CO’s office and wondered why she ever left Special Ops.

* * * * *

Major Angie Shappelle, XO of the 35th Fighter Squadron, the Daredevils, popped the hatch on her F-53 and taxied into position according to her crew chief’s directions. His arms crossed and she locked the brakes and parked. As she waited for the boarding ladder, she unbuckled her harness, pulled off her helmet, and stuffed it into her helmet bag. Her tech sergeant helped her out and stayed behind. Angie moved out smartly to work out the kinks in her legs. She stopped in flight equipment to shuck out of her flight gear and her survival vest, and walked to the squadron HQ, as she had been directed on approach.

She knocked on the squadron commander’s door and was told to enter and close the door behind her.

He pointed at a chair and said, “Sit down, Angie.”

Angie, instantly suspicious, said, “What’s up, sir?”

“So many times in this job I have to give people bad news, this is one time I get to tell someone some good news.”

“What is it, sir?”

“Angie, you’ll get the official notification tomorrow and the General will want to see you later, but he’s authorized me to inform you that you've been selected below the zone for Lieutenant Colonel. In addition, you have been selected for the command list. You’ll be promoted in three months and the next F-53 squadron that comes open is yours. That will probably be the 68th when Joe Banks leaves for the Fleet War College. By June, you’ll be in command. Congratulations!”

Angie sat stunned as the CO came around his desk to shake her hand. She couldn’t believe it, promotion, command – and of the Fighting 68th. She wondered if they still had that ugly red hat.

* * * * *

Major Mary Chen’s 2400 hours inspection went much better than her earlier inspection. She had the company commanders’ attention now. She found a large number of vehicles with no major or minor deficiencies. She was happy. The Marines weren’t. She called them all together after her inspection and addressed them.

“Listen up! A number of you are wondering why this was necessary. Why are you standing in the motor pool, instead of at home with your family or at a bar with a likely hook-up? Well, you don’t get any chance to do things over in combat. You have to be ready to go at any time. This unit was not ready at 1200. It is closer to ready now at 0100, but we still have a way to go. We’ll get there. Company commanders, take charge of your companies.”

The sergeant major had shown up, but stood aside and let her do her thing. He came up to her as she was walking back to the HQ. He saluted and said, “Good morning, ma’am. That was a nice show you put on tonight. You got their attention and shouldn’t have similar problems in the future. I’ll talk to the first sergeants about NCO leadership at my noon meeting on Monday. I agree there’s a problem there. You took care of the commanders and other officers. I’ll take care of the NCOs.”

“Thank you, Sergeant Major, it went much easier with you looking on.”

The sergeant major stopped, causing Mary to stop. “Ma’am, you didn’t need me there. You had their undivided attention because you and your standards were between them and being anywhere else. Now they know you ain’t bullshittin’ when you tell them what you expect of them. They know you will take your own time and theirs to make them better.”

“One other thing you need to know, ma’am. I knew your old man. I was in his unit when he won that Medal of Honor. In fact, I’m one of the marines he died saving. Ma’am, your father would be damned proud of you.”

“Thank you, Sergeant Major, that means a lot.”

“My pleasure, ma’am, you have a good morning, what’s left of it.” He saluted and left her.

Major Mary Chen was tired, but 1st Battalion, 22nd Marines (Heavy) were better than they had been at 1200.

 
Chapter Two
 

 Admiral Tom Craddock, Director of the Republic Intelligence Agency, met Admiral Chang in the anteroom and escorted him into his office. They were two old friends at the pinnacle of their careers – confident and no-nonsense.

“Come in and sit down, Sam. Do you want some coffee? How are Maggie and the kids? I don’t think we’ve seen them since we were in the 4th Fleet together.”

“Mary is married now and has two kids. Chuck is still single and serving as gunnery officer on the Reliant under Bill Reynolds. How is your girl? Any grandkids yet?”

“No, no grandkids yet. She’s senior civilian JAG at Antares Base. There’s a guy that she’s sweet on, but no ring yet.”

Admiral Chang set his coffee cup down and got to the point.

“Tom, what the hell happened in the Eridanus sector? How could the K’Rang have pulled one over on us like this? I lost an entire task force to a fleet we didn’t know existed, a fleet that is now picketing the boundary of the Eridanus sector. Now they have enough ships in that sector that taking it back will be bloody and too costly.”

“Tom, I want to hurt the K’Rang for what they’ve done in the Eridanus sector. I think it’s time for that idea you pitched to me in March.”

Tom Craddock scratched his chin and said, “Sam, we’ve wanted to make contact with the race beyond the K’Rang ever since we learned about them. We just never had the means. Now I think we have the means. What would you say to a frigate-sized ship capable of FTL power 7?”

Admiral Chang picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said, “I’d say I’ll take a hundred.”

“Well, I only have one and it’s not quite complete yet. I had it built for other purposes, but what you suggest is a better use of its capabilities.”

“You say it’s not complete. What does it need?”

“It has everything but guns and a ring. I wanted to put the new disruptor guns on her, but the Bureau of Ships has the entire production line spoken for.”

“What does it need, Tom? How many guns?”

“It needs three medium turret guns and three medium fixed guns. We designed her to have the same gun mount dimensions as particle beam turrets and fixed rail guns. The disruptors should be a perfect fit.”

Admiral Chang put his coffee cup down and leaned forward. “I may be able to help you out, Tom. We have a new production line up and running and I haven’t decided what ships to change out yet. I can get you your six guns. Now, how did the K’Rang steal a march on us like they did?”

Tom Craddock sat down close, next to Admiral Chang and said quietly, “Sam, about five years ago we rolled up almost the entire K’Rang agent network in GR space. In retribution, they did the same to us. Most agents we didn’t lose went to ground. We’ve been almost blind inside the K’Rang Empire since. They built this new capability fleet on the far side of the Empire. We had only rumors they were up to something, but we never knew what. Our analysts thought they were developing new systems to upgrade their entire fleet, not build a whole new fleet of ships.”

Chang leaned back and crossed his legs. “Well, what’s done is done. Have you got a good captain in mind for this super ship? I can send over a list.”

Craddock waved him off and said, “No, I have just the right person in mind for this ship – if he’ll accept the job. I think he will.”

* * * * *

Rear Admiral Sue Thomas, Chief of Legislative Liaison, entered the main conference room and the assembled personnel came to attention. She took three steps into the room, told everyone to take seats, then walked to the front and joined Kelly in front of the Galactic Republic flag.

“Kelly, are you ready for this?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Admiral Thomas said, “Yeoman, publish the order.”

The Yeoman stepped up to the podium and said, “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 the rank of Commander, with date of rank of 2328.09.01(Earth), signed, Cyril Mason, Captain, Fleet Secretary.”

Kelly removed his coat and a yeoman handed him another, with three full stripes on the sleeve.

The admiral shook his hand, turned to the audience and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Commander Kelly Blake.”

The room broke out into applause and everyone jumped up to be first in line to shake his hand.

The admiral asked him to stop by her office after all the glad handing was done.

Thirty minutes later, Kelly was escorted into Admiral Thomas’ office. She motioned him to a chair.

“Kelly, first, Admiral Craddock sends his regrets. He wanted to be here, but the Senate had other plans for him. Second, I have your orders. You are to report to Antares Base within three weeks. See my yeoman on the way out. He’ll flash it to your pocket terminal. I want to thank you for your wonderful service here these last three years. I know this has not been a dream assignment for you, but you performed admirably. Three Defense bills with increases in our budget all three years. We’ve made up for that disastrous budget cut we took in 2324. Ships are being upgraded, other ships are coming out of mothballs. New weapons on new ships. We have the means to take back the Eridanus sector. All of this is partly a result of your presence on my staff. No, I’m not exaggerating. You have a knack for this job – and not just because of your uncle. You’ve done a great service to the Republic.”

Kelly replied, “Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate the sentiment. It’s been a real learning experience here these last three years. I appreciate the guidance and mentorship you’ve given me. Aren’t you coming up for reassignment soon?”

“Yes, I hope to get a fleet, but haven’t heard anything definite. There’s talk of forming a fleet or two from the mothballed ships at Glenn. I might get a full battle fleet with a Bolivar class carrier as a flagship.”

“Well, I hope you do, ma’am. I have some things to pass to Lieutenant Commander Gold for this afternoon’s commitee hearings. I should get on that.”

Admiral Thomas walked him to the door and shook his hand again as he left. Commander Blake received his orders and went to his office to start closing out actions. It would be another late night.

* * * * *

Candy Craddock sat at her desk, reviewing contract proposals. Ever since the K’Rang invasion, contract money was falling out of the sky. Antares Base was booming. Two squadrons of scout ships were brought out of mothballs and retrofited with the new disruptor guns. Practically every assault landing ship in the Fleet was being brought in for fitting with new guns and mini-rings. Logistics was simplified by providing a small transporter ring for each major combatant. Logistics today was no more than literally walking requisitions through to a supply base and pushing those supplies through the ring onto a ship.

Candy was currently reviewing a set of proposals for retrofitting the rings on classes of large ships, frigates and above. Candy reviewed all three proposals and passed her legal review along to the contracting officer.

Three more of these and she sent the last packet on to the contracting officer, then called it a day. She closed her office and practically sprinted to her car, fired it up, drove out the gate and headed north out of town. When she passed the high tension lines, she climbed up to 1,000 meters and hit the autopilot. Her car took her home.

Once in her house, she stripped down and lowered herself slowly into the hot tub, feeling the day’s tensions and muscle knots fade away. Then she heard the communicator signal.

She almost let it go, but she pulled herself out of the hot tub and trudged to the communicator, dripping water all over her floor. She moved the camera up so only her face showed and hit answer. Much to her joy, it was Kelly.