Read Online Auberon (The Jessica Keller Chronicles Book 1) by Blaze Ward - Free Book Online
Authors: Blaze Ward
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ready. I expect second hop to end in fifty–five minutes.”
Jessica watched a message begin to scroll across the bottom of the main viewscreen. Flight Deck green and green. Two crews ready for emergency launch at first emergence. Iskra
Jessica nodded. Exactly by the book. It was a shame the book wasn’t going to be worth much in a few days. If she was lucky.
She watched Tamara open the first envelope and read the contents. Her black hair was just long enough to move as she looked down. It bobbed as she re–read the entire letter and then glanced up at Jessica with one arched eyebrow that melted into an evil grin after a moment.
Jessica nearly giggled with delight. This wasn’t Brightoak’s crew, but they were damned good.
“Flag Centurion Zivkovic,” Tamara called with a strong lilt to her voice, “We will expect to rendezvous with our squadron on emergence. Prepare squadron channels and make sure Flag facilities are ready.”
Jessica heard a squeak, from the young man seated next to her. Enej Zivkovic was a brilliant man from a poor family, so they had a few things in common, but he lacked the killer instinct that would have marked him for eventual command.
Jessica wondered if she could help him find it.
She watched him recover his poise with a quick glance at her, and then begin toggling switches live that had been dark on his station.
The next words surprised Jessica.
“Defense Systems,” she heard Tamara call, “prepare to bring all defensive shields and weapon systems on line to engage possible hostiles. Gunnery, there should be two vessels when we arrive, the heavy destroyer Rajput , and a fleet escort, CR–264 . I want you to unlock everything and plot generic firing solutions. You will refine those as soon as we have any signals. If this is a trap, I want you to kill the biggest target you have first, but you will not fire without a direct order.”
Jessica smiled. It was the kind of order she had given a number of times, even approaching the fleet’s home base at Ladaux .
“Primaries as well, ma’am?” a young man asked nervously from in front of her.
“Affirmative,” Tamara replied calmly. “Primaries, Secondaries, missiles, and kitchen sinks.”
“Acknowledged.” The two weapons officers managed to speak in perfect synch.
“I will need authorization to unlock the weapon systems, sir,” the older one, the man in charge of gunnery, continued.
“Stand by,” Tamara replied as she flipped through the envelopes in front of her.
Jessica had already left her seat and approached quickly. “It’s not there, Strnad,” she said quietly. “Allow me?”
Tamara looked up with a smile. “Thanks, commander.”
Jessica concentrated as she typed. The code was a random ten–digit hash of numbers and letters. “It’s against regulations to have it written down anywhere other than in the safe. Even for training exercises, but you would have been able to retrieve it from there, if I was really dead.”
“Aye, sir.” She looked relieved.
Jessica returned to her seat and buckled the belt, just in case.
She watched her Tactical Officer, nee–Commander, take a deep breath. “Emergence in thirty seconds.”
Ξ
Enej Zivkovic looked at the once–unfamiliar Flag console layout and memorized the current settings and placements. Normally, he handled piloting and sensor duties, but he had spent the last few days in a crash course.
There was nothing about being a Flag Centurion he couldn’t handle.
Coordinate communications with the rest of the squadron for a Fleet Lord, or, in this case, a senior Command Centurion in charge. Make the occasional tactical observation for the commander, translate broad tactical commands into specific orders for ships on the fly.
Make sure everybody was on task.
It was basically multi–level chess, in real time. He was good at that. Why the new commander had put him in charge wasn’t something he was going to ask. It was a gift horse kind of thing.
Jessica watched a message begin to scroll across the bottom of the main viewscreen. Flight Deck green and green. Two crews ready for emergency launch at first emergence. Iskra
Jessica nodded. Exactly by the book. It was a shame the book wasn’t going to be worth much in a few days. If she was lucky.
She watched Tamara open the first envelope and read the contents. Her black hair was just long enough to move as she looked down. It bobbed as she re–read the entire letter and then glanced up at Jessica with one arched eyebrow that melted into an evil grin after a moment.
Jessica nearly giggled with delight. This wasn’t Brightoak’s crew, but they were damned good.
“Flag Centurion Zivkovic,” Tamara called with a strong lilt to her voice, “We will expect to rendezvous with our squadron on emergence. Prepare squadron channels and make sure Flag facilities are ready.”
Jessica heard a squeak, from the young man seated next to her. Enej Zivkovic was a brilliant man from a poor family, so they had a few things in common, but he lacked the killer instinct that would have marked him for eventual command.
Jessica wondered if she could help him find it.
She watched him recover his poise with a quick glance at her, and then begin toggling switches live that had been dark on his station.
The next words surprised Jessica.
“Defense Systems,” she heard Tamara call, “prepare to bring all defensive shields and weapon systems on line to engage possible hostiles. Gunnery, there should be two vessels when we arrive, the heavy destroyer Rajput , and a fleet escort, CR–264 . I want you to unlock everything and plot generic firing solutions. You will refine those as soon as we have any signals. If this is a trap, I want you to kill the biggest target you have first, but you will not fire without a direct order.”
Jessica smiled. It was the kind of order she had given a number of times, even approaching the fleet’s home base at Ladaux .
“Primaries as well, ma’am?” a young man asked nervously from in front of her.
“Affirmative,” Tamara replied calmly. “Primaries, Secondaries, missiles, and kitchen sinks.”
“Acknowledged.” The two weapons officers managed to speak in perfect synch.
“I will need authorization to unlock the weapon systems, sir,” the older one, the man in charge of gunnery, continued.
“Stand by,” Tamara replied as she flipped through the envelopes in front of her.
Jessica had already left her seat and approached quickly. “It’s not there, Strnad,” she said quietly. “Allow me?”
Tamara looked up with a smile. “Thanks, commander.”
Jessica concentrated as she typed. The code was a random ten–digit hash of numbers and letters. “It’s against regulations to have it written down anywhere other than in the safe. Even for training exercises, but you would have been able to retrieve it from there, if I was really dead.”
“Aye, sir.” She looked relieved.
Jessica returned to her seat and buckled the belt, just in case.
She watched her Tactical Officer, nee–Commander, take a deep breath. “Emergence in thirty seconds.”
Ξ
Enej Zivkovic looked at the once–unfamiliar Flag console layout and memorized the current settings and placements. Normally, he handled piloting and sensor duties, but he had spent the last few days in a crash course.
There was nothing about being a Flag Centurion he couldn’t handle.
Coordinate communications with the rest of the squadron for a Fleet Lord, or, in this case, a senior Command Centurion in charge. Make the occasional tactical observation for the commander, translate broad tactical commands into specific orders for ships on the fly.
Make sure everybody was on task.
It was basically multi–level chess, in real time. He was good at that. Why the new commander had put him in charge wasn’t something he was going to ask. It was a gift horse kind of thing.
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