Read Online Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between by Rodney Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rodney Smith
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as possible. They will take out every K’Rang communications relay and navigational beacon they can. They will also find and report on K’Rang shipyards.
At some point, the K’Rang will abandon the Eridanus sector and pull their battle fleet back to defend the Empire. We need a force to hurry them along, but not so much that they turn and fight. I want to be able to turn both fleets and meet this force head on, so timing is critical. If we do this right, we can defeat them in detail.
Admiral Chang booted them all out of his office and said, “Now, turn that into a plan and get it back to me in draft day after tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
It was a day with a clear sky and a warming sun when Kelly assumed command of the Orion for acceptance trials. Admiral Craddock officially signed for the ship for the Galactic Republic in a short ceremony in the project manager’s office. Kelly’s official assumption of command would happen at a later time.
Kelly sat down with the yard’s general manager and went over the all-encompassing acceptance trial requirements one by one. They jointly manned the new ship from their resources of engineers and Scout Force crewmen. Kelly had Admiral Hasselrode’s authority to use however many of his personnel as were needed. The number of personnel in the 1st Scout Division had nearly doubled since the briefing in Admiral Minacci’s office, and he had almost 500 to choose from. Kelly knew Admiral Minacci was flogging the personnel system for fillers for all the positions Kelly couldn’t steal from the 1st Division. Kelly tried to hit Admiral Hasselrode only for what he needed to get the ship back to Antares Base safely, since Hasselrode had his mission, too.
Kelly worked in a contractor-provided simulator to understand ship protocols. He brought in his helmsmen and navigators to familiarize them with the controls. He had his engineering officer and staff train on the engine simulator. The junior weapons officer had already found the weapons simulator and was running his personnel through their paces. The junior operations officer was running drills for his team in the CIC trainer. The supply officer was learning how to work the mini-ring. Everything was falling into place.
Just after dawn on the day of the test, Kelly did an exterior walk around what would be his new ship. She was 200m long, 45m wide and 45m tall and unlike the Vigilant, more tubular than triangular. She sat on huge landing pads compared to wheeled landing gear on his last ship. It faintly resembled a larger version of the Vigilant, but he noted the glass view ports of the Vigilant were gone from this ship. The three twin-gun turrets sat amidships, arrayed around the hull approximately 120 degrees apart. The three nose guns protruded menacingly from the bow. He walked around to the stern and looked at the four engine exhaust cones that would propel the ship at below light speed. He surveyed the airlock and ramp that lowered between the bottom two cones to provide a quarterdeck, gangplank, and loading ramp for larger items. Any one of the exhaust cones would hold all three of the Vigilant’s exhaust cones. The hull’s surface was sprinkled with radomes, and assorted protrusions and bumps from the various sensor and countermeasures systems. Satisfied that the yard had done its job on the exterior, he went aboard to start preparations for the test.
Kelly mustered the crew, then went to greet and escort Admiral Hasselrode on board, while his acting Master Chief Petty Officer scared up a bosun’s pipe and side boys for the Admiral’s arrival. Kelly met the Admiral at the bottom of the gangplank.
The Admiral took him aside momentarily and said, “Kelly, what you will be doing is important. I noticed you were charitable by not taking all my best people, but you get what you need. I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, sir, but I put the word out that I needed a crew. Many officers, ratings, and some recent retirees
At some point, the K’Rang will abandon the Eridanus sector and pull their battle fleet back to defend the Empire. We need a force to hurry them along, but not so much that they turn and fight. I want to be able to turn both fleets and meet this force head on, so timing is critical. If we do this right, we can defeat them in detail.
Admiral Chang booted them all out of his office and said, “Now, turn that into a plan and get it back to me in draft day after tomorrow.”
Chapter Four
It was a day with a clear sky and a warming sun when Kelly assumed command of the Orion for acceptance trials. Admiral Craddock officially signed for the ship for the Galactic Republic in a short ceremony in the project manager’s office. Kelly’s official assumption of command would happen at a later time.
Kelly sat down with the yard’s general manager and went over the all-encompassing acceptance trial requirements one by one. They jointly manned the new ship from their resources of engineers and Scout Force crewmen. Kelly had Admiral Hasselrode’s authority to use however many of his personnel as were needed. The number of personnel in the 1st Scout Division had nearly doubled since the briefing in Admiral Minacci’s office, and he had almost 500 to choose from. Kelly knew Admiral Minacci was flogging the personnel system for fillers for all the positions Kelly couldn’t steal from the 1st Division. Kelly tried to hit Admiral Hasselrode only for what he needed to get the ship back to Antares Base safely, since Hasselrode had his mission, too.
Kelly worked in a contractor-provided simulator to understand ship protocols. He brought in his helmsmen and navigators to familiarize them with the controls. He had his engineering officer and staff train on the engine simulator. The junior weapons officer had already found the weapons simulator and was running his personnel through their paces. The junior operations officer was running drills for his team in the CIC trainer. The supply officer was learning how to work the mini-ring. Everything was falling into place.
Just after dawn on the day of the test, Kelly did an exterior walk around what would be his new ship. She was 200m long, 45m wide and 45m tall and unlike the Vigilant, more tubular than triangular. She sat on huge landing pads compared to wheeled landing gear on his last ship. It faintly resembled a larger version of the Vigilant, but he noted the glass view ports of the Vigilant were gone from this ship. The three twin-gun turrets sat amidships, arrayed around the hull approximately 120 degrees apart. The three nose guns protruded menacingly from the bow. He walked around to the stern and looked at the four engine exhaust cones that would propel the ship at below light speed. He surveyed the airlock and ramp that lowered between the bottom two cones to provide a quarterdeck, gangplank, and loading ramp for larger items. Any one of the exhaust cones would hold all three of the Vigilant’s exhaust cones. The hull’s surface was sprinkled with radomes, and assorted protrusions and bumps from the various sensor and countermeasures systems. Satisfied that the yard had done its job on the exterior, he went aboard to start preparations for the test.
Kelly mustered the crew, then went to greet and escort Admiral Hasselrode on board, while his acting Master Chief Petty Officer scared up a bosun’s pipe and side boys for the Admiral’s arrival. Kelly met the Admiral at the bottom of the gangplank.
The Admiral took him aside momentarily and said, “Kelly, what you will be doing is important. I noticed you were charitable by not taking all my best people, but you get what you need. I’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, sir, but I put the word out that I needed a crew. Many officers, ratings, and some recent retirees
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