Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series Read online

  “How did you go with your investigations today Colin?”

  “Not too bad Sir. I’ve asked the Captains to send damage lists by 0900 tomorrow. When I meet my team, we’ll have enough data to start work. In all honesty, we should see repaired ships returning in about a week. Several Captains have already replied so we have enough data to make a start.”

  “Good, we were lucky there. We could’ve been in far worse shape.”

  “It wasn’t luck, Sir. We have accomplished crews and good ships, and we understand how to use those assets. It was the ammunition shortage that hamstrung our efforts. We didn’t have enough bullets to overwhelm our enemy’s defenses. Why would we? No one had ever seen a Pirate force that big, it was unprecedented. Sirs, we must acknowledge, we are at war with a foreign power, and we need to treat them as one. The Pirates are not a ragtag bunch of criminals, they’re organized. We must find their bases and worlds and take the war home to them.”

  Dalkasan broke in, “Gentlemen, our immediate priority is to make sure of Cambridge’s security. Can you find crews to man ships and turn a significant invasion like the last one back?”

  Henry replied, “No Sir, not today. We can man our available ships, including the ones that still need repair. Many more people want to join the Navy since the invasion, and quite a few trainees are ready to graduate. Headquarters should be able to arrange maning for any new ships they build. We must move experienced staff from older ships to make sure every vessel has a cadre of experience. We must also undertake intensive ongoing training to bring the new crews up to scratch. In the short term, perhaps over the next year, we’ll need help to secure Cambridge.”

  “I think we can help there. The entire Reserve Fleet will stay for two weeks. After that, I’ll leave half the Fleet here. Send them back to Sankarah once your local forces are robust enough to defend this System. I need not remind you, Cambridge is far too valuable to the Federation for us to lose it now.”

  Colin said, “That should work Sir. If we keep elements of Reserve Fleet for a while, they can help us train our new personnel and give an extra layer of security.”

  Dalkasan nodded and left, confident they understood what they must do.

  The next morning, Colin arrived in the Headquarters building, ready to put the data together before his meeting. At 0900, he walked into the conference room to find Lieutenant Downer and Ensigns Wheeler, Brown and Harrison waiting. Colin smiled at them because none of them looked comfortable.

  Colin said, “Thank you for coming. I asked for you four because you did an incredible job setting up the munitions dumps around the System, and you did it with insufficient resources. Cambridge took a pounding during the invasion, but it would’ve been much worse if you hadn’t helped. Now, I’ve received orders to complete two other tasks. The first is to schedule repairs for the ships damaged during the invasion. Our primary goal is to restore them as fast as possible. We must return the greatest number of ships to service as soon as possible. The other task in my queue is to get new Destroyers built. That is more interesting, but in the short term, our priority is to repair our damaged ships. I have lists of damage for each ship, along with pictures and other data. You will examine the available data and make recommendations about the order we should repair these ships. I will check your recommendations, and your reasoning before making a final decision. I won’t stipulate the order you should do this, your input is valuable. Questions?”

  Ensign Wheeler said, “Where are we to work Sir?”

  “Any suggestions?”

  “Yes, Sir. We set up an Office at the Training-Base. There’s plenty of room there.”

  “Okay, are there any objections to using that office?”

  Nobody spoke up, so Colin dismissed the Ensigns, asking Lieutenant Downer to stay for a few moments.

  When they were alone, Colin said, “Lieutenant, I asked for you because I’ve seen your record, and how you work. I have so many things going on I won’t be able to supervise those Ensigns well enough or give them the guidance they deserve. Enjoy the assignment. There are many interesting aspects to it. It’s something we must do to restore our defensive capacity. Questions, or concerns?”

  “No, Sir. I’m looking forward to this. You’re right, this seems an engaging job.”

  “Okay, I’ll get out of your way. You have my contact details, call me if you need me, or if anybody attempts to obstruct you.”

  “Yes, Sir, thank you.”

  Kelly turned and hurried to catch up with her gaggle of Ensigns. She’d heard Commodore Gordon described as fair. He ensured credit, went where most deserved. When Kelly’s orders arrived, she experienced pure joy. The Lieutenant’s career was stagnating when Colin found her before the invasion. With luck and hard work, this assignment might give her leverage into something more interesting.

  Ensigns Wheeler, Brown, and Harrison waited just outside the building for their Lieutenant to arrive. Brown had already requisitioned a Ground-Car, so they climbed in and drove out to the Training-Base. During the trip, Kelly discussed the new assignment with the Ensigns. Work on this project excited them. A boss like Commodore Gordon was a dream come true for them. The Ensigns were already aware, Commodore Gordon was a tough but fair man who understood, sometimes people made errors. He’d built a reputation for using mistakes as a teaching opportunity rather than a chance to brutalize his subordinates. These young Officers had all enjoyed his approach.

  Cambridge Shipyard

  David Salomon, the Cambridge shipyard foreman, finished his final inspection of the latest completed Cobra. Three others were nearing completion in other slipways. Cambridge would export those to other Federation members. The word was more orders were in the pipeline, but management hadn’t told David when they planned to build those. David hoped the rumor was true because more ship orders improved their employment prospects. They sold a batch of ships to Lahoshar and Cambridge had made eighteen, ten Taipans and eight Cobras for its own System-Defense. The shipyard had completed the orders for Lahoshar and Cambridge. David hadn’t heard yet, but preparations for construction of the Hull for the first new Destroyer would begin soon. He also wasn’t in the loop to see the schedule detailing when they planned to build hundreds of new Taipans and Cobras for export around the Federation.

  Now, the yard had to repair battle-damaged ships. David didn’t know how much damage Cambridge’s Fleet sustained during the invasion. Far from needing to lay workers off, David needed to find more. David’s Comm buzzed, somebody needed him. The Manager’s personal assistant asked David to come to the office for an urgent meeting. He didn’t argue, management almost never bothered him unless they had big news, so he boarded a trolley car and entered the Administrative Centre in as his destination. When David arrived, the PA waved him straight into the Manager’s office without saying a word. David entered the room to find the Manager, Zach Manning staring at a chart on the wall display.

  Manning said, “We’re about to become very busy here David. We’ve said nothing earlier, but you should know, we have signed orders for hundreds of Taipans and Cobras, and we’re starting construction of a new Hull soon. For now, we must repair the ships damaged during the invasion, at least the ones they don’t scrap. David, I’m offering you a promotion. In the short term, you will manage the repair program. Ship repairs will keep you occupied for the next month or two. Once you have the repair program working well, we’ll find somebody else for the day-to-day Project Management. They’ll work under your supervision, and you will take on more important work.”

  “Who do I contact in the Navy?”

  “Commodore Gordon; they said he will contact us in the next couple of days. They’re trying to rank the repairs in order.”

  “So, I hurry up and wait? Hang on, did you say, Commodore Gordon? Isn’t that the guy who saved us?”

  “Yes, to all three questions. It isn’t so bad, Gordon is an engineer, so you can talk sense to him if he wants anything stupid. He’s sent a list of the d
amage each ship sustained. The Commodore wants to repair ships as fast as possible and make them operational. He wants to fix the least damaged ships first then work his way up to vessels with worse damage. You should be able to accumulate materials and bring your staff onboard to speed the repairs when ships arrive. Here’s a Comm Code for someone on Commander Gordon’s team.”

  “Thanks, I’ll go check the damage lists. We can make a start with those.”

  FNS Theseus

  Anne felt very uncomfortable as she sat in the Captain’s office across from Sam. Anne considered Sam a good Officer and Captain, but they had become too close. Too often, she’d almost kissed him, and his reactions said he wanted to kiss her. She’d decided she must leave the ship. At least then, her relationship with Sam had a chance. Now, Anne needed to explain her decision to apply for a transfer.

  “Sam, I have a difficult job here so please, let me finish before you comment. For a while now, I’ve liked you; a lot. You seem to like me too. We can’t do anything about it while you’re my superior. That would break regulations and risk crew morale. Because of that, I’ll ask for a transfer off FNS Theseus. Maybe if they post me to another ship or ground-side, we can see each other in a social setting.”

  After Anne had finished speaking, Sam stared at her for a full minute, his mouth open in shock. Anne thought she’d misread him until he brought himself under control. Sam liked Anne far more than he cared to admit, even to himself.

  “You… You like me?”

  “Yes Sam, I do. Things became more awkward between us after the battle. I; we need to resolve this.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”

  “It’s not that Sam. I enjoy being on this ship with you, but if I stay, we must stay professional. We wouldn’t be able to develop a personal relationship.”

  Sam’s mind spun, he had yet to grasp Anne’s point, and needed time to absorb the conversation. When Anne said she wanted to leave FNS Theseus, the news hurt, but after a while, he understood. Anne didn’t want to leave Sam, she wanted more of him. Sam liked that thought. He was a secret admirer, he thought, but now Anne had brought his feelings out into the light of day.

  “I must ask for a new XO. Susan isn’t ready for that responsibility yet.”

  “Somebody will be available. The Pirates damaged so many ships, repairs will take months. They may even scrap Samurai, she’s a wreck, and obsolete. I expect we’ll scrap all three Cruisers soon.”

  “Will you stay on long enough for me to find your replacement?”

  “Yes, I will. Do you have anyone to fill the role?”

  “Yes, a friend, Aaron Thompson is the second Officer on FNS Mamba. He was in the class behind me at the Academy.”

  “Ask for him if you think he’ll fit in here. Remember every crew builds a distinct culture. It’s easier to find somebody who fits in than to change the culture. Don’t mess it up, Sam, remember, Commodore Gordon left you a good crew.”

  “I’ll try not to mess up Anne, that’s a promise.”

  Anne left for her quarters to draft the transfer papers. She needed to take care. Anne must use the correct wording, or somebody will worry that FNS Theseus had a problem.

  Back in his office, Sam meditated, mulling over Anne’s news. He’d always liked her, but to him, Anne was royalty, out of his league. Now she said a relationship was possible, at least she had an interest in seeing him.

  Naval Headquarters, Harmon

  The day after Anne’s conversation with Sam, Sarah looked at the transfer papers that had arrived from FNS Theseus. In most cases, the system routes transfer requests through the Personnel Department, but this one came to her. She considered the options, deciding to show them to Admiral Fraser. Anne was Henry’s granddaughter, and he was the man in charge, he had to choose what action he must take. Sam Harland was a new Captain who had yet to settle into his new role.

  Henry looked at the document Sarah placed before him for a few minutes before deciding to call his granddaughter to Headquarters. He drafted the orders and sent them to Sarah for dispatch. After completing that task, Henry sent a message to Colin asking for advice. Colin arrived two hours later, he’d been in a meeting and didn’t receive the signal until after it finished.

  “What wrong Henry? Why the urgency?”

  “I’m sorry Colin, I didn’t intend it to be that urgent. Here look at this, I received it from FNS Theseus today.”

  Colin studied the transfer papers for a few minutes.

  “Why would Anne give up an XO billet Admiral? This is her opportunity to prepare for command. She has the talent, and the capacity to be an excellent Captain, hell she could achieve an even higher rank.”

  “I’ve ordered her to Headquarters, so I can find out the reasons. Colin, I may need your help to resolve the problem, if we have a problem.”

  “What do you want from me, Sir?”

  “Return at 1000 hours, that should be early enough. Help me talk to Anne.”

  “Yes, Sir. I’ll see you at 1000 hours.”

  Cambridge Training Base

  Lieutenant Downer looked at the preliminary list prepared by the Ensigns. She could see they’d done good work, justifying every decision. Now it was up to Commodore Gordon. She sent him a message, explaining they had completed this first task.

  Colin arrived to check the team’s efforts a few hours later. He took the list from Kelly to study it. It didn’t take long for Colin to conclude the right people staffed this project, he couldn’t fault their excellent work. Colin smiled as he handed it back to the Lieutenant.

  “I expected you four to do this. We don’t need changes. We’ll take the list and schedule to the shipyard tomorrow afternoon. I want you to gather this data into two pads. Save a master to the primary server, then take the rest of today as leave. Meet me at Headquarters at 1200 hours tomorrow. Book us a Shuttle to the shipyard.”

  “Yes, Sir, we’ll meet you at Headquarters at 1200 hours. We want reservations for five on a Shuttle to the shipyard.”

  “We’ll need reservations for seventeen, Kelly, remember my minders.”

  Naval Headquarters, Harmon

  The following day, Colin met Anne as he entered Headquarters and they walked together to Henry’s office. Sarah ushered them in immediately they arrived.

  “Why do you want a transfer from FNS Theseus, Anne? Is there a problem with Captain Harland?”

  “No Admiral, Captain Harland isn't an issue, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. We are… interested in each other but haven’t dared to act on it yet. Sam, Captain Harland never once behaved inappropriately toward me, or anyone else in the crew. I requested the transfer so we could pursue the interest. I’m sorry if I caused any problems.”

  Both Henry and Colin laughed. Anne’s face turned red with embarrassment. She stood there, waiting for the levity to ease so she could continue.

  Henry said, “I’m sorry Lieutenant, that was unforgivable, but I will ask you to forgive us, anyway. We worried your Captain had developed a problem, our laughter was a relief.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “What did you have in mind when you requested the transfer, Anne?”

  “I hoped you can find a place where I’ll be useful Sir.”

  “What do you think Commodore? Do you have somewhere for her?”

  “I need an aide, I’m told. Anne, if you are interested, that job is yours.”

  Anne’s face lit up as she replied, “I’d like that Sir. I’d like it very much. Admiral, I talked to Captain Harland concerning my intentions and why I wanted to leave Theseus. Once he understood my reasons, I asked him who he wanted as his XO. The Captain said if I left he would ask for Lieutenant Aaron Thompson. Aaron is the Second Officer on FNS Mamba at the moment. I told Sam to ask for him.”

  “Okay Anne, I’ll check Lieutenant Thompson’s record. If he’s suitable, we’ll ask Captain Simpson if he can spare his Second Officer. We need to move plenty of people around, we lost most of thr
ee crews during the battle. The survivors won’t work on ships for a while. We must fill the shortfall with green personnel. In the meantime, go back to Theseus and continue your duties there until we arrange your replacement.”

  Colin asked, “How is Susan Wills now. She hasn’t put a foot wrong since that small problem after she first joined us. The crew seems to like her. Is she ready for the Second Officer billet?”

  “That was the last thing I intended to mention Sir. Both Captain Harland and I believe if she moved to Second Officer, the Third Officer slot would be much easier to fill, and she is ready.”

  Colin looked at Henry, and he nodded, understanding Colin’s thinking, and agreeing with it.

  With the meeting completed, Anne departed to return to FNS Theseus. With Anne gone, Colin and Henry settled to discuss ship repairs and other issues. Anne’s transfer highlighted several problems facing the Navy in Cambridge, one is the shortfall of experienced crew after the battle.

  The following day, Colin met Anne as he entered Headquarters. They walked to Henry’s office together, and Sarah ushered them in when they arrived.

  After greeting them, Henry asked, “Why do you want a transfer from FNS Theseus, Anne? Is there a problem with Captain Harland?”

  “No Admiral, Captain Harland isn’t an issue. It’s just… we are… interested in each other but haven’t dared to act on it yet. Sam; Captain Harland never once misbehaved toward me, or anyone else in the crew. I requested the transfer so we could pursue our interest. I’m sorry if I caused problems.”

  Henry and Colin both laughed. Anne’s face turned red with embarrassment. She stood there, waiting for the levity to ease so she could continue.

  Henry said, “I’m sorry Lieutenant, that was unforgivable, but I will ask you to forgive us, anyway. We worried your Captain had developed a problem, our relief brought on the laughter.”