by Chris Hechtl
“Ma'am, the skipper and XO are dealing with a last minute spat of paperwork. With your permission I'll show you to the bridge?” the lieutenant said.
“Very well,” the captain said, pursing her lips slightly in annoyance. The former skipper her mind edited. Or, the soon-to-be former skipper, she thought. But she did her best not to let her irritation show.
“Captain V'n'r'll is on the bridge waiting, ma'am. She's been busy overseeing more than just the ship so she got a little behind on the paperwork,” the lieutenant said in way of apology. “I'm not trying to make excuses for her, ma'am, just explaining the situation,” he said.
“I see,” Captain Chavez said as they strode into the lift. The lieutenant followed protocol and let her proceed him into the lift car but then stepped behind her so she'd be the first off. She gave him a mental check for at least following that little bit.
“It's exciting to have someone of your training on board, ma'am. I'm curious to see your spin on things,” the lieutenant said. She wondered why he didn't push the button but then the lift doors closed and the car started to move. She realized belatedly he'd used his implants.
“You'll find I follow procedure. Some of it may be new, but sublight tactics are virtually the same,” Captain Chavez said with a mild put-down.
The lieutenant flinched slightly then nodded, face a mask. “As you say, ma'am,” he said. He didn't offer further comment until they were on the bridge.
When they arrived on the bridge, the Veraxin captain was already standing. Captain Chavez strode through the bridge, neither looking left or right as she came up to the captain's chair. She stopped a meter away from Captain V'n'r'll and came to attention.
She saluted smartly. The Veraxin returned the salute. “Ma'am, Captain Liota Chavez reporting for duty.”
“You are ready for this, Captain?” the Veraxin asked. Liota nodded curtly. “Very well.”
After a moment the PA signaled for attention with a series of notes. Everyone on the bridge looked up and then turned attentively to the senior officers. Some sort of signal passed through them, a rebuke it seemed since a few flushed and rose hastily to their feet to stand at attention.
Liota noted out of the corner of her eye that the lieutenant was one of the last to come to attention. She turned her eyes on the Veraxin.
“Attention to orders. From President Irons to Commander V'n'r'll, captain of the good ship Admiral Butley. Subject, change of command. Effective this date and time, you are detached from your present duties for reassignment. For the President.”
Liota blinked when the XO cleared his throat softly. She cursed internally, but she'd been through the change of command ceremony often enough in Bek. “From President Irons to Captain Liota Chavez. Subject, change of command. Effective this date and time, you will stand detached from your previous duty station. You will present yourself to the Battle Cruiser Admiral Butley to assume command as her ship captain. For the President,” she said formally for the record.
As she said that, she felt the ship's A.I. access her implants. It sent a slight fearful shiver through her, but she allowed it to happen. She'd been briefed that it was the last step in the change in command procedure, a transfer of key codes and authorizations to her internal implants and a gestalt drawn from her to the ship's computer so it would recognize her.
“Well, that's done,” the Veraxin chittered, seemingly amused by the ceremony. “I'm sorry about the lack of ceremony, Captain. Perhaps on your next command,” she said.
“Quite all right, ma'am. We are a working navy after all,” Liota stated, tucking her fists behind her back in a parade rest stance she'd learned to assume.
“My, or I should say, your quarters have been cleared, my stewards as well. If you'll excuse me, I've got a shuttle to catch. I'm overdue for liberty, and I don't want to miss a second of it,” Captain V'n'r'll stated.
“Yes, ma'am,” Captain Chavez replied with a nod. She finally allowed herself to look around the bridge. Everyone was still standing at attention so at least they had gotten that part right. And the Veraxin hadn't dismissed them. Good. “I'll get to know each of you as time permits. For the moment, please resume your duties,” she said to the group.
The Neodog XO nodded once. When she didn't cut the PA, he did so for her. She glanced at him but returned her attention to the Veraxin.
“Brillo will show you around. She's a good ship captain, take care of her,” the Veraxin clacked.
“Of course,” Captain Chavez said stiffly. She glanced at the chocolate Neopitbull. The pitbull had a white underbelly and white muzzle. He was heavily muscled. He looked like he could handle himself. “Commander,” she said with a nod. “It looks like we've got our work cut out for us,” she said.
He flicked his short ears. They were floppy; he hadn't gotten them docked or surgically altered to be erect. Probably smart, she mused with a corner of her mind; erect ears were a pain in the ass to fit under a helmet. “Ma'am, would you like to settle in a bit or …” Brillo cocked his head at her as his former skipper retreated.
Liota glanced at the retreating Veraxin and then nodded. “I've seen the blueprints, but I've never had a tour,” she said. “I don't even know who my steward is. I was reading some of the logs on the shuttle over here though. Are you still having trouble with the life support on deck four? And the sublight drives?”
The Neopitbull's ears went back a bit. “Yes, ma'am. Something is hinky in the life support. The techs have yet to nail it down. I try to avoid the area since the smell is atrocious,” he admitted.
“Ah,” the captain said, crossing her arms.
“The sublight drive is a yard job, ma'am. The engineers thought they got it with a software patch, but we won't know for certain until we run her up to speed,” he said.
“Which we will do,” Lieutenant JG Bultey stated from his holographic avatar pedestal. The captain's eyes cut to the A.I. and then back to her XO. She did her best not to show her dismay at having an A.I. on board, even if it was a supposed dumb one. She reminded herself that she had to bend with the times.
She made a mental note to have a chat with one of the admirals before they departed. That was, if she and they had time.
“Why don't we take that tour,” the captain said, indicating the hatch. “I'm sure we'll have plenty to discuss and plenty of paperwork to go over,” she said.
“Yes, ma'am. Lieutenant Chucksley, you have the bridge,” the pitbull stated, turning to the TACO.
“Aye aye, sir,” the Neochimp at the tactical station said. He rose and took the hot seat.
“After you, ma'am?” the Neo said, indicating the way with a sweep of his left hand paw.
Liota eyed the tactical officer and then nodded slowly. At least they were getting something right she thought to herself as she followed her XO out to start the tour.
~<><{<^>}><>~
Horatio stepped off the shuttle and flashed his credentials to the guard on duty. The bored guard nodded his head to the door. Horatio smiled and passed through the VIP entrance and then through the warren of corridors in the customs office until he was out into the familiar core of Anvil Space Station. He immediately headed to the lifts; he had a schedule to keep.
The civilian delegates had been cleared by medical. Most had requested additional implants so they'd hung around in Pyrax to get them. They were only getting civilian grade, but they'd been eager for them … or at least the antigeriatric treatments that went with them.
Horatio shook his head. He wasn't certain about the wisdom of giving them such treatments. Politicians should have a short shelf life in his opinion. He was also aware he wasn't the only one to have such an opinion. Fortunately, they weren't getting the same package that the military personnel were receiving.
There were eighteen civilians in total: ten from Bek, eight from Nuevo. All of them were feeling out the political system in Pyrax while also doing their best to make contacts through the ansible and catch up on current events.
>
As of that morning, the red haired Captain JG Liota Chavez had been reassigned from her liaison position to command of Admiral Butley, the latest battle cruiser that had launched. She would be taking the place of Commander V'n'r'll who was on leave before she was to be promoted to Captain JG rank and given command of a new BC in Antigua.
From what he'd heard, Captain Chavez was settling into the ship and about ready to put her through her paces in the scheduled working-up exercises. He didn't envy her the job of getting dropped into something like that with little prep time, but apparently, the woman could handle the job. She had a lot of time-in-grade so if she did a good job, she was going to be promoted to captain senior grade quickly. Good for her he thought.
Captain SG Ch'ch'tt was also destined to take a battle cruiser command and most likely command of one of the battle cruiser squadrons in Antigua's First Fleet, if not overall command of the mobile forces in the system. He'd heard the scuttlebutt that she was a damn good tactician and teacher.
She'd requested Lieutenant Commander Swish but the T'clock female had been tapped to go to Antigua to serve in the yard there.
First Lieutenant Barrack Coklin, the Neochimp engineer of the group, had been drafted for the yard in Pyrax. He'd dived into the work, but he'd had a few issues to deal with. He had the paperwork down pat, but the systems and industry seemed to be a hang-up for him. So was the pace. Hopefully, he'd get straightened out soon, Horatio mused. If he couldn't hack it as a yard dog, he'd most likely get transferred to a different less demanding job. Like, oh, an engineer in a fortress, base, or ship. He shook his head as he checked the last officer, First Lieutenant Siobhan Blackyip. The black Neomutt was also destined for Antigua. From what he'd heard, she was a good engineer but seemed more interested in navigation and theory over practical hands-on projects. He wasn't certain what position BuPers had slotted her into. He shrugged such considerations away. It wasn't his problem anyway.
It would have been nice if they'd gotten more senior personnel. People who could take the hot seat. Experienced veteran officers were hard to come by in the navy. The personnel in Bek had the seat time, and from what he'd seen, most of the training and sim time. They just hadn't actually faced the furnace of combat. That would come though.
By all rights, Caroline could have carried twice the number of people back from Bek and Nuevo. Hell, four times that number easily—after all, Xavier had carried 149 extra people, plus extra cargo back from Lemnos! But then again, Xavier had been faced with a short hop. Getting to Lemnos was dangerous, or so he'd heard, but probably not as intense as the Bek nexus rapids.
If he had his way, he'd stuff Caroline with experienced personnel for her second return. Captains and flag officers, staff and civilians need not apply, but flexible ones, personnel who could readily adapt to starship combat and command. He was sure Bek had to have more of them, but he had no idea in what quantity and if they'd even be allowed to come out of Bek itself. Or if they'd be willing to give up whatever command they had in Bek to risk the rapids to do so.
He checked the chrono. Speaking of captains, he thought, he needed to break the news to one. And heaven forbid if he was late for dinner!
He chuckled as he made his way to a familiar compound in Anvil.
~<><{<^>}><>~
“Fun fun fun,” Commodore Logan said, shaking his head as he dabbed at his chin with a napkin. “Thank you, the meal was as always filling,” he said, sitting back and patting his belly.
“As it should be,” Mama Valdez replied with a smile. “Now if we can only marry you off …,” she teased.
He shook his head as Junior and the others groaned. “Mama, please,” Junior protested.
Horatio snorted.
“I hear you won't be with us much longer?” Mama asked. She got up and started to pick the dishes up. When Horatio tried to get up to help, she pushed him back down firmly and then went back to work.
He snorted. “Yes. I'm going to Bek with Rear Admiral Zekowitz as his second in command of the yard there apparently.”
“Oh? It seems … odd. The man is what, half your age, yet he outranks you?”
The commodore shrugged. “We're grafting their structure into ours. It's still a work in progress. He needs to get up to speed on everything, but he knows the basics so he's got the important stuff down. He's an able administrator. I'll do the hands-on to get things up to speed.”
“Just like you've been doing here,” Mama Valdez replied with a sniff. She finished piling the dishes and walked off with them to the kitchen.
“We'll get the yard turned around. What I'm not looking forward to is trying to get an ansible in there like Admiral Irons wants to do. It means transiting the rapids at the low octaves of alpha to keep it functional,” Horatio said, turning to Junior.
“Which means months in transit,” Junior stated, running the calculations in his head. “And there is no guarantee of success. Just getting there will be tricky.”
“No, no, there isn't. I'm also going in virtually blind. I don't know much about the players beyond the scouting reports we've got. All I know is that they are enthusiastic to join up, have a functional yard, a massive population on several worlds and colonies and no hyperdrives.”
The fighter captain winced theatrically. “Ouch.”
“Yes. They built up a massive war machine in anticipation of a Xeno fleet that never showed.”
“How, sir?” Captain Valdez asked in disbelief. “The keys …”
“Long before we had replicators we had other means of manufacturing. They bootstrapped it all, right up to crude fusion reactors that they put into service for the first time two decades ago.”
“Oh.”
“They are nothing if not determined. They've have grit, determination, and stubborn pride. They aren't afraid of getting their hands dirty, and they are eager to get back into the fold. I can work with that,” the commodore replied quietly.
“I'd say you can at that, sir,” the captain replied with a nod.
“What about you? Tired of being a staff weenie? Ready to take on the bridge of a starship?” Horatio asked, eyeing the captain.
“Well,” the captain drawled. “I'm not sure. I didn't spend a lot of time on Firefly,” he admitted. “And for some reason I never did get around to rotating out of my current command assignment. Some say I'm in a rut,” he said with a grin as he toyed with his beer.
“Or a cockpit,” the commodore replied, toying with his own beer bottle. “I did you a disservice in not broadening your horizons earlier. Now you are going to have to play catch-up.”
“As?”
“Well, I think you can handle a carrier deck,” the commodore replied.
“I'm a bit high in rank to take on a CAG post,” the captain mused.
The commodore snorted. “Who said anything about CAG? I'm talking captain's seat. You can handle that.”
“But fighter …”
“As I said, it's time to get past that. You've been complaining about not getting much seat time. You're lucky if you get what, an hour a week?”
“Two,” Junior said, clearly nettled by the idea of giving up the cockpit cold turkey.
“Well, the good news is, as a carrier skipper you can strap on a fighter or other craft when it suits you … provided,” he held up a restraining index finger, “provided you get permission from the CAG, you are still flight qualified, and you have the time.”
“I …”
“I understand even Admiral Irons takes on a ship from time to time,” Horatio said, taking a pull of his beer. “So if he can do that and everything else, I think you can hack it, right? And you can always strap on a sim seat and run op force against the wing anytime you want,” he said with a knowing grin.
“Okay,” Junior said, taking a deep breath and exhaling it. “Where do I sign?”
“Well,” Horatio said, studying him thoughtfully. “It's not my decision. I'm technically on leave for a week before we head out.”
�
��Leave?” Junior snorted. “Right, you?”
“Funny,” the commodore replied. “I thought I'd look up some old friends before I left. Got a problem with that, Captain?” he asked, eyeing the young man.
“No, sir,” the captain in question said, taking a pull of his beer.
“But, as it happens, I have an in with BuPers and Ops. And since I run the yard, or well, did up until I passed it on to Captain I'rll, I thought I'd put in a word for you. It seems we've got a fleet carrier begging for a skipper. She's about to launch in eight or nine weeks.”
“Argus? Me, sir?” Junior demanded, eyes wide.
“Argus, yes, you.”
“I'll take it!” Junior said.
“That's the spirit,” the commodore replied with a smile.
“I'm going to miss you, Horatio,” Junior said as his mother came out of the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around his neck crowing over his good fortune.
“I'll be back. Eventually,” Horatio said as Mama Valdez got out of control.
Chapter 6
Horatio checked the paperwork once more, then looked up to an annoyed looking familiar bug. “Problem, Captain? Other than the new rank?” he teased.
She did have it; he knew it. It was just habit that he scanned and signed off on everything. She had been one of his best deputies, which was why he'd picked her as his own replacement. Getting her promoted had been good too. She'd need the rank to keep up with all the keys and various jobs, not to mention dealing with various people, those with and without rank.
She did better at parties than he did. She also had tricks to delegate and oversee her people that he envied from time to time. She seemed to ooze self-confidence. He hoped it lasted in her position. One good frack up and that might come to a screeching halt. She might not be able to bounce back right off or at all.
Captain JG I'rll flicked her antenna at him and then signaled first-level annoyance with a senior officer with her truehands. “Commodore, I got this,” the bug said in exasperation. “You've got more important things to do—like get ready for the trip to Bek.”
