Scout Force

by Rodney Smith

  “Now we have to face our strongest challenge. There are three K’Rang frigates and an armed support ship outside the nebula waiting for us. They won’t come in to try and get us. They won’t get close enough where our weapons can hit them from in here. We are going to have to go out and engage them. We can’t stay here, because eventually K’Rang reinforcements will arrive, and they will flush us out and destroy us.”

  “We are going to go out and take as many of them out as we can. I won’t kid you. We have been incredibly lucky up to this point. The odds of us carrying this off are not spectacular. We will make our first attack in fifteen minutes. I know we will all do our duty. All hands to your battle stations.”

  “Chief Watson, plot a jump course to place us immediately behind the first frigate. Gunner, when we jump in, line us up and take your shots quickly. Do as much damage as you can. Overheat the guns if you have to. They can always be cooled down when we jump back in here. Make sure you take out his engines.”

  The gunner looked back, gulped, and responded, “Aye aye, Captain.” A drip of sweat fell off his nose onto the console. He nervously wiped it off with his sleeve.

  Chief Watson finished his calculations and sent them to the helmsman and navigator.

  “Chief, Kelly, we back up the bridge crew like before. Kelly, if anything happens get us out of there quickly and back into the nebula. That is your first priority.”

  “Helm, take us to the first jump off point.”

  The Vigilant moved to a position that would put it at a 45 degree angle to the K’Rang frigate. When they were in position, the helm signaled readiness to jump.

  The captain keyed up the intercom and said, “Engine room, are you ready?”

  “Engine room, aye.”

  “Sensors, are you ready?”

  “Sensors, aye. Captain, we just received a recall notice from the 1st Combined Fleet. If we could go home, we could now.”

  “Thanks, Chief, log it. Prepare a message pod with all our logs. We’ll launch it if things get too ugly out there. Weapons, are you ready?”

  “Weapons, aye.”

  Helm, jump when you are ready. Gunner, get ready.”

  The helmsman punched a few buttons and the ship started moving.

  Chief Blankenship practically screamed over the intercom, “Bridge, Sensors! Hold your position!”

  “Helm, all stop!”

  The captain stabbed at the intercom button and shouted, “Chief B, what is it?”

  “Captain, I have comms with the Voracious. They want to know if we need any assistance.”

  A look of relief washed across LCDR Timmons’ face. “Chief, put him through.”

  “Ed, this is Clint. I'm coming your way. You look like you could use some help.”

  “I sure could, Clint. If you have any missiles left, would you brush these guys off for me? I’ll have my Sensor Chief send you the plot.”

  “Sure, Ed, send me the plot. I’ll need about five minutes to get in range.”

  * * * * *

  Through the frigate’s long-range communications, the Shadow Leader learned of the destruction of the entire 27th Combat Fleet. They were destroyed by a massive and totally unexpected Human presence. How could they have brought such a force to bear? They outnumbered the 27th Fleet by close to 100 to 1.

  Shadow Leader M’Trang prepared himself to face the Elders. He would, undoubtedly, be drummed out of the Shadow Force. If he were fortunate, he would be sentenced to a quick and merciful execution. If not, he would have to live in shame and take his own life. His honor was past.

  If he were to be disgraced, he would at least take this Human ship with him. A small reinforcement force was headed his way. They would be sufficient to conduct a proper cordon and search to flush out this troublesome Human ship. He knew it was the last act he would ever command.

  Alarms sounded on the K’Rang ship. M’Trang scanned his sensors and saw a second Human ship appear at the far edge of his sensor field, closing in fast. He ordered his small fleet to move to intercept this new threat. They were all too slow and too damaged to respond effectively. When four missiles appeared on the screen, M’Trang knew they were doomed.

  He watched helplessly as ineffective defensive fire failed to stop the inbound missiles. To their credit, M’Trang and the bridge crew stayed at their posts and continued fighting their ship. The missiles flew unimpeded into the four ships and obliterated them in massive matter/antimatter explosions. M’Trang’s last thought was that at least he would die a hero, not live as a disgraced commander.

  * * * * *

  “Clint, I owe you a beer or fifty for that. You pulled our fat out of the fire with that. Thank you,” responded an obviously elated Edgar Timmons.

  “You’re welcome, Ed. I had all these extra missiles left over and just didn’t know what else to do with them. Come on, I’ll race you back to the frontier.”

  “Helm, bring us alongside the Voracious and take us to the frontier. I think we have worn out our welcome here.”

  As the Vigilant broke out of the nebula they got a full view of the carnage they had wreaked. Broken and burnt out hulls of K’Rang warships were everywhere. They joined up with the Voracious, and the two ships sped out of the area and off to the frontier. Sensors activated a secure laser link between the two ships so that they could exchange data with a low probability of detection. It was a common procedure when two ships were returning from hostile territory. If one ship didn’t make it the data still could get out.

  “Ed, I see you were busy here. I count a command ship, 12 capital ships, seven frigates, and an armed support ship. That’s not too shabby. I got a planetary defense ship, three merchant ships and your four playmates.”

  “Good for you, Clint. What caused you to come over our way?”

  “We ran out of targets in our patrol sector. Everyone went to ground. We watched a battle fleet coming our way but it turned around and went back the way it came. We heard all the excitement over this way and came to investigate when it got quiet over here. We figured we’d either come give you a hand or take out whoever got you. We got the recall notice and were just about to head back when our sensor chief picked you out of the nebula.”

  “Well, I’m damned glad you did. We were about to have to do something desperate. We were completely out of missiles, out of tricks, and out of ideas.”

  “Glad we could be of assistance, Ed. I’m signing off now. I’m hungry and the cook has made Italian.”

  The captain looked over at Chief Watson and said, “Chief, keep us on patrol rations until we cross the frontier. Bring everyone down from battle stations and get us back on normal watch rotations.”

  Chief Watson announced to the crew to stand down from battle stations and ordered the starboard watch to their stations.

  The captain looked over at Kelly, “Exec, take the conn. I’ll be in my cabin until supper. Wake me when it's ready.”

  In two hours, it was time for supper. Kelly knocked on LCDR Timmons’ door. “Captain, supper is ready. The crew is already eating.”

  The captain’s groggy voice came through the door. “I’ll be right out.”

  Timmons came out for supper in a few minutes, somewhat rested and freshly showered,. “Have you eaten yet, Exec?”

  “No, sir, I was waiting for Chief Billings to finish and relieve me. Oh, here he comes now.”

  “What’s for supper, Chief?”

  “Cookie made fried chicken, greens, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, Captain.”

  “Sounds good, Chief, take the conn. The Exec and I shall be dining.”

  “Aye aye, sir. I have the conn.”

  Kelly and Timmons went through the chow line. Cookie had outdone himself. Even though he was limited to patrol rations, he was a miracle worker with basic foodstuffs. The fried chicken was crispy, hot, and tasty. The greens were spiced up with some sort of sauce made from vinegar and mustard. The mashed potatoes were fluffy and accompanied by a smooth peppered gravy. It was a w
onderful meal. At the end, Cookie brought over two servings of peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.

  The captain looked up and said, “Cookie, I did give the order for patrol rations until we crossed the frontier. Did you not get the word?”

  Cookie’s face took on a look of astonishment. “Sir? Yes, sir, I did get the word. Everything you’ve eaten was patrol rations. The chicken was from cans. The crust was crushed crackers. The greens were also canned. The potatoes were from flakes. The gravy was from the chicken fat salvaged from the cans and ultra pasteurized milk. The cobbler was from canned peaches and crackers. Even the ice cream was from ultra pasteurized milk. There’s nothing in the regs that says I can’t embellish the ingredients a bit. The crew does seem to appreciate it.”

  A smile came over LCDR Timmons’ face and he said, “So do I, Cookie, so do I.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  In five more days, the two ships approached Antares. Both ships were ordered to the Space Dock for debriefings and inspection. The captain allowed the Voracious to go first in appreciation for their rescue. The Vigilant followed and the two ships wound up docked side by side.

  Timmons and Kelly made their way through the space dock to Admiral Craddock’s office. When they reached the cypher door, Captain Hasselrode was waiting for them. He grabbed LCDR Timmons’ hand and pumped it up and down.

  “Damn good job, Ed. Damn good job.”

  He reached over and shook Kelly’s hand.

  “Come on, you two. The admiral wanted me to bring you two in directly.”

  Captain Hasselrode practically pushed the two of them ahead of him. They came into Admiral Craddock’s office and he rose from his desk to meet them at the door. He shook their hands and motioned them to chairs.

  “Come on in. Sit down, you two. Sit down.”

  The admiral moved around behind his desk.

  “Damn, Ed, I didn’t send you out there to take on the whole K’Rang Fleet. A K’Rang command ship, four battle cruisers, four missile cruisers, four destroyers, seven frigates, and an armed support ship. We didn’t need to send in the 1st Combined Fleet. We could have just sent you. Admiral Chang has been burning up my communicator. He wants to personally award the Vigilant with a blue E, a red V and a campaign star. Yours is the first ship in Scout Force to ever get a Fleet designation for excellence and valor. You kept that reinforcement fleet from coming forward. If it had come through unimpeded, it could have done some real damage to the fleet. Those missile cruisers could have stood off and pounded the fleet with a swarm of hundreds of ship killers.”

  “In toto, the Scout Force did well. We took out 75 ships of various types–everything from the command ship to some planetary defense ships that got a little too curious. All that and not a ship lost. Our sources are telling us that there are some major shake ups going on in the K’Rang military.”

  “John, send them on down to debriefing. I’m sure they’d like to get back planet-side.”

  The captain and Kelly went through an abbreviated debriefing. The debriefers went through their logs and merely asked clarifying or amplifying questions. The more detailed debriefing would happen once the debriefers had more time to study the logs. That would happen planet-side in a day or two. The crew would get some time off first.

  The Vigilant was released to the space dock crew. While Kelly and Timmons were being debriefed, the space dock workers gave the ship a thorough inspection inside and out. With the exception of some paint smudges, the Vigilant was in perfect condition. The empty missile launch module was removed and stowed away for future use.

  The captain gave the order to leave space dock and move the ship to Antares Base. In an hour, the Vigilant was coming in for a landing. The crew went through the shut down sequence and made the ship secure from war status, while the base personnel hooked up power, water, comms, and sewage.

  * * * * *

  The next few months were good for the Vigilant. The K’Rang had been stung by the 1st Combined Fleet, both outside and inside their territory. They settled down and stayed real quiet.

  It hit them pretty hard that they were met by a force 100 times their size and they never knew it was coming. It also didn’t help that the ten Scout Force ships destroyed more ships in K’Rang Space than were in the invasion fleet. Three separate K’Rang reinforcement fleets were chewed up or stalled by Scout Force ships.

  As the Vigilant was returning to port from a training cruise, a message came in that was captain’s eyes only. The captain retired to his quarters to take the message. After 30 minutes he called Kelly and Chief Watson into his conference room.

  “Sit down you two, I have some interesting news. I just had a video conference with Admiral Craddock. It seems that Fleet hasn’t had enough of me. I have been selected for promotion to full Commander.”

  Kelly and the Chief both smiled broadly and congratulated the captain for a well-deserved promotion.

  Chief Watson spoke first, “Damn glad that Fleet showed the good sense to promote you, Captain.”

  It was Kelly’s turn. “I’m very glad for you, sir. You deserve it. I didn’t think you were up for promotion at this time.”

  “I wasn’t. I shouldn’t have been picked up for promotion by this board. I was promoted below the zone of consideration. I suspect our last three combat patrols helped me along. I have you two to thank for that. I couldn’t have asked for better leadership than you two have provided.”

  Both thanked him for the sentiment, but insisted that they owed him more, much more.

  He picked up a dispatch and said, “I am to be the Commander of the new 22nd Scout Squadron. It will consist of the Valiant, Vindicator, Vehement and the Vigilant. It’s a nice honor, but it will mainly be a desk command for me. There are no Commodore’s quarters on these ships.”

  He continued, “But I’m not done with the good news yet. Allow me to congratulate you, Kelly. The Lieutenants board also met and you are now officially a Fleet Lieutenant. We must have been doing something right. You were also selected below the zone.”

  Kelly’s mouth dropped open.

  Chief Watson slapped Kelly on the back. “Good for you, sir. It is very well deserved.”

  “Kelly, the admiral asked me for a recommendation for who should replace me. I told him that I had an exec that would make a great captain. He thought as a frocked Lieutenant he would take a lot of heat for making you captain, but as a frocked Lieutenant Commander, he thought he could handle that. Kelly, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you will take over command from me.”

  Kelly was stunned. Chief Watson reached over and slapped him on the back again. A Fleet command for a Lieutenant wasn’t unheard of, but it was rare.

  “I’m speechless, sir. I really don’t know what to say. This is something I wouldn’t have even considered. Thank you for your recommendation.”

  “No need to thank me, Kelly. You’ve earned it. I am doing one other thing to you, Kelly. I’m taking Chief Watson with me to the 22nd Scout Squadron. You’re stuck with me, Ken, or should I say Master Chief Petty Officer Watson. The chiefs board also met while we were out in K’Rang space.”

  Kelly slapped Chief Watson on the back, shook his hand, and said, “Now there is a promotion that is well deserved. Wait, this means I lose my Senior Chief. Will they bring someone in or do I get to pick somebody?”

  The captain said, “Scout Force will send you a list to consider from, but you get to choose your Senior Chief.”

  Chief Watson broke in, “If you won’t mind my advice, LT Blake, you could do a lot worse than Chief Blankenship. She’s got her stuff together. She’s technically competent. She’s also senior to all the other Chiefs on board and a lot better than what Scout Force will be able to offer. That’s just my opinion though, sir. You can pick whoever you want, of course.”

  Kelly replied, “Thanks, Chief, I’ll give that a lot of consideration. It would probably be prudent to wait until I assume command to make any personnel decisions. I’ve seen too many sl
ips between the cup and lip to be presumptuous.”

  * * * * *

  Two weeks later, Kelly’s promotion ceremony and frocking to Lieutenant Commander immediately preceded the Vigilant’s change of command ceremony. Kelly became the youngest ship commander in the Fleet. Commander Timmons became his Squadron Commander.

  His parents, Candy, Tammy, and Angie were all present at the ceremony. He looked at the three young women sitting together and wondered if they were comparing notes on him or sizing each other up.

  After the speeches and the mandatory mass handshaking, the three women came over to him. Kelly was unsure whether to run or stand fast. He stood fast and waited to see what was coming.

  Candy led off. “Kelly, you should have introduced us sooner. We like each other. We like each other so much that I’m having a party this weekend at my new house and you are all invited, especially you.”

  Kelly considered the possibilities and was about to reply that he would enjoy that very much, when Yeoman Benitez came up behind him and cleared her throat. He turned toward her.

  She said, “Captain, you and Commander Timmons are requested to meet with Admiral Craddock in his office as soon as possible.”

  Kelly paused for a second to let the fact that he had just been addressed as Captain for the first time to settle in. He decided he liked the sound of that.

  “Yeoman Benitez, thank you. I’ll be right there.”

  He turned back to the three waiting women, all wearing mischievous looks on their faces, and said, “Ladies, I’d be delighted to join you, if my duties allow, but now I have to go meet with your dad, Candy.”

  * * * * *

  Hours later, LT Casimirski approached a shuttle outside Scout Force HQ and was about to climb in when a voice shouted out, “What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?”