Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between
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Admiral Minacci escorted a lieutenant out his door and asked Timmons to take care of him. He saw Kelly and speed walked over to shake Kelly’s hand and drag him into his office.
“Damn, Kelly, do you know that the Angaerry and the new Ambassador to the K’Rang Empire are fighting over you?”
“Yes, sir, Admiral Chang told me about the Angaerry request and Captain Timmons just told me about the Ambassador’s request.”
“The decision is on the President’s desk. We should know which by tomorrow.”
Kelly started and said, “Does this mean I have no choice in the matter, sir? When Admiral Chang informed me, it was up to me. I need to talk to Candy about this. This is a big deal to spring on her. Yes, she’s a Fleet Brat, but this isn’t just a new assignment here in the Republic we’d be moving to. This is moving to one of two civilizations quite a few light-years away.”
Minacci said ruefully, “I don’t know, Kelly. Seems it’s in the President’s hands now.”
Kelly made his report and returned to Orion to complete post mission checks. The crew had used the last two days well, and the ship was in pristine condition. All the myriad forms Kelly had to approve and sign were ready on his desk when he returned. He called in his A-team and ran down a few items he still wanted taken care of. He then authorized local Antares Base liberty on a 50% manning basis.
Kelly looked at his watch, which had reset to Antares time, and saw that it was close to quitting time for Candy. He called her and asked if she’d like to have a visitor for the night. She said okay, but he would need earplugs if he intended to sleep tonight. She planned to get rather noisy.
Kelly laughed and told her to wait for him. He would be right over as soon as he cleared out some paperwork. She told him to hurry.
Kelly took a walk around to make sure his department heads’ idea of 50% and his matched. He saw they understood perfectly then searched out Connie.
“Connie, the ship is yours. I have to go reintroduce myself to my wife and tactfully inform her that we may be spending the next three years living with the K’Rang or the Angaerry.”
Connie coughed and said, “I don’t envy you that task, sir. Would that mean you would be giving up command so soon?”
“I hadn’t thought of that Connie, but I suppose it does.”
“Of course, with the K’Rang humbled and treaties with the Moose and the Angaerry, there shouldn’t be that much to do. Make sure they put a ring at the Embassy wherever you get assigned, so you can come back to shop and visit.”
Kelly put a few things into a bag and called Candy. He met her outside Flight Ops and they left for their mountain retreat. He was kind enough and smart enough to wait until the next afternoon, when they got up for lunch, to tell her about his next assignment. After some initial ranting she calmed down and said, “Whither thou goest, so goest I.”
The matter was settled. Kelly let out a sigh of relief and asked if she had a preference. She thought the K’Rang would be the more interesting of the two. Either way, she thought it would make for an interesting three years. She wondered if the Embassy would be in need of a lawyer.
* * * * *
A call came in to the Orion’s comms suite that was answered by a signals technician and patched through to Kelly in his cabin. The technician said, “Sir, there is a call for you from the President. I’ll put it through.”
Kelly heard the line click, signaling the call had been put through. He said, “Commander Kelly Blake here.”
A female voice on the other end said, “Please hold for the president.”
The familiar voice of the president came over the line. “Good morning, Commander Blake, I hope you are well and your lovely wife, too. My wife was commenting last week how innovative and thoughtful your handwritten and scanned thank you notes were. She has all of us doing it now. She thought it so much more graceful than an electronic message.”
“But that’s not why I called. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the Angaerry and the new ambassador to the K’Rang are fighting over you. I thought before I decide on this, I’d best get your input and that of your wife. Does your wife know yet? Do you have a preference and why?”
Kelly took a long breath and said, “Mr. President, I spoke to my wife this afternoon, and after a brief rant she said that she would go wherever I was sent. She thought the K’Rang capital might be the best assignment from the standpoint of contribution to the continued peace and harmony of our part of the galaxy. She thought keeping the K’Rang in line was the better use of my talents. She also wondered if they might have need of a lawyer.”
Kelly stopped talking and it was several seconds before the president responded.
“Your counterpart will be the same Jotil Lenkva that requested you for the embassy on the Angaerry home world. I like your bride’s analysis better than what my staffer handed me. I’ll approve you for the G’Durin Embassy. I think I’ll see if we can’t get your wife an appointment as the Chief Counsel or deputy, at least. Thank you, Commander; you made this decision so much easier for me. Good luck on your next assignment, Captain Blake.”
The line went dead and Kelly hung up. The president’s last words hung in his mind, “Captain Blake.” Was he trying to tell him something? The next day, Kelly’s orders reassigning him as Defense Attaché to the G’Durin Embassy came through, and something else. The president was trying to tell him something. He also received a Presidential promotion to the rank of Captain. His orders gave him a reporting date to a Diplomatic Corps class for new embassy personnel one month hence and a Republic Intelligence Agency tradecraft school after that, which gave him just enough time to turn over the ship to its new captain and prepare the mountain house for rental.
Tammy’s squadron was being put into reserve status and mothballed on Leonov. She asked for and received assignment as the Transport Detachment Commander on Armstrong. She was devastated to learn Candy and Kelly would not be there. Fortunately, Angie would be only a ring transport away, as she was assigned as the 15th Fighter Wing Deputy Commander on Gagarin. Candy and Kelly agreed to let Tammy live at the aerie for free, provided she maintained it while they were gone. Better her than strangers that might not take as good care of it.
Admiral Minacci promised Kelly he’d have a job on Antares Base when his tour was up. He even promised to make his successor sign a blood oath that he would hold a similar job open for Kelly.
Kelly gave up command of the Orion and was promoted to Captain on the same day. Kelly and Candy packed up what they would be taking to G’Durin and left together on the passenger liner SS Capricorn. Kelly didn’t mind the relatively slow pace of the liner this time.
* * * * *
Far away in the Eridanus sector, Baron H’Topa stared at the green button, which had been blinking for three long months. He had heard nothing from G’Durin in all that time or from any other K’Rang officials. Starting to run low on supplies and with the cold season approaching, he judged that he had done his duty to the Empire, and pushed the green button. The screen lit up and the recorded image of the female human warrior appeared again.
“Well, it took you long enough. Your authorities have been notified.”
The End