“Kelly, are you aware that Fleet has been studying whether to assign scout ships to groups, task forces, and fleets during operations? On the basis of your service to the 3rd Assault Landing Group, I am forwarding my recommendation to Fleet HQ that this be made a routine assignment for scout ships. I would be happy to have your ship under my command at any time.”
“It is my considered opinion that the K’Rang fleet would now be threatening Rigel and Aldebaran, if not for the excellent reconnaissance work carried out by you and your crew. You are to be personally commended, as well as your crew. I will see to it that your ship is awarded another campaign star and a special engagement star for your destruction of the two K’Rang scout ships. I will also forward award recommendations for you and any of your crew you deem worthy. Get the recommendations to my flag secretary before you’re chopped back to Scout Force control and leave sector.”
Kelly said, “I appreciate your sentiments, sir. You’re an easy admiral to work for. I hope we work together again some day.”
The two clasped hands, then departed to their next event, the wedding.
Sally’s wedding was to be held at the Ruin View. One-Eyed Pete would allow nothing else. He had flowers from all over the planet brought in to decorate the place. Sally insisted that only she would work in her kitchen, but Pete and Russell shouted her down. They were not going to let her work on her wedding day. They borrowed the best military cooks that she had trained in her style of cooking, and had them cater the meals.
Sally was dressed in a traditional white satin wedding gown, not seen much these days. It covered her from her shoulders to the floor. It had a simple white beaded headband that held up her veil. The gown had belonged to one of her Brotherhood customer’s wife and had cheerfully been given to Sally to do with as she wished. An afternoon at the tailor assured a perfect fit. She looked positively slender in it.
Russell was dressed in formal wear suitable for a GR ambassador. In fact, it had once belonged to one, before an Undefeated class cutter liberated it. All the preparations were complete. One-Eyed Pete stood at the front of the restaurant ready to give away the bride. Russell and Alistair stood at the back of the restaurant with the Steven Maynard. Six military cooks watched carefully over the ovens, pots, and pans, with plates lined up on the prep table.
Kelly sat on the bride’s side in the second row, in his dress uniform. Mary Chen sat on his left and Connie Cortez on his right. Admiral Minacci sat in the first row with his executive officer, CDR Digg. The restaurant was packed. Not a seat was empty and people were standing outside looking in the windows. This was a big event for Barataria.
The wedding march started and everyone stood and faced to the rear. As One-Eyed Pete and Sally marched up the aisle, Connie and Mary started sniffling. Kelly, prepared, pulled out two handkerchiefs and passed them over. Kelly had to admit that plain old Sally looked beautiful. Her face beamed with a too infrequent smile. She stood up straight and not her usual slump. Love looked good on her.
She and Pete reached the end of the aisle. He raised her veil and gave her a polite peck on the cheek then handed her over to Russell. Maynard started the wedding with a brief welcome to all the guests and an explanation of why all were here. He then proceeded to the vows and exchange of rings. Women all over the restaurant were sobbing quietly, including Kelly’s ladies. Before he knew it, it was time for Russell to kiss his new bride, which elicited a round of cheers and applause from the assembled dignitaries.
The reception followed immediately. The guests were hustled into the bar for wine and cocktails, while the caterers cleared the chairs and set up the restaurant for the meal. Kelly mingled with the assorted guest and dignitaries. Steven Maynard came over and brought him a fresh drink.
“LCDR Blake, I want to thank you for all you did for Barataria. Admiral Minacci tells me that without your support he might have lost to the K’Rang. Let me assure you that we appreciate what you and your crew have done or us. Also rest assured that there will be no repercussions for your unfortunate engagement with Torpedo Squadron Six. We were pirates then and we took a pirate’s chances. We bear you no ill will.”
“Thank you, Mr. Maynard.”
“Please, call me Steven.”
“Okay, Steven, call me Kelly. I appreciate this gesture. I wish there had been a way that I could have accomplished my mission without the loss of your squadron. As a fighter pilot myself, I can assure you that I’ve never faced finer or braver opponents. You can be proud of Torpedo Squadron Six.”
“Thank you, Kelly. Excuse me, I see my assistant waving me over.”
It was time for the dinner. The bridal party led the multitude into the dining room. Place cards showed everyone where to sit. Kelly wound up at Admiral Minacci’s table with his ladies on either side. Alistair was at the head table next to Russell. Connie blew a kiss in his direction.
The meal was excellent. Even Sally was pleased. The toasts were long and witty; the wine flowed freely.
After a while, One-Eyed Pete stood up. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a gift for the bride and groom, if they will accept it.”
He pulled out a pocket terminal and turned it on.
“This is a legal document I’ve had drawn up. It deeds Sally and Russell a full partnership in the Ruin View Restaurant, if they will agree to stay here on Barataria and help me run it.”
Sally stood up and pulled Pete’s face down to kiss him. Tears streamed down her face. She choked up and couldn’t speak, so Russell spoke for her.
“Pete, this is an unexpected pleasure. This is what we were hoping, but felt we couldn’t ask for. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Pete disentangled himself from Sally, who clung to his neck weeping with joy, and had them thumb the document. He held it up after to a round of applause and cheers.
After the dishes were cleared, the bride and groom circulated around the room, thanking all their guests for coming. When she finally came to the Admiral’s table, she told him and Kelly she’d better never hear either was in the sector without coming by for a meal. There would always be a table waiting.
They made their way around the table and One-Eyed Pete was there to hustle them along to change for their get-away.
The bride and groom changed into street clothes and the guests lined the entrance to wish them well. Rice flew as they ran to a waiting hover limo and it sped off into the night. Folks found out later that Pete had lent them his cabin by a lake for their honeymoon.
A long line for the taxis had Kelly, Mary, Connie, and Alistair waiting, until Kelly felt a tap on his shoulder. It was CDR Digg, motioning him to come with him. The four of them followed him around the corner to a large ground car. Admiral Minacci waved them all in, and they rode to the spaceport.
Mary rode up to the Golden Eagle in the Admiral’s gig. Her company would be embarked on the Golden Eagle until the 3rd ALG reached Gagarin. The remainder of the Marine Brigade from the Yellow Jacket would be split between the Assault Landing Carriers Wasp and Bee. Temporary berths were set up in the AS-500s to house the Marines. The Yellow Jacket’s dozen AS-500s would be parked at the Baratarian Main Spaceport until a carrier could be dispatched to pick them up. The pilots, copilots, and a small Marine detachment became honored guests of Barataria, as they remained behind to guard the craft.
Kelly, Connie, and Alistair spent a sober night on the Vigilant. A large part of the crew was out on the town.
The Vigilant lifted off the next morning, bright and early, with the crew only a little hung over. When they hit orbit, Admiral Minacci contacted Kelly to tell him he had been released back to Scout Force control and, again, how much he appreciated having him around. He hoped they could work together again some time. Kelly expressed similar sentiments. The Admiral signed off and Kelly heard a knock on his door. It was Yeoman Benitez, with a dispatch from Scout Force ordering him back to Antares Base. Kelly ordered Connie to set course for Alistair’s ship to drop him off first.
&nb
sp; They docked with Alistair’s ship and transferred his gear over. Kelly watched as Alistair pulled Rojo out of the stasis chamber. He lifted him out of the carrier and placed him on the warm spot next to the command console. In but a few minutes, Rojo was up and purring, rubbing up against Kelly’s leg. Kelly had an idea and excused himself, leaving Connie and Alistair alone. He came back a discreet time later, making sure to make noise as he approached the control room.
“I understand Rojo likes sailor fish fillets. If that’s still the case, here’s a package of them for him.”
Alistair was astonished.
“You have sailor fish fillets in your galley stores?”
Kelly replied, “No, but a replicator is a wonderfully handy thing to have.”
They all three laughed.
Kelly told Connie that he had some things to take care of on the Vigilant before they left, so she could stay here to say farewell for a while. Kelly went back to his cabin, called in Yeoman Benitez, and finalized his award recommendations to transmit to Admiral Minacci’s Flag Secretary before they left the sector. He approved the list and had Benitez transmit it to Admiral Minacci’s staff.
Kelly piddled for a bit longer then called over to Alistair’s ship and asked if he could have his XO back. Alistair responded that he would send her over presently and asked to meet Kelly at the airlock.
Kelly walked to the airlock and called for Alistair. Alistair and Connie approached. Connie excused herself and went on into the Vigilant.
Alistair said, “I want to thank you, Kelly, for helping me to accomplish my mission. I wouldn’t have been able to without your help. I also want to thank you also for the chance to be shot at and missed. It was most exhilarating, but I think I’ll give it a miss in the future.”
Kelly thanked him for his valuable insight and hoped they could work together again some time. Kelly and Alistair shook hands and both captains cycled their airlocks closed.
Kelly returned to the bridge, confirmed readiness to undock, and separated the two ships. As Alistair’s ship pulled away, Kelly gave orders to set course for home at FTL power 4. Kelly took it easy on the crew on the return voyage. He only ordered three drills.
Alistair received a message containing his new orders. He and his cat were ordered to take a month off. He was pulled off mission status until the month was over. He was authorized to take his ship with him and use it during his leave. Working during these four weeks would be grounds for dismissal.
Alistair talked to Rojo, “I assume from the tone of the order that they are serious this time. Now all we have to do is figure where we can go for the next four weeks and not work. Rojo, I hear Armstrong is supposed to be nice this time of year. I hear Armstrong is supposed to be nice anytime of year. Now who do I know on Armstrong? You know, if I’m not mistaken, Connie Cortez is on Armstrong.”
Rojo wasn’t listening; he was too busy batting a fuzzy ball about the command console.
He continued, “Rojo, I vote for Armstrong. What do you say?”
Rojo let out a Merow!
“I take this as an affirmative response, boy. Did I tell you they have wing fish on Antares? I hear they taste very much like sailor fish fillets.”
Rojo jumped down off the command console and started doing figure eights around Alistair’s legs.
“Oh, so that sounds good to you, does it, boy? Armstrong it is, then. I wonder if Connie can get some time off?”
The Vigilant was cleared for a standard approach into Antares Base. Kelly had expected to be directed into Antares Station first. He guessed the Admiral must be planet-side today. The Vigilant was directed to a parking space and the helm sat her down smoothly, without a bump.
As the Vigilant was hooked up to water, power, and sewage, Kelly received a message to report to Admiral Craddock’s office. Kelly grabbed his logs and found the nearest shuttle to take him to Scout Force HQ. He was shown immediately into Admiral Craddock’s office. CDR Timmons was there.
Admiral Craddock came around his desk and shook Kelly’s hand.
“I just got a long message from Admiral Minacci about you. He was very impressed with your performance in support of his operations. He’s recommended the Vigilant for another campaign star and an Engagement Star for your combat with the two K’Rang scout ships. He assured me you’d get them both. Edgar, if this is going to become a regular occurrence I’ll have to see about putting out a policy on it.”
“Minacci’s recommending that all task forces, fleets, and groups deploy with a Scout Ship in support. I think we can support this with our current strength and I am going to agree with his recommendation. We might need to add some ships to be able to accompany all groups, fleets, and task forces, but we can definitely support those heading into combat situations.”
“Good work on this mission. I saw your report on the K’Rang scout encounter. We had your back if Paulo hadn’t been as appreciative as he turned out to be. That was a gutsy move. If the K’Rang had been smart enough to see what you were doing, you‘d have been in a tight spot. How did you know the pirates would surrender so quickly?”
“Sir, I didn’t, but thought the presence of the K’Rang might have a positive effect on the Baratarians’ attitude once the 3rd ALG showed up.”
“Well, good work, Kelly. Fleet Intel wants to conduct a series of debriefings with you and your crew on the K’Rang, the pirates and these Hooligans you mentioned, but you’ll have a few days to give your crew some time off. I’m taking the Vigilant off patrol status for the next 30 days. I need to give the other captains a chance at glory. The yard will want a few days to check out your ship. Plan on being here for a month, then we’ll talk about your next mission. Give your people some leave. Take some yourself.”
The Admiral went back and sat behind his desk. CDR Timmons got up from the admiral’s couch and led Kelly out of the office.
CDR Timmons grinned and said, “Kelly, it’s good to see you’re keeping up the tradition of the Vigilant being a one ship fleet.”
They both laughed as they walked to the 21st Scout Squadron HQ offices. Timmons escorted Kelly into his office and offered him some coffee. Kelly fixed a cup and sat down in one of the chairs in front of CDR Timmons’ desk.
CDR Timmons sat down and said, ”Damn good job, Kelly. I can’t believe how effusive Minacci was in his praise for you. Even discounting that he’s politicking for Scout Force to send a scout ship with him next time he goes out, he put in some pretty strong words. You’ll get a fairly high award out of him, I imagine.”
“I was just doing my job, sir. Just like you taught me.”
Timmons smiled at that. Kelly did, too.
“I never taught you to take on a whole planet and win. You did that on your own.”
“R amp;R directorate wants to interview you about the increased speed algorithm. It seems the Valiant had some problems with theirs. It sent them corkscrewing through space. It was a hairy ride for a few seconds until they emergency braked. They almost lost their stabilization.”
“I only used the extra speed a few times on this patrol. FTL power five was as fast as we normally got.”
“Well, they want to talk to you and Chief Miller, anyway. I’ll set it up.”
CDR Timmons looked at Kelly with a smile on his face and said, “I have some news of a personal nature to share. Janey is getting out. It seems General Bugarov left a time bomb in her records and she won’t be promoted to Major. So, in the spring after she’s released, we’re going to get married. I’d appreciate it if you’d stand up with me as my best man.”
Kelly beamed, “Congratulations, sir, and I’d be honored to be your best man.”
“Keep this to yourself for now. She hasn’t told her family yet. I just proposed to her this week.”
“I’m happy for you both.”
Kelly turned somber. “Bugarov, it’s a shame she was so vindictive and destructive. She cost Fighter Force a lot of good officers. You’d think, now that she’s gone, personnel would con
sider some of the records for review and correction. I mean, there’s what, ten officers here alone that she discarded and I’m just one of them?”
“Yeah, she was a real piece of work.”
The yard crew came on board the Vigilant and ran a series of diagnostics on the engines, sensors, shields, and weapons. They pronounced her in fine shape. The only damage they found was some minor stealth coating damage to the nose. They scheduled the Vigilant for two days hence to be put into drydock 7 for the paintwork. Kelly’s debriefing took place while the yard crew was doing its diagnostics.
Kelly’s debrief went quickly due to his detailed logs and reports. They had only minor questions about Captain Alden and his fleet’s consist. A few questions about Steven Maynard were short circuited when Kelly pointed out the detailed biographical report in the file that they had missed. In less than two hours, he had answered all their questions and was released to go.
CDR Johnson called Kelly into his office after the debriefers were finished.
“Come in, Kelly. Sit down. I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
Kelly was offered coffee, which he accepted, and he sat down.
“I’d like to talk to you about your next assignment after you give up command. The normal career progression for a Scout Force officer is an assignment with Fleet Intelligence between ships. You’ve really impressed us. We’d like you to start thinking about what you’d like to do next. With your record, you can pick your next assignment. We think we can offer you a more rewarding job than shuffling paper in some headquarters. You have a long time to make up your mind, but think about what you want to do next and include us in your deliberations.”
Kelly, sensing the office call was over, put his coffee down and stood up to leave. CDR Johnson personally escorted him out of the building, making small talk on the way out. All the way back to the Vigilant, he thought to himself that that was the worst sales pitch he’d ever heard.
When Kelly returned to the Vigilant, there were two messages from Candy in his queue. The first was a voice message, “Hey, Kelly, Dad tells me you’re back in town for a while. Do you have time to come over to my place? You know you can stay as long as you like. Tammy has a few days off and she is staying with me. We’d love to have you over even, if it’s just for dinner. Say you will. It’ll be fun.”
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