“Sensor Technician Second Class T’Get, you will not talk of this to anyone. I concur with your analysis. I am forwarding your discovery directly to the Imperial Analytical Cabal. If they concur with what you and I see, I will recommend that you be promoted immediately to Sensor Technician First Class. You have done a great service to the Empire.”
Sensor Lead Technician H’Talli left the Combat Information Center to seek an audience with the captain.
It was departure time for Kelly’s patrol. The crew was ready. The ship was ready. The captain was ready. “Exec, are we ready to lift off?”
LTJG Cortez looked up from her display, which showed green indicators from all ship’s sections and replied, “All sections report ready. Chief Billings has the quarterdeck. The gangplank is down. Awaiting your orders, sir.”
Kelly took a look around the bridge. All personnel were in their places. He envisioned his ship as a coiled spring ready to be set free. He keyed his communicator and said, “Chief Billings, bring up the gangplank and secure the quarterdeck watch.”
Kelly heard the gangplank come up and lock in place. He felt a slight pressure change in his ears, signifying a good seal on the gangplank hatch. Chief Billings joined them, reported the gangplank up, locked, and the quarterdeck watch secured. He took his position as Chief of the Watch. The ship was ready for space.
Kelly keyed his mike again. “Antares Base, this is Vigilant, requesting permission for take off.”
“Vigilant, this is Antares Base, you are cleared for take off. Good luck and good hunting.”
“Helmsman, take us up, standard departure, 0.5 c once we clear the atmosphere. Yeoman, start the log.”
“Standard departure, 0.5 c once we clear the atmosphere, aye, sir.”
As they cleared the atmosphere Kelly said, “Chief, Billings would you enter our course?”
“Aye aye, Captain. Navigator, your course is coming up.”
Kelly scanned the navigation screen for ships in their path and said, “Helm, as soon as we clear the minimum safety distance, engage FTL Power 4 and let’s get out of here.”
The helmsman entered and verified the course, then replied, “Course is locked in, minimum safety range in six seconds, five, four, three, two, one, engaging FTL Power 4.”
Kelly stood up. “Exec, you have the first watch. Chief Blankenship, join me in my ready room.”
As the captain and Chief B left, LTJG Cortez passed the conn to Chief Billings and checked on conditions in other sections of the ship. Gunnery was squared away. Sensors were squared away. The galley smelled yummy. Engineering was unmatched.
She went to Chief Miller and asked, “Chief, have you run diagnostics on the engine synchronizers?”
Chief Miller wiped his hands clean on the rag he always kept handy. “Yes, ma’am, I’ve run full diagnostics on the three active and two spares. All check out within 2 % of specifications or better.”
“Good, the last word my old boss gave me was to try and discourage the captain from full stop to max speed runs if any of the synchronizers are more than 5 % out of spec. If that happens with any of the active synchronizers, let the captain and I know immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am, will do.”
“By the way, Chief, what level G-force did the hull pull during our mad acceleration? My monitor was on engine instrumentation, not hull stresses.”
“Ma’am, my gauges showed a peak of 6 G’s on initial thrust, leveling off to 4 G’s upon climbing through FTL Power 4, and dropping to 2 G’s just before we hit top speed. We were well within specs for the stabilizers. They max out at 8 G’s.”
“Thanks Chief, good work.”
Connie worked her way back to the bridge, stopping off in the galley for a cup of coffee and a roll.
Staring out the view screens at the cosmos, now that the ship was on reduced patrol lighting, she could make out galaxies by the score. She didn’t think she would ever get used to the immense beauty of it. Connie really loved being in space.
Chief B leaned her head out of the captain’s ready room door and motioned her in. Kelly told her to come in and have a seat at the conference table.
“Chief B is going for some tea and coffee. When she gets back, we’ll go over a schedule for drills I want to run.”
Chief B was back presently with a tray of cups, a pot of tea, and a carafe of coffee. Kelly pulled a small container of sweeteners and creamers from a shelf.
As they fixed their drink of choice, Kelly began listing the drills he wanted to concentrate on. Between the three of them, they placed the drills into the various watch schedules, to spread the training benefit to the whole crew. While they were finishing up the task, a knock came on the door and Yeoman Benitez stuck her head in the door.
“Captain, message for you from Admiral Craddock.”
Kelly frowned. A message sent through deep space comms couldn’t be good news.
“Excuse me, all. I’ll need the room.”
He took the data drive from Yeoman Benitez while they all filed out onto the bridge, leaving him alone. He fed the data into his terminal and read the screen that appeared:
To: Commanding Officer, GRS Vigilant
From: Commanding Officer, Scout Force
Subject: Change to Orders
Proceed to patrol sector vicinity Rigel-Aldebaran trade route, rendezvous with Fleet Reporting Officer Bennett. Proceed to Rigel Station and, at first opportunity, contact Mr. Roger Delphant, of Debran Industries, to arrange meeting with Mr. Friedrich Debran, re: Disappearance, in sector, of Mrs. Julia Debran and two daughters, Christine and Sylvia. Extreme pressure to locate Debran family is being placed on Fleet by Senate Defense Committee Chair. You will be senior Fleet representative in sector, pending decisions being made at Fleet HQ regarding reinforcing your mission. Fully inform Mr. Debran of our intentions to locate his family and secure their safe return. Upon completing briefing to Mr. Debran, make all efforts to locate and return three Debran women and carry out original mission. Will advise. Good luck. Good hunting.
Craddock.
He called his exec, Chief B and Yeoman Benitez back into his ready room, “Yeoman, please log this message.”
“Exec, Chief we got a doozy handed to us. It seems a Mr. Debran of Debran Industries, Inc. has misplaced his family and has the Senate putting extreme pressure on Fleet to locate them. As we will be the Fleet presence in sector for the foreseeable future, we are…no, I am tasked with meeting with Mr. Debran and giving him a warm and fuzzy.”
Kelly printed the message and handed it to Connie and Chief Blankenship to read. They each read it in turn and passed it back.
“Chief B, did you notice the name of his go between?”
“Yes, sir, I did. I wonder if he is related to the late Charles Delphant of the Indigo Consortium? He must be or it would be too large a coincidence.”
Connie looked puzzled.
“Exec, Charles Delphant was the head of the Indigo Consortium, until he died in a suspicious office fire. Company executives travelling on their ships were meeting with K’Rang agents along the frontier and passing military and other information in exchange for large quantities of flamestones. The Vigilant captured enough flamestones to finance almost half the Valiant class of scout ships. We monitored several of their meetings and even snatched some K’Rang couriers. It gave us the info we needed to ambush the K’Rang invasion fleet at New Alexandria.”
Connie’s eyes got wider and wider as Kelly recounted the Vigilant’s exploits. She realized Scout Force was far different than her life in R amp;R had been. She had a lot to learn.
Kelly put the message into his dispatch case and concentrated on finishing the drill schedule. There was little he could do until he met with Alistair and had some idea of the situation. As the meeting broke up, he had Chief B get with sensors to dig up all they could on Mr. Debran and his company. He told LTJG Cortez to increase speed to FTL Power 5. There was no use dawdling.