Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between (26 page)

He had found this damp, dark cavern by accident, when he first surveyed the planet for the depot’s location. The supply leader almost built the depot on top of it. H’Topa was walking about the site the supply leader recommended for the depot and nearly fell into it. He saw the potential to use this cavern as a bombardment shelter. He never expected that the Humans would ever attack when the Armada was above them and they held several hundred million Humans as hostage.

Now the Armada was a shadow of its former self and his world was overrun with tens of thousands of Human fighters. Fortunately he had stocked this cavern with ammunition and rations to support the 5,000 population in case he had been wrong. Luckily, something about this cavern or the surrounding rock made it impervious to scans.

Baron H’Topa determined that he would do as much damage as he could to any Humans on his world. For now he waited for the Humans to become bored and complacent then he would strike.

* * * * *

Kelly brought Jotil Lenkva down to the supply space to watch the resupply of the one empty missile pod. They stood on the upper platform and watched as Lieutenant Commander Obregon hit the control to move the ring to the far end of the compartment, activate it, and have the quicksilver veil form in the ring. Then they watched a supply specialist work the material handling arm to pull and lift the empty pod out. A cart magically appeared from the ring much to Jotil Lenkva’s amazement, even though she had been briefed on its capability. The specialist placed the empty pod on the cart, secured it and pushed it through the ring. A moment later, a new pod was wheeled through the ring. The robotic arm grabbed the pod and inserted it into place. A missile maintenance specialist plugged it in, powered up, and tested the pod.

Jotil Lenkva asked if she could walk through the ring. Kelly approved it and they and their translators walked though together. They came out into a massive supply hall. Scores of rings lined the outer wall where the loading docks used to be. If the ring didn’t impress her, the supply warehouse certainly did. Kelly pointed at the astonished depot staff, then to the ring and said they had to go back now. All four walked back through the ring and onto the Orion once again.

Kelly told Jotil Lenkva that he always wondered what would happen if the Orion’s ring malfunctioned with him on the other side. He imagined that he wouldn’t remain the captain for long. Jotil Lenkva looked up at Kelly and said she had faith that Kelly would find a way to return to his ship.

Kelly went with Jotil Lenkva to the CIC and turned her and her translator over to his Ops Officer, while he took care of some paperwork. He had an idea that Jotil Lenkva might also benefit from shadowing all the department heads. He asked if she would like to spend more time in the ship’s departments than the initial tour allowed. She replied that she would.

Kelly called Connie over to escort their visitor and told Lieutenant Commander Baume to teach Jotil Lenkva about his section’s jobs for two hours, then have Lieutenant Commander Shaw take her in weapons for two hours, then to Lieutenant Commander Brown for engineering, and finishing with Connie’s XO duties.

Kelly explained that he would like to take this time in transit to have his department heads teach Jotil Lenkva what they do. He sent his translator along to help. He told Jotil Lenkva that if she needed more or less time or to rest, just let his officers know and they would adjust as needed. Jotil thanked Kelly and sat down with Lieutenant Commander Baume.

Kelly went to his cabin and wrote up a lengthy report on his interaction with the Angaerry and combat with the K’Rang. He worked on the report until dinnertime and quickly finished it for transmittal to Fleet Ops. He hit send as his stomach started to growl. The report and all ship’s traffic was saved in a data cube in supply and handed over to a courier every day when they activated the ring.

* * * * *

Mary Chen reconnoitered the spaceport for their upcoming security mission. Two wings of A-100 and A-120 attack ships were coming in to support the assault on the four captured worlds and K’Rang Fleet. The 1,000 missing K’Rang warriors had yet to be found and security for the attack ships was a 15th Battle Fleet priority.

The spaceport was rudimentary at best. It was one square kilometer wide, but with runway extensions jutting out from two of the sides. There was no security fencing or berm to control access to the area, no permanent hangars and only the gutted remnant of a tower. Mary was thankful that the facilities were not her problem, at least.

No, security was her problem and it was a doozie. The Marines had to protect the facility, as well as a cone of ground extending out 500 meters from the end of the runway extensions, to protect against handheld anti-ship missiles. She had seen the empty shipping crates and knew enough K’Rang to know they had contained missiles. There were a dozen missiles out there somewhere.

She settled on her first idea and had 2nd of the 22nd control one-half of the facility and 1st of the 15th would secure the other half. Each light battalion would assign two companies on the perimeter and one behind securing the ships. She assigned the mission of security outside the perimeter to 1st of the 22nd (Heavy). Their roving patrols would augment the interior perimeter defense and keep any intruders back. Now, where had those engineers gone? She needed some defensive positions built quickly and a fence or berm around this place.

* * * * *

Jotil Lenkva was a fourth generation Angaerry Space Navy Officer. She had commanded four ships, from frigate to battle cruiser, and had never seen the marvels these Humans had onboard this one ship. It was apparent that even though much of the technology was new and cutting edge, these Humans accepted it and made it work.

She briefly considered if there was any way she could take over command from this mad human when the Captain decided to take on that K’Rang new cruiser, but he easily defeated it with a ship smaller than a frigate. What wonderful allies these Humans would be. Perhaps she could convince them to help her get Angaerry missiles to resist the K’Rang jamming that had kept them in home space so long. Her next training stop was gunnery; perhaps she could find an answer from them.

Lieutenant Stewart, the junior gunnery officer, met Jotil Lenkva at the door to gunnery.

“Welcome to Gunnery, sir. We’ve already met, but if your memory is like mine you may have forgotten, with all the other people you’ve met onboard. I’m Lieutenant Stewart. Lieutenant Commander Shaw was called down to supply for a problem with a new missile pod not linking into the target acquisition system reliably. Do you have any specific questions before I walk you through all the gunnery stations?”

Jotil Lenkva saw an opportunity. “I noticed on the attack on the cruiser earlier that your missiles were unaffected by the K’Rang jammers. What techniques do you use to not be affected?”

Lieutenant Stewart pulled up a schematic of the standard missile used in the pods and showed the tracking module. He pointed out how it used a special program to retune the homing and target selection module periodically so jammers had minimal effect. Jotil Lenkva looked closely at it and wondered out loud if they could get some and if they would be compatible with Angaerry missiles. Her translator dutifully translated this. Lieutenant Stewart said he could get them as many as they needed, but integrating them into Angaerry missiles would have to be done by Angaerry engineers. Jotil Lenkva was dumbfounded. She never imagined these Humans would be so forthcoming.

She cautioned Lieutenant Stewart, “Surely you had best get permission from your Captain for this? Do not promise more than you can deliver, Lieutenant Stewart.”

“Sir, we were told to give you technology that will help you defend against the K’Rang. We are going to set them back, but they won’t stay down forever. You will need to defend against them sooner or later.”

He reached into a storage bin and pulled out a small cardboard shipping container. “Here you go, sir. Here’s something for your engineers to start with when we get back. We carry spares.”

Jotil Lenkva was speechless. She handed the package to her translator for safekeeping while she worked through every position in Gunnery with that toothy smile on her face.

 
Chapter Fourteen
 

 It was a bright sunny day on the uninhabited world when the 112th Heavy Attack Squadron landed on what had been dubbed Victory Base. Tammy was guided in and taxied her ship into a hastily constructed, earthen revetment. She shut her ship down and looked around at her new digs. Row upon row of insta-shelters, looking remarkably like platoons of huge camouflaged turtles in formation, were opposite the runway in a bermed tent city. She crawled out of her harness and backed out of her A-100, unkinking her muscles as she went. A ground car met her as she exited the ship and the driver told her she was wanted at the wing commander’s office.

She hopped in and was taken to a large insta-shelter, which was functioning as the wing HQ. She asked the clerk at the door where the wing commander’s office was. He led her down a short hallway, knocked on the door, and was told to enter, then stepped out of Tammy’s way as she entered.

Tammy came face to face with Commander Tanaka in the wing commander’s chair. “Hi, sir, I was told to see the wing commander.”

“You are. I was notified that Colonel Hammond has been grounded for health reasons. He recommended me as his replacement and I get to pick mine. I choose you.”

Tammy had to sit down. She never imagined something like this.

“Surely there are Lieutenant Commanders in the wing senior to me, sir,” she mumbled.

Commander Tanaka said, “Tammy, I can’t imagine anyone better to take my place. The job is yours. Accept it. Now go take charge of your squadron.”

Tammy left the HQ in a daze. The ground car was there to take her back to her squadron. She walked in the door of her HQ building and called for an officers’ call.

It took a while to assemble all her officers and her senior chief, but they all came in eventually. She told them about the wing commander being grounded for health reasons and their former squadron commander taking over the wing. She informed them she was assuming command for the foreseeable future. She moved the 2nd Flight leader to XO and his next senior officer to 2nd Flight leader. She would see Wing about a replacement pilot for their old CO, and the 18th ship would be grounded until the replacement arrived.

“Now, I have some things to sort out. Everybody get to work. Chief, stay for a moment, please.”

* * * * *

Kelly sat in CIC, Jotil Lenkva by his side. Sensors had just reported that they were being followed. Kelly had sensors looking for a place they could get behind or into to get the jump on their tail.

Jotil Lenkva remarked that there was a planetary nebula just off their current course. Kelly asked her what course to steer. She gave them an Angaerry course heading, but it couldn’t be translated into a course they could use. Jotil Lenkva said, “Turn up this much,” and held her hands about ten degrees apart, “and turn left this much.” She held her hands about 5 degrees apart.

Kelly ordered the course change and chuckled, saying, “Jotil Lenkva, we will work well together. We both adapt to the situations put before us.”

True to her word, the nebula appeared ahead of them. They increased speed, passed through the nebula, dropped speed and turned back into the nebula. In minutes, the ship appeared. It was one of the mid-size K’Rang scout ships, like the ones Kelly had defeated in the Pleiades star field encounter while in command of the Vigilant.

Kelly waited until the scout cautiously moved forward, closer to the nebula, where it had lost contact with the Human scout. When it came in range, five missiles left the nebula and streaked out at the K’Rang scout. The Orion watched as three of the missiles made it through the scout’s evasive maneuvers and countermeasures. The scout ship lost a cloud of atmosphere that turned into a pressure wave as flames from the ship hit it and crushed the ship like a can under a ground car’s wheel.

The Orion lined up with the course to the Angaerry home world and accelerated to FTL power 5. They would have Jotil Lenkva home by tomorrow evening.

* * * * *

Mary Chen sat in her command vehicle on a slight knoll, upwind of her new home away from home. She watched as AS-500 after AS-500 took off from the dry lake bed, blowing up giant choking dust clouds, such that each successive pair of landing ships had a ten minute wait while the dust settled enough for them to see for take off. Of course, the dust settled mainly on the brigade’s equipment and Marines.

Slowly the brigades of the 1st and 3rd ALG lined up, boarded their AS-500s, and returned to their assault landing carriers, except for Mary’s brigade. Lastly, all but three of her brigade’s AS-500s returned to their carrier, maintaining orbit around the planet.

Mary toured Victory Base and was amazed that the engineers had accomplished so much in so little time. The entire facility had been bermed. Artillery-proof bunkers with towers were built on all four corners. Bunkers with firing ports were built every 300 meters. Engineers built U-shaped revetments for all attack ships, ship handling equipment, and the three AS-500s. In addition, they built berms around the tent city and HQ areas. She would have to see what the small engineer detachment left behind could do about the dust. Perhaps there was a spray they could use to bind it all together.

Mary drove down into the facility and made a brief inspection tour of the inside perimeter, which was manned by a company each from the two light battalions. This area encompassed the attack craft parking areas, the tent city, and the HQ areas. A separate berm encircled this entire area, with four manned gates in the middle of the four sides. Bunkers were built in all four corners. Underground bombardment shelters were built throughout the area. She wanted to kiss the engineering officer, but probably wouldn’t.