Valor At Vauzlee (33 page)

Relating everything that had occurred from the time she discovered Pretorious in her quarters until Lt. Ashraf entered the room, took just eight uninterrupted minutes.

"Incredible," was all Galont said at first as he digested all she'd told him. The admiration he held for his superior officer had jumped up another notch.

"So, by Commander Pretorious' own admission, we know that we have the murderer, saboteur, and potential assassin. I went into the computer a short time ago and removed the code I inserted to alert us if the saboteur accessed that socket again. We don't need the alert code anymore. I also wrote a short report for the systems people at Mars, telling them about the unregistered address, and what I did after I hacked into the computer. After downloading the historical logs, I'd like them to wipe the main system and reload the most recent version of certified software while the Song is at the spacedock for repairs. That will ensure that everything Pretorious mucked around with has been cleansed."

"It's incredible that Pretorious was able to move about so freely. I suppose that I wasn't doing my job as security officer."

As she looked at his face and saw his downcast eyes, Jenetta realized for the first time that Galont was blaming himself for everything that happened. She should have seen it sooner, but she'd been too absorbed in other matters.

"I realize that you might be feeling some responsibility for what has happened, but it was not, in any way, your fault. I know how hard you've worked to find Nichols' killer and our saboteur. Our systems and procedures are designed to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to our ships, but that effort is ordinarily only in operation while we're docked at a port. No one could have expected that a murderer and saboteur would arrive, at a battle site, wearing a legitimate Space Command uniform, in a shuttle properly registered to the Prometheus. If there's a failure here, it's in the sensor system we use to scan ID and CT devices. We should also be scanning for those criminal marker tags you identified in Pretorious body with the tiny device you have.

"If the sensors built into our ships cannot be adjusted to also scan for the markers, then we should, at the very least, have new sensors added at every possible place of entry such as the cargo bays, flight bays, and individual airlocks. If we had them, Pretorious would never have been able to get to Petty Officer Nichols. The system would have warned Nichols before he even opened the airlock hatch into the flight bay. He could have alerted security and had a team come to check out the situation while Pretorious was still isolated in the bay. You might want to think about including that recommendation in your report. I realize that Space Command might resist a little because of expense, but it's an important safety measure. We should also find a way to have the onboard sensors record the presence of someone who does
not
have a CT, ID, or other identifiable marker in his or her body so that security can be alerted. A warship is no place to have unauthorized people wandering around at will."

"That's an excellent suggestion, ma'am. The personnel sensor grid aboard ship should be upgraded, if possible. As you say, none of this should ever have happened. You would not have been shot, and PO Nichols would still be alive. We found the murder weapon in the guest quarters that Pretorious was using, by the way. It has Pretorious' fingerprints all over it and matches the striations on Nichols' body. What should we do with Pretorious' body, eject it into space when we're near enough to a star for it to be caught in its gravity?"

"No, I have a better idea on how to dispose of his corpse. For now just leave it in the storage locker."

"Aye, Captain. As I'm sure you're aware, I've ordered that the Marine guard on your door and the bridge corridor be reinstituted. Captain Corriano ordered them off when he took command, in direct noncompliance with Section Seven, Part Three, Paragraph Eighteen of the Space Command Warship Operations manual. I've kept a copy of his verbal order in case I ever needed it. I'm sorry, Captain. I should have reestablished the guard posts when you came aboard. We're fortunate that you're so adept at defending yourself and that you'll recover fully from the wound."

"I imagine that viewpad to the face came as quite a surprise to Pretorious" she said with a slight grin. "I'm glad it's over and that he's finally resting where he belongs." Jenetta paused for a second before continuing. "If you hadn't discovered that Pretorious was staying in the guest quarters, I might not be alive now. It was the distraction of Lt. Ashraf coming to my door with that information that allowed me to flip the pad at him. I've noted your diligence in your file and commended your efforts in working this case."

"Thank you, Captain," Galont said with a smile.

"Thank you, Captain. Dismissed."

"Aye, Ma'am."

Galont felt substantially better after his meeting with the captain. He still blamed himself for not restoring the sentry posts earlier, but the Old Lady wasn't blaming him, and even commended his efforts in the investigation. He vowed that never again would he allow anything to happen which might make her disappointed with his actions.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet, tonight, Eddie," CPO Filip ‘Flip' Byrne said.

Chief Edward Lindsey stared at his cards for a couple of more seconds before lifting his eyes to stare at Flip.

"It's the new XO," Eddie said. "What a piece a work."

"Commander Ashe is a full commander, Eddie. He's more than sixty-years-old and has forty-one years of service since graduating from the Academy."

"What the hell has that got to do with anything? If he was any good he'd have made captain a decade ago. Damn, he's almost reached mandatory space retirement age."

"Weren't those your three complaints with our last XO? Insufficient rank, age, and experience? You should be happy. You got what you wanted, a senior officer with
decades
of experience."

"I bet that Captain Novak of the Asuncion was glad to pawn him off on Gavin," Eddie said. "But I can't believe that he might actually become the acting captain of the Prometheus if something happens to the Captain when the Raiders get here."

"Ya know, I heard that the crew of the Song is pretty damn happy with
their
new captain."

Eddie glowered at him. "Who told you that?"

"I've got a few friends on the Song. I had a chance to speak with them after things calmed down at Vauzlee. Commander Carver has the support of everyone on board and has them pulling together like never before. Of course, she had the support of almost everyone on board the Prometheus by the time she left."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear, Flip?"

"That'll do for a start. She's coming back, you know?"

"Yeah, but maybe not soon enough. If something happens to the captain while Ashe is still acting XO here,
he'll
become acting captain. Carver's official posting as second officer means that she'll be under him. I can't imagine going into battle with him at the tiller. I don't have a death wish."

"You should have remembered that old saying, Eddie, before Carver left."

"What old saying?"

"Be careful what you wish for."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you going to bid or just stare at your cards all night?"

* * *

The GQ alerts sounded at 0302 aboard all seven ships in orbit around Higgins. Instantly, people were jumping out of their racks and into their uniforms. All drills had been cancelled when the CIC was activated, so everyone knew this was the real deal. The Raiders were on their way in. Within possibly minutes, every Space Command crew would be fighting for their very survival amid death and destruction on an incredible scale.

Gavin hurried to dress, but there was no panic in his movements. As he walked to the bridge, he noted with satisfaction that his crew appeared almost as calm as he did. Truth be known, it was almost a relief that the battle was upon them. The waiting is always the worst part of warfare. Your mind works overtime at imagining all sorts of terrible things and possible injuries to yourself and others. Once the battle begins, you're usually too busy to think about the consequences and you enter a sort of automatic mode that blocks everything else from your mind but the task at hand.

~ May 18
^th
, 2268 ~

Gavin climbed into his command chair on the bridge and turned his attention towards the large viewscreen at the front. The Prometheus' com operator had already logged into the CIC and the front monitor was quickly filling with the faces of other ship captains as
they
climbed into their command chairs. While Gavin looked on, Admiral Holt arrived in the CIC and sat down at the station reserved for the base commander.

The Admiral waited until all seven captains were seated in their command chairs before saying, "The time has arrived, my friends. The sensors have detected a large force moving this way. It can't be anything other than the Raider attack force. They jammed the Distant DeTect network signal before we could get a precise count, but we know that the force is comprised of at least thirty-one ships. We won't have an exact count until we have a visual. We're sending updated information to each ship's astrogation officer. You should now move to your designated position and hold."

Gavin looked at his helmsman, Lieutenant Kerrey, and nodded. The ship began to move towards the position fed into the computer by the astrogator. The front view changed to an image of space ahead of the ship and the small, thirty-eight-centimeter monitor mounted on the right arm of his chair filled with the images of the other six captains and an image of the CIC with Admiral Holt. He could speak directly with any other commanding officer via his CT simply by touching the officer's image, or make a general announcement to all by touching a small icon on the bottom left side of the screen.

* * *

The buzzing of the com station on the nightstand next to her bed awoke Jenetta around 0311. She raised the cover and looked into the face of Lt. Elizi. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Sorry to wake you, Captain. We've just received a message from Higgins. Their Distant DeTect network has recorded the approach of a large fleet. They believe it to be the Raider attack force."

Jenetta was instantly awake. "How far out?"

"They expect the Raiders to attack within the hour."

"What's our time to Higgins?"

"Eighty-two minutes, eighteen seconds."

"I'll be on the bridge in a few minutes."

"Should I sound GQ, Captain?"

"Not yet, let's give everyone a few more minutes sleep."

"Aye, Captain."

The screen went blank and Jenetta pushed the cover down. Flipping back the covers, she got out of bed and reached for her uniform.

Cynthia had a mug of steaming Columbian coffee ready for her as she emerged from her bedroom. She accepted the mug, took a quick sip, and smiled at the young steward.

"Cynthia, get down to one of the Secure rooms on Deck Ten as soon as you can, and get yourself seated and belted in," Jenetta said. "I won't be back here until after the battle is over and I want you to be as safe as possible in the meantime."

"Aye, Captain. Good luck."

"To all of us," Jenetta said as she walked briskly to the door, being careful not to spill her coffee.

As she emerged from her quarters, she turned to face Corporal Matthews.

"Corporal, get yourself and Dwiggens to a Secure room location."

"These are our posts, Captain. We can't leave them. Besides, there are relatively few places safer than Corridor 0 next to the Bridge."

"Very well. At least don't try to stand during the battle. Either sit or lie on the floor so you aren't knocked down."

"Aye, Captain."

A minute later, Jenetta had relieved Lt. Elizi and was climbing into her command chair on the bridge.

"Okay, Com. Let's wake everybody up. Sound GQ for fifteen seconds, then put me on ship-wide vid."

GQ alarms throughout the ship immediately began their piercing plaintive yowl as CPO Hannigan keyed in the command. Exactly fifteen seconds later they ceased their screams.

"Attention crew of the Song," Jenetta said, looking at the vid lens on her right hand monitor when a red dot appeared in the corner of the screen, "this is the captain. We've just received a message from Higgins. A large group of ships, believed to be the Raider attack force, is approaching the station. We'll arrive at Higgins within sixty-seven minutes. At that time the battle should already be underway. Everyone should be at their battle station fifteen minutes from now, ready for action. Good luck and good shooting."

Jenetta looked over at the com operator and nodded. CPO Hannigan terminated the broadcast signal.

The large viewscreen at the front of the bridge was displaying a view of space in front of the ship. Jenetta stared at the screen as she thought about the battle ahead. She hadn't told her command officers that they were to be replaced as soon as the ship reached Higgins, and was glad now that she had withheld that information. Believing themselves to be the senior staff of the ship during the upcoming battle had made them work harder to prepare. If they had thought that others would be taking over, and that they would be pushed back into a supporting role with little responsibility, they might not have worked as hard.