Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between Read Online Free PDF Page B

Gagarin with his parents, or more likely, thirty-five minutes from here at Candy Craddock’s house in the mountains. His communicator isn’t on, but I can call Candy.”
    Minacci grinned and said, “No, let him have his leave. Legislative Liaison is a tough job. I once thought it was as close to combat as you can get in peacetime. He probably needs to spin down. He’ll be here when his orders told him to be – probably not a moment sooner. Next topic: when’s Admiral Hasselrode getting in? Don’t tell me you’ve lost him, too.”
    Edgar chuckled and answered, “Sir, he’ll be in tonight on the ring shuttle. I’ll pick him up and get him settled in VIP quarters. He’ll be in to see you first thing in the morning, right after your briefing.”
    “Have him get here in time for the briefing. He might as well see what he’s up against.”
    “Yes, sir, anything else, sir?”
    “Edgar, you’ve been with Scout Force a while. Did you ever imagine we’d have enough ships to form a second division?”
    “No, sir, but I also never expected us to have to mothball two squadrons four years ago. It hurt to have to put my old ship into conserved storage.”
    “Wait until you have to turn one over to a wrecking yard. That’ll bring a tear to many a salty eye.”
    “I imagine it would. When does this new ship come in, that we’re supposed to convince Kelly to take?”
    “That will be up to Kelly. It’s having its guns fitted now. Then it moves to Shepard to have a mini-ring installed. If he takes the job, he goes to Leonov to space test it before it comes here.”
    Timmons said, “Sir, don’t worry, I’ll bet my next paycheck he’ll take the ship over a desk job as a squadron commander.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Shadow Force Commander (Baron) J’Kol reviewed his situation. He had three main task forces under his command, all with competent, able leaders, a combat force of over 250 warships and half that in new ships. There were small K’Rang occupation forces near the four inhabited worlds if maintaining order became a problem, but otherwise he would leave the population alone. He had a good picket line to provide early warning. Support facilities were on and orbiting the chosen uninhabited world, with supplies to last for over a year in sector and more on the way, when needed.
    If anything was missing, it was aircraft and aircraft carriers. He never understood the Elders’ reluctance to build and deploy aircraft carriers. They would stop a lot of the sniping the picket ships were experiencing. The V’Gol, G’Fou, and K’Nar could have been saved if he had some fighters to keep those attack ships at a distance.
    He would see if he could get Shadow Force to send him some attack ships to station at the logistics base on the uninhabited world. If he had four squadrons, he could rotate them to provide top cover to the picket line. If only he could determine from where the Humans were basing their attack ships. G’Motta told him they appeared from all directions. It must be that Human stealth coating he was briefed on.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Commander Jason Thomas, captain of the Resurgent, moved to his next set of coordinates. His ship was not the prettiest ship ever turned out by a Fleet shipyard, but she was sure useful. In twenty minutes, his ship could transform from a non-threatening, armed Fleet auxiliary ship to a fully functional transporter ring. His was the lead ship of the class of ten ships built or being built to employ mobile ring technology. Four other ships of the class were already serving with the fleet.
    He had been moving from location to location in support of heavy attack ship strikes against the K’Rang picket line. So far he got support credit for a heavy cruiser, a destroyer, and a frigate. All he had to do was make sure he opened up at least 200,000,000km from the picket ships, aligned roughly parallel to the picket line, and in the right spot. The attack ships would take it from there. They