attention on the Captain. RV saw he was not protesting. RV raised his hand and said, “Be quiet!” The three officers grew silent and RV said, “I notice you’re not protesting me taking your mission.”
“No Sir, I’m not.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are far more qualified to fly it and you can probably manage to escape where I might fail.”
RV smiled and said, “You’re back on the mission, Captain.”
Kenny swore and said, “What was this all about?”
RV shrugged, “I needed to see if the captain here was smart or crazy. He’s not crazy.”
Kenny sat down in a chair and RV said, “Have you selected a civilization to attack?”
“I have. However, they did not send a ship in the last attack.”
“Why are you choosing them?”
“Both the Hive Leader and Horde Master mentioned during the attack that his fleet should keep their eyes out for a Nexu Battleship and plan to attack them in high numbers. None appeared during the battle.”
“How do you know?”
“No large ship concentrations were directed toward any of the ships that attacked. I suspect that none of the most advanced civilizations participated in the attack.”
Loree said, “They didn’t mention them when Captain Roman asked for the strongest ships in the Majors. I’m sure they didn’t want to see him die.”
“Do they know where their planets are located?”
“No Sir. They have an idea but it is only that, an idea.”
“Then how are you going to find them?”
“That’s really quite easy, Sir.”
RV smiled, “The two systems where no buoys were launched.”
Mikal showed his surprise and then smiled, “You’re as smart as I’ve been told you are. Those two systems obviously have the best defensive system of all the Major’s planets. If the Nexu aren’t there, some one more advanced is.”
“Then why have you been wasting your time here looking at all this material?” RV watched and saw Mikal’s face turn red. RV smiled and said, “I understand.”
Mikal looked at the floor and nodded.
Kenny, Bob, and Loree looked at each other and finally Loree said, “You’ve lost me.” She looked at Mikal and said, “If you knew where you were going, why did you waste the last week?”
RV said, “You don’t have to answer that, Captain.”
Mikal looked up and said, “Thank you, Sir. I’m going to leave tomorrow.”
Loree looked at Mikal and said, “You owe me an answer, Mikal.”
Mikal looked at Loree and after a long moment he said, “I didn’t want to leave before I had some time around you.”
Loree stared at Mikal and after a moment said, “Then you’ve been wasting time because I’m going with you.”
All four men said simultaneously, “WHAT!”
Mikal immediately said, “No you’re not! This mission is entirely too dangerous for you to go.”
Loree said matter of factly, “But not for you?”
“That’s different.”
Kenny said, “Captain Barber, you’re slated to be our next Fleet Admiral. I’m not going to allow you to do this.”
“Then you should stop him as well. I’ve learned over the last week that he knows more about fleet maneuvers than I ever will.”
RV remained silent as the two Admirals and Mikal argued with Loree. He interrupted and said, “Captain, Barber, why do you feel you have to go?”
Loree looked at Mikal and smiled, “It’s not because I’m all ga-ga over you, although you do intrigue me. It’s because this mission is worth doing. I didn’t think so at first but now I see what Mikal has been saying. If we build these ships without a beam to defend them and they don’t work against the Major’s ships; then they’re all going to die. We have to find out.”
RV nodded and said, “But that doesn’t tell me why you have to go with him?”
Loree looked around the room and said, “This new ship is going to need two people to make it work. The pilot is going to have to put his full attention at avoiding the weapons he’ll encounter once he
“No Sir, I’m not.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are far more qualified to fly it and you can probably manage to escape where I might fail.”
RV smiled and said, “You’re back on the mission, Captain.”
Kenny swore and said, “What was this all about?”
RV shrugged, “I needed to see if the captain here was smart or crazy. He’s not crazy.”
Kenny sat down in a chair and RV said, “Have you selected a civilization to attack?”
“I have. However, they did not send a ship in the last attack.”
“Why are you choosing them?”
“Both the Hive Leader and Horde Master mentioned during the attack that his fleet should keep their eyes out for a Nexu Battleship and plan to attack them in high numbers. None appeared during the battle.”
“How do you know?”
“No large ship concentrations were directed toward any of the ships that attacked. I suspect that none of the most advanced civilizations participated in the attack.”
Loree said, “They didn’t mention them when Captain Roman asked for the strongest ships in the Majors. I’m sure they didn’t want to see him die.”
“Do they know where their planets are located?”
“No Sir. They have an idea but it is only that, an idea.”
“Then how are you going to find them?”
“That’s really quite easy, Sir.”
RV smiled, “The two systems where no buoys were launched.”
Mikal showed his surprise and then smiled, “You’re as smart as I’ve been told you are. Those two systems obviously have the best defensive system of all the Major’s planets. If the Nexu aren’t there, some one more advanced is.”
“Then why have you been wasting your time here looking at all this material?” RV watched and saw Mikal’s face turn red. RV smiled and said, “I understand.”
Mikal looked at the floor and nodded.
Kenny, Bob, and Loree looked at each other and finally Loree said, “You’ve lost me.” She looked at Mikal and said, “If you knew where you were going, why did you waste the last week?”
RV said, “You don’t have to answer that, Captain.”
Mikal looked up and said, “Thank you, Sir. I’m going to leave tomorrow.”
Loree looked at Mikal and said, “You owe me an answer, Mikal.”
Mikal looked at Loree and after a long moment he said, “I didn’t want to leave before I had some time around you.”
Loree stared at Mikal and after a moment said, “Then you’ve been wasting time because I’m going with you.”
All four men said simultaneously, “WHAT!”
Mikal immediately said, “No you’re not! This mission is entirely too dangerous for you to go.”
Loree said matter of factly, “But not for you?”
“That’s different.”
Kenny said, “Captain Barber, you’re slated to be our next Fleet Admiral. I’m not going to allow you to do this.”
“Then you should stop him as well. I’ve learned over the last week that he knows more about fleet maneuvers than I ever will.”
RV remained silent as the two Admirals and Mikal argued with Loree. He interrupted and said, “Captain, Barber, why do you feel you have to go?”
Loree looked at Mikal and smiled, “It’s not because I’m all ga-ga over you, although you do intrigue me. It’s because this mission is worth doing. I didn’t think so at first but now I see what Mikal has been saying. If we build these ships without a beam to defend them and they don’t work against the Major’s ships; then they’re all going to die. We have to find out.”
RV nodded and said, “But that doesn’t tell me why you have to go with him?”
Loree looked around the room and said, “This new ship is going to need two people to make it work. The pilot is going to have to put his full attention at avoiding the weapons he’ll encounter once he
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