Scout Force (4 page)

      
“I’m sure you learned about the first galactic human settlements over a century ago.
 
When our first long-range probes and scouts went out, they found our little corner of the galaxy was largely unpopulated and mostly devoid of life.
 
We quickly populated human settlements on the few habitable planets in this part of the galaxy.
 
Huge settlement ships were built and they carried mankind out into the far reaches of space.
 
We populated the 10 closest worlds first and spread out from there.
 
Those first settlers had it hard.
 
We lost a lot of good people.
 
Life on the frontier was rough, before your parents came up with reliable long distance FTL communications 25 years ago.
 
There are now over 150 human-inhabited worlds and moons in this arm of the Milky Way.”

      
LCDR Timmons made a sudden turn from his subject.
 
“How are your parents, anyway?
 
I hope I get a chance to meet them some day.
 
I’m a big fan of theirs.”

      
Kelly’s parents were quite well known scientists and inventors.
 
“They’re fine, sir, as best I know.
 
I’ve been out near the K’Rang frontier for months and haven’t communicated with them in a while.
 
I expect to get back in touch now that I’m here.”

      
“Good!
 
Where was I?
 
Oh, yeah.
 
It wasn’t until our scouts pressed further out-spiral that we ran into the Moosilian Empire.
 
The Moose, as we began to call them, were fairly benevolent and we signed the First Intergalactic Treaty with them in 2133.
 
We agreed to the establishment of a buffer zone between our races.
 
Trade is allowed and encouraged, but they don’t want us moving any excess population in there.
 
Our patrol forces on the frontier guarantee we don’t trod in each other’s space.
 
It’s held up pretty well.”

      
“Our scouts surveying in-spiral found a similar situation.
 
Life is not as common as most early philosophers, authors, and scientist expected.
 
One scout pushing out further in-spiral on a deep-space patrol found a curious artifact floating in open space.
 
It was a spinning, glowing triangular dipyramid.
 
They scanned it from all sides, recorded all they could, and would have brought it back to the nearest star base if it hadn’t been twice the size of their ship.
 
After a great deal of study, the best human brains determined it was a no trespassing sign.
 
The scouts had run into the frontier of the K’Rang Empire.”

      
“While the Moose are a benevolent race, as you know, the K’Rang are not.
 
They are a rat nasty bunch and want nothing to do with humanity.
 
In fact, their standard response to meeting a human ship in space is to immediately annihilate the human ship.
 
No warning, no get out, they just blast away.”

      
“Actually, rat nasty is a somewhat inappropriate description of the K’Rang.
 
They are actually evolved from a cat-like species.
 
They walk on two legs, but retain many feline traits and characteristics.
 
They have the fur, claws, teeth, and balance of a cat.
 
They can leap three times their own height.
 
They are incredibly quick.
 
A K’Rang warrior can cover short distances with incredible speed.
 
If they get in close they can make full use of their claws and fangs.
 
In space they react similarly.
 
They like to get in and duke it out at close range.
 
Something we have learned to use to our advantage.”

      
“After the Capricorn War, which we and the K’Rang fought to a draw, we withdrew back from the frontier, established our mutual sensor and mine fields to provide advanced warning of any incursions, and pretended each other didn’t exist.
 
No armistice or cease-fire was signed.
 
We withdrew to lick our mutual wounds.
 
Neither side able to gain the advantage. Neither side wanting to provoke the other has existed for quite some time.
 
That situation, unfortunately, has changed.”

      
“Four months ago, a survey team from Hodgkin’s World, Inc. in Capricorn, flew in to examine some not so nearby star systems for human inhabitability.
 
Mark Carter, Hodgkin’s World, Inc. president and CEO, wanted to export some excess population and gain some territory.
 
His survey ship stumbled on a solar system the K’Rang were terra forming.
 
As stupid as it was, Carter mounted an expedition of his own resources to take this world and the K’Rang terra forming technology for his own.
 
Needless to say, K’Rang reinforcements showed up and wiped out the pitiful Hodgkin’s World, Inc. fleet, but not before the Hodgkin’s forces had killed all the K’Rang terra forming party.
 
Fortunately, Mr. Carter paid for his stupidity and perished along with his fleet.
 
Right now, we are calling it even, but our intel tells us that is not the K’Rang view.
 
They haven’t done anything yet, but it could be just a matter of time before they retaliate.”

      
“The K’Rang are no pushovers.
 
They fight well and are fearless in battle.
 
They have good tactics and adapt quickly to battle situations.
 
We lost many ships to them in the Capricorn War.
 
We captured a few of the K’Rang, but no matter what we do, they die in captivity.
 
Our best minds think they just choose to stop living and die.
 
We know more about their physiology than their military or society.”

      
“We watch them.
 
They watch us.
 
So far nothing has happened.
 
Half our Fleet intel guys say nothing will happen.
 
Half say they are waiting for us to show vulnerability.
 
Either way, we patrol and make sure they know we are there.
 
They do the same thing.
 
The longer this impasse continues, the more we build up forces and supplies along the frontier.”

      
“Our mission is to find out what the K’Rang are up to.
 
We are not out there to start a war, but, hopefully, to keep one from happening.
 
Keep that in mind as we patrol around the frontier.
 
The buffer zone we and the K’Rang have set up is wide enough so any incursions won’t be a mistake.”

      
“We also have strict orders pertaining to any confrontation with the K’Rang.
 
This is why I am having this long chat with you this morning.
 
It is imperative these orders be followed completely.”

      
Kelly had the sudden thought he was about to be told the K’Rang were to fire the first shot.

      
“No, Ensign, I'm not about to tell you the K’Rang get to shoot first.
 
I can see it on your face.
 
No, our orders are that we will not engage in any confrontation with the K’Rang unless they are firmly on our side of the buffer zone and we have an overwhelming numerical or tactical advantage.
 
Our leadership wants to make sure we defeat the K’Rang in any engagement.”

      
Kelly said, “That's the same guidance we had on the Bolivar, sir.
 
Three to one was our minimum force ratio for an attack.
 
I understand.”

      
“Good.
 
Do you want some coffee?
 
Have you had breakfast yet?
 
No?
 
Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”

      
Kelly actually hadn’t had time to answer his new captain, but he followed LCDR Timmons out the door and out of the building anyway.

      
Kelly and his boss stepped out into the bright sunshine, Kelly lagging slightly behind.
 
Once on the street, LCDR Timmons looked back and said, “Come on.
 
If it’s one thing these repair and refit guys know how to do, it’s eating well.
 
They have a mess hall here serving some of the best grub I’ve ever eaten.
 
As you can tell from my frame, I’ve eaten quite a bit.”
 
With that, LCDR Timmons let out a loud guffaw.
 
Kelly was to learn the captain’s sense of humor was one of his best qualities.
 

      
“I talked to the admiral when he assigned you to me.
 
I was a little concerned about you when I learned you had been transferred here from Fighter Force.
 
Of course, when the admiral told me you had wound up on the bad side of Old Bugger Off, I didn’t worry.
 
She has tossed aside more good officers than one should have the right to.”

      
Kelly said, “I understand I am in a good and large company of officers.
 
The admiral told me the General had done me a favor by transferring me to the Fleet.
 
Funny, it didn’t feel like it at the time.”

      
“Well, don’t worry about it.
 
You have a chance to make a clean start here.
 
Make the best of it.”

      
“I’ll give you my best effort, Captain.”

      
“Well then, it’s settled.
 
My standards are very simple.
 
I’m always willing to accept peoples’ best effort.
 
I don’t demand perfection, just excellence.
 
Come on, let’s eat.”

* * * * *

      
LCDR Timmons wasn’t lying.
 
The mess hall was fabulous.
 
The decor was as up to date as they came.
 
The decorations must have been brought in from Earth.
 
They had real eggs made to order; pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, ham, kippers, baked beans, fresh fruit, and a pastry tray the head cook on the Bolivar would weep over.
 
They also had some obvious and unfamiliar local delicacies.
 
He avoided those.
 
Kelly ordered an omelet, bacon, hash browns, and picked up some pastry as he moved down the line.
 
LCDR Timmons ordered his three eggs over easy, with bacon and sausage on the side, home fries, and three pancakes.
 
LCDR Timmons had a good appetite.
 
They picked up juice and coffee and made their way to a table.

      
“The Vigilant is a good ship...or at least she will be when she comes out of refit.
 
I am a little concerned about not being there during these last few days.
 
No telling what the refit guys will mess up that we’ll have to sort out on patrol.
 
I guess it can’t be helped.
 
I saw you have an Electronic Engineering degree.
 
That will come in handy.
 
I’m sure the yard will get a few things wired wrong and the computer never works right for a few days after refit.
 
You and Chief Watson will have to sort out those things as we do work ups.
 
We aren’t big enough to have an engineering officer, so you and the chief and our chief machinists mate will have to sort things out.
 
We will have most of our crew back, but we’ll have about a 50% turnover before our first patrol.
 
We’ll need to do a lot of work to get the crew ready for patrol.”

      
“I’ll do my best sir, but it will take me a few days to get the hang of a ship with more than one person on it.”

      
“Don’t worry about that Kelly, Chief Watson will show you the ropes.
 
I know.
 
He taught me.
 
We’d be lost in space and adrift without our chiefs.”

      
“Tell me more about the Vigilant, sir.”

      
“Well, she’s the second ship built in the Valiant Class of scout ships.
 
She’s got the Diomede anti-matter/gravity engine, which will go five power light speed, almost six if we tune her right.
 
The yard is supposed to be applying the tune up as part of the standard engine control program.
 
I guess that will give Chief Miller something to play with.
 
He is our Chief Machinists Mate.
 
He knows the ship inside and out.
 
In fact he worked for the Bureau of Ships’ team that designed her.
 
Even though we aren’t supposed to be on board right now and in the way of the refit crew, Chief Miller is there, helping the refit crew chief get her ready.
 
It took some convincing, but now their refit crew chief wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
That way, he’ll catch most of the major problems.
 
The minor ones will be the responsibility of you, me, and the crew.”