Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between by Rodney Smith
Authors: Rodney Smith
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all credit to Mary. The brigade commander looked at Mary, then walked away, talking to the battalion commander.
The battalion commander came back a few minutes later with a glum look on his face. “I guess I sang your praises too loudly. The brigade commander wants you for the brigade operations officer position. He just fired his and needs a replacement. He wants you to report starting Monday. Who do you recommend to replace you?”
Mary took a second to get her bearings, then said, “Bring the Ops officer up to be XO. Make the A Company commander the Ops officer. Move his XO up as the commander.”
The battalion commander thought about it for a few seconds and said, “Yes, I couldn’t have chosen better myself. Mary, thank you for all you’ve done for the battalion. I’m sure you’ll do just as well at brigade. I sure hate losing you.”
Mary replied, “Thank you for the opportunity to make a difference in the battalion. I’ll leave with a sense of real accomplishment.”
The battalion commander walked away after shaking her hand again, saying he had to go make some personnel shifts. He seemed a little bewildered.
Chapter Five
Admiral Thomas walked through the quiet productive hum of Flag Country. Her staff was filling out – she was at 75% strength and filling in fast. She anticipated she could start internal training exercises next week. She had a good Chief of Staff and Ops Officer. She was starting to feel much better.
Her Battle Fleet was starting to fill in too. The cruisers Rorke’s Drift and Pearl Harbor were now maintaining station off the Bolivar’s bow. The destroyers Kanimatsu and Marisella were off her stern. The frigates Hazlett and Chretien would arrive tomorrow. Her other carrier task forces were forming around the carriers de Gaulle, Jones, Nelson, and Wellington. They were at 50%, 60%, 65%, and 70 % respectively.
She had her operations staff working to see how to maintain pressure on the K’Rang without eliciting an attack. The K’Rang Fleet would outnumber hers once she arrived on station. So far, the A-100 and A-120 attacks hadn’t been responded to because the K’Rang knew the entire Fleet was out there. When they found the Fleet was attacking into K’Rang space, there would be less reason to hold back.
She had to remember also that the draft operations plan said one of the objectives was to keep pressure on the K’Rang invasion fleet so they would remain in the Eridanus sector until the two combined fleets were in range to mutually support one another. If she could keep the K’Rang occupied and attrite them down some, it would make it easier on the combined fleets once they did move out.
She called in her Ops and intel officers and had a skull session. She began to see a way to meet her objectives.
* * * * *
Kelly had his first meeting in his conference/work room. It was capable of sitting his division heads and selected others around the large conference table. Today it was his division heads and Chief Blankenship.
“Shall we begin? We’re at 92% percent fill with all key positions filled, and we’ll be at 100% fill in a week. Time to conduct a shakedown cruise. We leave this Wednesday. I want to see your draft exercise objectives tomorrow, and you’ll brief them on Tuesday. Work your sections hard. Don’t be predictable.”
“Each of you should have received my objectives. I expect to see them worked into yours, but I want to see your training objectives, as well. You should know your sections’ strengths and weaknesses by now. I want to see your objectives reflect what you see as important, too.”
He went around the table to all for their input. Connie Cortez remarked that she didn’t see a great deal of cohesion yet. The departments tended to operate in seclusion. She wanted to see more interaction between them, and asked for a mass casualty drill to stress sickbay. The engineering officer said the engines and mechanicals were ready to
The battalion commander came back a few minutes later with a glum look on his face. “I guess I sang your praises too loudly. The brigade commander wants you for the brigade operations officer position. He just fired his and needs a replacement. He wants you to report starting Monday. Who do you recommend to replace you?”
Mary took a second to get her bearings, then said, “Bring the Ops officer up to be XO. Make the A Company commander the Ops officer. Move his XO up as the commander.”
The battalion commander thought about it for a few seconds and said, “Yes, I couldn’t have chosen better myself. Mary, thank you for all you’ve done for the battalion. I’m sure you’ll do just as well at brigade. I sure hate losing you.”
Mary replied, “Thank you for the opportunity to make a difference in the battalion. I’ll leave with a sense of real accomplishment.”
The battalion commander walked away after shaking her hand again, saying he had to go make some personnel shifts. He seemed a little bewildered.
Chapter Five
Admiral Thomas walked through the quiet productive hum of Flag Country. Her staff was filling out – she was at 75% strength and filling in fast. She anticipated she could start internal training exercises next week. She had a good Chief of Staff and Ops Officer. She was starting to feel much better.
Her Battle Fleet was starting to fill in too. The cruisers Rorke’s Drift and Pearl Harbor were now maintaining station off the Bolivar’s bow. The destroyers Kanimatsu and Marisella were off her stern. The frigates Hazlett and Chretien would arrive tomorrow. Her other carrier task forces were forming around the carriers de Gaulle, Jones, Nelson, and Wellington. They were at 50%, 60%, 65%, and 70 % respectively.
She had her operations staff working to see how to maintain pressure on the K’Rang without eliciting an attack. The K’Rang Fleet would outnumber hers once she arrived on station. So far, the A-100 and A-120 attacks hadn’t been responded to because the K’Rang knew the entire Fleet was out there. When they found the Fleet was attacking into K’Rang space, there would be less reason to hold back.
She had to remember also that the draft operations plan said one of the objectives was to keep pressure on the K’Rang invasion fleet so they would remain in the Eridanus sector until the two combined fleets were in range to mutually support one another. If she could keep the K’Rang occupied and attrite them down some, it would make it easier on the combined fleets once they did move out.
She called in her Ops and intel officers and had a skull session. She began to see a way to meet her objectives.
* * * * *
Kelly had his first meeting in his conference/work room. It was capable of sitting his division heads and selected others around the large conference table. Today it was his division heads and Chief Blankenship.
“Shall we begin? We’re at 92% percent fill with all key positions filled, and we’ll be at 100% fill in a week. Time to conduct a shakedown cruise. We leave this Wednesday. I want to see your draft exercise objectives tomorrow, and you’ll brief them on Tuesday. Work your sections hard. Don’t be predictable.”
“Each of you should have received my objectives. I expect to see them worked into yours, but I want to see your training objectives, as well. You should know your sections’ strengths and weaknesses by now. I want to see your objectives reflect what you see as important, too.”
He went around the table to all for their input. Connie Cortez remarked that she didn’t see a great deal of cohesion yet. The departments tended to operate in seclusion. She wanted to see more interaction between them, and asked for a mass casualty drill to stress sickbay. The engineering officer said the engines and mechanicals were ready to
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