Ride The Rising Tide (The Maxwell Saga) (24 page)

“
Until your arrival, we had only ten out of our authorized fifteen commissioned officers. That’s why BuPers gave our urgent request for at least one more qualified junior officer such a high priority, and circulated it so quickly.”

Steve nodded. “I see, Sir, but we’re still four officers short. Can we afford that?”

“No, we can’t, so we’ll have to work around it. We’re getting a couple of extra warrant officers to fill commissioned slots. Also, we’ve offered free passage to Midrash to two watch–qualified officers of their System Patrol service, who were training on Lancaster. They’ll come aboard tomorrow. In exchange for their passage they’ll assist us with watch–keeping duties. I’ll stand one watch each day on the outward passage, to take up some of the slack while everyone settles into their responsibilities.”

Steve blinked in surprise. Executive and Commanding Officers were normally exempt from watch–keeping duties, to allow them to concentrate on their other duties. A ship had to be very short–handed before her Exec would suspend that long–standing practice.

“When we reach Midrash,” Kilian continued, “we’ll ask for officers from the System Patrols of Commonwealth planets in the Sector to volunteer to serve with us for short–term assignments — three to six months. That’ll give them and their parent services useful experience in working with the Fleet, and hopefully give us some of the warm bodies we need. Captain Hutchinson, our Division’s Commanding Officer, sent a signal to Midrash on last week’s communications frigate, asking Sector HQ to contact local System Patrols about that.

“
As an Ensign you can’t serve as Officer of the Deck, but you can be Assistant OOD. You’ve completed the Deck Officer course, so you already have all the theory, and you’ve been OOD under supervision in a training vessel. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the ship before we certify you as a watch–keeping officer. I’ll put you on watch with me at first, so we can use some of the slack time for Junior Officer Development. That’ll make it easier for both of us. As soon as you’re promoted to Junior Lieutenant, you’ll join our OOD roster. That won’t be long now, right?”

“
No, Sir. I’ve got fifteen months seniority in grade as an O–1, and my record’s good, so I’m due to get my second bar in the next biannual promotion signal.”

“
Good. That’ll take effect three months from now. Apart from watch–keeping duties, you’ll have several assignments, as do we all. You’ll be our Assistant Navigating Officer under Senior Lieutenant Ellis, and I’m making you our Flight Operations Officer as well. That’s normally a Senior Lieutenant’s responsibility, but since we don’t have a more senior officer to spare, you’ll just have to grow into the job. Your extensive piloting experience and current licenses will help there. Flight Ops falls under our Engineer Officer, Lieutenant–Commander Ergal, so you’ll spend a lot of time in his department. You’ll also be in charge of the commissary, and supervise one of our crew berthing compartments.”

“
Aye aye, Sir. I can see I’m going to have trouble finding time even to breathe, let alone eat, drink and sleep!”

“
We all will. We can at least hope to get some more officers at Midrash, to spread the load more evenly. You can take comfort in the fact that you’ve already encountered every one of your responsibilities during your enlisted service. You’ve also been thoroughly trained as a junior officer. It’s not as if you’re coming at any of them cold.”

“
No, Sir.”

Steve knew he sounded a little dubious, and Kilian noticed. “I suppose the most important lesson you need to learn is that you can’t carry the whole world on your shoulders,” he pointed out. “That’s as true for senior officers as it is for junior! Commander Mars and I won’t be unreasonable, and we’ll make allowances for our personnel shortage and the consequent overload of work on all our officers. Nevertheless, we
do
expect you to learn to cope. That’s part of what Junior Officer Development is all about. You’ve already been trained in matters of leadership, command, authority and responsibility. Now it’s time to apply that training.”

“
I understand, Sir. I’ll do my best.”

“
Good. Let me tell you about our mission. The Division’s being sent to the Midrash Sector to help deal with an increase in smuggling and piracy. We’ll begin by splitting up once we get there, with each destroyer going to a different planet on three–month assignments. She’ll work with its System Patrol on boarding and search operations, with both sides learning from each other. On the way to and from each planet, each ship will check out an unclaimed star or two, looking for any evidence of pirate or smuggling bases among its planets and asteroids.

“
Our planetary missions will be very important. We tend to think of ourselves as ‘THE Fleet’, and fall into the trap of thinking we know it all. We don’t, of course. Smaller, less prestigious local forces often come up with very ingenious solutions to problems they’ve encountered. We need to learn those things from them, as well as teach them our standard procedures. We’ll rendezvous at Midrash every three months to share lessons learned and compile them for distribution, first within the Sector, then to the Fleet as a whole. Once we’ve visited all the planets in the Sector, we’ll see what else the Sector Admiral has in store for us.

“
As you can imagine, all those tasks will involve a lot of small craft operations. To enable us to cope with that, our armament’s been reconfigured. Our midships missile cells have been replaced with two assault shuttle pods.”

Steve frowned. “I’ve heard a little about them, Sir, but I thought they weren’t yet operational. I’ve never come across them before.”

“Neither had we, until this Division was formed. Let me give you a little background. Our assault transports are the size of battleships — over half a million tons. They carry a full battalion of armored Marines and their assault shuttles, supporting units and their equipment, and everything else they need to operate independently. Trouble is, they’re far too big, and much too expensive to operate, to use for platoon– or company–size training missions to our member planets, or small raids on minor targets like pirate bases. In the past we’ve sent destroyers and cruisers to do that, since every destroyer carries a platoon of Marines, and cruisers carry two. Trouble is, destroyers don’t carry assault shuttles, and cruisers have only two of them. Also, warships can’t always be spared for such missions.

“
To solve that problem, the Fleet’s converting a couple of dozen old
River
class destroyers into what it calls ‘light assault transports’. Their capital cost is minimal, since the hulls are long since bought and paid for, and their conversion cost isn’t too high. Their operating costs will be a fraction of the much larger assault transports. Each will carry up to a company of Marines and up to eight assault shuttles. Six of them will be in shuttle pods, replacing all six missile cells one–for–one, and the remaining two will use the ship’s docking bay. There’s a lot more to the conversion, but we don’t have time to go into it now.

“
Someone had the bright idea of building a few shuttle pods to fit
Hero
class destroyers, to help with missions like ours. Our missile cells are bigger than those of the old
Rivers
, of course, but that’s just a matter of putting a larger, reshaped external shell around the pods and re–routing their connections to the ship’s systems. The middle two missile cell bays of existing
Hero
class destroyers will be modified to accept them during routine refurbishments, and new construction will have that capability built in from the start. We’ll be the first to use them on operations, even before the new light assault transports come online, so a lot of eyes will be upon us. In
Achilles’
case, they’ll be on you in particular, because both shuttles and their pods will fall under Flight Ops; and since we’re the Division flagship, our other three ships will be watching us closely, to learn from our —
your
— shuttle operations.” He grinned evilly.

Steve blinked again. “Oh! Thank you, Sir… I think.”

“Not to worry. Yes, it’s another load on your back, but each shuttle comes with its own pilot and weapons systems operator, who’ll handle its day–to–day requirements, so it won’t be too bad. The Engineering Department will maintain them and their pods, of course.

“
Twelve of our Marines — a full section, comprising three four–person fire teams — will be assigned to each shuttle’s boarding and search party. As Flight Ops Officer, you’ll designate up to twelve spacers to join each party. Talk to our Chief of the Ship, Senior Chief Luculle, about that. You’ll want experienced people who can sniff out hiding places and know where smuggled goods are likely to be concealed. You’ll command one shuttle during boarding and search operations. Our Marine platoon commander, First Lieutenant Garcia, will command the other.”

“
Understood, Sir. What about our reduced missile armament, Sir? What if we have to fight a pirate?”

“
Most pirates have no more than a dozen missile tubes, jury–rigged aboard a captured freighter or mining vessel. They don’t pose a serious threat to a warship like
Achilles
, so we’re carrying a special mix of main battery weapons for this operation. Each of our four remaining cells contains eight missiles with bomb–pumped lasers, two with nuclear blast warheads, six with electromagnetic pulse devices to disable suspect ships if necessary, and four penetration aids in case we run into something with good electronic defenses, unlikely though that is. Each cell also has its usual twenty defensive missiles, of course. We should have more than enough firepower to deal with any pirates we encounter, even without two of our six missile cells.”

“
I see, Sir.”

“
Very well.” Kilian stood, and Steve rose with him. “Commander Mars is visiting the Bureau of Intelligence planetside with Captain Hutchinson, to discuss the latest information from Midrash Sector about their piracy and smuggling problems. They suspect there’s a link between the two crimes, but they haven’t been able to prove that. Part of our job will be to look for evidence of it. She’ll return from BuIntel tomorrow, at which time you’ll present yourself to her — Number One uniform, of course, with medals.”

“
Aye aye, Sir.”

“
Good.” The Exec glanced at a bulkhead clock. “You’ve got two hours before supper, so unpack your gear and stow your luggage, then change into working uniform. I’ll see you in the Wardroom at eighteen.”

~ ~ ~

Steve went to Senior Chief Luculle’s office right away. It was across the ship’s main passage, in the Admin section. He knocked on her door and introduced himself.

“
Glad to meet you, Sir. Welcome aboard.” She rose from the chair behind her desk, braced smartly to attention, then accepted his outstretched hand. She was a tall, rangy woman, firm–faced, deep blue eyes firm and direct. She glanced at the ribbons on his chest, and her eyebrows rose. “The Good Conduct Medal means you must have served more than one term of enlisted service, Sir?”

“
Yes. I served almost five years before going to OCS, and held PO2 rank.”

“
I’m pleased to hear it, Sir. That, plus the rest of your fruit salad, shows you’re more experienced than the average young officer. It’ll stand you in good stead aboard
Achilles
, with so much to learn in so little time.”

“
I hope so; but this is still my first operational assignment after being commissioned. I’ve just graduated as an entry–level Navigator. I’ve got a great deal to learn, and I know it. I also know that the Fleet expects Senior NCO’s to help train and form junior officers, and I wanted to emphasize that right from the start. Please take me aside and correct me if you see me making a mistake, or about to make one. I won’t be offended. If you’ll please ask your other Senior and Staff NCO’s to do the same, I’ll be grateful. I’d rather be respectfully chewed out by someone who knows more than I do, than look like a fool in front of the ship’s company.”

Her eyes warmed. “I’ll pass the word, Sir. You’re right, educating junior officers
is
part of our job, but some of them get on their high horse and don’t want to listen. It’s good to know you understand our role.”

Steve grinned. “High horses are dangerous. It’s a longer drop when you fall off!” They both chuckled. “Lieutenant–Commander Kilian’s given me a job where I’ll need your help.” He explained about the need to assign Spacers to boarding and search parties.

She frowned. “That’ll be a problem, Sir. We’ve got several Spacers who know their way around a merchant freighter, but most have important jobs on board. It’ll be hard to free up so many of them, particularly if both search parties leave the ship at the same time.” She thought for a moment. “How about this, Sir? We could take four experienced, competent Spacers per shuttle team, and pair them with up to eight less experienced juniors. They can help the seniors by doing the donkey work while they’re learning from them. After a few months they’ll be pretty much up to speed. At that point we can release most of the experienced personnel and draft more juniors to replace them. After a year, we’ll have a solid core of trained Spacers to draw upon.”