First Contact (Galactic Axia Adventure) by Jim Laughter

message appeared from the user they’d been ganging up on.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE, it said. WHO ARE YOU?
    Stan thought for a moment and decided it was time to tell them. MR. COMPUTER.
    Again the screen remained blank for another minute. Stan could imagine the consternation of the two antagonists. Finally after another minute, one of them started typing an apology. This is going to be an interesting evening indeed , Stan thought while he watched the message scroll across his monitor.
    ∞∞∞
    The main Control Room of the mothership was a scene of furious but efficient activity as preparations were made for the upcoming attack against the Red-tails. During these preparations, Commander Tess had finally received a reply from Regional Fleet Command. As expected, they gave her wide latitude in handling the situation. Reinforcements were being mobilized but wouldn’t arrive for at least another 24-hours.
    Commander Tess thought through these developments while she sat to one side studying the holographic display. In the center was the pulsating red globe that marked the main Red-tail concentration. Thin red lines marked the projected flight paths of the most recently sighted Red-tail ships. Green lights marked the known location of all Axia ships available for this mission. The commander noted with satisfaction that they were forming an enclosing globe around the Red-tails. Careful planning of their containment effort kept their plans unobserved by the enemy. An aide came up beside her and followed her gaze.
    “It looks like we’ve been undetected so far,” he commented, also studying the display.
    “I agree, but now we’re faced with a new problem.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Our ships are starting to get close enough together that the Red-tails might detect us soon,” she answered. “So I’m faced with a dilemma. Do I stop the entrapment to avoid detection or do I discard the element of surprise?”
     The aide studied the display intently for another minute. “What if we halted the tightening now,” he suggested, “then when we feel we have all the Red-tails we can handle within that sphere, we advance quickly to close up all the gaps?”
    Commander Tess considered the suggestion. “That adds a new risk,” she answered. “First, while we hold further out, we still risk detection without being in an advantageous position. Second, our ships are more vulnerable when we advance because their relative motion exposes them to a flanking maneuver. It also has them arrive at the battle location with their cooling tanks already warm. If they should need to execute high speed maneuvers they’ll have only a limited time frame before their ships overheat.”
    The aide thought for a moment and then replied. “What if we only tightened the trap a little more to positions closer in? Then we’ll be close enough to advance and attack with enough heat reserve left in the holding tanks.” The commander nodded as she pictured the maneuver.
    “As an added precaution, we can position the newer Albert drive ships where we are most likely to encounter fleeing Red-tails cornered by the other ships,” the aide added.
    “I like that idea,” she agreed. “Go ahead and issue the necessary orders. The longer we delay the change, the greater our risk of being discovered before we’re ready.”
    “Yes ma’am.” The aide turned and left, making mental notes of the best way to draft up the new orders. The commander watched him walk toward the comm station and then turned her attention back to the holographic display. He’ll make an excellent tactician someday.
    ∞∞∞
    To Delmar’s surprise, graduation from survey school proved to be a rather simple affair. An assembly of all the students in the school was held once a month. It was during the next one of these that Delmar and the rest of his class were called forward onto the central platform.
    After they’d assembled on the stage behind the school commander, he