Kelly Blake 3: Where the Stars Are Few and Far Between by Rodney Smith Page B

can brief them on the plan and get their input. They’re both smart guys and will find any holes in your plan. Get the 15th and 18th Battle Fleet commanders in here, too.”
    “Will do, sir.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Kelly stood in the hot Antares sun and mentally cut his speech in half. His sailors would appreciate it. The formal assumption of command was behind them, leaving only the obligatory speeches. Admiral Craddock gave a fairly short speech, but Admiral Minacci was going on a bit long.
    Kelly suddenly realized Minacci had just called his name. That’s what he gets for wool gathering, he thought. He stood up, shook Admiral Minacci’s hand and took the podium. He pulled out his pocket terminal and made a big show of deleting large portions of his speech.
    He finally looked up and said, “It’s too hot for the long speech I was going to give.” Laughter ensued.
    “Instead, I just want to thank Admiral Craddock for the vision that led to this magnificent ship. I’d like to thank him and Admiral Minacci for having the faith in me to allow me the honor of commanding her. I want to thank the crew in advance for their service aboard her. Mostly, I’d like to thank my fiancé, Candy, for agreeing this Wednesday to be my wife.”
    Loud applause and cheering broke out amongst the audience and the crew in formation.
    “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here. There are refreshments in the tent behind the formation. Please join us.”
    With that, he marched off the platform and up to his acting Master Chief Petty officer and turned the formation over to him. He returned to the platform to shake hands with Admirals Minacci, Craddock, and Hasselrode and other assorted local VIPs. Candy came up to him and gave him a kiss.
    She put her arm around him and said, “I knew you were going to do that.”
    “Of course I was going to do that. I’m so proud that you said yes.”
    Dozens of well-wishers came up to them, said what a wonderful couple they made, and wished them much happiness.
    An hour later all the guests had drifted off, Kelly and Candy said their goodbyes, and they went back to work. There was still much to be done.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Admiral Sue Thomas looked at her Flagship, the GRS Bolivar. It floated in space in the Reserve Fleet holding area, in orbit above Leonov. A recommisioning crew would board her tomorrow and move her to the one free arm on Leonov Station. There she would be taken out of mothball status and restored to the active fleet roster.
    Once she was recommissioned, a skeleton crew would move her to Antares Station to meet up with the remainder of her crew. Then Admiral Thomas would take command and rebuild the 15th Battle Group around her. Ships to be assigned to the 15th were in stations all over Galactic Republic space, being recommissioned and crewed. Some were being fitted with the new disruptor guns. Some were left as they were.
    Fleet personnel put on the involuntary retired list four years ago were being recalled to man the massive fleets called for in the operations plan. Some came willingly, without being told. Some needed help to realize the obligation to the Fleet they had signed four years back. They accepted the retired pay with the proviso they would return if recalled in case of a Republic emergency within five years. Receiving stations all over the Republic processed personnel by the thousands. Large transports filled with returned personnel flew from ring to ring, delivering ships crews to their ships.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Lieutenant Commander Steve Guilford watched the last stragglers board his Andromeda class transport, one of twelve in his flight detachment. Once all were aboard and seated, he got on the loudspeaker and said, “Welcome ladies and gentlemen, this is flight 164 bound for Antares Station, with personnel destined for the GRS Buthelezi and the GRS Bolivar. If neither of these are your destination, get the hell off my ship.”
    Laughter