Lepanto as the chief warrant officer for its boarding team. The deaths reminded him of another duty. Jacob looked down.
“Lieutenant Stewart, how fare the civie casualties you brought up here in your LCA?”
Daisy, who had been watching the images of O’Sullivan and Mikoto on the front wallscreen, turned and looked up to him. Her dark brown face scrunched up. “All twelve are still alive in our Med Hall. The doctor and nurses there are doing surgeries on the worst ones. Two are in stasis until they can be helped. Triage, you know.”
O’Sullivan looked from Daisy up to him. “Jacob, the LCAs from your three ships did wonders in evacing folks from the three neighborhoods hit by the bombs. They landed in spaces our ground cars could not get to. We only have three aircars on the whole planet, and some copters. Thank you for that help.”
Jacob nodded. Visiting Stockholm and seeing some of the people he and his ships had saved was one item on his long To Do list. First things first, though. “Billy, thanks for the info on casualties. Lieutenant Jefferson did her best to zap that attacking wasp ship. But it survived and is now heading out system. There is no indication it will return.”
O’Sullivan showed relief. “Glad to hear that. We’ve been tracking it on our moving neutrino scanner. Do you expect the other four wasp ships to return soon? Or can folks in the shelters head out to their homes and farms?”
“They can head out,” Jacob said, giving thanks for the cluster of his battle group ships that orbited close to the Star Navy space station. “As you know, any new ships that arrive will take 52 hours to get to Valhalla. We’re maintaining our own moving neutrino scanner watch. If new wasp ships arrive before our Earth reinforcements, my fleet will protect you and the folks on Valhalla.”
The man looked tired. O’Sullivan was in charge of the Star Navy base and its 312 enlisted and officers. He’d been awake almost continuously since the Lepanto and Jacob’s battle group had arrived in orbit above Valhalla. Awake pills did wonders. But crews could not stay on them indefinitely. The base captain rubbed his eyes, looked aside at some of the wallscreens, then back to Jacob.
“I know you will, Jacob.” He turned thoughtful. “Just wondering about the future. Like you and everyone else. Well, my chief engineer and his folks will start work on the Chesapeake as soon as she moves to parking orbit next to our Hanger Two. Keep me posted on your future needs.”
“Will do, Captain O’Sullivan,” Jacob said, moving their casual chat back to the formality expected of officers in a combat zone. “Let me talk to Lieutenant Commander Swanson about moving close to your station. She and the other captains are meeting with me in three hours. We’ll know what’s what soon enough.”
O’Sullivan nodded. “Understood. Star Navy base Green Hills out.”
The man’s image disappeared from the curving front wallscreen. The wide expanse of the planet Valhalla now filled it. Green forests, yellow plains, purple mountains and the eastern seacoast where Stockholm was located shone bright in the daylight of Kepler 10. Briefly he wondered if the colonists had given the G-type star a name. Did they call it Odin, the chief god of ancient Scandinavia? He pushed aside the musing. Researching the human colony on Valhalla was another item on his To Do list.
“Captain,” called Osashi. “Incoming neutrino call from Lieutenant Jefferson of the Philippine Sea .”
Duty returned to him. “Put it up on the front wallscreen. And share it with everyone by way of the All Ship vidcom. Also share it with our other battle group ships.”
The man who was just five years from full retirement nodded, tapped his control pillar, then spoke. “Going up. Her signal and our response are now being shared with everyone.”
One of Jacob’s first decisions as acting captain had been to share everything that happened on the Bridge with
“Lieutenant Stewart, how fare the civie casualties you brought up here in your LCA?”
Daisy, who had been watching the images of O’Sullivan and Mikoto on the front wallscreen, turned and looked up to him. Her dark brown face scrunched up. “All twelve are still alive in our Med Hall. The doctor and nurses there are doing surgeries on the worst ones. Two are in stasis until they can be helped. Triage, you know.”
O’Sullivan looked from Daisy up to him. “Jacob, the LCAs from your three ships did wonders in evacing folks from the three neighborhoods hit by the bombs. They landed in spaces our ground cars could not get to. We only have three aircars on the whole planet, and some copters. Thank you for that help.”
Jacob nodded. Visiting Stockholm and seeing some of the people he and his ships had saved was one item on his long To Do list. First things first, though. “Billy, thanks for the info on casualties. Lieutenant Jefferson did her best to zap that attacking wasp ship. But it survived and is now heading out system. There is no indication it will return.”
O’Sullivan showed relief. “Glad to hear that. We’ve been tracking it on our moving neutrino scanner. Do you expect the other four wasp ships to return soon? Or can folks in the shelters head out to their homes and farms?”
“They can head out,” Jacob said, giving thanks for the cluster of his battle group ships that orbited close to the Star Navy space station. “As you know, any new ships that arrive will take 52 hours to get to Valhalla. We’re maintaining our own moving neutrino scanner watch. If new wasp ships arrive before our Earth reinforcements, my fleet will protect you and the folks on Valhalla.”
The man looked tired. O’Sullivan was in charge of the Star Navy base and its 312 enlisted and officers. He’d been awake almost continuously since the Lepanto and Jacob’s battle group had arrived in orbit above Valhalla. Awake pills did wonders. But crews could not stay on them indefinitely. The base captain rubbed his eyes, looked aside at some of the wallscreens, then back to Jacob.
“I know you will, Jacob.” He turned thoughtful. “Just wondering about the future. Like you and everyone else. Well, my chief engineer and his folks will start work on the Chesapeake as soon as she moves to parking orbit next to our Hanger Two. Keep me posted on your future needs.”
“Will do, Captain O’Sullivan,” Jacob said, moving their casual chat back to the formality expected of officers in a combat zone. “Let me talk to Lieutenant Commander Swanson about moving close to your station. She and the other captains are meeting with me in three hours. We’ll know what’s what soon enough.”
O’Sullivan nodded. “Understood. Star Navy base Green Hills out.”
The man’s image disappeared from the curving front wallscreen. The wide expanse of the planet Valhalla now filled it. Green forests, yellow plains, purple mountains and the eastern seacoast where Stockholm was located shone bright in the daylight of Kepler 10. Briefly he wondered if the colonists had given the G-type star a name. Did they call it Odin, the chief god of ancient Scandinavia? He pushed aside the musing. Researching the human colony on Valhalla was another item on his To Do list.
“Captain,” called Osashi. “Incoming neutrino call from Lieutenant Jefferson of the Philippine Sea .”
Duty returned to him. “Put it up on the front wallscreen. And share it with everyone by way of the All Ship vidcom. Also share it with our other battle group ships.”
The man who was just five years from full retirement nodded, tapped his control pillar, then spoke. “Going up. Her signal and our response are now being shared with everyone.”
One of Jacob’s first decisions as acting captain had been to share everything that happened on the Bridge with
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