Beyond Capella (UC) by John Rackham

Author:John Rackham [Rackham, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1971-07-06T22:00:00+00:00

VIII

"Aspire I, Commander Kane here. Commodore Airey?"

"Been trying to raise you for hours, man. This report of yours. Needs amplifying. More details. Background!"

Kane frowned. He had struggled over that report with his eyes drooping, but he was satisfied he had left out nothing important. "I can't see there is a lot more to tell, sir. We were lucky enough to destroy three enemy units. By time and place it seems they were the same ships that clobbered this base. That's about it, isn't it?"

Airey's eyebrows waggled furiously. "That's not it. Same ships, yes. Caught us with our pants down. That won't happen again, I promise you. But, man—three to one? With your torpedoes shot away? Just corroders?"

Kane stiffened. He knew Airey's difficulty. Corroders were regarded as secondary weapons, useful only for close-in work, preferably against an enemy already crippled. "We didn't elect to get in close, sir. It just happened in that way. We're a brand-new ship, sir. We were at trial stations, coming out of a jump, and we landed smack-dab in the middle of them."

"Hmm!" Airey pulled his brows down to scowl out from under them. "New ship. Skeleton crew. And yet you smeared three snakes. With corroders! Wants some believing!"

"I'm finding it a bit hard to believe myself, sir." Kane hesitated a moment then shrugged. "It wasn't all corroders. The third and last was a bit different." He arranged words, recreated the moment, and explained as briefly as possible just how the final enemy had been wiped out. Airey's face was a study in breathless attention and wonder.

"Damned if I ever heard anything like that," he admitted, when Kane was through. "Where'd you learn that tactic?"

"I didn't," Kane admitted. "Frankly, I don't know where it came from, sir. I didn't consciously think it through at all. It just seemed the right, the only thing to do, in the circumstances."

Airey grumped, shook his head. "That's one for the book. You'll be logging it. Mind if I make a note of it, too? Need all the tricks we can get." He looked away from the camera a moment. "You're requisitioning four replacements, I see. Can't help you there. I'm on rock-bottom myself, especially now. If you were anything but a new ship I might squeeze you some out of the walking casualties, but they wouldn't do you at all. Sorry. About this Dr. Kopal, now. A civilian, eh?"

"We're a new ship," Kane repeated stolidly. "We have a few technical people aboard, advising on some refinements. How is he?"

"According to this he has broken ribs, contusions, is badly shaken up, but should be fit to return aboard anytime, may actually be on his way at this moment. So much for that. Anything else we can do for you, Kane? Like to see you in my quarters sometime, if you can get away. Lake to hear a bit more about that stern-blast stunt, eh?"

"That's very kind of you, sir; I'll try. There is one other thing. We're jumping to Capella as soon as possible, so I'd like my crew to have the maximum amount of break here, while they can.

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