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ships of the first class, in defensive orbit around it. I can give you five.
Sub-Patrol Chief
Five! said Donal. He felt a small crawling sensation down his spine. He
had, before Lludrow turned him down the first time, worked out rather
carefully what could be done withNewton and how a man might go about it. His
plan had called for a lean and compact little fighting force of thirty
first-class ships in a triangular organization of three sub-patrols, ten ships
to each.
You see, Lludrow was explaining, it s not what craft I have available even
with what losses we ve just suffered, my Blue Patrol counts over seventy ships
of the first class, alone. It s what ships I can trust to you on a job where
at least the officers and probably the men as well will realize that it s a
mission that should be completely volunteer and that s being sneaked off when
Staff s back is turned. The captains of these ships are all strongly loyal to
me, personally, or I couldn t have picked them. He looked at Donal. All
right, he said. I know it s impossible. Just agree with me and we can forget
the matter.
Can I count on obedience? asked Donal.
That, said Lludrow, is the one thing I can guarantee you.
I ll have to improvise, said Donal. I ll go in with them, look at the
situation, and see what can be done.
Fair enough. It s decided then.
It s decided, said Donal.
Then come along. Lludrow turned and led him out of the office and through
corridors to a lock. They passed through the lock to a small courier ship,
empty and waiting for them there; and took it to a ship of the first class,
some fifteen minutes off.
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Ushered into the ship s large and complex main control room. Donal found five
senior captains waiting for him. Lludrow accepted a salute from a gray-haired
powerful-looking man, who by saluting revealed himself as captain of this
particular ship.
Captain Bannerman, said Lludrow, introducing him to Donal, Captain
Graeme. Donal concealed a start well. In the general process of his thinking,
he had forgotten that a promotion for himself would be necessary. You could
hardly put a Staff Liaison with a field rank of commandant over men captaining
ships of the first class.
Gentlemen, said Lludrow, turning to the other executive officers. I ve
been forced to form your five ships rather hastily into a new Sub-Patrol unit.
Captain Graeme will be your new chief. You ll form a reconnaissance outfit to
do certain work near the very center of the enemy space area; and I want to
emphasize the point that Captain Graeme s command is absolute. You will obey
any and all of his orders without question. Now, are there any questions any
of you would like to ask before he assumes command?
The five captains were silent.
Fine, then. Lludrow led Donal down the line. Captain Graeme, this is
Captain Aseini.
Honored, said Donal, shaking hands.
Captain Sukaya-Mendez.
At your service, captain.
CaptainElMan.
Honored, said Donal. A scarred Dorsai face nearing forty looked at him. I
believe I know your family name, captain.HighIsland , isn t it?
Sir, near Bridgehead, answeredElMan. I ve heard of the Graemes. Donal
moved on.
And Captain Ruoul.
Honored.
Well, then, said Lludrow, stepping back briskly. I ll leave the command in
your hands, Captain Graeme. Anything in the way of special supplies?
Torpedoes, sir, answered Donal.
I ll have Armaments Supply contact you, said Lludrow, And left.
Five hours later, with several hundred extra torpedoes loaded, the five-ship
Sub-Patrol moved out for deep space. It was Donal s wish that they get clear
of the home base as soon as possible and off where the nature of their
expedition could not be discovered and countermanded. With the torpedoes, Lee
had come aboard; Donal having remembered that his orderly had been left aboard
the C4J. Lee had come through the battle very well, being strapped in his
hammock harness throughout in a section of the ship that was undamaged by the
hit that had pierced to the control room. Now, Donal had definite instructions
for him.
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I want you with me, this time, he said. You ll stay by me. I doubt very
much I might need you; but if I do, I want you in sight.
I ll be there, said Lee, unemotionally.
They had been talking in the Patrol chief s stateroom, which had been opened
to Donal. Now, Donal headed for the main control room, Lee following behind.
When Donal reached that nerve center of the ship, he found all three of the
snip s officers engaged in calculating the phase shift, with Bannerman
overseeing.
Sir! said Bannerman as Donal came up. Looking at him, Donal was reminded of
his mathematics instructor at school; and he was suddenly and painfully
reminded of his own youth.
About ready to shift? asked Donal.
In about two minutes. Since you specified no particular conclusion point,
the computer run was a short one. We ve merely been making the usual checks to
make sure there s no danger of collision with any object. A four light-year
jump, sir.
Good, said Donal. Come here with me, Bannerman.
He led the way over to the larger and rather more elaborate Control Eye that
occupied the center of this control room; and pressed keys. A scene from the
library file of the ship filled the globe. It showed a green-white planet with
two moons floating in space and lit by the illumination from a G2 type sun.
The orange and the two pips, said Bannerman, revealing a moonless
Freilander s dislikes for natural planetary satellites.
Yes, said Donal. Newton. He looked at Bannerman. How close can we hit
it?
Sir? said Bannerman, looking around at him. Donal waited, holding his eyes
steady on the older man. Bannerman s gaze shifted and dropped back to the
scene in the Eye.
We can come out as close as you want, sir, he answered. See, in deep space
jumps, we have to stop to make observations and establish our location
precisely. But the precise location of any civilized planet s already
established. To come out at a safe distance from their defenses, I d say,
sir
I didn t ask you for a safe distance from their defenses, said Donal,
quietly. I said how close?
Bannerman looked up again. His face had not paled; but there was now a set
quality about it. He looked at Donal for several seconds.
How close? he echoed. Two planetary diameters.
Thank you, captain, said Donal.
Shift in ten seconds, announced the First Officer s voice; and began to
count down. Nine seconds eight seven six five four three two shift! They
shifted.
Yes, said Donal, as if the shift itself had never interrupted what he was
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about to say, out here where it s nice and empty, we re going to set up a
maneuver, and I want all the ships to practice it. If you ll call a captain s
conference, captain.
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