Origins by Mark Henrikson Read Free Book Online Page B

evaluate a situation objectively throughout your reasoning process.  That way you’ll be free to see the whole picture.”
    “I see your point, Captain,” Valnor conceded.  “May I ask how you were able to so quickly assess the advantages the Thorin is able to utilize?”
    Gallono could stay silent no longer.  With a chuckle he finally spoke up, “Valnor, over the next few years while serving under Captain Hastelloy you’ll see countless instances of his keen mind at work.  I assure you this is not one of them.
    “The Captain was the lead battlefield consultant on the design team for the Thorin class battle cruiser,” Gallono continued.  “All the ship’s features you just described were incorporated into the design as a direct result of the Captain’s knowledge gained while commanding the fifth fleet for the last 100 years.  There’s no more experienced combat officer in the armed services than the man who sits in that chair.  Didn’t you read up on your commanding officer before joining the crew?
    “I came here right out of the academy.  I finished my last exam one day, got married the next, and the day after that I was on board and busy learning the ship.  Regrettably I didn’t get around to reviewing the crew profiles,” Valnor conceded. 
    The helmsman’s bald head sank into his chest, and the rest of his body followed the example and slid lower into the chair.  If it could have, Hastelloy was certain the young man’s body would have melted into the ventilation grate in the floor to leave the embarrassing moment behind.  He decided to let the kid off the hook. 
    “Personally, I prefer my helmsman spend all his time learning how to fly my ship than having his nose buried in my biography.  A captain, on the other hand, should know his crewmen forward and back.  On that note, congratulations on the child you and your wife are expecting Valnor.  Fatherhood will suit you.”
    “Thank you, Captain, and I appreciate you throwing me a life line by changing the subject, but I am curious about something.   You were the admiral in charge of the fifth fleet for 100 years, have seen more combat than any other Novan alive, and you were instrumental in designing the command ship out there.   Why are you now in command of this basically unarmed Collector class ship and not aboard the Thorin leading the entire fleet?”
    Hastelloy fought back the urge to scream at the top of his lungs, ‘because some weak stomached politician decided to put the screws to me, and he succeeded thanks to the other cowardly politicians who run the council.’ But no, playing the victim role didn’t suit Hastelloy.  What’s more, it would not do for his crew to hear their commander challenging the wisdom and integrity of the council.  An openly disgruntled commander soon finds himself surrounded by an insubordinate and unmotivated crew.  The greater good was served by Hastelloy playing his part as a noble statesman who felt privileged to serve. 
    “Ensign, your question implies that serving on board a collector ship attached to a battle fleet is an undesirable assignment,” Hastelloy said with the utmost conviction.  “On the contrary, I envy you for having this opportunity so early in your career.  The duty of a collector ship is to monitor the battle, and maneuver within Nexus range of any and every ship about to be destroyed.  When a thousand ships are engaged in a space battle taking place over millions of square miles, it’s virtually impossible to get within the 10,000 mile range of every vessel in danger, yet that is what’s expected of us.
    “In order to perform this duty the collector ship’s crew must anticipate the dangers before they happen, not after events begin to unfold and it is too late to act.  This seeming ability to predict the future requires a keen mind to interpret the tactics and tendencies of our fleet commanders as well as the enemy leaders.  You’ll learn more about the art