“Very well.” Rosenstein nodded once. “Fleet Intelligence does not object to your request. But you will be watched. Carefully. If you start prying about in other parts of the Library, I can and will have you sent home.” Rosenstein stood and stomped out of the room.
Daystar took a deep breath. “That was … different,” she said. “Are you now prepared to discuss file transfer issues? The First Empire’s Encyclopedia Astrographica has almost the same format as its modern equivalent…”
There is now a substantial gap, during which the Anglic Union starts building serious spaceships and, to deal with another annoyance from the Stellar Republic, agrees that when they build warships some of the ships will be seconded to the Stellar Republic’s fleet for consideration for purchase.
With the Scout Ships
Stars seen through the warp point shimmered. One after the next, the four scout ships that the Anglic Union had seconded to the Stellar Republic swam through the opening they had forced in space. With only a few seconds delay, AUAS ships Langley, Hiram Maxim, Orville Wright, and Wilbur Wright brought up their defense screens and drives and began accelerating away from the warp zone.
A fraction of an astronomical unit away, the warp point’s one fortress noted the appearance of unscheduled ships and began to climb toward battle stations.
“Grand Supreme Admiral of the Fleet Thatcher,” Senior Technician Second Class Martinez chanted into his communicator, “we have unknown spaceships passing through the remote northeast segment of the warp zone. I count four ships of an unknown type. In accord with operation plans, I have brought the base to battle stations.”
Martinez leaned back in his chair. Strictly speaking, he had flipped open the covers and pressed the two buttons that sounded the battle stations alarm. The base was well-run. It might come up to battle stations in as little as ten or twenty minutes. Meanwhile, he had carried out his duty, notified his superior officer of the situation, and now got to watch to see what would happen.
The unknown ships were still outside of the base’s light cone. Only the gravitronic detectors were giving any indication that the ships were there. He stared at one of his displays. If the display was to be believed, the ships had powered up screens and drives almost instantaneously after passing through the warp point. The usual time for ships of the Imperial Navy was several minutes, that being a bit optimistic for some squadrons. They were also considerably closer together than units of the Stellar Republic Fleet would choose to be, at least on emerging from a warp line.
Who were these people? He wondered. He felt a slight flutter of concern that he might actually be facing unknown hostile ships. Of course, that was absurd. Star M13927 was inside the boundaries of the Stellar Republic. The known links to that warp point all connected to heavily populated solar systems.
Now he heard footsteps coming up the corridor behind the Operations Center. He had ordered battle stations, so sooner or later someone would get around to closing the armored doors at each entrance to the Center. However, that was not his job, even though he could do so with the touch of a few keys, so he would leave that task to whoever’s responsibility it was. He tried to remember who was supposed to be doing that, but had been so long since he had reviewed the battle station’ s operations plan that he simply didn’t remember.
“Ah, Mister Martinez,” came the voice behind him. “You noted the emergence and immediately did the right thing, as opposed to asking your immediate superiors what you should do. That’s excellent initiative!”
