Galaxy's End: Book One by LeRoy Clary (popular ebook readers txt) 📗

compartment or two with his tunnels. His input and value would be realized immediately. Bill would, at first, become a helper in the engineering department, and they could always use additional help. He would be welcome.

Fang was a sore thumb. He didn’t fit anywhere in the chain of command but did many of the same functions as her First Officer. Their duties were going to overlap for a while, and there would naturally be friction. She hoped the promise of a new ship and turning over command to the First Officer would forestall any real problems.

Which brought her to Kat. She had already met with each of the new crew and stressed the importance of keeping Kat’s secret. Nobody on the Escolta would know. That was not entirely true. The First Officer was aware of part of the story and she would warn her to keep it all to herself.

When she placed the first three in their new positions, there would naturally be adjustments. When she introduced Kat as her trainee to be a future First Officer, there would be trouble. They would want to know why a homeless, helpless, sixteen-year-old was being placed into that position instead of one of them.

That was the problem she had to solve—and quickly because they would exit the wormhole at the end of the next sleep period.

Kat stood and said, “I’m going to grab something to eat. Can I bring either of you anything?”

Both declined. As the hatch closed, Fang slurped a dirty-white liquid with small swimmers and said, “What’s bothering you? I’m scared to say good-morning because you will use that great foot of yours to stomp on me.”

“Nothing.”

“She’s gone for a while. Talk to me. You’ve been getting more agitated with each light-month we travel, and that girl is the reason.”

Captain Stone sighed. She had earned respect with her crew by being honest and this was no time to change that. “It’s Kat, you’re right. Several crewmen on the Escolta are qualified for advancement and have been with me for years. They will probably feel they’ve more right to a training position for First Officer than a youngster like her. I’m trying to avoid those sorts of problems, but I think at least one will have hurt feelings. It’s the kind of thing that festers like an old sore on the crews of ships.”

Fang snapped up two insects flying circles around his head with one snap of his red tongue. He crunched them as if eating hard candy and said in a laconic tone tinged with humor, “Two points will resolve this issue. One is that you already need to replace the existing First Officer when he is promoted to command either the Escolta or the ship you are thinking about purchasing, so effectively nothing has changed as far as who gets promoted and when. Your crewman will be promoted soon. The second point that will seal the deal without bloodshed is a small lie you might choose to tell.”

She noticed the emphasis on small. His first point was well taken and was probably enough to avoid some hurt feelings or too much jealousy. “What is your small lie?”

“Both you and Kat have verifiable backgrounds on Prager Four. Just hint she is related. Or lie. She is a lost niece or cousin you found and rescued while on Roma. Family rules. While your crewman may not like it, he or she will understand.”

Captain Stone furrowed her brow and stared at Fang in awe and appreciation—and in wonderment of how he had managed to resolve the problem that simply because it was certainly an easy resolution. It was almost truth, which was not quite a lie. “How did you know?”

Fang shrugged his tiny shoulders. “From a command standpoint, the issue had to be addressed. It was obvious.”

“So, when did you figure it out?”

The eyes in three pairs of eyestalks rolled like those of teenage girls when confronted with something obvious.

“When?” she demanded.

“A few days ago,” he muttered, looking away with all eyestalks.

“And you let me sit here and stew for a few days when you knew the problem and answer?”

Fang said, “Captain, you were not ready to lie until now. And even now, it must be a small one, but believable.”

Her mouth fell open. She was about the raise her voice when she understood as if caught outside in a sudden spring rain. Fang was not only right, but he was also a master at revealing only what he wanted, and when. Her gaping mouth slowly closed, imitated a smile, and she muttered, “Thank you.”

“No problem, Captain.”

His voice sounded respectful for a change.

But he was right and hinting or outright telling her crew that they were blood related solved most of her problems. For the first time in a day, she continued smiling as time passed.

McL had tried to convince her to let Bill stay on the Dreamer. Bill would make a fine engineer for him. She was certain the transport line would hire him with McL’s recommendation. In return, she had tried to convince McL to leave this ship and take a position on her ship. She offered him higher pay and a bonus with each profitable voyage. To his credit, the old man refused because he’d signed a contract and felt obligated to remain until it expired. His signature was his bond.

That was the sort of crew she hired. A few inquiries by Bert found the date his contract was up, and Bert made a note for her to contact him well before the two years passed and offer the job again.

Instead of waiting for Kat to return, she left the bridge, assured a few passengers she encountered the trip would end in a day and they would be on their way to their original destinations. All seemed pleased. A few crewmen passed