Part 16

If there’s one thing that helps a crew recovering from combat it’s a picnic. Captain Freddie had ordered out the special rations. The moralisers intended by fleet to keep a crew happy in a difficult time. Through out the ship food and drink was laid out on tables, chairs and the weather proof, fire proof rugs that Fleet also thoughtfully provided.
The Golden Chance’s command crew had relocated to the captains favourite area. The refectory at the front of the command centre. The screens were big and bright here. The crew sat, ate and marked off each system coming online and looked again and again at the ships resources.
Worst off was the stock of munitions. The first combat had hit these hard, but the not to the point of there being a shortage. It was just notable that they couldn’t hold out at that rate of fire without replenishment for too long.
Fortunately medical supplies were looking good. There had been few injuries to date.
Fuel was lower than desired. Some of the reserve tanks had been blown. The ship could fly, it could manoeuvre. It could still do with more though.
They’d lost two fighters, and the pilots for those fighters. Neither machine nor men were replaceable. Eulogies had been written and were being in the grand tradition of fleet orally refined. There were no bodies so the order was to get the service good and hold it when the Sterateel were in this instance - dead or gone.
The ship was filled with the noises of repair, the arguments of incidental upgrade, and the sounds of happy eating and good drinking.
Freddie knew that the ‘Chance was not alone the revelry of work. Over with the ex-Admiral in the Smokeless Fire the same tradition was being honoured. The crew were relaxing, eating and still working. He didn’t know what the attitude was over in the convoy ships. He guessed it was different. He’d never served with supply but from all the officers he’d ever met he felt that it was always more subdued. Fleet had formality, and also a joy for life. He didn’t really want to imagine any other way to live. He saw his men happily working, and enjoying the moment. That was better than waiting. Waiting to live or die was no way for any man to live. He wouldn’t let it happen on his ship