Admin28

==Chapter 28 - The Administrator==
KCGS Ia Drang
Landmark class Destroyer
Unhabited System, one jump from Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
3143
Duchess Sharon Ngo studied the imagery from the recon missions carefully. "Make sure all our second and third phase commanders get this." she said quietly after study.
"It doesn't change the objective, does it?"
She shook her head. "No, it doesn't. Commodore Falcone, are the modifications to the Ia Drang complete?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm not sure they're a good idea-it might not even work, and I know it won't work for long."
"It doesn't have to work for long." Sharon paused, "It only has to work for long enough."
"Hell of a way to test a new system." her Flag Captain said.
"Yeah. it is." Sharon shrugged, "Better to find out early than to invest heavily and find out too late. We'll be heading up the main assault in phase three, up against CWS Jerome Winson, at the Zenith point."
"A battlecruiser." 
Sharon shrugged, "Biggest player they brought, those Naval PPC's are going to be more trouble than the Naval Gauss rifles or the lasers. We've got hull and armor, and if it works, a dirty trick they don't have...and if it doesn't, well, Patrick isn't the worst choice for Duke."
A set of status lights on the Stratcom panel lit. "Phase two is in position." Sharon said, "I believe we have a war to fight."
"Aye, Mum." Emily said, and closed her faceplate, setting her suit mic to 'all' channel. "Now hear this, now hear this, seal for combat operations, initiate pre-deployment depressurization. All hands to action stations, DC personnel report to bunkers and strap down for jump on my order!"
Sharon closed her faceplate, leaned back in her accel couch, and let the webbing strap her in. The cool current of air, redirected from the vents to support hoses, pressurized her suit as the external readout showed atmospheric drop in the CIC.
This was procedure. Not for the Old Star League, nor the Rim Worlds Republic, it wasn't even accepted practice in the LCN. Statistically, depressurizing a hull meant little according to the same concurrent naval doctrine that insisted that ramming was a good and effective use of a warship. During the Blake War, Kowloonese spacers gained the understanding that fires didn't spread without oxygen to feed them, and neither did shockwaves propagate. a properly de-pressurized hull could sustain combat 30% longer against superior foes, and took less in terms of resources to repair afterward from comparable hits.
At a price in mild discomfort as the usual 'shirt sleeves' environment was not present nor possible.
The interior lighting shifted to a red-spectrum state, indicating the hull was depressurized, and her own senses were confined to the sound of voices over the Oh-one-cee, idle chatter replaced by clipped voices speaking only relevant information.
"Fleet Status." she muttered, and a series of displays appeared on her faceplate.
"All vessels report condition Red, ready for jump, Admiral."
"So jump." Sharon said, tonguing a switch in her helmet, the small suction vac deploying in front of her mouth for the inevitable result of any KF jump, at least, for a Ngo of Elizabeth's bloodline, the TDS, hallucinations, and vomiting. A price she'd paid almost weekly just getting here.
~DIScoNTiNuiTY~
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