"Doohan, James & Stirling, S M - Flight Engineer 02 - The Privateer 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doohan James)

amply qualified to replace me. I'd like to commend to your attention
Lieutenant Barry Chueng. He was scheduled to head the Dauntless's WACCI
crew." She stopped.

The Dauntless no longer had a WACCI division, nor any Speeds of her own.
Those that hadn't been blasted apart by the Mollies or their Fibian allies
had, perforce, been left behind in Mollie space while the Dauntless made
the desperate leap to Ontario Station. Subsequent missions to that area
had found nothing but some charred debris.

"But the Dauntless might very well be decommissioned," she continued, "and
in any case she's in no condition to do anything right now. A good many of
her people have already been reassigned. Chueng is in an odd place,
though. He hasn't been able to present his orders to Captain Montoya and
so he can't be reassigned as yet."

Knott permitted himself a small smile.

"And you recommend that I put in a request for his services?"

"Immediately, sir. He's good." Sarah began to allow herself to hope that
the Old Man would allow her to do this. Meeting Barry Chueng had given her
the impetus to get rolling on it, and now that her mind was made up she
was impatient to make the change.

Knott looked down at her transfer request and pursed his lips.

"I thought that you enjoyed what you were doing, Lt. Commander," he said
quietly.

"I have, sir. I've learned a lot and I've enjoyed every minute of it." She
hesitated. "But I think it's time to get my career back on the fast track.
I don't think I'd like to be a WACCI pilot for the next twenty years.
There are other things I want to learn and to do, sir."

Knott leaned back and tapped his desk thoughtfully. He was disappointed.
After a lot of effort he'd obtained, in almost every instance, exactly the
people he wanted. He'd been pleased at the way they worked together,
respected and liked one another. Naturally he'd hoped to keep them
together for a longer period of time; they'd help prove that fast light
carriers were a worthwhile use for scarce antihydrogen and shipyard space.
He'd fought hard to prove the concept, and having the right people was a
big part of it.

As well, James was a known factor and he didn't relish giving that up. By
the same token, if he trusted her judgement, then he should accept her
word when she said Lieutenant Chueng was a suitable replacement. He should
also trust her judgement if she said it was time for her to move on.
Stepping on a request like this was no way to nurture a junior officer.
And she had to do it this way. She was taking a step sideways,