Solfleet: The Call of Duty Read Online Free Page A

Coalition
time to gather its forces in preparation for that vital system’s defense—an extremely
intense campaign that continues to this day.
    “Rear-Admiral
Hansen’s unwavering dedication, superb leadership, and distinguished
performance of duty is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service
and reflects great credit upon himself, the Solfleet Naval Forces, and Solfleet
Central Command. Awarded under my hand on this sixteenth day of July,
twenty-one ninety. Signed, Jeremy W. O’Shea, Command Fleet Admiral, Solfleet,
Commanding. Endorsed by the Honorable Harrison G. Culpepper, Secretary General,
United Earth Space Exploration Council. Approved by Madam Mirriazu Shakhar,
President, United Earth Federation.”
    Admiral
Martinez-Colon opened the medal case and held it out in the customary two-handed
hold as Admiral Chaffee turned to him. Chaffee took the medal from its case,
then he and Admiral Hansen faced one another. Chaffee pinned the medal in
place, centered just below Hansen’s ribbons on the lip of his breast pocket,
then accepted the empty medal case and one of the presentation folders from
Martinez-Colon and handed them over to Hansen in the very official and traditional
manner. He then saluted the recipient, and Hansen returned his salute, and when
they finished with the obligatory “Congratulations, Admiral,” and “Thank you,
sir,” the audience broke into applause.
    They faced
the audience again and waited while the applause continued. Then, when it
finally started to wane, General Jóhannsdótir once again commanded, “Attention
to orders.” What applause still lingered ceased abruptly and the service
members in attendance returned to the position of attention once more. Admiral
Martinez-Colon took a step back and moved behind Hansen to his left side.
    “Special
order number twenty-one ninety dash four thirty-eight,” Jóhannsdótir read. “By
order of Command Fleet Admiral Jeremy W. O’Shea, Commander, Solfleet, Solfleet
Central Command announces the following personnel action.
    “Madam
Mirriazzu Shakhar, President, United Earth Federation, has instilled special
confidence and trust in the patriotism, professionalism, and outstanding
leadership of Rear-Admiral Icarus Hansen, Chief and Commanding Officer,
Solfleet Intelligence Agency. Rear-Admiral  Hansen is therefore hereby promoted
to the permanent rank of Vice-Admiral, Solfleet, with an effective date of rank
of one July, twenty-one ninety. So ordered under my hand this sixteenth day of
July, twenty-one ninety. Signed, Mirriazu Shakhar, President, United Earth
Federation.”
    The admirals
at Hansen’s sides each took an epaulet, removed his old rank boards and slipped
the new ones on in their place. Once again, salutes, handshakes,
congratulations, and thanks were exchanged, and once again the audience
applauded.
    “You may be
seated,” Jóhannsdótir announced. Then, once the audience had settled down, she
raised an inviting hand toward Hansen and extended the invitation that he had
hoped she would forget, despite knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that she
would not. “Admiral Hansen, would you like to say a few words?”
    She stepped
aside the moment he started to approach.
    “Thank you,
General Jóhannsdótir,” he began, smiling warmly at her and pronouncing her
difficult name perfectly. Then he looked out over the audience, paused for
effect, and then said, “In all my years of military service, the one thing I’ve
grown to dislike immensely is having to sit in the most uncomfortable chairs
money can buy while some over-the-hill windbag like myself drones on and on at
infinitum about some intangible topic that doesn’t concern me in the least.”
Chaffee wasn’t the only one who could make an audience laugh, as the crowd
quickly proved, but he hadn’t said it simply to compete with the fleet X.O. He’d
actually meant it. “Therefore,” he continued as the audience quieted, “I’m not
real big on making