Free Fear God and Dread Naught by Christopher Nuttall Page A

too close to home.  “Or maybe she forgot to wear her dress uniform when the admiral was inspecting the ship.”
     
    “Ramming an asteroid would be a remarkable feat,” Fraser pointed out, rather dryly.  “And I can't see them letting her stay in the navy afterwards, even if she avoided court martial.”
     
    He cleared his throat.  “The two newcomers are Clayton Henderson and Felicity Wheeler,” he added.  “Unsurprisingly, there’s very little in their files; they passed through the Academy without attracting many comments, positive or negative, from their tutors.  Henderson had quite a low ranking in his senior years, but someone has to be on the lower end of the scale.”
     
    George grimaced.  If she was ever put in command of the Academy, she intended to make sure that the tutors didn’t grade on a curve.  Fraser was right.  Someone had to be at the lower end of the scale - and that person might be heads and shoulders ahead of a civilian who couldn't pass the tests necessary to gain admittance to the Academy.  A person smarter than her, during a particularly bad year, might gain a reputation for stupidity that was thoroughly undeserved.
     
    “You said they didn't have many comments, sir,” she mused.  “What did they say?”
     
    “Nothing of great interest,” Fraser said.  “They would have passed their evaluations or they would never have been permitted to graduate, but ...”
     
    He shrugged.  “They’re due to board tomorrow, whereupon you will greet them to the ship and show them around,” he added.  “And, as First Middy, you get the honour of working out the timetables.  I’m afraid they’ll have to hit the deck running.”
     
    George took the datapad, forcing herself to think.  The midshipmen would have to be assigned to the different departments, then rotated around ... they’d have to get their certifications before they could be trusted to take watch duty or command a small detachment ... it was going to be a major headache.  She didn't know how Fraser had done it, but she could guess.  He'd only had to deal with one or two newcomers at a time, relying on the other midshipmen to handle themselves without constant supervision.  She had four newcomers ...
     
    ... And their conduct would reflect upon her.
     
    “Give them a day to orientate themselves,” Fraser advised, as she began to work.  “And then assign them to the departments most in need of extra manpower.”
     
    He frowned.  “I’d check with tactical and helm, if I were you,” he added.  “They both need additional staff, but they might not have time to train up complete newcomers.  Potter and Spurgeon both have excellent tactical ratings, so they might be assigned there without causing any problems that will make you look bad.”
     
    “Thanks, sir,” George said, sourly.
     
    Fraser gave her a brilliant smile.  “You’re welcome.”
     
    George worked her way through the timetable, then looked up at him.  “Do you have any other words of advice?”
     
    “Two,” Fraser said.  “First, remember that you are in charge,  You’re not their friend, you’re not their comrade, you’re not their den mother.  You’re the First Middy and you’re expected to act as though you are in charge.  A hint of weakness at the wrong time and the knives will come out.”
     
    “You make it sound as though they are animals, sir,” George protested.
     
    Fraser lifted his eyebrows.  “And you never thought I was an animal?”
     
    George felt her cheeks heat, but said nothing.
     
    “You know as well as I do that competition for promotion is intense,” Fraser added, after a long moment.  “And you do not have the advantage of spending two years in uniform, gaining experience before you take on true responsibility.  Two of your subordinates are well-positioned to take advantage of any problems you have, while the other two are unlikely to see you as a superior officer.  You must take