Free For Honor We Stand by Harvey G. Phillips, H. Paul Honsinger Page A

ROBICHAUX, MAXIME T., LCDR USN
    1.  USS CUMBERLAND, DPA 0004, IS ORDERED TO RAIPUR II AT BEST PRUDENT SPEED TO RENDEZVOUS WITH ROTTERDAM CLASS TENDER, USS NEWPORT NEWS, TMA 1968, TO UNDERGO REPAIRS AND REFIT CONSISTENT WITH SEPARATE ORDERS ISSUED THIS DATE.
    2.  YOU AND DOCTOR SAHIN ARE TEMPORARILY DETACHED FROM VESSEL AND DIRECTED TO PROCEED TO RASHID IV, TRANSPORT VIA SHETLAND MICROFREIGHTER PREVIOUSLY ISSUED.  WHEN IN RASHID SYSTEM, AS WELL AS IN ROUTE TO AND FROM, YOU AND DOCTOR SAHIN ARE AUTHORIZED TO WITHHOLD DISCLOSURE OF NAVAL AFFILIATION AS YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE TO COMPLETION OF MISSION.  UNIFORM REGULATIONS ARE WAIVED FOR THESE PERSONNEL FOR DURATION OF THIS MISSION.
    3.  DOCTOR SAHIN IS HEREBY APPOINTED ACTING UNION AMBASSADOR AND MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY TO THE UNIFIED KINGDOM OF RASHID, ALLIED EMIRATES, AND PROTECTED ISLAMIC WORLDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING ANY NEGOTIATIONS AND CONCLUDING ANY AGREEMENTS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED TO HIM UNDER SEPARATE COVER.  IN THIS REGARD, HIS AUTHORITY SHALL BE DEEMED TO SUPERCEDE THAT OF THE REGULARLY APPOINTED UNION RESIDENT MINISTER NOW IN PLACE.  SIGNED AND SEALED COMMISSION TO THAT EFFECT ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF LCDR ROBICHAUX.
    4.  DURATION OF DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO BE AT DISCRETION OF DOCTOR SAHIN BUT SHALL NOT EXCEED FIFTEEN DAYS ABSENT EXPLICIT ORDERS FROM THIS COMMAND.
    5.  LCDR ROBICHAUX IS REMINDED THAT WARSHIP HULL MATERIAL, NOT TO MENTION JUMP DRIVE COMPONENTS AND COMPRESSION DRIVE PRIMARY PHASE REGULATORS, DO NOT CONDENSE FROM NEBULAE, NOR ARE THEY EASY TO REQUISITION WHEN THE FLEET IS 1000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM THE CORE SYSTEMS.  EXERCISE GREATER CARE IN THE FUTURE. 
    6.  GIVEN THAT CUMBERLAND IS IN FOR REPAIRS, I MIGHT AS WELL AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR CREW TO ATTACH A SECOND BRONZE BATTLE STAR TO THE VESSEL IN RECOGNITION OF RECENT COMBAT VICTORY OVER TWO CRUISER ENEMY FORCE AT MENGIS VI.  THIS CREW HAS COME A LONG WAY. 
    7.  I HAVE REVIEWED REPORT RE ENGAGEMENT AT MENGIS VI.  WHILE I HESITATE TO ENDORSE SUCH AN IMPROBABLE SEQUENCE OF HARE-BRAINED STUNTS AS ACCEPTABLE NAVAL COMBAT MANEUVERS, MAGNITUDE OF LOSSES INFLICTED UPON THE ENEMY COMPELS ME AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGMENT TO RECOMMEND YOU FOR THE ORDER OF TACTICAL MERIT.  IF THE COMMENDATIONS BOARD HAS ANY SENSE, THEY WILL DENY MY REQUEST.
    7.  STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, ROBICHAUX.  IF YOU DO ANYTHING STUPID, I WILL KICK YOUR ASS.
    At least, Max thought, there is no doubt that the Admiral wrote these orders himself.  He loved the warm, secure feeling he got from knowing that he was on Admiral Hornmeyer’s good side. 
    Given the microfreighter’s speed limitations, it was a two day trip from Raipur II to Rashid IV, a journey that the two men spent mostly catching up on things.  Max was catching up on what was still referred to as “paperwork,” notwithstanding the almost complete absence of paper employed in its completion.  Running a warship, even a warship as small as the Cumberland, required that her commander generate, read, review, comment upon, complete, fill out, check off, authenticate, sign, verify, forward, or reply to a staggering volume of documents and communications, a process that consumed several hours a day.  The doctor was catching up on reading various medical journals, treatment bulletins, and other newly-available information on advances in medical science.  This process, as well, was quite time consuming, particularly given the number of fields in which the doctor was interested and tried to remain current.  Of course, his task was greatly complicated by the very nature of the healing arts, where the growth of knowledge had been accelerating with each passing month since the convergence in the twentieth century of anesthesia, antiseptic surgery, antibiotics, the germ theory of disease, and statistical/empirical analysis of treatment outcomes gave rise to what humanity calls “Modern Medicine.”
    And sleep.  Neither man had gotten much rest since