She looked over at Larry Covington, her Navigator, who'd said nothing throughout the discussion.
"Lieutenant Covington?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Your opinion?"
"Oh, well, yes, we've been talking back and forth about this for a couple hours. I agree with what Marco and Jesse are saying."
"What about the shuttle?"
"I looked at the geography, and if they can leave from the far western edge of the southern continent as we come around the planet, it should be no problem for them to catch us before we are in the line-of-sight from the enemy ships."
Joanne was skeptical. "No problem?"
"Not for Hayden, ma'am, no. But we will need to set up our orbit to pass right over that point as we come up from perigee. That will minimize the lateral distance and save some time."
"The Sentinel is in synchronous orbit on the equator, about sixty degrees west of our current position."
"Yes, Captain, that's correct."
"We picked that position so it could see both the old cities and the Seekers' hideout. I think our apogee should be over that same longitude."
"That makes sense, ma'am."
"Lieutenant Gonzales, what would that do for our line-of-sight to the shuttle?"
"If the inclination is high enough, say, seventy degrees, we should see them, assuming a good apogee. Since I don't know exactly where they are, it's hard to say for sure."
"Do I dare risk a maneuver to put us right over them, tell them what we're doing, and then another to get into the right orbit?"
"Cooper, Price, and Hayden are all pretty cool customers, Captain. If they're down and secure, they'll stay put for at least a Sol or two."
"I hope so. They don't teach this scenario at the U."
"They will next year!"
Joanne thought hard about what she should do, finally deciding to make one long maneuver to get them into the elliptical Molniya orbit. Once they got high enough, Marco could try to raise the shuttle. But that would be at least 12 hours away, maybe more.
Intrepid Shuttle
Big Blue
Friday, December 2, 2078, 1500 UTC
Sunset came slowly on Big Blue. With a rotation speed roughly half that of Earth, the star took its time crawling behind the horizon. But despite the warm weather, on a planet with almost no tilt there was little gradual twilight as in North American summers. Once the star set, pretty soon it was dark. Ben took another walk out to the mouth of the gorge, just to check, and returned.
"Nothing?" Ann asked.
"Nope. Nada. It's as quiet as a cathedral on a Monday out there."
"OK, good."
The evening was clear, the night air cooled quickly, and soon the stars were out. Big Blue's atmosphere was very clean, and there were no city lights to haze the skies. They enjoyed the beauty for a while, but soon they moved inside the shuttle and closed up for the night. They weren't aware of exactly how long they'd been awake, just that it had been a very long time, they were dead tired, and now it was dark outside. Probably a good time to sleep, they decided.
They folded down a few seats and pulled blankets from the emergency supplies. Natalie did an inventory and found they had almost two weeks' worth of food and water, a small reward for being only three individuals. The toilet would hold out that long as well, a relief for everyone. The only amenity they lacked was a shower, but they'd at least all get ripe together.
Ann found herself a spot in the back of the passenger area. Ben and Natalie took a spot in the front, nearest the cockpit and the communications gear. They finally gave up on the seats — this was not a Fleet shuttle designed for long trips — and managed to nest together on the floor, a few layers beneath them to cushion their hips and shoulders. Ben drifted off quickly. Despite her fatigue, Natalie laid there for a couple hours listening to the rhythm of his breathing, watching his chest gently rise and fall in the dim glow from the red and green LED status displays and illuminated switches. She was unable to sleep, reliving the dash up the coast and then between the trees just over the water. It didn't scare her at the time, but now, as she thought back on it, she was a little frightened at what she had done. She hoped if she had to do that again, she'd be as cool as she was today.
Ben stirred and looked at her, and seeing she was still awake, he hugged her gently. She smiled in response. As he readjusted his position a little and went back to sleep, she refolded the blanket that served as her pillow and closed her eyes, wrapping one arm around Ben's waist. Before long, she was snoring quietly.
Intrepid
Big Blue
Saturday, December 3, 2078, 0330 UTC
Jesse Woodward pointed the long laser communications boom at the general area where Marco seemed to think the shuttle would be and put it into acquisition mode. It would transmit a few millisecond-long bursts of light, then wait a few seconds for a response, then try again. The communications dome on top of the shuttle would detect the call and respond.
On the surface, local midnight was almost an hour away, but the three fugitives had already scored a full night's sleep. Ben walked out again to have a look around. There was nothing new to be seen, no sign of any enemy activity, no wildlife. It was still very, very quiet. Little Gray was over the mountains in the east, and Ben greeted it with a single, well-chosen digit.
As he returned the comm system sounded a connection tone. Natalie pulled on the headset.
"Intrepid, this is Hayden."
Jesse responded with a smile. "Good Evening Lieutenant Hayden! Enjoying your shore leave?"
"Oh, yeah, it's a real paradise down here. Good to hear your voice, Jesse."
"Same here. Get Price and Cooper on the line and stand by for the Captain."
Joanne put her headset on and brought the shuttle crew up to speed on what they had done in the last twenty-four hours. Intrepid was now in a twelve-hour elliptical orbit, its forty-five-thousand-kilometer apogee placing them in a position to monitor both the old cities and the Seekers' new settlement. Larry Covington data-linked the orbital details to them and then explained how they could get back aboard with a sprint from the southern continent. The enemy was concentrating all four ships over Capital City, so it would be possible for them to sneak around the other side of the planet to get themselves in position.
"How long to get over there?" Ann asked.
"It's halfway around the planet," Natalie responded. "Once we're out of sight of the enemy, we can go up out of the atmosphere. I'd say, maybe three hours?"
Ben looked at the orbit Larry had sent down on the cockpit display. "Right now, they're just a few minutes past apogee. So, it's six hours, or eighteen. What do we think?"
Natalie pulled up a visual of Big Blue, showing where it was day or night. "In three hours, it will still be dark on that continent. In five, it'll be light. So, I vote we wait three hours, then go. We meet Intrepid in eighteen hours."
Ben looked at Ann. "Any other thoughts?"
Ann shook her head. "No. Natalie's the pilot here, so I'll go with her decision. But I do agree that it would be better to arrive there in daylight, especially in the morning where the shadows will be exaggerated."
Natalie clicked the transmit switch. "Intrepid, this is Hayden."
"Yes, Lieutenant."
"OK, our consensus is that we meet you in eighteen hours. We want to get over to the other side in daylight."
On Intrepid's bridge, Larry agreed. "I expected that, Captain. It's the safest course for them."
"OK, fine. Jesse, tell them that's approved. We'll close up comms for now and see them at the start of rev three."
Joanne looked at the chronometer over the Nav station for the time. It had been twenty-seven hours since the Sentinel had sent its alert. The message should be at Earth in nine more hours. Then, another thirty-six hours for HQ to sound the alarm and then ten days for anyone to get to them. So, she was on her own for at least fourteen or fifteen days. Two weeks! she thought to herself. A lot can happen in tw
o weeks, and all I have is one ship and a rifle platoon against four enormous enemy ships with God-only-knows how many troops. She could strike them and probably win, but that would reveal two very important facts: first, that Intrepid was here; and second, that there was something still on this planet worth killing for. She would avoid revealing either of these facts until the danger to the second outweighed the risk to the first. So far, they were OK. Intel was doing well watching the enemy move up and down, exploring the destroyed cities, but likely finding nothing. Antares had done a good job of cleaning up after themselves.
So, for now, it was status quo. Orbit quietly, pick up the shuttle, keep watching and be ready to act if necessary. She sat at her command position, oblivious to the nervous tapping of her right foot.
ISC Fleet HQ Intel Section
Ft. Eustis, VA
Saturday, December 3, 2078, 0920 EST (1420 UTC)
Rich Evans was in his office, reviewing the status of change orders for the new spy ship, Cobra, when all hell broke loose in the hallway. The shouts of alarm echoed around the Intel section like a ricochet. Soon the entire Intel crew was crashing into the large workroom, Evans trotting along behind.
Roger Cox put the data up on the large wall display.
"The Sentinel at Big Blue called in with four, yes four, enemy ship arrivals. The data is solid, there's no question about it."
"Intrepid?" Scott Morgan asked.
"They're still there, far as we know." The immediate cross-discussion among the technical experts rose to a crescendo which broke as Chief of Operations Patricia Cook entered the room, followed by FleetIntel Chief Ron Harris.
"OK, Intel, talk to me."
Roger looked over at Harris, who indicated that he should brief Cook.
"Yes, ma'am, we got the report maybe 15 minutes ago. The Sentinel at Big Blue has reported four enemy ships arriving. It's a really high confidence report, ma'am. The enemy must have been very close."
"We've heard nothing from Intrepid?"
"No, but Henderson would have seen this arrival the same time the Sentinel did, so it's no surprise we haven't heard from her."
Cook looked at her tablet. "We have Eagle at GL 66, and Friendship at GL 293. Everything else is too far away." She turned to her new assistant, a dark-haired, bearded new Lieutenant named Eaton. "Send a flash to Eagle and Friendship, copy Intrepid. Order them to Beta Hydri immediately, minimum EMR. I don't want them to acknowledge the order. Henderson should take command as they arrive. Clear?"
"Yes, Admiral, right away."
Eaton was out of the room in a rush, headed back to his desk to send the order.
"Four ships. What do you make of that?" Cook asked the room.
"They only sent six to take Inor," Roger pointed out.
"Can we tell the type?"
"Yes, Admiral, four Type I's."
"So, perhaps not an invasion force? Did we not propose that the Type II's were the troop carriers based on size?"
"Yes, ma'am, that's what we think."
Evans spoke up from the back of the room. "Columbia's wreck was a Type I, and from their reports, I think it could easily carry several hundred ground troops."
"So, we're looking at the possibility of something like eight hundred enemy troops?" Cook asked.
"From what they reported about that wreck, I think that's conservative, Admiral."
"Damn."
"Yes, ma'am," Evans answered, "Double damn if you ask me."
ISC Fleet HQ Operations Section
Ft. Eustis, VA
Saturday, December 3, 2078, 1530 EST
Six hours later, Ron was across from Chief of Operations Cook in her office, along with Rich Evans, Elias Peña, and CINC Connor Davenport.
"Nothing from Intrepid yet. How do we interpret that?" CINC asked.
"It's exactly what I would expect," Peña stated. "The Sentinel did Henderson a huge favor. She doesn't have to call in — the Sentinel did it for them. So now they can clam up and see what happens."
"If Joanne were under attack, she'd tell us before it was too late," Cook said, trying to reassure everyone, including herself.
"I have to wonder, sir, if the Little Gray facility saw Intrepid and called home."
"It's possible, Rich, but we saw them check in at Big Blue, then nothing more. I wonder if this could be a follow-up to that previous activity."
"There's no SLIP activity to support Little Gray transmitting," Ron said with some authority. "So, this feels like they're sending more resources to see what those annoying little humans were doing there."
"So," Cook asked, "More of a recon-in-force than an invasion?"
Ron nodded. "Right. There's no one there to invade, far as they know. They think the Seekers are all dead."
"Well," CINC said, leaning back in his chair, "That's what we think they think, at least."
Elias Peña responded, "Based on their behavior at Big Blue, sir, I can't see that they would have just let some of them get away."
"Not if they could help it, I agree," Rich added.
CINC shook his head slowly as a scowl grew across his face. "As usual, there's little we can do to help them." His voice rose in both volume and tone as he continued. "We're too far from the action, with control levers that are far too long and assets too far away from where they're needed."
He slammed his cup on Cook's desk, spilling some of its contents, then rose and left with a full-throated obscenity echoing down the hall.
Intrepid
Big Blue
Saturday, December 3, 2078, 2200 UTC
As the shuttle came out of the ShuttleLock, Joanne, XO Alonzo Bass, and several other officers were waiting. Natalie opened the cockpit door and slipped out, Ann and then Ben just behind her.
"Well, well," Joanne said, smiling, "I'm glad to see you three!"
"Thanks, Captain. We're glad to be back," Ann responded.
"And you, Mr. Price?" Joanne asked.
He pointed to Ann. "Don't ever play cards with that woman."
"What?"
"Just don't, Captain. We played Hearts for a buck a point, now I owe her half my next paycheck!"
"Really, Price, you're talking about a superior officer!" Joanne scolded.
"What I'm talking about, my dear Captain, is a superior card shark! What kind of a game is it where the high score loses? What the hell is that?"
They laughed at his feigned ignorance. Ann snuck up behind Ben as they walked out of the hangar to give him a hug and whispered, "Sore loser?" in his ear.
Ben smiled and answered, "Well, yeah, sure, sore in the wallet, anyway."
He turned to Henderson. "Seriously, Captain, what's going on?"
"Well, the Sentinel did us all a favor and called in the enemy arrival. Other than that, we're watching them moving personnel, I guess, up and down into Capital City. We can see some of what they're doing but not that much."
"But nothing around the Seekers?"
"Nothing."
"OK, good."
"What did you think of them?" Joanne asked Ann.
"Amazing, Captain, truly amazing. Eaagher is a very smart man. I can see why he's the Leader."
"Interesting. I hope to meet him in person."
Joanne stopped outside the Intel section, holding Ben, Ann, and Natalie with her as the rest of the shuttle greeting committee returned to their duties.
"OK, back to your quarters, all three of you. Get a shower, a few hours rest, then we'll all get back together and see what we need to do next."
"I'll second the shower," Alonzo Bass said as he walked past, headed for the Bridge.
Intrepid
Big Blue
Sunday, December 4, 2078 0500 UTC
After his mandated hot shower and a short rest, Ben returned to the Intel workroom, taking a seat across the table from Colin Garrett.
"OK, so, tell me what's happening."
"They're all over Capital City. I don't know what they're doing, but they're walking all over the place. T
hey take shuttles down and up, which are, you know, a hundred meters long, at irregular intervals."
"No pattern? Not like they're relieving on a day/night cycle or anything?"
"Nope. Once in a while, one goes down, or one comes up."
"What about our friends?"
"They have not been out fishing since this started, and no cooking fires on IR."
"So, they're hunkered down."
"That would be my conclusion. So, what now sir?"
Ben looked at the data feeds, then back at Garrett. "Maintain our surveillance. Not much else we can do until the enemy shows their hand."
Intrepid
Big Blue
Sunday, December 4, 2078, 0830 UTC
The wardroom filled slowly as Henderson's officers gathered to discuss their situation and work out their next steps. Joanne sat at the head of the table, and Ben Price dropped into his usual place on her immediate left. XO Bass sat on her right, and the rest filled in more or less randomly as they arrived.
"OK, let's get started. Mr. Price, what is the current state of the enemy?"
"As of now, there are three large shuttles on the surface, all near Capital City. We can't quite count the number of individuals from this range, but there are several hundred, at least. Technician Garrett made an estimate of one hundred fifty per shuttle from the images we have, but really, it's just an estimate."
"And the ships?"
"The four Type I's remain in equatorial synchronous orbit near Capital City. They moved into positions about seventy-five kilometers apart just after they arrived and they've been in those positions ever since."
"Any indication that they are aware of us?"
"No. There have been no RF transmissions, nothing on SLIP, they haven't moved, nothing that would make me think they know we're here. And, no indication that they're aware of the Seekers on the second continent."
"What do we know about them?"
"They're hiding — no fishing and no cooking fires since the enemy arrived."
Joanne turned to face the table. "Nothing back from Fleet, yet, but I don't expect anything for at least another eight or nine hours. When we see it, I am quite sure they'll be ordering Friendship and Eagle to reinforce us. But they are at least ten days away." She looked down the table to her left. "Ensign Cantrell, how are our consumables?"
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