“Yes, Sir.”
“What did you have in mind when you requested the transfer, Anne?”
“I hoped you can find a place where I’ll be useful Sir.”
“What do you think Commodore? Do you have somewhere for her?”
“I need an aide, I’m told. Anne, if you are interested, that job is yours.”
Anne’s face lit up as she replied, “I’d like that Sir; I’d like it very much. Admiral, I talked to Captain Harland about my intentions and why I wanted to leave Theseus. Once he understood my reasons, I asked him who he wanted as his XO. The Captain said if I left he would ask for Lieutenant Aaron Thompson. Aaron is the Second Officer on FNS Mamba, I told Sam to ask for him.”
“Okay Anne, I’ll check Lieutenant Thompson’s record. If he’s suitable, we’ll ask Captain Simpson if he can spare his Second Officer. We need to move of people around anyway, we lost most of three crews during the battle. Many survivors won’t crew ships for a while. We must fill the shortfall with green personnel. In the meantime, go back to Theseus and continue your duties until we arrange your replacement.”
Colin asked, “How’s Susan Wills now. She hasn’t put a foot wrong since that small problem when she first joined Theseus, and I don’t blame her for that. People who should’ve supported her didn’t. The crew seems to like her. Is she ready for the Second Officer billet?”
“That was the last thing I intended to mention Sir. Both Captain Harland and I believe if she moved to Second Officer, the Third Officer slot would be much easier to fill, and Sue is ready.”
Colin looked at Henry; the Admiral nodded, understanding Colin’s thinking, and agreeing with it.
With the meeting completed, Anne departed for FNS Theseus. With Anne gone, Colin and Henry settled to discuss ship repairs and other issues. Anne’s transfer highlighted several problems facing the Navy in Cambridge, the most pressing was a shortfall in experienced crew after the battle.
“You know Henry, Anne has set an opportunity in front of you. I think the ripple effect of her departure from FNS Theseus will open opportunities for promotion and give us places to slot a few young Ensigns. Those three working for me for example. They’ve done a good job under minimal supervision. If they want to serve on a ship, we should give them the opportunity. We have Lieutenant Downer too. Again, if she wishes to serve in Space, we can offer her that chance. I don’t want to lose any of them, but I want to stand in the way of their career progression even less.”
“You’re right Colin, this has forced us to look at a problem we’ve been too busy to recognize before now. We have excellent Officers, and we can give others a break from ship service.”
“Sir, my staff, completed the task I set them, they’ve done good work. We’re going to the shipyard this afternoon to start the repair process.”
“Excellent Colin. I understand your dilemma there. Losing them will make your job harder.”
“Perhaps, I’m selfish, wanting them to stay if they want ship duty. Should I suggest the possibility to my team?”
“Yes, do that. Your people have more experience, and raw talent than most. We need the talent on our ships. I must examine the promotion prospects for your Ensigns. They are operating at a level I consider at least a rank higher.”
Cambridge Shipyard
Colin disembarked from the Shuttle with his staff in tow. David Salomon met them and led them to a small meeting room where they uploaded their schedules for him to study. David had been looking at the lists that Colin sent and set up his own tentative schedule. He compared the two, finding the listings almost identical. The team discussed the differences and made adjustments before Colin signed off on the final plan.
David said, “We’re about to launch a new Cobra, FNS Vida. Would you like to watch?”
“Yes, that’s an excellent idea.”
They traveled to an observation area near the slipway where FNS Vida waited. Engineers design slipways as enclosed, air-tight structures. The yard can pressurize them when people are working. This reduces the risks associated with large-scale construction and heavy engineering in Space. The gravity field in the slipway is controllable so workers can reduce the weight of the massive structures they are moving. The primary factor that doesn’t change is inertia. This slipway can handle a ship up to the size of the current Destroyers. The shipyard staff had already deactivated gravity and pumps removed the air from the compartment.
Colin and his party sat in the provided seating and watched while Salomon set systems, so they could hear the communications between the ship crew and the Yard-Controller. After they evacuated the air, the first of the massive triple doors opened. David said they planned to bring two of the smaller System-Defense ships, Cobras, and Taipans into each of the available bays. The yard expected to finish repairs much faster this way.
After the doors opened, workers attached cables between large winches and the ship’s Hull. When ready, the winches dragged FNS Vida from the slipway. The operation ended after she was outside the slipway entrance in Space. Workers in Space-Suits disconnected the cables, and small Tugs attached to the Cobra in their place. These Tugs completed the maneuvering, moving the ship to a dock outside the shipyard. After FNS Vida cleared the slipway, they reversed the process to bring the first two damaged vessels in for repair. Other Tugs brought two more Patrol-Boats into a different slipway. The entire operation required the whole day. Colin and his party had left long before the yard completed the changes.
FNS Vida stayed at the dock for another week while they completed final system checks and loaded supplies. After they had finished this stage, she embarked on a shakedown cruise around Cambridge System.
FNS Sundara (Three weeks later)
Dalkasan examined the contracts he planned to sign with the Cambridge government. These should make sure the ships he left behind received adequate sustainment. The Admiral expected the government here do that anyway, but smaller worlds sometimes become resentful if they weren’t paid. A contract ensured there were no arguments about payment.
After satisfying himself with the contract terms, Dalkasan signed the documents and transmitted them to Cambridge’s government. He’d been away from Sankarah for too long and needed to return home. Dalkasan established a link with Admiral Fraser.
“Hello Admiral Fraser, I’ve completed the arrangements. It’s time we left for home, we’ve already stayed too long.”
“Yes, Sir. What time do you intend departing?”
“As soon as we finish resupply, tomorrow morning I’m told.”
“Okay, Sir. If we don’t speak again before you leave, allow me to wish you a safe voyage. I hope we see you again before too much time passes.”
“This is the most exciting mission I’ve ever had. Goodbye Henry, stay well.”
“And you Admiral Dalkasan.”
FNS Vida
FNS Vida flew across the System on her shakedown cruise. The yard crews had done a remarkable job when they built her. By then, they understood the Cobra design. They found and rectified many small design flaws while making previous vessels, so those lessons helped this ship. Vida’s crew gelled too. At first, there were minor problems. Headquarters stitched this crew together using graduates from the Training-School and whoever other ships could spare. Captain Simpson was a seasoned Officer even if this was his first command. Until his latest posting, Simpson had been the XO on FNS Thor, so he learned a lot with Carl Fraser as his mentor.
They were ready to return to Cambridge Orbital when FNS Vida sounded Alert One without warning.
“Status report,” barked Simpson.
“We’ve detected an unidentified ship, Sir. It’s hiding among the asteroids.”
“Okay, how about we use Commodore Gordon’s tactics here. We’ll launch a Comms Buoy behind them, move away and try hailing them. We’ll find out if they’re willing to surrender.”
Two hours later, with everything ready, Captain Simpson hailed the other ship.
“Att
ention unidentified ship, you are under our guns, identify yourself now.”
FNS Vida waited in silence for twenty minutes without a response from the other ship.
“Guns, destroy their drives, let’s see if that attracts their attention.”
Railgun rounds and Lasers shredded the other ships drives. Only a few shots hit the other vessel before a panicked voice burst through the Comms channel.
“Please stop shooting, we surrender. What do you want us to do?”
“Evacuate the ship. We’ll arrange for your recovery. Do not sabotage or booby-trap the vessel. Do not wipe data, damage records or destroy them. We shall take extreme measures if you fail to follow these conditions. Do you understand?”
“I have issued the evacuation order.”
Escape pods ejected from the other ship as required. Simpson called for help to pick up the prisoners and salvage the prize.
CHAPTER EIGHT
ATTACKS
Cambridge System (Battle of Cambridge ends plus fifty days)
Simi’s Star entered Cambridge System and began the long drop toward the world of Cambridge. Simi’s Star was part of a convoy bound for Cambridge. On the way, she suffered a breakdown, so lagged several days behind the other ships. The Captain, a Tangesha called Sandor Simidon, believed Cambridge one of the safest places in the Federation right then. For Simi’s Star though, Cambridge didn’t turn out as expected because of the damage most of the Patrol ships sustained. The remaining defensive ships were much slower. Pirates still hid here and had become desperate for supplies after Federation forces destroyed or captured half their Fleet train, and their leader fled with the rest. Now, the Navy had trapped the remaining Pirates in Cambridge with no hope of escape.
The automation on modern Freighters is extensive, so they carry small crews. Simi’s Star only had a team of fifteen people, so they could ill afford losses. The first time Captain Simidon realized they faced a threat, was when a Rail-Gun shot burst into the engine room, killing the duty-crew. After the projectile struck, he ordered everyone into Space-Suits and sent a distress call.
The Pirates had taken care when they selected the best place to attack. The nearest Federation Warship was over a light hour distant, so Simi’s Star would be on her own for hours before help could reach them. With the primary drives disabled, the damaged Freighter followed a ballistic trajectory that would pass close to the Cambridge’s one occupied world.
Captain Simidon hoped their attackers planned a simple smash and grab. He surmised that if he made it hard for the Pirates to find his crew, they might not stay long enough to search. With the team in Space-Suits, Simidon ordered them to disperse around the ship, and hide from boarders. The crew-members paired up, taking extra bottled air and secreting themselves in out of the way places through the vessel.
Soon they noticed thumps and vibrations as a Shuttle docked to the airlock hard. The Pirates cared little about their victims although the Captain had ordered he airlock security systems deactivated before the crew hid. He hoped that by letting the Pirates board unhindered, they would concentrate on taking whatever they wanted and leave before the Navy arrived. During the next hour, noises came through the Hull as the Pirates ransacked the ship, carrying away as much material as possible. Then, as fast as the nightmare started, it ended when the Pirates boarded their Shuttle and left.
Simi’s Star’s crew, waited another hour before one pair ventured out, making their way to the bridge. A look at the Scanners showed a Federation Destroyer floating in Space nearby with a Shuttle en route to the Freighter. The two crew-members radioed the all-clear to their compatriots and settled to wait for the Federation Troopers. The entire experience was harrowing.
Mining Station Sidon (Battle Of Cambridge ends plus sixty-two days)
Audrey Canning sat at her control station monitoring surrounding Space. Ms. Canning’s primary job was to make sure traffic in Space around the Mining-Station ran without incident.
Large quantities of materials arrived at the Mining-Station every day. The staff loaded these elements onto barges and moved them to process centers later.
An unidentified blip appeared on Audrey’s Scan displays out of nowhere. She challenged the newcomer, asking it to identify itself, but it didn’t answer the challenge. With no answer forthcoming, Audrey rechecked the Scan data and saw the vessel didn’t broadcast Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) codes either.
Audrey swore to herself as she reached for the button to activate the automatic distress beacon. The beacon activated and broadcast a call for help on the FTL Comms. Station computers added updated Scan data to the message packets, so if everyone died here, the authorities could find the cause.
Years before, Sidon Mining built the Mining-Station inside a giant asteroid after miners hollowed out the core. Almost one hundred feet of rock and metal separated the habitable areas from the vacuum of Space. Audrey believed them safe from most Pirate attacks. Still, if someone didn’t care about destroying everything useful on the Station, then everybody there might die.
The unidentified ship fired Lasers at the Mining-Station. Audrey felt a jolt when the Lasers hit the external structure causing part of the rock to boil away from the outer shell. The shots burned a few external Sensors, reducing the data coming to the tactical displays. The Comm Panel showed an incoming call. Surprised, Audrey examined the Panel for a moment then activated the link. A guttural voice speaking poor Fed Standard demanded Sidon’s immediate surrender.
The same voice stated, “Suspend your outbound Comms and surrender now, or die.”
When Audrey asked who they were, they replied with another shot from the Lasers. This convinced Audrey she might die anyway, so she chose not to comply. Aaron Stevens, the Station Operations Manager, ran into the control room and examined the Scan Logs.
“Have you called for help Audrey?”
“I did that first, Aaron.”
“Sorry, I’m micro-managing, I can’t help myself.”
Audrey grinned at him. They were under pressure here. Moments later, the FTL Comms beeped with an incoming signal from the Navy. The message was brief, ‘Hold tight, help is on the way.’
CCC FNS Forseti
Captain Tobin ordered his Navigation Officer to plot a course allowing a safe least-time Micro-Jump to the environs of Sidon Station. As Tobin understood it, Captain Wolf on FNS Magni was coming in from the other direction. With an attack underway, the two Naval Captains hoped to catch the Pirates in the act. They wanted to stop the attack before the Station sustained severe damage, or worse, the attackers hurt somebody. Adding to the pressure, Sidon Mining-Station the largest in Cambridge, supplying over twenty percent of the raw materials to the shipyards.
When Forseti dropped back into normal Space, her Shields snapped onto full power, and the Point-Defense opened fire. Tobin froze for a second then barked out orders to his CCC crew. The ship had flown into a trap and needed to move clear, fast. Forseti turned to Port and accelerated out of the field of fire. The Shields were down to twenty percent by the time they outran the attack and needed to regenerate before FNS Forseti returned.
FNS Magni
Magni exited Jump further away than Forseti had. This allowed her longer to detect and respond to incoming weapons fire. During a battle, Cobras and Taipans are most effective if they follow an erratic course while moving fast. Captain Wolf ordered Magni’s helm to move further away and take evasive action, to give them time to handle incoming ordnance.
Magni sped up, dodging around in a random pattern that made her harder to hit. Wolf understood the need to link with Forseti, the two Cobras could fight as a pair. He opened a channel, hoping to arrange the rendezvous. Captain Tobin came online, with a harried look. Wolf realized FNS Forseti was struggling.
Wolf asked, “Do you need help, Roger?”
“No Kirkor, we should be clear in a few seconds. The Pirates fired as soon as we exited Micro-Jump. There are several enemy ships out here. At least three of four are shooti
ng at us. I didn’t get a fix on their positions though. We need more help.”
“Agreed. I’ll call for Jump capable ships to rendezvous with us. We’re sending coordinates now. Talk to you soon. Magni out.”
With the call over Wolf sent messages requesting help on FTL Comms. It didn’t take long before he received confirmation of a sizeable inbound contingent of reinforcements.
Sidon Mining Station
Audrey’s concerned increased when the two Federation Patrol-Boats arrived, and both came under heavy attack. Their only choice was to run. Audrey hoped for their speedy return.
Another shock jolted the Station as more Laser hits registered. The Station could take this punishment for hours, but the weapons impacts would shake up the crew. An incoming signal lit the Comms Panel. Audrey accepted the call.
“Sidon Mining, Audrey Canning speaking.”
“Hello Audrey, Kirkor Wolf on board FNS Magni here. How are you holding up over there?”
“We’re okay for the moment. There’s a lot of rock between the Pirates and us. The attacks are taking our Scan nodes out though.”
“Don’t worry too much, we’ll return soon. We must prepare for our attack.”
“We can wait for a while. I’ve locked the Station down with the blast doors closed and secured. Even if the Pirates board, it’ll be hard going for them to make headway.”
“Good Audrey. We’ll be in contact soon, I promise.”
Soon after, she realized the Pirates had stopped firing at the Station. Either they were preparing to board, or the Federation Navy was attacking them. She couldn’t see much outside anymore because the Pirates had destroyed the Sensors on that side.
Aaron asked, “What’s happening Audrey?”
“No idea Aaron. Maybe the Navy is distracting them, or with luck, driven them away.”
Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series Page 10
