Still she hesitated. Attacking the enemy’s merchant trade was vital, she knew. It would cost the Hanoverese time and money, disrupt their trade, and force them to allocate warships to guard convoys in the areas hardest hit. Still, though, it irked her that this was all Hermione had done since she’d come aboard. The frigate had yet to meet a single Hanoverese warship in an action. Neals, instead, choosing to prey on smaller, weaker ships.
I started by fighting pirates aboard Merlin, yet Hermione’s no better than one herself.
“Wake Captain Neals, Norville,” she said at last, nodding to the spacer on the signals console. “And sound All Hands, as I’m sure he’ll want to tack and close her.”
Alexis sighed. The orders were clear, and even if she’d been willing to disobey them, the ship’s log would already have recorded the sighting.
“Gentlemen,” Ledyard said, raising his glass. “The Queen!”
“The Queen!” Alexis called along with the others. She raised her own glass and took a small sip. The wine at Captain Neals’ table was quite good, much better than any shared in the gunroom, but she wanted to keep her wits well about her. It wasn’t unusual for Neals to invite the lieutenants and one or two midshipmen to dine with him, but it was the first time that he’d invited Alexis to join them. And the first time that all of them, all of Hermione’s lieutenants and midshipmen — all save Bushby, who was away as prize master of the captured merchantman — had been invited at once.
At least Ledyard’s here, so I don’t have to draw attention to myself by giving the Loyal Toast. As the most junior at the table, the toast to the Queen fell to Ledyard, and Alexis was quite glad for it. Something was afoot and she’d prefer not to be noticed by Neals.
After the toast, the officers remained silent. Neals was hunched forward, as though impatient to begin speaking, but he waited until his steward had removed the last of the dishes and refilled the glasses needing it. Alexis simply tried to enjoy the relative quiet. The meal, though the food was good, had been an interminable series of conversations she was pointedly excluded from. Why Neals had bothered to invite her, she didn’t know, unless he had simply ordered that all of his officers were to attend and simply forgotten that she was one of them.
“Gentlemen,” Neals said at last. “In some few hours I expect we shall arrive at Badra and have some hopes for a very rich find there.” He smiled. “The master of that last merchant ship we took gave me some very interesting information, confirmed by his ship’s logs, as he’d just come from Badra and there were no fewer than six fat merchantmen in port and not a single warship left behind to protect them. Apparently the Hanoverese fleet is busy elsewhere and needed all of their bottoms for it.” He took a long drink of his wine. “I intend to drop in-system, dispatch all four of our boats, and have the lot of them in convoy as prizes before lunch tomorrow!”
The officers all cheered. Alexis along with them, for she didn’t want to be singled out, but she wondered at the easy acceptance of the captive merchant’s word. Like all the others, he’d struck his colors without firing a shot when it was clear Hermione would catch him up.
“The division shall be as follows,” Neals continued. “Lieutenant Dorsett, you shall take the launch, along with Misters Timpson and Ledyard. Lieutenant Williard will take my barge, in company with Misters Canion and Brattle. Lieutenant Roope shall take one of the ship’s cutters and a competent master’s mate. Each of you select such men and marines as you feel prudent. I will designate your targets for you at such time as we have more information about the ships in-system, but, assuming our information is correct and there are six, I trust you shall each take one, leaving behind a prize crew in command, and then move on to a second.
“I will remain aboard Hermione and position her in such a way as to ensure none of our prizes shall escape.” He grinned widely. “Now, we will transition at L2, just beyond their primary moon, and use the conventional drive and the moon’s gravity to gain speed. Once we’ve swung around the moon and have a view of the planet, we’ll see what ships are in orbit and choose our targets. We’ll drop the boats and Hermione will swing into a high, fast orbit so that she may cut off any escape.” He narrowed his eyes and looked toward Alexis.
“Carew, you and your division will take the other cutter as a sort of reserve. You’re to maintain a high orbit as well and be prepared to drop down and assist any of the other boats that call for you, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. Stay in a high orbit and drop down to assist if called.”
“And mind that you do!” Neals narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “No holding back from the fight. I’ll not stand for that!”
“No, sir, I understand.”
“See that you do.” His face cleared and he raised his glass. “To a profitable tomorrow, gentlemen!”
Seven
Alexis scanned the mostly dark consoles in front of her and glanced over at the boat’s pilot, Hearst, to her right. Only those for the boat’s internal systems were active, but as soon as Hermione transitioned to normal space, they’d begin receiving signals from the boat’s sensors and could retract the gallenium laced panels that covered the forward viewports. The ship’s cutter was cramped with all twenty-four men of her division aboard, but it would be a short time, no more than hours, before the action was completed and they were all back aboard Hermione.
She looked behind her through the open hatch into the boat’s interior. Nabb was at the hatch, the rest of the division standing and crowded behind him.
“See that everyone’s suited and has their helmet to hand, Nabb,” she said. “And have those with flechettes well spread out amongst the others, I don’t want them clumped together.”
Since the action would be in normal-space, the men of the four boats were armed with laser and flechette weapons, as well as the projectile weapons they’d have been limited to in darkspace. On the other three boats, all of the men were so armed, but there weren’t enough to arm all of Hermione’s crew, so only one in three of Alexis’ men had received a flechette gun and none were armed with lasers. Neals had explained that her division, being a reserve of sorts that would only come in after an engagement began, would likely encounter a more chaotic melee that would be better suited to stun rods and the edged weapons the men carried for use in darkspace where nothing electrical would function.
All things considered, she was just as glad to not have any lasers, as the size of the capacitor needed for each shot made them bulky and they had to be reloaded with a new capacitor after each shot, though chemical pistols would be welcome. She could only hope that the merchant crews would not be better armed.
“Aye, sir.” Nabb slid the hatch shut.
Alexis caught her lower lip between her teeth. She’d never been part of a boarding action before, only fought from the gundeck. But the merchant ships they planned to take would not be heavily armed or manned. Likely they’d have fewer crew than the cutter carried, much less the larger boats with more men heavily reinforced with marines.
The consoles in front of her suddenly sprang to life and Hearst retracted the gallenium shutters that covered the viewports. Hermione had transitioned and directly in front of them was the planet’s primary moon, already seeming to draw closer as the ship’s conventional drive fired at full force.
Now came the waiting and Alexis settled back into her seat, forcing herself to remain calm. Hearst glanced at her once and seemed about to speak, but shrugged and settled back to waiting as well.
Hermione’s speed increased, driven both by her drive and the pull of the moon’s gravity, and the view forward changed as the ship turned to go around the moon. Just as they were about to round the moon and bring the planet itself into sight, the boat shuddered once.
“We’re away, sir,” Hearst said, settling his hands on the controls. He waited until Hermione had passed them, pulling off ahead, before he eased the boat into her path and fired their own drive. The ship still pulled away, having better accelerati
on, but the cutter was not far behind. The other boats would be launched shortly, once they were around the moon and could locate the merchant ships in orbit around the planet.
With a suddenness that surprised her, the planet came into view from behind the moon and Alexis scanned the console. The boat’s optics and other sensors would begin picking out ships around the planet and plot their orbits for her. In addition, Hermione’s superior sensors should be repeated to her so that she’d know where the potential targets were.
Minutes went by and they were past the moon. Hermione was still accelerating and had not yet released the other boats.
“I’m seeing nothing,” Alexis said. “Can they all have sailed?”
“Behind the planet, sir?” Hearst suggested.
“Six of them?” Alexis shook her head. “No, I think they must have sailed. Most, in any case.” She sighed. “Captain Neals will not be happy.”
A new track appeared on the console, not near the planet but further around the moon and on a course to cut behind Hermione. Alexis studied the image and magnified it. The new ship was small, much smaller than Hermione or even Merlin. Not much bigger than the pilot boats that sailed only a little ways from a system’s Lagrange points to escort arrivals. Like the pilot boats, it had a single mast mounted amidships, not on the bow as with larger ships.
“Fore and aft rigged,” she murmured. “Some kind of customs cutter, do you suppose?”
Hearst glanced over. “Like as not, sir. No more than four guns and a dozen men, surely. Not a match for Hermione at all.”
“I should think not,” she agreed. “Well, it will be something for Neals to take or scuttle. At least he’ll have something out of our visit.” She watched the plots, Hermione’s continuing on toward the planet, ignoring the other ship, and the new ship moving between the frigate and the moon. “Or he may see it as not worth his while. Best prepare to maneuver, Hearst. I’m not sure what they’re up to, but if they come around this side they may fire on us in passing. They’re likely hoping to circle the moon and get to L2 for an escape themselves.”
“Aye, sir.”
Her console pinged with an incoming message from Hermione and she accepted it, jerking with surprise to see Ledyard’s face. He was supposed to be in one of the ship’s boats, not manning the signals console.
“Best lay on, Carew,” he said. “Captain’s emptied the other boats and ordered you recalled.”
Alexis quickly scanned the plot. Hermione was still accelerating toward the planet and her boat was falling further behind. “Where will you slow for us to catch up?”
“Didn’t you hear me, Carew? Lay on as we’re not slowing. Captain says it must be a trap and there’re probably frigates or worse behind the planet with this little sot as a tripwire. We’re transitioning at L1 instanter, and if you’re not back aboard …” He grinned. “Well good luck to you.”
Alexis’ mouth dropped open in shock and she found herself speechless for a moment. She looked over to Hearst, but he shook his head. He’d heard and could read the plot as well as she — there was no way they could catch Hermione before the ship reached the Lagrange point. Not unless the ship slowed.
“Ledyard, it’s a bloody customs boat — one broadside from Hermione and it’ll cease to exist!”
Ledyard glanced over his shoulder. “Aye, sir.” He turned back. “Captain won’t risk the ship for you, Carew. If you’re at L1 before we transition, we’ll take you aboard, else …” He shrugged and ended the transmission.
They’re going to abandon us.
Alexis stared at the blank screen in shock, then back to the plot where the enemy ship was rapidly coming into range. “Alter course, up ninety,” she ordered. “Get us out of his path, at least.”
“Aye, sir.”
She ran her fingers over the plot, estimating distances and times. Hermione was closing on L1, the Lagrange point between the moon and planet. The ship would shortly transition and leave them behind with the enemy vessel. Her ship’s boat lacked the ability to transition between normal-space and darkspace, and even if it could, they had no sails. If Hermione truly abandoned them, their only hope would be to take another ship.
“With luck,” she said, “they’ll continue on to L2 for safety and be behind the moon before Hermione transitions. Then we’ll head for the planetary/solar L4 and hope to surprise some merchant transitioning in.” She looked at Hearst and saw the skeptical look on his face. “It’s what we have.” She stood and slid the hatch to the main part of the boat open. “Nabb!”
When Nabb arrived she motioned him close and whispered. “Without frightening the men, go and check the stores locker. I want to know how much food, water, and air we have aboard.” If the custom’s boat did transition away, they might have a long wait at the Lagrange point before a merchantman arrived and they had a chance to take it. If it didn’t, well, then they were so far outgunned that they didn’t stand a chance.
“Aye, sir.”
“Quietly, mind you.”
Nabb nodded. Alexis slid the hatch closed and resumed her seat.
She watched the plot in silence. Hermione moving ever closer to the Lagrange point, the enemy ship circling the moon, and her boat moving perpendicular to both their courses.
Hermione reached the edge of the Lagrange point and slowed. Too soon, damn them. The Hanoverese ship could still see Hermione and would know that the ship’s boat had been abandoned. Hermione transitioned, leaving them behind with the enemy.
Within moments, the enemy ship altered course, curving up in a clear attempt to intercept her boat. The signals console again pinged for attention and Alexis played the incoming message.
“New London boat, this is Leutnant Egenhauser of Hannover System Patrouille. Shut down your drive and strike colors or you will be fired upon. Respond.”
“Damn,” she whispered. The other ship couldn’t have more than a dozen men aboard while she had twice that, but it was faster and had larger guns with a longer range. She had only a single gun and a small case of grape shot, more than adequate against a merchant’s thin hull and scared crew, but nothing against a warship. Even one so small as this. They can lay off and pound us to dust and we’ll have nothing to respond with.
She had to somehow lure them into trying to board, but the only way they’d do that was if she struck her colors, taking down the New London colors that lit the boat and surrendering. And once I do that I’ve surrendered and can’t fight them.
What could possibly make the Hanoverese lieutenant forget that the colors still flew and try to board anyway?
“Hearst?”
“Sir?”
“Do you suppose you could make this boat appear it’s being conned by a terrified, sixteen-year old girl?”
“New London boat, this is Leutnant Egenhauser of Hannover System Patrouille. Shut down your drive and strike colors or you will be fired upon. Respond.”
Is he playing a bloody recording? That’s all he’s said the last ten minutes.
She spared a quick glance to the cockpit’s hatchway. Nabb would have the lads well in hand, she knew. She’d briefed them on her plan, such as it was, and they knew they had only one chance to pull it off. She nodded to Hearst and the pilot grinned, gripping the boat’s controls. He began flinging the controls back and forth, sending the boat jerking and twisting through space. He spun the boat to port and down, so that the planet slid past the viewport, then twisted it in space and swung back up, as though trying to steer for the planet but over-correcting each time. He slammed the throttle into reverse and Alexis was flung forward against her seat straps as the maneuver actually exceeded the inertial compensator’s safety margins and allowed some of the inertia to bleed through. Then he slammed the throttle forward to full military power, pressing her into her seatback. Alexis looked at him with wide eyes, but he was paying her no attention, his gaze flicking from console to console and a manic grin on his face.
Well, I did ask for it.
“New
London boat, this is Leutnant Egenhauser of Hannover System Patrouille. Shut down your drive — what are you doing? Stop that this instant! New London boat, strike colors and zero your drive or you will be fired upon!”
“Good luck hitting me, mate,” Hearst muttered.
“Be quiet, Hearst, I’m about to begin my part,” Alexis said. Hearst was right, the boat was too small and agile for the Hanoverese to target, but they couldn’t evade her forever. Even if they could, eventually a larger ship would enter the system and they’d be unable to evade that.
Sixteen or twenty guns fired near us would get a hit eventually. Her plan relied upon the Hanoverese believing she was alone in the cockpit. Alone and a scared little girl. Her mouth twisted at the thought. Bloody hell.
She keyed the communications to the passenger compartment. “Get ready, lads,” she said. “Nabb, have at the hatchway, please, and keep it up.” The hatchway to the cockpit began shaking and rattling, as though someone were trying to get in. There was an occasional loud thump as something heavy was slammed against it.
Alexis hunched over her half of the console, adjusting the communications pickup so that it was closer to her and would show mostly her face. She didn’t want the Hanoverese to be able to see that she wasn’t, in fact, piloting the boat, nor catch a glimpse of Hearst beside her. She composed her face in what she hoped was an appropriately terrified expression and poised her finger over the transmit button and began speaking, turning the transmitter on and off randomly, as though she had no idea what she was doing and was randomly pressing things in the search for the right one.
“Hello? Hello? Hello? Are you there? Hello? Oh, which is the right button? Hello? Can you hear me? Please don’t shoot! Hello?”
Alexis Carew: Books 1, 2, and 3 Page 36
