Silent Running (The Hope Island Chronicles Book 3)

by PJ Strebor

  His grin looked ready to split his face. “Granted.”

  He held his ground until she stepped from the tank, then scooped her up into his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. He held her tight. Too tight.

  “You’re crushing my ribs,” Moe said, through set teeth.

  Nathan put her down and cradled her face within his hands.

  “Don’t you ever do something like that again,” Nathan said, with conviction.

  “Seemed like the thing to do at the time,” Moe said around a smile. “How’s the boat?”

  Stepping back, his manner hardened. “We’re as infected as you. Hull breach.”

  “Shit.”

  “Excuse me, Captain,” Grace said. She hugged Moe tightly then kissed her. The kiss lingered a little too long for Moe to be comfortable.

  “I am so happy to have you back, Moe,” Grace said.

  “Yeah, me too,” Moe said.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later the three young officers sat around the briefing table. Understandably, Moe’s return had lightened Nathan’s heart.

  “So you just jumped onto an external inspection buggy and flew out of there.” Grace said, around another laugh.

  “Yeah,” Moe said, “I figured forty-two days of life beat the hell out of getting nuked. I didn’t stop to think about it. I saw the buggy and left ground-zero. That little bike can put on a good turn of speed. I saw that Adroit was in trouble and followed. As soon as I heard the air burst I ducked into a shallow ravine and took cover. I thought I could spend the rest of my short life in the isolation tank.”

  “Now you’re in the same boat as us,” Grace said. She blushed with remarkable speed. “I mean, ah, you know –”

  Nathan controlled himself, until he saw Moe’s half-formed smirk. They burst into laughter.

  “Yeah,” Nathan said, around a chuckle, “the same boat all right.”

  The three of them laughed at the nothingness until tears streamed down their faces.

  Nathan squeezed Moe firmly by the shoulder. It had taken an incident of crisis proportions to remind him of how much she meant to him. Moe returned his smile and nodded. She understood him better than anyone, except Livy.

  “So,” Moe said, “vacuum exposure?”

  “Yep.” He sobered. “First we have to get out of here. I’m still waiting on Amos to repair the damage and get our power levels up. When we go we’ll need as much speed as is possible.”

  “How long?” Moe asked.

  “Another hour, according to Amos. My fault really. I told him we needed to rush the start- up, so he bypassed some of the safeties. That’s why the power conduit burst.”

  “Hey, off subject but how did you get roped into this little sojourn into the north?”

  “Someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I had to come.”

  “Why?”

  He held her eyes. “You’d do the same for me.”

  “Yeah, I love you too,” Moe said. “I don’t have enough real friends as it is.” Her second comment was a quick afterthought. He’d bet money on it.

  “You, Moe Okuma are my friend. My very best friend.”

  “Yeah, right back at you.

  “So, where do we go?” Grace asked. “Make a dash due south?”

  “Nah, that’s what they’ll expect,” Moe said. “I think Nate’s got something else in mind. Don’t you, Captain?”

  His smile returned. “Maybe.”

  ***

  Max heard the hatch snap open. Spotiswood stepped onto Deception’s bridge.

  “Any sign of him?” the Commander asked.

  “Negative commander,” Max said.

  “That’s it then. I’ve given him two hours. We can’t hang around here any longer. Prepare to get underway.”

  Max couldn’t see any alternative. If Nathan hadn’t contacted them by now, he probably wasn’t going to. “Aye, aye, commander.”

  A beep from his proximity sensor made him turn to the sensor suite. “Commander, I have a ship coming in. Looks like a freighter.”

  “They couldn’t have spotted us yet,” Spotiswood said. “Continue with preparations.”

  “Aye, sir.” Preparations for what? Max had little chance of piloting Deception past the orbital defenses. The program Nathan had used to disable helm functions had disappeared as soon as full systems had been restored.

  The buffers were firming up and soon he would have to try to emulate Nathan’s impossible maneuvers through the mine field. No wonder the commander had given Nathan two hours to make it back aboard.

  The freighter continued to close with them. Apparently heading for the base. A resupply ship?

  ***

  With her power conduit repaired and energy reserves topped up, Adroit streaked toward orbit. Although Perrie had done a credible job of piloting the boat, Nathan felt reassured by Moe’s presence at the helm.

  “One minute to orbital penetration,” Moe reported.

  The nagging throb between Nathan’s shoulder blades intensified. Something’s not right. Is it the boat or something external? He closed his eyes and focused on the source of the danger.

  “Grace, alert condition two, if you would.”

  “Aye, Captain.” Although her tone indicated baffled curiosity she complied without question. As she should. The dull alarm sounded throughout the boat. All departments would be on high alert as they awaited the possibility of an AC one announcement. A call to arms.

  Nathan removed his uniform, grunting as he slipped into his V suit.

  “Orbit achieved, Captain,” Moe said.

  “Helm come about on a heading of 247 by 112 by 332. Bring the boat to a dead stop.”

  “Aye, Captain.” Moe’s reply was weary acceptance rather than curiosity. She, at least, understood him.

  “Tactical, passive scan the region of space dead ahead of us.”

  “Aye, Captain,” Willet said.

  He just caught the wry smile on Moe’s face at the young ensign’s mild bewilderment. “Holy shit,” the T-O said. “Sorry sir. I have two vessels ahead. Ah, one doesn’t register

  on my scans and I only spotted her on long range visual.” Rudi took a moment to compose himself. As he did Moe finished fitting her v suit and leaned over his shoulder.

  “Show me,” Moe said. After a moment she turned to the Captain. “It’s the same ship that took Adroit and she’s got the other, ah, whatever it is. By now that weird looking boat will be totally disabled.”

  Nathan winked at Moe and motioned her back to her station. She mouthed the word fuck before taking her station.

  “D-O, alert condition one throughout the boat.”

  “Aye, aye Captain,” Grace said.

  Perrie and other crew slipped into the briefing room to change into their V suits. Nathan had his bag set behind his station and fitted armor over his suit. Grace left her station in the hands of CPO Jenner. This procedure would occur throughout the entire boat.

  Nathan slipped his helmet on and strode to the centrally-located combat sphere. He found it damnably difficult to strap in with one hand but finally managed it and dropped into the combat sphere.

  “SMC, tie in for all functions.”

  “Tied in.”

  “SMC, real time image on all panels.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Like a deck of cards being flicked through the fingers, the images leapt onto the panels surrounding the sphere. The two vessels were too distant to make out but even at extreme distance the enemy’s silver green beam shone.

  “SMC, magnify forward panels by one hundred percent.”

  The image zoomed forward. Both vessels filled the bow panels. The green beam must be the energy dampener and the silver a tractor.

  “SMC, reduce zoom by twenty percent and adjust for range correction.”

  While the computer acknowledged he examined the scene. Deception showed all of the activity of a dead fish floating on the surface of a pond. Has the enemy put marines aboard yet?


  “WEO – Captain.”

  “Applebee.”

  “Report.”

  “All tubes ready and awaiting the Captain’s command, sir,” she said. “Pulsar is online and fully charged.”

  Not bad for a youngster. “Very well. Load type thirteens to tubes one through four. Load type forty, pulsar heads to tubes five and six.”

  “Type thirteens, Captain?”

  “This will become an extremely long conversation if I have to repeat everything, Lieutenant.”

  “Aye, sir.” She repeated his instruction.

  “Captain,” Grace said, “all departments report green across the board. The boat is at alert condition one.”

  He retrieved from the sphere and offered the chair to Moe. He took the helm station.

  A minute later his comm beeped. “Helm, it’s my boat,” Moe said.

  “It’s your boat,” Nathan confirmed, taking his hands from his panel. “Suggest stealth approach. Ahead both, one quarter.”

  “Sounds good, ” Moe said.

  As the minutes counted down Nathan considered his options. He couldn’t employ his more lethal warheads and simply destroy the enemy ship. With the fragile Deception so close, the destruction of the enemy vessel would kill her as well. He had to break the connection.

  Perhaps he could shake her free by hitting the enemy’s stern quarter with some low-yield nukes.

  “Tactical, are you picking up weapons signatures?” Nathan asked.

  “Negative, Captain,” Rudi replied.

  Sensors said no weapons, Nathan’s back disagreed.

  On Cimmeria the Bretish had made the mistake of thinking their adversaries were unarmed and it had cost them a terrible price in lost ships and dead crews. Nathan knew the freighter was dangerous. Her weapons could be hidden behind an energy dampening field as had been done in the past.

  Nathan strapped in and checked his heading.

  A minute later his comm beeped. “Captain.”

  “Me again,” Moe said. “We’re on a secure channel. So what’s the other vessel?”

  Nathan sighed. “I can’t tell you, Moe.”

  “Jezzus Nate, you tell me everything. What’s going on?”

  “The less you know the better off you’ll be. Trust me.”

  “So, what’s the play?” Moe asked.

  Nathan glanced at his busted hand. “I’m sitting this one out, so you tell me.”

  “Hmm. I’d shoot a couple of nukes up her ass and see if it breaks, ah, the mystery boat loose.”

  “Very well.”

  “Well, we both couldn’t be wrong, could we?”

  They chuckled in a subdued manner. Nathan sobered.

  “Remember what I told you about Cimmeria? I’d bet a year’s pay that she’s armed.”

  “Yeah, I figured as much,” Moe said. “I’ll keep my eyes open.” Even though they were on a secured channel she lowered her voice. “And you’ll let me know if there’s any surprises, right?”

  “You bet.”

  From the stern of the enemy vessel two landing boats moved toward the crippled spook boat.

  The range finally closed.

  “Committing,” Moe said.

  A slight quiver from Adroit as two torpedoes flashed from her tubes. Nathan averted his gaze from his tactical hood as they both detonated under the freighter’s exposed engine nacelles. When his vision cleared the enemy had hauled over to port, with Deception still firmly in her grasp.

  “Captain,” Moe said, “ineffective. Suggest I close with the enemy and attempt to hit the beam generator.”

  Nathan smiled. “Very well.”

  Moe changed heading bringing the boat around to position for the shot. She closed, until the emission point came into view. Nathan’s back flared.

  “Moe evasive!”

  Adroit corkscrewed to starboard and dropped toward the planet as multiple pulsar beams tore through the space she’d just vacated. More pulsar fire erupted from numerous gun ports along her lateral starboard side. Moe evaded them and took the boat out of range.

  Nathan glared at his damaged hand. Fucker.

  “Moe, take out the landing boats.”

  “Aye Captain.”

  It was a stopgap measure that would only buy them time.

  The targeting scanner squealed as Moe locked onto the first LB. A torpedo struck out and then another. Fire from the enemy ship tried to knock them down without success. The landing boats could not withstand the detonation of even a mild type thirteen warhead and vaporized.

  What could he do about the enemy warship? She wasn’t a combat vessel but a converted freighter. Although he’d never encountered a freighter bristling with so much weaponry. A thought occurred to him. Surely the Pruessens wouldn’t be testing another weapon aboard a headhunter vessel?

  “So hotshot,” Moe said, “what now?”

  “I’m wide open to suggestions.”

  Silence.

  He sat for a time staring at the beautiful orange world below him, working the problem. Moe’s piloting skill could be counted on. But they wouldn’t make it home with a damaged boat. Or one that had lost her stealth capability. As it stood, their chances were a fair bit less than the fifty-fifty he’d given to Doctor Jahn.

  “We need to talk, Moe. Briefing room please.”

  As he passed the auxiliary operations station he slowed. “Leah, take the helm.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” she snapped.

  Nathan wagged his finger at her and took a deep breath.

  Moe retrieved and stepped into the briefing room. Grace joined them. They removed their helmets.

  “If you don’t mind, Captain?” Grace asked.

  “You’re right where you should be, D-O, at my right hand. But in this case I need to talk to Moe alone. Pilot stuff.”

  Grace eyed them both with suspicion. “Very well.” She took her leave.

  ***

  They would attack the enemy warship. They meaning both Moe and Nathan. Together they’d devised short hand communications. P for port, S for starboard, D for drop, C for climb, O for a dorsal rotation. Nathan would detect danger and advise Moe. She’d avoid the danger, drive the boat and rake the enemy vessel from bow to stern. First deplete her defensive weaponry then hit the beam emitter. It all sounded good in theory but practice time would have to be made on the job. Every minute they remained above Saint Joan decreased their chances of escape.

  With the game plan set in their minds Nathan and Moe stepped onto the bridge. Moe to the combat sphere Nathan to the helm. They would take a lateral approach to the problem.

  After years of steady practice, Nathan slipped quickly into his focused meditative state. He saw the target, felt the danger it posed, readied himself for battle.

  “I’m in place, secure channel,” Moe reported.

  “Right, like we discussed. Commit.”

  Adroit came about, bow onto the enemy. Dangerous but necessary. Her forward defenses would be intimidating. Moe closed and when she got into range two torpedoes erupted from the enemy’s bow tubes.

  Here we go. Nathan saw only the torpedoes.

  “D five, S three.” His back ached intensely as the weapons closed. He’d bet money they were pulsar heads. “U one.” It felt right. “Fire.”

  Pulsar fire struck out from Adroit and a second later the enemy torpedo blew apart.

  “S eleven, D two.” Almost there. “A wee nudge to port. Fire.”

  The second torpedo died as Adroit continued to close the range.

  Nathan heard the squeal of the targeting scanner as it locked onto the bow weapons array.

  “Permission to fire,” Moe said.

  “Wait.”

  “It’s not a plains buffalo, you know.”

  “Same principle. D five.” Within pulsar range. His back flared. “O,” he snapped. The full axial rotation of the dorsal narrowed the target for the enemy gunners. Enemy pulsars struck out, passing either side of the boat.

  “Fire.”

&nbs
p; Four mark thirteens and two pulsar heads raced toward the enemy, as her defensive weapons intensified. One torpedo was destroyed just short of the target. The other five plowed into her defenses. Specifically around her sensor cluster. His back pain lessened. She must be blind.

  “Cut her up,” Nathan said.

  With her shields either down or in flux, Moe raked her weapons array. One weapon after another fell silent. Damn, she’s good.

  Adroit closed the range, giving her port lateral batteries the same treatment. More by good luck, Moe hit the beam generator. Deception broke free. It would take time for her to restore power but her stern thrusters got her moving.

  “WEO – Captain.”

  “Applebee,” replied the weapons engineering officer.

  “Type forty pulsar heads in all tubes, thank you, Roma.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.” Nathan could hear the grin in her tone.

  Deception was still too close to the headhunter.

  “Captain,” Moe said, “recommend I drag the mystery ship out of the battle zone.”

  “Go.”

  Moe positioned Adroit ahead of the spook boat, locked on a tractor and dragged her clear of the enemy warship. Out of range of enemy weapons she disengaged the tractor and brought Adroit about. The enemy ship had come about, attempting to flee.

  “Will you look at that,” Moe said. “Trying to outrun a monitor.”

  “Just kill her, will you?”

  “Certainly, Stanley.”

  She knew what to do from here on, so Nathan sat back. Moe dodged the freighter’s stern pulsar fire with ease before taking them out. Adroit’s pulsars knocked out her engines and tore holes in her shields before a single high yield pulsar head ripped into her engineering section. Moe turned the boat sharply away as the enemy ship exploded.

  Moe retrieved and relieved him of the helm station.

  “Damn, you’re good,” Nathan said.

  “We’re a hell of a double act,” Moe said around a smile. “Are we going to tractor the mystery boat all the way home?”

  “No. Just through the minefield.”

  “What minefield?”

  CHAPTER 24

  With Deception under tow, Nathan piloted both vessels through the mine field. Moe and Nathan had become a good team. Just like when they’d been kids. Finally he was close enough to make contact with the spook boat. Spotiswood answered. Nathan cut to the chase.