Silent Running (The Hope Island Chronicles Book 3)

by PJ Strebor

  Styles unfolded his arms and drew his sidearm. Two guards with raised pulsar rifles aimed their weapons at Bessell.

  “You may have no regard for your own life, but you won’t stand by while I order the execution of your friend. Will you?”

  “He’s not my friend,” Nathan said. He glanced at Bessell. For the first time since meeting him, the surly Commander grinned at him.

  “You’ve got nowhere to go, Vogel.”

  Styles was right. Nathan had been outfoxed by an expert.

  Nathan sensed movement off to his left and from behind.

  He dropped the pistol and dropped to his knees next to Bessell.

  Styles holstered his sidearm and smiled.

  “Now you’re being smart.”

  “Yes I am. You square head fucker.”

  Grabbing Bessell by his uniform Nathan slid him to the deck and lay on top of him.

  An eruption of pulsar fire lit up the corridor. Styles caught two pulsar bolts to his chest. All around him men screamed and died. The attack lasted only seconds until all of the guards were down.

  Chief Petty Officer Kellerman delivered the coup de grace to any guards not killed outright. Nathan glanced over his shoulder. Petty Officer Hoppe went about the same grisly work.

  “Get off me,” Bessell snarled.

  Nathan helped him to a sitting position.

  In ones and twos the rest of the crew appeared. Most of them.

  Pushing himself to a standing position he asked, “How many did we lose?”

  “Three,” the COB said. “Four injured.”

  “How many guards left?”

  “Four.”

  “Got ‘em,” Nathan said.

  Kellerman nodded.

  Curiosity got the better of Nathan. “How the hell did you,” he held up his hands.

  “It’s easy to organize an attack when you’re being fed intell from the surveillance room.” He tapped his external comm and winked.

  Nathan smiled then chuckled. The rest of the crew joined in.

  CHAPTER 59

  Date: 26th October, 326 ASC.

  Position: Pruessen Naval prison eight-niner. Planet Atrius. Northern Quarantine Zone.

  Nathan marched along the corridor leading to the cells. Now fully recovered from his injuries, he had immersed himself in the prisoner records for the last two days. As the late Captain Clement had stated, the prison was the home to one-hundred and fifty-seven psychopaths. No matter how many times Nathan checked the records the choices for crew replacements were thin. Only one small group showed potential.

  He stepped into the office, took a seat and keyed his external comm.

  “Kellerman, send in Ryden.”

  “Yes, sir,” the chief said.

  Nathan glanced at the screen, running over the details he’d already set to memory.

  “If I get him, the others will follow.”

  Out of the one-hundred and fifty-seven prisoners, only sixteen appeared to be in any way suitable. Commander Ernst Ryden and fifteen of his officers fitted the bill, but whether Nathan could convince him to join his crew was another thing. Building trust would be another matter. The hatch opened and the prisoner stepped inside.

  “Commander Ryden, Skipper,” Kellerman said.

  “Thank you, Chief.”

  Ryden was thirty-five with a similar height to Nathan but far stockier. He’d commanded an E boat for four years before he’d ran afoul of the Empire. For the last fifteen months he, and what remained of his crew, had been guests of this facility.

  Nathan gestured to the only other chair in the room. Ryden sat.

  “I’m Lieutenant Vogel, Captain of the E 692.” Ryden’s granite features remained static. “Your record states that you nuked a city in the Belloran system during the Pruessen Navy’s invasion. Your court martial found you guilty and here you are. I’ve read your record and it’s spotless.” Nathan raised his eyebrows. “Sounds like a fit up to me.”

  Ryden met his eyes and sighed. “I had orders to do it. I didn’t like it but if I’d refused, well you know what would have happened.” he snorted without mirth and shook his head.

  “Yeah,” Nathan said, “The HRS if you’re lucky or summary execution if you’re not.”

  “Life in the Empire.” Ryden shrugged. His eyes stared blindly toward an uncertain future.

  “Did you present your boat’s records at your hearing?”

  “Yeah,” he said bitterly.

  “And?”

  “The attack orders were wiped from them.” He shook his head. “Those orders came from way up top so …” again he shrugged. “I’ll never see my wife and kids again. If they’re still alive.”

  Nathan nodded. He could almost feel sorry for Ryden if he were anything but a Pruessen. “Commander, it is my intention to take my boat and seek refuge in the south.” Ryden’s rigid jaw softened in mild astonishment. “You have nothing to look forward to in the Empire except imprisonment or death. I’m offering you an opportunity for a new start.”

  The Pruessen thought about it briefly. “Not without my crew.”

  “Very well,” Nathan said. “Can you convince them to follow my orders?”

  “Like you said, Captain, we’re dead men if we stay here,” Ryden said. “I’ll need to speak with my crew but I think they’ll go along with your mad scheme. It’s a slim chance but better than the alternative.”

  “From your record I’d surmise that they’ll do anything you ask of them.” Nathan stood, swallowed bile and held his hand out to the Pruessen. Ryden hesitated before shaking his hand.

  “Follow me,” Nathan said.

  The Commander tensed. “To where?”

  “Your crew is waiting for you in the mess.”

  CHAPTER 60

  Date: 1st November, 326 ASC.

  Position: E 692 Traversing hyperspace. Northern Quarantine Zone.

  In the five days since leaving the prison, the two crews had gotten over their wariness of one another and were starting to work like a cohesive single entity. Nathan continued to walk the boat every day. Although the resentment toward him remained, it had softened to mild dislike rather than out and out hostility. He even managed to get the odd smile out of some of the boat’s crew. The baby steps were lengthening.

  Ryden’s crew were grateful to be alive and to be given a slim chance of freedom. Little by little the boat started to work but with a crew of thirty-three doing the work of eighty-nine, everyone felt the pinch. Still, the drills needed to continue.

  “Bridge to crew, this is a drill,” Lieutenant Commander Krause said. “Alert condition one. Alert condition one.”

  As the alarm began to beep, Nathan set the timer on his board. Hopefully they’d get it right this time.

  The X-O, Krause, was a godsend. Cool and efficient, he ran the boat as well as anyone could, under the circumstances.

  Ryden and Krause worked well together. Nathan did not wish to interfere with a team which worked so smoothly. Although he retained the role of Captain he stood back as the circumstances required.

  Seven minutes was the optimal time for all crew to get suited up and report to their assigned combat stations. As the time clicked past nine minutes Nathan’s heart sank.

  “Sir,” Krause said, “the boat is at alert one.”

  Nathan stopped the timer on nine minutes thirty six seconds, stood and approached Ryden.

  “Commander?”

  Ryden sighed loudly. “It’s better than the thirteen minutes we did five days ago, but it’s still not good enough.” Sensing Nathan’s next question he added, with a shrug, “As I’ve said, we can’t properly run this boat with a crew of thirty-three.”

  Nathan nodded. “So it’s your opinion that we settle for nine and a half minutes?”

  “Considering the circumstances, I’d be settle for nine.”

  “Very well,” Nathan said. “Krause, stand down alert. We’ll try again in two hours.”

  “Yes, sir,” the first officer said.

/>   “May I have a word, Commander?” Nathan asked.

  They stepped into the briefing room and they took seats.

  “It’s been five days, Commander,” Nathan said. “I think it’s time to say what’s on your mind.”

  Ryden stared at the bulkhead for a moment. “Very well,” he said. “I assume, from your age, that you’ve not been granted your own command as yet.”

  “Correct.”

  “I have fifteen years of service on E boats, four of them as Captain,” Ryden said. “So I’m forced to wonder why you think you should command this boat. Respectfully, you don’t have a gram of my experience.”

  “No, I don’t and I’m sure Krause is in total agreement with you. Do you think I haven’t noticed his attitude?”

  “We worked together for years,” Ryden said. “He’s used to me being in charge.”

  “I understand that but when we go into combat I won’t have time to explain my tactics.” Nathan’s wry smile said much. “They are a tad unconventional, to say the least.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “The time will come when you’ll need to take a leap of faith,” Nathan said.

  “Trust needs to be earned,” Ryden said.

  “I’ll tell you what. If, after our first engagement with the enemy, you still don’t get it, I’ll relinquish command to you. Fair enough?”

  “Okay, I’m intrigued.”

  “When the time comes, you’ll know it,” Nathan said. “That’s when I’ll need you to trust me.”

  CHAPTER 61

  Date: 1st November, 326 ASC.

  Position: E 692 Traversing hyperspace. Northern Quarantine Zone.

  With a minimal crew compliment, both Nathan and Ryden had much to cover. Whilst in hyperspace they undertook such jobs as were required to keep the boat maintained. Nathan grabbed snippets of sleep when he could, but his fatigue grew by the day. He would be of no good to anyone if he didn’t put his head down soon.

  He caught up with Ryden in engineering.

  “Respectfully, Captain,” Ryden said, “you look like shit.”

  “Try looking in the mirror, Commander.”

  Ryden rubbed at his reddened eyes and nodded.

  “We can’t do everything, Ernst, or we’ll burn out. Get yourself four hours sleep and I’ll cover things here.”

  “Okay. Call me in four hours and I’ll relieve you.”

  “We’re not due for egression for nine hours so that’ll work out well. Off you go.”

  He returned to his task. The relay was burned out, his scanner showed that, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “Winkler,” Nathan said, “can you spare a minute.”

  “Yes, sir,” Winkler said. “How may I help you?”

  “I can’t get this relay out of the housing.”

  “Ah, yes, they can be tricky little buggers.”

  Within seconds Winkler had slid the relay from its housing.

  “That’s good, Winkler,” Nathan said, “but it doesn’t teach me anything. Put it back and show me what to do.”

  Things are so much easier on a monitor.

  ***

  Nathan groaned as he fell into his rack. Ryden had reported for duty after his four hour down time and although fatigue still remained in his eyes he looked sharper.

  Nathan awoke with a start as the alert one alarm sounded. Slipping on a shirt he stepped onto the bridge. The boat shook.

  “A hit to starboard,” the T-O yelled.

  Nathan grabbed at a console as the boat heeled over. Ryden had the helm.

  “Talk to me, Krause,” Nathan said.

  “We egressed to charge our buffers and ran into a light carrier,” Krause said. “One of her fighters got our range.”

  The boat shook again.

  “Buffers?”

  “What? Oh, ah, they’re at nineteen percent.”

  Nathan took the captain’s chair and tied into the tactical station. While examining the readouts he reached out with his senses. The fighter had come about and was preparing for another attack from astern.

  “Helm,” Nathan said, “cut all forward thrust and close the carapace.” Without looking up he added, “This is the time we talked about, Commander.” The engines shut down. “Right, he just lit his burners; he’s making a strafing run at flank speed. Better and better. Commander, on my mark, hit the forward mag plating and thrusters. Full emergency braking, burn them out if you have to but slow the boat. Then drop to z-minus twenty.” Peripherally he saw Ryden nodding.

  “Here he comes. That’s right, a little closer.” The boat rocked as the fighter fired his twin pulsars.

  “Captain?” Ryden said.

  “Not yet.”

  The boat shook violently.

  “Vogel, we can’t take much more,” Krause shouted. “Buffers at fifteen percent.”

  Nathan ignored him. Almost there.

  “Commander, mark!”

  Nathan felt his harness dig into his shoulders and chest as the boat rapidly decelerated. As he expected the fighter pilot had fallen for the oldest trick in the book. He overshot the E boat.

  “Now Ryden, kill the bastard!”

  In a classic maneuver dating back five centuries, Ryden raised the boat’s nose while firing both pulsars. The silver blue beams cut the fighter in half. It exploded with a brief gush of fire.

  “Helm, ahead dead slow. Ingress the boat on 149 true.”

  “149 true, aye.”

  The boat slipped smoothly into hyper.

  “Ahead, one-quarter,” Nathan said.

  “Aye, Captain, one-quarter it is.”

  Nathan set his timer and waited a full minute.

  “Helm, roll the boat over, cut speed to dead slow and prepare for egression.”

  “X-O, buffers?”

  “Nine percent.”

  The boat egressed.

  “Helm, set course 357 by 133 by 59, and ingress.”

  As the boat entered hyperspace he said, “X-O, give me a countdown.”

  “Seven percent.”

  “Helm, ahead one-quarter.”

  Nathan did a quick calculation; available power, time, distance.

  “Four percent,” Krause shouted.

  “Helm, cut engine power, hit the emergency braking and egress,” Nathan said. “X-O, brace for rapid egression.”

  “All crew,” Krause said, “brace for rapid egression.”

  Egressing at any speed higher than dead slow was frowned upon. But this was a combat emergency. Nathan tightened his harness as the collision alarm blared.

  The impact of a fast egression was akin to flying into a wall. The sudden deceleration knocked the wind out of everyone.

  “Egression achieved,” Ryden said.

  Nathan sat back and wiped sweat from his upper lip.

  “X-O, shut down all no- essential systems. Buffers have absolute priority. And get me a damage report. I want all crewmen working on repairs. Understood?”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Krause said.

  He turned to the helm station. Ryden sported a broad grin.

  “Yeah,” he said, “that’s a tad unconventional, all right.”

  CHAPTER 62

  Date: 8th November, 326 ASC.

  Position: Transport Odenwald, three days from the planet Spinney. Northern Quarantine Zone.

  Lieutenant Moe Okuma pushed her plate away from her, with half the meal left untouched.

  “What’s up?” Grace asked. “Mine tastes great.”

  “All the meals on this ship are great, but I’ve put on four kilos,” Moe said. “I’ve got to hit the gym more regularly.”

  “Yeah, two months of this luxury has taken its toll,” Grace said. “I’ve got the COB and her senior NCOs to increase the calisthenics workouts. We don’t want a flabby crew, do we?”

  “Or a flabby D-O.”

  “It’s not flab,” Grace said. “Just relaxed muscle.”

  “Relaxed? It’s practically comatose.”

  “All right,” Gr
ace said, pushing her plate aside. “I’ll join you in the gym in ten minutes.”

  The alert condition one alarm had them running for the lift.

  “Adroit,” Grace said keying her comm. A pause while Tollini responded. “Amos, recall all crew and bring the boat to alert condition one. Make it snappy.”

  Moe and Grace stepped onto Odenwald’s bridge.

  Captain Pitzen turned from his readouts. “We just detected a vessel’s egression point. They’ve pinged us and are on an intercept course.”

  “What is it?” Moe asked.

  “Pruessen E boat.”

  “Shit,” Grace said.

  “We won’t go back,” Pitzen said. “We’ll die first.”

  “Very well, then,” Moe said. “We’ll take her on together.”

  The Pruessen captain nodded though he could not hide the terror that translated to his eyes.

  “Adroit will attack the E boat, you back us up.”

  “We want to fight,” Pitzen said.

  “You’ll get your chance, but this will have to be a coordinated attack,” Moe said. “Remember, your sensors will identify us as an enemy vessel.”

  “Right,” Pitzen said.

  Moe and Grace left the freighter, arriving on Adroit’s bridge minutes later.

  Grace checked in with her duty NCO before stripping down and squeezing into her V suit. Moe and Grace assisted one another to fit their armor into place.

  Grace dropped into her place at the D-O’s station while Moe strapped into her chair and dropped into the Combat Sphere.

  “SMC, tie in for combat operations,” Moe said. “Current time image, on all panels. Zero magnification.”

  “Yes, Lieutenant Okuma,” the SMC said.

  Her comm beeped. “Captain.”

  “The boat is at alert condition one,” Grace informed her.

  “Very well.” Moe hovered the boat before taking her out. She turned sharply to starboard toward the enemy boat. Odenwald slowly came about on the same heading and followed Adroit toward the enemy.

  ***

  “Adroit is preparing to engage the enemy,” Odenwald’s T-O reported.

  “Captain,” the helmsman said, “we should destroy the E boat before she fires on us.”