Expeditions of the Mantis

by Jim Henderson

  The Devil’s Strumpet looked like it had once been a pretty nice vessel, but they’d done a lot of damage to it. It had serious engine damage, several large hull breaches, and damage to its sensor array. It was definitely NOT flyable.

  The team gathered up some personal effects of the Strumpet’s crew, pulled the ship’s logs and imagery, and took all the small arms.

  Once they were sure where they stood, Ximon sent a brief report of the action to Brulane Station and requested assistance and guidance. They definitely needed a tug for the Strumpet, and one might be needed for Grendel. They either needed someone to come pick up the prisoners or one of them would have to take them back to the station.

  Within a few hours, all the ships had collected near their main rendezvous point. Tif20 had found both of Grendel’s shuttles. One was destroyed with no survivors, the other was fine after hiding in the atmosphere. Cassius had assisted Grendel with some repairs, which had restored just enough thrust and control to bring Grendel in to gather near Mantis and the rest.

  Mantis remained docked to Strumpet and Tif20 docked on Mantis’ other side. Cassius docked on the other side of Strumpet. Grendel recovered her shuttle and floated nearby. It looked a bit like a macabre spaceship graveyard.

  Both Elsbeth and Willie went to help Grendel with more extensive repairs. Their captain, Griffo Detlev, was hoping they could make enough repairs and limp back to the station to make more extensive repairs, as Grendel’s drives were still too unstable.

  Ximon and Doyle ensured there were no weapons or tech available and then locked the prisoners into staterooms, chained to the crash couches. Mantis’ telepresence bot sat watching the hall outside the room the prisoners were housed in.

  Raiza reported on the wounded. She was able to treat 2 and then put them with the other prisoners, but one was badly wounded enough that Raiza put him in a cryo chamber.

  A couple hours later, Mantis got word from Brulane Station. A tug was enroute, accompanied by a shuttle hauling some spare parts. The shuttle would retrieve the prisoners. The station also sent its thanks and congratulations.

  Within a short while, Elsbeth and Willie, working with Grendel’s engineer, had gotten Grendel’s drives fairly well stabilized. So, Grendel then started a very slow trip toward the station.

  Grendel’s captain said, “Thanks again Mantis, Tif, and Cassius for saving us and also for the help with repairs. Look us up at the station if you get a chance and we’ll buy you a line of drinks.”

  The tug and shuttle arrived the next day. Two young specialists on the shuttle first turned over various spare parts and ammo that the station had sent. Then they took possession of the prisoners and headed back to the station. Ximon had already undocked the Strumpet, so the tug took her under tow and followed the shuttle back to the station.

  Ximon ensured his little team was all patched up, ship’s working, and rearmed. There was no damage to Mantis or Tif they couldn’t address, so they were as near to 100% as they’d get.

  They resumed patrols but stayed a bit closer to a central rendezvous point (and the other missile pack). The shuttle had also brought one more comm and two more early warning cubesats, so they deployed those, giving them better coverage.

  They continued interrogating any approaching ships and filing reports. It was very quiet. They saw no more pirate activity.

  After a couple more weeks, Ximon got a message from CAPT Gordon, “Ximon, good work out there. I’ve got news for you. In 3-4 days you’ll be replaced out there and come back here. I also received word from KSF that you’re being reassigned. I hate to see you go, but we’ve been able to put the Strumpet back in service as an auxiliary system defense boat. She’ll be coming out to replace you with a couple shuttles. If you haven’t already, you should be receiving your follow-on orders from KSF. I hope to be on station when you get back. If so, let’s meet.”

  Ximon informed the team and the time passed quickly as they waited.

  As the Strumpet, now called the Brulane Star, approached the gas giant, Ximon briefed her crew and waited until she and her shuttles were ready to go before departing. Mantis, Cassius, and Tif20 headed for the station without incident.

  They all had dinner together after they got back and said farewell. Ximon wished them all luck in continuing to defend the system and Talos wished Mantis luck in its next mission – resupply closer to the front lines.

  The KSF had authorized 4 days shore leave for the crew, though there was little to do on Brulane. Elsbeth oversaw the repair of the minor damage they’d sustained and Raiza coordinated getting them resupplied with ammo and food. Ximon met with CAPT Gordon who was, indeed, on station. CAPT Gordon gave Ximon the hardcopy of a citation that he’d sent to KSF HQ for Mantis and her crew on their role in defending the Brulane system.

  After their 4 days, the crew bid farewell to Brulane Station and headed to a jump point. Their next KSF assignment had them reporting to the Manud system, about 45 light years away.

  Jaunt Three: Resupply at Jaje

  It was a long trip just to get to their next assignment. They had to jump from Brulane to Zaletiros, to Jezaremanus, to Zarre, to Krirytesran, and then to Manud. Along the way, they got a variety of official reports from the KSF. The war wasn’t going spectacularly well and there was no end in sight.

  While traveling, the crew just relaxed, fixed anything that was broken, took classes, and otherwise passed the time. Ximon was giving both Raiza and Peter a little more instruction on using a weapon. Neither would ever be very good (their brains just weren’t built for it), but they could lay down fire in a designated direction and looked right carrying a weapon (especially if in a vacc suit or armor). Mantis was working great, so there was little for Elsbeth to work on.

  When, after just over a month, they got to Manud, they contacted the Scout Base. The base assigned Mantis a docking bay and Ximon was directed to report to an operations conference room the next morning. When he reported, Ximon brought Elsbeth and Doyle, leaving Raiza and Peter with Mantis.

  A painfully young KSF Operations specialist briefed them on their mission:

  Mission: Resupply Jaje Allies

  Operate as part of a task force to regularly resupply the forces of Republic allies on Jajerus, the main planet of the Jaje system. Unfortunately, much of Jajerus is a war zone and the space around it is contested. Multiple other Republic ships are, or have been, involved in this resupply effort and one has been captured and four damaged thus far.

  Deploy to outpost on Jajedix, a dwarf planet on the edges of the Jaje system, and fall under operational control of the local commander. As assigned, transport cargo to designated allied force supply points on Jajerus.

  Ship will be supplied with a new identification transponder to mask its identity and prevent or delay detection by enemy forces or enemy allies operating in the Jaje system.

  Mission duration: TBD, ensure 90-day supply of food

  Mantis was supplied with exact coordinates, call signs, and encryption for the outpost on Jajedix. Elsbeth worked with KSF technicians to disconnect Mantis’ standard transponder and activate a new one in its place. This transponder designated Mantis as the Light Free Transport “Caravel.” Raiza and Peter worked to ensure Mantis was fully stocked for 90 days.

  After a brief dinner out, the crew took off and jumped to Larasirob, then Usalirlabius, and finally Jaje. They jumped into the Jaje system much farther from the sun than they typically would and headed for the dwarf planet Jajedix. Coming into the system so far out, they saw no ships and heard no nearby communications. They headed to the station, exchanged secure authorizations and landed. The station was actually a small base in a large crater of the tiny dwarf planet. Between 15 and 20 landing pads were smoothed out in the rocky ground with a few small buildings at the edges of the crater. Mantis noted that they were tracked by several missile batteries farther out on the surface as they landed.

  They were definitely not alone. Another survey craft, a couple small freighters,
a half-dozen fighters, and several shuttles rested on the landing pads. There were no landing bays or pax tunnels, so they had to put on vacuum suits to enter the designated airlock in a large prefab shelter. Inside they found a sizable maze of room and halls made by temporary walls. Ximon took Elsbeth and Doyle and they found their way to the command center they’d been directed to.

  Several scouts, in uniform or civilian clothes, huddled around terminals and comm nodes. One young guy in an unmarked flight suit looked up as they entered. Then a grizzled older man in Scout coat and civilian clothes with long mustachios glanced up and spoke, “You lot from the Mantis, then? I’m Graves.”

  Ximon said, pointing to them in turn, “Yes, Ximon, Elsbeth, and Doyle. Who should we report to?”

  Graves, “That would be me, at least for now. Have a seat and I’ll tell you the deal.”

  Graves went on, “As you know, our job is to resupply our allies on Jajerus -- the Jindal. The planet and system aren’t technically part of the war, but we’ve got a few ships here and so does the enemy. The enemy also has their allies on the planets. So, we have small and medium freighters bring stuff into system WAY out here, then we get that stuff and put on small ships like yours and try to sneak to the planet to deliver it. We’re sending 3-10 ships a week down there, sometimes one at a time, sometimes a group. The system is fairly dangerous, as is the planet itself – both sides have missiles, ground batteries, and atmospheric fighters. Every day, you’ll come here and get any assignments for the day. Other than that, try to keep your ship flying and your crew under control. Got it?”

  Ximon, “I get the idea, but have some more questions. Can we get rooms? Where and when do we check for assignments? Who are we working with, etc.?”

  “Yeah, that’s all reasonable stuff. You’ll report at 0700 tomorrow, ready to scramble within 30 minutes. Sometimes they’ll be a short-notice run and you’ll be alerted in the night. Bennet here will try to find you some bunks.” He pointed to a short, scruffy man.

  “As for who you’re working with, you’ll meet them in the unit ‘mess’ as it were. They’ll be lounging about.”

  Bennet motioned them to follow and took them to a small dingy room, just a bunk and a locker each.

  Bennet pointed to some communal bathrooms and showers, “Wags and wenches, eh?” and told them chow was around 7, 12, and 6 and pointed to the common room/mess.

  Bennet, “Stow your gear and meet some of your mates. Chow’s in 20.” Then he left.

  Ximon said, “We’ll stay here at least until we get the lay of the land. We might need to stay in here, but if not, some of us might choose to spend more time on Mantis. I’m glad I didn’t bring Raiza and Peter in.”

  They hit the mess. It was a sizable room with a scattering of folding chairs, tables, and a few cots. Several dozen men and women sat around chatting, drinking, reading, or eating snacks. There was a small bar in the corner. Several members of the group looked up as they entered.

  Someone back in the haze said, “Fresh meat!” and there was a general chorus of laughter.

  They grabbed drinks at the bar and sat down at a table.

  Elsbeth whispered, “This doesn’t sound like the kind of job that the Scouts typically take on. Sounds more like Navy crap, doesn’t it?”

  Ximon just shrugged, “Kind of, but it’s the hand we’ve got now.”

  A guy, perhaps in his late 30s, with dark skin and (obviously dyed) blond hair came over and said, “Mind if I join you? I’m Tamarack from the Curmudgeon / Gremlin.” He sat down, “Don’t mind this lot. People get a little stir crazy in here sometimes. They’ll settle down once you’ve been here a few days or taken a run or two.”

  He explained that the other scout Survey Craft they had seen outside was his, “That’s the Curmudgeon, though she’s named the Gremlin for this job. Jo Jo over there” he pointed to a very tall, skinny black guy “is my engineer. My nav/gunner and loader are sleeping or sleeping it off” he said with a smile.

  Ximon introduced them and mentioned the Mantis.

  He asked, “How long have you been here Tamarack?”

  Tamarack, “Almost 5 months now, 38 missions. I’m hoping to be done soon. There are slow times and fast times. This job ain’t no joke.”

  “Sounds like quite a challenge.”

  “Yeah, between us and the other ships, we’ve been chased by a gun boat, shot at by fighters, missiles, and auto cannons, and otherwise had some rough days. Get to know some of the folks because sometimes we work together and that’ll help. Make sure you pull your weight.”

  Ximon, “Will do. Thanks.”

  A couple middle-aged women brought heated serving trays a few minutes later and put out stacks of plates. The crew lined up with the rest to get a tray of food. It didn’t look great, but it looked edible and plentiful.

  As they ate, they met some other crews – transports, fighters, and shuttles, all mixed together. Some were jerks, but most just seemed uncertain of them. Ximon went back to ops not long after dinner, but Doyle and Elsbeth both stayed up and chatted quite a bit more.

  They already had missions for the next day on the board. There they were – “Caravel, RP 3C, Lch 0900, Jajerus 17, Solo.”

  He asked an ops guy what it meant though he thought he knew.

  The guy explained, “You, you’re hitting rendezvous point 3C, launching at 0900, then you’ll head to Jajerus 17 by yourself to deliver. That’s a pretty hot zone.”

  Then he looked down the list of other missions. Other ships were taking off at the same time and going to the same RP, but no one else was going to 17.

  Ximon, “So, care to explain what we do at either of those places?”

  “It should be covered in the morning, but if you’re anxious you can go hit up Graves for that. He’s likely in his room – RB, left hall way, about 5 doors down.”

  So, Ximon wandered down there and knocked on the metal frame holding the plastic door.

  “Come in.”

  Graves had a small private room. He had a small bunk, a desk, and a couple chairs. Graves motioned Ximon to sit in one of them.

  Ximon began, “I need more info on how this all works. I don’t want to ‘learn on the fly’ and, perhaps, die in the process.”

  Graves, “Sure, I wouldn’t have let you off without saying more. I was going to grab you after breakfast, but we can go over it now.”

  “Please.”

  Graves looked at a small screen on his desk. “Ok, your orders show ‘Caravel, RP 3C, Lch 0900, Jajerus 17, Solo.’ Now, that means you’ll be taking off at 0900, head to rendezvous point 3C, get cargo there from the transport coming, and then you’ll go deliver to Jajerus 17.”

  “Roger, I got that much.”

  Graves, “Of course. What that really means is that you and a few others will take off by 0900 and work to get to rendezvous point 3C within 60-90 minutes. The freighter should jump into system there shortly before that time. Once you and it are there, the captain will line you and the other ships up to receive cargo. You’ll dock to her cargo bay and they’ll transfer the cargo you’re getting to you. You’ll have someone check it and sign for it, then detach. Then, you’ll head for the delivery point Jajerus 17. We’ve sent your ship all the relevant navigation coordinates for this and other points. Make sense so far?”

  “Sure, but I think we’re just getting to the hard part.”

  Graves, “That we are. This is solo so that means you can plot your own speed and course to the delivery point. Again, we sent your ship some recommendations, but you can adjust. Depending on your burn, the trip to Jajerus will take about 24-34 hours. You generally want to enter the atmosphere at night or early morning, but you can decide how you do your approach. You’ll want to burn hard here and then coast as you’re approaching the planet. However, it’s your call whether you do a long deceleration burn and then enter the atmosphere slow or do a short burn and then enter the atmosphere ‘hot.’ There’s pros and cons either way. The longer your burn, the mor
e exposed you are in space, but the less time you’ll probably need to descend, so the less exposure in atmosphere. We’ve found it’s better to let captains do their own thing, so we avoid a pattern. Again, this one’s solo, but occasionally we’ll do a ‘formation’ approach, 8-12 ships at the same time and some air support from the planet. Think about what you want to do, and we can discuss in the morning. Briefing at 0700 sharp.”

  Ximon was sobered, “OK, I’ll give it some thought.”

  He went back to his room and established a link with Mantis. He looked at the data Graves had sent and had Mantis plot some variations. He’d have to tweak them after the briefing in the AM or after discussion with some of the other captains.

  He sent Elsbeth and Doyle a message, “Meet me in the mess at 0600.”

  Then he sent Raiza, Peter, and Mantis a message, “We’re turning in here. We should be back on board around 0800 tomorrow. Be prepared to take off shortly thereafter.”

  Then just to Mantis, “Please do a complete backup of Raiza, Peter, and yourself tonight in protected storage.”

  Ximon slept fitfully and was groggy getting up shortly before 6. He just ran wettened fingers through his hair, shaved really fast, brushed his teeth, pulled on his uniform, and he was as ready to go as he was going to get.

  The mess was full of groggy-looking people in various attire. Some just sat, staring at coffee, while others ate and chatted. Doyle was already sitting at a table with a few guys and several empty seats, so Ximon joined him. Doyle introduced him to a couple of them and was mainly met by grunts in return, but Doyle had obviously made some friends. Elsbeth joined them a few minutes later, complaining about the coffee and food, but she consumed both readily enough, saying little more than a mumbled, “Morning” followed by, “Are we really doing this? I didn’t sleep at all last night.”