Enemy of my Enemy (Horatio Logan Chronicles Book 1)

by Chris Hechtl

  He wasn't certain about the wisdom of using the factory ship, but he understood the need. The risk though … he frowned then shrugged. It wasn't like it was up to him, nor would he be around if the star system was invaded.

  Hopefully, they'd have enough material to do the job he thought. And maybe they'd have enough material left over to build some platforms to keep an eye on the star system and pass communications around while they were at it. It was what he'd do if he'd been assigned the mission, he mused.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Once the ship was secure, Caroline's crew pounced on the two Pyraxian noobs fresh out of enlisted training. Both star sailors had passed their advanced graduation courses in time to join the crew. Since they were natives of Pyrax, they had never been in hyperspace so the crew took malicious glee in indoctrinating them into the star sailor breed as hyperdogs.

  Horatio heard about the planning at dinner with the officers the night before. He made sure to listen to the XO's plans but keep out of it. But he couldn't resist “running into them” when he decided to take a walk to stretch his legs. When he saw a familiar face in the audience, he instinctively made his way over to Zek and a knot of other people.

  Admiral Zekowitz, Lieutenant Si, the civilian consultants, and a few of the crew stood by and watched in bemusement. “Why didn't they do this with us?” the rear admiral asked as a half-naked, rather slimy spacer was lowered head first into a darkened tube to fish “Poseidon’s pearls” out of the depths.

  “They knew better, sir,” Horatio replied in an aside. Zek blinked at him quizzically. Horatio smiled and spread his hands apart. “It's a rite of passage, yes, but it's optional for someone of rank. You know, the whole dignity of the office and such.”

  Zek slowly nodded. “Yes, I see.” A spat of laughter made his eyes cut back to the show. It was entertaining; he gave them that—messy, but entertaining. It definitely broke up the monotony and anxiety of the trip. He wondered briefly if the new spacers felt put upon. A few of the veterans talked about how they'd gone through it so he shook his head mentally. Doubtful, he thought.

  “It is traditional though. So, if you feel left out … feel free to step up,” Horatio offered with an inviting grin.

  Zek held up his hands in surrender. “Pass, thank you. Besides, it's a little late now,” he said.

  “Spoil sport,” Horatio murmured when the other man was out of hearing.

  Chapter 14

  “Off again, risking life and limb,” Zek said, sounding caustic and put out by the situation. “I feel like a pinball getting bounced around. I don't think I like the feeling, but like the pinball, I don't have a whole hell of a lot of choice in the matter it seems,” he said in an almost bitter tone of voice.

  Horatio cocked his head. It wasn't quite the way he'd envisioned starting the adventure. The longer the voyage had rolled on, the more withdrawn and moody Admiral Zekowitz had started to become. “Problem with the assignment, Admiral?” he asked mildly.

  Zek inhaled and then exhaled heavily.

  “Look, I get that I was sent packing because I outranked Subert. Hell, I would have bowed to the man and ran the yard. Why did he send me back with you? I know I could have been of use in Pyrax or Antigua!” he threw his hands up in disgust.

  “I don't think it was a fear of causing a chain of command conflict … or undermining people already in place. At least I don't think so,” Horatio said slowly.

  “Oh? Well, you could have fooled me!”

  “It comes down to a round peg in a round hole, sir,” Horatio continued as if oblivious to the other man's ire.

  “Oh?” Zek frowned thoughtfully. “How pray tell?”

  “Think about it. He wants the Bek yards modernized, and modern components and ships to be built. We both have the necessary keys and skills. The consultants are our troops. I've got experience in building modern hulls and infrastructure. You know the field. You know the players, you know who to use, who to leave out, who to leverage, and where any bodies we may need to use are buried.”

  “I … see,” Zek said carefully. He frowned thoughtfully. Slowly he nodded. “Okay, I can see where that logic clicks.”

  “And I guess I can see where you wanted to see more around you—to get to see the outer Federation and help with the war effort,” Horatio said. “All I can say is, where we're going we should make a big difference.”

  “I hope so,” Zek replied quietly, staring out into the image of hyperspace. “I hope so,” he murmured even softer.

  Horatio frowned briefly as he stared at the other man's back in curiosity. When the admiral didn't continue, he filed the questions he had away for a later time.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Once they were in B101a1 space they crossed it quickly. When they neared the jump point, Zek decided it was time to distract the commodore from his preoccupation of watching the other ships begin their preparations to build the Harbor Station. Captain Perth had agreed to allow the tactical department one day to get some sim time in before they departed the solar system and entered the rapids. Apparently, the tactical team had decided to go all out to make the most of the time.

  The sims started on the tick. By the time the two flag officers arrived on the bridge, the tactical team had been hard at work on their fourth sim of the shift with no signs of stopping. “They've got one more lined up before they break for breakfast, sir. Do you want to have some fun?” Horatio asked, leaning over to Zek and texting him the message.

  Zek frowned, unsure at first how to answer. After a moment, he took the simplest and easiest route by nodding once.

  “Check out Lieutenant Dvorsky. She's running the op in CIC. You might want to give her a break and give them more of a run for their money, sir,” Horatio suggested slyly.

  Zek nodded and quietly retreated from the bridge.

  Zek admitted that it was the first time he had a chance to do a tactical sim in awhile. The opportunity came rarely in engineering. In fact, he couldn't recall the last time he'd been in a sim. He'd audited the tactical courses in Pyrax but hadn't participated much himself. He admitted he was rusty but wasn't certain how much.

  He should be able to handle a couple of lieutenants though, he reminded himself, doing his best to put his anxiety to rest.

  “Sir?” Lieutenant Dvorsky said, looking up from where she'd been reading over a CPO's shoulder. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Well Lieutenant, I'd like to replace you as the op force commander,” the admiral said with a smile. “Without,” he nodded to the hatch. “The rest knowing about it,” he said.

  Her black eyes studied him. Slowly she nodded. “Very well, sir.”

  “I'm a bit rusty, so let's see how it goes,” he said, taking the temporary hot seat. LCD monitors were on armatures around it. He pulled up the sim parameters and then began to block out his plan of attack carefully. It took him a few minutes of laying it out before he gave up and decided to try a subtler approach.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Lieutenant “Oppie” Oppenheimer knew something was up when he took Caroline's avatar in and found nothing waiting for him on the other side of the virtual jump point. He scowled, but then shrugged off any misgivings. She was obviously waiting in ambush.

  “No surprises, sir. Ship rigged for sublight running,” Lieutenant Falling Leaf intoned.

  “Plot a least-time course to the jump point. Once you get that, I want a second course, this one with a series of dog legs.”

  “Sir … yes, sir,” the Elf said.

  “When you've got both courses plotted, I want a decoy on the first course. Set it to come up at quarter speed and emissions, and then lock down to silent running for the most of her run.”

  “Quarter speed, aye, sir. She won't last the whole run, sir,” Falling Leaf warned.

  “She doesn't have to. Make sure your dog leg course keeps us clear of the decoy but in sight range. I want to keep an eye on any trouble makers,” he said.

  “Aye aye, sir,” Fall
ing Leaf replied.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Zek grinned as he watched the virtual ship move out from the jump point. She launched a decoy on the least time course then moved out slightly low and then followed her. After a brief kick to get her moving, she started to fade from his sensors.

  “Tango is switching to silent running,” a CPO reported.

  “We're losing them, sir,” another rating said.

  “Bring up the recon drones. Passives only. Make sure the feed they relay isn't in line with the Tango's course,” Zek replied.

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Launch a series of recon drones along our course,” Oppie ordered.

  “Aye aye, sir,” Falling Leaf replied. She tapped at her station. “Drones away,” she said.

  “Good. Make sure they cover a cone around us. I wish we could tie them to the decoy, get them to cover her flanks.”

  “I know, sir.”

  “Next time let's see if we can program something like that. It'd be a nice trick to have up our sleeves and would give some authenticity to the decoy,” Oppie stated.

  “Yes, sir,” the Elf said.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Zek’s smile turned predatory as his cruiser fell into the wake of Caroline. He stayed slightly high and knew she could turn in an instant to clear her wake, but he also knew that the TACO was so intent on his own game he hadn't considered the threat to his rear properly.

  “Oppie's getting sloppy,” Lieutenant Dvorsky murmured. He glanced over to her, then returned his attention to the plot.

  They were just outside missile range. He wanted that range to fall a bit more before he pounced.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Sir, we're getting passive readings of objects along the least-time course. It seems like a series of recon drones,” a rating said.

  The Neoorangutan nodded. “Keeping tabs on us or at least on our decoy. Do they have the resolution to see through her?”

  “No, sir. Passives only. Actives would burn through her camouflage, but as it stands she's good.”

  “Good to know,” Oppie said.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Horatio frowned thoughtfully as he crossed his arms and watched the plot behind Oppie. This was different than he'd expected of the admiral. A cat and mouse game was subtle; it drew the tension out. He'd thought the admiral would have gone in for an initial slug fest. Apparently, not.

  Simulated time drew on, drawing on real time as it ticked away. Nearly an hour passed as Caroline moved further across the simulated star system.

  “He's out there somewhere,” Falling Leaf said.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Oppie murmured, making Horatio grin in appreciation.

  He couldn't stand it anymore however. He used his implants to access the sim as an observer. Ensign Caroline bucked him initially, but then tied him into the admiral's feed. He whistled silently, face puckering as he realized what was about to happen.

  And judging from Oppie's intensity, it was going to come as one hell of a nasty surprise, he thought.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Comm, lay a whisker laser through the relay to Alpha 1. It's time to lay the trap,” the rear admiral intoned.

  “Aye aye, sir,” the comm rating acknowledged.

  “Lay on some speed. Ten percent more until we begin to overtake her. I want her in optimal missile range before we engage.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” the CPO who was acting as tactical officer said.

  It was a risk Zek knew, but he also knew it would pay off. The stern of any ship had sublight drive thrusters that obscured her view and her weapons. She was weakest there therefore. Something he knew and the good Neoorangutan had forgotten.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Come on, come on, we're burning sim time here,” Oppie muttered eyes darting around the plot. “Where the hell is she? This is supposed to be a tactical exercise,” he muttered. “I wanted to get at least one more in before lunch,” he growled.

  “It doesn't look like that's going to happen,” Falling Leaf replied.

  The sensor rating stiffened, alerting them something was up. “Sir, we're getting readings of something headed into the decoy!” he said. “She's coming in from eleven o'clock by positive two point four three, ten million kilometers out and closing at four thousand KPS.”

  “Finally,” Oppie said as all hell broke loose.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Gotcha,” Zek said with a grin as his ship crossed the last bit of distance he needed to get into optimal missile range. “Helm, accelerate 10 percent and pitch up thirty degrees and roll ninety degrees to starboard. Execute course changes on my mark. Tactical, fire starboard broadside when the roll is complete. Helm, stay with her when she reacts,” he ordered.

  He grunted at the acknowledgments that rolled out.

  “Execute!”

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  “Sir! Ship in our wake! She's five million kilometers out, she's firing!”

  “Frack,” Oppie muttered as he tried to salvage the situation.

  Virtual missiles screamed in unopposed. Oppie and his crew had been so intent on watching the decoy and for the opposing force to pounce on it that they hadn't expected the shark tailing them until she pounced. Horatio was reminded of an old saying, a true commanding officer wasn't a gentleman and honor didn't play into combat until the very end. A true officer was an assassin, a shark, a predator who struck from ambush and didn't give the enemy an opportunity to fight back.

  In other words, they didn't fight fair. They fought to win.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  The admiral's first devastating broadside was the clincher, his virtual missiles silently screamed in to batter Caroline's rising defenses down, then rip and gouge at her shields and armor. The second and third follow-up broadsides tore at what was left, and then began to smash the ship's armor away.

  Caroline bucked and writhed, attempting to get herself clear, but it was too late. She rolled but that just spread the damage and only delayed the inevitable slightly. It was over before she could roll fast enough to get her own weapons into play.

  When the lights came up, Oppie could be seen cursing steadily in what sounded like two dialects. Horatio shook his head. Finally, Oppie wound down and punched a button on his station. “Well played, Lieutenant,” he said grudgingly. “Well played.”

  “Thank you, Lieutenant, I try to please,” a male voice answered. The Neoorangutan's eyes widened comically. He turned to look at Horatio who bent over a bit, chuckling silently.

  Oppie's large lips pursed and then he nodded once. “Well played again, sir,” he acknowledged. “Tricky,” he said.

  “You never know who you'll be up against, Lieutenant. And next time, clear your six,” the admiral said.

  Oppie grunted and nodded. “I know that now, sir,” he said with a grimace.

  He clearly hadn't been aware of the swap and their little subterfuge. “I suppose I should be glad you don't pull punches, sir. I'll definitely remember this one,” he said wryly, rubbing the back of his head to make his hair stand up. His lips puckered and made popping sounds.

  “There are two ways of training. A learning curve, and throwing the student in the deep end to sink or swim. Hell, there are probably dozens of others, but those two work for me. Learning curve is great when you are just starting out. But when you know the moves, mistakes and bruises teach best,” Zek said.

  “Amen to that.”

  “The good news is, we get this time now. When we're en route through the rapids, the computers will be mostly off limits for something this scale,” Zek said. “I needed my own rust blown off. Shall we go again?” he asked. “Best two out of three? Same scenario, just swap roles?”

  “I … think we can work with that, sir,” Oppie said slowly. Horatio could tell from the Neoorangutan's glittering green eyes he was already plotting his revenge. “Just give us a bit to set it up, sir,” he said as he went over to have a hasty
conference with his JTO.

  “Take the time you need but no more,” Zek said expansively. Horatio nodded.

  ~<><{<^>}><>~

  Zek and Horatio faced off in a defense scenario after lunch. Zek had extensive experience in such scenarios already so he took the offense. The scenario surprised him though since they had equal hardware quality, but the scenario gave him more ships. He had twice the mass and nearly twice the number of capital ships to Horatio's. But Horatio had fixed defenses on his side he reminded himself.

  Horatio had lighter units and was out massed by two to one. The admiral had more capital ships in his fleet but only the one carrier. Horatio on the other hand had more carrier forces though, six, and he used them to his utmost advantage.

  The scenario began after Horatio was allowed to set his fixed defenses. He quickly consulted Falling Leaf who would be serving as his tactical officer and followed her lead on where to put their limited weapon systems in the star system.

  Zek was surprised with the tactics and strategy employed by the commodore. He took a beating on the jump-in, but he'd expected it so he'd jumped well short. His larger ships had absorbed or fended off the mines and weapon drones Horatio put out in front of him. Then while they fell back to lick their wounds, the swifter battle cruisers and other ships moved in through the hole they'd punched in Horatio's defenses to take point and run Horatio's forces down.

  Horatio, however, had fought a fighting retreat, never allowing his smaller forces to be pinned down and eliminated. He protected his carriers well, keeping them well outside pouncing distance. He drew the rear admiral into one trap behind a gas giant, but that blooding had been a wakeup call that had prevented the admiral from getting drawn into a much bigger and deadlier trap in the asteroid belt when the bait ships retreated in that direction.