Amantus
Copyright© 2026 by QM
Chapter 10
“Diagnostics will take a hundred rotations, ma’am,” Amantus reported.
“Good, now assist me to investigate the Captain’s day cabin,” Dant ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
With the power on, the pair released the powered lock and unsealed the day cabin. Inside, there was just a desk and what appeared to be a monitoring console, with none of the usual trophies and holos that a human captain normally accumulated over the years of service.
“Console is powered down,” Dant observed. “That might mean the datafiles are intact.”
“I can’t see how we can remove it,” Amantus observed. “There are no connection ports either.”
“Hold on, I’ll get an engineer up here,” Dant replied.
Two rotations later, Crendon arrived and, after saluting Dant, looked at the console before reaching into a tool pouch.
“It’s nanite sealed,” he finally said. “I can release it from the desktop, but it’ll have to go to the Lignet to be fully scanned for the access code to drop the sides.”
“Do so, Midshipman,” Dant ordered. “Ensure you do not set off any traps or wipe the internal data.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“There’s a pseudopaper notebook in the drawer,” Amantus informed Dant. “Can’t read it though.”
“No surprise there,” Dant sighed. “The whole ship’s a mystery.”
“No doubt the Protectorate knows something, or some group in it does,” Amantus shrugged, doubting that anyone on the Lignet would ever get to find out.
“Yep, the crew we captured aren’t saying anything either, according to the reports,” Dant nodded.
Amantus helped Crendon lift the console from the desk, and the pair, followed by Dant holding the notebook, carried it to the airlock, where they placed it into the next arriving shuttle. Crendon then returned to the main engineering section as Amantus and Dant continued to examine parts of the ship relevant to its command and control, finding that all command functions were automated.
“Looks like they plan to produce a crewless ship, ma’am,” Amantus observed.
“Perhaps, though the Lignet’s manoeuvre against them will likely put such plans on hold ... for a while,” Dant replied. “Plus, I suspect there will always be a need for a minimum crew.”
“So you think it was some sort of experiment to produce a ship needing a minimum crew?” Mabis asked after Amantus and Crendon had returned.
“Looks that way,” Crendon replied. “Engineering was automated to a ridiculous degree, though Commander Ticce wasn’t that impressed.”
“Automation is fine until you run into unexpected circumstances,” Amantus nodded. “Like me punching holes through the ship, or Captain Mance pulling a manoeuvre that isn’t in the book.”
“I heard you did well,” Crendon smiled.
“It was fun,” Amantus chuckled. “Fortunately, they never got a good hit back.”
“Grapevine says the captured crew are saying nothing and acting smug,” Mabis added.
“They probably expect to be released at some stage,” Amantus shrugged. “Depends on the influence of the conglomerate that designed it.”
“Or the noble clan that owns the conglomerate,” Crendon sighed. “They probably think they are untouchable.”
“That’s why we’re taking our time,” Amantus informed them in a low voice. “According to Dant, that is.”
“Sounds about right,” Crendon nodded. “Some of the stuff they have is next generation, and Ticce is sure we could adapt our own systems to match them.”
“At what cost?” Amantus asked.
“Not sure yet,” Crendon shrugged. “Just that he thinks it can be done.”
“Well, he’d know,” Amantus chuckled.
“That’s why we’re delaying the return,” Crendon replied. “So answers can be found.”
“You’re more in the loop than I am,” Amantus nodded. “I just know what Dant told me.”
“Unless you turn into a master programmer or engineer, you wouldn’t be,” Crendon confirmed.
“I’m not, that’s why I’ll rely on people like you and Mabis to do their jobs well, whilst I command ... eventually,” Amantus chuckled.
“If anything, I’m more out of the loop than ever,” Mabis smiled.
“Be thankful,” Crendon smiled wryly. “Means you won’t be executed if we’re captured.”
“Yep,” Amantus agreed. “I’m command, they always get the chop, you and Crendon get enslaved.”
“Not sure if that’s better or not,” Mabis giggled.
“Part of it is knowing when to fight and when to retreat,” Amantus shrugged. “Though admittedly, I’ve yet to see the Lignet retreat.”
“In theory, we should have against a battlecruiser,” Crendon replied. “But surprise was a force maximising factor here, plus some good shooting by you, Mant.”
“I think I might have got lucky on the first shot,” Amantus admitted.
“The one that hit their primary beam targeting array?”
“Yes,” Amantus nodded.
“One in a million,” Crendon observed. “Unless you do it regularly.”
“Then you’ll be popular amongst the ladies,” Mabis teased.
“Not sure if I want to be popular for firing off before they’re ready,” Amantus chuckled, making the pair laugh.
“You got that right,” Crendon smiled. “Not something you want to be known for.”
The senior officers of the Lignet met in Mance’s day cabin to discuss their findings. The tension in the room was high, as the discoveries they had made pointed to a deeply held conspiracy targeting certain elements of Fleet.
“So, they were actually targeting us?” Mance asked Dant.
“According to the data in the monitoring console, yes,” Dant replied. “I suspect, though, that whoever steps forward to claim the ship will deny any such mission to fire upon us.”
“Playing with semantics?” Zaka queried.
“Yes, targeting can mean a lot of things, though Fleet would tend to use the word observe, not target to avoid any leeway.”
“How good is their equipment compared to a standard battlecruiser?” Mance asked Ticce.
“Technically advanced,” Ticce replied. “Poorly operated and controlled, though.”
“Explain, please.”
“The controlling software the crew used is far too complex,” Ticce replied. “It follows set patterns and will only act if a situation fully matches its parameters.”
“It lacks intuitive operation?” Sub-Commander Futris asked.
“Yes, the software inhibits what we’d call taking a chance,” Ticce confirmed. “Midshipman Amantus demonstrated its limitations after your unexpected manoeuvre, Captain.”
“It was good shooting,” Dant chuckled. “Though it was the surprise of the manoeuvre that gave him the opportunity.”
“So, currently, such vessels do not react well to surprises?” Mance asked.
“They do not,” Ticce confirmed.
“Anything we can use from the ship itself?” Zaka enquired.
“It’s a positive little treasure trove of tweaked sensor devices that I can use to improve Lignet’s performance,” Ticce replied. “Though we’ll have to hand the good stuff back when we turn her over.”
“When can we head back?” Mance asked.
“A day, we’ll have the XD drive up and running by then,” Ticce confirmed.
“Do so, then we’ll return to face the medicine,” Mance chuckled.
“Do you suspect we’ll be admonished?” a surprised Zaka asked.
“Subtly, because explaining why an unmarked, unnamed Protectorate battlecruiser was doing in the Phenos system ‘targeting’ us will likely take some doing,” Mance chuckled.
“I suspect Admiral Klessi will not be pleased,” Dant laughed.
“When is he ever?” Futris muttered. “You don’t suppose he set this up?”
“Wouldn’t be surprised if he had a hand in it somewhere, even if it was permission to use Phenos as a proving ground,” Mance replied. “He possibly expected to prove we are not as good as the stats say we are, or possibly something more sinister.”
“Still only speculation, sir,” Zaka shrugged.
“I know, but I also know Klessi’s clan connections and the odd cases of events always going in their favour,” Mance shrugged.
“Probably not wise to mention that outside of this cabin,” Dant chuckled.
“Yes, chances are you’d end up dead, along with anyone who knows you,” Mance nodded. “So please don’t.”
“Yes, sir,” the group replied, smiling.
The Lignet was finally able to set off underway when Ticce and his people matched the two ships’ translation signatures to form a cohesive pattern for slipping into the strange realm without grav shear tearing one, or both, of them apart. Amantus was on the bridge again, shadowing Zaka as he moved from station to station, checking the boards.
“Question, sir?” Amantus asked. “Did we report the capture of the ship back to Mandil Base?”
“No, we went into emcon as soon as it attacked,” Zaka replied. “We remained there, just in case there was a second ship out there.”
“Ah,” Amantus nodded. “And now?”
“We can’t communicate because the energy emanations from the other ship are interfering with signal quality.”
“So no one at Mandil knows we captured a ship?” Amantus smiled.
“Correct,” Midshipman. “It should be quite the surprise in many ways for some.”
“So, we’re potentially in big trouble ... again?”
“Not openly, but yes ... potentially.”
“I’ll watch with interest and hope I don’t get summoned to a tribunal,” Amantus replied.
“The Base Admiral, Ollise, is like Jorik at Gevase, in that he doesn’t play politics,” Zaka replied. “He was the other Admiral at the last tribunal, along with Carse.”
“I got the feeling he didn’t care much for Admiral Klessi.”
“Yes, though played within the rules.”
“I noticed,” Amantus nodded.
“If you ever get higher than a Captain’s chair, you’ll discover Fleet is rife with politics, both internal and external, with many around you having agendas at odds with official policy,” Zaka explained. “Never assume for a second that those around you are friends.”
“Yes, sir.”
Once the Lignet transitioned through to Mandil, the messages came through thick and fast. Amantus found himself assisting Venn on comms, handling the day-to-day stuff as Venn worked on high-level communications with Mance.
Several tugs left the base to tow the battlecruiser to an isolation dock, and a shuttle arrived to take the captured crew and the equipment seized. On board was Admiral Ollise, who took the salute of Zaka and who was then escorted to the Captain’s day cabin.