Chapter 18

It was a long journey, as the grav drive had to be constantly nursed along as it pushed the Searcher through XD space towards Conveelt. The senior surviving engineer, a Lieutenant using what limited experience he had, ensured the auxiliary drive that had been emplaced to replace the damaged main drive did not overheat and temporarily slept when he could in a cot in the drive room, assisted by a Sub-Lieutenant who monitored the various feeds that ensured the Searcher remained grav stabilised. Still, five days later, the Searcher translated from the hostile dimension of XD space and into the Conveelt system well beyond the XD limit, but still far closer than Dolis had expected.

“Conveelt station acknowledges our presence and is sending tugs out to assist,” Comms informed Dolis.

“Give them our thanks and inform engineering to slow us down ... carefully,” Dolis replied.

“Engineering acknowledges, ma’am.”

“Nothing close on detection,” Amantus added, checking the jury-rigged detection station, half of whose spares had been taken from the tactical station.

“Searcher is slowing nicely,” the pilot informed Dolis.

“Open a channel to all hands,” Dolis requested.

“Open. Ma’am,” Comms replied.

“All hands, we have made it safely to Conveelt and will soon be towed to the yards,” Dolis began. “Well done, all of you who kept the Searcher functioning during this time. Extended leave has been authorised when we arrive, so raise a glass to our success as well as remember our losses when you get to the base.”

“Will you be taking over, ma’am?” Comms asked.

“It’s possible, though Captain Levit may well pull through,” Dolis replied. “It depends on his rehabilitation and the effect of oxygen starvation.”

“Protectorate medical science is good,” Amantus added. “But in the case of your Captain, it’s now down to chance.”

“Yeah, we kinda know,” the young woman cried softly. “The senior bridge command crew was wiped out by a precision hyperbeam primary just at shift changeover.”

“Trust in the gods,” Amantus replied, going across and squeezing her shoulder. “They’re listening, I’m sure.”

“Sub-Lieutenant Maxis,” Dolis added kindly. “Fleet can be a cruel mistress. I have lost friends, too, but I always knew I was never alone.”

“Never alone, ma’am?”

“You still have friends here who did survive,” Dolis said, smiling sympathetically. “Remember those you lost, but remember to cherish those who remain with you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maxis replied, wiping away her tears. “I ... I think I get it.”

“Good. It won’t be easy, but you’ll appreciate the people you know all the better.”

“As the Commander said earlier, remember to raise a glass for them later, and never forget to say their names as you drink a toast to their loss,” Amantus said, smiling.

“Amen to that,” Dolis nodded.

“Tugs approaching,” the officer on detection announced.

“Contact them and give a data drop on our structural condition,” Dolis requested of Maxis.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“All hands, tugs approaching, secure bulkheads and ensure internal screens are in place,” Amantus said over the tannoy.

“Captain of the Lever says he’s aware of our situation, ma’am,” Maxis reported. “He says they’ll be gentle.”

“I’m sure they’ll try,” Dolis chuckled.

The four tugs positioned themselves around the Searcher and carefully expanded a matched grav field over the damaged ship until the Searcher was fully enclosed by it. They then set up a lattice of tractor and pressor beams locking the Searcher into place, and then gradually increased the grav slope to their front, causing the five ships to fall towards Conveelt Station and the massive repair yard attached to it.

“No reports of tear shears,” the Middie manning the engineering announced. “These guys are good.”

“Maintain general quarters,” Dolis ordered. “Now would not be a good time to become complacent.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maxis replied.

Five hundred rotations later, the Searcher was guided into a repair dock and secured in place by the dock itself, the four tugs having carefully released the Searcher into the dock’s custody.

“We’re clamped securely,” the engineering Middie announced. “Umbilicals are clamped and docking tube extended; we’re under base power, ma’am.”

“Power down our reactors,” Dolis ordered. “And stand down from general quarters.”

“Reactors powering down, ma’am,” the engineering Middie confirmed. “All systems within acceptable tolerances.”

“Release the bulkheads,” Dolis ordered. “I’ll meet the dock team at the boarding tube along with our senior engineer.”

“He acknowledges, ma’am,” Maxis confirmed.

“Amantus, you’re in charge until we know what will happen.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Amantus snapped off a salute.

Amantus, via Maxis, then went through the ‘tick’ list of tasks that had to be performed by a ship when docking at a repair dock, including crew reassignment to areas on the ship that wouldn’t be affected by the repair teams.

He also handled requests from dock command to grant their inspection teams access to various parts of the Searcher, mostly liaising with the engineering section and the duty team there. It was a lot of work, though Amantus knew none of the remaining officers on the Searcher had the experience to carry it out, and he suspected Dolis was testing him.

“How do you remember all this, sir?” Maxis finally asked when it was over.

“I have a good memory,” Amantus chuckled. “But if you check your perscomp under the duty roster, the procedure is referenced there.”

“Thank you, I don’t recall being told that,” Maxis replied gratefully.

“All the tasks are listed there,” Amantus said, smiling. “The reference takes you to the index, and you just look up what you need ... or memorise it as I did.”