Chapter 16: Rock Breaker

The Janus Device was active and the Tigersharklooked once more like the Kartanian Battle Merchant.

Krabbel said:”its official now, Captain. We are in Freespace.”

We had left the Golden Bazaar behind us and were on a course straight to Brhama Port. The journey would take four more days, as we could only as fast as a Kartanian Battle Merchant with two added ISAH pods. Narth and Shea worked for the last two days at something and I noticed them now for the third straight shift. Now Three-Two had joined them and I turned on my seat and said. “Would you three over there mind to explain what you are doing? Not that I probably understand it, but I still sort of like to know.”

Shea turned and said. “Union ISAH pods interrupt the Super-symmetry that exists between Fermions and Boson particles. While a ship travels in Quasi space the correlated super partners are affected in regular space and while this is possible in Zero Dimension environments it is not in four dimensional environments. Therefore we think...”

I said. “Teaches me to ask you guys what you are doing.”

Narth said. “Thankfully I am able to understand the Captain on a direct mental level and she is not asking us to teach her more, but her response was an example of sarcasm. The captain simply isn’t able to follow your explanation on an intellectual comprehensive level.”

I sighed. “He did it again. He managed to call me basically an idiot and I should be angry, but how can I since I know he didn’t mean it.”

Narth turned to face me and said.

“I would ask for apologies, but how can I since you have already forgiven me. Would it be helpful if I tell you, Wetmouth had to explain her idea to me, before I comprehended?”

“In Odin’s name just tell me what you are doing.”

Now it was Three-Two who said.”Captain, we are trying to isolate and find a possible trail of either the stolen Barracuda or the Red Dragon. Since both use Union Isah Pods and there is a high probability they went this way, if Brhama Port is their target. Since my natural senses allow me to sense such minute trails, they now try to modify a sensor array with my input.”

“That was an explanation I understood and sounds really fascinating.”

Circuit came on the bridge carrying a technical device and went straight to Shea. “I think I got it, I made it exactly to your guy’s specifications.”

Har-Hi grinned as he looked at me. “We are flying in the most advanced ship the Union has ever built and our geeks are already tinkering with the hardware to improve it.”

Five minutes later and more tinkering and talking between the four, and Circuit’s legs sticking out of an open access panel underneath Shea’s main science console. I heard SHIP’s voice say. “Shea it works. I think I isolated the Barracuda’s trail.”

Narth went back to his OPS console and his fingers flew over the input contacts, then he said to me. “Captain we have isolated the trail of the stolen Barracuda and I am feeding the sensor data to Krabbel for Navigation in case you want to follow it.”

I smiled to Har-Hi. “Looks like they managed to do just that, Mr. Krabbel set a course following that trail and Mr.Chitauli increase our speed a notch still within Kartanian capabilities.”

The trail became stronger and then Narth reported.

“Three contacts on sensor horizon. One of the contacts has clear Union energy signatures and conforms to those of a Barracuda. The other two appear to be of recent manufacture Kermac T configuration.”

Yeoman O’Connell who was never far from my side said.

“These new Kermac T ships are not civilian or available for civilians. That means the Kermac have violated the Freespace treaty.”

Shea said. “For the chance to get their hands on Translocator technology they would risk anything.

Narth put up a tactical map of the region and I could see the three contacts near a small white star. The map identified the star as Auriga Xi and according to the Union Astro catalog has only been optically surveyed. There was no detailed data available, but it was assumed to be uninhabited as it only had a few gas giants and one rock core planet that was very close to its sun.

There was no other artificial contact within sensor range.

I leaned back, my right hand on the Intuitive Controls.

“All hands battle stations. Mr. Narth, I know it is not Kartanian but I understand our Janus device is capable of cloaking us against Sensor detection.”

“Yes Captain, we can mask our sensor signature in that way.”

“Render us invisible to their sensors and everything else half a second before we drop out of Quasi Space. If it is a mystery to them how we did that, so be it.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Mr. Chitauli take us as close as you can before you drop out of Quasi Space and coordinate with Mr. Narth.

“Understood, Captain, I can take us as close as 250 kilometers.”

“Excellent, Mr. Vouza stand by on QGP and Froth casters, load one kg AM loads into our sniper cannons and fire the TL simultaneous to mask the Translocators. I want you to target the drive sections of all three ships simultaneous and yes I authorize SHIP to assist you. I want them unable to maneuver before they even know what happened. We are dealing with a Union destroyer after all.”

After the first volley Mr. Chitauli will take us with a micro jump back out a light minute or two.”

My friends made the necessary computations and adjustments and I said to Hans. “Mr. Neugruber, prepare your Marines for boarding action.”

My command seat was in battle mode and once again it was as if I was sitting outside on the hull with an unobstructed view of space. Of course it was a simulation and the images our visual sensors received were not constructed from visible light but hyperspace distortions, tachyon reflection and mass energy detection. Standard light speed sensors were as inadequate as the human eye had not chance to see that far or make out objects as small as ships, in an environment where size meant nothing.

The individual departments represented in floating icons, as well as important data about speed, course, weapon range, shield strength course and a host of other information I found necessary. The display was customized to my preferences. Har-Hi’s icon blinked and expanded to show his face and he looked at me. “You told me to play devil’s advocate and you made me your XO to keep you in check right?”

“Yes of course.”

“Then I suggest you do not go with Hans and lead the boarding action.”

His suggestion caught me off guard.

“We haven’t even engaged the enemy yet and I didn’t think that far yet. I was just playing with the idea ... and how did you even guess I was thinking about that?”

“First of all I know you by know a little. All this sugar and girl stuff can’t fool me; underneath all that dominatrix leather is still the same ready to rumble Eric I know. Second I noticed you trained with Hans to use the new Gilgamesh suits and third and finally, you already asked SHIP to prepare your Auto Dresser.”

I felt like a child caught with the hand in the cookie jar and said.

“I am supposed to be a Pirate and that is what they do, besides I don’t like to send men into harm’s way without them knowing I am there as well.”

“You are not a midshipman anymore; you do not lead a group of cadets as dorm eldest. You’re the Captain now.”

He disconnected before I could say something and I knew he was right. Union Fleet regulations were as clear as glacial water. The Captain’s place was on the bridge and not leading a boarding party of Marines. But then Captain Zezzh has done it and my idol Stahl did it countless times and was famous for it, but Har-Hi was right Stahl was not the Captain, Harris did not leave the bridge during battle.

My musing thoughts had to take a backseat now. The Tigershark approached the three ships fast. Narth displayed a more detailed sensor report now as we were close. The enemy ships were two full size Kermac T Class Cruisers. Kermac technology was behind Union tech, but not by much and they were well armed and shielded.

I could not rely on Loki torpedoes or Large TL loads, that would ruin our disguise and the chances that someone else was watching was not unlikely.

Narth said. “They are ready to make the deal, and plan to land on the third moon of the first Gas Giant. The Barracuda still has a functional Translocator Cannon; I can sense that one of the Union officers was able to disable the auto destruct feature. The Kermac have no intentions of keeping the officers alive, they have all the Translocator data.

SHIP counted down the seconds until we would drop out of Quasi.” Eight, seven, six, five...”

The disguised Tigershark was a true marvel of technology, but my crew made it a terrifying tool of power and might. No regular helmsman would have ever dared to come that close to a planet and other ships out of Quasi-space. No Tactical officer in the entire Fleet could rely on a Computronic that was not just a machine but his friend and understood what he wanted to do. What Captain could rely not only on the ships sensors but on the senses of a Narth?

Science Officers would sit back during battle situation, but Shea used every bit of data both from sensors, from Narth, the vast data banks and processed it in her brilliant mind, to give Mao millimeter precise target data of weak spots.

The Barracuda however was a modern Union Destroyer with modern shields, and designed to take a pounding. Everything was at least triple redundant, we all knew that first hand. Of course the Barracuda had one big handicap it had no crew. Flying and operating it was no problem even with one person, but taking it into battle was another story.