Chapter 9

HMS Shadow was on a fast ballistic course to the fifth system in its mission. It had left hyper well beyond the system it was entering to avoid detection. If anything, Captain Bryon Rawlins was even more cautious than the captain of the HMS Whisper had been. He also had a ship, which though slightly smaller than the Whisper, was far more powerful and technologically advanced.

There were far fewer people assigned to the Shadow than had been to Whisper despite its size. Automation took care of a lot of the people requirement. Usually a ship this size boasted a complement of around 600 sailors. The HMS Shadow had only 203 people assigned to it. Naval Intelligence ran and crewed this ship. It not only had state of the art surveillance equipment, it had equipment that was generations ahead of the regular navy.

It had an offensive capability that any ships captain would drool over. That weapon system was not yet in the Imperial Navy's official arsenal. The computing capabilities of the ships computer were almost as good as a, planet based, Task Master 200.

It had a speed in normal space and in hyper that was almost 30 percent faster than any other ship in the fleet. It had non-standard everything really. It had one reason for being, and that was for spying on whomever they were pointed at. The stealth capabilities of the HMS Shadow were also ahead of the regular navy's abilities. Besides the normal electronic magic that the navy used to render a ship invisible to electronic prying eyes, it generated a field that caused anyone looking at it with biological eyes to see what was exactly behind it. No matter what angle you looked at it from, you didn't see it, but what was behind it, effectively rendering it invisible.

For over a week now, HMS Shadow had been slowing its speed as it entered its target system. Finally it came to a stop just two million kilometers from a large shipyard. They observed ships that were being constructed. Ships being repaired. They also noted several orbital factories whose final product was a mystery. Passive sensors could only tell you so much, and they could not send over an observer.

They dawdled in that system for a little over two weeks, gathering as much intelligence on everything within sensor range. Finally, just as they were leaving, the HMS Shadow launched 4 highly classified missiles that were stealthed and would not reach their targets until two days after Shadow left the system. When the 4 missiles reached their targets, one orbital factory and one shipyard were destroyed by matter anti-matter warheads. The explosive ratio's of the warheads were stunning to say the least.

When the 4 warheads blew, they went simultaneously. Three warheads went off at selected points in and around the shipyard. Each warhead took out 10 kilometers of docking and the ships that were docked there. The factory and three freighters that were on loading from it were also destroyed. This mission alone set the Shas'vsaz back in their war effort. 40 new war ships almost completed, and 8 ships being repaired were totally destroyed as well as a space yard and dock.

Emperor Richard Newcastle was in love. He was lost in thoughts of Vonda Preston. It was reciprocal. During the party the emperor had thrown, Richard had invited Vonda as well as her representatives in the House and the Lords. Of course, he had invited others as well, but the whole party was geared to getting Vonda Preston to the palace.

For the following two months since the party, Richard and Vonda were becoming inseparable. Richard had taken a chance, and revealed his abilities to Vonda and opened his mind to her. It was love at the first meeting of their minds. It was with wonder she read his mind, knowing there was someone like her, who understood. He opened himself to her, and she read him deeply.

She read of his other abilities. Of his having scanned her in the past, as well as the other two men he had identified as telepaths. She felt the loss he felt of his wife and child. His guilt at their deaths. She felt his deep sorrow and regret for the men and woman who were being killed in this new war. She also felt his wonder of her. She also read of and felt the presence of his symbiot, making her only one of 5 people in the Empire who knew of this aspect of the emperor. Finally she felt his total trust in her.

"I want to marry you, Vonda." Richard told her.

"But... you hardly know me!" Vonda exclaimed after hearing this.

Richard just cocked his head at her and looked. She stared back and chuckled at the ridiculousness of that statement. If any two people ever knew one another, these two did to the fullest!

"Well, isn't it a bit early to be asking me to marry you? Won't this give you problems?" Vonda asked.

"I love you, and I know you love me." Richard replied simply.

Vonda sighed. "I know. I love you too."