Chapter 60

Evan Cochrane was a humane man who had realized early in the deployment that, with a certain amount of finagling, he could send detachments through the Junction so that his crew members could make contact with their loved ones as much as was possible in war years. It was noticeable that the crew's adaptability allowed more partnered than single "ashore on Raffles" and the opposite in Paracelsian or Amiranti ports.

Polack was one of those who enjoyed "shore leave" at Raffles but events did not conspire that he be present for the birth of his son, Augustus Gregory. The silence from the Amirant Empire was almost absolute except for a comment from their Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth that the "Trudi affair was not a cause of concern". Trudi had written to her Grandpapa and a strictly personal correspondence was maintained. Polack accepted Trudi's assurance that there would be no consequences but was more relieved by the arrival of a christening cup bearing the boy's name and the Amirant Coat of Arms.

However, back aboard, Polack wondered who had convinced the Captain, the XO and the Chief Engineer to grow horns and forked tails. It was his own stupid fault. From the time of his return from his marriage and subsequently his leaves, he wore an excreta eating grin and he had to be smacked down hard to bring his concentration and thought processes back to the ship. Denny and Cowboy were not much better as 'Mina and Shelly continued their visits to Raffles and Gregor. Slow still thought the whole matter was hilarious, but Aggy and she covered the Raffles and Gregor duties willingly.

More convoys, occasional sighting of pirates who now gave the convoys a wide berth, and the loss of freighters after the convoy's break-up continued. The change of government with Baron Brown Hollow in power leading to the Armistice left everyone gloomily ambivalent. The ambivalence got deeper as the news of the reductions in force without a peace treaty came through. For 119, however, the drudgery of convoying continued with ship drills, fleet evolutions, and "Shriek" training sorties.

The squadron had joined up and were escorting twenty one merchantmen, four days out of Raffles with "Shriek" leading using a crossover pattern. She was on the right of the convoy when "Washton" gave the alarm over the Tabes ('talk between ships' which was an open circuit encrypted burst link between all the squadron's ships),

""Washton" target two three zero co-planar, one point two four mega klicks, tracking zero four zero degrees at four eighty gravities, over"

""Vance" thank you. "Shriek", make best possible to intercept and identify, over."

""Shriek" wilco".

""Vance" all ships, action stations, clear."

In "Shriek", Lt jg Felix Arbuthson quickly assessed his screens, did the mental calculations,

"Helm, bring her left to two two five, full ahead, we'll save max mil till we need it."

"Shriek's" Quartermaster acknowledged and the ERA in a clear soprano said,

"Thank you, Sir!"

Felix wondered what in the underworld am I doing here, does he hate me that much that I land in the bucket on my first independent sortie, Mother can I come home now I promise I'll be good. Having purged his mind of his uncertainties his training kicked in and he watched the tell tales on his screens.

"Tac, do a quick calculation where that bogey will appear. Guns warm up the graser and bring the missiles on line, please."

"Commodore, "Vance" take the convoy to zero nine zero degrees and begin a plus minus spread of thirty degrees, bring the convoy speed to two eighty, out to you. All ships except "Shriek" join on "Washton" who will turn towards the bogey, clear."

Felix Arbuthson heard that,

"EW put Period on my screen."

To reduce the clutter of lines marking vessels' paths and trying to decipher the compound effect of his track on them, he reduced the time of record to ten minutes.

""Washton" bogey identified as Harbourian Battle class CA and two Frigate class CLs. My EW thinks they have been actively pinging intermittently. Bogey could pick up the convoy if he pinged in the next twenty or so, over"

Gold Roper wondered what Harbourians were doing in Paracelsus; there was an armistice, wasn't there?.

""Vance" "Washton" standby, Commodore, turn the convoy back to the left thirty degrees, over"

"Commodore, wilco."

""Vector". We've got a leaker, a 'merchie' has turned right and is heading towards the bogey. I'm turning to shepherd, over."