Chapter 66

Felix Arbuthson was appointed to command "Vance". He had been the only ex-RMN officer in that small fleet which had set out from Settlement.

McCock's time was much taken up with administering his small empire and getting it restarted again.

Angie Merton had received an unusual request to find cloth fabricators and to find any contractors who had supplied uniforms to RMN. She found one of each. Both had had to close down putting off staff reflecting the economy of the planet.

The rural and transport sectors had been untouched. The major blow was the unemployment suffered when the Yards were destroyed. Unskilled labour needs would be increased for some time clearing the yards; to rebuild them and to move into shipbuilding again would require the return of workers who after three or four years unemployment had lost their skills and who would be behind the times. It could become a very nasty cycle, down skilling discouraging return of investment.

There were also the younger generations having nowhere to go.

At McCock's instigation, Cdr Egmont had restarted and expanded the apprentice and trade schools at the Navy base dirtside.

McCock had had another conference which had comprised Sir Joshua Galbraith in his role of trustee, Professor Claude Décor, vice chancellor of Mountserrat University of Gorgipest Rural and Navy School, which would give basic education with a streaming available to move off to rural, trade or academia. The school to have a navy bias, of course. With the current situation, there were probably students available now to enter at all levels so the sooner it got started the better; training hands on was available and perhaps employment.

Sir Thomas had not totally abrogated his responsibilities. Cdr Laurence H Nanting in the light cruiser HMS "Forceful", some nine weeks after the Harbourian raid was dispatched to Gorgipest to investigate as fully as he could and report back. Neutral merchantmen were infrequent visitors and most had been diverted by news of the increased Harbouriaite activity but some hadn't received the news. The "Hebrides Trader II" had just cleared Gorgipest the day before the raid and had arrived in Settlement after Admiral Higgins' return there, so she was no help.

The survivors of the raid understood full well what a return of Harbourian forces would mean, but they accepted it because it was out of their control. "Shriek" was worked hard with twelve man crews being rotated daily. Pilot and Customs craft were used to extend the coverage. Two of the V and Ws were out trying to cover the pickets such as they were with one DD at four hours' notice and the fourth at twelve hours. "Offspring" was reinforced by 'nationalised' space yachts to do the running about. The Rider shuttles were kept very busy involved in the salvage of the Yards.

Nanting parked his nose in very carefully. Approach reported,

"Single hyper foot print at the limit. Went immediately into full em com and we lost him."

"Control "Victoria". Identified as Manty CL Forceful class moving to south east at one twenty gravs."

McCock was in a Cabinet meeting – again – when the reports came in. "Victoria" and "Vance" to continue their patrols. "Shriek" to intercept and introduce herself with fifteen seconds of normal active pinging – that will attract his attention and then invite him to move to the Yard to berth. Captain Peterson will meet and greet. McCock turned to his cabinet and gave them the news,

"I want that Captain to be given a full brief and his crew to spend as normal a leave here as possible. No restriction of information. In fact, plan on an invitation for that Captain to join us in the next meeting, please Dane."

The Captain and his crew had featured heavily in the local faxes informing Gorgipest on the most recent events in the Kingdom. The news of the other Harbourian raids was not a surprise but was sobering. The fall of the Brown Hollow government was saluted by many a raised glass.

Dane Petersen introduced Laurence Nanting to the cabinet. After the usual pleasant meal, the Cabinet was called to order. McCock stated,

"Commander Nanting, I hold Gorgipest by right of conquest and I will continue to hold it until such time as the courts make a just determination. If Gorgipest is retaken from me by force, which I will not oppose, I'll blacken the name of the Kingdom in every fax in the Universe. I'll fight the Kingdom in its own courts. The Queen could exercise her prerogative but that will be as great a PR disaster as the use of force...

The Avers are my employees and are more a Secretariat than pseudo ministers...

There was no governance here until I put it into place. These so called ministers have administered Gorgipest for the good of Gorgipest and I can't see any treason in that, just in case anyone should think so. I am a self appointed Governor, true, but the Queen's title and rule are recognized...