Chapter 76

"I lied" McCock said bluntly to Commodore Tremaine and Captain jg Sir Victor Carlton as they stood in the Command Centre of HMS "Infamous". Sir Victor said

"Aggy, I got that horrible sinking feeling when I read our orders. You wrote them didn't you? They were so vague – couldn't have written them better myself. Of course, this fine upstanding example of an RMN officer couldn't envisage anyone being so sneaky. Now the full story Sir."

McCock looked at his COHAC with a slight smile; he was his COHAC; the orders literally put "Infamous" under McCock's direct command without setting out any specifics. McCock was sure the Admiral had her suspicions but had allowed him operational discretion.

"The R 1 is only coming for another six days to top up the V and Ws and two bladders of reaction mass which they will put at deck cargo on "Washton" and "Warburton". We are two days out of Maureen's Moon now. Once we drop the Rider we will continue in hyperspace to Harbouria planet. We will drop out of hyper three point seven days, twenty four hour day, at two forty grav this side of Harbouria. The task group will shake down with the "Grendels" forming a vertical box with each at passive detection range of two others; they won't be able to find their diagonals on passive. "Vector" will be at the centre a passive distance astern of that box's centre with "Infamous" and "Vulcan" abreast trailing me astern as close as you can be; the V and Ws will make a similar box astern of "Vector" with the Vs on top forming a cube with us at centre. We will advance hole in space at two forty gravs. Astrographic data suggests Noveau Liege will be dead ahead of us when we come out of hyper. Their old Naval base was at NP. I am sending the eight reccy UVAs as soon as we get into n space out to our right and they will come out of the planets south east as we look at it. Acting like a meteorite swarm caught in the planet's gravity they will sweep the planet through two orbits and then depart apparently haphazardly but they will come back to us except one. The data will be sent back to us when they are on this side of the planet. "Vector" will designate the major Naval installations and their ships. The target's missile salvo's will be allocated. The "Grendels" will work on secondary targets, missile batteries, defence bases etc which will either require an energy torpedo or an energy blast. Population centres to be noted and to act negatively on the planning. Then they will move onto tertiary targets, docks and then warehouses, freighters, power plants, bridges and other infra structure...

We may have to loiter because I want the major naval base on edge to us at missile impact. The one UVA will sit above the main base giving us up to date information every eight hours going real time at missile release. Depending exactly where that main base is we'll throw the nests at them. Cdr Wamirant says he can get three hundred gravities by the centrifugal force of the rotary action of "Vulcan". We'll launch a day out and then send the KeyHACs ahead at six hundred gravities to wait for them. After the missile strike we'll assess the damage and if they can't react I'll send the V and Ws and the HACs in for pin point energy bombardment. The "Grendels" will give cover. What are you going to be doing during the planning? "Infamous" and "Vulcan" will be second guessing the assessments before "Vulcan" passes them to the missiles. You have the last chips we have of Harbouria? They are hopelessly out of date but the geography won't have changed...

You will cover our withdrawal, as we'll go out the way we came in with your HACs screening...

I'm going to have "Shriek" drop out of hyper ahead of us, have a global Period sweep and if all clear we go out, if not we wait and adjust the time frame. We'll withdraw to the hyper limit and "Shriek" will precede us. She will remain with you as an additional screening unit astern. Period will be shut down on "Vector", "Infamous" and "Vulcan" for the approach. The outriders will globally sweep outside the cube irregularly once every twenty minutes. Any questions? Probably hundreds. The orders are being transmitted as I speak; get your CIC familiar with the scheme and the planet's geography. Brief the HAC crews in two days. Just in case have three HAC flights in defensive mode at instant ready status. McCock clear!"

Sir Victor turned to his friend,

"I enjoyed doing nasty things in training exercises to keep us on the alert. Now I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of the shaft. Still one thing remains the same. We are gonna ream the Harbourians a new one and they had to invite us along to give then a helping hand!"

Scotty looked Sir Victor in the eye,

"You're only pleased because you finally got to name your HAC "Iris B""

"There is that."

Later, on HMS "Infamous".

"Signal from Flag, action stations. "Shriek" about to translate."

"Action Stations, please OW. Acknowledge signal."

"From Flag. "Shriek" reports clear. Translate and formation Charlie"

"Acknowledge signal. Helm translate. Oh I hate this, ugh!"

"Fold sails. Impellors at two forty gravs. Shields hole-in-space. Tuck us in behind "Vector". Thank you. Who has the watch? Stand down from Action Stations, watch and watch. COHAC? Put the flights at their status. COB? Meals organized? I'll be in my cabin."

"Commodore leaving the bridge."

Caine moved quietly about the Admiral's cabin making disorder disappear with a deft touch here and there. His Admiral sat at her desk just moving chips around. He put a cup of cocoa by her right hand and she looked up at him,

"Caine, this is the first time in my naval career that I have sent my people into harm's way and I have not been with them in some part of the operation personally; and I do not like the feeling. Now I know how Sir Thomas has felt. He has carried the burden for almost two decades. It is an eerie unpleasant feeling."

On "Vector",

"Commodore, first reports from the UVAs. Their Periods also report a fleet off to the far side of the planet below the plane, preliminary assessment five SD(N) and another five as large we haven't anything on. There are at least two CA squadrons covering them."

"Designate them Bogey one but don't put them in our target list. Yet. Pass it onto "Infamous" and "Vulcan". V and Ws top up bunker mass and pass the bladders onto "Vulcan" and "Infamous"."

"All Grendels "Vector". Comments on the 'puter results. Their Navy base hasn't shifted. That Harbourian home Fleet is a significantly stronger then I'd have expected and there is a lot of that new construction. The infrastructure of the planet is grouped about the capital. Disregard targets outside a third sphere centered on the Navy Base. Disregard Bogey One. Turn the 'puters loose on the missile requirements on the primary targets and then the secondary. Suits in order?"

"Grendel suits"

"Gorgon suits"

"Giant suits"