Chapter 77

"Where is Andrea, Millicent?" asked McCock as the Squadron approached the Maureen's Moon junction.

"She joined "Infamous"."

"Without permission makes you stowaways."

Millicent smiled widely,

"I think I'd prefer to call myself an official observer."

They sat in McCock's cabin where Millicent Utah was almost inhaling her second helping.

"Where were you?"

"In the Boat Bay ready room. I was there before you left and your crews regarded me as part of the furniture. We never made a big thing of who we were when we were formally aboard but most of your crew had seen me at one time or another and we were always in unmarked skin suits. Having to live off the ready room's snacks was the worst of it. I hacked into the command circuits and the ready room screens now show an amazing lot of information."

"Millicent, I should lock you up and throw away the key."

Utah gave McCock the fish eye and pointed out,

"I out rank you, you know."

McCock grinned back evilly,

"I am not in your Service, remember? I command the Naval element of the 'Queen's Own Regiment and Palace Guard Service' and you stand, well, sit, in my domain. Still I'd have to explain your status to your Admiral so I'll deprive myself of the pleasure".

"Its nice having friends in high places" and continued in more serious tones, "You are a control freak, Aggy, you know that?"

McCock admitted his fault,

"Agreed; and that could have wrecked the operation. What I had I was just able to manage and when we joined combat I realized it but it was somewhat late. During the moves before the engagement of that ancillary fleet action I realized just how deep I could be in it and began delegating sub-commands but it should have been in place before the task group moved out."

Being an excellent staff officer with many "Crusher" courses behind her, Millicent gently probed,

"In retrospect, how should you have set it up?"

McCock had been thinking about it:

""Gremlin" to command "Vulcan", "Vector", and the 'Grendels'. "Warburton" to command the V and Ws and to pass under "Infamous" for the bombardment. "Infamous" to be second in command of the group. Apart from "Shriek" I don't think I could have used the armed cutters because I had "Infamous". I had them in my mind as sacrificial cover if things had gone pear shaped. I would have lost ten, twenty minutes launching them in company. I got the KeyHACs and UVAs out but perhaps I should have left another or two 'reccys' out to give wider coverage of damage assessment and as backup. I think the KeyHACs under "Gremlin", the recce UVAs, and the cutters under me as Commodore; the reserve missile nests with two KeyHACs under me."

Millicent asked,

"Why didn't you use the HACs as cover once you translated?"

"If a HAC can see it, the HAC can be seen so my chances of being detected go up exponentially. I had Period which covered not quite the same volume as the HACs could. Let me bounce this off you, Millicent...

I think the makeup of this group is just about right for a raiding force...

But we should have at the centre a larger CHAC with the necessary 'puter power for the missiles, the 'puters in the 'Grendels' as backup; she should have a full complement of recce UVAs and KeyHACs. The screen of CL and DDs each with a cutter and UVA, perhaps a KeyHAC on the CL as well – there is space available and this multiplies the screens' Cruise missile. 'Puters in the screen to link with CHAC 'puter to give control over a larger missile first salvo and more missiles per salvo. Missile carrier to be virtually slaved to the CHAC. The Commander can be anywhere – perhaps on "Shriek" for this group? When we get back and settle I'll write up a paper for discussion."

Millicent nodded slowly,

"Why the secrecy?"

McCock looked blankly at her for a second before responding,

"Keep them guessing!"

Millicent pondered on that.

They were guessing. Eloise Pritchard looked across at her CNO.

"What hit us, Tom, and where did it come from?"

"Don't know and don't know."

Pritchard focused a shocked gaze on him,

"Would you care to expand on that for me?"

"Reports filtering through from neutrals confirm that even though we lost Lester and his fleets, the Mounties took a hell of a beating. There isn't much covering Mountserrat system and we know Cunningham commands it. No mention of Browne or Kuzak and we know Blue Hills is still first Lord. If either Browne or Kuzak had survived they'd command Home Fleet and Cunningham would be commanding Eighth. There is no mention of Eighth; there is no mention of Third either and we know Third isn't at Maureen's Moon; its got a scratch force of Renmark and Amiranti ships. Protector's Own and Renmark Home Fleet are close on Yarragh by all reports. So, what hit us? Don't know. Where did it come from? Don't know."

"Tom, you've got to do better than that!"

"Eloise, I'll tell you exactly what I have got. I know about those new missiles, a couple of fleets' worth of them, taking out everything, everything Eloise, there isn't even a destroyer left of the Home Fleet. I know HACs bombarded the planet –very professionally and carefully, I might add. I know something, using fifty centimetre energy gun mounts, type 71 and type 53 energy torpedoes from stable firing platforms took out everything – well nearly everything, I've heard we've got two power plants operational – in the city. In the city, Eloise. Carefully. Deliberately. That's all I've got. Third Fleet (Provisional) was returning from working up exercise when the base exploded. About two hours out ten SD(N)s were blown apart. I've got a very shaky CL Commodore who was the screen for the SDs. Brentwich had him out front actively pinging as they come up at redline. He says the missiles fired from behind him, between the screen and the SDs when they fired. Inside the Fleet screen, Eloise. He had nothing on active. Not a sniff of anything. The Commodore thinks whoever it was just let his squadron escape. If you think I am close to panic, you are wrong. I am panicking. I'm just too tired to throw a gibbering fit on your carpet, that's all...

What's the planetary damage?"

"You heard right! We've got only two power plants left this side of the planet. All the bridges, road and fast train infrastructure are destroyed. All the military bases. They took out a school building but that was probably an honest mistake; there was a missile battery and a big parade ground. Thank God, it was night and there were no students. The battery isn't there anymore either. There are no docks or warehouses. Every freighter except three destroyed. The three were Sollies who had their transponders transmitting. Their anchor watches took to the life pods when the fleet was being destroyed. There was some eight to ten minutes delay before the bombardment began on the docks. I can give you confirmation on your HACs, here!"