Chapter 45

In the weeks after Rowan's departure, 119(Reformed) began forming up as an integrated unit. It was noted that the RMN screening forces of the BC squadron were taking a little more interest in their activities than usual, not enough to be a nuisance but they were there.

McCock managed to be regularly at home letting his subordinates scurry about which some of them gleefully did.

Sir Henry paid some of his attention to the "Dowager Lady" when she berthed. He watched real time as a 'tainer was transported to a farming property some hundred klicks south of Gorgipest and others which were emptied on the docks of normal appearing cargo moved to businesses about the city. The cargo which went to previously identified contacts was more closely examined unknown to its putative owners and to no one's great surprise military equipment was found; com sets, personal armour, weapons and explosive; not enough to start a revolution but enough to equip several assault teams. The teams however did not appear. The close watch on the farm house was a trifle difficult because of proximity alarms in place which of itself raised Sir Henry's eyebrows; he substituted remote vids. Eventually, much concentration was required when an unmanned drone flew off in what proved to be trial run with control signals emanating from "Dowager Lady". A UVA was moved into lower n space to over watch the farm as speculation ran riot over the purpose of the drone — reconnaissance or flying bomb? Or both? At this point McCock was informed. His response was to call a staff meeting on "Vector". It was time to take a greater interest in "Dowager Lady". "Shriek" was brought up to two hours notice and an armoured boarding party briefed. Hopefully, the boarding would happen in hyper out of view of the local authorities. Events worked out just as planned. "Dowager Lady" duly sailed fully laden. As she travelled to the hyper, she began sending signals which appeared to cause the drone to fly off. The UVA destroyed it with a self defence rocket with a secondary explosion which must have given the area's insect population a severe headache — the farm occupants were not taking any further interest in things. The signals ceased and the "Dowager Lady" translated into hyper where her nodes were burnt off by "Shriek". The boarding party was resisted and no prisoners could be taken. It was a complete shame that the operation yielded absolutely nothing. Sir Henry enjoyed himself.

James and Dorian sent their mothers into near hysterics by informing them the boys were applying for the Naval College at Greenwich in Enkland as cadets who were called midshipmen; they considered that attending Mountserrat would lead to more problems than they cared for. The mothers were barely mollified by the knowledge that this would not happen for two years.

Cerise had decided to carry her pregnancy rather than tube the boy. Nan, Sally and Erin understood her need to undergo a live birth even though all three had vehemently advised against it. Cerise however expressed great faith in Sir Lancelot and Rosemary. That last name had resulted in a very rapid blankening of the listeners' features.

A very uninspiring gentleman of McCock's stature wearing a suit of excellent quality but which looked as if it had been slept in frequently slipped into the chair beside McCock at his table in "The Green Man".

"Crypian McDermid, thank you for meeting me so informally" offering his hand.

"I am intrigued at the request" said McCock completing the gesture.

"Evan Cochrane asks to be remembered to you. He has been recalled to 'Plans' and it is his whisper to me that leads me to seek you out. Seems that if hostilities expand, I am to place my BC squadron at your command. Evan was very careful when he said that and very specific. But I could not get an explanation and yesterday I receive sealed orders to be opened in the event of an escalation of the war. I feel like a starving mushroom, I haven't even been fed the bullshit. I dislike operating in a vacuum and I've no doubt you have the same desire to know what is going on. So I swallowed my RMN pride and come asking for some reason as to why it might be likely that I place my command under, and I'm sure you are honest enough to realise you are a novice at command, and also why I should, apart from obeying a lawful command."

McCock regard the speaker for a moment or two,

"Please join me in our suite for a meal. I'll have them send it up."

The men rose, placed their orders with the bartender and walked up to the Flock's suite. McCock ushered his guest to a deep armchair, making a drink to his request, making one for himself, passing his drink and then sat himself down in the other chair. Both men ritually appreciated their tipples, placed them on the small table between them and settled back into the chairs. McCock started off,

"Now I think on it most if not all of the information I have is held tight and from what you say, I doubt if Admiralty knows of it or at least they haven't sent out the intelligence reports and I don't think that it is the Admiralty which is playing games; come to think further on it, I don't think anyone else is either. If I am right in this, the lights in the Round Tower are burning bright and long. Decisions here are being made at the highest political level and mere Rear Admirals get left out in the cold."

"That may be so" rejoined the Rear Admiral, "but that makes it even more frustrating for me. Without offence, you are a jumped up privateer commodore. Against that, while there are idiots in the Admiralty, Evan Cochrane is not one of them."