Chapter 49

There wasn't much conversation aboard "Shriek" on the return voyage, but McCock asked the question,

"Why wasn't Admiral Cunningham at that meeting?"

"She had already expressed her view according to Sam Costello" advised Sir Henry "and it was extremely depressing according to the reports he's getting."

"What would you advise Commodore?" enquired Captain Harwood.

"As soon as that Chencon fleet gets into hyper, destroy that fourth supply train in a hit run engagement and at every favourable put a barrage of missiles into the trains at every opportunity I got; create as much havoc as I could safely make being very careful of my assets. Perhaps there might be enough damage to the trains to force a re-think about the operation but I'd not count on that."

"Mountserrat would still be attacked" stated Harwood.

"And destroyed" McCock continued, "I didn't say I'd win but that is the only chance of limiting the damage that fleet will do in our area. The loss of Mountserrat will be a major blow to the capacity to deal with this and other attacks and it will probably end with a disadvantageous peace with Harbouria. Renmark would probably be absorbed by Harbouria but Amaranti would remain untouched.

Gustavus and his people don't know the meaning of the word defeat and would make it extremely costly for an attacker to take them down; probably far more than the attacker would be prepared to pay. At present Amaranti has the strongest fleet among the Allies and I know for a fact they have absorbed and integrated the lessons from Home Space and Harbouria. There would be a bitter price to pay for Amaranti but the Chencon fleet could pay it. Whether they will or not depends upon the Junction."

"Can you defend Gorgipest?" Harwood persisted.

"Never in the face of a combined Chencon fleet; I doubt if I could even delay it, but I would have time as my reccy elements will tell me immediately in which direction the Chencons go. I can hold back their faster screening elements if they are sent in advance; that supply train is the brake on speed of advance — it just depends how they plan on moving. Time to evacuate my people is all I need.

However, I believe that Chencon fleet can be defeated, but, to achieve this, the Allies will have to absorb a tremendous amount of planetary damage and the Navy must be preserved to continue the war.

It is going to be an interesting time for Mountserrat's government and all the more because to this point, Chencon intentions are pure conjecture."

What McCock did not impart was the Lord Protector's scheme to hide his fleets, towing his orbitals, in hyper and to disperse the population of his capitol into the steadings. In McCock's opinion, this scheme had a very good chance of success because of the very much smaller population base of Renmark compared to Mountserrat. The long term success would depend upon the Chencon presence remaining in the Orion Arm; if Chencon concentrated on the Perseus Arm (using the Junction) then Renmark would probably remain independent.

An interesting question was Chencon's intentions towards Harbouria. The question was rather academic in view of the prevailing opinion that Mountserrat would be 'dealt with' first.

As "Shriek" moved through n space towards "Illustrious", Sir Crypian joined McCock,

"May I offer my congratulations on your peerage, Your Grace, mightily earned."

"Thank you, Sir."

"I have had some time to think over this whole schemozzle and I am like Sir Henry, I can't see any good way about it. I have a really bad feeling about it. I would ask you take Harwood and Younger on attachment to your staff on my verbal orders."

McCock raised an eyebrow towards the Admiral who went on

"RMN is going to need officers of exceptional ability to rebuild no matter what happens. Firstly if things go pear shaped with the Chencons, they will survive and secondly, they will gain experience on a vertically integrated naval service — from R & D, development, production, trials and service on admittedly a smaller scale than RMN but of such a size that the whole picture can be absorbed. In RMN that comes by the time an officer reaches flag rank. If things go as you predict then flag officers are going to be thin on the ground afterwards. Will you take them?"

"Are they agreeable?"

"Agreeable but reluctant" replied the Admiral.

McCock waved the two officers to join them,

"I have an important reservation and you will have to make your decision quickly. To whom will your loyalty attend, if the Queen orders the Navy to surrender?"

The three RMN officers were shocked at the possibility. McCock continued

"If it is the only way to save her people, Elizabeth might consider it necessary. You need to think upon this as I am not bound by the Queen's orders; I am a privateer with a mercenary fleet presently lightly attaching myself to her coattails. While I do not see myself against her, my ultimate loyalty is to my people and their preservation. It could eventuate that as a condition of surrender, RMN come under command of the Chencons.

To join me, I require your loyalty and your trust. Let me know if you are agreeable."