Chapter 58

"The male" Rosemary informed 119 (Reformed)'s staff, "is a high officer of the Chencon government. He claimed to be a spacer who was accidentally locked in his cubby shortly after departure from the fleet. Chewy, who is being very cooperative now I have promised him I'll shoot him when we are finished with this operation, identified him as Sat Yun Lei and places him just below the Committee itself. Any message he carried has the full weight of the ruling junta behind it. Armed with this information, I returned to Sat and asked him a few questions; he declined most impolitely. After asking him several times to change his mind, I introduced him to Chewy. Chewy greeted Sat like a long lost brother in Chen which I don't speak. Sung however was on the other end of the listening devices scattered about and said Chewy was informing Sat how he had ended up the way he now is just because he wouldn't cooperate with the dragon lady.

I return with Sat to the sick bay, where I asked him to cooperate. He declined yet again. So I convinced him to cooperate and he is now babbling like a brook.

Chencon has been planning for a long time on colonising this part of the galaxy. P'nO have been used for exploration. The decision has been made to take over the Kingdom of Mountserrat with the junction and spread out over an area from Raffles -Paracelsus — Harbouria — Sema — Bhute — Gorgipest. Renmark and Damasa are to be neutralised because they are a significant force within the area. The Harbourian hegemony is to be taken over. The surviving populations are to be reduced to not quite slavery as their agricultural ability is needed even if the industries are not. Chencon regarded our war as a blessing from heaven and the home fleets' destructions on both sides as a gift from the gods. They have decided that because of the ethnic similarities with Amaranti, that they will seek treaties with the Emperor. The access to Paracelsus's commodities through Raffles is sufficient to satisfy them.

The present operation is to take control of the Junction, pass a fleet division through to Raffles and move out to Paracelsus to take out any opposition. A second division is to take out Renmark Damasa and then move out to the southeast to destroy the outlying provinces. The third division is to use the Junction to reach Maureen's Moon in the Perseus arm and move against Harbouria.

The supply train follows the main fleet departing a day later giving the armada time to control the Junction and the two divisions to pass across to the Perseus arm; the supply trains follow their battle fleet divisions through the junction and the last division and its train deal with Renmark Damasa and then down to Gorgipest.

The courier was to have reported to the Committee and a colonising fleet was to join the armada in Mountserrat.

And if you believe that I have some bottom land in Glasgeigh you can buy cheaply from me.

He has just enough truth in that to make it convincing. There are two gaping holes in that story. One — we know there are not enough hulls left in Chencon to even guard their own n space and two — the destruction of the courier; it was never meant to return. My assessment was that he partied hard on the flagship and his hosts got him drunk while they sabotaged the courier probably during bunkering.

I think the background about intentions is correct; I have doubts about the tactical details and about the alleged colonising fleet. Sat doesn't believe me when I tell him he was meant to die in that explosion and that is one reason why he is being cagey.

I have asked Sung to study the box of chips and send a summary asap. Meantime, I'll continue talking to our shipwrecked mariners.

I am not happy with my enquiries to date but thought you should hear the results."

"Thanks, Rosemary" McCock said, "there are gaping inconsistencies in that tale but the long term plans have been put by two of the enemy, now. Meantime you are all aware of the more evident separation of the armada divisions? Good. Henry, pass the assessments onto the other captains and ask them to keep the crews informed. Nothing else? Suits; go to it, people."

Some hours later a solitary Chencon DE made its way to the galactic south at a low cruise velocity, actively pinging as he went. He hove to amidst the debris of the courier and appeared to closely inspect the larger pieces of debris. Apparently satisfied, he returned to the armada.

McCock had the holo projected above his office desk and had watch the progress of the DE. McCock's neurones sped up again as he tried to make sense of the Chencon intentions and then gave it up as a 'bad job' — there were just too many unknowns.

Sally and McCock had been asleep and it was well into second watch when Evan knocked on the cabin door.

A grumbling McCock asked,

"Yes?"

"CIC reports the Chencon combat elements except for what appears to be a convoy protection force have departed," came Evan's voice, "least time course to Settlement and ETA there eleven hours and forty minutes; they are cruising at four hundred gravs."

"Pass the word for my staff to assemble at the third 'puter in thirty minutes."

McCock heard Evan's acknowledgement and turned to smack Sally's posterior,

"Up! Staff meet in thirty minutes."

"Are the Captains on coms? Henry?"

"Aggy at three second, the major part of the Chencon battle fleets moved and crossed the border some twenty minutes later. The Mounty destroyers moved also; two departing at max towards Mountserrat and the other two in a forward shadowing position. The divisions settled into a triangle formation with two up and one trailing; the command element was in the centre.

The command element consists of that super DN, four BB squadrons and they have retained their six DD squadrons.

The divisions have as their core, the seventeen squadrons of DNs and eight squadrons of BBs; six squadrons of BCs lead the core and four squadrons of those CAs and eight squadrons of CLs are the screen.

That's one hundred and seventy ships of the line times three plus twenty one.

There are no supply vessels in that armada; every last one is outside the border.

The convoy escort is two squadrons of BBs, four squadrons of BCs, twelve squadrons of those pocket battleships, six of CLs and all ninety six DEs.