Chapter 60

"Bernard, did you... ?"

"Yes, my lord of Montrose, I saw the whole thing on vid as did my planet. It has done one thing for sure and answered any doubters. My capitol is virtually deserted and I haven't given the order to evacuate. The U93 feed seems to be expanded, Aggy. Did you do that?"

"Yes, Bernard; I put four U40s down into n space and joined them into the feed from U93."

"Would you do the same for U94 if that armada heads this way. I want a full evidence book when I bring them to justice and Tester grant, I'll spend as long as I have got to do that. Any word on Elizabeth?"

"I've not tried to raise anyone there. I am confident that my coms can't be broken but while that lot sit there, I am stuck out here spectating. I suspect she didn't survive but I'd be surprised if she didn't send the heir out of the city. I don't know how far the evacuation got but I was talking with Silas Rowan about four days ago now and their Home Secretary had not followed the party line of sweetness and light and had full blown plans for an evacuation which he had started. If the monarchy survives, I'll put him up for a peerage. I'll have to go, Your Grace, my people tell me things are moving here. Clear."

After a day, during which the supply train was passed through the layer, tethered together and a U40 beacon attached to reinforce U99, the Chencon shuttles were all returning to their ships. Shields which had been at half strength were coming up to full strength

.

McCock was content with the state of affairs existing in his group.

Denny and Polack had spent their time exploring the BC and CAs and had prevailed upon McCock to retain one of the smaller tankers for reaction mass for the BC, CAs and the VWs. The Large Reaction-mass Carrier was now with the FURS in the slow squadron.

Denny had created chaos on R1 and R2, collecting Holeinspace and Period equipment, whilst Tim and Des were shuttling prize crews up and down the layer. With his three Master Specialists, Denny had equipped the captured warships with the sets, tested them and then turned them over to Commander Hugh Avers with instructions 'not to bend our new ships'. Hugh's reply was not recorded but there was not a chance the captured vessels could be used in operations because to 119 they were completely new and desperately undermanned. McCock wasn't sure what he wanted to do with them at this point, so he let his neurones subside on that question.

The hospital ships were on their way south in the delta band and their ETA Old Earth was in thirteen days time. McCock had informed Ambassador Abe Lindsay of the capture of the supply train and the dispatch of the Chencon hospital ships home. With a bitter grimness in his voice, Abe Lindsay assured they would be met and well cared for. The major players were coming out of their holes as they realised how little of the Chencon Navy was still in home space and censure motions in the Senate were only just being held off because of lack of independent evidence for the destruction of Settlement.

"A trifle late for five million Mounties" remarked McCock.

"Your Grace, to be truthful, I didn't fully believe that a civilised nation would behave in this way so therefore I, personally, cannot condemn others' lack of action. I believed that, at worst, the Chencons would take Elizabeth's surrender and the actions of the Chencons here, over the past days, led me to believe this to be the case. I didn't like it, but surrender was preferable to destruction. Now I am a government in exile trying to obtain justice. I have very strong support from Enkland and Scotchland, and Noramcon and Canal are on side as well. Eurocon appears to lean towards us as well. We will care for those poor shipwrecked mariners and if I have my way I'll dance on their gibbets." Another brief exchange of pleasantries ended the com.

The Chencon armada was undergoing another regrouping as it got under way to the north.

A pair of destroyers from the command group broke off to the south to where the supply train had been and could possibly be regarded as still being.

One of the original divisions split into halves with one half veering to the starboard onto a least time course for Renmark and the other half division spreading itself among the other two original divisions which were heading on a least time track for Harbouria. The armada went into hyper making rapid velocities towards their destinations.

"I think they are doomed" McCock crowed " and the further they travel northwards, the more certain that will be. Say twelve hours for those destroyers to get here. A couple of hours to deal with them. Up into Cosmic over Settlement to find out what is going down there. Then onto Renmark to assist them with that lot. The Chencons will take five or so days in hyper to reach Renmark so I've got time. Henry, fly off another pair of UVAs to shadow them, please."

"Already done, Aggy; I've simply reprogrammed two of the four 'watchers' over Settlement and taken them out of the 93 -94 link. You might want to give some thought to making a direct link rather than as it now is via Gorgipest's U96. We have quite a few spare UVAs still; I've had a word with Theo and he has them sitting in n space ready to go at your command."