Chapter 65

Bert Belter met them at the air lock on his yacht.

"It's good to see you again, TJ, and you too Morg. The Matriach with you?"

"Well met, Bert. No, she stayed on 'Pest as my daughter's Companion."

"Sundowner" was in full Dune hove to just outside the radar return distance of the probing numerous detection stations on the Harbourian planet. TJ had requested he be allowed to shuttle down to the orbitals to meet up with the Colony's caretaker and get the feel of the politics of the planet before announcing their presence. Clare agreed but only on condition, he use a fully crewed 737. This resulted in a somewhat polite discussion which TJ was never going to win. So TJ piloted 737 with Morg in the right seat, Jane Foster on EW / Nav, Eva Porter on weapons / coms (aka WAG — wireless air gunner) and Susan Gort, crew chief (the result of a minor discussion as 'Nita was on next watch).

TJ had also obtained permission to dispatch the scouts each on a single spiral about the planet; Cedric to oversight the findings — as well as OW, but tough, he was the junior man and he could instruct the Daughters in the procedure.

TJ had formed up in the shadow of an inbound freighter using Dune (why take a chance) until the orbitals where he was inside the major radar stations' search areas and then parted company to trundle eastwards around to the parking area of the yacht in the General Spacing. 737 locked on and TJ threw the Dune sphere about the two vessels (so it was imperfect on the other side of the yacht but that was the GS orbitals anyway). The 737 crew passed into the yacht and after the greetings, the ladies were introduced.

The earbugs got motile and the Companions were loosed.

"Will you lot keep the noise down?" Susan yelped, "A girl can't hear herself think with all that chattering going down."

Five pair of human eyes turned to look at her, four of them with eyebrows rising and eyes widening and the Companions lapsed into silence.

(The Companions on "Sundowner", when not on duty in an earbud, vocally chattered communicating among themselves, so as to not distract the crew but the Colony had not developed this procedure and communicated telepathically.)

"Can't you hear them? 'Nita says she hears the Companions all the time; drives her scatty at times."

{'Nita and Susan cannot block us out.} This was heard(?) only by Morg as the others had lost the touch contact and TJ was, as usual, blocking when not in physical contact.

"Well, I usually only hear a background buzz but it doesn't worry me that much;" Jane replied. "Come to think of it, all the Tulip females do the same — except Clare, that is."

"Suits, can we leave this one until we return to the ship?" Morg asked somewhat distractedly before speaking to Bert,

"Bert, how's the Colony?"

"Well, now we are back in space, being able to romp around in vacuum seems to have improved their health no end but they miss the Matriarch's discipline. They are getting just a bit ... not aggressive, but say ... antsy."

Morg cocked his head as he communed with the Senior Companion,

{Status disputes about standing in colony. The sub-matriarch passed without having assistant. Squabbles. Major concern is long term survivability.}

'Explain' "TJ, I think you need to listen to this; you girls following so far?"

"I got most of it" Susan admitted.

"Just intermittent increase in noise" from June and Eva shook her head.

'Go' from TJ.

{Harbourian colony thinks should return to Sol. When planets colonised, each planet one government and when at war whole planet in danger. Planet Old Earth is many governments and many wars but whole planet not in danger.}

'There's some dispute about that' TJ mentally laughed 'but you do have a point — a good point. We are planning on visiting 'Pest on way back to Sol; from here we go to Bhute before 'Pest. Bhute does have a thing about muties but they are now neutral.'

"Bert, the colony are thinking about relocating to Old Earth" TJ informed him "they seem to feel that being on a single government planet at war has its dangers."

"I'm a tad sympathetic to that view and the destruction of a humongous navy fleet means there aint as much as there used to be defending this planet."

"Oh?" TJ's forehead wrinkled "What was announced by the Peeps?"

"Not much; only the fact that a fleet had attacked Mountserrat Home Space destroying the Mounty Home, Third and Eighth fleets but sustaining heavy losses themselves. But I'm sitting up here in orbit and about a year ago, reinforcements were pouring into the fleet. There was tremendous activity until about seven months ago when everything went quiet. There was some movement two months ago when a heavy cruiser squadron returned with one leaking air. Since then I've identified only two DDs which might have been returnees of that fleet — can't be certain, though. Over the past month or so, heavy naval elements have been returning from the colonies to boost Home Fleet. I reckon Republic of Harbouria navy brass must be dirtying breeks over home defence. The down side is there can't be much left to defend the outlying planets. I reckon that fleet that hit Mountserrat got wiped out but no one is saying a thing. It's almost as if it never existed. What do you know, TJ?"

TJ shrugged,

"The Peeps got their new ones reamed; two humongous sized fleets destroyed or surrendered. Deity alone knows the butcher's bill. We had a ringside. That CA squadron was the trip wire on the junction when Third came barrelling through; they got out and headed home probably as planned so they didn't know how things went down. Those DDs were probably the n space - hyper sentries and they would know almost exactly the outcome so the government here knows. Yah, they have got to be packing death waiting for someone to come calling. Everything seems to have been called back here to home planet — reasonable because of the home industries. Lorn and Grenoble are reduced to basically orbitals' defence."

TJ shook his head remembering the carnage, and continued,

"There is now a small Colony on 'Pest, and "Sundowner" is virtually overrun with arachnids (TJ grinned at the rising arachnid chattering equivalent of {Be nice}.) so the species is no longer endangered. And if they want to, the Colony can join us for Old Earth — probably be as quick with us as waiting for a freighter out of New Liege even with our refit.

Want to sign on?"

{Agreed.}

"Yah, done." Bert accepted. "The Colony've got about seven tonnes of silk for you which will fit in 737. Do I abandon the yacht?"

"Could you sell it? Quickly, I mean."

"Yah. Got a high flyer in Leige Old Town who has been pestering me — even wants to pay cash but the transfer would take a day or so."

"Good oh. Morg back 737 up to the airlock and we'll load the silk and the Colony can board. When you get the cash, Bert, purchase as much good quality fabric as you can for Sundowner Inc — we'll refund ... No? Suits (grimace); we'll buy the stuff from you. But only if it's the good stuff mind. Get it delivered and then embark, just forget to disembark. Helmets people. Bert, skinny, and while you are getting into your skinny bring me up to date on the political situation dirtside."

New Liege was quiet, according to Bert; he caught the shuttle down at least weekly to reprovision and experience real gravity instead of the shipboard variety. True democracy appeared to have broken out with some scathing Bert comments on its efficiency. Civilian morale was good and the Dolists (well, most of them) had made the transition from sucking on the gubmint's hind teat to working for a living — those that rioted in the traditional fashion were in prison or dead; Peep Marines were a touch intolerant of non productives.

The return to "Sundowner" didn't raise any anxiety levels and the ship went sneaky beaky back to the hyper point before making its planet fall known. As "Sundowner" entered n space there was a flurry of activity as the HACs on #3 and #4 airlocks were spaced off and squeezed into the port boat bay to clear an entry port to C forward.

Clare remembered the upset of their last departure and decided to raise the stakes.

...

"Do you hear there, do you hear there, hands to entering harbour, hands to entering harbour."

"Captain on the bridge."

"Ma'am, all stations manned for entering harbour, Bosun on the helm, all gauges in the green and engine room answering bells. We have information Bravo but have not yet commed control for clearances."

"Very good, Mr Hobson, my ship; take over the weapons station and warm up everything but the weapons themselves."

"Your ship Ma;am."

"Mr Cahlewis, Dune on standby and warm up Defence Screen. Full passive."

"Dune standing by, defence ready and all passives on line, Ma'am."

"Very good. Pilot, speak to Control."

"Harbouria Control, this is "Sundowner", transponding zero one four zero tare easy easy, Code 3A, with Bravo, for New Liege, request clearance and instructions. Be advised we are an armed merchant cruiser, with United Solarian World's Senate Letters of Marque carrying diplomatic material. Over."

""Sundowner" identified, clearance not yet available, decrease to two hundred gravs, from your present position track to the Gemini bouy and await clearance, Harbouria."

"Two hundred to Gemini, "Sundowner"."

"Thank you Pilot. Helm, make it so."

"Aye, Ma'am; backing to three three seven and down to one two zero. Course and track aligned Ma'am; velocity two hundred" Dorothy reported.

"Com" Clare directed "standard reporting message to Ambassador Wangfor, please."

"Sent, Ma'am."

Some ten minutes later, Morg reported,

"Ma'am, Captain John Dahlgren USN will meet us to take delivery of the diplomatic bag; he's the Naval Attaché."

"Very good, Mr Windsor."

""Sundowner", from Gemini, you are cleared direct to Liege outer marker, call Leige on four five six zero approaching the outer. Do you require a harbour pilot."

"Boss?"

"Morg, TJ is still current." Clare reminded him.

"Control, Liege four five six zero approaching outer. Negative pilot; our First Officer, TJ Hobson, is certified for Liege. "Sundowner"."

The reply was the PTT double click.

"Liege, this is "Sundowner" approaching the outer."

""Sundowner", identified. Track to Delta seven at one hundred gravities and from there to the Entrance at twenty five gravities. Call Orbital Movements on four five seven five for onward instructions."

"One hundred from the outer to Delta seven and at twenty five to the Entrance. Movements on four five seven five. "Sundowner"."

"Cedric, what do you make it?" TJ asked.

"Here or with scouts?"

"Total and what's in Liege."

"Total is one sixty four SDs and DNs, probably in forty or so squadrons, no BBs and that's strange, seventeen CHACs, thirty two squadrons of cruisers, CA and CL, and probably seventeen DD squadrons. All but sixteen SDs, four CHACs and all the smaller stuff is in n space about the planet. I think the Peeps are exercising a Task Group. There should be some small stuff to support what's in New Liege but it aint about the planet."

"Out as piquets?"

"Yah, probably."

"Either way, that's a goodly sized Home Fleet and most of it looks new build — the major elements at least. Explains why there isn't much outlying in the Republics."

"Yah. On the side bars for you TJ. And the scouts are clamped and cooled down."

"Thanks Cedric."

"At Delta seven, Ma'am, decreasing to twenty five gravs, on trek to the Entrance — following the bouncing red ball."

Colin Bolem was juggling throttles and reverse thrusters.

"Very good, Bosun."

"Just keep the autopilot locked onto "nav", Dorothy, and you wont go wrong" Morg advised.

That advice earned him a loud raspberry from the left seat.

"Children!" Clare admonished.

"Pilot, flash our lights as we pass the Fort, please."

"Compliments passed and ... answered, Ma'am."

"Very good."

"Orbital Movements, "Sundowner"."

""Sundowner, proceed direct to Terminal Four, berth twenty four."

"Terminal Four, twenty four, "Sundowner"."

"Pilot, throw up the vids for the Bosun, please" Clare ordered.

"Up, Ma'am. There you are, Dorothy, the route's marked."