Chapter 87

"Sundowner" floated, fully stealthed in Dune, just under the layer as the task group translated into n space.

Morg continued scanning as the task group broke into n space,

"Ouch, that hurt. Ma'am, all the Ghosts in n space have gone active and are lashing the task group. They've probably acquired our scout. Target is outside energy range but within MDM range."

"Very good, EW. Leave the hyper scout scanning."

"Aye aye Ma'am."

The task group's shields had begun shimmering seconds after translation and were firming when a challenge came over the guard frequency from a tightly controlled female voice

"Task force entering southern 'Pest control space drop your shields and identify yourselves"

The holo showed the task group forming a globe to present a wall of shields.

TJ adjusted the scale of the holo and remarked to no one in particular (but little ears were listening),

"Now, that's not friendly."

The RMN BCs interposed themselves between the task group and the orbitals using their shields to cover the orbitals.

"Ma'am, target has activated ranging lidar."

"Very good, EW'

"Surely" TJ asked Morg "those clowns know they are dialled in to the nanometre."

"You'd think so TJ; the Ghosts are still actively pinging. Oh! Mountserrat has just welcomed them. Orbitals have opened fire."

The holo showed a near fleet load of missiles powering across n space headed for the task group.

"Ma'am, scout FTL active has picked up ... about two hundred nests coming ballisticly sub orbital from the west."

"Very good, EW. Tag them on the holo"

"Shirley?" Clare spoke into her earbud "Are you getting this?"

"I've got it on the C aft simulator" Shirley acknowledged "Derrin hooked it up for me ... Joe doesn't seem to have lost his skills, does he?"

"Well, he certainly doesn't believe in giving anyone an even break."

"Ma'am, ballistic nests have powered up ... and that's it. Target destroyed, Ma'am."

"Very good, EW; and retrieve our scout once we're in hyper. We're going home. Helm, take us through the layer."

"Translate, aye Ma'am... (and on the tannoy)

Do you hear there? All hands prepare for translation. Do you hear there? All hands prepare for translation."

'Nita used thrusters to point the bow at the layer and opened the throttles to dead slow until the bow entered the layer and then closed them to space idle allowing the momentum to slide "Sundowner" through to the accompaniment of the occasional gagging sound. As the stern cleared 'Nita used thrusters to bring the bow down and to turn to the heading for Sol.

"Ma'am, I've got Ghosts tailing both scouts — probably visual," Morg reported

"Take 'em out, stat" Clare snapped.

Morg did not acknowledge but directed TJ to deal with n space, and he attended to hyper. Both scouts were represented on the holo; they were seen to turn over and align on the trailers. Light beams shot out from the scouts as the fifty cm lasers bored holes down the long axis of the nearest trailers. The others turned tail and rapidly left the area.

"Two Ghosts destroyed Ma'am; the others have cleared off."

"Very good, both of you. Morg, head for home with the scouts out, stand down to spacing stations. You have the bridge."

"Aye, aye, Ma'am."

"Captain off the bridge" 'Nita called.

"Sundowner" was warp one chasing after "Shiralee".

Shirley had the Middies (and several of the Gennies) gathered about the main simulator on C aft with the tape of the events over 'Pest.

"Yes, Ma'am" Simmo was saying "I understand why we didn't get involved and Sarn't, ah, Midshipman Sorenson explained about the Eridani Convention, but why didn't Uncle Joe (Shirley's glare brought him up short), ah, Admiral Higgins fire as soon as they translated. I mean, they wouldn't have been shielded and the crews not at their best. Why give them a chance? If any missile had got through, it have done a lot of damage and I can't see that BC shield being all that effective. Better than nothing, but still not that good."

"You've answered your last point. The BCs were last resort defence in themselves but I think they were also linked into the 'puters; you saw they didn't fire any missiles themselves."

"Ma'am, they didn't need to" AB Cecily S.Downer interrupted "Queenie and I tried to count the nests deployed but we lost count about ten thousand around the main orbitals — they were everywhere."

"Yah" Shirley gently smiled "he did manage to deploy a few...

Now, he wasn't sure just where the target would emerge from the layer but you can see once all of the task group were in n space, all the nests aligned themselves and you can see the Ghosts clearing the line of fire. To answer about the shields; they were probably on automatic activation as the target vessels were spread and had to close in after the shields deployed. By the time you see shimmering, shields are half formed and by the time the missiles even at that relatively close range would have arrived, the shields would have been formed...

It's not that unusual for a warship entering n space to deploy shields - usually outside the range of defensive energy weapons — takes some time for radar ranging and locking in of missile targets not to mention time taken to cover the range. There have been instances where harbour defences have fired upon a warship as soon as she is seen — people can get excited when they see warships. Generally speaking the warship either identifies herself or answers the challenge and bona fides are established. The warship drops shields and enters harbour...

Admiral Higgins did not know who they were; we didn't know either but we have made some guesses. Despite there being an intersystem war going on in this part of the galaxy, there are still a lot of neutral star systems about; and they all have navies — as small as they might be. So he challenged and got no reply...

To form a line of battle or equivalent, in this case a defence globe, and move towards is regarded as a hostile act. So the RMN sent a postcard of several thousand nests...

Many navies, unfortunately, haven't believed what their own attaches have told them about RMN and RHN capabilities; we've seen this on Old Earth and I'm not surprised that the target believed himself to be safe - or he acted as if he did...

Admiral Higgins unleashed what was probably an overkill of missiles. But just in case it wasn't, he used the frontal onslaught to pin the globe's defences and used his secondary orbitals to launch an attack ballisticly from the flank. A globe is probably the best defence known but there are gaps between the shields; I suspect Admiral Higgins had that shepherding missile system riding herd on the ballistic group trying for the gaps in the globe if the frontal assault didn't take them out...

I can't work out what did which as the attacks went in together in a very nicely timed attack...

You might notice that as soon as the orbitals fired, a swarm of HACs lifted off — probably in anticipation of a salvo but the target apparently didn't believe he was vulnerable or he wasn't ready with whatever missiles / energy torpedoes he might have had or perhaps he didn't fire because he was out of powered range for his missiles. But that loses him an opportunity — the missiles would have continued on ballisticly and with a fixed target the defender has to respond and orbitals are just so fixed...

You better bring your best teams when you play in this competition."

"Helm, triple shield, please."

"Triple shield, aye Sir."

"Captain, OW, we've just come alongside "Shiralee". I used triple shield to decelerate and we've now matched velocities. Cedric made an interesting report. Colin noticed the tallies of weekly radiation for "Shiralee" and investigated; seems there is a definite radiation hazard, low level but definite, with travelling in hard space. Deploying impellor shields gives full protection. I've checked with Orville and it appears "Sundowner" is protected by the modified triple shield."

"Thank you, Mr Hobson. What's our estimate for Old Earth?"

"Thirty fours hours should see "Shiralee" berthed at Ramsgate, Ma'am, but as we aren't reporting, whenever we want. We've taken over the scouts so "Shiralee" can translate as soon as she reaches the hyper point."

"Suits. What is the latest on the Chencon fleets?"

"Last was when we were at 'Pest on the end of the rebro chain from Settlement. Out here we are off the Sol — Settlement chain so nothing new."

Clare chuckled,

"And you are getting deprivation symptoms?"

"Suits, so I'll ask. Ma'am, permission to deploy a scout when we get to Old Earth to check on Chencon fleets?"

"Certainly, TJ. Carry on please" and cleared with just of a trace of a snicker.

"Shiralee" and "Sundowner" parted company; "Shiralee" to the Ramsgate orbital and "Sundowner" to the mid South Atlantic hyper where she hove to while TJ deployed another scout to reconnoitre the Chencon bases.

The scouts deployed ahead of "Sundowner" were positioned in n space and hyper just south of the Azores orbital.

TJ had the watch so he retrieved his mutie intel coms and reviewed them as he sat in the command chair; the only matter of interest was that the Chencon furloughs had ended and apparently last minute replenishments were being completed. "Sundowner's" scout found a Flock UVA undertaking orbital flyovers observing the Chencons.

(Spying? Certainly not! Just satisfying their curiosity.).

An alarm sounded from a hyper scout — a Chencon Flower class CL was approaching from the south east. TJ manoeuvred the hyper scout away somewhat to the southwest to clear the Chencon's direct trek. He needn't have bothered as the Chencon CL translated and TJ had to scramble to place the n space scout to the east. This put the n space scout in a prime position to observe the Chencon CL release a missile at point blank range into the Azores orbitals.

And there wasn't a thing TJ could do about it except hit the action stations button on the command chair as he watched the missile impact and destroy the orbitals.

The CL returned to hyper and departed to the south east.