Chapter 6: Polar Opposites

CSS Archerfish sat directly above the North Magnetic Pole of the system's largest gas giant. The electrical fields of the planet's ionosphere were playing Hobb with the enemy's sensors, or at least Wilhelm had been assured of this by Technical Intelligence back at Borneo. The enemy suspected someone or something was in the area, but apparently couldn't see him at all. He praised any and every God and Goddess he'd ever heard the name of, including several goddesses they had yet to name battle cruisers after.

Three large Vervactor Class cruisers, about 800 Sa'arm on board each by estimate, were now hovering in equatorial orbit together. Suddenly two drew ahead of the third, who seemed to remain behind for some reason.

"What is that one doing just sitting there?" puzzled Lieutenant Quinn.

Captain Koenig was a trifle concerned as well, but reasoned it away. "I think he's forming part of a synchronous triple play. They'll be able to cover the entire equator once those other two get in position." He turned to his Executive Officer. "Let's not think too deeply, though. If he wants someone to take a shot at him, it's up to us to accommodate him."

His crew grinned as Koenig turned to Sheila to lay out his strategy. "We'll fire two missiles down his tailpipe, and two more down each of the others. As soon as we've fired the last shot, reload — don't wait for an order, this is your order. If any survive, we'll down them at our leisure."

He settled back in his chair. "Fire one! Fire two!"

"Firing one!"

"Number one fired electrically."

"Firing two!"

"Number two fired electrically."

He waited until the first two missiles were about a quarter the distance to the target, and ordered the last four birds away. Charles immediately went through the cumbersome reload procedure and within less than a minute was ready to fire another volley.

The first missile took out the forward wall of the combustion chamber of one engine of the first cruiser and the second sailed clear through the cloud of expanding dust and gas to puncture several fuel tanks and expend the bulk of its energy deep in pressurized spaces within the ship. The two ships in motion hadn't known why the first exploded — the missiles were in all three vessels' blind spots — and hadn't had a chance to react in any meaningful way when they received their DU suppositories with similar results.

"Systems report."

"All systems nominal, Captain. We are down to 25 torpedoes."

"Now," ventured Lieutenant Quinn, "what were they hunting for? Us?"

"Possibly, or also possibly they were just scouting," suggested Koenig, curious himself.

"Three Vervactor Class cruisers? Scouting? They were looking for something specific, Skipper, something big."

"We've destroyed a hive ship, two destroyers and three scouts in not quite two weeks, Sam. They might think we're bigger than we are."

"Captain, Sensors. We've picked up another exhaust trail." Lance Corporal Wach dragged the AI into the analysis.

"Or maybe there's more looking for us." Koenig's visage was grim.

"Not Sa'arm," Lance Corporal Wach added after conferring with Charlie.

"Or maybe somebody else is looking for us," Quinn suggested. Koenig shrugged — the answer was coming.

"Appears to be Confederacy," concluded Wach uncertainly.

"Or maybe they were looking for somebody else. Ping for IFF."

"Aye, Sir," advised Corporal Hurst. "Pinging for IFF."

"Well, we'll know in a second," conceded Quinn.

"Sir, IFF answers as Castle Class corvette DE015, Dover Castle, Roger Beverton commanding. They are pinging back. Code matches."

"Respond appropriately," Koenig ordered. "And follow up with a message of greetings by tight laser."

"Captain Koenig, this is Captain Beverton of the Dover Castle. Were you the ones who got those three cruisers? If so, much thanks, they've been following us since we escaped their system two weeks ago."