Homeworld (Odyssey One) (24 page)

PRIMINAE WARSHIP
POSDAN

“NEW SIGNALS, CAPTAIN.”

Kian turned and walked to the signals station, eyeing the display screen.

It was setup with the
Posdan
’s location at the center, with range markers radiating out from the ship at preset intervals. The three-dimensional image showed a series of trans-light hits ahead of them, moving away from their position at an angle. Kian scowled for a moment, mentally computing the course, and relaxed marginally.

At least they were transiting away from Colonial space. There was that to be optimistic about, at least.

“Do we have a location on the
Odyssey
?” she asked, eyes seeking out the Terran ship on the display.

“They are here, I believe.”

A dot on the screen glowed briefly, lighting up in an entirely different sector of space than they had been in previously.

How did they manage that?

However they did it, the
Odyssey
was again beyond the limited communication range they used, though they were able to detect trans-light communications, she supposed.

“Send to their current location,” Kian ordered. “Encode all relevant data on the course and inform the
Odyssey
that we remain in pursuit.”

“Yes, Captain.”

A focused trans-light signal should reach them almost instantly, and while they couldn’t reply, she’d know if the Terran ship had received the message simply by whether it vanished from her screens or not.

“In the meantime, do as I said we would, and continue pursuit.”

N.A.C.S.
ODYSSEY

“TACHYON BURST!”

The call brought Eric out of a mental fugue deep enough to be called a stupor, shaking his head and looking around for the source of the excited voice. “Report.”

“Our tachyon detection grid just got slammed by a transmission backed by more power than I’d care to think about,” Winger announced, not turning around.

“Transmission?”

“Yes, sir. It’s modulated, and in the clear as near as I can tell. Primmie protocols.”

“Decode it.”

“Already working on it. Looks like more sensor data,” she said. “Bowshock scans, navigation charts…oh shit.”

That’s not a good sign.
Eric just managed to keep from groaning out loud. “I need more information than ‘oh shit,’ Lieutenant.”

“Uh…right, sir.” Winger grimaced, ducking her head a little more into her console. “We’re looking at a course change, by the
Weifang
if I’m right, and it looks like they’re heading for home.”

Eric closed his eyes. “And her pursuers?”

“On their tail, Cap.”

“Please tell me that they’re not on a straight-line course,” Eric all but begged.

“They’re not. It’s a curved track that takes them close enough to Sol to hang a right at the third star to left,” she answered, “but it’s not enough to fool anyone if they get real inquisitive.”

“Daniels, plot us a course. Get us ahead of them, damn it,” Eric ordered. “We’ve got to turn them the hell around!”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” Daniels was already working, his reply likely just a formality.

Roberts barely glanced in that direction as he walked over to Eric’s station. “Captain, if their tachyon tech is on par with our own, they’ll never see us while moving in FTL. I don’t think we can turn them around.”

Eric nodded grimly.

He was all too aware of that, just as he was aware that all current intel on the Block indicated that not only were they not more advanced than the Confederacy in tachyon research, but they were almost assuredly a decade or more behind.

If they couldn’t turn them around, there would be no other option.

Eric closed his eyes.

The last thing he wanted was to fire the first shots in a new war with the Block, but the Drasin could not be permitted to locate Earth. If the
Weifang
couldn’t be turned, then they would have to be stopped.

By any means.

“Course calculated, Captain.”

“Good. All hands, stand by for transition!”

PRIMINAE WARSHIP
POSDAN

“THE
ODYSSEY
HAS vanished from our scanners, Captain.”