The Landfall Campaign (The Nameless War) (36 page)

“
Yes. First they tapped us, then they poked and now they are starting to hit us.
”
Shibanova paused for breath before continuing.
“
Always they have been ready to back away when we show teeth. This latest move demonstrate that they now believe we lack the means to respond.
”

Two days previously a Rizr protected cruiser had swooped down on the small in-system transport
SS Trebal
as she prepared to exit the mass shadow of Dryad Five. They must have wanted her intact as the Rizr ship had sent out a boarding party. But in line with Shibanova
’
s instructions to deny the Rizr the chance to seize human technology, the crew scrammed the reactor, smashed the computer and bailed out. The protected cruiser destroyed the escape pod.

“
We are like an old lion with jackals all around us.
”

There was a tap at the hatch and a petty officer stuck his head in.

“
Sorry to interrupt Ma
’
am. Commander Horan wishes to inform you that the cruiser
Antarctica
has just jumped in. She
’
s signalled that they have a problem with their secondary communications transmitter.
”

“
Thank you PO.
”

“
Ma
’
am, there
’
s something else. The Commander is asking if you could come up to the bridge.
”

“
Go Commander. I will leave you to work out the deployment.
”

“
Yes sir,
”
Willis replied as she stood up to leave. Hesitating at the cabin hatch, she added:
“
you
’
d better get some rest…
”
before realising Shibanova was already asleep.

“
What is it, Commander?
”
Willis asked as she entered the bridge.
“
Does
Antarctica
have something extra?
”

“
No Ma
’
am,
”
Horan replied,
“
Antarctica
is just the usual. She
’
s heading for the repair docks. What I wanted to show you is this contact here,
”
he said as he pointed into the main holo.
“
It
’
s an interstellar transport. It jumped in about an hour ago. According to the transponder it
’
s the
Olivia
.
”

“
Don
’
t remember any ship of that name being here before.
”

“
No Ma
’
am, it
’
s never been here before. That wouldn
’
t be a big deal but its transponder is squawking a wrong registry number as well.
”

“
What do you mean wrong?
”

“
The number would indicate it is Starloader class.
”

“
But?
”

“
Its engine profile looks like an Olympus class transport, one of the new ones. I suppose it could be a Rizr ship trying something.
”

“
That
’
s pretty unlikely. It
’
s probably nothing. Someone
’
s just done something stupid.
”

“
So, we take no action then Ma
’
am?
”
Horan said dubiously.

“
Oh no,
”
Willis replied with a firm shake of her head.
“
No, we aren
’
t allowing any unidentified ships approach. Contact
Onslaught
and
Typhoon
. Order them to intercept that transport and challenge it. When it turns out to be human, impress upon the captain that we would have been well within our rights to start shooting. I
’
m going below. Contact me if there are any more developments.
”

Three hours later Willis finished work on a patrol schedule that would give the most cover without wearing too heavily on the squadron
’
s engines and sent if off for the Admiral
’
s review. She
’
d just sat down to dinner when there was a tap at the cabin hatch.

“
Come in.
”

Commander Horan stepped in and closed the hatch behind him.

“
Ma
’
am, sorry to interrupt but I need to speak with you.
”

“
Is there something wrong with the intercom?
”

“
No Ma
’
am, but I felt it better not to put it across the system,
”
Horan explained.
“
We
’
ve been contacted by the captain of that transport.
”

Willis started to say something scathing, then stopped. If it was simply civvies whining, Horan would have given them short shrift without bothering his skipper.

“
That ship is Battle Fleet, one of ours.
”

“
A support ship?
”

“
Apparently not. Her skipper has asked permission to board. He wants to brief you and the Admiral. That
’
s as much as he
’
s willing to say. His name is Commander Vincent Espey.
”

“
Vincent?
”
Willis exclaimed.

“
You know him?
”

“
We
’
re old friends,
”
Willis paused.
“
Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Alright Alex, tell him he has permission to board.
”

An hour later Willis was waiting at the top of the personnel passageway when Vincent
’
s familiar face came into view. He guided himself in and saluted smartly, although his military bearing was slightly spoiled by the huge smile on his face. She
’
d known him for over ten years and yet he still looked the same as that first day at Fleet Academy. Dyed blond hair and a permanent tan, he always looked more like a professional surfer than any kind of military officer. After a moment she realised he wasn
’
t in either the fleets
’
working or dress uniform. Instead he was wearing worn jacket from one of the small commercial lines.

“
Permission to come aboard?
”
he asked.

“
Granted, but what
’
s this?
”
she asked tugging at his lapel.
“
Did you get a better offer elsewhere?
”

“
Just keeping things discrete Faithie,
”
he replied with a smile.

“
So, you
’
re trying to sneak into Hawkings base without announcing yourself! Was that for official reasons or seeing if we
’
d gone to seed out here?
”

“
Oh, a little from column A and a little from column B.
”
Reaching into his pocket Vince pulled out a data stick,
“
I need to brief Admiral Shibanova about my ship and my mission here.
”

The Admiral didn
’
t rise when Vincent entered but did regard him with curiosity.

“
Commander Espey reporting, sir.
”

“
Commander,
”
Shibanova said eventually,
“
you appear to be out of uniform.
”

“
Yes sir,
”
Espey replied.
“
I was authorised to keep my ship
’
s arrival discrete. I am here to supplement your command, sir.
”
He offered a computer data stick.
“
These are instructions from Earth and details about my command.
”

The Admiral took it but set it down.
“
Your ship appears to be just a standard transport ship. Could you please explain the need for discretion?
”

“
I
’
m glad to hear that you think my ship is just a transport sir. Her official name is
Deceiver
. She
’
s a Q-Ship, that
’
s to say, a ship that appears unarmed but is carrying hidden weaponry…
”

“
I know what a Q-Ship is,
”
Shibanova snapped at him, before pausing to rub his eyes.
“
Please continue Commander.
”

“
She
’
s a standard Olympus class transport that has been modified to assist with your raider problem.
”

“
A Q-Ship,
”
Shibanova said heavily.
“
I ask for reinforcements and they send me a Q-Ship.
”
He looked like he was about to say something more biting but instead sighed.
“
How is your ship armed?
”

“
Our offensive armament is four twenty-centimetre rail guns, two to a broadside in limited traverse mounts.
”

Willis whistled appreciatively and added,
“
you
’
d core a battleship with those if you get in close enough.
”

“
If the target gets in close enough,
”
Shibanova added, but with much less enthusiasm.
“
What defences do you have?
”

“
A limited point defence grid, ECM package, decoys, chaff dispensers and gaseous shielding.
”

“
Pardon me, gaseous what, Commander?
”
Shibanova looked puzzled, as did Willis.

“
A bright idea by someone in Headquarters,
”
Vincent explained.
“
We have pipes rigged up from our helium tanks. It will allow us to stream the gas from our bows over the hull. It will give us some protection against lasers for as long as the gas lasts.
”

“
That would be?
”
Willis asked.

“
Seven minutes with full tanks,
”
Vincent shrugged.
“
As a civilian ship she already had the tanks for waste helium that comes from the reactors, which they normally store for resale. They take up too much space to be worth it on a normal warship, but we have a lot of internal volume on
Deceiver
. Someone decided to try something.
”

Shibanova sighed again.
“
This sounds like somebody getting carried away with a pet project,
”
he said heavily.
“
Well, we will attempt to use your ship as intended, but time for such measures has likely passed. Commander Willis, can I leave you to integrate
Deceiver
into our new measures.
”

“
Yes sir.
”

“
So Faithie, how have you been?
”
Espey asked when they were both seated back in her cabin.

“
Considering this is supposed to be a dead-end assignment, busy,
”
Willis replied as she sat back and looked at her old friend. The last time she
’
d seen him he
’
d just had a ship shot out from under him. He
’
d looked terrible then, now he seemed to be back to being the way she remembered him.