Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 2 - Hidden Menace (7 page)

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Apinal stopped and slowly looked around her to check if any Deltas Vass drones were in earshot. The drones had earlier taken Apinal and her children to a smaller clearing some distance away from the matriarch’s own larger clearing, and the Quixxe had been supplied with food, water and basic shelter. Apinal reflected for a moment that their open air lifestyle was not unlike that of the countless millions of Quixxe mules on the inner Zronte worlds. She now suppressed a shiver and gave silent thanks that they were now over five thousand light years from the threat of being eaten by a Zronte. Shafinal gave her the all clear song call from the edge of the clearing, so she again moved forward to seek further information.

Apinal had walked up to and given a full formal bow to a Blue Jerecab acolyte that had then rubbed her whiskers for several moments, before giving a polite half bow back in reply. Apinal noted the braided hairpiece that framed the female Jerecab’s face, for she had found an apologist, and she now knew that she was in the right place. The Quixxe female remained silent as the acolyte looked her over before speaking quietly in accented high Barus.

‘You must understand that the Zronte treatment of your race has only ever been sanctioned by the Vorinne, and that is the only thing interesting the overlords as the Vorinne are the most powerful race in this sector after the Zronte themselves. So how can I help you today female of the Quixxe race?’

Apinal offered another bow before she slowly replied.

‘My name is Apinal and we seek sanctuary and a new home in this part of the galaxy. We would like to know of the major events that have occurred, and also what Vorinne forces are likely to be in the area.’

The acolyte regarded Apinal critically for several seconds, before she gestured and both females took a seat in the centre of the clearing as the Jerecab spoke again.

‘The matriarch has already told me of plans she is implementing to soon take you and your offspring much further away from the centre of the galaxy. She will advise you of these plans when the time is right. Most especially she is keen to spirit your daughter Deshinal away to a place of hiding due to her obvious nature. The scout ship you stole has more than paid for her obligation to help you all escape. Now there has been a war that recently ended between the Cephrit and the Tilmud. Our red faction, led by a particularly roguish admiral seeks to take advantage of this fact….’

Apinal relaxed and made sure she paid close attention, and so she came to learn of the recent war, the Tilmud defeat, the former Dradfer colonies, and of a new race called the humans from a planet called Earth. Apinal also learnt with considerable unease that the Vorinne second envoy Thatak’siema and her former master Lord Malang’troh led a small contingent of Vorinne cruisers near Cephrit space.

After Apinal had left with her daughter, a senior drone slowly walked over to the acolyte and asked her a series of polite questions, before giving thanks to the acolyte for her assistance.

‘You have been most patient and helpful in revealing this information to the Quixxe. Your assistance will be highly prized by the matriarch. For now please keep yourself available in case the Quixxe ask any further questions.’

Apinal noted that her youngest daughter was sitting down and well back in the shadows as she returned to their living area with Shafinal. She knew that her daughters’ reclusive habits were something that could still yet save her life. The Quixxe quietly discussed at length what had been learnt as the local star moved slowly towards sunset.

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Captain Narindestat looked over with exasperation the navigation data that Garendestat had provided. He was aware that the strain of their headlong journey into the galaxy was starting to grate on the nerves of his usually stoic crew. His son kept quiet as he aware of the captain’s recent annoyances. Narindestat called up a larger map and made a series of course changes, before forcing a genial smile and offering an explanation.

‘We will make two longer hyper jumps in quick succession and this will take us to the launch point for the sneak ship within a day. I have used these exact same two jumps before, when the Illuria was infested with Voorde, and they are reasonably safe. Lieutenant, you will take sneak ship eight to the pre-arranged message point and contact the Cephrit. You are only to await a message from the fleet master for four days.’

Garendestat wisely with-held any critical assessments of the two risky hyper jumps, and instead only offered a relieved comment.

‘Well how could we forget that fraught mission when we battled the Voorde, for many good Traders were lost. Now sneak ship eight is already well prepared and I will take Marenkestat and two others with me to the rendezvous with the Cephrit.’

Garendestat fell silent for several moments as he could see his father was in deep thought remembering their dead crew mates. He knew his father still felt the loss of Emeria’s father, First Lieutenant Kureldestat, especially as Narindestat had been preparing the first lieutenant for a ship of his own.

Narindestat shook himself back to the present and straightened himself to his impressive four metre height as he spoke again.

‘Well that journey was in the fine traditions of our race and the fallen crew will be fondly remembered for many hundreds of years. Now can you please ensure the Barede humans are kept on the Resuria and especially away from sneak ship eight. During the last watch we found several of them in supposedly secure areas of the ship running yet another one of their annoying combat exercises.’

Garendestat reassured his father that he would speak again with the human commander, as they both again checked their next two hyper drive jump coordinates. The cloaked Trader wing, almost invisible at great distances, raced at speed towards the next hyper drive jump point. On a nearby small asteroid, a cloaked robot of unknown design discretely observed the passing massive ship with specialised instruments capable of penetrating a cloaking mechanism.

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Chapter 4

Gindane looked anxiously at the sensor readings after just arriving in the Gold system. She noted that several large groupings of Jerecab frigates were heading for the different hyper space jump locations around the system. What concerned her most was that over forty frigates were now approaching her own fleet’s position. She had ensured the standard non-aggression clauses were being provided even as the view screen came with a harsh message from another Jerecab commander.

‘The time for talk has ended Barus; you will leave this system now and make no further efforts to end our battles with the humans. This is your final warning and we will attack your ships at any stage from now on.’

Gindane ensured that the message was recorded and available for use at a later inquiry, should they all survive this mission. She gave a deep bow and a distinctly cool answer as she replied.

‘You ignore the forms of diplomacy and you threaten my fleet as they go about their legitimate duties. A protest will be lodged with the senior races at a later stage. I wish to remain neutral and to preserve my ships and their crew, and so I elect to leave this system.’

Now satisfied that her own part of the secret earlier plan was now a success, Gindane ordered her ships to take a diagonal course across the system, as if they were heading for the jump points back to Cephrit space. Twice her fleet came with the range of larger numbers of ships, and twice the Jerecab had then fired warning shots at her ships before sheering away back onto their own course.

Gindane knew that this was a trait of the Jerecab as pack hunters, intimidate and harass their solitary prey before attacking in overwhelming force. She was aware that for the Jerecab, smaller numbers of larger ships attacking their own frigates and defeating them wholesale was a real problem. The Barus captain knew now that the humans were using a sound strategy in dealing with the Jerecab. But would it help them enough given the overwhelming numbers of ships the Jerecab possessed?

Gindane stopped pacing the deck and began rubbing her shoulders, as she was in deep thought. One of her lieutenants hacked out a series of coughs and the captain looked across in concern. She noted the still anxious glances directed at her from her bridge crew, and she now forced herself to appear outwardly calm, before sitting down in her command chair and reached for yet another data tablet.

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Thatak’siema sat quietly in her command chair and suppressed her feelings of annoyance towards Malang’troh, for she knew he was within his rights to deploy his six large cruisers as he saw fit. She knew that the theft of his experimental scout ship still chafed him despite her generous compensation to him. The second envoy now considered the time they had been away from his home systems as a part of the problem, and she knew that the best way forward was to ask his direct opinion.

‘Lord Malang’troh, the return to Vorinne space is delayed as your fleet sweeps these star systems. Surely we should discuss your opinions and concerns in private?’

Malang’troh was grateful for the respect the second envoy was awarding him. He responded by standing and intoning the correct formal reply as he rapped his staff once on the deck.

‘Your Grace, I am honoured to serve and we will indeed discuss my concerns in the meeting room. The bridge crew will continue the patrol sweep as we discussed earlier.’

Curt acknowledgements came from the Vorinne lieutenants in their wrap around virtual consoles, as Malang’troh followed Thatak’siema into the meeting room.

The second envoy was perplexed by her liege lords’ actions as he called up several reports and a map of his home systems many hundreds of light years distant. But she was delighted in how he addressed her with the possessive now that they were alone.

‘My Grace, I consider it highly likely that you will be assassinated if we return to my home systems. The warnings of your cousin and Temeroth’s former military attaché are playing on my mind. Also there are reports of pairs of Fenshilla cruisers patrolling nearby star systems. I am seeking to engage these ships and destroy them if this is possible.’

Thatak’siema now quietly read through a series of reports on Vituma IV that Malang’troh had seen fit to hide from her earlier. The conclusions she was drawing caused knots of fear to bind both her stomachs. She decided that the Zronte lord must have several other secrets to hide as she made her intentions known.

‘My Malang’troh, if anything it only highlights the urgent need for me to meet with Temeroth under the accords. For then he is foresworn from killing me or risk a major diplomatic incident and the wrath of the Vorinne empress. I now understand that he seeks to kill me before I can get him alone.’

Malang’troh gave his intended mate a smile of understanding she also enjoyed as he replied.

‘Yes you will deflect his malice under the accords; however the problem is first surviving his assassins. The Fenshilla have powerful ships and they outnumber my squadron, so we should eliminate this threat first. They are known cowards so I expect them to run against an opponent of near equal strength. At this stage I do wish we had a full squadron of ships.’

Thatak’siema knew that Malang’troh was not criticising her earlier instructions, but she made her intentions known as she spoke again.

‘The Zronte has to be first steered in a direction so that he can do no harm. He cannot then argue we have gone rogue when you later get your additional ten cruisers operational. Lieutenant Dreshe’ahal and Lady Lahalm’siema are both resourceful and intelligent, and I expect they will remain hidden and be safe from Temeroth’s assassins. I politely request we leave these star systems and continue further towards our home systems and Temeroth.’

Thatak’siema was expecting Malang’troh to politely argue with her in turn, for he now long had her permission to dissent in private with her. But the bridge claxon clamoured through the meeting room door, and Malang’troh was a blur as he raced from the room for his command console.

Thatak’siema quietly took her place of honour in her command couch and remained resolutely silent as Malang’troh went about his duties with military precision. She noted with relief that only a pair of Fenshilla cruisers appeared on the long range scanners. An active pulse from the pair of cruisers flared on her sensor screen as a pair of active pulses was sent in exchange. Malang’troh barked a series of orders as he took in the sensor readings.

‘Communications, you will open a channel to those Fenshilla cruisers and demand that they heave to and surrender. The Black Claw Fenshilla have become too confident and entered the system un-cloaked. All ships are to power all weapons and stand at red alert. We will be in firing range in forty minutes and I want all attack vectors approved to minimise our own losses.’

For long minutes the two groupings of ships closed, before the tactical officer commented on a course change by the Fenshilla cruisers.

‘Lord Malang’troh, the Fenshilla are declining the battle and are now seeking to flee. They are now broadcasting the standard non-battle clauses. The ships will be able to flee into hyperspace in about twelve minutes.’

Malang’troh grunted in frustration as he took in this information, for he was aware that the Fenshilla ships were equipped with the long range type two hyper drives. He quickly gestured for the communications channel to be opened again.

‘Lord Malang’troh to Fenshilla commander, please state your intentions otherwise I will follow you to other star systems and destroy your ships. You are specifically instructed to steer away from vassal zones with your eight ships.’

Several minutes of quiet static came over the video channel before a darkened image of the Fenshilla commandant appeared on the view screen. Malang’troh noted the obvious rank chevrons on the Fenshilla commandant’s cloak as he replied.