Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty (20 page)

“Jakinda,” Tei’Varyk said turning his attention reluctantly back to duty. “We have scanned every particle of the outer belt have we not?”

“Yes, Tei,” Jakinda confirmed.

“Is there any area of the belt we cannot investigate properly?”

Jakinda was quiet for a moment. “No, Tei.”

“Then it is not here,” Tei’Varyk said with finality.

Jakinda turned away from his station to face Tei’Varyk. “If not here then where?”

“The inner belt is the only place to hide. It must be there.”

“But that means it
is
a ship.”

“Must be,” Tei’Varyk said grimly. “Jakinda, new heading: best speed to the inner belt.”

“I hear,” Jakinda said and spun back to his consol. A moment later,
Chakra
swung toward the inner system. “Time to the inner belt… approximately four cycles.”

“Good.”

Jozka spoke up. “Should I inform the elders?”

Tei’Varyk hesitated. “No. If I’m wrong, it would be foolish to distract the elders. The rest of the Fleet will remain on patrol while we check the inner belt.”

“I hear, but if you’re right we may need help.”

Tei’Varyk chewed his whiskers thoughtfully.
Chakra
was a light fang, but what he lacked in firepower, he more than made up with agility and speed. He felt confident they could escape any trap to warn the elders.

“
Chakra
is fast. If we find the phantom, we run it down and disable it. If we can’t do that, we run for help.”

“I hear, Tei.” Jozka turned back to his station.

* * *

Aboard ASN Canada, inner belt, Shan system

“Dammit!” Captain Jeff Colgan said as he watched the Shan ship approaching.

The stupid fools were seen! They must have been!

Canada’s
bridge crew kept their eyes lowered to their stations as Colgan vented his spleen over the ineptness of a certain ship’s captain, namely Cynthia Monroe. Monroe was skipper of the light cruiser
ASN Invincible
. Unfortunately, she seemed to believe the name extended to her own abilities.

“Get me
Invincible
,” Colgan said through gritted teeth.

“Aye, sir,” Lieutenant Ricks said, and moments later the Shan ship on the viewscreen was replaced by Cynthia Monroe.

“What can I do for you, Jeff?”

“I assume you’re monitoring the Shan light cruiser.”

“Of course.”

“That ship has been patrolling the outer system without deviation since I’ve been here, Cynthia. Then you show up and it starts a search pattern. Why do you think it’s heading here now?”

Monroe frowned. “It’s
patrolling
not searching—”

“Don’t give me that,” Colgan began hotly, but then realising he was berating a fellow captain in front of witnesses, he forced himself to calm down. “You and I both know you were detected, but that doesn’t matter now. That ship has just finished an exhaustive search of the outer belt and found nothing. Now it’s coming here to do the same thing. That ship isn’t going to give up until it finds us… or rather you.”

Monroe’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? What have you got in mind?”

“My mission is too important to abandon, and you’re faster than me anyway. I suggest you run for it and allow the Shan to catch a glimpse of you before jumping out. With luck, they’ll give up the search when they see you go.”

“Dangerous, Jeff,” Monroe said worriedly. “Without me you have no backup at all.”

Colgan shook his head. “Not so dangerous as all that. Under no circumstances will I fire on the Shan, so adding your guns to mine is pointless. Besides, if you’re careful you could sneak back in after the system settles down again.”

Monroe nodded reluctantly. “Do you or the boffins need anything before I go?”

Colgan sighed in relief. “I can’t think of a thing. I’ve no doubt the profs would like the entire Alliance database, but they’ll make do. They had better!”

Monroe chuckled but it was a strained sound. “Well, if I’m going I might as well do it now. Good luck, Jeff.”

“And to you.”

The screen cleared to show the Shan ship decelerating hard as it approached the belt.

Colgan watched it come, and felt only admiration for a people that could build such beautiful ships. They were sleek and agile, but they lacked jump technology. They had fewer weapons than a Human ship of the same class, but for all of that they were beautiful. Human ships were never so fine looking—they were designed to kill Merkiaari, not look pretty.

“Split screen,” he ordered. “
Invincible
on the left.”

“Aye, sir,” Ricks said and the screen changed to show both ships.

Invincible
was manoeuvring. She had lain doggo against an asteroid for weeks, but now she was breaking for open space.

“Any indications that the Shan have seen her?”

“None, Skipper.”

Colgan frowned. “Damn peculiar. They barely caught a glimpse of her when she came in, but that was enough to start a manhunt. Now when she strolls out into the open, they don’t react at all.”

“
Invincible
is still in stealth mode, Skipper,” Commander Groves said. “Maybe the Shan can’t see her.”

Colgan pursed his lips, not sure he agreed. “She was stealthed when she came in. They saw her then.”

“Maybe not,” Groves mused. “Maybe they saw the jump signature.”

“They don’t have jump technology.”

“True, but does that mean their sensors are inferior?”

“You’re right.” He had become so used to his technological superiority that he had assumed it covered all areas of ship design, but that was not proven. Just because
Invincible
was jump capable with superior weapons didn’t mean she had superior sensors. “Inform
Invincible
of your thoughts, XO.”

“Aye, sir,” Groves said and keyed a channel open herself.

While his exec was doing that, Colgan concentrated on watching the Shan ship.
Invincible
was almost clear of the debris now. She would be firing up her mains any minute. Surely, the Shan would see that. They must.

“
Invincible
concurs with our assessment, Skip,” Groves said.

Colgan nodded. “Sound battle stations, Mark.”

* * *

Throughout
Canada
, the, siren screamed and her crew ran to emergency and battle stations. In the bowels of the ship, damage control parties scrambled into hard suits, while elsewhere, the crew pulled on their gloves to seal their uniforms and put on their helmets. The system was a good one, proven time and again against the Merkiaari, but of course civilians had never needed to seal themselves into unfamiliar uniforms. There were difficulties.

“Ma’am, you have to twist it
clockwise
,” an exasperated Chief Williams said to Janice Bristow, as he tried to make her stand still long enough to show her the proper way to suit up.

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“I assumed anyone with half a brain would know that when you tighten something, it is
clockwise!
”

Brenda smirked, but then her face flushed when she noticed the plumbing connections in her uniform. “No way, that will never fit!”

Williams, looking harried, turned to see what the problem was. “Ma’am, these uniforms are proven technology. It will fit. They
always
fit.”

“Put it on, Brenda,” James said hustling her toward the hatch. He was already in his plain white uniform and was sealed except for his helmet. He had worn one since the first day of their journey, and was told he looked good in it. “I know it will feel odd, but without your uniform you could die.”

“Easy for you to say,” Brenda grumbled as she stripped in the privacy of an adjoining cabin. “You don’t have a pipe the size of…”

“I get the picture,” James said hurriedly. “You’ll be pleased to have it if you’re caught short.”

“What?” Brenda’s voice came muffled through the hatch.

“I said, you’ll be pleased to have it if you’re caught short.”

Mumble, mumble, mutter!

“God, this thing is huge. Arghhh! Goddamn sonofa—”

“Are you all right in there?” He reached toward the scanner to open the hatch. “Do you need any help?”

“You stay out there, I’m nearly done.”

James smirked but he was pleased to see her come out fully dressed and sealed into her new uniform. It hugged her figure and suited her. Janice was putting her helmet on, and James did likewise. He looked around and found his colleagues all sitting and strapping in. He took Brenda’s arm and led her to an empty seat where he helped her connect her life-support and strap in. He sat beside her and held her hand.

“The boffins are sealed and secure, sir,” Williams said and strapped in nearby.

“Understood Chief. Keep an eye on them, they’re important,” Lieutenant Ricks said over the comm.

“Aye, sir.”

* * *

“All stations report manned and ready, Skipper,” Lieutenant Ricks said.

Colgan nodded. “Good.”

“The civs are all secure, sir,” Ricks reported again a moment later. “I have Chief Williams babysitting.”

“Good work,” Colgan said. “I’ll have to schedule some training for them. They took way too long to get themselves sealed.”

“They weren’t wearing uniform, Skipper.”

“Why the hell not?” he said and glared at Ricks, but he knew why. “From now on they wear the uniforms we supplied. No exceptions—it’s damn dangerous.”

“Aye, sir. I’ll inform them.”

Colgan nodded and dismissed the civs from his thoughts. “Weps, under no circumstances are you to open fire on the Shan.”

“Aye, sir,” Lieutenant Ivanova said. “Point defence?”

“Point defence free.”

“Aye, sir,” Ivanova said happily. “Point defence now active. Auto loaders functioning normally, targeting computers online.”

Colgan nodded. “Helm, be prepared to move on a moment’s notice. I don’t expect we will have to, but be prepared all the same.”

“Aye, sir.”

* * *

Aboard Chakra, approaching inner belt, Shan system

“Commencing deceleration,” Jakinda announced.

“I hear,” Tei’Varyk said. “Eyes to maximum, claws to standby.”

“I hear, his claws are sharp,” Kajika said.

“I hear, his eyes at maximum. Indications negative at this time,” Tarjei said, but her voice was harmonious.

Tei’Varyk smiled at her. They had spent the journey to the inner belt alone together. It had been a wonderful time, full of quiet conversations and lovemaking. He felt much closer to her now, and knew she felt the same. They had needed the intimacy to cement the bond. They were truly mated now, and Tarjei was calmer and more harmonious for it.

He was too.

Tei’Varyk studied his displays and chewed his whiskers thoughtfully at what was reported. Nothing. He had been so sure, but it looked as if they would be searching for a long time just as before. He looked away for a moment, but his eyes snapped back to his display just as a red light blinked into being followed by numerals detailing velocity and vectors.

“Detection!” Tarjei shouted.

“Identify,” Tei’Varyk snapped, as the computers realised the target was unknown and, sirens wailed. “Silence that.”

“I hear,” Jozka replied and cut the sirens.

“Unable to identify. Target: alien warship. Type unknown, class unknown. Weaponry exceeds our own by…
two
orders of magnitude—” Tarjei reported and continued detailing the target.

Order of two! That meant this alien ship was as close to a heavy fang as made no difference.
Chakra
was a light fang, fast and manoeuvrable, but the heavies were all weapons and power. Was this alien built along the same lines?

“Pursuit course,” he snapped. “Sound alert!”

“I hear,” Jozka said, and another siren growled throughout the ship making hackles rise.

Crew males and females dashed on all fours in some cases, in an effort to be first at their stations. Such primitivism was frowned upon usually, but not when the ship was on battle alert. Whatever worked, was the watchword in these cases.

Chakra
swung nimbly onto a new heading.

Tei’Varyk’s tail lashed with his excitement. He had to force it to be still. “Why did
Chakra’s
eyes find him so easily?”

“Unknown, Tei.” Tarjei tried to refine the data on the alien. “We found him, but the intruder was already leaving the belt at that time.”

That was very wrong. Why leave the safety of the belt when
Chakra’s
eyes failed to find him time and again? It made no sense. Things that made no sense lacked harmony and were therefore suspect.

“Fire to disable as soon as he’s in range,” Tei’Varyk ordered.