The Bright Black Sea (82 page)

The five ships of the Despar navy were now less than
an hour ahead and the likely Despar warship astern, less than half
an hour out of missile range, and Molaye had yet to start our
deceleration to make the bend in the channel only three hours
ahead. We'd have to decel by standing on our rockets hard, but to
begin to decelerate would bring the chasing warship within missile
range in minutes, so we raced on, neither of us willing to be the
first to decel...

I hoped to make the approaching battle one, rather
than two, separate battles on the theory that six ships would have
a hard time keeping their lines of fire clear of each other. I'd
joked about having so many enemies that they'd be tripping over
each other in their eagerness, and now that's exactly what I hoped
would happen now.

I sat staring at the screen – I noted that the five
ships ahead were spreading out into a rough line ahead, along our
line of flight, in order to lengthen the time we'd be under their
fire. I told Molaye that when the time came, I wanted her to put us
as close to that line as possible, to weave through it, if
possible, since their missiles would continue on if they didn't
strike us. If we had the
Lost Star
between their ships, it'd
make firing on us as dangerous to their comrades as it was to us
while our volleys might have multiple chances of hitting our
enemies. I also hoped that it would keep the warship astern from
firing for the same reason. And, well, at our current pace, we were
going to overrun the channel, and likely take our assailants in
with us. If we got lucky and missed all the rocks, and some of them
didn't... Anything could happen. Still, I couldn't help but
feeling, they'd get us in the end. Damn the Patrol. I knew this
would happen...

'Captain, we're receiving a tight beam laser signal
from the ship astern,' said Kie who was manning the communications
and lookout station on the bridge. 'It's identifying itself as
Sister Sinister
, and they're requesting a link to Captain
Litang. Shall I put them through?'

'I'll take it in my office,' I said, rising. A ship
named
Sister Sinister
was not in keeping with Despar naming
conventions, but was suggestive...

I hurried out of the bridge and around to my
office.

I swung around my desk, collected my thoughts, as few
as they were, took a deep breath and opened the channel. There was
no visual.

'Litang,'

'Greetings, Captain Litang. Captain Agust Nun. We
meet yet again.'

'What can I do for you, now?' I asked, trying and
largely failing to sound polite. No visuals and I suspect distorted
audio meant only one thing – he'd be lying at some point and didn't
want my lie detectors to analyze what he was about to say.

'Right to business, Captain? No how are you's?'

'I'm in a hurry. What do you want?'

'Anxious to put Despar astern?'

'Yes, though I'd say no more than you, judging how
fast you're coming on.'

'Well, I've come for you, and one Tallith Min. I've
been ordered by the Masters of the Monastery to take you both into
custody. If possible.' The last part was a threat.

'Why Nun, I thought you were a tactician, not a
stealth. Or was that a lie too?'

'I am a tactician, but I've my ship and my orders. I
can send a boat alongside and pick you and Tallith Min up and that
will be the end of it as far as your ship goes. I would advise you
to do so.'

'Why? What do the Masters want of me?' Not that I
didn't know.

'I wasn't told. I was merely given my orders.'

'Is Cin onboard?' .

'Cin?'

'Don't play dumb. Naylea Cin, the stealth who has me
on her list. Is she onboard, or have the Masters given up on Sister
Cin?'

'Out of my bailiwick. I'm here to collect you and Min
and transport you to the Monastery.'

'And if I refuse?'

'I hope you won't.'

'Right. Well, Agust, I'm not about to hand Min or
myself to you, so you might as well just turn around and return to
Despar.'

'You know I can't do that. My orders are not to allow
you to escape.'

'Of course I do. I've spend far too much time around
people like you to have any illusions, Nun. You'll just have to
play the pirate.'

'That would be most unfortunate. I must warn you that
I've been authorized to destroy your ship, in the event you refuse
to surrender. It would seem you've rather irritated more than me –
you've irritated the Masters as well.'

'In which case, by surrendering, I'm just making it
easy for you to eliminate that irritation. That doesn't sound very
tempting.'

'I honestly don't know what the Masters plan to do
with you.'

'Which is why you're on distorted audio. You're lying
Nun.'

'Believe what you want. What I do know is that if you
refuse to surrender, I'll be forced to destroy your ship. And that
shouldn't be hard either. Either surrender yourself and Min or your
entire crew will die. I'd think your honorable choice would be
easy.'

'Perhaps, but you must have noticed the ships waiting
for me ahead. I've got the remnants of the Despar Navy waiting to
kill us as well. So you see, I don't really have a choice at all.
Are you going to fight them for the privilege?'

He considered that.

'No, I don't think so. I'm a tactician, not a pirate
or an assassin. I'm not particularly fond of this operation, so
I'll gladly let them save me the trouble. But I'll follow my
orders, if it should prove necessary.'

'Right. So you see I can hardly surrender to you
without my ship having to fight the Despar Navy afterwards. Will
you defend us if I do?'

He thought for a moment, and said, 'We'd have to see
how things developed.'

I smiled grimly. I was all but certain Despar had
been Nun's client in the last war. And would be again – perhaps –
if he didn't destroy what remained of their navy.

'Well that makes my choice simple, doesn't it? The
only choice I have is who gets to destroy the
Lost Star
.
You'll just have to stand in line Nun. But remember I'm toxic to
Saint Bleyth brethren – none of your brothers and sisters have
faired well around me. I suspect that's why you've been given your
orders. Maybe a frigate will save you. Maybe not.'

'Right, he said, and cut communication.

I stared at the screen thinking hard. If I was right
and Nun had been one of the St Bleyth agents working for Despar,
and wanted to keep their business, he'd have to treat the Navy
ships ahead very carefully, no stray missiles destroying a ship or
two. This would tend to limit his contribution to the upcoming
battle. On the other side, well, Despar lost the war, so I had to
wonder about their attitude towards St Bleyth. This was the drifts,
and failure wasn't taken lightly. There may well be cracks in that
relationship that I could use...

I stood up, and taking a few deep breaths, returned
to the bridge.

'The Order of Saint Bleyth, wants us to surrender to
them. I told them no deal,' I said briskly to the inquiring looks.
'It's too late to avoid a battle. Let's see if we can get the Navy
to believe we've got the St Bleyth warship on our side. Open up the
laser channel and target the ships ahead, Kie, I've got a warning
to deliver...'

I took a seat before the com screen. When the channel
opened, I said, 'This is your only warning. Captain Nun of the
Sister Sinister
and I intend to pass through your screen of
ships. Any attempt to interfere with our passage will be met with
deadly force. I repeat, fire one missile and we will destroy every
ship. You've been warned,' I said as sternly as I could and cut the
transmission. 'Keep repeating that message to each ship just so
they don't miss it.'

'Let's tear through that screen as fast as possible,
Molaye. We'll worry about the bend when we reach it.'

She nodded and pulled the control levers back,
pushing us all into our seats.

'Battle stations, people,' I announced, but looking
around, I saw everyone had already gathered on the bridge deck,
their emergency suits on. Old hands at this now.

'Ah, good. Illy, Myes, Rafe, fill in for the watch
while they get suited up.'

05

'Willy, can I have a quick word with you in your
office,' said Rafe quietly as he turned the lookout chair back to
the now suited up Kie.

I nodded and we slipped around to my office and slid
the door closed.

'I get the impression, Willy, that you intend to take
us directly through the reef,' he said. 'At our present speed we'll
never make the bend and will end up in it no matter how hard we
decel.'

'Do you think I'm crazy? I only intend to get past
the Navy ships and worry about the bend. We'll take it wide, but I
hope that by following our drones we'll be able to get in and out
of the drifts in one piece. We can easily outpace the Despar Navy,
but we'll still have to take on
Sister Sinister
sooner or
later unless I can get her on the rocks. I don't see any other way,
but the Neb knows, I'm open to suggestions...'

'I have one. Proceed straight through the reef. No
one would follow us through the reef at our present speed. It'd be
suicide. It'd be suicide with three drones, but I think we can
better the odds a bit...' he said slyly.

'How?'

'Have you forgotten Botts?'

'Botts, by the bloody Neb, I have!' I exclaimed.
'Botts... Do you think?'

'I'm certain. I've poked and prodded Botts and I can
assure you it has the ability to handle not only our missile
defense far, far better than I, but that it can also handle the
ship better than even Molaye – all at the same time, mind you. You
see, it can process far more data and react as part of the ship
with far more precision and speed than human thought, muscles and
analog controls can ever approach. A centimeter miss is still a
miss. I'm certain that if we turn over entire operation of the ship
to Botts, we'd gain a significant edge over all of our opponents –
something close to the order that
Explora Miner
had over
D'Lay's enhanced jump fighters, both in battle and in navigation.
It'd be able to dodge rocks in the reefs far more deftly. Deftly
enough for me to suggest we trust it to get us through the thick
drifts.' He paused, and added, 'But Willy, you'll have to trust it
with the entire ship. No half measures. All or nothing. Hobble it
by not giving it complete control and we lose most of the edge it
brings to the situation and we need everything we can to bring to
bear on this to win... Are you willing to trust it?'

'Are you?' I replied, just to give me time to
think.

'Aye. I've seen its capabilities. I'm confident it's
the only way we've a chance.'

'Right. Bring it down .' It was an easy decision. At
our present speed, the battle would be short, unless everyone want
to follow us into the rocks of the reef. And in the reefs, you
didn't have to miss a rock by more than a centimeter. I could
easily imagine a machine tied into all our systems could do that
much swifter and surer than any human pilot. It just made
sense.

'Just call it on your com link. It's already part of
your crew,' said Rafe.

I gave him a look and touched my com link.
'Botts?'

'Aye, sir?' it replied via my com link.

'Will you report to the bridge. I believe we have
need of you.'

'Aye, sir. I have been monitoring the situation and I
believe you do. I shall be right down.'

I gave Rafe another look. He merely shrugged.

'I better go out and warn the gang,' I said and
hurried out of the office.

'We've a new crew member,' I said, as I noted via my
com link to the ship that Botts opened and closed the emergency
door that had sealed no. 4 hold., 'Don't panic when you see
it...'

'It, Skipper?' asked Riv and his eyes widened.

'Yes. Rafe decided not to send
Explora Miner
's
android out the air lock and has instead been hiding it in the
attic, with my rather reluctant permission...' which is all I
managed to say before Botts walked onto the bridge.

'Captain,' it nodded to me, 'Greetings, shipmates. My
name is Botts and I am delighted to join the crew of the
Lost
Star
and meet the rest of my shipmates. Let me assure you that
I have one goal, that is to preserve your lives and the
Lost
Star
. Fortunately in my previous employment, save my last one,
I was the master of a yacht twice the size of this ship with a
robotic crew of a hundred, so I assure you I am well versed in all
the operation of a space ship from the mundane to the most
perilous.'

No one, even Riv said a word. They just stared.

'I am going to turn the operation of the ship and its
defenses over to Botts. Rafe has assured me that it is more than
capable of handling the entire ship,' I said.

They all looked at me and at Botts.

Botts made a shallow bow, 'I know that you are not
familiar with the operation of a class 8 machine. Your current
machines are only class 2 equivalent, so I understand any
skepticism you might entertain regarding my ability to perform the
tasks I'm about to undertake. But I assure you, I am fully capable
of controlling both the navigation of this ship and the weapons
system necessary to protect it' Botts said in its calm, pleasant
voice, adding with a nod to me, 'With the captain's permission, I
would advise my fellow crew members that when we get close to
action, everyone should follow my example, select a secure chair,
set your seat magnets on max and hold on, I will be making abrupt
and unpredictable maneuvers and unless you are securely held in
place, you will be thrown about and possibly injured.'

I nodded to them, 'Do as it says,' and turned to
Botts, 'Rafe has suggested that you can take us directly through
the reefs. I'd appreciate it if you could consult what charts we
have and determine if that's possible. Otherwise, a wide turn
through the drifts would be our only other option at our present
speed.'