Audacity (Warner's World Book 5) (45 page)

“Sir?” asked Anita breaking into Sheldon’s considerations. She was sitting next to him in her XO’s seat in the command centre.

“No, I don’t think we will” he finally responded. “Better to wait till Raptor arrives. There won’t be a problem in taking them both out then.”

“What about sending a shuttle down?” she asked.

“No it’s not worth the risk either. But we will manoeuvre so we are equidistant with our friends here. When is the Raptor due in?”

“Our best guess is around 2200” responded 2
^nd
Lt Addo Omabe, the ops officer.

“OK we’ll attack at 2300 if the Raptor doesn’t open fire before then. Addo work us up three COA one attacking just Bogey 1, the second just attacking Bogey 2 and the third, in case Raptor’s not with us, attacking both bogeys.”

“Got it” replied Addo “25 per ship?”

“Yep.”

“Michael, make sure you have signals ready to send back to Chelora and Raptor and down here to Romeo Control. That’s right Romeo Control?”

“Correct Sir. Will do” said Michael. “Cyber attack?”

Sheldon nodded. “OK folks. It might be a good time to take a break. We could be in for a long night” he said. “Joslen, I’ll send Michael back in to relieve you after he’s sculled his cuppa.”

“Ta” said Michael with a jovial hint of disappointment.

“Sure Sir” said Joslen who had the watch and she gave Michael a smile and walked her index and middle fingers to give him the hurry up.

Chapter 48. Raptor over Q2 2210, 29 August

2
^nd
Lt Johnny Warento blurted out “Two enemy frigates, Bogey 1 23,000 bearing 295648, Bogey 2 19,000 bearing 673194. Nothing else I think.”

“No Spectre?” asked Meg.

“Negative” came back Johnny “but they could still be here.”

“Or they’ve been destroyed” contributed Hec.

“Yeah” said Meg slowly “but my money is on them being here.” Meg thought for a minute. All eyes were on her but she didn’t let that bother her. “They will be waiting for us to initiate, since they don’t know exactly when we would arrive. Let’s head here to Alpha 1” she said marking an icon on the holo about midway between the two enemy frigates. “Eenie, meany, pudding and pie I think it’s Bogey 1’s time to die. Lock it in Johnny, Bogey 1, 25.”

Hec waited patiently, expecting his boss to also order as a contingency a strike on bogey 2. Finally he chimed in “and a contingency for Bogey 2?”

“Nah…I’m sure commander Brice will have that covered.” But on reflection Meg thought it best not to piss off Hec too much and so she added “No, you’re right…plug in a contingency for Bogey 2 please Johnny.” Meg gave Hec a smile but it wasn’t returned.

“Got it” confirmed Johnny.

“ETA to Alpha 1?” asked Meg.

“Twenty minutes” answered 2
^nd
Lt Shivani Usman the ops officer.

“Lulu, make sure you zap Bogey 1 unless we’re only going after 2.”

2
^nd
Lt Lulu Kamara nodded. It struck Meg that Lulu had been one of the most loquacious of her officers during training but on actual operations she tended to go quiet. ‘Interesting.’

“Oh and Lulu” added Meg “make sure you have the usual signals ready and don’t forget our friends below.”

Again Lulu nodded and focussed on her tasks. ‘I hope she’s not going to clam up on us’ questioned Meg to herself.

A few minutes passed and Meg asked “Everything OK Lulu?”

“Yes Maam” replied Lulu.

‘She still speaks’ thought Meg. ‘That’s a good sign.’

After another minute Lulu turned to Meg and said “The signals are ready Maam.”

“Thank you” said Meg. She read them. They were all acceptable. ‘Interesting’ said Meg to herself.

“OK to duck out” asked Johnny. “I’ll be right back.”

“All right but make it snappy” replied Meg with mild irritation in her tone. ‘What’s happening here?’

As if he had read her thoughts, Hec leaned over and whispered in her ear “First time nerves.”

Meg nodded. ‘Yes that’s what it is.’ She had forgotten that for these junior officers this would be their first time in real action.

“ETA in three” advised Shivani. Meg detected a bead of sweat running down Shivani’s neck. It glistened against her light brown skin.

“Where’s Johnny?” she asked out loud.

As if on cue, he came jogging back in. He slid his slender body onto his seat and quickly scanned his terminal display. Turning to Meg he gave her the thumbs up with only a hint of nervousness on his face. But then he gulped unexpectedly betraying his real state of anxiety.

2
^nd
Lt Fabien Enger poked his blond Nordic head into the command centre and scanned the scene. He came up and sat in the observer chair. Normally as the quartermaster, and not on watch, he wasn’t required to be here. But he wanted to be. He had been too anxious waiting alone in his office.

“Arriving in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” advised Shivani. As the watch officer it was her role to initiate the attack. But she hesitated even though she knew they were all waiting on her. Meg couldn’t believe that Shivani was baulking. She had been the most confident of her juniors, which is why she had the watch at this time. Meg gave her a tilt of her head to prompt her. “Fire at Bogey 1” she said in a quiet voice. It was so quiet Johnny wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. “Fire at Bogey 1” said Shivani louder.

“Missiles away” blurted out Johnny.

“Messages sent” advised Lulu in a very measured tone.

“Oh there’s Spectre” said Johnny. “Shit they’re really close. They’ve fired…25 at Bogey 2.”

“Bogey 1 zapped” advised Lulu “I’m in….targeting missile systems.”

“Thirty missiles from Bogey 2, targeting us…or maybe Spectre” blurted out Johnny. “Shit…I can’t tell which.”

“Johnny” said Meg loudly “it’s not important. Target those missiles one for one.”

“Right, sorry.” As Johnny targeted the strike against the enemy missiles he noticed the Spectre firing. “Spectre’s firing again… 30 at enemy missiles.” Johnny sat back and relaxed.

“What about our counter strike?” barked Meg.

“Oh… sorry…away” advised Johnny.

“Bogey 1 is powering up to warp” advised Lulu. She turned to Meg with a big smile “I think my cyber attack worked!”

Meg gave her a quick smile as a teacher would give a pupil. But her real focus was on the tracks on the holo. The ETA indicators showed less than 15 seconds for the strike on Bogey 1. Spectre’s strike on Bogey 2 was at 25 seconds.

“Bogey 1 is hit” yelled out Johnny all excited. “Oh she’s gone. Yeeha!” and Johnny punched the air with his fist.

“Bogey 2 powering to warp” advised Lulu. There was a real confidence in her voice now.

Meg’s eyes though were still on the tracks. She wasn’t worried about Bogey 2 and didn’t care too much whether it got away. She was only worried about the incoming strike.

“17 leakers” called out Johnny “Spectre’s counter strike to come.”

“Hits on Bogey 2…she’s got away…dam it” said Johnny.

“Oh shit we still have 6 leakers coming at us. Oh Spectres firing at them.”

“Johnny” shouted Meg “Engage 2 for 1.”

“Oh yes” said Johnny.

“Full automation” ordered Meg, overriding the battle systems officer.

The AI immediately fired counter missiles. They and the Spectres took out the remaining enemy missiles. Johnny sank back into his chair knowing full well that he had cocked it up and that it had nearly cost them their lives. He brought his hands to his face, too ashamed to acknowledge the gaze of those around him.

Hec came over and stood at his side and put his arm around Johnny’s shoulder. “It’s all right Johnny. It’s over. We’ll do better next time, right?”

Johnny pulled his hands away and nodded in shame. He caught sight of Meg’s shaking head. There was no doubt about her disapproval.

“We’re being hailed Maam” said Lulu “It’s commander Brice.”

“Sheldon” hailed Meg “thanks for the rescue.”

“No worries. Glad to oblige. Everything OK?”

“Yes just a few heads, well one in particular, that needs a talking to but otherwise we’re good and yourself?”

“All good here. I’ve got Romeo Control from Rollinium on the line. Let me talk to them and I’ll be back in touch.”

“OK we’re not going anywhere” and she terminated the call.

She turned her gaze towards Johnny. It was full of anger. Hec leaned forward intercepting her line of sight. He pulled back and gave her a shake of his head and then tilted it to indicate he wanted to speak with her outside.

But Meg would have not of it. In front of them all she said in her most authoritative voice “We cannot afford to have that happen again. You rarely get a second chance. We all have to stay switched on and none more so than battle systems. Is that understood everyone?”

There were nods all round.

Johnny felt like his world had just shrunk. He was sure all eyes were looking at him with reproach but in fact the only ones that were, belonged to his boss.

Hec sank back in his chair. He had a disapproving look on his face but it wasn’t because of what Johnny had done or not done. Meg Songa obviously had a different modus operandi to him and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Shivani you have the watch” said Meg with a tight mouth. “I’m going to my cabin. I suggest everyone else get some rest.” With that Meg left the command centre.

Hec got up and followed her. He got to the elevator just as it arrived and hopped in with Meg.

“Don’t go on about it” said Meg. “I did what was necessary.”

“Oh you think that was necessary, do you?” said Hec, his annoyance coming through clearly.

“Yes I do. Or would you rather I mollycoddle them so we can all be friends while we get a missile up our arse?”

“It doesn’t have to be either or.”

“Clearly it does. These one pippers are obviously not up to it. We’re light years away from any support. There are no replacements to hand. They have to grow up fast or not at all. It IS that simple!”

Hec shook his head as the door opened.

“If you’ll excuse me” said Meg and she stepped past him and out into the corridor.

Hec followed and caught up to her. “This is their first time in combat. They should not be written off on the basis of this performance. Don’t you remember your first time?”

“Yes I do” she blurted out “I was brilliant and that is what I expect of my officers. Those that don’t measure up will be shipped out at the first opportunity. Is that understood XO?”

Hec stopped pacing with her. She stopped and turned to face him. “Is that understood?”

“Yes, understood” said Hec.

She pivoted and walked on to her cabin. Hec watched as she pulled the door behind her. ‘Arsehole’ he said to himself.

Chapter 49. Spectre over Q2, 2330, 29 August

Sheldon collapsed onto his bed at the end of what had been an eventful day. All in all it had turned out well. He was particularly pleased at the way his crew had performed.

He’d sent his doctor and med team down to the spaceport to help with the wounded. He was yet to see the place but the video made the place look like a real mess. The runway was a big concern. They needed that for the heavy lift shuttles. Otherwise resup and the eventual evac of the populous would be agonisingly slow. Alas there was little they could do to help.

He’d been surprised when Art had asked about delivering him and a small team to the next system. He was all for grabbing Sallusam but he couldn’t risk denuding his meagre force. He also didn’t think it a good idea to use the captured shuttle, arguing that it would be registered and easily identified. Art had acknowledged his logic and seemed to accept the constraints with good humour. He thought that on the whole he had a level head on his shoulders.

He wasn’t so sure about Meg though. She had seemed pretty pissed off when he finally talked to her but he knew what it was like to have things go awry in combat.

The big questions on his mind were: would the enemy send more ships; how many would there be; when would they arrive and would the Admiral rush reinforcements once he got his signal? He dearly hoped so. Missile stocks were too low to conduct another sizeable engagement.

According to his mission brief he was to expect the main body to arrive on the 30
^th
of next month. That was looking like an eternity right now. The good thing he hoped was that according to the brief the enemy did not have significant fleet assets in this sector. He reasoned that the enemy would be reluctant to send in just a small force. So a killer force would take weeks to get here. But he knew also that the rogan ships were on average twice as fast in warp as the main body would be. His only hope was the Resolute.

Chapter 50. Raptor over Q2, 2345, 29 August

Meg Songa still lay awake on her back in her cabin. She had been going over and over the events of the day. For the last hour she had been fuming about her subalterns. When she started thinking about the debacle with Johnny again, she knew it was time to stop.

She rolled over onto her side, closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

A minute later the image of Hec remonstrating with her out in the corridor popped into her mind. A pang of regret manifested physically as a stinging sensation in the back of her head just above the neck. She instinctively moved her hand to rub it and sat upright in the process.

It was then that she realised she was sweating. “Fuck it what have I done” she muttered out loud. She took some deep breaths in, stood up and went to the ensuite, ditching her tee and shorts as she went. She ran the water luke warm, stuck her head under and ran her fingers through her curly hair.

As the water ran down her super fit body she flexed her right arm and saw the tautness of the muscles as the water splashed off them. ‘It’s me who’s been uptight’ she thought and instinctively she shook her right arm to release all the tension in it. ‘It’s me who failed out there this evening. Gee what have I done? You’re a fool Meg Songa, a bloody fool.’

She turned off the water and dried herself. There was barely a fine mist to wipe away from the mirror because the temperature of the water had been so low. She leant over and stared into her eyes. She saw guilt in the reflection. It had been a long time since she had seen it there…a very long time indeed.