No Way to Start a War (TCOTU, Book 2) (This Corner of the Universe) (17 page)

No
change in orders came during the extra twenty minutes needed to rearm the
fighters.  As launch operations commenced, Task Group 3.1’s course stayed true:
direct for Salus.

Ten
minutes later, the last fighter launched from the Brevic carriers.  One hundred
sixty fighters had sortied for this strike, with
Avenger’s
VF-19 and -20
remaining on board to serve as a CAP.  In response to the Hollaran fleet’s
course change, Heskan could see a pair of SEW-5s moving toward it. 
I guess
those recon shuttles will pace the Hollies so we don’t lose sight of them
. 
That’s a smart use of resources
, Heskan admitted. 
Hayes is thwarting
their every move; that Hollie komandor must be fuming on her bridge
.

The
launch delay had allowed
Kite
to crawl another 4
lm
closer to
Salus.  Task Group 3.1 was just under 36
lm
from the planet, still three
hours sailing time at the fleet speed of .2
c
but only a two-hour trip
for the faster fighters.

While
waiting for events to unfold, Heskan agonized for ten minutes about whether to
stand his crew down from battle stations.  The Hollaran fleet, still on a
perpendicular course to
Kite’s
own and moving farther away, offered no
imminent danger of combat.  However, having fighters out on an attack mission,
having Hollaran missile boats within 20
lm,
and just being inside
Hollaran space let alone the Helike star system, made it feel wrong not to be
at battle stations.  After internal debate, Heskan relented and placed
Kite
on a lower alert.  The reduction in status allowed the removal of helmets and
permitted crewmembers an opportunity for short breaks from their stations.

There
simply isn’t a good enough reason to keep my crew glued to their stations in the
absence of an immediate threat
,
Heskan decided.  He knew the fighters would encounter any threat from the
planet first and give
Kite
plenty of time to prepare, and the only other
threat in the system, the Hollaran fleet, was running.  Knowing who was
commanding that force, Heskan was surprised.  The unadulterated hatred Komandor
Lombardi had expressed in Sponde did not match the current actions of the fleet.
 Oh, I bet she was relieved of command
, Heskan surmised
.  That’s certainly
what Brevic command would do. 
Heskan shuddered slightly.
 I can only
imagine what Hollie leadership did to her when she returned that defeated, devastated
invasion force to Helike
. 
Is she even still alive?
  Although Brevic
command had never ordered a firing squad for a commander solely for a failed battle,
horror stories of the fickle and short-tempered Hollaran admiralty and their legendary
punishments spread quickly around the Brevic Republic.

Heskan
spent the next forty minutes unsuccessfully trying to contact Durmont.  The squadron’s
leadership situation had grown beyond ridiculous.  While he was trying to think
of a solution, Lieutenant Vernay returned to the bridge from her break.  Heskan
was about to turn over the bridge and visit his cabin when Truesworth cautioned,
“Captain, we’re getting additional contacts from some of our Avocets.”  His
fingers glided around his sensor console to update the tactical plot.

On
the screen, hostile red blips appeared 43
lm
to port, the opposite side
of
Kite
from the original Hollaran fleet.  Contact after contact sprung
onto the plot as Truesworth’s dread-filled voice updated, “Eight ships… No, ten
ships.”

“Heading?”
Heskan asked.  The information on the tactical plot only showed the increasing
numbers, not heading or speed.

“It’s
up to twelve ships now, Captain,” Truesworth continued.  “Judging by their change
in bearing, I’d say they are not headed toward us.”

“The
tunnel point,” Vernay deduced.

“Yes,”
Heskan agreed.  “They can’t stop our attack on Salus but they can make sure we
don’t leave without a fight.  Half of those ships have to be escorts, which
still gives them a full squadron of missile boats and I bet they won’t be older
models.”

“Captain,”
Truesworth interjected, “you have an incoming comm request on the fleet command
channel.”

Heskan
clenched.  
This is stupid
, he thought. 
The Hollies just sprung a
trap and I’m more concerned about Hayes asking me why Durmont isn’t present
. 
He accepted the request and found the channel filled with several commanders. 
Hayes was already talking.  “We’ve obviously been had but we’re not dead yet. 
Our SEWs picked them up early enough to give us time to get out of this trap if
we act decisively.  We should be able to beat them to the Kale tunnel point if
we come about immediately and burn hard toward it.”

“What
about when we get to Kale?  Can we stay ahead of them all the way through that
system?” Captain Ramirez asked.

“I
think so.  We can spend the fighters we’ve kept on Avenger as CAP to give us
some breathing room during the transit across the system.  The SEW’s early
detection may have saved us.”

“Admiral,
what about the strike force that’s currently out?”
Eagle’s
CAG
questioned.

“I
don’t know if we can recall them,” Hayes replied.

“Sure
we can,”
Eagle’s
Captain Grey responded.  “They’re six light-minutes out. 
Even with the slower closure rate, they have the endurance to make that gap up
and land before we make it to the tunnel point.”

“That’s
not what I meant, Elly,” Hayes answered.  “I know both of Eagle’s VFs are out
there but so are four of Avenger’s.  As much as I’d like to order them back, I
can’t scrub the planet assault.  We won’t get another chance at Salus.”

“Admiral,”
Grey persisted, “we have one hundred sixty pilots out.  We can’t throw them
away.”

Hayes
growled, “That’s enough, Elly.  Why is it so difficult to follow orders all of
a sudden?”  Although not shouted, the weight of a rear admiral speaking those
words hit with the impact of an iridium round.  The silence afterward was
deafening.

What
the hell is Hayes talking about?
Heskan wondered.

Captain
Grey, unwilling to capitulate, pressed forward with a different approach.  “With
great respect, Admiral, you’re right.  We cannot lose Avenger, she has to make
it back to Sponde.  However, Avenger has all the remaining fighters so Eagle won’t
be helpful at all.  Why not order Avenger back to the tunnel point but let
Eagle continue toward Salus?”  Grey paused.

When
Hayes did not respond, she continued, “Eagle can recover the fighters and the
Hollies won’t be able to ignore her.  They’ll either have to divert their
surprise force toward us or split up.  Either way, we can buy more time for
Avenger and if you plan on trying to take Avenger above point two-C, Eagle will
slow you down anyway.” 
Avenger
could temporarily sprint at greater
speeds than her smaller sister.  The light carrier only had two-thirds of
Avenger’s
propulsion capability and could not maintain its inertial dampening fields at
the levels required to sustain the higher speeds.

Hayes
sighed unhappily.  “Elly, you know what might happen to Eagle if we split our
forces.”  He had asked a question but stated it like a fact.

There
was a slight pause.  “Of course, sir.”

“And
you’re still willing to continue forward and recover those fighters?”

No
pause this time.  “Yes, Admiral.”

“Commander
Durmont,” Hayes said, “I want CortRon Fifteen to escort Eagle.  Avenger
shouldn’t need you.”

Oh
boy, here we go
. 
“This is Heskan, Admiral, and Fifteen is honored to do so.”

“Let
the record reflect that Lieutenant Commander Durmont has been relieved of
command and his vice commander, Garrett Heskan, assumed command of CortRon
Fifteen at this date and time,” Hayes instructed coldly.

Heskan
was not sure what to say but was spared any verbal fumbles when Hayes
continued, “Captain Grey, I am detaching Avenger from the task group.  In my
absence, you will be the group’s commander.  Good luck and Godspeed.”

Seconds
after Hayes ended the meeting, the mammoth heavy carrier began to rotate to
face the Kale tunnel point as the rest of Task Group 3.1 continued toward
Salus.

Heskan
opened CortRon 15’s squadron command channel and waited until he was sure that
each ship in the squadron including
Tomahawk
was listening.  “This is
Lieutenant Commander Heskan.  By order of Admiral Hayes, Avenger is detaching
from Task Group Three-One and making way for the Kale tunnel point.  The rest
of the group will continue toward Salus.”  He let that sink in a moment.  “Our
mission is to defend Eagle as she recovers our fighter strike force and then
make our way back toward Brevic space.  Admiral Hayes has given command
authority over Three-One to Captain Grey.”  He paused again to think of the
right phrase for his next statement. 
And, Commander Durmont, you’re fired.
 
“Additionally, Admiral Hayes has instructed me to assume command of the escort
squadron.”  He paused again but quickly added, “Until such time that command is
passed back to Commander Durmont.” 
Maybe that will soften the blow a little
and technically, I could pass command back to him.  As CortRon Fifteen’s commander,
I can relieve myself of command any time I wish
.  “Lieutenant Kelly Gary is
the squadron’s new vice commander.  Acknowledge that, Kelly.”

Gary’s
voice was full of trepidation as she responded, “Um, okay.  I am the vice
commander, sir.”

Heskan
nodded even though he knew no one could see it over the voice-only channel.  “You’ve
all no doubt realized that we’ve been suckered by the Hollies and we’re only
falling deeper into their jaws by continuing forward.  However, we still have
the best CortRon in the Navy and we’re going to show these Hollies a trick or
two ourselves.  Questions?”

After
a brief pause, Heskan heard Gary’s voice.  “Sir, there’s a rumor that the
fighters are carrying fusion warheads, is that true?”

Heskan’s
heart skipped a beat.  “What?  Uh, I haven’t heard that.  I don’t know, Kelly. 
That can’t be true.”  Hayes’ rebuke about following orders came back to him.  “I’ll
try to get some confirmation if I can.  Anything else?”

Heskan
waited patiently through the silence, hoping that none of the ship captains
would ask why Durmont had been relieved. 
The new ships we took from CortRon
Eight must think this squadron is crazy
.  After a suitable pause, Heskan
finished, “You’ll receive formation orders shortly.  Don’t hesitate to use this
channel if you have any questions or insight and finally, don’t forget to keep
your crew in the loop.  Our shipmates are probably already learning about the
new Hollaran fleet and Avenger’s departure.  We need to make sure they know why
we’re not going with her.  Don’t let them think we’re being abandoned.  Meeting
adjourned.  Bulwark, I need you to stay in the channel for a minute.”

Heskan
watched each ship captain sign off from the channel except
Bulwark
.

“Yes,
sir?” a timid voice questioned.

“Who
am I speaking to?” Heskan asked. 
I
already have a pretty good idea
whom I’m not speaking to
.

“This
is Lieutenant Mullins, sir.  I’m Bulwark’s first officer.”

“You
live in interesting times, Mullins,” Heskan said.  “I need you to personally notify
Commander Durmont of the change of command.  Tell him that I am ordering him to
contact me soonest.  Finally, you are to assume command of Bulwark. 
Acknowledge that, please.”

“I
have command of Bulwark, sir.  Understood.”

“Okay,
that’s all.  Mullins, I really need to speak to Durmont.  Make that happen.” 
Heskan closed the channel and looked over to Lieutenant Vernay.

“Congratulations?”
she said impishly as she smiled and arched an eyebrow upward.  The change in
command had not totally taken her by surprise.  During the last week, she had
spoken with Nelson Mullins several times and he had hinted at just how deep
Durmont’s withdrawal had become.  Mullins had told her what started as a
dispassionate detachment after the defense of Sponde had gradually turned into
a full-blown depression.  Durmont had stopped going to the bridge and was
rarely seen outside of his quarters.  The fact that most of Bulwark’s officers
usually avoided contact with the lieutenant commander had only aided in
disguising Durmont’s abdication of the squadron.  In the final day before the Helike
invasion, Vernay had pressed Mullins to challenge Durmont’s ability to command
but Bulwark’s first officer had refused.  She thought that over now. 
I can’t
really blame him.  Could I ever push for Captain Heskan to be relieved after everything
we’ve been through?  I can’t imagine any good first officer trying that.
 
Vernay’s thoughts returned to the present and her smile grew wider as she
looked at Heskan.  “At least we have a
real
leader now.”

Heskan
frowned slightly as he typed out new formation orders.  “I think Durmont was
trying, Stacy, and don’t be too happy; I’m about to order the squadron to stick
its head into the lion’s mouth.”