The Riss Proposal: Book II in the Riss Series (Volume 2) (C. R. Daems) » p.12

The Riss Proposal: Book II in the Riss Series (Volume 2), page 12

part #2 of The Riss Series Series

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A ripple of laughter. As an afterthought I snipped off the bracelets.

The sun was visible, so I headed for it. Had to be planets there—somewhere.

Eight hours later, I could see the planet Ojos. An hour later, I turned on the Comm.

“This is shuttle N101. I need tractor assist. This shuttle’s...crap.”

“Glad you’re home. You’ve stayed out past curfew.”

I recognized the Captain’s voice. She didn’t laugh a lot, but she did have a sense of humor.

“Request Gunny Terril with an escort.”

* * * *

Several hours later, they pulled the shuttle into the bay. I opened the door and took the stairs two at a time. Terril waited with four Scorpions.

“Ma’am, the Captain would like to see—” Someone shouted as I ran by, waving for Terril to follow. I ran down the corridor and stopped at the first bay, 2-21. I scanned the bay but it was empty. Terril stood behind but said nothing. I ran to the next bay, 2-22. There were a few mechanics sitting around but no pilots. At bay 2-23, I saw several pilots and McInnis shouting at some poor mechanic, who he had backed up against the fuselage of a Shark. I knew he wanted to jump in it when he saw me running toward him, but where could he go? Out into space to die like he’d planned for me? He raised his hands up in a manner I recognized as boxing and delivered a glancing blow as I drove my body into his. My knee slammed into his groin, my head crashed into his chin, and my raised leg in his groin drove downwards, shattering bones. He tried to double over, but I was still driving him backward. One elbow then the other smashed into his rib cage with a satisfying feel of bone breaking. I let him stumble backward and fall.

“He shouldn’t have resisted arrest, Ma’am,” Terril said, standing over him shaking her head.

“That was stupid attacking you, Ma’am,” a corporal behind Terril said. Through the fog of my rage, I could hear the snickering around me.

“Corporal Simmi, call for a medic to collect him. Looks like the damn fool may have cracked something when he tripped,” Terril managed to say while trying to hold back laughter. “Ma’am, why don’t you go see the Captain. We’ll take care of the Commander.”

I opened my SID and pressed the Captain’s line. When her face showed, I spoke quickly before she could. “With your permission, skipper, I’d like to freshen up and make myself presentable for our meeting.” She nodded and I closed the connection.

* * * *

Two hours later, after a long time in the Kleanzer and a change of uniform, I’d regained control of myself and felt human again.

I knocked on Sakaata’s office door and entered. “Ma’am, reporting as requested.”

“Why so formal, Nadya?”

“I may have over-reacted and attacked an officer. It was wrong.” It seemed the right thing to say, although I wasn’t sorry and would do it again. Actually I thought I’d exercised considerable restraint—considering.

“Gunny Terril and her guards reported he attacked you and resisted arrest. Seems stupid against a Si’jin Master. Doctor Echart assures me he’ll recover after a day or two in the Rejuv unit.” Her lip twitched. I took that as a good sign. “Now tell me what happened. I assume it had something to do with Commander McInnis.” She looked to be having trouble controlling her face.

“I’m sure you’ll find evidence that it was McInnis. He brought in food, tampered with the console, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he hinted something to someone. Of course, I could go talk to him.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, XO. Why don’t you take some time off?”

“Skipper, I have too much to do. I’ve already delayed your leaving for Cloud Pass to visit Jelena Couret,” I said, anxious to get something concrete that would lead to the raiders. Sakaata shook her head.

“You’re right. We do need to get to Cloud Pass as soon as possible. Get the Snowcat ready for departure and notify the Leopard we’re leaving as soon as all systems are go. When you have time, write a report detailing what happened.” I took that as a sign that we were finished.

The next hour was hectic. I made sure the primary personnel were on the bridge, systems checked and ready, and all sections prepared for departure. I contacted Iglis and got the current status on the personnel record checks and merchant ships we were tracking. As I suspected, the records revealed nothing. Iglis had reduced the merchant ships the raiders were potentially using in Oracle by one. That left three in Darkov and four in Oracle. By the time we left Ojos Cross, I felt exhausted, although I’d done no physical work.

Chapter 15

During the flight, I spent a few moments with Commander Vallar and r-Maia at Tactical. They had both spent time in the simulator working on the Riss projectile missiles formulae and the new P3a missiles, exploring configurations that worked best in a variety of enemy engagements. They seemed to be getting along fine and working well as a team. I would’ve loved to stick my nose in but sensed that would have been a mistake. I then checked on Commander Palete and r-Kojin. They seemed to be working well together, although it was taking Palete longer to assimilate Symath when it came to skips. He wasn’t blaming anyone for his slow progress and continuing to improve with r-Kojin’s help. They complimented each other nicely, as r-Kojin was slow to grasp the system’s computer functions. Everyone seemed happy, leaving me with nothing to do.

Laughter vibrated through me.

I agreed. I needed something to do, so I wandered down to see Terril and workout.

“Hello stranger, Ma’am.” Terril grinned as I approached. “Do you have any more exciting arrests for me? I liked the last one. Your technique was a bit ragged, but that tends to happen when you’re mad. Why don’t you sit down and tell me all the gory details? I’ve heard nothing but rumors.”

Terril and I found a corner to sit but before I even got started, Scorpions surrounded us.

“Once upon a time, there was...” I began. I tried to give an abbreviated version, but they kept asking questions, until they had wrung every last detail from me. Terril then recounted the gory details around my first meeting with McInnis and the subsequent boxing match. I was embarrassed at first but couldn’t help enjoying the camaraderie. The army had always been my safe haven. Afterwards I worked out with Terril and spent an hour teaching. I returned to my quarters relaxed and ready for the next challenge. I was just getting dressed when my SID sounded.

“XO, we’ll be dropping out of the Wave in one hour.”

“Thanks, Kagle. I’ll be up shortly.” I finished dressing and made my way to the Bridge. I’d just entered when Sakaata arrived. “Captain on the Bridge.”

“Well, Intel Chief. What do you want to do now that we’re at Cloud Pass?” Sakaata raised her eyebrows and waited.

I laughed. Not exactly appropriate, but I couldn’t help it.

“Thalia, I presume?” Sakaata asked.

“Yes, Ma’am. Thalia thinks we should send Couret a message, from Commander Rozell.

“It would be nice if she would cooperate and find the raiders for us,” Sakaata said, nodding her head. “We’ll give her information that we hope she’ll pass on to the raiders or one of the merchants working for them.”

“More likely, a merchant, I would think. In the Tragos Sector, the Compton would visit various colonies and then rendezvous with the raiders. Soon afterward, the raiders would strike one or more of those colonies. We’ve identified three merchant ships in Darkov and four in Oracle Sectors as potential raider contacts. I suspect her contact is in this sector, so I doubt we’ll get lucky enough for her to contact both.” I hoped that Rozell’s contact would lead us to the merchant, then the raiders, and eventually the Clan. All we had to do is survive the encounter with the raiders. That may be the hard part. Judging from the last encounter, they were operating in packs. “I suggest telling Couret we’re sending Hunters to visit Neosho. It would appear logical for us to visit a colony they raided, looking for information.”

“Kagle, send it,” Sakaata said. “If she doesn’t respond within a day, we’ll move out of system and monitor the Comrelay.”

* * * *

When Couret didn’t respond by the next day, Sakaata ordered the Snowcat and the Leopard to leave Cloud Pass, and we headed in the direction of the standard Wave entrance to Neosho.

“Captain, Couret just sent, Cats to visit Neosho. It’s addressed to the Vancil on Summer Set.”

“XO, where to?”

“I’ll check Intel, Skipper. I need to find out where the Vancil has visited recently, where she’s scheduled to go next, and where there might be potentially good targets among those planets. Hopefully, we’ll get lucky.”

Sakaata nodded and I left the Bridge for Intel. My mind raced as I walked. If Couret knew the message wasn’t from Rozell, then this was a serious waste of time, and we’d be off on a proverbial wild goose chase, whatever a goose was. But how could I determine whether the message was real or not? I was so deep in thought that I almost didn’t stop for the guards. Fortunately, neither guard shot me. To my surprise, the senior guard stepped aside to let me pass without the normal perfunctory ID check they gave me. I mumbled thanks and kept going.

“Iglis, Mundz, conference room. Bring everything you have on the Vancil.” I headed straight for the room and sat down. I knew the Raiders had changed tactics, alternating between sectors, but had they changed targets? If so, what were their priorities? Before it had been Xundexium, Riss-humans, weapons, and ships with known stops, all planet-side targets. Could they be looking for merchant ships and their cargo? Just then, Iglis and Mundz burst into the room.

“Ma’am, we brought everything we’ve collected so far,” Iglis said. She and Mundz remained standing instead of joining me at the table.

“Sit, you two. I’m not mad at you. We think we’ve identified the Vancil as the raider’s contact in this sector. Hopefully, it’s one of the merchants you’ve identified as a potential spy.”

“Yes, Ma’am. It’s one of the Darkov merchants we’ve being monitoring,” Iglis said. That was a huge relief. It didn’t confirm we had the right merchant, but it was positive feedback.

“Good. We need to determine where it made port since the last raid, where she’s going next, and what the raiders targeted in Neosho, Harare, and Ruskus.”

It was late that night before I had the picture I sought. The Vancil had visited Door-to-nowhere, Yamhill, Kaka, Elbe, and Tseri in Darkov Sector. It had left Tseri a week ago but had still not arrived at Summer Set. It was several days overdue. Based on the Compton’s past history, the Vancil was rendezvousing with the raider squadron.

In the Darkov sector, the raiders had hit merchant and passenger ships. It appeared they were now targeting mobile targets—ones that were predictable. It seemed logical to assume they were identifying their next victim, as I sat reviewing the data. As far as we could determine, there were three targets meeting the current criteria: an expensive passenger starship, The Traveler, which was due to depart Kaka tomorrow bound for Tseri, a merchant ship—the Honest Trader—which had a routine circuit among eight planets with its next stop Yamhill, and another merchant ship, the Collector, which traded expensive merchandise collected from all three SAS sectors. It listed its next stop as Elbe.

Three different locations meant we had to make a choice, since we couldn’t be everywhere and the timing didn’t permit covering more than one, unless we split up. However, that would be a terrible idea because the raiders were operating in packs. Even a Hunter couldn’t take on multiple cruisers, especially if one was a Heavy. It wasn’t my final decision, but I owed the Skipper my best guess.

Chapter 16

“Well, Intel Chief, have you come to any conclusions?” Sakaata asked, turning to look at me. She’d assembled her entire staff, including Commander Fabert, Colonel Seng, and their Riss partners. Commander Kagle had set up a Vidcom with Captain Zellor and his staff on the Leopard. In response, everyone in the room and on the Vidcom turned towards me.

I’ll never get used to this. Although nearly everyone in the room was an acting commander, including me, they all had more experience and time in grade as lieutenant commanders. If anyone took it personal, they didn’t show it.

Amusement flowed through me. I shuddered. So long as someone didn’t kill me, I’d be here a hundred years from now. The thought sobered me.

Yes, I’m special. I carry a high-Riss and a sister to the Riss.

“Skipper, given the raiders have switched their operations to Darkov and are no longer targeting colonies, there are three likely targets.” I felt like I was covering my ass and didn’t like the feeling. Sakaata asked for my opinion not for excuses in advance.

“Sorry, forget the ifs, I believe there are three potential targets. Unfortunately, they’re headed for different colonies. We could split the Hunters to get better odds, but my personal opinion is that would be dangerous. The raiders have been operating in a pack of three, of which one has been a Heavy.” I opened my SID and connected it to the system. A three-dimensional sphere of the Darkov sector appeared with the three ships I had identified and lines from their current position to their scheduled designations. “The raider’s merchant spy, the Vancil, is late for its scheduled stop in Summer Set. Prior to disappearing, it had stopped at the planets the three ships are departing from and their destinations would have been known. If the past was any indicator, it has rendezvoused with the raiders, and they will have identified their next target. I believe it will be one of these three ships. I’d suggest monitoring the Collector, which will leave Tseri in two days headed for Elbe.”

“Reese, we all understand this is a guessing game. For all we know, Couret is onto us and sent the message to some random merchant ship. You’ve had the most experience with the raiders; therefore, you’re the best person to guess about their most likely action. That’s why you are the head of the Intel group. The fact that you’ve fought them twice is the reason you are XO. If anyone has a better guess, we’ll consider it.” Sakaata looked around the room.

No one volunteered, so I continued.

“Based upon their last raids in the Darkov and Oracle sectors, they attacked their target as they entered the planet’s solar system,” I said, hoping the raiders remained consistent. The planets monitored outgoing ships but not incoming, because they weren’t predictable.

“We’ll go with that, Reese. Palete, plot us a course to Elbe. You and r-Kojin should try a few separate simulations. If we need a skip or two, I want our best. It could be the difference between surviving or not. Vallar, you and r-Maia should take another look at attack options. In the simulator, practice setting up various scenarios and have r-Maia duplicate them with the unguided missile equations. Captain Zellor, you have your people do the same. XO, you’ll monitor the simulations. You may see something no one else does.” Sakaata paused, looked at the Vidcom and then each person in the room.

“I know you’ve worked long and hard on these techniques and practiced them extensively in the simulator. Unfortunately, in battle we only get one chance to get it right. If Reese is right, we’ll be outnumbered and will have to be at our best. Hopefully we’ll be in place before the raiders. Whoever arrives first will be running silent and have an advantage; therefore, we’ll enter Elbe space at battle stations. Colonel Seng, if your Scorpions get a chance to board, the priority is their ship’s computer system. Reese believes they’re clan and will fight to the last person, so don’t worry about trying to capture prisoners. Master Gunnery Sergeant Terril will tell you the same thing. She was on the Tiger and boarded a raider’s Light cruiser after it was disabled. Commander Fabert, be prepared to launch on a moment’s notice after battle stations. Winning against a raiders pack may be harder than finding them. I intend to win and to accomplish that with the minimum loss of life. To do that, we need every man and woman performing at his or her best. Stay sharp.” Sakaata rose, indicating the meeting was over.

* * * *

For the next few days, I set up scenarios for the simulator and monitored the results on the Snowcat and the Leopard. All the simulations went well and everyone seemed prepared. Of course, a simulated engagement wasn’t the same as a real one. For one thing, in the simulator you got another chance. Ironically, I worried more about whether I’d picked the right target than about an upcoming battle.

As her laughter washed through me, the tension I hadn’t realized I had eased.

* * * *

“BATTLE STATIONS” blared through speakers and SIDs, bringing the ship to life like someone had smacked a wasp’s hive. I should have been manning the backup control room except Sakaata decided I should stay with her, and appointed Commander Numan, the Engineering Officer, to command the backup Bridge. Sakaata wanted me on the Bridge in case something happened to the Tactical or Navigation station. When we entered Elbe space, nothing happened. If I’d guessed right, we would have the advantage of surprise.

“Engineering, cut power. Radar, passive only,” Sakaata said into her SID.

We waited four hours before Sakaata released the crew from battle stations. Those off duty would make sure they ate hearty and got plenty of sleep. In a battle, you didn’t get time to do either. The Collector wasn’t due until tomorrow; however, the raiders could arrive anytime. If I’d guessed wrong, some merchant ship and its crew would soon be dead. It was a painful thought, and each hour that passed increased the odds it would come true. If the raiders were coming, they were cutting it close.

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The Riss Proposal: Book II in the Riss Series (Volume 2), page 12

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