I wasn’t paying any attention to the squadron at all. Our orders were to be in a specific system at an exact time, and I was monitoring our movement in that direction, and what was going on in the system next to where we were going. The Keerah had a planet there they didn’t want to lose, but had no chance of getting a fleet there in time to keep the Trixone from landing troops.
Intel suggested the Keerah had finally been able to get their shit together, and like the Ralnor, were now stopping a lot of the incursions they knew about before they managed to get any further. It was costing them in ships, but larger fleets than the Trixone were using, with a larger number of battleships in their fleets, were proving they could slug things out, even against the plant fighters.
It was where they didn’t know the incursions were happening which was causing them to call for Imperium help. This was such a one. My orders were to clobber the scout fleet, and then close the incursion corridor off.
Which is what we did. Although we could have been there a lot earlier, someone up the chain of command obviously wanted the Keerah shown what we could do. So we arrived just before the scout fleet came into gun range of a handful of local militia ships no bigger than our destroyers. They were so totally outclassed, but you had to admire their guts. Death and glory stuff. Except today we had other plans.
We arrived well above the system plane, and took a moment to study the Trixone scout fleet. Leanne studied the ships themselves.
“They’re paranoid,” she said.
“How so?”
“They have every ship’s guns pointed at another ship, as if even here, so far away from anywhere we’ve hit before, they expect us to appear.”
“Well, let’s not disappoint them. CAG?”
“Sir?”
“You have three shielders. Four, four, and three to a shield. I’ve got the two battleships.”
“Aye sir.”
She started dividing everyone up. Gitte and Haynes were getting three Excaliburs each, and Fina was getting two. The former had the cruisers as their first targets. Each flight formed up into a small wall, even though Fina’s was a triangle.
“Ready.”
Serena didn’t look back at me, and I noticed for the first time she had a small screen up so she could see me while she was looking forward. She didn’t look at me at all, and her hands were in her lap. Fair enough.
“Jump in five.”
Ten seconds after that, the scout fleet was debris.
We jumped out of the debris field, but maintained a healthy distance from the Keerah militia.
“Unknown ships,” came a voice. “Identify yourselves.”
The voice was in Keerah of course, and translated for us. I found Metunga looking directly at me, and nodded to him. The channel widened into a full vid both ways.
“This is Imperium Navy Mage Squadron One,” he said, in Keerah, with us getting the translation, “here on orders from Keerah itself. We are delighted to have been able to help you, and we will be making sure this end of your system will not be letting any more Trixone through.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Magic.”
There was the sound of cat laughing.
“You do not need to believe us, but if you attempt to use the jump point the Trixone came in through, you will find you are unable to jump out. It is not dangerous to try. Just futile.”
“Aren’t you one of a vassal class who rebelled?”
“No. I’m one of your cousins who decided the Imperium was a better way of living.”
“And they let you lead one of their squadrons?”
“Those who are the best, lead.”
Metunga’s suit shifted, and his medal ribbons appeared. There was a very substantial change in attitude on the other end.
“My apologies young warrior. I spoke out of turn. Please express our gratitude for a battle well fought to your squadron mates. Be on your way to further glory.”
He did a Keerah salute, and the channel closed. Metunga looked like a very satisfied cat.
The Excaliburs jumped back on board, Long Water jumped to the jump point, which Gitte closed, and we spent another hour jumping around the area closing off the whole incursion corridor.
We were docked back at Haven in time for lunch, having rapid jumped the whole way back.
A familiar face waited in the mess for us.
Twenty Six
The table had two extra chairs.
As soon as everyone had jumped back on board, Serena had been hugged by everyone, although she was definitely not as enthusiastic about it. She came with us to lunch, but our progress was slower than normal to adjust to her pace, which could be called deliberate. It looked like she was walking around in pain, although she assured us all she was not.
We found Edna Mole waiting for us.
“Flight Lieutenant Mole, reporting as ordered, sir.”
She saluted me, and I returned it. Technically she was senior to me by minutes, but I was navy and a ship captain now, and she was not.
“What are you doing here, Edna?” asked Jill. “I thought you were on Claymore?”
“I was. But when Bud was promoted and it became obvious there was an Excalibur position vacant as a result of him getting a corvette, I applied for the slot. Obviously I didn’t get it, but I was asked this morning if I still wanted it.” She looked at Serena, who was already sitting. “I’m sorry it’s because you got hurt in a fight yesterday.”
“That’s fine, Edna. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to be out of things for a week or so, at least that’s what I’m told by Colonel Carter. Glad to have you filling in for me.”
“I’m happy to be back.”
I introduced her to Leanne, and we all sat and ordered from the butlers who descended on us.
“Have you been upgraded to a mark five yet?” asked Woof.
“No, but I’ve spent some simulator time in one. Eagle told me my new five would be waiting for me on Long Water.”
I looked at Leanne, and she nodded. Edna’s AI had presumably done the ship transfer this morning, and had jumped the Excalibur aboard as we left the ship. There was going to be a lot of those transfers over the next few weeks. I was guessing the pilots would jump here, land on the shipyard, the AI would shift to a new ship without one, and the pilot would jump back to where they came from. You could do it the other way of course. The AI takes control of the new ship, jumps out and swaps the ships over, and flies it back, before releasing the old ship to the shipyard. Sometimes it was easy to lose track of the fact AIs could handle multiple ships at the same time, and distance had no meaning to them within the comnavsat network.
After lunch, we did a mini patrol around core Imperium space, with Jill trying to catch Edna unawares, but it was quickly evident Edna had already been doing similar jump training with the Claymore squadrons, and she slotted into the empty slot as if she hadn't left it.
Eagle gave us orders to a Ralnor system early in the afternoon, and we joined up with his wing again, and the lot of us joined Bentley’s dreadnaught squadron soon after.
The battle which followed was a rerun of the previous days, without the getting our arses kicked first bit, and with Eagle’s squadron also having fives. I simply directed a rift across the Trixone force, and we demolished them from out of range. I’d had to coax Serena into doing Long Water’s firing, but sitting in one place and holding a trigger and a couple of buttons down was easy enough to do. Even for someone who didn’t look like she was all here.
When only isolated groups of fighters remained, Eagle let the squadrons loose on them. I stayed out of it, and let the Excaliburs hunt, but watching shields in case I needed to move anyone. I was interested to see Davis had formed up next to Edna, and the two of them had acted as a wing pair for the whole fight, and a very effective pair indeed. They could only have done that with highly integrated AI exchanges going on. Which said a lot for Davis having changed her attitudes, and now being fully adapted to t
he way the Imperium worked.
Locking down the corridor meant we were the last to leave the area, other than the support cruisers cleaning up the mess. We still arrived back at Haven for dinner time, and it was a fairly boisterous one. The general consensus seemed to be rifts made things too easy, but Eagle had done us right by letting everyone hunt once the fighter formations were broken. I wasn’t sure I agreed. In war, doing it the hard way got you killed. Death and glory were no substitute for a long and happy life. I think the Keerah had finally realized that.
The squadron split up after eating. Metunga said he was going to speed run the ship track. Woof, Mel, and Loren were heading for a disco. Gitte and Haynes were off to a mage meeting I hadn't been told about. The rest didn’t impart their plans. I was thinking of running again, but a long look from Serena had me follow her back to my station quarters. She sank into one of the chairs, and waited for me to do the same.
There was a long silence.
“Why did you call me back?” she asked eventually.
“Don’t you remember our shared dream?”
“Of course I do. But you were only saying what you thought I wanted to hear.”
I looked at her in shock.
“I thought you wanted to go. If I’d told you what you wanted to hear, I’d have given my permission for you to go. That was what you were asking for. Wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said very quietly.
“So what’s the problem?”
I wasn’t being heartless. I was just very confused.
“I’ve never seen anything beyond yesterday. I don’t know what’s coming now.”
“Welcome to everyone else’s reality. We never know.”
“How do you cope with it?”
I laughed.
“We just do. How do you feel?”
“Weak. Like I lost something important, which didn’t come back with me.”
“Did you lose your ability to see?”
“I don’t know what it was. Time will tell, I guess. What did you do to me?”
“I’m not sure. Whatever it was, drained the energy of a sun so much it stopped sending out light. It certainly healed your body of all wounds, burns, and cold damage. I’m not sure why you feel weak though. You look healed to me.”
“I don’t feel healed. Maybe I just need more sleep.”
“How was it controlling the ship this afternoon?”
“Pulling a trigger and pressing buttons isn’t much of a challenge, but I managed it. Why?”
“I’d like you to do the flying from now on all the time. At least in battles. Leanne does most of the mundane flying. It frees me up to do magic, and overview everyone else.”
I didn’t say I thought the more she did, the faster she would recover.
“Okay. I can try that. But don’t push me in training yet. I’ll walk a few circuits tomorrow, and build on it.”
“Okay. I won’t push you tomorrow.”
I grinned at her, with the implication there was no guarantee it would last any further than that. She nodded, rose, gave me a peck on the lips, and left.
The track beckoned after all, and I found Metunga doing laps on all fours at a speed which was frankly terrifying. There was no way I could keep up with him, so I didn’t try. But every time he went past me caused both of us some trouble, since the track was only meant for a single person without any overtaking.
We figured it out without me hitting the wall more than a few times.
Twenty Seven
A week went past, with us falling into a routine.
In the mornings we patrolled, usually with a Trixone scout fleet on the end of it. In the afternoons we fought a major battle. Sometimes in Ralnor space, other times in Keerah space, and once around a planet about to be assaulted by Imperium ground pounders.
Everyone from the original squadron had their day as CAG, and they all stamped their own version of formations on the day. Although I must admit, I liked Woofs the best. He had the Excaliburs flying slightly faster than Long Water was, with four on each primary side of the ship. As the lead ships pulled clear in front, they would jump to the back. Metunga who was after him did it in the reverse, with the Excaliburs flying slightly slower, and jumping to the front once they fell behind.
Serena steadily came out of whatever she’d fallen into, which I think was more psychological than physical, although as she admitted to me one night, a long talk with the Imperator and his girlfriend, set up by Jane, had helped her.
We hadn’t seen Jane at all since I accused her of lying. If Leanne knew she was on the ship somewhere, she wasn’t saying, and I wasn’t asking. Maybe Jane had decided both Serena and I needed space to come to terms with what happened, and the consequences. And maybe, just maybe, Jane had realized she was getting too close to us, and maybe being my ship AI to start with hadn’t been such a good idea after all. I speculated a bit a few times, but reached no actual conclusion.
Training was pretty usual, using the station track and courses, now with Leanne doing it all with us. Breakfast had them wondering who the CAG was going to be, as I hadn't said or changed the roster, which had ended yesterday, and the question was if Edna or Davis was going to do the job today.
But I already had orders, and I led them to a small conference room set up with chairs before a rostrum and podium. We’d hardly seated ourselves when Eagle and Admiral Jedburgh turned up. Eagle took the podium. It was just us, even though there was room for several more squadrons.
“Pilot Officer Davis, please stand.”
She looked surprised for a moment, stood, and braced.
“Davis, we’ve been watching you very carefully over the last week, and believe you’ve put your past difficulties behind you. As such, you are promoted to Flight Officer. Congratulations.”
We all applauded, as she really had earned part of her previous rank back. Her insignia changed, but she wasn’t told to sit.
“Flight Lieutenant Mole, please stand.”
She also looked surprised, stood, and braced.
“Mole, you set yourself apart from your fellow recruits, and in doing so, brought yourself to the attention of those of us responsible for this squadron. Now you have a choice to make. You can be transferred back to Claymore, or you can transfer from fighters to fleet. Davis, you have the same choice to make. Transfer to fleet, or be transferred into the next squadron to go active.”
He looked at both of them in turn, and waited.
“Fleet,” they said together.
“Jig Davis and Lieutenant Mole, you’re now both assigned permanently to Navy Mage Squadron One. Sit.”
We clapped them as they sat, and Eagle stepped back, since no-one here was technically under his command any more. I wondered where Jane was, as she was supposed to be my direct superior. Jedburgh stepped up to the podium.
“All of you other than Mage Master Lieutenant Bud are being reassigned, effectively immediately.”
Shock went through all of us. But I immediately guessed where this was going, and kept the smile off my face.
“Seer Jig Serena, you’re assigned permanently as XO of Long Water. It’s been decided that a mage master squadron leader should have a second pilot for when magic must take precedence in a battle. The two of you have worked well over the course of the last week, and we deem this the best use of both your pilot skills, and also your seer skills.”
She nodded, having known it already, and this way being the ideal way of letting everyone know. The others looked at her as if expecting her to be disappointed, and confused looks appeared when she wasn’t.
“Jig Carter, you’re assigned as captain of Thin Water.”
They knew Long Water was a Water class super corvette. The penny dropped on what the reassignments were.
“Mage Master Jig Gitte, you’re assigned as captain of Surging Water. Mage Master Jig Haynes, you’re assigned as captain of Cold Water. Jig Woofenstein, Rapid Water. Jig Guildford,” Loren, “Sea Water. Jig Songton,” Norden
, “Falling Water. Jig Melandros, Ice Water. Jig Glorphena, Hot Water.” We all grinned at her. “Jig Dormation, Short Water.” We kept our grins in. “Jig Davis, Still Water. And finally, Lieutenant Mole, Wide Water.”
I started clapping, the two flag officers joined in, and soon everyone was clapping everyone. Jedburgh waited patiently for us to subside.
“You remain Navy Mage Squadron One. Each Water class corvette is identical to Long Water. Each of you except Jig Serena is the captain of your ship, and also the CAG.”
And suddenly everyone spending a day as CAG made sense.
“Seer Jig Serena is designated squadron XO, and Jig Carter is designated as second in command in battle.”
Which compensated Serena for not getting a captaincy, at least in the eyes of everyone else. She was both XO for me, but also the XO for everyone. It also effectively meant no-one else was getting an XO on their ship.
“Mage Masters Gitte and Haynes, you may request a second pilot if you find your magic impedes your ability to fly in combat. We leave that for you to decide.”
The two of them nodded, but I didn’t expect them to do so any time soon.
“Your AIs have already taken control of your ships, and your Excaliburs have been reassigned.”
Which was a mixed blessing for all of them, I could see.
“Mage Master Lieutenant Bud remains your squadron leader. He and Jig Carter will be getting a squadron of Excalibur Fives, while the rest of you will be getting squadrons of fours, which will be upgraded as we get the ships.”
He stepped back, and Eagle took the podium again.
“Mage Master Lieutenant Bud.”
“Sir?”
“Your squadron will remain seconded to Eagle Wing, only now you’ll be our carriers. You all need to remember you will be outranked by the squadron leader of your assigned squadron, but as the senior navy officer on the ship, you command the ship and everyone on her, and in battle, you are the squadron’s CAG. The squadron leaders know this, but it’s up to you to be the CAG on your ship.”
“Where will you be, sir?” I asked.
Lieutenant Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage Book 3) Page 11