Kestrel Class (Kestrel Class Saga Book 1)

by Toby Neighbors

“Come on,” Nance said to Magnum. “I’ll help you to bed.”

  Kim winked at Ben, who watched the pair head off the bridge together.

  “Find out what you can about the Bannyan system?” Ben told her. “We aren’t going in without a plan this time.”

  “Good idea,” Kim said playfully. “Can I torture him for information?”

  “No, we still need his people to like us,” Ben said.

  “Then you should let me go,” Holt said. “I can’t do anything without the methane tank.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” Ben said.

  “Lock me into my cabin, then,” he requested.

  “No,” Ben said. “We won’t abuse you, but we aren’t letting you roam around either. Keep him secured, Kim. And don’t let him out of your sight.”

  “Yes, sir, Captain,” she said in a mocking tone. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “Did you know about Magnum and Nance?”

  “Of course,” she said. “I’m not blind.”

  “And not short on confidence either,” Ben replied.

  “No good pilot is,” she said, flashing him a smile.

  “You did an excellent job getting us off Torrent Four. That was the best flying I’ve ever seen.”

  “Ah shucks,” she said dropping into a seat at the nav station. “That was nothing. Just you wait and see.”

  “Good night, Kim,” he said.

  “Sweet dreams... Captain.”

  Chapter 35

  “The Bannyan system,” Kim said, stifling a yawn, “is a gas giant playground. Bannyan Seven is the prize winner, though.”

  “Why’s that?” Ben asked.

  “Because it has pockets of Zexum that occasionally rise to the upper atmosphere,” Kim said. “It’s not regular enough to warrant an imperial presence.”

  “But enough for the rebellion to harvest gas for the blockade runners,” Ben said.

  “The Royal Imperium doesn’t have a space station?” Nance asked.

  “They have an outpost,” Kim explained.

  “What about the Confederates?” Ben asked.

  “If the traitorous bastard can be trusted with his information, then there is a hidden base on the dark side of the planet. Bannyan Seven has over twenty moons, so it is possible they could hiding there.”

  “And sending mining ships down into the atmosphere whenever a Zexum gas pocket rises,” Nance said nodding. “Makes sense.”

  “So there’s no blockade to run?” Ben asked.

  “They have one solar-powered observation station,” Holt said from the corner where Kim stuck him. His arms and legs were fastened to the chair with wire ties, and the chair was reclined so that he had no leverage. To speak to the group he had to hold his head up. “It’s near the third planet’s orbital ring. Bannyan Three is a barren rock, with no atmosphere. They have a few fighter craft, just small two-man spaceships with no hyperspace capabilities. It’s the kind of post competent people avoid.”

  “But they have ships in the system,” Ben said. “How do we get in without being seen?”

  “Normally, we can use the information from the updated Navigation Network,” Kim said. “They keep track of the position of the planets. Our goal is to come out of hyperspace behind Bannyan Seven so we won’t be seen.”

  “But we don’t have access to the Nav Network,” Nance said.

  “So we’ll have to go in blind,” Kim said. “We drop out of hyperspace and cut all systems. We’ll be far enough out to simply be a blip on their screens if anything.”

  “That would show us the position of the planets,” Ben said. “But what happens if we’re on the far side of Bannyan Seven’s orbital plane from the planet? We’ll be seen for sure?”

  “Maybe,” Kim said. “But how close do you think the bozos on the Imperium station will be watching for incoming ships? And besides, if we aren’t close to the planet, we’ll have to jump out of the system again. Their ships won’t have time to reach us. You know, it might even be better if they do. They’ll send craft the wrong way trying to find us, but we’ll be long gone.”

  “Unless they put two and two together,” Ben said. “They can calculate our position relative to the planets in the system and deduce that we’re looking for Bannyan Seven.”

  “I think you’re giving the Fleet way too much credit,” Kim said.

  “For once, I agree,” Holt said, his face red as he raised it up again. “They don’t take the rebellion seriously, which is why we’re able to keep moving between planets.”

  “Okay,” Ben said. “What happens when we get there?”

  “We rendezvous with the Confederate station,” Kim said. “Drop off their alloy, trade in their spy, and get out of the system again.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Nance said.

  “It was the first mission,” Holt said. “We gave you an easy one.”

  “Sometimes I just want to punch him in the throat,” Kim said with a smile.

  “How are the systems looking?” Ben asked.

  “Green across the board,” Nance said. “The main drive is in great shape with the new camshaft. The computer even finished the diagnostics faster than I expected.”

  “We shook out the cobwebs,” Kim said. “This bird you refurbished has some surprisingly admirable qualities.”

  “So we’re ready to make the next jump?” Ben asked.

  “I’m compiling the jump coordinates now,” Nance said. “We’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  “Fine,” Ben said. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “Can someone at least stand my chair upright?” Holt asked.

  “No,” Ben and Kim said at the same time.

  The second jump was simple. They were in hyperspace for two hours and twenty-two minutes. When they came out, Ben suggested they log onto the Nav Network, but they were too far from any system to make contact.

  “It’s too dangerous anyway,” Nance explained. “The navigation system on this ship is so outdated that it will need a complete download. The initial update would take days, and the Imperium would send security forces to investigate.”

  “So how are we going to get it?” Ben asked in a quiet voice. “Our independence is at stake here. If we don’t have that information, we can’t make a life out here.”

  “I am aware,” Nance said. “What we need is a bootleg copy of the information. One as recent as possible.”

  “How does that help us?” Ben asked.

  “Look, the Nav Network is like a glass of water,” Nance explained. “It contains information on a thousand systems. Not just the planets, but placement of space stations, trade routes, even Fleet positions. You wouldn’t want to come out of hyperspace right into a Fleet exercise.”

  “The Royal Imperium puts their plans on the Network?”

  “No, not everything,” Nance continued. “And never specifics, but they block off certain routes and systems depending on what they’re doing.”

  “So what about the bootleg copy?”

  “Okay, so the information is too much for a complete replacement every time a ship is setting out to make a journey. It would slow everything down, you see? So, all the updates do is replace missing data. This way, it only takes a few seconds to get the update once you have the basic information. It’s like getting a refill from your glass after every drink.”

  “So it stays full,” Ben said, nodding his head.

  “It stays full with the latest information and doesn’t take long to download. Once we get a bootleg copy uploaded into our computer, all we’ll need to do is update. We can get the latest information, then make the jump to hyperspace before the Imperium forces can do anything about it.”

  “But it’s a risk every time,” Ben said. “I mean, if the Fleet has forces nearby that we don’t know about...”

  Nance shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not perfect.”

  “So some ships slip through the blockades, and some don’t,” Ben went on. “There’s no roo
m for error.”

  “If we’re smart, the odds are in our favor,” Nance said.

  “And when the odds are against us?” Ben said.

  “That’s why we have Kim, right?”

  Ben nodded. “So why does it take so much time for our computer to plot the hyperspace jumps?”

  “Partly because our computer is old. It’s binary. The new computing systems are exponentially faster because they work differently.”

  “So we’ll always be slower?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then we need to do things differently,” Ben said. “Can we compute the next jump while we’re in hyperspace?”

  “Theoretically,” Nance said, thinking about the question. “Normally, the computer uses the current position as the starting point of the equation.”

  “But you can change that, right?”

  “I can, but if something happens, we could get in a real jam. For instance, if we came out of hyperspace and discovered a frigate blocking our path, we couldn’t use the new jump coordinates.”

  “Why not?” Ben asked.

  “Because moving through hyperspace isn’t like conventional travel. Being off by a few meters at the start point can move you hundreds of miles off the landing spot. You could come out of hyperspace straight into a planet, or in the middle of a star.”

  “That would be bad,” Ben said.

  Nance nodded. “But we’re talking about ships moving through space, often at high speeds. If we run into trouble around the starting point, we could potentially be off by dozens of miles. There’s no telling where we would end up.”

  “So if that happens, the trouble at the starting point I mean, then we have to recalculate?”

  “Yes,” Nance said. “Only the system has to reset. Remember, this is a binary system and hyperspace equations are incredibly complex. Before we can set the coordinates, the system has to delete huge sections of its memory.”

  “It would take longer, I get it,” Ben said. “I guess there’s no chance of a backup.”

  “Not with our computers,” Nance said. “Only the navigation computer is large enough.”

  “What if we got a new computer?”

  “It would wreck everything I’ve done over the past several years,” Nance said.

  “But wouldn’t it be faster?”

  “In theory, yes, but have to understand, Ben, the computer for this ship was built especially to handle all her systems. It’s really a series of computers, all talking to each other, all working together to make sure the ship functions at the highest level.”

  “So we would have to replace them all?”

  “Yes, and rework each one. Essentially teaching them all a new language. Current computers aren’t formatted to speak the language of an old ship like this.”

  “So where does that leave us?” Ben asked.

  “Well, we still have options,” Nance said. “Like where and when we update the nav computer.”

  “And maybe we drop in and out of systems a little farther out than other ships?”

  “Exactly. We need to think about what we’re doing at every stage.”

  “I can do that,” Ben said. “We take our time. We make smart choices. And we don’t push our luck if we can help it.”

  “If we can help it,” Nance said. “It looks like we’re ready for the next jump.”

  “Alright,” Ben said. “I’ll tell Kim.”

  Chapter 36

  “Twenty seconds,” Nance said calmly.

  Ben appreciated her cool demeanor. He knew she was completely out of sorts away from her computer system, but while she was safe at her console, nothing seemed to bother her.

  They were coming out of hyperspace, and they all had jobs to do. Kim would pilot the ship, of course, but she would only be using the Echo’s exhaust thrusters. The ship’s engines would be shut down immediately upon coming out of hyperspace. Ben would shut down the main drive and both wing engines. Nance would kill the Echo’s running lights. If the Imperium forces were scanning the system, the Echo would only show up as a heat signature, and that was highly unlikely. Scanning in all directions would be nearly impossible, but they had to be ready just in case.

  “Three, two, one,” Nance counted down.

  Ben hit the emergency kill switch to shut down the main engines. The lights on the bridge changed to red, all of the Echo’s systems, save for life support and her computer systems, went offline. The fusion reactor continued to burn, but the energy was stored in the reactor’s core rather than dispersed through the ship, all in the hopes of hiding the Echo in the vastness of space.

  The forward-facing exterior cameras showed the view from the ship on the large, vertical display screens, but there was nothing but darkness.

  “Wow,” Kim said.

  “We’re in the shadow of Bannyan Seven,” Nance announced.

  “Things are finally going our way,” Ben said. “Nance, can you pull up a plot of the system?”

  “Bringing navigational systems online now,” Nance said to answer Ben’s question.

  Kim was scrolling through the ship’s exterior camera feeds as Ben engaged the fusion reactor and directed the power to the various systems on the ship. The rear-facing cameras showed stars in the distance, while the cameras on the portside showed a sliver of light reflecting off the atmosphere of the gas giant.

  “Looks like we’re close,” Kim said. “We’ll be exposed soon if we don’t move.”

  “Do it,” Ben said. “I want us in the shadow of the planet at all times.”

  “Look at all those moons,” Kim said as she used the exhaust thrusters to turn the ship.

  “I guess Holt wasn’t lying,” Ben said.

  The Confederate moaned from the chair that was still reclined, so that his head fell backward.

  “There’s a first for everything,” Kim said.

  “Bringing up the plot,” Nance said.

  “Kim, you’ll have full engines in a few more seconds,” Ben added.

  On the display screens, a diagram of the Bannyan system was seen. Their position, along with all the moons of Bannyan Seven, was at the center.

  “Let’s keep moving with the planet,” Ben said.

  “Do you want to move further into the shadow?” Kim asked.

  “No, let’s just stay where we are,” Ben said.

  “Should we send out a hailing signal?” Nance asked.

  “No,” Ben said again. “The Fleet might have ears. Our systems coming online should be enough to get the Confederacy’s attention. I have to assume they stay on high alert.”

  “Whiskey...” Holt said weakly.

  “What’s he saying?” Ben asked.

  “He wants a drink,” Kim said. “He must be out of his mind.”

  “The passcode,” Holt muttered. “It’s whiskey, bravo, niner, niner.”

  “You do know, if you’re lying to us, Magnum will blow your head off,” Ben said to Holt.

  Magnum pumped the cocking mechanism on the short-barreled deck sweeper that was hidden under the security officer’s console. It made a convincing cha-chunk sound.

  “Not...lying,” Holt mumbled.

  “Magnum, sit him up and keep him close to your station,” Ben ordered.

  “I don’t like waiting,” Kim said.

  “We don’t have a choice,” Ben replied.

  “I have an unlisted moon,” Nance said as a light appeared on the plot. “It’s in a close, stationary orbit.”

  “That has to be the Confederate base,” Kim said.

  “Seems big,” Ben said.

  The object, whatever it was, was small for a moon but huge for a space station. Ben zoomed one of the exterior cameras in that direction, but the object was hidden in the darkness. No light showed on or around it.

  “I can’t even see it,” Ben said.

  “It’s a masquerade,” Holt said. “The exterior blocks light and it’s made to look like a moon.”

  “I have a close beam transmis
sion,” Nance said. “Putting it on speakers.”

  Unidentified vessel, you are in restricted space. Please respond.

  “You sure about that passcode?” Ben asked Holt.

  Magnum pressed the barrel of the deck sweeper against the back of the prisoner’s neck. He winced in pain.

  “Positive,” he said.

  Ben took a deep breath, then keyed the communication mic on his console. “This is the Modulus Echo out of the Torrent system. Our passcode is whiskey, bravo, niner, niner.”

  There was a moment of silence, and Ben felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He had just announced who they were and where they were from. If the hail he’d responded to came from the Royal Imperium Fleet, they were doomed. A missile could be launched against them at any second.

  “Should we begin calculations for a jump into hyperspace?” Nance said, still as calm as before they entered the Bannyan system.

  “Why aren’t they responding?” Kim said.

  “Something doesn’t feel right,” Ben agreed. “Start the jump calculations.”

  Before Nance could acknowledge the order, another transmission came in.

  Modulus Echo, proceed on heading two, two, seven, and prepare for docking procedures.

  “It could be a trap,” Kim said.

  “That’s a risk we have to take,” Ben said. “We’re here to make contact with the Confederacy. We’ll dock, but I want everyone armed. We stay together and stay alert. If things go south, we get back to the ship and get out of the system as fast as possible.”

  “That’s not much of a plan,” Kim grumbled.

  Ben ignored her as he toggled the coms system again.

  “This is the Modulus Echo,” he said. “Proceeding on heading two, two, seven.”

  Kim sent them moving toward the dark void where the moon-sized space station was supposed to be. Ben had Holt’s laser pistol. It was lightweight and sleek, with no hard corners. He stuffed it barrel first into the back of his waistband and made sure the flechette pistol was secure in his pocket.

  “Whoa!” Kim said. “They’ve got us with a tractor beam.”

  “We’re being guided toward the base,” Nance said.

  “I’m putting all systems on standby,” Ben said.

  “This is all...standard procedure,” Holt said. His neck was cramping, and he couldn’t turn his head from side to side. “They have a hanger big enough for a dozen ships this size.”