by David Buck
During the afternoon Mr. Lee senior had profusely apologized about the actions of the militants.
‘They are opportunistic brigands that had got to ahead of themselves with the collapse of order following the epidemic.’
As Samantha reassured Mr. Lee that his country was not alone with problems in maintaining public order after the pandemic, she gave the departing frigate a final wistful look. She changed the subject by asking about the numerous sea pens she could see closer in towards the shoreline. The urban older man looked relieved as he spoke again.
‘You would like to know about our new sea pens? Well Miss Samantha they are a recent development with the losses to our traditional fishing fleet of both skilled crews and suitable markets.’
Samantha listened politely and with real interest, as the older businessman explained with considerable enthusiasm his visionary approach to feeding the remaining population of his country via aquaculture.
***
At the approach of dusk the Seahawk helicopter had flown back to HMAS Perth to refuel. Lieutenant White was concerned that the target imaging and control system on the helicopter was being jammed intermittently on multiple frequencies. Steve read the pilot’s report, and immediately pointed out dryly to his officers that the missile systems on the frigate could not be deployed reliably against the small boats.
‘The launch problem still remains before we even allow for any enemy counter-measures. We will have to deal with those boats with our main gun and the machine guns. Lieutenant White, please ensure your chopper is fully armed and prepared.’
Steve again reviewed his plans with his officers before Lieutenant White returned to the hangar deck. He was also concerned because preliminary radar contacts had the boats withdrawing away to the north after being detected. Steve thought about the dense jungle several kilometers to the west, then again perused the local navigation charts. The electronics detection team had detected at least one shore-based radio and jamming station in the jungle, possibly on the ridge overlooking the coast. In the increasing darkness the Seahawk had flown off after refueling, and the pilot verified the powerful searchlight on the helicopter was working correctly by switching it off and on twice.
As the Seahawk flew north and left on the searchlight, the order was given to kill all the lights on the frigate, and the ship immediately altered course to starboard to increase the distance from the coast. With the course change HMAS Perth had increased speed and was soon heading east at thirty knots. By previous arrangement, the Seahawk had turned off the searchlight and all the navigation lights, and headed back south towards its previous refueling point. Both helicopter and frigate began jamming on commercial radar frequencies. After ten minutes the Seahawk flown down to twenty meters above the waves in the evening darkness, and after switching on only the navigational lights had slowly flown due north.
Later, on the darkened HMAS Perth some fifteen kilometers east, the radar operator on the bridge of the frigate stiffened at his station before calmly announcing.
‘Captain, there are eight unlit contacts at nineteen kilometers moving due south from one of the northern islands towards the Seahawk at forty knots.’
Steve considered the attacking boats, ‘Well they had made the choice to attack’ he reflected as gave his orders.
‘Lieutenant, get the latest data to the Seahawk, he is to get to the agreed altitude before starting that searchlight again. Also I want to know if the missile targeting system can indentify the targets.’
Steve that the electronics data indicated the high levels of electronic interference as he continued to place orders.
‘Weapons, take out the two boats closest to the coast first if you please. They will be in contact with that radio transmitter. We will then take out the adjacent boats, as I don’t want them too interested in the Seahawk.’
The forward mounted 125mm rapid fire gun spat a series of sharp reports every ten seconds as the auto loader fed the high explosive shells in the gun. After eight shots in less than a minute and a half, the naval gun momentarily stopped firing as it altered targets. Within a minute, it again lashed out with continuous shots, as it attempted to hit the remaining boats that were now zigzagging randomly as they closed to engage the frigate.
On the bridge of HMAS Perth, the weapons officer reported the outcome.
‘Sir, we destroyed those two shoreward boats with our first eight shots, and I think two of the remaining six boats are damaged. We still cannot target the boats with our missiles.’
As the muffled gun reports continued, Steve again turned to the communications officer.
‘Advise Lieutenant White to attack that southernmost boat. That should keep them on the boil.’
The Seahawk angled across to the closest militant boat from the south. Once it reached altitude several hundred meters from the boat the helicopter again lit the powerful searchlight. The militant boat now turned to engage the new threat from the Seahawk, but the Gatling gun in the front of the helicopter quickly found the range of the boat, and riddled it with 32mm armor piecing rounds in two short ten second bursts. The boat slowed before a large explosion lit the night sky, as the RPG rounds onboard exploded and ignited the boat’s fuel. Steve was aware of a brief flash to the south even as the gunnery officer confirmed that the main gun had taken down another boat. ‘That leaves four boats to worry about.’ he considered, as he did the tactical calculations in his head and gave further orders.
‘Navigation, take us to a course due north, thirty degrees starboard should do it, and take us down to 20 knots.’
‘Weapons, you have five minutes to take down additional targets then we extend range, as I will not let them get too close.’
The attacking boats were stuck badly from a tactical standpoint as the frigate was now crossing their escape route, as the Seahawk helicopter strafed another boat from extreme range. An attempt by the boat crew to fire RPG’s at the helicopter proved futile, as it easily evaded the incoming grenades and light machine gun fire by circling out to a kilometer from the militant boat. The remaining boats closed to within two kilometers of the frigate, and the big forward gun again hit and destroyed another boat as the frigate changed course. The forty foot former pleasure cruiser was hit solidly amidships and disintegrated as the naval round exploded.
The three remaining boats continued to press home the attack on the frigate, as it changed course again to starboard and increased speed to thirty five knots. With the main gun now blocked from firing by the rest of the frigate, the .50 gauge heavy machine guns and the two Gatling point defense guns continued to fire on the attackers. The militant boats then launched a barrage of RPG weapons fire at maximum elevation on the frigate. The bridge crew was alarmed as one of the two Gatling guns went silent with a mechanical failure.
The RPG fire from the boats fell too short, and apart from two grenades striking and exploding along the frigates modest armor belt near the water line, the attack was futile. The militant boats again attacked, as the Seahawk returned and claimed the earlier boat it had damaged previously. The last two boats angled away from one another but did not attempt to flee. The remaining Gatling gun and the heavy machine guns tore into their hulls; the militant crews launched a different type of weapon at the frigate.
The Gunnery officer paused in disbelief and shouted out, ‘Sir they are TOW weapons….’ as the more powerful handheld weapons launched by the attacking boats raced along at the ends their wires to the frigate. Two large explosions rattled the frigate as the two heavier TOW rounds struck the rear of the ship. Steve flinched and turned to the officers on the bridge from the bridge window, as the last of the militant boats erupted into a fireball.
‘XO, the attackers are destroyed. Please get aft to the hangar deck and get a detailed report on the damage.’
‘Navigation, reduce speed and head due south, we will pickup the medical team on sunrise.’
‘Communications get the Seahawk to tail us south until we have a report
on the hangar deck.’
As the first lieutenant raced for the rear of the ship, Steve quickly studied the first reports from elsewhere in the ship. Five ratings were injured by shrapnel from the RPG rounds on the two waterline hits, but engineering reported no major damage. Steve was more concerned with what the last minute of battle had done to his ship, and awaited with unease the report from his executive officer.
***
During the tense wait for the frigate to return, Lieutenant Samantha Edwards had collated new reports of militant assassin teams rampaging through the city towards the business district and the dock areas. Sporadic gun battles occurred as the under-gunned local police force attempted to neutralize them. She knew that the whole region would be dangerous for westerners to operate in for several months until the local authorities could restore order.
The medical team monitored the satellite phones and kept careful watch, as they could hear several distant explosions at sea far to the north. It looked like HMAS Perth had found the militant boats reported earlier by the local authorities. Several of her team had out binoculars on the fly bridges of the pleasure cruisers, and excited bursts of conversation occurred for twenty minutes. Eventually both the horizon and the upper decks of the pleasure cruisers fell silent. Samantha said a silent prayer as one of the satellite phones rang. After a brief conversation with the lieutenant commander, she called in her senior team and the three masters of the pleasure cruisers.
At first light, and after a few hours of fitful sleep by the medical team, the three pleasure cruisers had left the dock are for the short journey out to the frigate. The lieutenant commander would not consider docking in the small harbor in light of the recent combat. Several team members expressed muffled sighs as they saw the damage inflicted on the frigate. The portside Gatling gun was missing from its mount and a gaping hole was apparent in the hangar bay door. Further damage was also present on the portside waterline from two smaller strikes and the cover of the starboard Gatling gun was off as well. The Seahawk helicopter was securely strapped down on the hangar deck as the helicopter could not be housed in the damaged hangar.
After the medical team came aboard, Samantha, three of her best surgeons, and several of her nurses raced for the sick bay rooms. The frigate soon cleared the last of the pleasure boats that had come alongside with the medical team. As she understood the situation, when the two TOW missiles had struck HMAS Perth they had killed four crew members and injured another nine. This was in addition to the initial injuries suffered by five crew members injured in the RPG attack just before the TOW strike.
After scrubbing up, Samantha quickly donned a surgical outfit, and then sought the medical charts of the most seriously wounded crew members. The very busy ship’s doctor and his aides were delighted both from a personal and a professional sense to see her team safely about the ship. They knew that the medical team had some of the best medical personnel available, and they could really use their assistance.
Steve watched the forty members of the medical team board ship, and after conferring quietly with his XO ordered the ship to set course for Singapore at flank speed. The frigate would use the stop over in Singapore to airlift the injured and dead crew members back to Australia for urgent medical treatment. Also temporary repairs could be made to the hangar deck, and additional fuel and food taken aboard for the return trip to the HMAS Stirling naval base. As Steve prepared his report to his superiors at the naval base, he pondered his likely conversation to his friend in the Malaysian Navy. The TOW weapons were one thing his friend had better be advised about he decided.
***
Chapter 4
The sensor chimes awoke Omerio towards the end of his long sleep. A very large lone ship had entered the system shortly beforehand and was edging towards the second planet at speed. Omerio rubbed his eyes and shoulders by habit and ambled over to the control console. He grunted to himself in satisfaction as his passive scan identified the agreed race and class of ship according to his briefing notes. Omerio quickly sent a low powered tight beam signal to the ship with the agreed identification codes.
‘It would do well to get this right straight away….’ he thought to himself. ‘I would hate for these folks to get trigger happy if I surprised them.’
Omerio ran up the ships engines as the larger ship responded via a terse tight beam response. The Barus trading ship edged out of the shadow around the asteroid, and easily closed the gap to the larger Trader ship well before it arrived at the second planet. Once the two ships were in close proximity to one another, they began a video briefing session, and the broad impassive features of the Trader captain filled the view screen on Omerio’s ship.
‘Well met Omerio, of the house of Skanine, of the noble race of Barus, may the light of true justice temper your life.’
As always the Traders acknowledged the standing of members of races they considered in good faith, down to their clan levels, considered Omerio as he responded in kind.
‘Well met, Captain Lord Narindestat of the Trader house of Bar Oberon, may the temperance and wisdom of the revered Deltas Vass bless you and continue to illuminate your path.’
Omerio was relieved that at least the basics of the diplomacy protocols are being observed. He knew that if the communications were between any other vassal races then he could spend valuable time observing the political and social standings. He knew this was especially true with the Tilmud, who were sticklers for protocol and keen to take offence at perceived slights. By mutual and tacit understanding both Trader captain and Barus operative ignored further comment at an extended protocol level. Omerio knew that the required acknowledgements of their compliance to the controlling Zronte edicts were socially offensive to the otherwise stoic Traders.
‘Fair enough…’ thought Omerio. ‘I’ll not comment on his glowing tattoos and he will not comment on my bare brown shoulders. Plus neither of us will comment on our relative lack of offspring as well.’
Omerio forwarded his scanning date of the earlier ship having entered the system to the Trader captain, with his observations and opinions. The Trader captain responded after several minutes of quiet thought.
‘Omerio, we will look into the strange ship at a more convenient time. Now the trading exchange has changed to a three way affair and we are the middle-men or agents for the trade. Trust me you don’t really want to know who we are trading with later in this exchange. So have you got the agreed cargo on board your ship?
The Barus operative thought about this information from the Trader captain. At least the cargo was not traceable by any means he was aware, and also the captain was keeping some pretence of civility by not scanning his hold.
‘Captain Narindestat, The cargo is as specified by our mutual contact as a minimum transaction. I trust it meets with your satisfaction, and I do have other cargo for trade on board.’
‘Very good Omerio, now we will dock together in high orbit around the second planet and take aboard your cargo. I don’t want to commit my ship further until the third party arrives. Note that as last resort we can stow your ship inside our large ship if you think you were followed or spotted.’
Omerio reassured the Trader captain that this option was not required, as he would like to remain in this part of the galaxy for the foreseeable future. He further examined the massive Trader ship as both ships slowed to take up a geo-synchronous orbit around the cold second planet. The Trader ship easily dwarfed his own fast trader; the main ship was in the form of a massive lifting wing complete with six solid docking pylons each on the top and bottom surfaces of the huge armed freighter. He noted that ten of the twelve docking pylons were occupied by a frigate sized Trader sneak ship each larger than his own sleek trading ship.
Omerio continued his observations, by now he had discretely started doing passive scans on the Trader ship. Of particular interest was the large cylindrical hyper-drive module, probably a legendary type two hyper-drive, docked at the back of the Trader ship. The module
itself had four more sneak ships docked to it. The combination of main ship and module was known as ‘the stack’ by anyone who knew even a little about the Traders. The Barus scientific community was fascinated by the rumored performance of the advanced hyper drive module. All the more so because the vassal edicts issued by the Zronte overlords expressly prohibited any of the vassal races from possessing this type of technology.
Omerio knew was that once the transfer of cargoes had occurred, then the Trader ship would undock from the rear hyper-drive module. The module would remain in orbit with the escort of four sneak ships, and the main ship would then land on the planet well after he had left this star system. The Barus traders’ observations were interrupted by the Trader captain as the two ships reached the required position.
‘Omerio, please dock at the rear of the cargo hold on the right wing of our main ship. We have altered our external docking systems to accommodate your ship.’
Omerio leisurely flew his heavily laden small ship above the huge Trader ship well away from the hyper-drive module. As he approached he could see several large Trader waldo units standing on the Trader ship hull well back from his docking point. He turned on the landing lights for his ship, and as he reached the docking point he cut his engines. The Barus ship drifted lightly as three gantries slowly rose from the trailing edge of the Trader ship, and effortlessly extended out to engage the three standard and widely spaced docking points on his own ship.
Captain Narindestat again spoke on the radio.
‘Omerio, we will not take long to make this transfer. We have included a few extra items in the exchange, both to reward you and to encourage further business. Apart from the agreed biological samples, we have an improved portable fusion generator that would be of interest to you as we have included the design notes. Also we have several pallets of rare metals that are coming across to you as well.’