Hanadon said, “What’s this about Hidacki returning, our Sensors haven’t picked her up yet?”
“Our Sensors are very sensitive Sir. Trust me when I tell you, she’s back, and she’s having problems. You probably need to get someone on their way to give her a hand. I’m afraid, Theseus is still down for repairs so we can’t do much right now, but Loki might be able to help. In the meantime, I’m forwarding the Scan-Records to you.”
A couple of minutes later, Hanadon acknowledged receipt of the Scan-Records and the conversation was ended to give the Admiral and his staff time to analyze those Scans.
After Hanadon had worked his through the data, he contacted Colin asking, “These Scans are remarkable, the Cobras that Cambridge is building for the Federation, will they have this capability?”
“I think so, Sir. I wasn’t involved in the negotiations at all, my input was to escort FNS Destiny here because of Pirate encroachment into the region. You could ask Lady Conti, perhaps she or one of her staff may know.”
“I’ll do that Colin, I’ll do that. Would you mind if I sent Loki out to talk to her, that Cobra will make the trip much more quickly than anyone else we have?”
“I don’t have a problem with it, Sir. You should ask Commander Riley if their repairs are completed. If the repairs are all done, they should be able to do the job.”
“Very well Colin, I’ll do that.”
CCC FNS Loki
As Loki sped out toward FNS Hidacki, Suzanne considered how she should approach the incoming Destroyer. If Loki ran in too hard, the Captain of the other ship might react in an unfortunate way. She decided to slow down before they were too close and hail them. Then Loki could escort them if they didn’t need urgent help, or either help protect them, or alternatively, run closer to request help if it was needed.
As they drew closer to FNS Hidacki, Suzanne ordered the speed to be dropped back to a level that would allow Loki to establish Comms with Hidacki. This done, she first tried radio but received no reply. After waiting long enough for them to be able to reply, she ordered a Laser Comms Channel to be established. This took some time, but eventually, Suzanne managed to contact the duty officer on board FNS Hidacki. She asked to speak to the Captain and then settled down to wait.
“Commander Haflon Sydnasi, who am I speaking to?”
“Hello Commander Sydnasi, I am Commander Susanne Riley, Captain of FNS Loki. Admiral Hanadon sent me out here to check if you needed any assistance. My Sensors tell me you have a lot of damage. Do you require help?”
“No Captain Riley, we can make it to Cotoni Station okay, thank you. We were able to repair a lot of our critical damage, and what we couldn’t fix will hold out long enough for us to reach the Yard.”
“Very well then Captain Sydnasi, in that case, I’ve been ordered to escort you home.”
“Thank you, Captain Riley. What type of ship is that, I’ve never seen anything like it before?”
“This is a new class of Jump-Capable Patrol Boat. The Federation has just ordered some and Cambridge is using them for the backbone of our System Defence Force.”
“Well Captain Riley, I suspect you cannot tell me much about you ships capabilities over the channel, but I would like to see her more closely when we arrive back at the Station if this is possible.”
“It’s probably is possible Captain Sydnasi, but I will need to clear it with Commander Gordon first. He is my CO on this trip.”
“Commander Gordon is here? What brings the two of you to Cotoni?”
“We escorted FNS Destiny and FNS Shurana back here. We also brought a couple of Pirate ships we captured in Conomar, and we’re hoping to pick up a few other trinkets along the way. Captain, I can tell you, we are hunters, and we’re deadly to Pirates when we meet them. I’m not bragging here, you’ll see when we reach Cotoni. Oh, by the way, Admiral Dalkasan is here as well.”
“By the Deity, and I’m returning with a damaged ship. I’ll be beached for sure.”
After that comment, Sydnasi cut the Comms Channel, presumably so he could do the best he could to make sure his ship was as presentable as possible.
Back at the Station, the Admirals were looking over the Scan-Records Loki sent of FNS Hidacki. Hanadon knew Captain Sydnasi was an excellent Officer. If he’s sustained this damage, it was likely that very few people would’ve been able to make it through the engagement with less and he told Dalkasan as much. Dalkasan had already looked at Sydnasi’s record, and new Hanadon was right. Of course, there would have to be an inquiry of some sort but provided the Captain hadn’t blundered too badly, he would probably come out of it relatively unscathed.
Two days later, FNS Hidacki and FNS Loki docked at Cotoni Station. Hidacki’s wounded were immediately transferred to the Station Hospital, and Captain Sydnasi went to throw himself on his sword to protect his crew. Colin was talking to the two Admirals when Sydnasi arrived so heard what was said. In the end, the Admirals decided to hold a hearing to determine how much fault Captain Sydnasi should carry for the damage to his ship. Because Colin was present when Sydnasi arrived, and because of his reputation as a fighting man, Colin was asked to chair the Inquiry. Several other Captains were dragooned into sitting on the board and over the next two days, they examined all the Scan-Records and the orders that were given in the lead up to the engagement, as well as during and after it. From the available evidence, it was clear that the only fault Captain Sydnasi should carry was for being there at all. He had two choices on which way to go in the previous System, and it appeared he’d chosen the one that led to an ambush. Of course, hindsight is a beautiful thing, and none of the other Captains had any indication of whether the other route was an ambush as well. Ultimately, the Inquiry concluded that Captain Sydnasi could not have done any more than he did under the circumstances.
With the Reserve Fleet in the System, Cotoni was safe from any threat the Navy considered likely. A few days later, Dalkasan called on Colin.
When Dalkasan arrived, he said, “Commander, I would like you to allow two Destroyers to accompany you back to Cambridge. After everything we’ve seen over recent months, and with the sudden growth in importance of Cambridge to the Federation’s defense I would like to bolster her defenses. Besides, you are escorting a lot of munitions back that way, it could be catastrophic if they fell into the wrong hands.”
“Of course, Sir, I will do whatever you ask. May I enquire, who will be in command of the entire group?”
“Do you want to be Commander?”
“Not necessarily, Sir. But whoever is, needs to understand you cannot fight a Cobra the way you would a conventional ship. Doing so would completely negate the Cobra’s advantages. Whoever is in Command, needs to know how to let us operate independently, at least if any trouble arises. At the same time, If I commanded the convoy, I would not presume to know how best to utilize a Destroyer, but I do know the best way to use the Cobras.”
“So, Commander, if you commanded the convoy, how would you do it?”
“Well Admiral, first, I’d make one of the Destroyer Captains my Second in Command. He, or she, would be responsible for making sure the Destroyers are used to the best advantage if we end up in a fight. I would only be giving a high level, strategic direction then.”
“Very well Commander, you will be in command. When will you be ready to leave?”
“Two days Admiral, in the afternoon.”
“We’ll all meet tomorrow afternoon, you can brief the Destroyer Captains, and myself on your route, how you plan to conduct the convoy, etc.”
Chapter 17
Colin sat quietly in the conference room, waiting for the others to arrive. While Colin waited, he wondered how the Destroyer Captains were going to take him, how they would react to the command structure the Admiral authorized. The big worry for Colin was that the Destroyer Captains wouldn’t take his orders at a crucial time. An outcome like that could be catastrophic, with unnecessary loss of life and damage to, or worse, destruction of ships,
ships that simply could not be spared right then. Colin was okay with putting people's lives on the line if the intended result made such a move worthwhile, or if there was a high likelihood of success, but not just for the sake of proving a point. The problem for Colin was that he was the new kid on the block here, and had to be very careful not to step on the wrong toes. Doing so could prove disastrous, for him personally, for Cambridge, and ultimately, the Federation. Colin had elected to attend this meeting on his own, he didn’t want any distractions while convincing the other Captains they should follow his orders.
There was a sound outside. The door handle turned, and the door opened. Two Captains entered, accompanied by their XO’s. Even though Colin was outnumbered, he considered this to be a good thing. He could try to convince the most senior officers on two ships at the same time. If Colin was successful in selling his ideas, these two Captains might even end up as heroes, in the end, provided they weren’t stupid, or worse, incompetent.
One of the Captains and his XO was human, the other two were Codai.
The man stepped forward with his hand extended to shake Colin's, “Captain Gordon I presume, I’m pleased to meet you. The Admiral downloaded your record to us yesterday afternoon. I’m assuming there was a reason for that and we’re here for you to tell us what it is.”
After Colin shook the hands of all the Officers, or in the case of the Codai, gently touched fingertips to fingertips with both bowing their heads the way they do, as a gesture of respect and submission, he waved them to the seats. Colin had expected the Admiral to be here by now, but the absence was noticeable. In the past, Colin knew both Admirals were punctual, so he concluded they wanted him to tell these Officers what was going on.
Colin said, “Well gentlemen, it seems the Admirals have dropped me in the hot-seat here. I believe you already know who I am, and at least some of what I’ve done in the past. Before we go any further, do you want me to clarify anything about my past for you.”
When none of the Officers commented or asked anything for a few moments, Colin continued, “I know nothing about any of you. For the moment, how about we spend a few minutes on introductions and getting to know each other. Then, I’ll tell you why you’re here.”
The human started, “I’ll introduce myself first. I’m Commander Simon Hamilton, Captain of FNS Salander. This is my First Officer Lieutenant Commander Michael Denning. I’m pleased to meet you, Captain Gordon.”
The Codai Captain said, “I am Commander Ricarn Daron, Captain of FNS Dolarsu. This is my First Officer, Lieutenant Commander Huro Colarno.”
“Good, I’m pleased to meet you all. Ricarn, Simon, I have two questions for you. First, which of you two has seniority? Second, how much action has each of you seen? You first Ricarn.”
After thinking about it for a few moments, Ricarn replied, “I have been on Destroyers for eight years now, but I have only been the Captain for two of those. During those eight years, I’ve been present during six hot engagements. Unfortunately, I have only been in a senior position during one of those engagements. It was last year when my ship came across a Pirate that was preparing to loot a Merchantman he’d stopped. It wasn’t much of an engagement, and we destroyed the Pirate before he could actually board the Merchantman.”
“Simon?”
“I’m about the same as Ricarn, Sir, except I haven’t commanded during an engagement. Why are you asking?”
“You two, and your ships are coming to Cambridge with us when we return in the next couple of days. The Admirals have told me that I am in overall command of the task force. Now, we come to the crux of the problem. I will freely admit, I do not know much about Destroyers. I don’t know the capabilities your ships have, or for that matter, their limitations. Equally, nobody outside of Cambridge knows much about our Cobras or Taipans. We cannot fight our Cobras the way a conventional Patrol Boat would be utilized, not effectively anyway. Our speed and maneuverability are a strength that cannot be overestimated, we must have the ability to pursue hit and run tactics. So, I plan to appoint one of you two as my 2IC for this mission. That person will be responsible for the correct use of the Destroyers till such time as we enter Cambridge System at which time the ranking Officers in Cambridge will take over, at this point, either Commodore Henry Fraser, or Commodore Sonya Nicholson. Do you have any questions so far?”
All four of the Officers facing Colin shook their heads as Admiral Dalkasan entered the room. The Admiral looked at all five of those in the room, nodding as if seeing something in their faces.
After a moment, Dalkasan said, “I know that Commander Gordon has briefed you on what you will be doing for the foreseeable future. I will tell you, this mission is critical. You will be escorting a Super Freighter loaded with ordnance to help Cambridge bolster her defenses. Do not underestimate the capabilities of those little ships Commander Gordon came here in. Those two little ships took what would have been a major defeat of the Federation forces in this System and turned it into a convincing victory. Our tactical staff have been analyzing the battle and concluded that just two of those little ships could easily defeat one of your Destroyers. Do what Commander Gordon tells you, he has been in and won multiple engagements against the Peschal Alliance. Since Commander Gordon came to the Federation, he has captured more ships and taken more prisoners than most Officers do in a lifetime of service. He’s in command till a more Senior Officer can take over after you reach Cambridge, do I make myself clear?”
The five Officers all chorused their understanding.
“Commander Gordon, when you’re done here, come and see Admiral Hanadon and me, please. We have some new intelligence to give you.”
“Yes, Sir. We’re nearly done here anyway. I’ll meet with all the Captains in our convoy again in a few hours to plan the trip home.”
Then turning to the other Officers, Colin said, “Go get your ships ready for departure. Can you be ready for departure in eight hours?”
They all nodded, so Colin repeated his intention to meet with them again on board FNS Theseus in four hours before following Admiral Dalkasan out of the compartment.
After he left, the four Officers who remained, sat, mulling over what they had just been told. Finally, Commander Hamilton asked his XO to return to FNS Salander and begin departure preparations. He didn’t need to specify what preparations were required, Simon already knew Michael Denning was accomplished at doing that job without the Captain’s supervision. Commander Ricarn picked up that Simon Hamilton wanted to talk to him alone, so he sent Huro Colarno to begin preparing FNS Dolarsu for departure as well.
When the two Captains were alone, Ricarn asked, ”What do you think about our orders, Simon? Commander Gordon hasn’t been in the Navy for very long, do you believe he is capable?”
Simon thought about the two questions for a few moments and then replied, “I’d have to say he is someone who has a lot of ability. At least he was willing to admit that he doesn’t know the best way to utilize a Destroyer. Have you seen the after-action reports from his intervention when the System was attacked?”
“Yes, I did see them, and I admit I’m not sure I can believe them. Have you heard anything else?”
“The Captain of FNS Loki is an acquaintance of mine from Cambridge. I asked her about it, she said it was all true. She also told me that Commander Gordon is the best CO she has ever served with. Suzanne said the tactics they used during the intervention were mostly hers. Apparently, Captain Gordon likes to involve the people under his command. He makes sure they have an input at least when possible. So, I think the Commander is telling the truth when he says he wants one of us to be responsible for fighting the Destroyers. The only thing we need to be aware of is that this assignment is unlikely to be a safe one. Commander Gordon seems to be a magnet for trouble. I think we are likely to see action during this trip. We might end up heroes, or dead, or both.”
“I fear you are right my friend. But then, we didn’t join the Navy for a safe life. I only hope t
hat if Commander Gordon orders me to my death, it will not be useless.”
“Well Ricarn my friend, from what I am hearing, if Commander Gordon takes us into a fight, he will not spend our lives uselessly, or wastefully. From what I’m hearing, he cares about people, so he tries to come up with tactics that will let him win at minimal risk to the people under his command. Did you know, the core of the tactics they use for their Cobras was invented by Commander Gordon. Those tactics are proving to be extremely useful when they fight large forces of Pirates. From what I understand, they can use the ships themselves as weapons. Honestly, I think we shall see. In my opinion, we should load up all the supplies and munitions we can carry for this trip, I suspect we’ll need them.”
“I agree with you about the need to load our ships. My friend Captain Nahala from FNS Shanonah was the one who destroyed a Pirate who pursued FNS Destiny into this System. Silmar told me that even though FNS Destiny was nearly out of ammunition and reaction mass, Colin Gordon was still trying to fight with whatever he had left. Our new boss is a tenacious fighter I think.”
The two Captains returned to their ships to help with the preparations.
Lieutenant Fraser was the Duty Officer when Colin eventually returned to FNS Theseus. She noticed that her Captain looked unusually worried when he walked onto the bridge, but he didn’t say anything much, just checked that everything was okay and then went to his office. Anne watched and worried as her Captain, and a friend exited with that concerned look on his face. She couldn’t do much till her shift ended in another hour but decided to go see if he was willing to talk then.
Colin settled behind his desk and tried to deal with some of the ‘paperwork’ all Captains had to endure to take his mind off his worries. He’d been in there for an hour when the chime on his door sounded. Colin opened the door only to see Anne waiting to talk to him.
Star Man 2: Star Rise Page 34