by D. J. Holmes
As James had been speaking Ferguson had been staring at the deck. He brought up one hand and began to rub his jaw. “Alright,” he began after another pause. “I’ll be honest, so far my assessment of him has come close to yours. In dry dock at Vulcan and then during our space trials he did everything that was expected of him. Yet there was something about him that didn’t sit right. I did some digging before we left Earth. I’m sure you didn’t recognize the name but his family owns a large stake in the Chester colony. As a result, they have a lot of influence over the Members of Parliament that come from Chester and have some clout in the Commons.”
James considered Ferguson’s information. Since the British expansion into space the parliamentary system had undergone an extensive revision. No one wanted to see an interstellar repeat of the American War of Independence. Therefore, every new colony was able to elect a number of Members of Parliament who would be sent to London to act as their representatives in the House of Commons. In addition, as the colony developed both the King and the sitting Prime Minister had the ability to grant noble status to individuals who had excelled in developing the colony. They could then take up a seat in the House of Lords or appoint a representative who attended in their place when they were not in the Sol system. Chester wasn’t the largest or most influential colony but its position at the edge of British space meant it was a key strategic system and got a lot of attention.
“When he first came on board,” Ferguson continued, “he was boasting about already knowing where our first mission would be to. Supposedly a lot of the tax revenue from Chester went towards the construction of Endeavour and her sister ships. The Chester MP’s have been pushing for the RSN to focus more of its exploration efforts in their direction. As I understand it, the pay back for the investment was a promise that Endeavour would be assigned to explore beyond the Chester system. I suspect Mallory’s assignment to the ship wasn’t an accident either.
“I was also able to look into some of the records from Mallory’s previous ships while we were still in Sol, records we don’t have access to here. In both his previous ships a number of crew members were brought up on disciplinary charges for gambling. There was one report that implicated Mallory, but it was quashed from higher up. Even without the sway his family holds over their MP’s his father is a rich man in his own right and has some influential contacts in the RSN, so if he was involved, it’s no surprise he walked away scot-free.
“I haven’t found any proof yet but I am suspicious he has already started to set up gambling sessions on Endeavour. A large percentage of the crew hail from the Chester system, so it’s likely he already had some contacts when he came on board.”
James could easily believe it. Gambling was banned on RSN ships. It always led to resentment or even fights. Men and women stuck on board the same ship for months at a time always found ways to resent each other. The RSN felt that falling out over gambling debts or accusations of cheating didn’t need to be one of them. Plus, if an officer was involved, it always got worse. The officer in question could use their position of authority to bully the others involved or threaten exposure and punishment if they didn’t get their way.
Yet for a child of a wealthy businessman or noble, gambling could be a powerful temptation. For someone who grew up having it all, what excitement was there in owning more things? But the risk of losing it all, or of taking it all from someone else, that was alluring. James knew this first hand. His elder brother was an irredeemable drunk and gambler. That was one of the reasons his father had left James the family’s Dukedom. The other, James strongly suspected, was that his father had taken a perverse pleasure in knowing that his least favorite son would inherit a Dukedom in financial meltdown and covered in public shame. If Mallory was involved in gambling, James resolved to put an end to it, even if it ended the young Lieutenant’s career. The RSN had a proud tradition to live up to. James had decided to try his best to honor those who had died forging that tradition; he would be damned if he allowed anyone else to tarnish it.
“Thank you for being so open with me,” James said in response to Ferguson’s revelations. “I want you to keep an eye open for any gambling, whether it involves Mallory or anyone else. As for the Lieutenant himself, you can leave him in my hands. If he gives me any reason to confront him, I intend to set him straight. If he doesn’t show more of a willingness to develop into a complete King’s officer, his career will end at the lofty height of Second Lieutenant.”
As James spoke he looked at the plot of Endeavour’s progress into the New Edinburgh system. “We’ll end our conversation here Lieutenant. We’re almost two hours away from the rendezvous point. I want to go back to the bridge and see what there is to see.”
“Aye Sir,” Ferguson replied, “I hope I don’t let you down on this mission.”
“Don’t worry about that,” James answered smiling. “You’re forgetting, I have read your files too. I’m sure you will perform your duties admirably.”
As Ferguson walked out James couldn’t help but analyze his own self-doubts. If one was to read all the news reports of his feats in the recent war with the Chinese they couldn’t help coming to the conclusion that he was some sort of tactical genius. However, James knew the truth, some of his victories had been down to sheer luck and when he had saved the Swedish colony ship he had almost ran from combat. Still, he knew that the experience had changed him. He wasn’t going to run away from a fight again, not if the stakes were so high.
One thing the Void War had taught him was that it took a lot to be a competent naval commander. He had served closely with Captain Lightfoot and Rear Admiral Jensen. Both of them had been expert tacticians and leaders. James knew he didn’t yet live up to their standards. Yet he was determined to try.
It helped that his uncle had confidence in him. James knew Admiral of the Red Jonathan Somerville wouldn’t trust just anyone with the latest class of ship to come off the British naval construction lines. Despite his self-doubts, James knew he needed to prove his uncle’s confidence was well placed. This mission and Endeavour would certainly give him the opportunity to see just what sort of Captain he was becoming.
*
Ten minutes later James was once more sitting in his command chair on the bridge.
“Possible contact,” Sub Lieutenant Malik called out.
“At the coordinates I gave you?” James asked.
“Yes sir,” Malik answered. “We’re picking up some faint radiation, enough for us to be able to determine that it’s likely to be leakage from a small to medium ship with most of its systems powered down. I have been viewing some visuals of the area but as yet we haven’t been able to identify anything. The computer thinks there is something there but it can’t get enough of a resolution to accurately estimate what it is,” he added.
“I see,” James answered. To the bridge at large he added, “I’m expecting to meet a RSN or a RSNI contact at the location. We will then be getting new orders.”
He couldn’t help but smile as he saw the Sub Lieutenants looking at each other, thinking they were being sneaky enough to avoid his noticing. A secret rendezvous with new orders. Their imaginations were no doubt running wild. Up to now the crew had no doubt been a little concerned with his actions. Once his latest revelation spread around the ship things would start to make sense.
After another twenty minutes the computer was finally able to make out what was waiting for them at their destination. As Sub Lieutenant Malik brought up the visual on the main holo display, he talked the bridge through the computer’s findings. “It’s a Hauler class freighter. They are one of the most popular freighter designs among the smaller independent traders. From the markings it appears to be registered to an Indian shipping company. As far as our ship’s records indicate, there is no such ship owned by the RSN.”
“And there’s not likely to be any official records if the ship is operated by the Royal Space Navy Intelligence,” James concluded, which only served to send
another series of looks between the Sub Lieutenants. “I want one of our plasma cannons charged and targeted on that freighter. As far as we know they are friendlies but I don’t want to take any chances.”
When Endeavour got close enough to the freighter, James sent out the prearranged signal, a series of beeps and dots using the laser communication relay. The freighter replied with its own beeps and dots.
“Communications, I’m sending you a data file now. Check to see if the freighter’s signal matches the one in the file.” James said to the Sub Lieutenant manning the communication console.
“The signal is a match Sir,” she quickly replied, “wait,” she said as she paused to peer over her console. “We’re getting a laser COM link from the freighter.”
“Put the channel on the main holo display,” James ordered.
When a face appeared in front of his bridge crew James was momentarily startled. The beaming white smile, accentuated by the black hair, brown eyes and dark skin of Georgia Gupta, clearly indicated that she had been looking forward to her surprise. “Welcome to New Edinburgh Captain Somerville,” she said by way of greeting.
“Lieut... Err... I mean, Commander Gupta,” James began, still a little taken aback. “It’s good to see you. I thought you were being given your own command?”
“I was,” she replied, “You are looking at her. Innocence was commissioned into the RSN two years ago. She’s a Q ship. You’ve heard about the strange disappearances that have been going on in this area of space over the last decade. Well, Innocence was designed to get to the source of the problem. She has been cruising about between Indian, French, Canadian and British colonial space trying to get herself into trouble. At least she had been. When I was promoted to Commander I was given her and put on special assignment. It seems the Admiralty wants us to continue to work together. I can’t say I’m too disappointed. Things are never boring when you are around,” she concluded with another beaming smile.
James nodded in understanding. A Q ship was a freighter armed with military grade weapons. The idea was that an attacker would approach in the hope of boarding the helpless freighter, only to find themselves staring down the barrel of a pair of plasma cannons. Piracy was a rare thing in human space. It was simply too expensive to build and maintain a spaceship without a large industrial base. Nevertheless, a number of ships had been going missing in and around the areas Gupta had mentioned. Not enough to cause any major concern, but enough that the Admiralty had decided to do something.
James now understood how he was to overcome the obvious problem he had seen in the Admiralty’s plan. Sneaking Endeavour into foreign space in the hunt for Chang made little sense. If he wanted to actually find Chang on a planet he would have to land a party from his ship and doing so would reveal Endeavour’s presence. With Innocence joining the hunt, they would have the perfect cover. The freighter could enter any system without causing a stir. She was already well known in these parts.
“Well I’m glad to have you with us,” James said in response to Gupta’s last comment. “I presume you want to come aboard and brief my officers on our updated orders?”
“Yes Sir, I’ll come over right away if that is ok.”
“Certainly, I’ll see you shortly,” James answered with a nod. It was going to be good working with Gupta again.
Chapter 3 – Old Friends
In many ways the Royal Space Navy was like one big family, almost everyone knew each other and many got on well. Of course that also meant there was more than one fierce rivalry that threatened to tear the family apart from time to time. Now those days are long gone, the Empire’s navy is simply too vast.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
11th February 2466 AD, New Edinburgh System
James and Commander Gupta walked into Endeavour’s conference room and stood facing the assembled officers. Along with the senior officers from Endeavour and the Sub Lieutenants who weren’t on duty, RSNI Agent Julia Bell and Major Johnston were also crowded into the room.
The last two members of Gupta’s team had been as much of a shock for James as Gupta’s presence. He had met Major Johnston during one of the first acts of the Void war. He had come on board James’ first command with a group of Special Forces marines to attempt a daring boarding action on a Chinese destroyer. After that the Major had been assigned to command the marine detachment aboard the destroyer Ghost. A ship James had worked closely with. When James met him for the second time aboard Ghost he had changed. In the intervening time Johnston had lost his wife. She had been killed during a Chinese attack on one of the British colonies. As a result he had become a blood thirsty killer. There was no other way to describe it. As James thought about it, it wasn’t a surprise to find him on this mission. The Major’s success and efficiency in the war with China was beyond doubt but as James had read his battle reports he had observed the change in the man. To someone who hadn’t known him before he would look like the perfect soldier, cold, detached and methodical. Yet to James it was obvious the Major was broken, he had pushed down his grief and focused all his efforts on getting revenge. He might become a problem, Jams thought to himself.
Agent Bell was another matter. He had also met her during the war with the Chinese. She had proven herself a very talented spy and a proficient warrior. James had been very glad to see her. His team would need her undercover skills if they were to stand a chance of finding Chang.
“I hope you have already made the necessary introductions,” James said to the gathered officers. “We are all going to be working closely together over the next several months.
“Commander Gupta and I have reviewed our orders closely and we think it appropriate we fully brief you all at this time as we may not get a chance to all be in the same room again.” James moved to one end of the conference room so that everyone had a clear view to the main holo display that dominated the front of the room. With a few touches on one of the command consoles he brought up an image.
“I’m sure many of you recognize this man. Chang Lei is the former Chinese Minister of Intelligence. He led the Politburo when China began hostilities with us almost two years ago. After Emperor Na’s uprising he fled Earth. Initially it was thought that he fled to one of his facilities in the Chinese colonies but when the infighting between the various Chinese factions settled down he was nowhere to be found. Both our government and the UN have arrest warrants out on him and we have been given the mission of bringing him home to face trial.
“Now,” James said as he switched the view of the holo display to show colonial space around the New Edinburgh System. From New Edinburgh a shift passage led off into French colonial space. New France itself was only two weeks travel away. From there it was possible to travel either into Indian colonial space, towards the single Canadian colony, Quebec, or if one wanted, to the Rostov system. The latter destination would be certain suicide for Innocence and a very dangerous journey for Endeavour. Rostov was the only Russian colonial world that had a shift passage connecting it to the rest of human space. The Russians hadn’t opened communications with any Earth nation for over twenty years. Occasionally the Earth nations would send in a stealth ship to see what the Russians were up to. Those that returned showed a constant buildup of military ships. Everyone on Earth was more than a little nervous about the Russians’ actions, yet no one wanted to take any pre-emptive measures. They were all hoping the Russians would remain content in their own colonial space.
“You’ll be glad to know we don’t think he has passed through Rostov into Russian space. Rather, RSNI has intercepted some information that suggests that Chang is hiding out on one of the Indian colonies. Though we don’t know which. Our best guess is that he is trying to barter or bribe his way to being hidden somewhere where he can live in peace. I’m afraid we’re going to burst his bubble.
“The data RSNI intercepted linking Chang to India was a money transfer. We believe Chang is trying to move as many assets to India as he feels he safely
can. Innocence’s Commander Gupta and Agent Bell are going to be our doorway into Indian space and Chang. Agent Bell spent several years undercover in the Chinese colonies and can pass for a Chinese national with ease. She will be posing as an ex-intelligence agent Chang has hired to smuggle some of his wealth out of China. Gupta is obviously of Indian origin – her grandparents actually come from New Delhi. She will be posing as an independent freighter owner hired by Agent Bell to transport Chang’s possessions. With a bit of luck they will be able to move around freely on the Indian worlds and sniff out where Chang is.
“Endeavour’s job will be to provide heavy fire support. We will follow Innocence through Indian space in stealth, ready to come to her aid if and when she needs us. Major Johnston has been appointed to command Endeavour’s marines. He didn’t come on board Endeavour at Earth in case his presence raised some suspicions about the nature of Endeavour’s mission. For the moment he will remain on board Innocence to command a squad of marines. Their job will be to retrieve Chang once Agent Bell locates him.