A Trip to Signe

by Sean Benjamin

  “Let’s go,” ordered Alexis. She was not in command, but she was the Queen. Nobody was getting in the way of that decision. Besides, everyone could see it was the right maneuver.

  The trio of ships rapidly took up the chase as the Orion flotilla turned toward the border. The six trailing Zeke warships could not catch up to the trio, but they didn’t have to. They were close enough to provide interceptor cover so the three pursuers could give chase without fear of retribution. Alexis did exactly that.

  Missile fire ceased between all combatants as Predator’s band of ships would not be able to force missiles through the defense the four ships could provide, and the four Orion ships knew that the six trailing Zeke warships could not engage them due to the distance, but they could cover their three comrades against any attack that OrCons could mount, so there was no point in firing.

  The pursuit continued for just over an hour. The slightly faster Zeke ships were gaining on the four OrCons but at a minuscule rate. The six ships lead by the two battlecruisers would have to get into missile range to have a chance at a victory here. The trio of closer ships could throw missiles downrange and pray for a likely hit, but that wasn’t much of a plan and nobody offered it up.

  During the pursuit, Alexis glanced back at her husband a couple of times, but he shook his head. It was her fight from start to finish. It looked like the finish was looming just ahead.

  Tactical continually updated the situation. “Typhoon and friends are gaining at a rate of just over two minutes an hour. Assuming no change in speed or direction, they will get into firing range in just over eight hours.” Given this stern chase scenario, everyone knew “eight hours” translated into “forever” in battle language.

  “Border?” asked Alexis.

  “Six hours and forty-seven minutes,” Tactical replied immediately. Everyone knew that allowing the Queen to chase enemy ships across the border into God-knows-what situation was not a viable course of action. Even if Alexis wanted to, Admiral Levant would override that in a heartbeat, and there would be no argument. Alexis was the Queen, but that carried only so much weight out here, and she knew that. She would never place her navy commanders in the position of overriding her. She frowned as she saw this fight drawing to an indecisive conclusion.

  Maddie saved her. “Portside! Close up! At least three!”

  Alexis reacted instantaneously. “Come port! Guns with cannister, shoot!”

  White phones could get you in the general area of ships in subspace, but Alexis needed to get an exact fix on the hidden ships, and clouds of cannister balls were the best way. They would hit and explode against the hidden ships and the targeting computers would lock on. The ships in subspace would know they had been found and would have to surface. That took eight seconds. Under fire, those seconds were an eternity, and many ships never got to eight.

  Gunfire came out of all guns as Predator pulled hard to port. Jackline flew over the pirate ship and then pulled hard to port as Nile pulled in the same direction. Jackline ended up on the starboard side and Nile on the port side of Predator. The two escort ships took their cue from the pirate destroyer and began putting out cannister rounds of their own. As the trio moved forward, Nile’s rounds impacted something.

  “Missiles!” ordered Alexis, but she needn’t have bothered; Tactical had them going downrange even as the OD spoke the word. Missiles came from the launchers of all three ships as the OrCons began to shimmer into view. There were four warships with the same make-up as the first Orion squadron, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, and two destroyers.

  “Five seconds,” reported Tactical. Everyone knew that meant time of flight before hitting the target. The trio of attackers needed to score in these few seconds to offset the numbers advantage of the enemy. Their missiles had been launched without designation, meaning the missiles would lock onto a target while inflight. Invariably, this meant the largest target and so it proved here. All missiles locked onto the heavy cruiser.

  “Designating,” reported Tactical. She knew what would happen and was now designating the targets for follow-on launches. Alexis knew she would go for the light cruiser. She spoke over the command net. “Jackline, port destroyer. Nile, take the starboard destroyer.”

  After the five-second time of flight, the missiles would get a free three seconds on the heavy cruiser as she emerged. She would have no shields, sensors, or weapon availability. Three seconds in a close-in fight was equal to eight hours in a stern chase. In other words, it was forever. The heavy cruiser would never see the other side of forever. Missiles impacted her partially visible shape and exploded directly on her hull. Over a dozen hit her in those three seconds and seven penetrated. Explosions began amidships and spread in each direction. She was finished, and the three attackers forgot her and moved to the remaining threats.

  Predator poured missiles into the light cruiser as Jackline and Nile took on the destroyers. The OrCons got shields up as missiles impacted them. They responded with interceptors as the three attackers closed on them.

  “Go AP on the guns,” Alexis directed Simon the gunner. Immediately armor-piercing shells started going downrange. She talked on the command net. “We pass over them and pull hard around to port.” This would place the two enemy ships between the trio and the six Zeke ships further back. Those six Zeke ships would have an unobstructed attack path now and would also cover them if the original Orion group turned to support their comrades.

  The original OrCon group did try to support the second group with missiles. The Typhoon flotilla shot interceptors in response and none of the Orion missiles would reach any target. The Zephyr group put out missiles at the remaining light cruiser and two destroyers being engaged by Predator. Time of flight was two minutes.

  The attacking threesome flew over the remaining three OrCon ships while raking them with cannon fire. The OrCons accelerated away from the attackers toward their comrades in the first group. Predator and her two escorts pulled around for pursuit while maintaining aggressive fire on them. The OrCons could not go offensive as they were too busy on defense. The original group of four Orion ships was sending a steady stream of interceptors toward their three comrades in an attempt to aid in their defense, but the interceptors were being taken out by Typhoon’s supporting barrage of interceptors.

  The three fleeing Orion ships were being closely pursued by Predator’s trio. Jackline kept close to Predator’s starboard side and used her defenses to protect the pirate ship. A slight turn to starboard allowed the Zeke destroyer to move slightly ahead of Predator, and any incoming missiles would see Jackline slide in front of the Clan class destroyer.

  “Get out of the way, Captain Tate,” Alexis would scold him over the command net. He would always acknowledge the call and then do it again if circumstances went that way. Hawkins smiled as he leaned back against his day cabin hatch. He was not surprised by this, and he suspected his wife wasn’t either.

  Alexis leaned forward in her seat and talked to Eli on the helm. “Eli, bump him hard if he closes in again.” Eli nodded. Ten seconds later, a flurry of cannon rounds hit Predator’s forward shields. As Jackline tried to move in front, Eli dipped the ship to starboard and bumped her starboard forward shields hard against Jackline’s port quarter shields. Jackline broke away to starboard and lost her slight lead on Predator. With both ships at full military power, Jackline would not get her slight position advantage back. Predator had more power still in reserve and could use it if circumstances required. Raferty didn’t like to do that as it reduced engine life, but it was there if Jackline became a serious nuisance.

  Jackline settled into an abeam position on Predator’s starboard side. The battle was largely a stalemate between the three Orion ships and Predator and her escorts, but that was a temporary situation. The missile barrage from Zephyr’s group was arriving at target. The Orion defenses were overwhelmed. Missiles fought their way through the close-in ship defenses and hit all three warships simultaneously. The continuous
flow of projectiles gave no respite to the enemy as missiles hit hulls, then penetrated them. A series of explosions shook all three targets and brought the fight to a quick end. The light cruiser took the most hits and dissolved like sugar under the rain of missiles. The two destroyers were hammered from bow to stern and both rolled over as stability was lost under the pounding. Pods came off of the three ships but in low numbers. The crew of the heavy cruiser hit early in the fight was the luckiest of the four ships. They managed to get over twenty pods launched from their dying vessel. The other ships got less than ten each off.

  Predator and her two companions came to a stop just short of the three-ship debris field.

  “The other four are running,” reported Tactical about the original Orion foursome. “Typhoon giving chase.” The delay of the four OrCon ships to support the second group would have allowed Typhoon’s small flotilla to gain on them but not nearly enough to matter. Typhoon would have to pursue the enemy across the border to catch them. The lapse in time and the across-the-border location would allow the OrCons to respond with some sort of countermove. It was clear Typhoon was just chasing them off with no plans of a prolonged pursuit.

  Tactical left her station and stood next to the command chair. “Nicely done,” she remarked in her low key way and moved on to the intel station. Alexis nodded at the compliment. She turned to address her consort when someone on the command net spoke to her.

  She turned back to the floating screen and faced Captain Alvaro Tate of Jackline.

  “Your Majesty, it has been a great honor to assist you in this victory,” Tate said.

  “Everyone contributed, Captain. Please pass on my congratulations and admiration to your crew for their professional work here.”

  “Of course, Madam. Jackline is a fine ship, and I am very lucky to be her captain.”

  Alexis shook her head. “Luck had nothing to do with it, Alvaro. Your achievements in this war have earned you the right to command. Jackline is lucky to have such a fine commander.”

  “Thank you for the kind words,” he responded and then added in a near whisper. “I also wish to thank you for your kindness and generosity in dealing with my recent grave transgression. It was unpardonable, and I apologize a thousand times for my foolishness and arrogance.”

  “You have a sterling record, Captain. Such a small incident is not worth mentioning. Let us both forget it ever occurred,” Alexis responded in her best forgiving tone.

  Tate bowed his head. “My sword is yours, my Queen. Now and forever.”

  Alexis bowed her head in return. “The Empire needs warriors such as yourself, Alvaro. I thank you for your sacrifices so far and wish you great success in the future.”

  “We will have victory, my Queen,” Tate said as he maintained the bow.

  “With leaders such as you, that is a certainty. Fair winds and following seas, Alvaro.”

  “Your Majesty.”

  The transmission was ended. Rafe moved up to the back of the command chair and leaned forward to whisper in his wife’s ear. “I got to admit it. He is brave. I kinda like the guy.”

  Alexis smiled as she turned her head to her husband. “I do too.”

  The pickup of enemy pods began and the repairs to battle damage received progressed on all ships. Within an hour, Typhoon and her two escorts returned to the scene.

  “They’re gone for good,” Admiral Levant reported over the command net. “I think we should take our victory and be happy with it.”

  Sitreps were provided to Typhoon on all ships’ status. Ordnance was transferred to Predator to refill her magazines. An hour later, Levant contacted Hawkins on the private ship-to-ship channel. Raferty took it in his day cabin.

  “She did well,” Admiral Levant led off. Rafe knew who he meant. “She did,” he agreed and then he answered the question he knew Levant wanted to ask but never would. “Letting her keep the seat was a spur-of-the-moment thing. She had it under control, and I knew she could do it. The combat bridge crew was in place so she would have the best support available. I was there too.”

  He smiled at the Admiral and continued. “You know she loves the Royal Navy and would have been a career officer if fate had allowed it.” Levant nodded. “I think this was her one chance to prove to herself she had the right stuff and would have been a good officer and commander. I think she had to know, so I let her find out.”

  Levant nodded again. “I let the junior officers run things sometimes so I can find out about them and they can find out about themselves. I understand.”

  Hawkins nodded and Levant moved on to another topic. “Since we are four days into the trip and we will be at the edge of my AOR in fourteen hours, I think we have accomplished our goal, and I propose an escort to the AOR edge, and we will transfer you to Home Fleet’s care.”

  “Seems reasonable,” Rafe replied.

  “I’ll let the Zephyr group escort you. It gets Al Bond some command time.” Levant smiled.

  “I trust Al,” Rafe said and smiled in return.

  ~ ~ ~

  Later the married couple were alone in the day cabin. Rafe was surprised when Alexis embraced and then kissed him long and hard. She broke the kiss and looked in his eyes from five millimeters away. “Thank you for leaving me in the chair. If we are married for one hundred years, you will never top what you did for me today.”

  Hawkins smiled at his wife. “Well, hell, I guess I won’t even bother to try then. That’s the last good deed you’ll ever get from me.”

  She smiled in return. “Hey, you do get points for trying.”

  Rafe shook his head. “Nope, I’m done.”

  “You big liar,” she said and then kissed him again.

  Chapter 11

  The day after the battle, Alexis had the first dog watch, 1600 to 1800. After that, she would dine with her consort. As she stepped onto the bridge from the day cabin hatch, she scanned the bridge to note all activities. All seemed normal. Tactical had the ops station and Baby Doll was at intel. It looked to be another boring watch. She loved it.

  She knew Mason Reed was the off-going officer of the deck. He was standing beside the command chair. As she approached, he said, “All operations normal—on course and speed for Zelenka with our escort. No traffic on sensors. All ships systems functioning. Nothing unusual to report from the last four hours.”

  Alexis gave the expected reply. “Very well.”

  The XO announced, “Queen Alexis has the bridge.”

  Alexis gave the rote response to that. “I have the bridge.”

  As Alexis made to sit in the command chair, she stopped. There was something on the seat. She reached down and picked up a belt with a dagger in a sheath attached to it. She wasn’t sure what to do with it until she saw the belt’s buckle. The royal coat of arms of the Sinclair family had been carefully engraved on the shiny steel. She didn’t have to take the dagger out to know PREDATOR was engraved on the blade.

  She glanced at Mason Reed, but he was making his way off the bridge while firmly keeping his back to her. She looked around and everyone was deeply involved in some task that required them to be turned away from her also. Her gaze stopped on Tactical. “Rebecca?” she asked quietly.

  Tactical glanced up with her trademark poker face. “I don’t know a thing about it.” Alexis moved on to Baby Doll. The IntelO responded to the look. “The only time I care about what is in the command chair’s seat is when it is my butt. Other than that, I ignore the chair.”

  Alexis glanced around the bridge again, but nobody met her gaze as they were all still very, very busy. She said, “Thank you. Thank you all. This is a great honor.” She strapped on the belt as bridge crewmembers exchanged smiles.

  After the watch, she returned to the day cabin. Raferty was at his desk reading a floating screen. He glanced up and then intensified his gaze as he zeroed in on her waist. “Nice dagger,” he remarked as she stopped near him.

  “Did you have anything to do with this?” she asked as her hand
rested on the dagger’s hilt.

  He shook his head in response. “I truly did not. I would have never done it as I’m not sure how it would have been viewed by the crew. They are protective of the blade and the name on it. It’s their proof of belonging to something and, for many of them, it is the first time they have belonged anywhere. They are zealous about who has membership in our group.” He paused and then added, “I can find out for you if you would like.”

  Alexis shook her head. “No. I would prefer to believe it is from all of them.”

  Raferty smiled. “It probably is. One or two of them could never push the idea of giving a dagger if the majority, or even a large minority, were against it. Damn near everyone had to be for it to make it happen.”

  Alexis moved toward her husband and sat in his lap. She put her arms around his neck. “I like your crew. I like them very much.”

  Hawkins put his arms around his wife. “They are cutthroat pirates, but they do grow on you.”

  Chapter 12

  The remainder of the trip was uneventful. Predator crossed into Home Fleet’s AOR and received a new escort to Zelenka. Once there, the pirate ship took up an inner orbit and the ship’s shuttle launched for Haven Hill. Then a parade of shuttles from the planet cycled through the shuttle bay and the two airlocks as the crew was granted one night of liberty on Zelenka.

  Tactical, Rafe, and Alexis spent the night at Haven Hill. The night passed quickly with fine food, drink, and conversation with Tobias Gallagher. Tactical even got to do some cataloging in the family library.

  The next morning the shuttle departed Haven Hill for the palace. After landing on a pad in the back of the palace, Hawkins walked his wife to her private quarters. He stopped at the door leading into the quarters. His wife smiled at him. “Afraid to come in?”