The Landfall Campaign (The Nameless War) (35 page)

Despite the background noise the Chief heard her sigh.

“
Respectfully Ma
’
am, I know you aren
’
t happy with these problems,
”
Guinness continued,
“
but they do have a silver lining. They keep the crew busy and well
…
I think we kinda need that.
”

“
Something you
’
d like to tell me Chief?
”
she asked.

“
I
’
m not going to name any names Ma
’
am,
”
he replied,
“
but this crew is mostly made up of reservists. A lot of them seem to think if they aren
’
t actively fighting someone, they should be able to go home.
”

“
Chief, the alternative to being here is the Nameless front where they would be fighting. No one gets
‘
to go home
’
,
”
she replied frowning.

“
I don
’
t disagree with that, but it is natural. I served on this old girl during the last war and we spent most of it orbiting Earth waiting for the day it all hit the fan. Let
’
s just say a bit of work keeps people from moping. It would help Ma
’
am, if the news from home was a bit more regular, just something you might want to mention to the Admiral.
”

“
Not really something in my control, or his but I will pass it on.
”
Willis paused and added,
“
You
’
re a reservist yourself Chief. How are you holding up?
”

“
Ah, it
’
s different for me Skipper. No wife - not any more anyway - and I
’
m a granddad, not a dad. It
’
s harder for some of the younger fellers. Y
’
know wives and husbands, moaning on, when are you coming home? The kids don
’
t remember you. Haven
’
t you done enough? All the usual complaints.
”
Guinness shook his head,
“
One of the girls hubbies filed for divorce, with custody of the kids.
”

Willis let out a hiss of irritation,
“
Why don
’
t people tell me these things? I can
’
t do anything about things I don
’
t know about! Who is it?
”

“
She confided in me Skipper and doesn
’
t want it going public,
”
Guinness replied evenly. He added with a shrug,
“
reading between the lines, I think it was a marriage heading for the rocks when we shipped out from Earth. There
’
s nothing we can do Skipper. The courts probably won
’
t move on it while she
’
s out here.
”

“
Alright Chief, but keep an eye on that one. If we have to get her home, we have to get her home,
”
Willis replied.

“
Look on the bright side Skipper. At least we don
’
t have to worry about the ghosts.
”

“
I
’
m sorry. Run that past me again Chief.
”

“
First Battle of Pluto, we got a bit of a slapping covering the retreat. The Port side sponson took a direct hit and the whole gun crew was killed. Some people reckoned the sponson was haunted after that. Y
’
know, cold drafts, odd sounds, that kind of thing. But for my money there was probably a small hole that they didn
’
t manage to fix. I know I never heard any more about haunting after they removed the sponsons,
”
Guinness cheerfully explained..

“
You are a mine of information Chief,
”
Willis replied looking at her watch.
“
I have to go. I want to look in at the bridge before I head into a meeting.
”

On the bridge the main display was operating off an uplink from the main solar system detection grid, showing a high definition view of the whole solar system. The main focus of activity within the system was the mining industry on Dryad Two, but there were other centres of humanity elsewhere in the system, supporting those mines. Dryad Five was a gas giant, orbited by hydrogen skimmers and purifying plants that provided fuel for the entire system. Dryad Four was the home of the water industry that harvested the system
’
s asteroids. All the while, travelling between the three planets, were slow boats, in-system vessels without any kind of jump drive. The display was a mass of colour codes and lines that would completely baffle the uninitiated. Willis however could immediately pick out the single element that was out of place: a red icon showing Rizr protected cruiser hovering out on the edge of the system. Or at least it had been. Eight light hours out from Dryad Two, they were only now seeing a cruiser that had undoubtedly long gone.

“
Commander are you ready?
”
Admiral Shibanova said from behind her.

Willis turned. The Admiral was standing in the bridge entry hatch. He looked out of breath, while his left hand remained clamped for support onto the edge of the hatch frame. Willis made a mental note, but refrained from commenting.

“
Yes sir. Ready when you are.
”

“
We need close protection, close escort.
”
Mister Rourke pointed a single slender finger at Admiral Shibanova for added emphasis.
“
When the
SS Trebal
put out her mayday, it was four
hours
before any of your ships arrived. The crew obeyed your instructions and were murdered for it! In the past four months five of our ships have been attacked, three of which were destroyed and they nearly took the other two. Now five men, five brave men, have been killed. This may be the newest escalation, but I cannot believe it will be the last or the worst.
”

“
If we don
’
t get close support,
”
chimed in Mr Khan, the second corporative representative,
“
we may have to suspend sending ships, until we do. That means deliveries of fuel to Dryad Two will stop.
”

“
Please, Mr Khan,
”
Shibanova replied tiredly,
“
let
’
s at least keep threats plausible. You cannot stop routine transits. If your transports stop coming here to deliver fuel, they won
’
t be able to collect food and other supplies needed by the outer settlements.
”

“
Admiral Shibanova, please,
”
objected Admiral Kinnear,
“
no one is making threats here. Mr. Rourke and Mr. Khan are merely stating a very valid point. The corporations have responsibilities to their employees and are also subject to rising insurance premiums. I do feel you need to take a more proactive approach, within the limits of practicality of course.
”

“
But of course.
”
There was a weary note in Shibanova
’
s voice as he replied to Kinnear, before turning back to the representatives.
“
I understand your concerns gentlemen. They are fully valid, but I work within limitations. I have but four ships, four old ships. I cannot provide close escort to every ship in the system. That is simply not on the table.
”

“
Then what is being offered?
”
Khan asked.

“
Random patrols. My ships will start intercepting your slow boats, spend a few hours with them, and then jump away again.
”

“
I
’
m not sure I follow,
”
Kinnear said.
“
How is such an escort anything other than a fig leaf?
”

Willis glanced towards her superior, to see his response. Shibanova looked desperately weary, as well he might. The meeting had already lasted three hours and only now were they starting to get to the real issues. The rest had been so mundane that, at least in her opinion, Kinnear should have been dealing with it himself. Her face was almost sore from forcing herself not to frown at Kinnear. He knew her Admiral
’
s energy was now limited but that wasn
’
t stopping Kinnear from calling meetings that pointlessly dragged on for hours.

“
When one of their protected cruisers arrives in the system to raid, it follows a pattern. It spends several hours holding position at the edge of the system, giving its sensors time to build up knowledge of our activities. Of course being at the edge means the picture they get is hours out of date. If they start seeing my ships join slow boats randomly, then they cannot be sure that when they jump deeper into the system they won
’
t find themselves confronted by a warship.
”

“
That
’
s not exactly a water tight screen,
”
Rourke complained.

“
Yes it is something of a gamble…
”
Kinnear started to add.

“
Gentlemen,
”
Shibanova cut him off,
“
you are telling me what you want. I am telling you what I can deliver.
”

“
So four ships at a time…
”
Khan started to say.

“
One ship,
”
Shibanova interrupted again.
“
I will only send my ships out in pairs and maintenance issues will only allow for one pair at a time.
”

The looks of approval that had briefly appeared on Khan and Rourke
’
s faces disappeared.

“
What about the ships from the Aèllr frontier that come here for repairs?
”
Rourke asked.

None of the three officers rushed to answer that one. It was an awkward subject, one that not even Kinnear was prepared to blunder in to.

“
Those ships are here for repair,
”
Shibanova replied eventually.
“
They
’
re not a part of my command.
”

“
But
…”

“
They are not a part of my command. I am giving you as much as I can gentlemen. Do not ask for more.
”

Shibanova was almost grey with fatigue by the time they returned to the
Hood
. Most of Hawkings Base was a micro gravity environment and had the Admiral been required to walk it, Willis doubted he would have made it at all. As it was, once they entered
Hood’s
centrifuge she had to discretely steady him with a hand on his arm. Once inside his cabin, he flopped onto his bunk, gasping for breath. Willis watched her superior with undisguised concern. In the six months since their arrival in Dryad she
’
d watched his health decline, each downward step coinciding with further escalation by the Rizr.

“
It would help if Admiral Kinnear would back you up. Instead he practically encourages them.
”

Shibanova
’
s breath rasped heavily. He was lying with his arm resting across his eyes.

“
The fleet kept him out here for too long. Gone native I think is the American term. He
’
s too close to the civilian authorities. He
’
s now more one of them, than one of us,
”
he replied without moving.
“
He
’
s also too used to idea of the Tample as an opponent who can be slapped down.
”

“
Well sir, whatever about Admiral Kinnear, Khan and Rourke are right about one thing,
”
Willis said as she seated herself.
“
The Rizr attacks are escalating.
”