The Landfall Campaign (The Nameless War) (81 page)

“
Vicksburg
and her close escort have jumped away,
”
Schurenhofer reported.
“
Signal from
Deimos
. We
’
re to start falling back and prepare for combat docking.
”

“
Understood,
”
Alanna replied as she guided Dubious in. The four Nameless cruisers that had intercepted them were strong enough to force a hurried redeployment, but not enough to saturate their way through
Deimos
’
s
counter fire. Still no sense in tempting fate and all the fighters in the group were closing on their respective base ships.

“
Looks like we
’
re out of here,
”
Schurenhofer said.
“
Not sure we achieved much.
”

Alanna made no reply. With
Deimos
going full burn and pouring fire back at the pursuing ships the landing was going to be tricky. They could have made an in system jump with their own drive but it looked like the Commodore had decided that this system was now too hot.

Dubious almost bounced off the deck before the magnetic grapple caught her and pulled her down. As the hanger hatch closed over them, Alanna saw the brief flash as they jumped away. By the time she and Schurenhofer closed Dubious down and got out, the cruiser was settled down into jump stations. Alanna updated her logbook and then headed for her bunk. In the officers
’
quarters she nearly walked straight into the Commodore.

“
I
’
m sorry sir.
”

“
That
’
s alright Lieutenant.
”
Crowe looked nearly as tired as she felt,
“
That was a good landing.
”

“
Thank you sir,
”
she replied stepping aside.
“
May I ask where next sir?
”
she added as he passed.

The Commodore stopped and seemed to have to think about it.

“
The next system up the line. We have enough fuel and ammunition to contest one more system, then
…”
Crowe shrugged.

“
Then back to Earth sir?
”

“
There isn
’
t anywhere else to go.
”

____________________

The commissioning party was still going strong up in the station
’
s centrifuge but down in the viewing gallery, Willis felt no reason to return. A few of the journalists might still be looking for her but
‘
the hero of Dryad
’
as the press was calling her, could rely on Guinness and the rest of the officers she
’
d managed to hang onto to run interference. That had been humbling, how many of them had wanted to stay with her.
Hood’s
final battle had seen a third of the little cruiser
’
s crew killed outright and once those who had been seriously wounded were taken into account, slightly more than one in three of them came out of the battle in one piece and alive. In the following days the bodies of the dead were transported down to the surface of Dryad and there buried in the dusty grey soil they had given their lives to defend. In her mind
’
s eye, Willis could still clearly see the lines of personnel saluting as one by one the coffins were lowered, while beyond them miners and colonists watched from a respectful distance.

Once the funerals were completed there only remained the wait for a personnel transport to return them to Earth, a wait that stretched into weeks and left too much time to brood. Yet when finally it came and they at last reached Earth, she found herself wishing she could go back. Earth was desperate for a victory, any victory, and the fleet was just as desperate to give them one. Medals and honours were showered on all of them and, as her new captain
’
s uniform attested, most particularly on her. But it felt like a soiled prize and left Willis desperate to get away from both the journalists that hounded her and the fleet
’
s publicity personnel that wanted to put her in front of them.

From beside her there came the clink-clink sound of a pair of boot magnets locking onto the deck. Willis half turned and groaned inwardly as she caught sight of the press badge.

“
Oh don
’
t mind me,
”
the journalist said.
“
I just want to get my bearings in this place.
”
He peered out through the view port. Beyond a dozen major starships were visible at the fitting out slips. Badly damaged ships were enclosed within sealed docks so in many respects there was almost nothing to indicate that this was a fleet at war.

“
Where do you want to go?
”
Willis eventually asked as the journalist continued to look out and around.

He checked his computer pad.
“
Slipway B3 apparently.
”

“
Then you
’
re on the wrong side of the station.
”

“
Of course I am,
”
he replied with disgust.
”
before looking at her.
“
Hey, aren
’
t you Commander Willis?
”
He looked down at the sleeve of her uniform.
“
Oh sorry, Captain Willis.
”

“
Yes, but you are going to have to speak to the press off
…”

“
Oh don
’
t worry Captain,
”
he waved a dismissive hand.
“
I
’
m off duty. I
’
m Jeff Harlow - you might have seen some of my news reports from the Junction Line?
”

“
No, I don
’
t think so. Sorry, we didn
’
t really get much in the way of news reports at Dryad.
”

“
Ah, bit of a backwater.
”

Willis turned sharply toward him.

“
Sorry, sorry. I should have said what was supposed to be a backwater.
”

“
Yes, that was what it was supposed to be,
”
she replied turning back to the view port.

“
It didn
’
t work out that way. Amazing how often that seems to happen.
”

“
Why are you here?
”

“
Did a bit of embedded work on a scout. I
’
ve heard they got back today from Junction and I just want to check they
’
re okay. Yeah, yeah,
”
he added in reply to her unanswered question,
“
I know I
’
m a journalist and therefore a lying bastard but some times we
’
re human and they were a good crowd. How about yourself?
”

Willis pointed.
“
See that ship? Third one from the left,
Black Prince
, she
’
s mine now.
”

Jeff peered at the distant cruiser.
“
She looks very nice.
”
When Willis gave him a look, he added defensively:
“
sorry but they still all kind of look the same to me.
”

“
Well, today this one has been formally commissioned, the crew is aboard and tomorrow we start working her up.
”

“
Chock full of new technology to take the fight to the Nameless?
”

“
Not really. She
’
s smaller and less capable than the vessels she
’
s replacing. Although still better than the old
Hood
,
”
Willis replied with a shrug.

Jeff hesitated before replying:
“
the Nameless are going to be here in a few weeks at most. Everyone
’
s saying it. Are you going to be ready?
”

Willis made no reply other than to shrug.

“
The military has a funny idea of how to reward someone for not getting their ass shot off. They give them another chance.
”

“
I suppose you
’
ll be able to cover the next fight from Earth.
”

“
Tempting. I might take up on the offers from management
…”
Jeff trailed off.
“
Well probably not. I
’
m trying for a position on a ship of the Home Fleet. Maybe I
’
ll end up on your ship Captain.
”

Willis looked dubious.

“
I need to get back to my ship. I have a lot to do.
”

“
Of course,
”
Jeff replied with a nod.
“
Good luck with the new ship Captain.
”

“
Thank you,
”
she replied,
“
and good luck finding your friends.
”

Jeff watched the young captain leave, then pulled out his computer pad and opened a file. A collection of notes and jottings he
’
d never submitted to the network, which might someday be the basis of a book.

In my time as a war correspondent, I have seen men and women crumble under the strain, or place their own interests above all others but they are the exceptions. In my time with the fleet what I have mostly witnessed are people willing to take on each new burden with weary acceptance. I will never really understand it because I will never really be one of them, but it is that willingness that I believe will save us.

Definitely a touch pompous, Jeff thought to himself as he examined the line, but perhaps right all the same. He saved the file and headed off in what he hoped was the right direction for slipway B3.

____________________

The glow from the main holo bathed the Council Chamber in a soft red light. The expressions on the faces of the men and women seated around the table were universally grim. On the display, the dot signifying Junction Station was slowly blinking on and off and below it a red line bulged towards the blue dot representing Earth.

“
Quite simply, like the rifle missiles at Landfall, we had no warning that the Nameless had developed fighters. They are adapting and we aren
’
t keeping up. With the destruction of Junction Station the Nameless have been able to penetrate deep into what were our rear areas and are once again on the move towards Earth,
”
Admiral Wingate said.
“
As you can see a salient has effectively been opened. Our forces at Rosa and Hydra Stations have attempted to close this but the Nameless have deployed enough units on their flanks to hold our ships back.
”

“
Can we re-establish the line or establish a new line?
”
President Clifton asked.

“
No on both counts. Junction Station is destroyed and we can
’
t build another while actively under fire. Establishing a second line would be futile. The Junction Line worked because while their combat units could jump past it, the support infrastructure required by their warships could be attacked and destroyed by our units on the Line. Without enough depth to our position, the Nameless would simply jump their combat units to Earth and keep their support elements far enough back to be safe.
”

“
So what does this mean in practical terms?
”
Clifton replied.

“
It means,
”
said Admiral Lewis,
“
that they are being methodical this time. They aren
’
t trying a quick blitz towards us. Unfortunately they
’
ve learned. This time they
’
re planning a sustained, fully supported advance. We have some units mounting attacks on their supply lines but this is only a delaying tactic. Those vessels will soon have to be called back to Earth. We won
’
t be able to bring them up short. To attempt that will simply result in our ships not being where they can achieve something. The Nameless are going to reach Earth this time. When they do there isn
’
t going to be a soft underbelly for us to strike at. This time, it will be our strength matched squarely against theirs.
”