Part 10

“Dum Dum
Da Daa Da
Will you be with me?”
Eight in a circle, one as a spoke and up ahead one larger, singularly more determined form. The shape of the convoy, it’s co-ordinator and it one single escort. Nothing on the outside revealed activity within. Of men on the eight checking distance and number; obeying with need and reluctance orders that sounded dangerous. They were not used to cruising like this. Of the spoke, the Smokeless Fire; men fitted and adjusted and armed with some illegality themselves and machines. Everyone not maintaining was strapped down and ready for action. This was a grey army. None of them young, none of them at their best but all used to the orders of fleet and to carrying them out. There was of course the exception of their captain. An ex Admiral of fleet and hero of war. One of the few men in Hajamke who had seen ships in combat, his seasoning showed as he leaned back and with some relaxation toyed with his options for the convoys future. The other man in the convoy who had seen considerable war was in the lead vessel. The great and famous Golden Chance. This was Captain Freddie, an officer trained by the admiral and whose actions with him had seen them both stranded on out of the way Hajamke. Music always played in his head.
Right now Freddie had ordered removal of power from the ‘ Chance’s anti matter duster. Too big a weapon for close fleet combat. A weapon of last resort and bombardment but too dangerous for the work to come. Aboard the Chance fighters were being overloaded with ordnance, missiles rechecked, ammunition loaded, decks cleared for action and perhaps the most telling - power systems modified; the ships boats and shuttles turned into spare supply stations. This was a warship being made ready. As on the Ex Admirals ship anyone who didn’t need to be moving about was strapped down. Locked tight into a capsule, a cockpit ready for action. Pockets of activity echoed with noise whilst everywhere else was ghastly silent. Even the command deck was populated only by lights. It’s crew locked away in sarcophagi.
Freddie looked at displays, the numbers and distances.
Soon the first actions would start.
Freddie spoke the order to Ko-on
“Ko-on release the observation drones. Set to battle distance”
“Yes sir” was the only reply from Ko-on
Four small cylinders popped up out of the same silo on the ‘Chance’. Floating free for a moment before spiralling out and away from the ship.
“Ko-on create the relays, back to the ex-admiral and from the convoy add their resolution into us”
“Yes sir”
The drones were extended eyes and ears. Then every ship in the convoy became the same, and the admiral saw the same as Freddie. The freighters captain flew with their normal resolution of information. Not blind but not fully informed; kept reliant on order and command.
“ Telolo is the flight deck ready?” asked Freddie
“All ready for action and waiting”
“Good, launch the fighters on a low energy course the Smokeless Fire. Close escort positions”
“Launching now sir”
Four doors blossomed open, each heavy with armour and structured form. Squashed, slender eggs slid out with no effort from each. Four fighters of the fleets. Four capsules ready for combat. They cleared the ‘Chance, rotated with with small bursts of light from their rears dived with slow grace towards the Smokeless fire. The doors closed behind them. Freddie monitored their progress.
The deployment was complete.
The three gunships were closing in towards firing range.