A King's Ship (Empire Rising Book 2) (9 page)

“Yes sir,” the pilot responded.

As the shuttle lifted off and circled the square there was no sign of any further police presence. Bell wanted to take that as a good sign but she knew it probably meant they had been ordered to fall back. That could only mean that whoever was in charge of the planet’s security had called in some heavier support.

“Ma’am, the other shuttle is lifting off,” the pilot informed her.

“Take us out of here,” she ordered. “And ignore any of the planet’s flight regulations, get us to the freighter as quickly as possible.”

*

On board
Innocence
Becket had already powered up the freighter’s main reactor and was boosting out of orbit. The smaller shuttles would easily be able to catch the slower freighter.

“Lieutenant, we’re being hailed by one of the system patrol frigates,” Sub Lieutenant McClure said.

“Put it on the holo display,” she ordered.

A small woman with brown hair, brown eyes and a tight fitting Indian naval uniform appeared on the holo display. The look on her face said she wasn’t in the mood to suffer fools. “With whom am I speaking?” she demanded.

“My name is Lisa Jones,” Becket lied. “I am currently commanding this freighter.”

“You look rather young to be captaining your own freighter,” the middle aged Indian naval Captain said in contempt.

“I am the Chief Mate, my captain is indisposed at the moment but she is on her way. How may I help you in the meantime?” Becket answered as politely as she could.

“You are ordered to bring your ship to a halt and prepare for a customs inspection,” the Indian naval officer said in a tone that expected to be obeyed.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Becket said. “We were inspected yesterday and we haven’t loaded any cargo from the surface or any of the trading stations in orbit. Why do we need to be inspected again?”

“I have my orders straight from the planetary governor. Whoever is on those two shuttles approaching your freighter is not allowed to leave the system. Let me say this again real slowly for you young woman. Heave to now and cut your reactors or I will open fire.”

“Hold on, I’m in way over my head, let me think this through,” Becket said playing on the naval officer’s obvious contempt for her.

“There is nothing to think about,” the officer snapped, “you have my orders.”

“But I have orders too, we have a very time sensitive cargo. If we don’t leave Kerala now we will incur heavy fines on our contract. As I understand it some of my people on those shuttles got into a fistfight in a local bar. You have our registration details, if there have been any damages you can forward them to my company and we will reimburse whoever needs payment. There is no need to carry out another customs inspection.”

“Freighter, understand this,” the officer almost shouted over the COM channel. “Your crew have been placed under investigation by the planet’s governor. If you do not cut your engines now we will have to open fire. You are not leaving this system.”

“The frigate has opened one of its missile ports,” one of the Sub Lieutenants called.

“You have thirty seconds then I open fire,” the Indian naval officer said with a feral smile.

“You can’t do this,” Becket said in anger. “You’re going to ruin my career,” she added as she slammed her fist down on the command chair, hitting the button to cut the transmission. 

Immediately she was fully composed again. “How long until the shuttles dock?” she asked.

“One minute.”

“And if the frigate opens fire in thirty seconds how long until the missile will strike us?”

“It will take it five minutes to catch us,” the same Sub Lieutenant answered.

“Ok, here’s the plan. We’re going to let them open fire and wait until the missile gets to within two minutes. Then I want all our hidden point defenses activated. We should be able to handle one missile. At the same time I want to open fire with our plasma cannon. We may not be able to hit them at this range but it will give them something to think about and hopefully keep them off our backs long enough for us to engage the shift drive. Are the capacitors fully charged?”

“Yes Sir, we are ready to jump as soon as we get out of Kerala’s mass shadow.”

Becket only nodded. The shift drive had revolutionized human space travel but it had some major drawbacks. It needed a lot of power to activate and its capacitors had to be charged for a long time between jumps. It also couldn’t be activated too close to the gravitational field of other objects. Things like stars, planets, asteroids and the dark matter strewn about in space between the stars severely limited where ships could go.

That meant they had to play a game of cat and mouse with the pursuing frigate. The frigate knew where the edge of the mass shadow was and knew that if they let the freighter reach it their quarry would escape. Yet Becket had to trick the frigate into allowing them to reach the mass shadow anyway. Thankfully, the freighter’s hidden weapons meant she had a few tricks up her sleeve.

“Missile launch,” McClure reported.

“Get those shuttles landed,” Becket ordered.

Knowing that the Sub Lieutenant could handle it, she focused her attention on the incoming Indian missile. It was the first time a British ship had seen an Indian warship fire one of its missiles in anger in decades. She hoped they didn’t have any surprises for her.

The plot updated to show that the missile was closing with them slower than expected. The computer updated its information on the missile to estimate that it was one of the Indian navy’s earlier missile designs. Becket wasn’t too surprised; the Indian navy’s patrol craft were probably the last ships to receive new technology.

“Shuttles have landed,” McClure informed her.

“Ok, tactical,” she said to the Sub Lieutenant manning the weapons terminal on the bridge. “Prepare to bring the point defenses online. As soon as you have them powered up and tracking the incoming missile you can open fire on the frigate with the main plasma cannon. At this range it isn’t likely to do any damage but it will let that frigate know we have teeth.

“McClure, once we bring up the point defenses take us to full acceleration. We need to make it to the mass shadow before they can hit us with a full broadside,” Becket ordered.

Innocence
was a Q ship. Built to look and act like a freighter, she also had enough weapons to take on any pirates that tried to attack her. That meant she carried a lot of point defense weapons and had military grade engines. Offensively she had a single missile tube on her port and starboard bows but as the freighter was fleeing from the frigate they couldn’t be brought to bear on it. Instead they would have to rely on their single heavy plasma. It was a powerful weapon at close range, able to punch right through the valstronium armor of most warships. However, over long ranges the plasma containment field on each of its bolts disintegrated, robbing each shot of much of its force. In the Void War Becket had seen James use the heavy plasma cannons at range to distract his opponents and she planned to do the same here.

“Now,” Becket ordered once the missile got to within two minutes of hitting
Innocence
.

The main radar array powered up and began tracking the missile more accurately. As soon as the targeting computer obtained a firm lock the small point defense plasma cannons fired tens and then hundreds of plasma bolts at the missile. Sensing the targeting radar the missile had already begun evasive maneuvers and it successfully dodged the first wave of plasma bolts.

The familiar thump, thump of anti-missile missiles erupting from their launchers meant the holo display filled with more plots as it tracked the short lived missiles’ attempts to intercept their larger brother.

“I got it,” the tactical officer called out as an AM missile managed to detonate close enough to the Indian missile to damage it and throw it off course.

“What is the frigate doing?” Becket called to McClure.

“They have gone to full military power. The heavy plasma bolts don’t seem to be having any impact at this range,” he answered.

Becket looked at the plot on the holo display, the frigate had been slow in trying to match their speed, caught by surprise. The extra acceleration
Innocence
had put on meant they would get to the mass shadow before any missile fired from the frigate reached them.

As if they couldn’t see what she was looking at the frigate fired two more missiles at the freighter.
Innocence
had been designed to defend herself against two incoming missiles but Becket was thankful that they wouldn’t have to put it to the test. In war things never worked as they were expected to. Just relying on being able to shoot down one missile had been enough stress for one day.

She was distracted from the holo display when the turbolift opened and Gupta, Bell and Major Johnston stepped onto the bridge. “Status report,” Gupta asked.

“We managed to shoot down the frigate’s missile. They have fired two more but we should be able to jump out before they reach us,” Becket said, vacating the captain’s chair.

“Good work,” Gupta said as she surveyed the plot on the holo display, confirming the information for herself.

“Commander, we have passed through the mass shadow,” McClure called.

Becket looked at Gupta who nodded at her. “Jump us out of here,” Becket ordered.

With a bright flash and a release of electromagnetic radiation
Innocence
disappeared from the pursuing frigate’s sensors into safety.

The Haven colony started off as an attempt to escape from the politics of Earth yet in the end it would come to play a significant role in the establishment of the Empire.
                                         

- Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD

4
th
April 2466 AD, HMS
Endeavour
, Andaman system

James was excited. Finally
Endeavour
was going to play her role in apprehending Chang. They were cruising into the Andaman system under stealth.
Innocence
was lying back in the outer system with her systems powered down. They didn’t want any sign of their presence to get back to the Indian gas mining station that was their target.

Andaman was a bare system. It only had four planets, one of which was the gas giant they were approaching. None of the other planets had anything of value on them so the Indians had only established a gas mining station in the system.

After reviewing the data Gupta and Banik had recovered on the
Dawon’s
schedule, Andaman had jumped out as the most likely location Chang was hiding.
Dawon
was an ore freighter and had no business going out of its way to visit a gas mining station. On top of that, it was only scheduled to stop at the station for several hours. Long enough to offload an important passenger and some cargo but not long enough to do anything else.

Agent Bell, Major Johnston, Gupta and James had concluded that Chang had to be on the gas mining station.
Endeavour
was now on her way to prove their theory.

“What are our passive sensors picking up?” James asked the Sub Lieutenant manning the sensor terminal.

“It looks like there are currently two freighters docked with the station. Neither of them looks like the
Dawon
.” Malik answered.

“Ok, pass on the information to Major Johnston, he will have to detail some marines to commandeer the two freighters,” James ordered.

“Ferguson, I want you to take over tactical,” James said turning to the First Lieutenant. “I want you to use the passive sensors to identify any point defense weapons the station has. Once we’re close enough we will bring up the active sensors to get a firm lock on your targets. As soon as you get a lock I want them destroyed. Our point defense plasma cannons should be more than powerful enough to take out their defenses at close range. I don’t want the station to have anything left that can shoot at our shuttles. And make sure our plasma bolts are not strong enough to punch through the hull of the station. We don’t want to kill Chang by depressurizing a part of the station he is in.”

“Understood Sir,” Ferguson answered as he vacated the First Lieutenant’s chair and moved over to tactical.

Now all they had to do was wait.
Endeavour
had already proven the effectiveness of her stealth capabilities on this cruise and so James had no doubt they could sneak up on the station. Major Johnston had his Marines ready to go and by the time they got in range Ferguson would be prepared to neutralize the station’s defenses. For four more hours James sat in almost silence as he watched the station grow ever closer on the holo display. 

When it was time he opened a channel to the shuttle bay, “Ready to go Major?”

“Ready when you are Captain, my boys are looking forward to getting our hands on this Chang bastard,” the Marine replied.

“Just remember,” James began in his best Captain’s voice, “we want Chang alive. He is no use to us dead. Make sure your men understand that.”

“I’ll do my best Sir but shit happens in war,” Johnston said without much concern.

“I expect nothing less than your best, and Major, cut the swearing on official ship communications,” James said as he closed the COM channel.

“Are you confident you have identified all the point defenses?” he asked the First Lieutenant.

“Yes Sir,” Ferguson replied, “a few seconds with the active sensors will confirm but we’re as confident as we can be just using the passives.”

“Ok then, on my mark you can deploy the active sensors, engage your targets as soon as you have a lock. Communications,” James said turning to the COM officer. “Ten seconds after we activate the sensors give the go ahead to the marines.”

“Acknowledged,” the Sub Lieutenant said.

“On my mark then, three, two, one, Mark!” James announced.

Endeavour’s
main radar array powered up and fired over five terawatts of energy at the station. James had managed to get his ship to within a light second of their target and Ferguson had almost instantaneous readings on it. Three seconds after the radar was switched on the battle computer alerted Ferguson that it had a firm lock on all of the targets he had identified. With a single tap on the tactical terminal over fifty of
Endeavour’s
small point defense plasma cannons fired low powered shots at the station, causing a wave of explosions to ripple across its surface. Before the command crew aboard the station even knew what was happening,
Endeavour’s
battle computer analyzed the first shots, identified a number of point defense instillations that were still functional and targeted them again. The First Lieutenant took a couple of seconds to review the readings before he approved a second volley of plasma bolts. Eight seconds after the first volley, another fifteen explosions erupted around the station. Meanwhile, Major Johnston’s four shuttles, fully loaded with marines in combat armor, left
Endeavour
and charged for the station.

In a rush to identify the source of the incoming attack and get over their initial shock when
Endeavour
powered up from stealth, the command crew on the station didn’t even detect the shuttles’ launch.

“Hail that ship,” Station Commander Chowdhury demanded.

When James’ face appeared on screen Chowdhury was taken aback to be facing a military officer from another naval power. His anger soon won out, “How dare you fire on an Indian station! This is an act of war. I demand you turn your ship around and leave this system immediately.”

“Now, now. No need to lose your temper,” James said calmly.  “Let me introduce myself, eh... Commander is it?”

Without waiting for a response he continued, “I have reason to believe you are harboring a war criminal, former politburo Minister Chang. On behalf of the UN and the British Government I am here to take him into custody. If you turn him over immediately no further damage will befall your station.”

“Listen to me Captain,” Chowdhury said, pouring as much scorn into the title as he could. “Britain holds no power in India, you British might think you can just bully whoever you want but not India and not me. If you make one more act of aggression I promise you I will see you taken before a UN court on charges of war crimes.”

“So be it,” James said with a smile, “prepare to be boarded.”

“What?” Chowdhury said, half to James and half to his command crew. “Quick, close all the external doors to the shuttle bays,” he ordered.

“Too late,” one of his staff called. “I’m detecting shuttles entering bays two and four.”

“Alert our security teams,” Chowdhury ordered. “Tell them to prepare to repel boarders!”

*

Finally
, Johnston thought to himself as he stepped out of the shuttle onto the deck of the gas mining station.

His marines had already secured the shuttle bay he had landed in and one of his Lieutenants approached him when he stepped out, “We’re ready to move out,” she informed him.

Keying his COM unit to address the marines who had landed on the station he said, “Listen up marines, whichever squad finds me Chang first gets free drinks all night the next time we’re in port. Happy hunting, and remember,” he added for Somerville’s sake, “stunners only, but if you encounter some hard resistance you have my permission to switch to your side arms.”

Typically marines were equipped with heavy plasma rifles when they were on operations along with a chemical propellant side arm. Captain Somerville had ordered them equipped with stunners instead of plasma rifles as the station was a civilian operation but Johnston had allowed them to take their side arms. They would follow Somerville’s instructions at first but if his men’s lives were at risk they would switch.

“First two cargo bays have been secured Sir,” another of his Lieutenant’s reported.

“Acknowledged,” he replied.

Confident that his subordinates had the systematic search of the station in hand he opened the schematics of the station on his combat armor’s HUD. Chang was most likely to be in the crew’s quarters and that was where he wanted to be.

“Sergeant Harken, I’m coming to join you in your search,” he said over the COM to the marine overseeing the search of the crew quarters.

Once he identified the quickest route to the Sergeant he set off at a run. The fire team designated to protect him took up positions around him.

“I hope you are ready to see one of the most powerful men in the galexy grovel at your feet,” Johnston said to Fourth Lieutenant Becket who was keeping pace beside him in her own battle armor. Somerville had sent her to accompany him in case he needed any technical assistance controlling the station. He was ok with that, Becket had been training with him on board
Innocence
and although she wasn’t a marine, she continued to impress him.

“Ready when you are,” she replied with a grin. “Let’s just make sure he is alive long enough to do some groveling before the UN too, it would be a shame for the entire world not to see it.”

“Humph,” Johnston said, not so sure he agreed.

“We’re encountering resistance from the station security force,” a Lieutenant reported over the COM. “There were three of them. Two are down, the other has fallen back. They were armed with chemical propellant weapons.”

“Keep pushing them back,” Johnston ordered, “don’t be afraid to use some live rounds yourself to scare them off. They have no business standing up to combat armor.”

Brave fellows
, Johnston thought as he neared the crew quarters,
or stupid.
Nothing but a high explosive round or a bolt from a plasma rifle would penetrate the marine’s armor.

“We’ve got five or six security guards who have barricaded themselves into a section of the crew quarters, at least one of them has a plasma rifle,” Harken reported. “We can take them but if we stick to our stunners we’re going to take causalities.”

“Use your side arms,” Johnston approved, “but stay behind cover. Mark their position on the schematics and we’ll see if we can flank them.”

As the information on his HUD updated it became clear that there were two or three routes they could take to flank the defenders. Whoever had designed the station hadn’t been thinking about defending from boarders.

“I guess all your extra training is going to be put to use,” Johnston said to Becket, “come on, follow me.”

“Side arms out,” he said to the rest of his marines.

This is what I have been afraid of
, Becket thought to herself. Using lethal weapons could very quickly lead to an ‘incident’ when they found Chang, of course it would be an ‘accident’ according to Johnston’s official report but Becket knew he wouldn’t lose any sleep over the war criminal’s death. There was nothing for it but to keep going though so she gritted her teeth and increased her pace to keep up with the Major.

Two corridors away from their targets Johnston came to a dead stop as the distinct sound of chemical propellant shots being fired could be heard. The marine in front of him peeked his head around the corner. Becket was able to read most of the marine’s basic hand signals and she moved forward with the rest of the marines when he signaled it was all clear.