Merkiaari Wars: 04 - Operation Breakout Read online

  “If the data supports it, I’m sure we can arrange something. Their demise must wait until after the current matter is dealt with, however.” Walder turned to Healey. “Are we ready?”

  Commander Healey nodded. “The Lieutenant already did most of the work, ma’am.”

  Walder’s eyes narrowed. “The logs were tampered with?”

  Anya hissed at the accusation, but Colgan’s quick head shake prevented her denials.

  “No ma’am!” Healey said surprised and dismayed. “I didn’t mean to suggest... no ma’am. She indexed the files by time and ship name, and tagged them so that they would display correctly and in the correct sequence, that’s all. She basically did my job for me.”

  “I see,” Walder said sounding disappointed. “If you’re ready? Begin.”

  Everyone turned their attention to the holotank as it came to life and the lights in the room dimmed. Anya had taken extra care with her presentation. Colgan was impressed with the artistic composition and her care in choosing the most important segments of the logs. She hadn’t just dumped the entire log of each ship onto the data crystals, but had edited them together to create an entertaining show that also informed. The raw data was still available of course, but he hoped the show would go a long way toward lowering tensions and directing attention back to the job in hand: dealing with the pirate system and winkling out the location of the Merkiaari.

  The holotank began by displaying Warrior’s bridge recording with sensor and flight data beneath so that everyone could judge the ship’s manoeuvres and the orders instigating them. The presentation inevitably began with Warrior’s almost calamitous emergence at Helios. Anya had to start somewhere, but Colgan didn’t care to relive the moment the collision alarms wailed. He was satisfied however with the reactions he witnessed. Even Walder started at the alarm. He furtively watched everyone as they watched the show, trying to gauge their reactions.

  “Evasive starboard!”

  Janice reacted a fraction of a second before the order was given. She slammed her stick hard over and pulled back, while at the same time goosing power to the anti-grav manoeuvring thrusters in the bow. The ship heaved up and around, still stooping upon the pair of ships in her path but at a shallower angle than before. The bridge crew yelled as Warrior sped by the ships barely missing them.

  “Jesus god...” one gasped.

  “Did you see that? Did you see? Did you? We nearly dinged the frigging—”

  “Quiet! Trim us up, Janice, and someone find our damn referent. Let’s be sure we’re in the right system, shall we?”

  “Aye, Sir,” Janice said calmly.

  “Scanning... referent attained. Helios system confirmed, Skipper,” Groves said.

  The holotank image changed splitting into two main windows. Whispered comments rose in the room as the watchers digested what was being shown. Colgan watched as Mark received the distress call from MV Astron, and informed him. His conversation with Captain Voyce played out, and then the important discussion between himself and Francis regarding a course of action.

  “Hold the playback,” Walder said and Healey paused the show. “You chose to assault Astron with your marines before neutralising the raider ship. Why?”

  “As you see, Commodore,” Colgan said waving a hand at the holotank. “I discussed the situation with my exec and we decided that a simultaneous attack was the best response.”

  “You risked the lives of all the marines you deployed. Far safer to take out the raider ship first.”

  “Safer for Warrior and her crew, certainly, but not for the crew of Astron, Commodore. You heard how desperate Captain Voyce and his crew were. They were barely hanging on and needed immediate relief.”

  Walder’s lips thinned. “Adding more victims to those aboard Astron was not wise. In my view taking such chances with your marine’s lives was a dereliction on your part.”

  There, she had said it outright and revealed her agenda. Colgan was almost relieved to get it out in the open. He took a moment to scan faces. Captain Narraway’s expression was a match for Walder’s. He was firmly in her court. He didn’t know Luke Narraway at all. This was their first meeting. He had no reason to think the man was anything but competent, but without anything more to go on he had to assume Narraway would support Walder’s opinions. Narraway was older than her by quite a bit, or he looked it at least. Silver haired and with a cadaverous face, he looked too old to serve, but that must be illusion or else he would have been forced to retire. It seemed likely that he couldn’t go higher in the navy or he would have already. Colgan wondered what effect that had on his opinions. He obviously didn’t begrudge her success. Maybe his own lack of promotion to flag rank didn’t colour his opinions.

  If he was any judge, Dave Paice of Trojan and Jase Hobson of Fury didn’t side with the commodore, but then their opinions held less weight. Junior grade captains both, they wouldn’t be called to preside over a court. Despite their lack of seniority, their support seemed more aimed toward him than Walder. He was grateful for any support in such a hostile environment, even if it was just sympathy for someone who had seen battle and lost men. If they were here to give opinions on what they saw, then he was pretty sure they were on his side.

  The other four captains were a mystery to him as far as their opinions went. He knew two of them slightly, Louise Vardell of Shannon and Nick Kennedy of Resolute. Both were his age. They hadn’t been in the same class at the academy, but they had attended at the same time. They were in the year ahead of him, and had been in destroyers before their promotions. They had seniority by way of time in rank, but his track had been different with less opportunities for promotion. He didn’t care. He’d loved his time in the Survey Corps. He had no reason to expect anything but fairness from them.

  And finally there was Ben Foden of Constellation and Stefan Crane of Crusader. Both men were older than him, but younger than Narraway. He didn’t know them at all and didn’t have anything on their backgrounds. He wished now that he’d looked everyone up in the database, but he hadn’t expected them to be present at this meeting. All he knew was that Crusader and Constellation had been under their command and on station in this sector the longest. As far as he knew they didn’t owe Walder any special favours, but they’d been with her longer. They might feel a bond. If not for the Red One, they would all have been part of a single task group with her in direct command probably using Audacious as her flag ship. As it was, they had independent commands, but still reported to her as Sector Commander. Her official station was Beaufort with the Red One in effect.

  The presentation had already resumed when Colgan turned his attention back to the holotank. The battle had begun. He watched as Tait flushed his tubes at Astron, and noted again how well the drones intercepted them. The suicidal robotic machines gleefully threw themselves toward destruction, piling on the accel in an effort to intercept their chosen targets: Tait’s missiles. He could almost imagine their computers shouting at each other as they tried to be the first to die.

  “Mine! Here I go, weeeee!”

  His lips twitched, but he managed to school himself. He didn’t need Walder accusing him of not taking things seriously. Half the drones he deployed in that battle were recovered for later reuse, but those expended were well worth the cost. Something on the order of three million credits each, they had saved Astron, a ship worth many billions plus the lives saved—an incalculable saving. The navy would no doubt be grateful he had recovered half of his drones, but he would have deployed double the number and been happy to expend them all if it meant keeping Astron and his marines safe.

  “Hold the playback again, please,” Walder said. She had chosen the point in Anya’s presentation where the holotank split its output to display Warrior’s battle together with the assault upon the raiders aboard Astron. “Captain Perry, in simple terms can you give me an overview of the mission plan for the assault upon Astron as you understood it before it began?”

  “Yes ma’am, I can
do that.”

  “Proceed.”

  Perry swallowed and composed his thoughts. “Major Appleford briefed us before boarding the assault shuttle and during the flight. He included my... his noncoms in that. He was good that way.”

  Walder nodded. “Yes he was.”

  “The plan was simple on the face of it. The crew aboard Astron had control of two key areas, but they were hard pressed. Captain Voyce was holding the bridge, and that meant he controlled the cargo bay doors. He assured us that the raiders hadn’t disabled them. As you can imagine, we were hot to get in there and establish a strong point. The Major planned to take control of the cargo bay, and leave a heavy weapons squad behind to hold it.”

  “And did you succeed?”

  Perry nodded. “Yes ma’am. It was no contest at that point. The raiders retreated from the bay. They had to really. As soon as the bay door cranked open, they had to know what was coming.” Perry glanced at the holotank. One of the views was from Appleford’s helmet cam. “The Major ordered our heavy weapons squad to hold the bay and protect the back door. He wanted the shuttle protected and—”

  Captain Vardell interrupted. “You seem to feel that decision needs defending. Didn’t you agree with it?”

  Perry looked trapped. He shot a look at the Commodore’s face and then one at Colgan’s. Colgan shrugged at him, trying to reassure and tell him just to be honest. It must have worked, because Perry bucked up and nodded to Vardell.

  “It wasn’t my place at the time, but no, I didn’t agree. I wish I had objected, but I didn’t. We followed the plan.”

  “Why did you feel, at that time, it was the wrong move?”

  “I just did... I mean the Major had more experience and was my senior, but I didn’t see the point in bringing a heavy weapons team with us only to leave it behind. The shuttle’s protection was important, but if threatened, the pilot could simply have powered up and retreated outside to wait. I felt having Sergeant Barnes’ squad with us was a better use of their firepower.”

  “I see,” Vardell said. “Thank you.”

  “Why didn’t you bring the matter up with Major Appleford before moving out of the bay?” Walder asked.

  Perry looked down, wilting under her glare. “I should have ma’am. Looking back I mean, but the Major specifically ordered me not to take the initiative. I was to follow his orders to the letter.”

  A rumble of surprise swept around the room. Colgan knew the reasons, and wouldn’t question that order now, but the others had to be wondering why Appleford had so little confidence in a captain junior to him.

  “I know something of this,” Colgan began, dragging attention to him. “Captain Perry was newly promoted shortly before this battle. Major Appleford wanted to ease him into his new post and the responsibilities that go with it. By giving Captain Perry clear and concise orders, Major Appleford took responsibility upon himself alone.”

  “Convenient,” Walder muttered.

  He stiffened. “It’s on record, Commodore, if you doubt my word. And while we’re on the subject of responsibility, Major Appleford and his marines volunteered to assault Astron while Warrior took care of Jean de Vienne. I asked him to volunteer and he did so without hesitation. He was a brave and honourable soldier, and so were... are his men. All of his men; and that includes Captain Perry.”

  Whispers and uncomfortable grimaces were exchanged among the witnesses of the developing feud. He was very aware he was on thin ice, teetering on the edge of insubordination, but it wasn’t his fault that Walder chose to air the situation in public. She could have heard his report privately. She outranked everyone here and was responsible for how it would play out. She could clear the room right now if she wanted to, and none could gainsay her.

  Walder directed her attention to Perry once more. “Is that correct, Captain? Were you asked to volunteer?”

  Say yes, Colgan willed Perry. Say yes for God’s sake!

  “I was ordered to volunteer, ma’am. We all were.”

  Walder shot a look of triumph at Colgan. “Ordered?”

  Perry grinned. “Its how we do it, ma’am, in the marines I mean. Major Appleford volunteered for the mission and then chose who would volunteer to go with him.”

  Everyone laughed at that, everyone but the commodore. “Seriously? That’s what you want on the record?”

  “It’s what happens, ma’am. We can’t really do it any other way when you think about it. It’s not like we ever have solo ops. If we did, we could totally ask for a single volunteer, but for something like this...” he waved a hand at the holotank display, “...we can’t have a situation where half a squad goes into battle while the other half stays home. It’s just not workable.”

  Walder didn’t look happy but she was a professional and could see the realities of the situation. She nodded. “Fine. Major Appleford chose you and your men for the mission. Let’s watch the rest of the presentation. I’ll have more questions for you after.”

  Perry nodded and they all turned to watch.

  The holotank came back to life and they watched as Appleford led a squad deeper into the ship while Warrior continued her battle. All eyes were now upon the feed from Appleford’s helmet cam and those of his men. The display provided a feed from Appleford, Perry, Barrass, and Barnes. All four were labelled with their names and a mission timer. Colgan stole a look at the Commodore’s face when the ambush cut Appleford down and the feed from that camera faded to black. She appeared unmoved. The camera had continued to record of course, but the data was of no use from that point on. Perry hadn’t bothered to include it.

  “He’s gone!” Sergeant Churchill snarled at Perry. “He’s fucking goooone!” Perry’s feed showed he’d been staring at Appleford’s bisected body, but the sergeant wrenched him away from the ghastly sight and got in his face. “Get a fucking grip and take command! You’re in command sir!”

  “I err... sorry,” Perry croaked, but then in a much firmer and more authoritative tone, “bring Barnes’ fire team forward. Choose someone else to watch the back door.”

  The relief on Churchill’s face was very clear on Perry’s feed. “Aye sir.”

  “That was the point at which you took command?” Walder asked.

  “Yes ma’am,” Perry said as the battle continued in the background. “As you see, I order Sergeant Barnes to take out the ambushers at the barricade and gain us access to the junction.”

  “No prisoners?”

  “I didn’t specify, ma’am. I needed to gain the cross corridor to advance the mission. At this point I’m in no mood to negotiate. Later I was forced to do that, but at this time all I’m thinking about is getting my men into the backbone.”

  They watched as the heavy weapons team destroyed the opposition, and the marines advanced. The next important moment came when Perry divided his force into two assault elements. Lieutenant Barrass led half the men toward engineering, while Perry led his half to relieve Captain Voyce on the bridge. Barrass made excellent time. His men cleared compartments and corridors very quickly, rarely meeting resistance on the way to engineering. Perry wasn’t as lucky. His advance abruptly halted when he confronted a strong and obdurate defence.

  Perry spoke up unasked this time. “This was a key moment from my point of view, Commodore. I couldn’t advance without taking heavy casualties, and retreat was of course out of the question. I consulted with Lieutenant Barrass and learned the raiders had taken engineering. I needed to move quickly, but according to my information there was no way to flank”

  “So you opened negotiations?”

  “In a way, ma’am. I asked them to surrender promising safety and good treatment. I told them my men were dealing with their friends harshly in engineering, which they were. Lieutenant Barrass recaptured engineering not long after this, and freed the hostages.”

  Walder nodded, watching the events play out. “Warrior disabled the raider at that point. Did Captain Colgan contact you?”

  Perry nodded. “Lieutenant Rick
s asked for a sit-rep. By that time we had accessed deck one and encountered the force attacking the bridge. Sergeant Barnes, together with reinforcements commanded by me, overwhelmed the raiders and relieved Captain Voyce.”

  “I’ve seen enough. Commander Healey, you can bring the lights back up.”

  The holotank display froze, and a moment later vanished as the lights brightened. Colgan leaned back and waited for some indication of what was expected of him. Captain Paice of Trojan attracted his attention and asked about the Merkiaari found aboard Jean de Vienne.

  “Do we know how the Merki found their way onto the raider?”

  “No, I’ve heard nothing yet,” Colgan said. “As far as I know they’re still aboard the raider awaiting dissection. I haven’t been in port long enough to get an update. Do you know if the admiralty dispatched a team?”

  Paice nodded enthusiastically. “They’re working aboard the ship right now. The station doesn’t have the facilities they need, and besides, they brought everything with them. It was simpler to let them work with the ah… the artifacts right there.”

  Colgan nodded. It was easier to maintain security too. “You’ve seen what we found then?”

  “The Commodore was kind enough to let us view the remains. Amazing to see so many different aliens in one place and the Merki… big bastards aren’t they? I mean I knew that; I still remember the first time I saw a picture of one when I was a kid, but seeing them laid out on a slab like that...” he shuddered.

  Colgan’s smile was grim. “Live ones are worse.”

  “I can imagine! All fangs and claws, with that shaggy grey fur of theirs... like a child’s nightmare creature come to life. I wish I’d been there with you.”

  “We could have used you, Dave, no question. It was touch and go there for a while.”