Duty, Honour, Love
Chapter 49

Karasena paced the length of the comms room. Her helmet in her hand her AR 32 strapped to her chest. Eight weeks had passed since Admiral Katares’ message, eight weeks of preparing for an attack that might or might not come. The only thing she could look forward to was that Katares’ relief should arrive in another five days. She halted and turned to one of her soldiers at a comms terminal.

“Anything Ino,” she asked the purple haired T’Arni in front of the comms.

“Nothing yet ma’am.”

Karasena nodded. It was stupid to be this anxious but she knew the true target of the raiders. Katares had told her of the bounty on the crew of the Orinoco the Terran ship that had crash-landed in Crescent Bay. A ship although grounded was capable of acting to protect the planet although its range was limited. She thought it ironic that the ship’s missiles were in range of all the settlements on Erikino. Then she was certain Mark and his crew would not do that. She thought about Mark and the good times they had. As much as she wanted it to continue she and Mark both had jobs to do. His was to help the Militia in the city of Hawthorn. Hers was to alert Security and the Militia of the arrival of the raiders. They had Cloiytie and Jane’s plan to protect the civilians, the best they could do with what they had. They had mounted point defence railguns on the roofs of buildings in Hawthorn and it’s surrounding settlements. She’d stripped the garrison’s MARs rocket launchers and again distributing them to settlements. The MARs had a limited range but were better than nothing. What they did have were trained crews, soldiers from her base. She paused her thoughts going to Dareia waiting her command in Hawthorn’s Security Ops. Jane, Dareia’s partner and fellow tepe also in Ops co-ordinating the paltry forces they had at their command. Most of all her mind dwelled on Mark and the love that had grown between them.

Ino’s sharp intake of breath broke her out of her musing. “Ino?”

“Ma’am relay nine just picked up a disturbance in that sector.” Ino leaned forward as if it could make the information on the screen any clearer. “I’m picking up, six, no twelve ships emerging from hyperspace.”

Karasena’s heart sank feeling a chill run up her back. “ID?”

“Negative, more ships emerging.” Ino sounded professional but Karasena could see the sick expression on her face and the tremble in her body.

“Take it calm,” Karasena told her holding on hard to Mark’s calming image in her mind. “Sitrep.”

“Three more ships have emerged.”

“Any ID?”

“No,” Ino replied.

“Go to combat alert. Inform Hawthorn.” Karasena drew a calming breath she was in command. She turned to the other comms operator. “Meahyia open a comms to Admiral Katares?”

“Yes ma’am,” the female T’Arni said. Her blonde hair cropped to regulation length. “Comms open.”

Karasena stepped across to the terminal, Meahyia made room for her.

“Report captain?” Katares said.

“Fifteen ships without ID have entered the system.”

“Ok Captain Karasena. As much as I want to speed my cruisers to you I couldn’t. Do your best the Confederacy will send you its prayers. Ancients I never wanted you to go through this. We certainly don’t want another Anoxi. Katares out.”

“Ino, ETA?”

“Four hours.”

“Alert Hawthorn to the ETA.” Karasena jammed her helmet on. “Keep me informed of any change. I’m going to Hawthorn and co-ordinate our plan of action from there.” What she should have done was stay but she worried about Mark. She needed to be close she needed him. Dareia should be ok here she had a telepathic link to Jane. “Lieutenant Dareia will be taking command here. I’ll comm her on the way.” In a handful of hours they’d replace out just how ready they were. Karasena hurried out to the ground car parked outside. It would take her to Hawthorn as quickly as it could.

Katares turned to the other person in the room his face grim. “So it begins.”

“Did you replace the cause of the delay,” Prince Lento asked.

Katares sighed. “I traced it to Com Ops but there the trail dies. I wish I could do more but Jericho won’t let me dig further. His concentration is holding our borders.” He regarded Lento carefully. “Any news that Wen Ju is still in charge?”

“He is and the fleets sent to bring him to heel are on their way to the Commonwealth. He’s across the border and according to my reports fortifying Paranova.” It was Lento’s turn to sigh. “It looks like there will be a civil war. I’d hoped to avoid that. And your other project?”

“The Havoc has reached Melanos. Both Lady Camelia and her daughter are aboard.”

“So Lady Camelia was hiding in the Confederacy.”

“No that’s the odd part she was on Tate’s world.”

“That’s not possible?”

“I not sure how. Captain Yanik has found some technology on Anwa Padak that allows them to travel through what she calls a wormhole.” He gave Lento his eye. “Which means it’s vital we get to Erikino. Captain Stillway has access to the same technology as Captain Yanik. It is vital we replace what it is. I get the opinion he doesn’t knows what he’s got his hands on.”

Lento genuinely shuddered. “That technology in the hands of raiders.” He regarded Katares carefully. “You reckon it’s from the Enemy?”

Katares nodded. “It’s what I surmise. It does explain much, as how the Havoc bypassed our detection system on Melanos. An how the Enemy pops up the way it does”

“Captain Yanik thinks its so.”

“Yes she got the information off Elspeth Broaden. She knows how to use it.”

“And Captain Stillway?”

“Must have stumbled on the same thing by accident but doesn’t know what he has. I got agents scouring Paranova for the info. I’ve got hold of Captain Stillways bio. I’m trying to match the data to what we have on what Captain Yanik found on Anwa Padak. The trouble is I got to do this carefully I don’t want to tip our hand before we are ready.”

“Captain Yanik and Major Locke?”

“Doing what they can.” Katares frowned. “I’ve lost comms with the Havoc. I was trying to re-establish that when you came in, then we have Captain Karasena’s comms. I’m sending ships to Melanos we get a loss of comms frequently on Melanos. I guess I’m being paranoid but I need to know.”

“Erikino.”

“They’ve the shortest wait they have to hold on for five days.”

“Then we hope and pray they do.” Lento rose from his chair. “I’ll do what I can to push for my side. I’ll set Sheila on the trail.”

“You truly love her don’t you?”

“Love her enough to give her the freedom she needs to do what she has to do.” Lento walked to the door. “I’ve delayed you long enough already. Good luck old friend.”

“Success for your upcoming nuptials.”

Lento nodded. “We need a moral boost if we are to win this war.” He wasn’t on about the Terran/Confederacy conflict.

Katares stared at the door long after Lento had left. He gave a sigh and turned back to his comms. There was so much to do and so little time.