Scout Force (23 page)

      
Angie and Kelly spent another hour waiting.
 
Their sensor picture of the K’Rang ship slowly fleshed out.
 
Each additional detection of its movement added a bit more information.
 
After another hour, they had enough information to determine that it was one of the smaller scout ships and not one of the larger and better-armed ships.
 
After yet another hour, the scout had passed out of sight of their sensor and about 20 thousand kilometers past their current position.
 
To maintain their contact, they would have to move out from the pocket on the asteroid.
 
If they used only their retro thrusters, chances were good that the scout would not detect them.

* * * * *

      
“Shadow Warrior, we are approaching 175,000 kilometers from the frontier.
 
We are within 80,000 kilometers of the human fleet.
 
I have no indication that we have been detected.
 
The asteroid debris from their gunnery exercise is obscuring my sensors somewhat.
 
I have set maximum sensitivity to our forward sensors.
 
The data I am collecting is of very high quality.
 
I am detecting pulse cannons, energy beams, and particle cannons.
 
We have suspected the humans had developed and fielded particle cannons, but this is the first confirmation of that.
 
We have done well, Shadow Warrior; we should retreat behind the frontier now.”

      
“Shadow Technician, I wish to record some of their tactics as well.
 
Can you see how their battle cruisers form a shield on the enemy side of the carrier?
 
Do you see the way the large escort ships use their pulse cannon turrets to destroy the bits of asteroid coming at the fleet from the field?
 
Look there.
 
One of the small escorts is using a tractor beam to pick out asteroids and hurl them into the fleet.
 
Even their supply ships have pulse turrets.
 
We must get closer to gain as much of this data as possible.”

      
“Shadow Warrior, this data will do us no good if the enemy discovers our presence.
 
This type of information is only useful if the enemy does not know we possess it.
 
I urge you to turn back.”

      
K'Tella's ears pointing straight forward and his pupils wide open, he responded, “No, I am moving us forward.
 
Concentrate on gathering information on their tractor beams.
 
Our designers may be able to use this data to make our ships stronger.”

* * * * *

Kelly did not want to take a chance of alerting the K’Rang ship, but he and Angie couldn’t stay where they were and still monitor the scout ship’s movement.
 
He came up with an idea.

      
“Angie, I think I know how we can change our view point without tipping our hand to the K’Rang.
 
They put those extensions on our engine exhaust cones.
 
If I push my ship back against the asteroid using my retro jets, I think I can move the rock.
 
It won’t be much, but I should be able to move us a few degrees.
 
I need you to monitor for when we get the K’Rang ship back in our sensor field.”

      
“Okay, but take it real slow.
 
They may notice something as large as this rock if you move us too fast.”

      
“I’ll take it real slow.
 
Now watch for when they come back into view.”

      
Kelly slowly applied his front thrusters until he felt the ship touch the rock.
 
He nudged back further until all three exhaust cones were firmly pressed against the back of the indention.
 
He slowly fired a sequence of short retro thrusts to try and determine the feel of the rock and the minimum thrust necessary to slowly spin the rock.
 
After a few minutes he thought he had a feel for it and applied a long burst and stopped.
 
The rock moved ever so slightly.
 
A few more bursts and he had the rock slowly moving in the direction he needed.
 
He let the rock spin and then told Angie, “I need you to back up and do the same as I just did to stop us when we get lined up.”

      
“I’ll try.
 
I’m not as comfortable with banging up my ship as you are with yours.”

      
Angie backed her ship against the rock and emulated Kelly’s retro thrusts.
 
The rock slowed.

      
“Don’t push too hard.
 
We need another ten degrees to be facing right at them.
 
I just have them at the edge of my sensors.”

      
“Say when,” she said as she hit the thrusters again.
 

      
“When.
 
Don’t over correct.”

      
Angie gave a couple of thruster bursts and the rock slowed to a stop.

      
“How’s that?”

      
“Great view.
 
I think if we give them another hour, we have them.”

* * * * *
 

      
“Shadow Warrior, we are at 190,000 km from the frontier.
 
We are 20,000 km from the fleet.
 
I have collected a great deal of data on their tractor beam.
 
Once again, I recommend we retire and deliver our information to our forces.”

      
Reluctantly, the Shadow Warrior conceded his point.
 
“Agreed, Shadow Technician, I will hold here.
 
Prepare the data for transmission.”

* * * * *

      
“Kelly,” Wanda announced, “the scout ship has stopped moving.
 
I am detecting some sort of turret rising up from the hull of the scout ship.
 
It appears to be swiveling toward our position.”

      
“What?
 
Do you get any indication of a weapon charging up?”

      
“No, Kelly, but it is still swiveling in our direction.”

      
“Angie, he’s got some sort of turret swiveling in our direction.
 
He may be on to us.”

      
“Didn’t that mosquito looking thing have some kind of comms turret on the upper hull?”

      
“Yeah, I think it did.
 
If he’s stopped moving and is getting his comms turret pointing back our way, he must be getting ready to send any data he collected back to his forces.
 
I say we jump him.
 
Maybe we can stop him from getting his data home.”

      
“I agree, fire up and let’s go get him.”

      
Angie fired her main engines and blasted out of the hole in the rock.
 
Kelly followed close behind.
 
As they cleared the asteroid field, the magnetic interference on their sensors cleared.
 
The image of the scout ship appeared in high resolution on their screens.
 
They were looking at one of the K’Rang mosquito ships about 40,000 km in front of them.
 
They moved their throttles beyond the detent to give them maximum speed to close the gap quickly.
 
It would only be a few seconds and they would be on them.

* * * * *

      
“Shadow Warrior, our data will be ready to transmit in 15 seconds.
 
The communications turret is deployed and lined up with our relay satellite near the frontier.”

      
The Shadow Technician looked down at his control panel and saw the orange light come on and waited for it to progress to red.
 
With the large amount of data they had collected it would take a while.
 
As he waited he returned his sensors from emphasis on front coverage to all around coverage.
 
A bright spot appeared instantly directly behind them.
 
It resolved quickly to indicate two human interceptors closing on them at a high rate of speed.

      
“Shadow Warrior, two human interceptor ships in-spiral of us at 30,000 km and closing fast!
 
Evasive maneuvers now!”

      
After a split second’s hesitation to look at the sensor scope, the Shadow Warrior rotated the ship 90 degrees and applied full power.
 
This caused their ship to shoot upward perpendicular to the human ships approach.
 
He looked over his shoulder at the technician and said, “Send our data, now!”

      
“Shadow Warrior, it will require a few more seconds to compress and be ready to send.”
 
He looked down at his instruments and said, “It will be 20 more seconds before the data can be sent.”

      
“Shadow Technician, send the data as soon as it is ready.
 
Do not ask for permission.
 
Just send it.
 
We must get that data back to the home world.”

* * * * *

      
“Kelly, follow me.
 
Let’s cut the corner on this guy and cut him off from getting back in-spiral.”

      
“Make the turn, I’ll be right here beside you.
 
Just let me know when you are going to turn toward me or slow down quickly.”

      
The two fighters, wingtip to wingtip, turned up at an angle and headed to where the scout ship would be in a few seconds.

      
“Kelly, what is that turret doing?”

      
“Hang on.
 
Wanda, what is the turret doing?
 
Transmit to Angie and I both.”

      
“LT Shappelle, the turret keeps pointing in-spiral.
 
It does not appear to be a weapon turret.
 
I believe it is a communications turret.
 
I am recording the position of the scout ship and the angle of the turret.
 
We should be able to triangulate the location of wherever it is pointing to.”

      
“Good work, Wanda.
 
Keep tracking that turret.
 
Fleet will want to know where it is pointing.”

      
The two fighters were closing the distance on the scout ship.
 
They turned in closer as the distance reduced.
 
The scout ship would not be able to get in-spiral of the two fighters.

* * * * *

      
“Shadow Warrior, we cannot outrun these two fighters.
 
We should turn out-spiral.
 
If we can get them to close with us, we may be able to cause them to overshoot and pass us by.
 
We should then be able to get turned back in-spiral.”

      
“Shadow Technician, power up our weapons.
 
I am going to try and split these two ships apart.
 
If we can get between them, you will need to be ready to fire on both of them.
 
This tactic was briefed to me as effective against these pilots.
 
Is the data ready to be transmitted?”

      
“Not yet, Shadow Warrior.
 
It will be ten seconds more and then will take 32 seconds to transmit.
 
I recommend that you turn toward the fleet once it begins to transmit.
 
This will give us the best chance of getting and maintaining lock on the relay satellite.
 
They won’t fire on us if they think they may be able to capture us.
 
Do you want me to prepare the ship for self -destruct?”

      
“Yes, Shadow Technician M’Drek.
 
If I determine there is no hope, we will make the ultimate sacrifice for the Empire.”

* * * * *

      
“They’ve turned out-spiral, Angie.
 
We should see CPT Chang’s four-ship flight appear any moment now.”

      
“Slow down to military power.
 
Let’s not overshoot this guy.
 
As long as he’s running toward the fleet, let him think he can get away.”

      
The fleet disposition showed on Kelly’s tactical monitor.
 
The fleet was still arrayed in gunnery formation.
 
The Tenacious and Transcendent were still on the port side of the fleet against the asteroid field.
 
They would not warp to their position in-spiral until CPT Chang’s flight advanced.
 
The scout ship flew straight at the fleet.