Year three in the Voyage of Andromeda. The adventure that started in Among the Stars, and Beyond the Farthest Planet continues in Far From Home.
CHAPTER 17 A
"Ships are four million kilometers away and still on a parallel course." Anya reported.
"Time until we are out of their territory?" Kate asked.
"Five hours."
"Can we get the ships on screen?"
"Not yet. They are still out of range."
"How long until our paths intersect?" Kacey asked as she stepped off the lift.
"At their present speed, an hour tops. They are still running parallel to us, but their trajectory is slanted. So that the distance between us shrinks every minute."
"That sounds like they are trying to squeeze us between the two lines."
"Three actually. There are two ships behind us." Anya reported.
"What about in front of us?" Kate asked.
"Sensors are not picking up any ships, but they could still be out of sensor range."
"Any chance they could be blocking our scans?"
"That is possible." Anya replied.
"How long before we are in weapons range?"
"Less than twenty minutes."
"Then we should launch the Stingers now while we are still out of range." Kacey stated.
"I agree." Kate responded.
"Give me five minutes then drop the speed so we can launch." Kacey stood and stood up. Liam's hand on her arm kept her from leaving.
"Lass you be very careful out there. Do not be making me tell your mother anything but good news."
Kacey bent down and kissed her father's cheek. "I will dad." She looked at Kate, who nodded. Then she looked up at Natalia and Anya who both nodded. Natalia smiled.
"Alpha and Gamma squads to your ships. Beta squad on standby." Kacey called to her pilots as she headed for the lift. "Be ready to launch in five minutes."
The lift closed behind her. Within minutes she ran into the Hanger and to her shuttle. She slipped into her harness, put on her headphones and started her shuttle. She taxied out of her spot and waited in front of the launch doors. She heard the video camera turn on. "All craft line up and do radio check." The stingers lined up behind her and counted off. "Make sure your weapons are fully charged. Shields up as soon as you launch. Those with cloaking devices turn them on immediately after everyone has launched. The longer we can hide our actual numbers the better." Kacey continued to fire orders. "Do not block Andromeda's guns or torpedo bays. Position yourselves near but not in front of the guns. Close air lock doors." Kacey watched the time count down. "Lower atmosphere."
"Kacey we have slowed to warp seven."
"Affirmative, Kate. Open launch doors." Kacey looked at the camera and saluted Kate before she shot out of the Hanger. She positioned her shuttle to give all the ships room to launch. The Hanger doors closed. She grabbed her smoke stick and clenched it between her teeth. A third of the ships took position and shimmered from view. Kacey's shuttle disappeared from view. "All uncloaked ships, fan out. Go no further than one kilometer from Andromeda. Shuttle three, Stingers twenty four through thirty, you are with me. Position yourself in front of Andromeda. Shuttle five, Stingers fifty through 64 take up position in the rear. Keep your eyes open and hold fire." Kacey ordered. Within a short time she reported, "Kate we are all in position."
"Good." Kate replied. "All you pilots, be very careful out there." She ordered.
Voices came back with, "yes ma'am and affirmative Captain."
"Distance?"
"Two point seven million Kilometers. Still at an angle to us. They are trying to squeeze us between them."
"Are scanners picking up anything in front of us yet?"
"Nothing Kacey."
"That does not seem right."
"What are you saying?"
"If they are closing in on us from three sides, why leave us an opening to escape?"
"Do you think there are more out of our range?"
"I am not sure. I just have a feeling that something is not quite right." Kacey stated. "Where is the nearest planet?"
"A week away." Anya replied.
"Damn. How about nebulas, gas clouds anything we can take refuge in to think this over?"
"Nothing is showing."
"They are still matching our course and speed?"
"Correct."
"What if we stopped? That would throw them off."
"Make them change mid stream. So far all their tactics seem to be choreographed."
"They would be thousands of kilometers away before they realized we had stopped."
"That might fool the ships parallel to us, but what about those behind us?" Rhea offered.
"They are two point three million kilometers behind us." Anya added.
"What if we stopped and dropped down say a thousand kilometers, the ships behind us will fly right past." Kacey suggested. "Then once they have flown past, we can adjust our course to get away from them."
"Wouldn't they still be able to pick up our propulsion trails?" Natalia asked.
"Then we stop all engines. Shut everything down including the lights. They might not be able to find us." Kacey stated.
"Do it. Kacey make sure none of your people are on our port side or below us."
"Roger Kate. All ships move away from the port side and underneath Andromeda." Precious seconds elapsed while the smaller ships changed positions. "Ready Kate."
"Rich, on my mark, stop our forward motion and drop us down one thousand kilometers. Kill all engines and lights" Kate ordered "Engine room prepare for a full stop and make ready to kill the engines and lights."
"Aye Captain." Bella replied. "Powering down the engines for a full stop. Just let me know when to kill the engines."
"Rich adjust our course to four three seven five point two six."
"Ready Captain."
"Everyone stay off the radios. No unnecessary chatter." Kacey added.
"All stop." Kate ordered. "Rich drop us down." They all felt the ship drop.
"One thousand kilometers."
"Kill engines and lights. Anya track the Limari ships and let us know when they have passed us."
"Roger, Kate."
The engines quieted and the lights went out in all the ships, while the crew waited for the Limari to pass them by. No one dared to take a loud breath in case the sound gave their position away. No matter how crazy it sounded. The seconds slowly ticked by then turned to minutes. The tension grew on the Bridge as they waited until the war ships passed them.
After what seemed like hours, Anya spoke softly. "All the war ships have passed us. They have not yet realized we have stopped."
Kate waited several minutes more before she ordered. "Start engines and change course." They all felt the big engines come to life under their feet. "Kacey are your people ready to go?"
"Affirmative Kate." Kacey replied.
"Rich get us out of here."
"Aye Captain. Time to blow this popsicle stand." He stated as he started the big ship moving again. He increased the speed until they were once again travelling at warp nine.
"Limari ships are three million kilometers away. They are not in pursuit." Anya reported.
"Good let's keep it that way. How long until we reach the end of their territory?"
"Four hours Captain."
"Stay on this heading. Kacey keep your ships close."
"Aye Captain." Kacey replied. "Ladies and gentlemen you all heard the Captain. Pull in close to Andromeda." The smaller ships pulled in tight formation around the big ship as it sped away. "Kate all ships have moved into position about two meters from your hull so hopefully Lieutenant Minor will keep Andromeda nice and steady."
"Rich you heard the Colonel. Nice and steady."
"Yes ma'am."
"Can you see where the ships are?" Kate asked. Anya put the diagram of Andromeda on the view screen surrounded by the smaller ships. Gaps showed where the cloaked streaked next to Andromeda. "Can you tell where Kacey is?"
"Not when she is cloaked."
"Kacey what is your location?" Kate demanded.
"About a meter off your port bow. Mike is on starboard."
"What about the Limari?"
"They have realized that we disappeared. We are five million kilometers from them."
"Are they looking for us?"
"Negative. They seem to have lost us." Anya stated. "They can not seem to pick up our propulsion signature."
"Just like I thought. They can not think outside the box and make spontaneous changes." Kacey stated.
"We will get you in as soon as possible." Kate said.
"Not a problem Kate." Kacey answered her. "Gives me time to think."
"Anything you want to share?"
"Not yet."
"That sound like something we should all be worrying about Katie." Liam offered. A relieved laugh filled the Bridge.
"Hey I resent that dad." Kacey protested. "When has one idea of mine ever put Andromeda in danger?"
"She has a point dad. The only person she ever puts in danger is herself."
"Tis true Katie."
Kacey rolled her eyes. "I can hear you both."
"And we all saw that little eye roll lass." Liam scolded.
Kacey looked around her shuttle until she found what she needed. She picked up her cap and placed it over the lens of the camera blocking their view. Immediately Kate started yelling.
"KACEY REMOVED THE OBSTRUCTION FROM THE CAMERA." Kate ordered. Kacey smiled and like a petulant child stuck her tongue out at the covered lens. "KACEY RESPOND. COLONEL O'MALLEY REMOVED THE OBSTRUCTION AND RESPOND." Kacey turned her radio off and sighed contentedly in the quiet. Kate waited for several seconds. "Bridge to Colonel Anderson."
"Go ahead Captain."
"Do you have any way of contacting Colonel O'Malley other than the radio?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Contact her and tell her to report in immediately." Kate ordered.
"Will do." Mike puled his computer over and typed a quick message to Kacey. "Colonel, Captain really pissed. Need you to respond." He hit send and within seconds Kacey's computer beeped.
She read the short message. "I imagine she is." Kacey said out loud. "Well buck up O'Malley you knew what you were doing when you covered the camera and turned off your radio."
Kacey thought for several heartbeats then reached up and removed her cap from the camera and turned her radio back on.
CHAPTER 17 B
"Yessss Kate is there something I can do for you?" Kacey asked innocently.
"We will discuss that little stunt when you land."
"Suit yourself. How are we doing on time?"
"Three hours."
"Still no sign of the Liamri?"
"Nothing. We are now sixteen million kilometers away from them." Anya replied.
"I can not believe how easy it was to get away." Natalia stated.
"Twas easy lass." Liam replied.
"Maybe a little too easy." Kacey added.
"Meaning what exactly?" Kate demanded.
"Meaning that how could a people who kept a city under their boots with every possible illegal activity be so easily fooled?"
"You were the one who said they could not think outside the box. Are you second guessing yourself?"
"I might be, but... but what if we are the ones not thinking outside the box?"
"Seems quiet. What has your goblin meter running?" Kate asked
"You want the whole process, Kate?"
"Yes I do."
"It occurred to me when I covered the lens and shut off the radio how incredibly quiet it was without everyone's voices in my ears. Then I thought how easily it was to fool the Limari. From that point I thought what if we had not fooled them at all. What if they expected us to make an escape attempt? I realized we have absolutely no idea how many ships the Liamri have at their disposal. There could be a thousand ships scattered out here."
"Of there could be none." Kate stated.
"True but can we afford to take that chance?"
"How did she come up with all of that in less than five minutes?" Lieutenant Minor asked.
"In order to understand her process you have to get inside her head." Kate stated. "Personally I find that to be a very scary place to be." She joked. "But what she comes up with is usually spot on." Kate admitted
"Not to mention her goblin meter." Anya added. "When that starts spinning I think that is a good reason to come up with alternative plans."
"Now the question we should we asking ourselves is what we might be doing." Liam added.
"What do the boards show?"
"There is a nebula on the edge of Limari territory. Unfortunately there is a lot of distortion so we can not get any clear readings."
"So conceivably there could be ships hiding in the nebula."
"It is a possibility."
"Can you get reading of the make up of the nebula? How far away is it? And can we get around it?" Kacey asked.
"From what readings we are getting, there is nothing harmful in the nebula. It is ninety minutes away and we will skirt the outer edge of it." Answered all of Kacey's questions.
"That would put within striking distance if there are any ships hiding in there waiting for us."
"That is another possibility. So the question on the table right now is what do we do?" Kate asked "I am open for suggestions"
"Other than adjusting our heading so we do not come quite so close to the nebula is the only idea I have." Natalia offered.
"Rich prepare to change our course to four one zero five point three two."
"Aye Captain."
"That will give us ten thousand kilometers breathing room." Anya stated.
"Kacey spread out your people and prepare to change course."
"Roger Kate. All ships fan out to one half kilometer from Andromeda and prepare to change course to four one zero five point three two." Kacey ordered. The ships spread out around Andromeda. Sensors and scanners worked overtime. The computers processing the accumulated information. "Keep your eyes open. We are not out of the woods yet. We are in position Kate."
"All ships change course." Kate ordered.
"We are still not getting a clear picture of what is hidden inside that nebula."
"We need to change that. Can you fine tune the sensors..."
"Echolocation." Kacey blurted out.
"What? Kacey are you having space hallucinations?"
"No really Kate. What we need is some way to send out pulses and see if they bounce back to us. It works for bats, why not us?"
"I know you have stated you like your shuttle better because you have special equipment in it, but do you have a bat on board."
"No such luck, Kate. I do however think I may be able to reconfigure the scanner or music player to send out that pulse."
"I know you are a good pilot, but how do you figure to reconfigure you equipment and pilot your shuttle at the same time?"
"There is always auto pilot but I was thinking more of a tractor beam to keep me on the right tract."
"All right, we will tractor you while you are..."
"Not Andromeda." Kacey interrupted. "No offense, but it can not maneuver as fast as a shuttle. Shuttle three can tractor me while I make the adjustments."
"How long will it take?" Kate asked.
"Should not take too long it is just the task of..."
"Hold it. Do not explain it. Just do it." Kate ordered.
"Aye Captain. Mike come over here and tractor my shuttle." Kacey turned off her cloaking device and the shuttle shimmered into view.
"On my way."
Kacey felt the tractor beam latch onto her shuttle. She set the auto pilot as a backup, released her harness and went to the storage area. She grabbed the tools she would need before she removed the access panel from the console and lay on her back to push under the console. Kacey turned on the flashlight she carried and searched for the wires she needed.
"Where are you sons of bitches." She cursed as she searched for the wires. After several minutes she found the wires she needed and switched them. She tightened the connections. "Now you bastards better do what I want you to do or I wil be turning your asses into can openers."
The Bridge crew waited for news that Kacey was successful. Liam leaned over to whisper to Kate. "I am thinking that if she is successful, ye might be finding it in ye heart and mind to be forgetting that little stunt your sister pulled with the camera."
Kate laughed and nodded. "You are so right dad."
"Captain is the Colonel trying to rig up some sort of sonar?" Rich Minor asked.
"That is exactly what she is trying to do." Kate answered.
"Could we get some actual sonar devices from the replicators?"
"Dad would you check the inventory to see if we can?"
"Certainly lass."
The camera could only pick up Kacey's feet as she lay under the console. With the headphones still on they heard her talking to the wires.
"One down. Now where did that other end go? God damn it where are you? Shit we do not have time to fuck around."
"If Patricia heard her swearing like that she would wash her mouth out with soap." Anya joked.
"That is true." Kate said. "Kacey?"
Kacey jumped banging her head. "Fuck. What is it Kate?" She asked angrily.
"If you are going to continue to swear, you might want to turn your microphone off or remove your headphones."
"Shit. Sorry." Kacey stated. "I just have one more set of wires to connect then we can give it a try."
"That is good to hear." Kate stated.
"How are we on time?"
"A little over an hour to go."
Kacey slid out from under the console and put her tools in a safe place. She took her seat and fastened her harness. "Keep your fingers crossed." She said and pressed the play button on the music machine. Pulses started to broadcast. She released the breath she was holding. "That part works. Now time to see if the scanner will do it's part." Kacey adjusted the frequency of the scanner and waited. She sent out another set of pulses and waited again. She fine tuned the scanner and it picked up the return pulse. "There is something in that nebula." She called out. "Mike release the tractor beam and return to your position." She felt the tractor beam release and turned off auto pilot as she grabbed the yoke.
"Good job Kacey."
"Thanks Kate. We need to haul ass out of here."
"I agree. Keep that sonar running so there are no more surprises."
"Roger."
Liam returned to the Bridge. "The replicators have Sonar devices in their inventory." He reported. "Good job lass."
"Thanks dad."
The ships continued to make their way through Liamri territory. The smaller ships were spread out around Andromeda. Kacey's shuttle led the way. The pulses continued broadcasting. The border was in sight. Since they left the nebula behind, no pulses were returned.
"Five hundred thousand kilometers to go." Anya reported. "Four hundred thousand." The scanner remained silent. "Three hundred thousand kilometers." The scanner picked up a return pulse.
"DAMN IT." Kacey shouted. "Shamrock to Andromeda. We have company two hundred thousand kilometers."
"Roger Shamrock. Red alert. Battle stations." Kate ordered.