“I know,” John told hercomfortingly. He glanced at Gillespie. He had also recognised the ship,although his reaction hadn’t been so obvious. “We don’t need to alert themwith any sudden movements. Turn off scanners. We’ll just observe.”
It didn’t take long for theconvoy to move out of range. Not knowing the enemy’s capabilities, John washappy to give them much longer than necessary. He watched his crew carefully. They were showing no signs of anxiety. Surprising, considering McReidy’sreaction. They had faith in him and his abilities.
* * *
Several hours later, Tan began topick up a faint distress signal. He slipped the earphone in and tried topinpoint its location. John saw his movements and let him go. The man wouldnotify him if there was a problem.
Tan stilled as the connectioncleared and turned his seat to John.
John took in the note ofsobriety. “Put it through, Mister Tan.”
“Yes, sir.” Tan put thetransmission through the bridge. It was audio only: intership communicationsfrom the Earth battle fleet.
They had encountered the enemyand the battle was going badly. Canberra was all but dead, having lost most ofher power and being protected by the others. Independence was hit badly,suffering heavy losses to her crew. Kirov and Yorktown were still fullyfunctional, their fighters trying to take the attack away from the casualties. There was no word of the other two ships – John knew that six had originallybeen sent.
“How far away are we?” he asked.
“About half an hour at fullspeed,” Giacomo informed him.
“Go!” John instructed. “Give mea visual as soon as we’re in range.”
“You’re not going to fight, areyou?” Gillespie asked cautiously.
“Not if I can avoid it,” Johnanswered. “But I’m not going to leave them stranded.”
*
The visual image only served tointensify the audio version. The fleet was holding their own, but only just. The Andromedans were being hit hard; their ships seemed better able towithstand the punishment. With Canberra out of action, they were concentratingon the crippled Independence. Her captain was calling for support. Shieldswere failing; they needed time to restructure.
John put the ship on red alert. “Attention, all crew. We have an enemy fleet ahead of us. This is not asimulation. Repeat, this is not a simulation.”
The siren blared through theintercom as departments answered and he muted it after a minute. Red wasordering his engineers around, Wright and Rodgers were on their way to weaponsand sick bay was unusually quiet after the briefest of acknowledgements.
The bridge remained calm. Giacomo was sucking in huge breaths: all were acutely aware he’d failed everysimulation. McReidy put a hand on his momentarily and he nodded slowly.
John’s eyes never left the mainscreen as it lit up with phaser tracers pulsing and arcing across the view. Fighters exploded like fireworks. Shields rippled under the massive firepower,sections buckling as they weakened. Impacts flashed across hulls sending fieryshards of shrapnel ripping across space.
“Mister Tan, do you know thecommunications officer on Independence?” John asked.
“No, sir.”
“I do,” Gillespie answered.
“Run an open channel. Audioonly.”
“But, sir, an open channel –”began Tan.
Gillespie obeyed immediately anda bewildered Tan found himself without a console. An open channel meant thatanyone in the area could pick up the transmission. John knew that. In fact,he counted on it.
“Wait a minute.” John slid tothe edge of his seat. “Can you bounce it off that asteroid field?” He pointedto the top left hand corner of the screen.
Gillespie glanced at the screen,then back to the console. “I think so.”
“Do it. Giacomo, hide ussomewhere.”
There was a pause while Gillespieestablished the link.
“Independence, this is thePemberton,” John announced.
On the Independence, John’smessage came through clearly. The communications officer immediately alertedthe captain.
“This is Independence, Captain–?”
“Independence, this is thePemberton,” John repeated before the captain could finish. “We picked up yourmessage. Have permission to inform you that a fleet of six ships sent torelieve you will arrive shortly. We’ll be deploying fighters as soon as weclear this asteroid field.”
Paul Stirling looked up from hisposition at weapons. He was apprehensive as he waited for his captain toanswer. “Sir, I don’t know –” he began before the captain lifted a hand tosilence him.
Independence shook and lurchedheavily, forcing the crew to hang on to whatever they could to stop from beingthrown about. Stirling fired back immediately. With targeting computers allbut gone, it was almost pure luck that enabled him to hit something.
The captain’s mind was workingovertime. He didn’t know of any ships sent to relieve them. He also didn’tknow of one called Pemberton. But he wasn’t going to announce the fact as Stirling had been about to. Instead, he turned to the communications officer. “Wilson, where’s that signal coming from?”
“It’s coming from the asteroidfield, sir… but…” Wilson seemed slightly puzzled. “Not necessarily frominside it.” He shook his head slowly.
“Six ships, you say,” the captaincalled back to John.
“Yes, sir.” John could havekicked himself for acknowledging the captain’s superior rank. “Pemberton, Carmichael, Jordan, Simpson, Mikhailovich and Tikkerterane,” he rattled off withoutthinking. He turned and whispered to Gillespie. “Can we radiate an energy fieldfrom the asteroid field?”
“Not likely.”
There was silence while Johntried to think, until McReidy suddenly came up with an answer. “We can if weexplode a torpedo just inside it. With all that weaponfire going on, itshouldn’t be detected.”
“Do it,” John instructed.
The captain of the Independence could barely contain his laughter. Stirling was totally confused. “I don’tknow who they are, but they’re on our side,” the captain grinned at him.
“Captain, I’m picking up anenergy transmission from the asteroid field.” Wilson was still hesitant. “TheAndromedans are breaking off the attack… I don’t believe it… They’reretreating!”
Within minutes, the Andromedanshad disappeared. The only evidence of their existence was the destruction theyleft behind.
“Damage report,” the captaincalled over the intercom, content to wait for the responses as he relaxed backin his chair.
It was all too much for Stirling. He had to ask. “I don’t understand, Captain. Where are the other ships? Theyshould have cleared the field by now.”
“There are no other ships. Thinkabout it,” he continued before Stirling could question him again. “Anyone canknow the ships. Not everyone knows their captains. That’s why you’re only afirst officer.”
Stirling frowned.
“Damage report.”
“Yes, sir.” Stirling
