The Hydrogen Sonata

from a Contact Unit. Guess what?

?

xGSV Empiricist

The Beats Working is with the largest part of the Ronte fleet, heading for Vatrelles. The Gzilt saw them off but only as far as the system outskirts, then returned, with no known other hostility. That leaves the Liseiden. We have the Thug-class Value Judgement with the main squadron, do we not?

?

xMSV Passing By And Thought I’d Drop In

Yes, though the main — the largest — squadron is not the flagship flotilla. They re-dispositioned, bringing various of their separate squadrons together into a more martial meta-configuration following the original decision on preferred Scavenger status going against them. One group of three ships joined the three of the flagship squadron, but three separate groups of three also amalgamated, and as that then constituted the greatest force they had, that is the one the Value Judgement was sent to shadow. We have nothing with the flagship squadron commanded by Ny-Xandabo Tyun, and — as that was the force already also converging on Zyse — that is the force most likely to offer any threat to the Ronte attempting to make Vatrelles.

?

xLOU Caconym

oMSV Pressure Drop

Shit. I bet the Gzilt told the Liseiden where it looked like the Ronte were heading. And if the fucking Empiricist had let us use those Delinquents we wouldn’t be looking at this debacle.

?

xGSV Empiricist

I suggest I send my fastest ship to rendezvous with the Beats Working and the Ronte, while signalling the Liseiden to desist from any hostile action they may be contemplating. I am sure we have such a preponderance of forces locally we can prevent any mooted unpleasantness.

?

xLOU Caconym

oMSV Pressure Drop

Here we go. Spoken like a ship with no idea of how things actually work. It’s not about what forces you’ve got, it’s about what forces you’ve got where. You’d think even a civilian would understand that.

?

You may be being too harsh. Agreed, nothing it has can get to the likely volume of combat in time, but it has a point regarding a warning possibly being enough.

?

That would apply if we had nothing military here at all; we are who we are and we can call any shots at any time. That still might not stop the Liseiden from making a point to the Ronte, just to show who’s boss in future.

?

Let’s hope you’re wrong.

?

Yes, why don’t we? That ought to pass the time. Anyway, let’s hear what the Empiricist thinks we ought to do.

?

xGSV Empiricist

I am despatching the ROU Learned Response, the LOU New Toy and the GOU Questionable Ethics in string formation, ROU leading, to maximum reach and make rendezvous, the LOU to 50 per cent and the GOU 12.5 per cent distance, adjusting to hold at those increments.

?

xLOU Caconym

oMSV Pressure Drop

Oh fuck, now it’s making pretty patterns.

The/My squadron of six Liseiden ships, led by myself on the pride of our fleet, the Collective Purposes vessel and flagship Gellemtyan-Asool-Anafawaya, fell (/ruthlessly*) upon the pitiful/limping/struggling/fearsome* Ronte fleet with resolute professionalism/exemplary courage/heavy hearts**, our jaws/mouthparts forced [n.b.: awkward/over-species-specific in translation; suggest restructure using “given no choice” or equivalent] by the [?]/ responded to the Ronte fleet’s outrageous* provocations/unprovoked aggression**/aggressive intransigence with the only language they understand.**

*[n.b.: word choice? potentially hoary]

**[n.b.: phrase choice? potentially cliched]

“Sir?”

“Hmm?” Salvage and Reprocessing Team Principal Ny-Xandabo Tyun accepted the call in his private cabin. It was from his Sensors/Targeting officer. He had asked not to be disturbed unless something urgent came up. “What?” he said with deliberate gruffness, though secretly he was glad of the interruption. He was finding writing what he hoped would turn into one of the more exciting parts of his memoirs rather more difficult than he’d anticipated.

“Sir, we have the Ronte fleet in sight at extended scanner range; thirteen targets.”

“Thirteen. So the Culture ship is still with them.”

“Appears so, sir.”

“Are they aware of us?”

“Doubtful, sir.”

“I’d prefer a percentage applied to that doubt, officer.”

“Sir. Ninety per cent certain they haven’t detected us, sir.”

“That’s better.”

“Also, sir, Comms coming on line with a signal from the Culture GSV Empiricist. Shall I—?”

“Yes. Comms, what are they saying?”

“There’s quite a lot of it, sir; I’ve patched it through. But it boils down to them telling us not to attack the Ronte.”

“I bet it does. I’ll take a look shortly. You have followed my earlier orders and not acknowledged?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. S/T?”

“Sir,” the Sensors/Targeting officer said.

“How long until we have the Ronte fleet in range?”

“A fraction over two hours at current velocities and courses, sir.”

“Two hours? I thought we expected to have them in range forty minutes after contact.”

“Their drive signatures are messier than anticipated, sir, plus the Culture ship with them appears to be hurrying them on; hard to tell from this far away — only about fifteen per cent certain — but it looks like it’s encased them in its own field enclosure, highly extended, and is acting like a sort of high-speed tug.”

“I see. Engineering?”

“Sir?”

“Can you give us a little more power?”