Chapter 10: Battle at the Herlao System

After leaving the main bridge, I returned to my cabin. I sat on the bed and focused on remaining hidden. If it worked, our pursuers wouldn’t have a location for us.

I didn’t know how long it’d be before they arrived. They knew our destination, and they were racing to catch us.

I lost track of time. It seemed only a few minutes later I heard a knock on the doorframe.

I looked over and saw Cathy standing in my doorway.

“Hello,” I said.

“With Ship’s help, I’ve come up with new coffee patterns. Would you have time to try them?” she asked.

I smiled at her. Had Jem sent her to distract me? I needed this time to concentrate.

She took my smile as a positive response and stepped inside my cabin.

“Sure, I’ll try your coffee patterns.”

Cathy walked to the food dispenser and returned with two cups. One contained a dark liquid, and the other contained a white liquid.

“The pattern in your food dispenser was for a coffee with milk. I separated the coffee from the milk. This one is ‘black coffee’,” she said, and handed me the first cup.

I took a sip. It tasted harsher than the coffee I usually drank. I put the cup on the table.

“This is milk. We usually add it to coffee,” she said. She handed me the second cup.

The liquid was cold and white. There was something familiar about it.

“If you mix a little milk into the black coffee, you get your usual drink.”

“Interesting.”

I did as she said and poured a little milk into the black coffee. It had the familiar look to it.

“What is milk?” I asked.

“Milk comes from a domesticated Earth creature. It secretes the milk to feed it’s young,” she replied.

I grimaced. It didn’t sound so appealing.

“On Earth, they prepare coffee in various ways. Once Mina has grown the coffee plants, we can experiment with different roasting and brewing methods,” she said.

“Mina is growing coffee plants?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s how I got here.”

“Explain please.”

“You sent a request to Quon for coffee plants. He asked me to help, and I negotiated passage off planet. I delivered the coffee to Mina and joined Ship.”

“Wow! So because I asked for coffee plants, you’re here now.”

“Exactly,” she said. “Once the coffee plants are mature, we’ll be roasting and brewing real coffee. Zune suggested it will become their principal export.”

“I can’t wait to try it.”

Saria stepped into the firing range and locked the door behind her.

“Ship, I need to discuss plans with you. I understand this is something the Captain does prior to battles,” she said.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

“According to the Captain, a psychic enemy might have compromised him. They might even read his thoughts. I need something new, something he isn’t aware of,” said Saria.

“Specify parameters, Lieutenant.”

She shivered from the cold. The inside of the firing range had a coating that absorbed all energy. It absorbed blasts from energy weapons, but also it absorbed heat.

“Ship, do you have more of the material used to line the firing range?” asked Saria.

“Confirmed, but the supply is limited.”

She looked around the room.

“I have an idea,” she said. Saria then explained her idea to Ship.

“Can you prepare that in time?” she asked.

“Confirmed.”

“One last thing...”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“I must know what plans the Captain has already made. I might include them in my own plans, or they might affect my plans. For that reason I need to know.”

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

A few minutes later, a cold but smiling Saria left the firing range...

About a day later, three Gober vessels arrived at the Herlao system.

Yuhi sat in her meditation chamber and reached out into the system. Yes, they were here! She studied a system chart that showed the positions of all the planets.

She called the captain via her communicator.

“Captain, they’re in orbit around the fourth planet,” she said.

“Are you certain? We detected a large vessel near the third planet.”

“I sense them on the far side of the fourth planet. The third planet is a deception.”

“That means they’re expecting us!”

“Then proceed with caution, Captain.”

“I’ll send two vessels to the third planet, while we go to the fourth planet.”

Yuhi closed the call and resumed searching for her target. This assignment was different. On earlier assignments, she had no trouble finding her targets. She could read her targets like a book, see everything, but not this time. This time was challenging.

Yuhi sensed beings around the fourth planet, but not her target. He was notably absent. There was nothing to read from the third planet. Her talents only worked through others, so she knew it was a deception.

She sat and focused her senses around the fourth planet. Perhaps she’d get lucky.

“Attention, three vessels have arrived in the system,” said Ship.

Jem and Laine sat on the sofa in the main bridge. Saria stood nearby. She looked at Jem, who nodded at her to go ahead.

“Put them on the tactical display,” said Saria.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

The display showed a map of the Herlao system. Three red dots were at the edge of the map.

“Can you project their courses?” asked Saria.

Dotted red lines appeared on the display. Two vessels headed to the third planet, while one headed directly to the fourth planet — the one they were hiding behind.

“They know we’re here!” exclaimed Laine.

“It doesn’t matter. Ship, inform the Captain to deploy his backup plan. Move cloaked probes ahead of the two vessels headed for the third planet,” ordered Saria.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

“Backup plan?” asked Jem.

“Yes, he believed that, if the enemy could detect him, his presence aboard would compromise us, even if we’re cloaked or hidden behind a planet.”

“But why aren’t all three vessels coming after us?” asked Jem.

“They detected our dreadnought probe, and they’re being cautious.”

“They sent two vessels after the obvious target, and one after what they detect but cannot see,” said Laine.

Jem looked at Laine and raised an eyebrow. The Ensign had a good analytical mind.

“They haven’t declared their intent on us yet,” said Jem.

“I doubt they will, Commodore. Do you want to issue a challenge? I can relay it via the dreadnought probe,” asked Saria.

Jem nodded.

“Ship, please record this message. This is the Baglogi vessel. State your intentions,” said Jem.

“Message recorded,” replied Ship.

“Send it via the dreadnought probe,” said Jem.

“Message sent,” said Ship.

“Now we give them time to respond,” said Jem.

More than a day had passed. Apart from Cathy and Laine, I’d received no visitors since then.

I sat on my bed and focused on remaining hidden, not knowing if it worked or not.

It frustrated me to be a liability, and not to be trusted. I’d saved this vessel and crew more than once.

I checked myself. My sulking was counterproductive, and might cause me to become visible to our pursuer.

“Attention, Captain. It’s time for your backup plan,” said Ship.

“Does that mean my presence aboard compromises this vessel?” I asked.

“It’s time for your backup plan,” said Ship firmly.

I stood and left my cabin. Obviously, Ship was withholding information that I might unwittingly share with the enemy.

I took the elevator to the shuttle level and entered the shuttle bay. All the while, I focused on remaining hidden.

Cathy was standing next to the airlock of my shuttle! She wore a space suit and held a helmet under her arm.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“We drew lots, and I won.”

“You drew lots?” I asked.

“Yes. Saria realized that with an obelisk on the planet below, you’d leave Ship to remove the reason for the enemy to pursue us,” said Cathy.

“She is smarter than I gave her credit,” I said.

Cathy raised a stun gun.

“Saria said to insist we go together, or else to stun you. Your choice,” she said.

I grinned.

“There’s no guarantee of safety where I’m going.”

“Staying here has no guarantee either. We’re wasting time,” said Cathy. She gestured at the airlock with her stun gun.

I shrugged.

“Let’s go then.”

We stepped through the airlock and into the shuttle. I took the pilot seat and did my usual safety checks. No sense in dying on the way to your funeral.

Cathy sat nearby with the stun gun in her hand.

Soon, the shuttle bay depressurized and the outer door opened. I piloted the shuttle outside and engaged a pre-programmed course to the planet surface.

“We’re past the point of returning,” I said. I pointed at the stun gun.

“I enjoy holding it,” she said.

“Suit yourself.”

Our shuttle began its descent.

Aboard the lead Gober class vessel, the captain watched the tactical display.

“Captain, we received a message from the vessel near the third planet,” said a lieutenant.

“What does it say?” he asked.

“The Baglogi vessel demands to know our intentions,” replied the lieutenant.

“Order our two sister vessels to open fire on that vessel. That should explain our intentions,” he said.

“Yes, Sir!”

The captain studied the forth planet. The two sister vessels would reach their target before they would reach the fourth planet.