Chapter XXXV
Date: 241-993, 1315 to 1748 hrs
Location: Aboard the Bray Keaven outbound to 100 diameters, Liar's Oath
Just before departure, Major Polenshek comms the ship and Ian responds, "No, Sir. We just are on a tight schedule and the hijacking attempt has made the crew a bit jumpy. Thank you for your assistance. Have a good day."
With the crew suited up, armed, and waiting at their combat stations, the Bray Keaven lifts off on schedule at 1315.
The Bray Keaven continues accelerating away from Honora and Liar's Oath
Kevon plots a course that takes the Bray Keaven on almost a completely opposite course to the Urroe rendezvous coordinates as well as places the ship on course towards an atypical jump point since the course to the safe jump distance requires some navigation around a couple other moons and a small asteroid field on this vector.
Vasilii will do his usual job -- monitoring in case something important happens for Martha to look at.
For the first hour of the journey out, the trip is unremarkable. Martha, scanning for other ships, only spots what looks like normal traffic near Honora (the gas giant that Liar's Oath orbits).
An hour and a half out, Martha catches a ghost of a return about 120 kkm to their rear. The echo is of a 100 dTon ship, probably a scout/courier. The scout/courier seems to be following the same
course, but it could also be headed to the small asteroid field that the Bray Keaven passed about 45 minutes ago.
Martha alerts the bridge, and continues to watch for the scout/courier. "Did anyone get any details on the ships back at port? Maybe this is one of those..."
For the next 45 minutes, Martha is a little nervous and continues trying to track the scout/courier. She loses the return about the time that the scout/courier enters the vicinity of the asteroid field. For the next 30 minutes, Martha can no longer pick up the scout/courier.
Adjusting her sensors to adjust a little differently for the background radiation given off by Honora, Martha is able to pick up the scout/courier again. The scout/courier has passed the asteroid
field and is still on a tracking course 45 minutes behind the Bray Keaven. Martha is not able to pick up any other ships at this time.
"She's still on our trail, tracking us..." Martha reports, continuing her work.
Kevon points out over the ship's comms that If the Bray Keaven continues with its present flight plan, the Bray Keaven is due to flip over and start decelerating for a 0 real-space velocity jump at the 100 planetary diameter (Honora's diameter) mark in an hour. If the Bray Keaven does flip over and starts decelerating, the scout/courier can catch up by changing when it starts decelerating or accelerating. Kevon has plotted a jump course to Shanape assuming a 0 real space velocity jump from the 100 planetary diameter mark on this course. Any changes will require a new astrogation jump course.
Swann says, "Of course I defer to the Master and Commander's expertise in this matter, but I say we jump at full velocity. We've got time to re-do the jump calculation if we do it now. And I suggest it be a group effort, so no mistakes are made. We're all probably a little foggy from lack of sleep."
“I was thinking the same thing,” Kevon replies, already starting some basic calculations in his head. “I can certainly use a couple extra eyes to check my math. Mr. Vargas, keep us on course at 2G.”
Saro silently backs whichever plan Kevon deems the best and safest course of action to avoid conflict.
Vargas responds, "Roger Captain, maintaining course at 2G.". He now focuses his entire attention to piloting the ship.
After a beat, Kevon remembers that Shanape is a much smaller world than Honora (a small gas giant) and has a Naval Base. Jumping after having accelerated for a straight 6 or so (assuming continuing to accelerate...too early to do the math) hours is possible. But it would be advisable to at least jump in an equivalent distance from Shanape (> 100 planetary diameters of Shanape so that the ship has "room" to decelerate for 6 straight hours).
The Naval Base may also be a little wary of a ship jumping in at a high velocity on a course straight for Shanape.
Kevon makes a note to prepare a communiqué to the Navy Base for broadcast immediately upon entry into the system, with military protocols, explaining the situation of their unorthodox jump. He’ll adjust his plot to compensate for the smaller diameter of Shanape, then have the other astrogators on the crew check his numbers…not that he needs it, but he will admit to being tired.
Kevon plots a new jump solution assuming that the Bray Keaven continues accelerating until 4,000 kkm from Honora (100 diameter distance). The ship should reach that distance after 5.6 hrs acceleration from Honora (as opposed to 8 hrs if the far trader does the turnover at 4 hrs). Kevon's solution should place jump emergence at 4,000 kkm from Shanape and as far away as possible from the naval stations that he remembers in Shanape.
Martha will review Kevon's numbers for the plot, although her Astrogation skills are only basic. Her check of Kevon's jump solution makes her feel that the jump plot probably is okay, but she isn't so sure.
Martha loses the tailing scout/courier among the background radiation for about an hour. At what would be the flip over point (about 2,000 kkm from Honora), Martha manages to pick up the scout/courier again (still about 120 kkm away) along with a very faint echo of a 200 dTon ship about 30 kkm behind the scout/courier. The echo is too faint to ascertain anything other than the second ship is 200 dTons and accelerating at 2Gs.
About the same time, Vasilii, monitoring comms, receives a faint, rather streaked comm from the scout/courier. A Vargr dressed in bright purples and blues snarls from the screen:
"Bray Keaven, Bray Keaven. This is the Alakinak. Cease acceleration immediately
and prepare to hand over your cargo or we will detonate the bomb attached to your
hull. Your helpful refueling crew attached a bomb to your hull while they were refueling
your ship. Aren't mercenaries great? Pay them enough, and they'll fight for anyone."
"The bomb has visual detectors. Try an EVA to find and disarm the bomb, and it'll blow
your precious rust bucket."
"Don't be stupid, Bray Keaven. We just want the bay weapon. You don't have to die for
it."
The Vargr looks like he is waiting for a response.
Vargas perks up immediately as he hears the broadcast, "If that bomb has some on-board sensors, it probably is designed to pick up a humanoid shape and infrared emissions. Maybe we can fool the sensors by disgusing the suits so they no longer resemble a humanoid shape. The thermal emissions are probably going to be masked by the heat of the hull or negated by the cold of space. Just a thought if anybody is going to go for a little stroll."
Vargas then turns to Kevin, "Captain. I think we should jump as soon as possible with a reasonable chance of success. Maybe, we can shake these jerks by an earlier jump. However, that decision is yours. Your orders, captain."
Vargas then returns to his pilots station and prepares for the transition to jump space.
Without transmitting (sound or vision), Vasilii says "And blowing the ship up will be a great way for you to get it intact, I don't think."
He then says, Captain, perhaps you could warn them to veer off or we'll activate the set of Autonomous Kinetic Kill missiles we've laid doggo along their path." while checking for transponder bleeps off the two pursuing ships?
Vasilii also considers sending a comm signal to the authorities so that they'd hear it, but does not know if they are too far out now? He finally decides they could try to send a signal, but the range is probably too great.
Martha does a quick visual scan with externally mounted cameras, looking for anything attached to the hull. Swann and Aidan rotate their turrets looking for anything attached to the hull. Kevon activates the pop up lasers and uses their vidcams to look for anything. No one sees anything, but there are a number of places where something could be attached to the hull and not be seen (for example, most of the "roof" of the ship).
Swann doesn't recall seeing anything attached to the ship in his walk around inspection of the ship before lift off. Swann's inspection covered the belly, and lower front, rear, and sides of the ship.
Ian tries to determine if the speaker is bluffing but the vibe he is getting suggests the vargr is not. Still, he is not sure.
Flipping on his shipwide comm, "Martha, any chance you can set up a very strong interference beam pointed in the direction of the ship? One strong enough to disable a radio command to the supposed bomb? If needed, I will go out and inspect the hull... anybody feel like taking a stroll? Swann? Since I have minimal demolition expertise, what is your opinion on the situation?" Ian will prep himself for the excursion. Gathering up tether lines, tools, light sources, etc.
Ian also sarcastically considers if there is any chance he can use binoculars and/or low light goggles with a vacc suit and realizes it would not likely be something he could do.
He then wonders where the location of the fuel filler valves is? Behind the license plate?
As he considers this, he remembers the fuel filler valves are on the underside of the ship. There are two valves, one on each side, both about 2 meters from the stern of the ship and a meter and a half in from the inside edge of the maneuver drive exhaust.
Wondering if he could wear his Combat Enviro Suit (which has Chameleon) over his Vacc suit, Ian says, "Swann, what do you think about using a Chameleon suit to fool the bomb's eyes? Think that could work? Do we still have a vacc suit from the hijackers?". If they do, and Swann thinks it is a decent idea, Ian will get the suit and start repairing one of the hyjacker's suits.
Ian will contact the Doc, "Dr. Saro, do you have anything in your supplies that would help shake off this grogginess from lack of sleep? I need to be sharp when I go out there."
Aidan chimes in saying,"I'm up for the walk, although I know nothing of demolitions. On the other hand, my spacesuit has active camoflage. Hmm, as for the interference, it seems the signal is pretty bad as it is. Can we send out just a broad spectrum heavy radio signal in there direction. It might be enough for disruption."
Over the ship's comm, Swann says, "I personally think they're bluffing, but do we want to take the chance they aren't? What about it, Martha -- do you think you could jam the detonation signal?"
Swann also starts considering if they have any equipment on board that could be used to 'blind' or 'fool' the alleged bomb's alleged visual detectors (laser beam, infrared or ultraviolet light sources, a big picture of a star field to hide behind, etc.)
When Martha hears about the possible presence of a bomb, she quickly begins to redirect her sensor sweep, looking for power sources along the hull of a very minute quantity, enough to identify the battery powering a radio or detonator for a bomb. She'll also use densitometer readings to locate any attached masses to the outside of the ship. Between the two, and possibly neutrino emissions if the bomb is fusion-based, she feels confident that the Bray Keaven should be able to detect it, should the bomb be there. This is, of course, assuming no interference from interstellar phenomena. She'll also whisper a prayer to St. Elvis that it's not a jump bomb, which would activate when the jump grid is charged for the transition to Jumpspace, tumbling the ship into a misjump.
'But that's not likely to happen,' she tries to put herself at ease, 'because they don't want to lose their prize.'
Kevon mulls over the situation for a moment, then makes a decision. “We’re jumping in 20 minutes. Everybody prepare for the transition to jump space,” he says over ship’s comms, turning to his navigation console. “Vargas, keep us steady while I make the calculation. Martha, throw some radio static in their direction and stand by.”
Switching the intraship comms off, the lieutenant commander adds, “And may God help us all…”
"Understand, captain steady as she goes.", Vargas now devotes his entire attention to the pilot's console.
"Roger captain.", Vasilii smiles quietly.
Martha replies quickly, "I was checking first to see if there actually is a bomb, Cap'n, but I will belay that and start the jamming sequences. By St Elvis, that damn wolf has holes the size of Ship's Boats in his personal security, if every dog and their pack knows about this cargo," Martha mutters to herself as her hands fly across the console. Inadvertently, she starts humming the hymnal "You Ain't Nothing But A Hounddog" as she works...
Martha's initial sensor sweep doesn't reveal any evidence of a bomb, but the sweep was just preliminary, and the ship's sensors really aren't designed to be looking at things so close to the ship.
After Kevon's announcement, she switches to analyzing the comm transmissions from the pursuing ships. There is only one signal, from the scout/courier Alakinak, and she is quite confident that there isn't an underlying carrier wave of some sort. After analyzing the signal, Martha starts jamming transmissions, and Vasilii's comm screen with the expectantly waiting Vargr suddenly dissolves into snow.
Kevon brings up the Astrogation Jump Plot application and starts his calculations and plots for a slightly early, high velocity jump to Shanape that will bring the Bray Keaven about ~3,000,000 km from Shanape. The lack of sleep and the threat of a possible bomb wear on the lieutenant commander, and he isn't as sure of his jump numbers as he would like to be. But, on, the bright side, the numbers don't look obviously wrong after a double check.
Meanwhile, Ian and Aidan start preparing to go out on the hull to look for a bomb, and then return to their stations following Kevon's announcement.
At 1748, a weary Kevon dims the lights briefly, and the Bay Keaven lurches into jumpspace bound for Shanape.