The Synchronicity War Part 1 by Dietmar Arthur Wehr

Author:Dietmar Arthur Wehr [Wehr, Dietmar Arthur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dietmar Arthur Wehr
Published: 2013-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10 Give As Good As We Get

The next four months were boringly uneventful. Single frigates were on picket duty in the star systems forming a buffer zone in front of the system containing the Bradley Base, each in contact with a dozen or more recon drones strategically deployed throughout those systems. Shiloh and the other squadron leaders and frigate COs were confident that the enemy could not sneak up on Bradley Base without being detected. So it was, with only three more days to go before SFE144 was due to be rotated back to Sol for a longer stand down, that the period of boredom ended.

Shiloh was asleep in his cabin when the call from the Bridge came.

“Shiloh here.”

“Chenko here, Sir. A message drone has just arrived and is signaling that picket ship 257 in Tango Delta 11 has detected a minimum of three unknown ships moving towards one of that system’s gas giants.”

Shiloh sat up quickly and said, “Any word from Base Command yet?”

“No, Sir, but I expect we’ll hear something any minute now.”

“I agree, XO. Put the ship and the squadron on alert. I’ll be on the Bridge shortly. Shiloh out.”

He quickly put on a clean uniform and then ran out of the cabin and down the short corridor to the Bridge. When he got there, he heard the voice of the Base Commander over the loudspeakers.

“—signs of enemy activity in Tango Delta 11. Therefore I’m activating Plan Alpha III. The 55th will immediately jump to Tango Delta 9, the 77th to Tango Delta 8 and the 144th to Tango Delta 6. Truman out.”

As Chenko got up from the Command Station, Shiloh waved her back down and said, “I’m not taking the Con just yet, XO. Let’s acknowledge our orders to the Base Commander and get the Squadron onto the right heading for TD 6.”

“Yes, Sir. Specialist Fletcher, acknowledge the 144th orders. Lt. Millar, plot a course change to Tango Delta 6.”

Shiloh walked over to the Communications Station, waited until the Com Tech had sent the acknowledgement, and then said, “Open an audio channel to the Squadron.”

“Channel open, Sir.”

“This is Shiloh. Plan Alpha III has just been put into effect. The 144th has been ordered to Tango Delta 6 asap. You’ll be receiving the necessary course change data shortly. Because of the short distance to TD6 and back, we won’t have to worry about fuel consumption, and therefore we’ll be making a high-speed jump. If the enemy chose that star system as their next destination, it’s imperative that the 144th get there before they do. Once we arrive at TD 6, I’ll contact our picket ship already stationed there, and then I’ll determine how we’ll proceed based on the situation at that time. Shiloh out.”

He turned back to look at Chenko who said, “Course and speed for Tango Delta 6 has been plotted and uploaded, and all ships report ready to execute, Sir.”

“Very well, XO. Helm, execute the course change!”

“Executing course change now, Sir.”

As all eight frigates

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