“We can cruise underwater and run a great circle to the far side of the planet then make a break for Henoghr as my shuttles are hyper drive fitted. I will then pilot both shuttles and Terra to rendezvous there.”
“I will ask for volunteers to run ships and shuttles to and from the moon in that window so that they spend their resources checking each. I will advise them no heroics just obey orders and facilitate inspections which will slow them down,” Roxz said, “The tanker and freighter are already on the way to Henoghr for the transfers.”
Humph announced that the arrival of the shuttle was imminent and for Algertz and Killa to be ready to board as the window of opportunity was closing.
“Goodbye Aunty, Uncle, perhaps when things have settled I might get the on the job training, take care till then,” Algertz said giving both a hug.”
“Good luck girl, you take good care of her won’t you, Mike?” Hnetz said patting him on the cheek.
Roxz shook hands with Mike and Humph, “Good hunting, keep your powder dry.”
The shuttle emerged from the fjord and landed on the apron; the crew bundled their gear aboard while Humph manned the pilot’s chair. “Strap in everyone we are off.”
With that, the shuttle plunged into the sea and hitting maximum underwater speed, navigating towards the open sea and the other side of the planet. Once clear of the Gulf, it emerged, and wave hopping increased the speed. Determining that he was far enough around the world to escape detection the nose pointed towards the sky and maximum thrust applied. Once clear of the atmosphere, Humph corrected the flight path to the Henoghr jump point. This tactic hopefully, catching the Imperials flat footed.
“Radio traffic indicates that Roxz has secured at least a hundred volunteers, there are traces of civilian ships going everywhere,” Humph announced, “I have few sensors on this boat, but there is a large vessel accelerating towards our jump point, that Rham knows his stuff.”
“Entering hyper now, passage time two days, Reynar five hours behind will probably close that and exit as we emerge from hyper. Our exit time will be approximately the same but three hours closer in.”
“Cutting it close but if we have full power on and plot the exit Reynar won’t get close enough to snag us as a capital ship has to be far more cautious entering a different system whereas ‘I’ will be already there and can pre-plot the course.”
. . .
“There is a flurry of clearances being lodged from all spaceports in the system by everything that can lift off, plus a few which can’t,” Communication officer reported.
“Tell control to hold as many as possible, damn we have to keep the kid gloves on as this system is too important to shut down everything,” Rham grunted, “With Vater on the doorstep perhaps I can pass the hot potato and return to surveillance station before the proverbial hits the fan.”
“Good luck with that one, he likes to have a scapegoat ready if things don’t go his way.”
“Perhaps if we guess that our quarry is about to leave the system, so we give chase, it will get us out of harm’s way. I have confidence that those on the bridge understand that if he blames me all will be in the same hole,” Rham considered and all of those in hearing giving a cheer of ‘we’re with you’.
“So what’s your guess?” Blohm asked.
“Henoghr, if I was the Droman with a need to refuel and offload cargo. Which I know he hasn't had the chance to do,” Rham decided, “Assign the rest of the fleet to remain here for Vater to use. We then make full speed after loading a wing of ties to take with us. If I am wrong, we carry on to the embargo system and claim following original orders.”
“Better chance than explaining the situation here to Vater,” Blohm added.
“Done, contact Executor and tell him we are pursuing the suspect and make ready to move,” Rham ordered.
The Reynar re-positioned then loaded the tie fighters then set course to enter hyperspace towards the Henoghr system. “We have three high-powered traces heading out of the system. Communication officer reports two freighters departed 20 hours ago outbound possibly Henoghr.”
“Well, I will take that as a good guess, proceed as ordered,” Rham smiled, “We may yet, come out of this smelling of roses.”
“Fingers crossed all round,” Blohm agreed.
. . .
The Terra dropped out of hyper after 25 hours then locked onto the beacon of the two freighters orbiting the gas giant. The Terra rapidly matched course with them as without humans aboard five times the acceleration could be employed. First unlimbering the cargo hatches and roping together the containers for the Oxzen ship to sort out. Then connecting transfer hoses to the tanker, uploading the fuel as fast as possible. With Humph coordinating his avatars, they allowed this to happen at a rapid pace turning a 6-hour job into three hours.
The shuttles being slower were still in hyper-passage as the Terra just finished loading fuel when the hyper pulse announced the arrival of the Reynar. This pulse was immediately followed by the two shuttles breaking out midway between the two ships. All three ships being in constant communication via Humph, he was able to keep the full power on the shuttles towards the hyper jump point on the far side. The Terra accelerated towards the same position picking up the shuttles as it caught them at speed and loaded them aboard without missing a beat.
. . .
“Three ships detected ahead; two small hyper pulses ahead confirmed shuttles with full drives on towards far side of the system, one ship undergoing acceleration to the same point,” The com officer announced.
“Any bets going that’s our target?” Rham asked.
“Only odds on; no-one bets against you,” Blohm commented.
“My compliments to our navigator he is the best in the fleet, but I want a Droman for the job, he must shave every mass point to beat us by that much, and the shuttles are souped up to arrive ahead as well.”
“Ignore the freighters they are irrelevant. Plot an intercept course and try to tag the Droman with the tractor; once he hits hyperspace, he could be anywhere before we get another fix on him.”
The Reynar gradually closed the distance on the shuttles until the Terra caught up with them first, loaded them aboard and then the opened all stops to reopen the gap again and approach the hyper point to disappear before the Reynar could close the gap sufficiently to use the tractor beam.
“Okay, the Fox has slipped down the burrow, no point in pursuit. Plot the return to embargo system and resume blockade,” Rham conceded.
“The freighters have exited back towards Fwelsving,” The comms reported.
“We can let Vater deal with them, not our problem,” Rham said, “Though with our suspect departed he won’t hang around for just a rumour, and the balance of our fleet can rejoin.”
. . .
“Well I think we have slipped the noose, perhaps if we take the long road to Droma and hide there for a time, I am sure that parking the Terra among the sea ships which are similar enough and perhaps you can visit my wife,” Humph suggested.
“Don’t you think Rham will keep up the pursuit?” Algertz asked.
“No, Imperial orders would mean restoring the blockade until new orders are received. Rham was probably pushing his luck diverting as many resources as it was. By the time he reaches the system where he met us, his time for covering up his diversion would be exhausted,” Humph explained, “Rham will organise an excuse to keep track of us for years.”
After several jumps through hyper, they emerged over Droma and spiralled to land in a sheltered bay.
“Rainbow’s territory is adjacent to