The Price of Conquest

Admiral Shaw sat back in his chair on the Esprit's bridge and composed his features into what Aidan liked to refer to as his "command face." Shaw had perfected the relaxed, confident expression years ago. He used it now to hide his uncertainty about what might await his fleet at Vsuna.

According to the reports Gaunis filed about the Vsuna battle, he had been well on his way to victory when the black ship arrived and turned the tide. Still, the battle had been close, and the black ship took significant damage. Unfortunately, with so little known about the vessel, it was impossible to judge how the damage might limit the its abilities.

"All ships report successful emergence into normal space," Lieutenant Teague said. "Fleet deploying."

"Establishing detection grid," Lieutenant Konda, the sensor officer, reported, her normally steady voice tainted by a touch of anxiety.

Shaw studied the tactical display beside the main viewer and watched his fleet spread out in a staggered formation around the Esprit. Because of the black ship's ability to elude standard sensors, he'd instructed his technical officers to combine the detection capabilities of all of the ships to boost range and accuracy. The grid should provide faster, more precise information about what they faced at Vsuna, enabling them to quickly locate the black ship, and hopefully determine the damage Gaunis inflicted and what capabilities remained.

"Detection field established, grid forming." Konda sounded more confident and she glanced at Shaw with a hint of a smile. "Data coming in, sir. They must have been expecting us. Their fleet is forming. Most of the vessels show some degree of damage. The heavy cruiser Cheops is leading them." She cast another look at him, her burgeoning smile gone. "There's an Enforcer with them, Admiral. No transponder signal. The vessel shows heavy damage, but I'm picking up some functioning weaponry."

Shaw nodded and considered the information. One Enforcer had been unaccounted for after the battle. Apparently, the Vsunans seized it. He wondered how much trouble that might cause, and then pushed away his concern. Considering the technology the Free Worlds possessed in the form of the black ship, anything they learned from the th'Maran vessel should make little difference. Still, it might help them discover ways to counter the Patrol's new systems.

He turned to the Esprit's weapon station. "Commander, when we engage the enemy fleet, I want destruction of the Enforcer a high priority. Hopefully, the Vsunans haven't forced any of the th'Maran crew to remain on board."

At the thought of the Enforcer's th'Maran crew members, images of Emre filled Shaw's head, and his chest tightened with longing. Once this was over, he would find out where Emre was stationed and visit her, or at least send a message. He concentrated on the tactical display to drive another unbidden image of her from his mind.

His fleet continued toward Vsuna. The enemy ships moved forward to meet it.

"Any sign of the black ship?" he asked.

"No, sir."

Was the sensor grid not working as expected? He checked his command screen. Already it showed a list of dozens of Vsunan ships, as well as estimates of their capabilities. Clearly, the grid was doing at least part of its job.

"Admiral," Lieutenant Konda called, "the black ship just appeared. Dead ahead, coming straight for us, halfway between us and the Vsunan fleet."

"What kind of damage are you reading?"

"None, sir." Konda made adjustments to her board, then studied the results. "At least nothing obvious. However, energy readings from the vessel are extremely low. It's possible they're using something to mask the damage."

"Concentrate all detectors on that ship," Shaw ordered.

"Yes, sir. The vessel has come to a full stop."

On the tactical display, the black ship's marker hovered motionless between the converging fleets.

"Message coming in, Admiral," Teague said.

"Let's hear it."

"Patrol dreadnought Esprit, this is Stingray Two representing the Free World Vsuna. Reverse course immediately or suffer the consequences. Do not approach any closer. This is your only warning. Stingray Two out."

Shaw scoffed. "Stingray Two? They're bluffing. Sensors, what have you got?"

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"The black ship has reversed direction. It's beginning to back away."

Shaw returned his attention to the screen. Would the black ship join the Vsunan fleet now? If the vessel had sustained as much damage as he suspected, it would need help from the other ships. If only he could penetrate whatever it was using to hide its true state. But, in the end, he knew it would not matter. The black ship had played its bluff. He had called it.

"Bring down the grid," he ordered. "Have the fleet deploy to attack formation. Continue present course, maximum acceleration. Weapons, fire on target acquisition. Let's see if we can stop that ship before it reaches the Vsunan fleet." Which shouldn't be difficult, he realized. The Vsunan ships were moving forward much more slowly than his, and the black ship was retreating with equal slowness. His fleet would be able to fire on it long before the Vsunans entered effective weapons range.

As the Esprit reached the area where the black ship had stopped to deliver its message, a puzzled look crossed his defense officer's features. The man turned to the sensor station for a quick conversation, then the two officers turned back to their boards, working frantically.

"What is it?" Shaw asked.

"The proximity screens are showing unusual fluctuations," the defense officer said.

"Admiral! We just lost one of the forward pulse gun arrays."

Shaw turned a perplexed look on the man who made the startling report.

The Esprit shuddered.

"Sir, the main hyperwave system just went offline," Teague said. "The destroyer Jaoa is reporting major system failure throughout its forward sections."

The dreadnought trembled again, and several control boards went dark for an instant.

"Forward targeting sensors just failed."

"Two more forward batteries are reporting malfunctions."

Shaw glanced around. What was happening? Then he recognized the common thread: The damage was occurring to forward systems only.

"All stop!" he ordered. "All vessels, full stop now! Weapons, fire all forward batteries, maximum spread."

He tightened a fist in anger but kept careful control of his expression. Would his fleet be able to stop before it passed completely through whatever was causing the damage? If it were something physical, the forward fire should destroy some of it, but what the devil was it? Whatever it was, it could elude sensors and pass almost undetected through proximity screens. Theoretically, nothing could get through such a powerful line of defense. But something was getting through, and according to the information that continued to come in, the damage resulted from more than just impacts. Whatever was hitting his ships possessed explosive as well as stealth properties.

Shaw glanced at the tactical display again, and an explanation formed. He thought the black ship had made its appearance simply for intimidation, but it may have had another reason to appear in his fleet's path; it may have been laying mines. If anyone had the ability to develop all but undetectable mines, it was the builders of the black ship.

A flash from the main screen lit the bridge, and a wave of satisfaction swept over Shaw. The Patrol vessels' fire had destroyed at least one of the devices. Flashes on secondary screens indicated the destruction of others.

He glanced at the summary damage reports on his command screen, and his brief moment of triumph dissolved. Every one of the dreadnought's forward systems showed some kind of damage. Even some internal systems had malfunctioned, probably from the combined forces of the impacts and detonations blowing through the hull. Many of his smaller ships had also taken significant damage.

Slowly, reports of new damage and the flash of detonated mines ceased.

Shaw checked the Esprit's speed. They were nearing a complete stop.

He looked at the tactical display again. It hadn't changed since the last time he checked it. A blinking tag indicated it was awaiting new information.

"Lieutenant Konda, I need an update on tactical."

"Yes, Admiral," she said. "Most of our forward detectors are down. I'm gathering input from the rest of the fleet, but they're having problems, as well. I'll have an update for you in a moment."

Shaw scowled, not at the officer's report, but at the situation. How could he fight a battle with no current tactical data, no targeting sensors, and half of his other systems out of commission?

"Admiral, I have your update," Konda said. "The tac won't be able to display real-time info for a while. Until then, it should refresh every fifteen seconds or so."

Shaw ground his teeth. His fleet hung still in space. The black ship had halted as well, but the Vsunan vessels continued forward. Shaw suspected that once they joined, the black ship and the Vsunan fleet would move forward to destroy the crippled, half-blind Patrol vessels.

Shaw shook his head in chagrin. In a conflict where escalating technology was a main concern, one side had won this battle by doing the equivalent of throwing rocks.

He looked around the bridge. His officers cast glances from their boards, to the tactical display, to him, and back again. He must give the order, either attack or retreat.

"The Vsunan fleet will enter effective firing range in two minutes," the sensor officer said.

The report rang like an ultimatum in Shaw's ears.

"Plot a course directly away from the enemy fleet," he ordered. "Back out exactly the way we came in with aft guns firing maximum spread. Prepare a jump back to Arecia."

He focused on the image of Vsuna displayed on the main screen. Once he got the Esprit and his other ships repaired, he would be back. Then, he vowed, he would be ready for anything.