Kier wanted to scream with rage. Then hunt down that never-to-be-sufficiently-damned Khan and use his skull as a drinking cup.
Never had Steadfast at Dawn suffered such grievous damage. One of her subsidiary Makos, Steadfast in Duty, was so badly damaged that she had been forced to leave the vessel docked with the Energiya module while the rest of them went to hunt the barbarians. And the second time it was hit was her fault, which only made it worse.
She was the Director. Every choice made while the Sentience was at reduced cognition was ultimately hers, regardless of the originator. If one of her crew made a mistake, she had failed to train them correctly, or failed to provide competent officers to oversee them.
And Keller had found a hole in Kier’s armor. She must have been watching for some time, to be able to determine where Steadfast at Dawn was going to come out of a surprise jump. But Kier had failed, by not randomly programming alternates.
Complacency and efficiency had become the enemy of success.
She would not make that mistake again, but first, she had to locate this new enemy, who so badly wanted to fight her. Who had already killed one of The Holding’s warships, the Roughshark Dancer in Darkness.
Oh, yes, Kier knew who this Red Admiral was.
A barbarian foreign to even Fribourg, from the distant galactic fringe worlds. Aquitaine would be crushed next, after Fribourg was brought to heel.
At least they had managed to escape the second trap as well, at the cost of one of her Makos and significant damage to Energiya that would require a significant space dock effort to make whole.
“Maneuver Advocate, state your readiness,” Kier began the ritual.
“Steadfast in Duty is defensive, Director,” the woman replied with genuine anger in her voice that surprised Kier. “The other three: Steadfast in Pursuit, Steadfast in Honor, and Steadfast in Surprise are ready for combat.”
“Crew Advocate, how are your charges?” Kier continued.
“Vengeful in Duty, Director,” the man replied with a poetic turn. Ko Ashkhan Loren Miil was old for his position at forty-seven standard years, but he had found his place, his purpose. Without the war, Kier was certain he would be a social worker of some sort. Helping people find themselves seemed to be in his blood.
Kier nodded. Most of the damage had been confined to three decks aft, missing Steadfast at Dawn’s combat hull entirely, but passing like an arrow through Energiya and pinning Steadfast in Duty in place. Damage control crews were already flooding into the damaged sections, well outside their customary areas.
“Entity Advocate, how stands your charge?” Kier continued slowly.
She had served as Director of this vessel long enough to know the Sentience’s personality quite well, far better than the man who had only been with them for a little more than a standard year.
“All subroutines operating within normal, Director,” the man said. “Tending towards the high end, but that I ascribe to pain and anger.”
Kier agreed.
“War Advocate, begin,” Kier concluded.
“Steadfast at Dawn,” the War Advocate ordered. “Initiate separation of all vessels.”
As always, the entire ship went to zero gravity as the fingers detached, blades slowly being drawn from their scabbards before drawing blood. The main reactors were located in Energiya, with the JumpDrives capable of driving the entire massive edifice through deep space.
Now, it was one greatsword and a trio of poniards, when it should have been a quad.
But they were hunting.
“War Advocate Ro, would you predict our adversary to remain behind, lying in wait for our return?” Kier asked the woman plotting maneuvers as the ships detached.
“If they were Imperial, I would almost guarantee it, Director,” Ro said. “Keller has not followed any Imperial standards, so I can only guess that she wishes to play cat and mouse with us. However, we have one advantage on her.”
“Oh?” Kier said, happy for anything to go her way for once today.
“Those fighter craft are most likely not jump capable,” the War Advocate said. “So either the carriers are sitting ducks, waiting to pick them up before we return, or they have been abandoned for now.”
The second was the most likely situation. Kier had been as surprised as anyone, viewing the footage of two so-called pirate fighters making a jump inside a gravity well to finish off Dancer in Darkness, at the moment when he should have been safe to make his escape.
“What are the chances that those were operated by remote control?” Kier asked, aware of how valuable trained pilots were rated.
The Holding did not use snub-fighters. Why bother, when little escorts like Hammerheads could jump with the fleet? Nothing smaller could be built with both the necessary Sentience and sufficient firepower to justify the expense.
“I presume a third trap” Kier continued.
“I as well, Director,” she replied. “Plus, the three vessels that initiated the attack in orbit are unaccounted for. I would have them prepared to land suddenly in our midst.”
“Proposal?” Kier inquired.
The War Advocate projected an image onto Kier’s main screen.
“A long tetrahedron, Director,” she said. “Drop the Makos in a bracket around the place we emerged, far enough out to be potentially behind ambushers, with Steadfast at Dawn above them, prepared to pounce, depending on where the fighters or carrier may be.”
Kier studied the plot. Aggressive, as was her wont, but subtle enough that perhaps she would catch Keller off guard. Kier’s squadron would be separated, and thus at risk, but any could jump to the aid of a vessel in hazard.
“Transmit this to the squadron and execute,” Kier ordered.
I’m coming for you, Keller.