The time passed slowly for some, particularly the bridge crew who had only routine checks to perform. On other decks, work varied from the feverish for the soldiers who were going to go into battle, to simply normal for the mechanics who had to make sure that all the shuttles were ready. Others were also busy in their own ways, mostly to get ready for the despised wait ahead of them. Electronic techs were the busiest of all as stealth mode was to be engaged when they arrived. All the major and minor systems had to be checked to ensure that there would be no emissions leakage. Any suspect unit would be shut down and replaced or repaired only if it was necessary for the safe running of the ship.

“Coming up on main engine shut down sir,” the pilot spoke to Commander Trist.

“Thank you, inform the captain.”

“Sir.’

Captain Traska took his station on the bridge. “Everything good number one?”

“Everything is as good as it can be sir.” Commander Trist replied. “The chief has reported that the shuttles are all ready and Major Amrk is ready and eager. The ship is ready for silent running.”

“Good work.”

*********

Except for the sometime travelers, coming out of hyperspace was a normal even boring operation for spacefarers. But all the same, the countdown was watched closely even by the experienced. Warships of course came out in ready condition with shields up and all weapons on line.

“Scanning sir, nothing as yet. The rest of the detachment is coming out in good formation.” The scanner operator reported.

“Sir, we are being hailed by the detachment.” From the communications station.

A nod to communications. “All captains conference on me.” Then to Commander Trist, “This should be good, ready?” Got a nod and grimace in response. There was a fractions pause.

*********

“All captains tied in sir”

Captain Quill was the senior and the quickest. An experienced officer he was tall and thin with a receding hairline. Hailing from a prosperous planet in a galaxy known as Winters Ice in the third cluster he was following a family tradition in serving in the Legion.

“Captain Traska, are these orders serious?” The orders that Captain Traska had circulated around the detachment before the jump to hyperspace were to be opened after the jump was engaged. Captain Quill’s reaction had been anticipated.

“As serious as it can be, Captain Quill. I assure you and all the other captains that my orders are the exact same as those that I have received personally.”

There was a number of other objections immediately launched from the cruiser commanders’. “Let pirates through, ridiculous!” was the most common.

“Gentlemen, I have received my orders directly from the Fleet Admiral himself. The order is imperative. We will go to positions as selected by me and go into stealth mode. Captain Quill, you will take Yellow and Red Quads under command and place them in positions my navigator will send you. These are positions that I see as the best to intersect any direct escape routes for the pirate. Blue quad, will come with me, positions are being sent to you as well. Everyone follow so far?”

Nods, yesses and sirs followed.

“Good, now my intentions.” He sighed. “Pursuant to orders received we will allow the pirate ship, which our intelligence leads us to believe will be Master Moon, to arrive and go into orbit around Trilla. Once the pirate landing party leaves and arrives on the surface, we will take the craft by null-grav assault. If it actually lands we will carry out a ground assault.” He paused. “The rest of Blue quad will make themselves ready to reinforce our assault with the troops they have on board.”

He paused, then, “Captain Quill.”

“Yes Captain Traska?”

“In the event of my being killed or incapacitated and unable to exercise command, you will take command. I will forward relevant information to you. It contains my original orders and other important information necessary to carry out the assignment. Further information I will leave with Commander Trist for him to pass to you.”

“Are you intending to lead the ship assault sir?” Captain Quill was surprised, ships captains did not normally do such things.

“No, but I will have to go on board immediately after, and the situation may be … uncertain.” He paused, “So I will have to follow on the ground assault for the same reasons that I have to board the Master Moon.”

Again there was a pause. “Any questions?”

Captain Quill answered, “Many sir.” He paused. “These orders are that imperative sir?” Came with a quizzical look.

“Yes they are indeed.”

A chorus of responses indicated the reluctant acceptance of the orders. One of the captains, who will remain nameless, continued to argue for direct action until he was asked if he wanted to be the one to explain to the Fleet Admiral why his direct orders were being disobeyed. Finally there was general acceptance, although all were clearly unhappy with the situation.

“Final instructions. It is very important to our assault plans that surprise be obtained in the ship assault. If it was certain that the Master Moon would land, I would have our assault team already on the ground, but we cannot be certain of the pirate’s actions although my suspicion is that it is most likely that the pirates will shuttle to the planet surface. Once either action is completed, the assault teams will be cleared to go. In either scenario, assault shuttles will be launched from us directly.” He paused.

“However we must be concealed, therefore no ship will start to move until the assault from Aspen is committed otherwise all surprise will be lost. After the assault has started, and surprise is no longer an issue you will be sent a start signal by secure link, then come in on thrusters. Understand?

“Finally, if another pirate ship shows up, and there is at least a possibility that one will, we will wait to see what happens between them. NO ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN. I cannot emphasize that enough. There are matters here of the highest importance. I cannot tell you more because I do not know all. Understand?

The cruiser captains were not unused to such stealth but for different reasons. Normally when there was a need for stealth, it was followed by weapons engaged and ships blasted. As they did not know the full extent of the orders received, they agreed only reluctantly.

“Thank you gentlemen. All to your positions” Concluded the meeting.

*********

With a sigh, Captain Traska closed the comm link down. “That went well sir, at least as well as could be expected.” Came from Commander Trist.

“Yes. But now we do the hard part. Tell the crew. Navigator send selected coordinates to all ships, pilot, take us to our position.” Turning to the scanner operator. He ordered deep scans of the ground area around the tunnel entrance. The operator showed her surprise but went to work with a will.

With a nod the commander moved to his console, “Attention all hands,” was followed by a series of orders which, while they had already been warned by the captain, still caused groans. No one liked going into stealth mode.

“Hold position relative to the planet pilot when we get there, let’s keep our spot, and make sure we are not going to be in the line of sight of the pirates when they show up.”

“Yes sir, not a problem Captain.”

*********

Blue Quad headed inbound to the inner asteroid belt while Red and Yellow Quads headed for their assigned stations. The buzz that ran through all the cruisers was all the same: “Why were they doing this?” “What did the Old Man know?” “Who gave these crazy orders?” The questions ran through each of the ships like lemmings for a cliff. All went unanswered of course but that did not stop anything. Even when they reached their stations, the questions kept coming.

“In position Captain,” the navigator told Captain Quill.

“Good, now we wait. Initiate stealth mode and silent protocols number one”. With that the heavy cruiser disappeared into the blackness of space. The main engines off line and only passive scanners listening and snatching arcane snippets of data. One by one all the heavy cruisers followed each other into silence.

Captain Quill went to his room and opened his communicator. Before they had split too far apart, Captain Traska had contacted him on discrete. “I am sending you all the information and orders I have.” He said. “Read them only after stealth mode is engaged.”

Now in his quarters, Captain Quill, studied the download. As he read, his eyebrow arched and his lips pursed. Grateful for the confidence that Traska had shown, he was also a little unhappy. These were matters of the highest import, and while he was a senior officer he was not of flag rank. This was something that he really did not want on his plate. For once, a junior officer hoped that nothing would happen to his superior officer requiring him to assume command.

*********

In Detachment T’s flagship, the silence weighed heaviest of all. In the shuttle bay launch room, the two assault shuttles waited, weighed down by their weapons, suits, life support and all the other items necessary for survival in deadly close quarters combat. About sixty men, divided between the two shuttles waited. Another ninety men waited in the two regular shuttles designated for the backup troops. The third regular shuttle was being held for Captain Traska. His would be launched only after the pirate ship was deemed secure.

Captain Traska had questioned Major Amrk closely regarding the prepositioning of all the troops on the shuttles in full assault mode. The major had assured him that the troops had performed this in maneuvers many times. He had also discussed this with his officers and non-coms. Both options had been exhaustively debated many times before. In view of the necessity for absolute silence and surprise, he had come down on the side of preloading all the troops. His officers had, after discussion, agreed with him and the orders had been so issued. Captain Traska accepted the major’s decision as the considered position of the officer in charge and so endorsed the plan.

And they waited.