The Commodore’s Clock

PER CAELA

OR

THROUGH THE HEAVENS

His Majesty King Justin III of Glorious Repute had consulted with his government at great length. He takes his role as a constitutional monarch very seriously; as King, he is firmly wedded to the welfare of the Elven Dominions. He had managed to come up with countless questions for Colin, his lover, his Earl Martial, and his commander-in-chief, who had always answered him truthfully and lovingly. He and Cameron, his long serving familiar, spent hours on the subject.

At length, the King declared that a state of war existed between the Elven Dominions and the Riffian Hegemony. The casus belli was the repeated invasions of less developed planets by the Riffians. The Riffians deployed interstellar probes at systems similar to Earth Prime. If the results were promising, they followed up with an invasion fleet. Then they would either conquer the local civilization or annihilate it.

The Elven Dominions shifted into a war stance. One of the first acts of government was the Forces Mobilisation Decree. This, among other things, streamlined the forces.

During peace time, the senior rank in the army was that of major general; in the navy it was rear admiral. Acting assignment to a temporary higher rank was possible if needed. This worked well enough in a time of peace but could lead to misunderstanding when it was a time of war. It was all very collegial, after all, for major generals and rear admirals to do their bit in peacetime. But in wartime, the boss needs to wear his rank. There can be no doubt, no quibbling about seniority, no concern for date of rank.

So it was Field Marshall Sir Oliver Winn, KGD, KT, GS who was conducting this meeting of the War Cabinet.

“The problem is location. The location of the enemy fleet. Plus, even if we were to locate it deep in interstellar space, where there was little risk of any collateral damage. There would be no way to hold them to the fight when a retreat to superluminal space is immediately available.

“Therefore, we must locate the enemy at a place they must defend and then bring overwhelming force against them. The Riffian fleet must be destroyed.

“History provides us some interesting parallels. At the close of the 18th Century, the British Admiral Nelson was attempting to bring a French fleet to action in the Mediterranean Sea. The French had managed to get to sea and the English now needed to find them. Admiral Nelson believed that the French were enroute to Egypt, so he took his fleet to the mouth of the Nile. The French were not there. The English fleet was faster and had passed the French enroute. The French fleet, for all intents and purposes, had escaped into superluminal space. They had been invisible.”

He paused, sipped his coffee with appreciation, and regarded his audience. He caught the eye of the Earl Martial. They went back a long way. The Earl Martial had personally decorated him with his Military Commendation Medal way back when he was a corporal in the old 24th Regiment of Foot, seconded to the Restoration Commando. They smiled with their eyes.

“So, Admiral Nelson searched in other Mediterranean nooks and crannies, but he kept thinking that the French objective had to be Egypt. He returned to Egypt and there, anchored in Aboukir Bay, was the French fleet. He attacked and destroyed it.

“When the French fleet was destroyed it was over. Napoleon had to slink away, his army lost and abandoned, and all his strategic plans undone.

“That is what we must do. We must pin the enemy in place and destroy him.”

+++++

“I only wish the King would make up his mind about the spelling. Be damme!” Jonas Howard Athenen ap Wilbur, Shoppe Foreman of the Royall Press, complained good naturedly in his archaic accent.

“Oh please,” Shiner murmured affectionately. Shiner had devoted some considerable effort to acquiring this position. Being a Lead Printer was superior to being a Corporal in the 24th Regiment of Foot even if he had served in both the Restoration and the Rescue Commandos. He was a happy man who loved books and loved his work. He went home to his wife, his flat, and his tea everyday after work and there was a great deal to be said for that. He very much hoped for children.

“You know they’ll never settle that. The King likes to spell with a ‘z’ every oncet awhile as it reminds him of ’ome, so he sez. And then there’s his ownest own number which ’e changes round as it suits ’im. ’Sides, what about your title?”

“Still. It would be nice if things could be consistent.”

“You never went for a sojer, that’s a sure.” Shiner went on to spell ‘civilization’ the way the King had spelled it this time.

+++++

There was a considerable amount of spare time when voyaging in superluminal space. Sir James of Cooper, Heavenly Magister was busy as they prepared for a jump, looking deep into the vastness, and attempting to sense any danger. Then there was the jump, then the rest period for the familiars, and then again.

All was at rest just now and Rafael Caprotti, his long time orderly cum friend and lover, was massaging all those tense parts, the ones that stiffen and cramp when one concentrates intensely.

Sir James had a very hard time when first he was rescued from the drunken uncle who was casually beating him to death. Four naked teenagers had materialized in his dismal apartment and had turned the tables neatly. He was whisked away to the hospital in Ellendale and his uncle was off to jail.

Would rescue by nubile boys in the state of nature have a deep psychological impact? Would he be obsessively defensive? Demanding? An interesting thought.

In any event, working with familiars, looking into the cosmos, and developing deep space strategies tended to civilize him, and then there was Rafael. There came the day when nature could no longer be denied. He had kissed Rafael.

Now, Rafael was working his magic yet again. Sir James rolled over and kissed him. Rafael was already naked.

+++++

“The Japanese and the Americans had the same problem in the years before World War II.” Field Marshall Winn continued. “Both admiralties believed that the contest would be resolved by two fleets of battleships deciding the course of history. Just as it had been for hundreds of years; it would be the thunder of great guns on the high seas that would decide the fate of nations. But both admiralties had the same problem. In their war games, they could never find each other. There was no clash of dreadnoughts. They could not even find one another across the broad expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Much less have a battle.

“Remember, all the sensors that we take for granted, did not exist then. No radar, no lasers, no empathic familiars, no probes, no dimension shifts. Just basic eyesight. They invested hugely in reconnaissance aircraft, even had zeppelin aircraft carriers, but the enemy remained elusive.

“Therefore, the solution, strategically, is the same. We will select known locations of strategic value. We will attack them and thus draw the Riffians to combat.

“At the same time, we will contact the Dojé and let him know what we require of him for peace.”

There were no questions. After all, these issues had been under discussion since the arrival of Copenhagen and Wilde on HMS Sparrowhawk with news of the Yrr invasion.

+++++

Newly promoted, Vice Admiral Sir John Tavers and Commodore Sir Werner Wilhelm Harold the Ritter von Teghettoff, who had just achieved the full rank of commodore, were in conference. What do you do next in time of war? They were light years from home; too long to be waiting for orders from someone who, in any event, did not know the circumstances on the ground.

“Clearly, we must take an offensive stance.” the Vice Admiral opined.

“Indeed,” concurred the Commodore. “The question is where and how.”

“I believe we must attack the Riffian home world. I think that will be the target for the main fleet from home.

“We will move in together. I’m going to assign two cruisers and two destroyers to your command. We can load as many Yrr troops as they will release to us. I particularly want their air force. I’ll also give you the Guards Fusilier and the Dragoon Guards. You can carry them in that captured transport and this will be a landing force of considerable power.”

“What do you intend?”

“Well. The conquest of Riffak, of course, but we may not get that on the first go. At the very least, we will hit them hard, and, like I said, I think an attack from home might strike there, also. If that happens, we’ll be unified; we’ll be able to get new orders right there.”

+++++

Generalissimo Alan St Marie, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Yrr, was not a happy generalissimo. He had just learned that, as C-in-C, he would be staying on Yrr to continue to improve and develop their war machine.

Merriwellen, First Mother of the R’Mestaa family, and Querriwellen, First Mother of the Q’Twywysaa family would accompany the mission representing the Conclave of Yrr. A suite was provided for them on The Scouts. Of necessity, Leo and Lewis would accompany them; but they remained on the Rawalpindi. A nod to the fact that Merriwellen was the de facto leader of the Yrr.

It was a very formidable fleet that departed Yrr for Riffak. There were battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, gunboats, transports and yachts. A full regiment of Yrr infantry was included as was the first complete fighter wing from the Air Corps.

+++++

“So, you the fleet mother are, or what, exactly,” Merriwellen inquired politely of 2010 as no one had told her the name of the ship she was on. She knew only that it was large and seemed formidably efficient. She had done some considerable listening before asking anything.

“Hummph,” snorted Ma’am. “Well, I see they told you nothing. No real surprise that. We like our people, by and large, but sometimes they can be a bit forgetful. Take stuff for granted, see.

“Yes. I suppose you could call me that, I am Cunarder’s mother and my husband is aboard and answers to Scout. We were married right here aboard this ship. We had quite the to-do, yes we did. I need to introduce you to our great friend Joe Flowerdew. He’s here somewhere in the fleet. What do you need to know?”

“With you then your husband is?”

“Yes indeed, we’ve been together since the first battle. Met on the field of battle, you might say. Is your husband with you?”

“No. They’re all busy. One runs the conclave campus; one’s with the Army and the third’s with the Halberdier-Commissariat General, they’re all doing very well. Then I’ve got two sons in the Army and two in the Air Corps and four in the gunboats. I have a grandson who is an artist and another who is a balladeer. I’ve two granddaughters to academy. They’re a great pleasure, the all of them.”

“Why don’t you come up to the wardroom and have some tea. Bring your lady friend.” Ma’am handled Merriwellen’s three husbands with her usual aplomb.

+++++

As planned, the combined fleet of Vice Admiral Tavers began emerging from superluminal space at the heliopause of the Riffian home system.

Cruisers and destroyers moved quickly into screening positions as the battlecruisers Warspite, Constitution, and Mikasa sorted themselves out as they prepared for battle. The frigate 1543 would be close support for the battlecruisers.

The fleet then shifted into the old fashioned superluminal drive that they had adopted from the Riffian fleet that first invaded Earth Prime. This was not nearly as fast as a familiar’s jump, but the fleet could move as a unit and could communicate while enroute. Advantageous when battle nears.

The first scouts neared Riffak, but as they approached(,) they did not detect any unusual activity. Riffak was a hive of activity, but it was the normal hum of an industrialized world. Ships were observed coming and going, but nothing that seemed to be a war fleet was observed.

It quickly appeared that the planet was not on any sort of a war footing. This caused a whole new problem for the admirals. Both were honourable men and loyal and devoted followers of their King and it seemed apparent that the Riffians were not aware that they were at war with the Elven Dominions. A surprise attack was not a done thing.

“We should broadcast, planet wide, the declaration of war, and then invade after two days. That way they will have been given ample warning.” Commodore von Teghetthoff suggested.

Vice Admiral “Chipper” Tavers, unencumbered by a childhood in the shadow of the Habsburg Empire, decided. “Yes. Good idea. We’ll broadcast the declaration and give them two hours to surrender. Then we’ll attack.”

“But Admiral, two hours is scarcely time for a government to write a memo much less a surrender.”

“Just so,” Admiral Tavers gleamed with a humorless smile. “Here’s what we’ll do.”

+++++

When Chipper thought that the King would attack the Riffian home world, he was completely correct.

Vice Admiral Sir St George Kilverstone Davids commanded the attack force from the brand new battlecruiser HMS Santisima Trinidad. He had three more battlecruisers, four new cruisers, eight destroyers, five of the loyal Riffian ships, two of which were transports. There were three auxiliaries in attendance.

However, he had no way of knowing that Rear Admiral Chipper Tavers also planned to attack and would arrive comfortably ahead of him.

The two transports, HMS 1601 and HMS 1609 carried a squadron of the Guard Lancers and one of Trollian mounted infantry, both units now equipped with tanks. There was one battalion of the 24th Regiment of Foot, one battalion of the 8th Regiment of Foot, and one battalion of the King’s Own Rifles. There was artillery - heavy and field; there were engineers and assorted auxiliaries. There was a battalion of Space Grenadiers that would remain in reserve.

Vice Admiral Davids, known as “Stoney” to his friends, was jumping steadily towards Riffia with his fleet. They had already planned three possible attack plans based on different realities on the ground. Staff continued to work on other possibilities while enroute

But there were other moments. Years ago Stoney had determined that he needed love in his life. He set forth to buy a book on love. That seemed a logical first step. At the bookshop he met Valentin Rudolph who was a clerk at the store. They went out to dinner. They fell in love and began to build a life; now they had a lovely apartment in Ellendale. Val went on to become a deputy curator of bindings at the Alexandrine Library. They both had rank. Frequently, Val accompanied Stoney on different assignments and submitted a report to the Alexandrine archives. It was quite the plum job to be on assignment for the Alexandrine to record important events. Val was also going to keep a record of this momentous enterprise.

But there were other moments, too. Just now, Val was working the stress out of Stoney. He was masterful; he was almost magical. There had been passion, but now they were content and at peace, Stoney smiled as he lazed in Val’s embrace.

+++++

Chipper’s fleet approached the Riffian homeworld in the classic formation when the location and intent of the enemy is unknown. The fleet dropped out of superluminal space with destroyers scouting to the fore, supported by cruisers, then came the battlecruisers with the invasion force closely following.

An older Riffian cruiser demanded to know their intention. This demand was ignored.

The Riffian again demanded to know who they were and what they were doing. “Identify yourself or I will open fire.”

“You may fire when ready,” replied the Warspite in Riffian. The Riffian cruiser declined the opportunity and retreated to base, broadcasting an alert to the government.

There was confusion in the government. The ship that had told their cruiser to go ahead and shoot, was clearly not Riffian, but had spoken Riffian. Then too, there was a ship in company that was clearly of Riffian construction, and it urged surrender, too. The government was in the throes of a dilemma. Or perhaps it was just plain old confusion.

+++++

There was a lovely valley some fifty kilometres north of the Riffian capital that had been identified as a prime landing ground for the army and the air corps. There was an abundance of water and there was a major highway running down the valley to the capital. Cunarder descended in a prime spot with the river on one flank, and the highway on the other. The First Regiment of the Yrr army disembarked, preparing for a fight. The Air Corps was right behind and quickly had an air base established. This was made easier as a long landing strip was not needed by their aircraft. The landing was closely supported by the cruisers Marblehead and Andromeda while The Scouts and Rawalpindi remained in synchronous orbit immediately overhead. The entire maneuver was unopposed by the Riffians.

The landing had commenced two hours after their arrival. As they landed, they began to broadcast the declaration of war.

Orbyll R’Mestaa, Halberdier Sardar commanding the expeditionary forces of Yrr, had agonized over the possibility of an opposed landing. Deep, in his most secret heart-of-hearts, he wondered if he was able; if he could do it. Everything seemed to be moving too fast. Could he keep up?

Then they were down. Not a shot fired. He quickly adopted a defensive position guarding Cunarder as she continued to unload and build a formidable base of operations.

He kept the 3rd Battalion of the Yrr infantry in reserve stationed north of the landing zone where it was least likely that any Riffian soldiers would appear.

He then established a line with the 1st Battalion of the Yrr’s, then the Guards Fusiliers, the 2nd Yrr’s, and then the Dragoon Guards south of the landing zone on the highway to the capital. He thought this was the most likely angle of attack. He moved his forces slowly toward the capital as there were some excellent defensive positions in the valley’s hills along the highway.

There were over three hundred horses in this force. These remained in their commodious stables aboard. The Farrier Corporal Major of the Dragoons was unsure of the total number as there had been births that had not yet been counted. There was a science team checking to see if local flora could safely be eaten by the horses. They were hopeful that they would be able to grow supplies for the horses in the future. The Elven peoples believed that horses were essential to civilization. That horses gave them wings. This was serious business.

Orbyll thought fondly of Merriwellen his Mother. A short time ago he had carried a halberd as her escort. Now beneath her eyes, he commanded forces dedicated to her service and the liberation of the Yrr. Mostly, however, he thought fondly of his time with her when he was just a kit.

+++++

The battle continued to be scattered and undramatic. The Yrr forces remained in good order, their commander pleased, but concerned about what might next happen.

Squadron Leader Dayll, and his pilots flew combat air patrol missions above the landing zone, and ground support missions when there was an opportunity. Riffian air was clearly volunteer, improvisational, and suffered greatly for that.

Familiar Bing DM, and his team of space grenadiers, operating from 1543, continued to board the longrange drone freighters. Ma’am had provided them with all the necessary codes, so they erased the scheduled mission and sent the great freighters off to Yrr to assume orbit until further orders.

Admiral Tavers with the battlecruisers followed the Riffian ship that had challenged them to its base. A huge facility for the construction, repair and maintenance of spaceships. It was apparently undefended. It was also almost a city: schools, apartments, and residential neighborhoods were evident. Admiral Tavers announced his intention to bombard and gave the Riffians eight hours to evacuate the base. Then he destroyed it.

HMS Rawalpindi landed and Lewis and Leo held a reception for Merriwellen and Querriwellen. Gianni conducted their little chamber orchestra and the chefs produced a lovely buffet for Earth Prime palates, and another to entice the Yrr.

Their cellist, Gugu Bhekizizwe was unable to play. She was the hostess and charmed Merriwellen and Querriwellen with her stories of court and the Principate of Ishandlwana. Her grandfather was a retired major general who had led the Zulu impis in the defeat of the Riffian invasion of Earth Prime. She was familiar with courts and society and never once mentioned the weather. The ladies were delighted to learn that her name meant “Treasure” in Zulu.

Then a Riffian Fleet appeared.

+++++

Somehow, the Riffian military always seemed clumsy. Deadly to be sure, but never adroit. Ponderous as it prepared to do battle. None of the commanders of the Riffian relief force had any actual combat experience. In fact, combat experience was all but non-existent in the Riffian military. What little was gained was on the colony planets that the Hegemony sought to control. This would have been against technically disadvantaged peoples who were able to offer little serious resistance. Then too, there were campaigns comparable to those of Earth Prime where they were soundly defeated. In either event, the veterans of these campaigns seldom returned to Riffia and the few who did had no interest in further military service.

Here, what was supposed to be home, was a battlefield. The lead two frigates were destroyed before they fully understood the situation. They had blundered into established defensive positions without expecting it. A very effective ambush if it can be arranged.

A legion transport landed and prepared to unload. The legionnaires bustled about, fussing with equipment and precedence. So the transport, anxious to attend to business, started to unload supplies alongside the hull. The Yrr Air Corps noticed, pounced, and stacks of supplies, which included many types of munitions, exploded. What made these explosions particularly devastating was that a number of doors in the ship, in addition to the loading bay doors that would normally be closed, were open to facilitate unloading. So the blast coursed through hatches and passageways and fried several critical conduits. The ship, for all intents and purposes, was electronically dead.

Banner Arad, commanding the Riffian forces from the cruiser 1650, was horrified. He was fully expecting to find a battle in progress, but he did not expect to be on the losing side of that battle. His flagship had suffered several hits, but none were critical. Nevertheless, Banner Arad transferred command to the capital complex where he could liaise with the government and order a strike where it was most needed.

Legion Banner Gudgodah had organized two legions with some support forces in the northern suburbs of the capital. He had learned that there was a landing force in the scenic north valley. He correctly assumed this was a base and he put his force in motion.

+++++

Admiral Tavers and his battlecruisers were locked in battle with the Riffian cruisers and his three battle cruisers were outnumbered four to one by the Riffian cruisers. The battlecruisers were more powerful than the cruisers, but the cruisers carried heavy blast cannon as well as missiles, a very hefty punch.

Warspite staggered under repeated strikes from three cruisers. Badly damaged, Admiral Tavers transferred to Constitution and as soon as that was completed, Warspite flicked into superluminal space and then assumed a position one astronomical unit away from the battle as her damage control teams strove to make her battleworthy.

Captain Douglas DeLucca DSO, commanding HMS Mikasa noted the departure of Warspite and seized that moment to break formation and put his battlecruiser into a nest of Riffian cruisers which had been firing all too effectively on the Elven line.

This move surprised the Riffians as Mikasa ended four Riffian cruisers in about two minutes. Particularly effective had been the two interdimensional missiles that Mikasa fired.

Their targets did not even realize that they were targets and then they were destroyed. Captain DeLucca wondered at the flashes of genius that kept exploding from within the ranks of the Ancient and Honourable Company of Artillerists and Infernal Device Artificers. You aim and fire the missile in one dimension, it would track and close with the target in a different dimension, then return to the original dimension to strike the target. Who would have even thought of such a thing?

The Constitution followed Mikasa’s lead and the second wing of the Riffian formation was vaporized almost as quickly. Constitution and Mikasa then closed to their standard cruising distance and continued to hunt Riffian ships. They ignored the small Riffian units that were picking up survivors. They were catching their breath; putting little wrongs to right; preparing to fight again.

Sardar Orbyll R’Mestaa, at his headquarters in the southern hills, learned from army scouts and reconnaissance flights that a large army was moving up the highway toward him. Things had been static for the best part of two weeks. His command took their posts.

+++++

Leo and Lewis had returned to Rawalpindi. Then back into synchronous orbit with The Scouts while the two cruisers Marblehead and Andromeda moved into close support positions above the army and the landing zone.

“I wonder, Captain, if we are fully battle ready,” Leo commented.

“We are sir! We have been to combat stations. All systems are fully functional. We are on ‘high alert’ while waiting.”

“That’s excellent,” Lewis answered the captain. “You know, Leo, I’m worried about the reception. Julie can’t play as she has to tend to the Mothers.

“What about the ai-drones, Captain?”

“They’re ready too, sir. The artificers have checked and double checked.”

“We can’t play as we’re the hosts.” Lewis went on, “that leaves poor Gianni all alone. Which I suppose is okay.”

“Sirs, Andromeda and Marblehead have been attacked by a force of destroyers. Have you orders?”

“Yes, move to support. Fight our ship!” Leopold and Llewellyn spoke as one.

“We could showcase the brass, you know. Some marches, all festive and sprightly.” Llewellyn continued to consider the concert, while Rawalpindi moved purposefully forward firing a cloud of the new ai-drones when the range was exactly correct.

+++++

The Riffian army came into contact with Sardar Orbyll’s defensive positions and ground almost instantly to a halt. Confusion began to develop in the rear as units still in motion came into contact with units that had stopped dead. Stopped in a hail of artillery, small arms fire, and air support from fighters and cruisers.

Sub Banner Manasseh, struggling to bring order to the confusion in the rear of the Riffian line, diverted several units to move to the right of the main thrust and attempt to flank the enemy. The Yrr, seriously outnumbered, were forced to fall back as they refused the flank. It was slow going, but the Riffians were starting to move again.

The ai-drones fired by Rawalpindi had reduced the Riffian fighter cover by something like twenty percent, but there were still a number of fighters attempting to cover the advance. The Yrr, still outnumbered, continued to contest the skies, but here, too, they were seriously outnumbered.

Marblehead was staggered by two hits amidships. She flicked into superluminal space to assess the damage.

Rawalpindi lurched as two rockets struck her. The captain calmly ordered damage control counter measures while also giving helm orders to shift her course and speed while she continued to support the army.

“The Radetszky March is sprightly,” Lewis observed.

And with those words, Vice Admiral Sir St George Kilverstone Davids’ fleet began to appear in the skies of Riffia. Riffia was pinned and had to fight.

NEXT CHAPTER

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