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Ok, before starting Part Deuce, a few more backstory points...

This is intended as a section in the second half of a book, so something the reader would (I hope) have known by this time:
The Avitrol dominate culture is very caste based...except in Namreg where a social revolution has overthrown this institution, for the second time in a generation. This is one of the causes of the current conflict.

The actual language of the "The People" of Avitorl would sound to human ears like a mixture of Bushman, complete with tongue clicks, a gutural middle eastern tongue, and a pack of beagles. Therefore, any names that are famililiar are simply for the convenience of the reader and the translators, some, "Great Axe, etc. are obviously relataed to similar object.

Some designations of immediate concern:
N.R.N. = Natribish Royal Navy. A warship of the Island nation of Natrib Major
N.P.S. = Namreggian Protected Ship. A warship of the nation of Namreggian. Protected was a designation which came to be associated with any powered (as opposed to sail driven) vessel. It originally meant armored.
Helms Shoals = A major Namreggian port and naval base on the north coast of Namreg, on the southeastern end of the Natrib Sea.
Natrib Sea = Ocean on the northwest of the continent of Puroee. In the south, it is joined to the Henserf Channel, it's western shore is the island group comprising Natrib Major. On its northeastern side is the uncomforably warm (especially in summer), mountainous country of Ronyaw. The northwestern end connects to the northern end of the Outer Ocean, south of where the great equatorial reefs begin.
Citalbe Sea = An inland sea, north of the continent of Puroee. It's western end connects to the Natrib Sea by way of the narrows known as Cross Seas Point.
Great Mouth = Main Naval Port of Natrib Major, On east coast of High Isle (North island)

And now...Part 2


December Secundus Tuesday, 711 (12/10/711) - 20:13, about 84 km northwest of Helms Shoals, submersible N.R.N. Cod, course 42 grads (236°), Speed 8 kph, surfaced

Commander Foals stepped back, nodding to the ensign to take the heavy night binoculars.

"Alter course North-North-West." He ordered to the helmsman, bellowing down the open hatchway in the floor of the conning tower. Foal's hand reached up to smooth the ruffled fur on his brow.

Commander Foals turned to his executive officer, Lieutenant Vance. Vance was a trim, light furred individual, well groomed. Commander Foals, despite be a Beta Superior, always felt slightly uncomfortable around his dapper, older, more experienced, XO. But, recalling his caste, Foals straightened himself. "Lt. Vance, make sure that the boat is made ready to submerse at a moments notice. We will radio in the sighting report and attempt to keep them in sight."

Vance lowered his ears, confirming his submitting to the orders. Lt. Vance had been in Natrib Major's naval service for twice as long as the Commander. He had served aboard submersibles for much of this time. He was also nervous about being surfaced this close to the enemies' shores, even at night. And he had also seen numerous enemy aircraft during his turns on the periscope that day. The Cod had lowered it's scope and dived deep to avoid be sighted by aircraft more than a handful of times today.

Foals turned and grabbed the handrails on the periscopes pedestal, directly behind the open hatch. He quickly, with practiced ease, slip thru the hatch and down into the control room.

"Radio Operations" Commander Foals called.

The midshipman, a Beta Inferior as the rank required, looked at his commander.

"Warm up the transmitter and be prepared to send our position and the following report." Commander Foals continued when the midshipman had gotten his pad ready, "Have sighted sixteen plus enemy ships at extreme visual range to the north of our position. Smoke and speed suggests warships, believe enemy course to be Northwesterly. Not in position to intercept. Will attempt to follow. Commander Foals."

Foals fixed his eyes on the midshipman. "You will send that twice, asking for confirmation after each transmission. Let me know after the second transmission if "The Hill" has confirmed receipt or not. If not, keep sending until you receive a confirmation or we submerse."

December Secundus Tuesday, 711 (12/10/711) - 20:35, Donelon, White Isle, Natrib Major. Office of High Seas Fleet Admiral.

Fleet Admiral Oak looked down the table at Vice Admiral Cane and his aids.

"How reliable are your sources in Helms Shoals?" Admiral Oak asked, his ears twitched back in a quizzical manner.

Vice Admiral Cane yipped softly, a slight hesitation in response to being question by an Alpha Prime. "Well, in addition to the reports from the afternoon reconnaissance flight of smoke from the stacks of the faster capital ships, we have had the reports from two separate agents that the Namreggian War Fleet proceeded to sea. And both reports clearly indicated that their two fast line of battle ships and their four remaining battlecruisers were among those in the sortie."

Fleet Admiral Oak looked down the table at Vice Admiral Bard, in charge of Submersible Boats. "And the report from the submersible Cod?" Cane asked.

Vice Admiral Bard flexed his fingers, betraying his nervousness at being on the spot. "I've every reason to believe that Commander Foal's report is correct. It's timing and location would be consistent with ships of the Namreggian War Fleet having steamed at a good cruising speed since early evening." And with a shrug implied by the nodding bob of his head, Admiral Bard added. "Plus the number of ships reported would be consistent with the faster elements of their fleet with the expected escort vessels." He continued, "Luna is up tonight, and visibility is reported to be good over the Natrib Sea." Bard finished, "While Commander Foals is not very senior, his XO is a quite able man of his caste and has been in the service for quite a while. I'm sure Commander Foals is making good use of his experience."

"So this casteless Namreggian fleet waits for darkness to sail, and sorties just the units we would expect for a raid or breakout." Fleet Admiral Oak asked, while looking up at the ceiling, as if questioning his ancestors. "How predictable of them!" he sneered showing he didn't believe what he was saying. "But," he asked, his expression becoming serious and looking around the table again "what are their intentions, what are they trying to do?"

Oak looked at Vice Admiral Cane. Canes ears lowered in submission.

"We do not have any reports from our agents on this sorties' intentions." Cane continued "But, from their course, it would seem they are staging some kind of breakout. Quite possible trying to get one or both of those light battlecruisers[1] of theirs into the Outer Ocean."

From the expressions around the table, Fleet Admiral Oak could see that all felt the same way as he did about the prospect of that. The memories of the cost to Natrib Major of running down the N.P.S. Waylay was still fresh in everyone's mind. The thought of the havoc the other two members of the Namreggian Ambush class could cause in the shipping lanes between Natrib Major and Ciamare East was even worst.

"If that is the case," continued Admiral Cane "then we must consider plan Backstop." He and all the others looked at Fleet Admiral Oak.

In the silence of the room the light traffic of early evening could be heard outside.

December Secundus Tuesday, 711 (12/10/711) - 20:35, 20 km South-South West of Cross Seas Point, Ronyaw, Auxiliary Cruiser Pollox, course 54 grads (305°), Speed 30.5 kph

Commodore Zefrim looked down at the chart, and again measured the distance to the next turning point. Forty more minutes until they turned to head north up the coast of Ronyaw. The ship shuddered as it worked it's way out of the Citalbe Sea and into the Natrib Sea, it's big diesel engines working harder than usual to push the fully loaded ex-fast freighter at it's full speed.

The old owners would never have allowed him to burn fuel at this extravagant rate. For each kilometer he traveled at this speed, he could travel 2 km at a fast cruise speed of 23 kph or 3 km at the ship's economical cruise speed of 16 kph. But the new "owners" had not only the filled the ship's fuel bunkers to the top, but had also provided half of one hold full of drums of fuel. Fuel enough for 60,000 kilometers at the economical speed. No, we wouldn't run out of diesel fuel anytime soon.

The new "owners" had also provided him with a crew many times larger than his old one, and enough food to feed them all for almost a year.

But the old owners hadn't expected him so sail his un-protected freighter into a war, and use it to attack and capture other freighters. And his new "owners", the Namreggian Navy, most certainly did.

Not that this bothered Commodore Zefrim. He had been a regular naval officer in the last war and had served in the navel reserves after they were created when the Equi Party had risen to power. As a Beta Superior, he hadn't been much effected either way by the changes of the Reformation, he wasn't high caste enough to have lost much, nor had he gained anything either. But, since the war had begun, and his ship had been nationalized, he had been had been living in the eye of a hurricane.

In the old, pre-Refomation Namreggian Navy, his caste had entitled him to the rank of Commander, and he had stayed in the navy as a gunnery officer on a hydrolance boat destroyer during the 1^st War of Reformation. After the war, the Regency navy had no use for a "traitor to his caste", so he had joined the merchant marine. Then, in the last couple of years he had become captain of this ship, hauling tropical fruit back from Ciamare West, crossing the equatorial reefs and sailing in the great open oceans of the Northern Hemisphere to avoid the long haul around Ciamare West. These together had lead the new Equi Party Admirals decide that he was just right to command their "fruit" boat.

And in addition to making him a full Commodore, the Admirals of the Namreggian Navy had their new fruit boat spend the last two months in the dockyards. The most obvious addition they had made was the six 16 cw guns they had added. They were old, obsolete deck guns from light cruisers that had been de-commissioned at the end of the first War of Reformation. Three were installed along each side, with one on each side in the bow, amid-ships and the stern. While slower firing and with shorter ranged then modern guns their size, and with the gun-crew exposed, protected by nothing but a gun shield, they were powerful enough to threaten a small warship. Or sink a freighter.

No so obvious was the addition of four hydrolance tubes. They had been installed below the water line, amidships, two on each side of the ship. The dozen hydrolances the Pollox had to use with them were not Farflungs, but instead were slower, shorter ranged battery powered electric models. But the maintenance requirements of these were much simpler, and they were far less of a fire hazard on board. The Farflung hydrolance required pure oxygen as fuel, which was worse then gasoline in the event of a fire. But the battery powered hydrolances had one other trait that recommended them. They left no wake at all, so were very hard to see coming. This meant that when fired from an underwater tube, the enemy might not even know he had been attacked until it struck.

Additionally, the dockyards had installed a single modern 9 cw gun in the bows, for use as both a high altitude anti-aircraft and light anti-ship gun. It was perfect for firing a shot over an enemy ship, to demand that they surrender. A pair of 4 cw autocannons and four 2 cw machine cannons provided the rest to the anti-air weapons.

All of these guns had been placed with fake deckhouses or crates to conceal them then not in use. These fake structures were hinged to drop down when it was time to ready the guns for use.

The other modifications had included providing materials and fixtures to allow the crew to alter the ship's deck structure and add a fake funnel to make it appear she was coal fired. The holds held paint, wood, canvas, light steel plate and tools to allow the Pollox to masquerade as one of several different common classes of foreign freighter.

In order to give the Pollox "eyes" she had been equipped with a catapult and a pair of biplanes. The aircraft had floats for landing and could be brought back aboard using the loading cranes. Of course this would only work in fair weather. When not needed, the little scout planes could have their wings removed and be lowered into the hold, out of sight.

The other bit of cargo was something that Commodore Zefrim would be very glad to see gone. 92 anti-ship mines. They were to be left in the sea lanes leading into a harbor in Natrib Major. There they would hopefully cause great harm to the shipping of the Natribish. Until then they represented 138 tons of high explosives that could only harm his ship. When added to the dozen hydrolances, hundreds of 16 cw shells and thousands of smaller rounds of ammunition, plus the fuel, this made the Pollox feel very vulnerable to enemy fire. Especially as the only armor protection to have been added in the yards was to protect the bridge, and even this would not stop a direct hit from a real warships gun..

The other thing that the Namreggian Admirals had given him were men. As a simple fruit boat, the Pollox had a crew of about 40. She now contained 351 including Zefrim. Some of course were required to crew these new weapons, and also provided the hands to make the changes in the ship's appearance and make the repairs she would require after many months at sea. For she wouldn't see a port during this voyage. If they were lucky.

And if they were lucky, some of that extra crew would be needed to bring home prizes. For Commodore Zefrim's orders were to send home any ships which had a valuable cargo and had, in his judgment, a fair chance of making it past the Natribish Navy's blockade. Otherwise he was to sink, burn or destroy any enemy shipping that he could. He would do this until he returned, or until the Natribish Navy did the same to him.

December Secundus Tuesday, 711 (12/10/711) - 20:40, Donelon, White Isle, Natrib Major. Office of High Seas Fleet Admiral.

Fleet Admiral Oak listened to the sound of the traffic in the streets outside the High Seas Fleet headquarters. The room was quiet with all of the assembled flag officers waiting for him to comment on Admiral Cane's suggestion.

He turned Backstop over in his mind. Plan Backstop was intended to trap the Namreggian War Fleet after a major sortie, preventing it from returning to port. But it risked allowing some or even all of the enemy to break through to the Outer Ocean. He looked down the table at Vice Admiral Anderson, whose ears were back emphasizing his sneer of questioning disbelief. Oak knew that Anderson, who was in charge of the convoys of merchant shipping, was thinking of the effect one or both of those pocket battlecruisers could have on one of his convoys, escorted as they were by light cruisers and destroyers. And most of the civilian shipping was still traveling independently, without any escort at all. Indeed, if he ordered Backstop, the Namreggian pocket battlecruisers would likely make it out into the open ocean, if that was their plan. But…..

Admiral Oak looked across the table at young Vice Admiral Fisher, in charge of the Home Island Coastal Fleet. Mainly minesweepers, motor hydrolance boats and old destroyers, with a handful of obsolete cruisers, the Home Fleet would be swept aside if the Namreggian task force was heading to the home islands for a raid. And the Namreggian task force's timing would put them off the coast right at dawn. Barely out of the academy, but of a good family, Fisher was Vice Admiral due to his caste, of course. Oak could picture Admiral Fisher leading a charge of light ships against the enemy fleet.

No, Admiral Fisher would do fine if the Namreggians were so foolish as to attempt a morning raid on Natrib Major. He would lose most of his command, and probably die nobly. But the motor hydrolance boats and destroyers would play havoc with the enemy capital ships, close to shore. And the old cruisers could trail the enemy. By mid-day, the High Seas Fleet would be in position to deal with Namreggians, who would also still be in range of Natribish land based aircraft. No, a coastal raid was not likely, not with them leaving port this late in the day. It was most probably a breakout attempt.

In either case, breakout or raid, Backstop was designed to put the pride of the Natribish High Seas Fleet between the Namreggians and their home waters. But at the cost of allowing the Namreggians a shot at the open ocean.

He looked again at Vice Admiral Anderson. He would be sure to recommend plan Furrow, which called for three of the five line of battle squadrons to head due north, cutting the enemy off, preventing a breakout. The other two squadrons, with the newest, fastest line of battle ships, would be left to guard the home islands. Yes, Anderson was a conservative old man.

Fleet Admiral Oak broke the silence. "Plan Backstop is a worthy suggestion, Admiral Cane." Admiral Cane's ears came up, showing his pride at the complement from his superior, in front of his caste mates, his peers.

"But sir," begin Vice Admiral Anderson, who refused to lower his ears in submission.

Admiral Oak cut him off. "I am aware that it may well allow the casteless Namreggians to break into the Outer Ocean. But I don't think they will send more than the two light battlecruisers into the Outer Ocean. The rest of their ships would run out of fuel unless they returned in a week, two at the most. And they wouldn't risk the best half of their fleet like that."

The Fleet Admiral continued "Nor are they likely to try this again, for if they do manage to get those infernal pocket battlecruisers into the Outer Ocean, I'm sure we would be able to destroy them before they could return to Namreg."

"But Sir, the cost to our convoys." begun Admiral Anderson again, his fingers twitching.

"The real cost," responded Fleet Admiral Oak, "would be the lost opportunity. For it is unlikely we will get another chance to engage their fast capital ships so far from base."

"If the two line of battle squadrons of Task Force Striker can get between them and their route home, with a line of battle squadron to the north, then we can destroy their mobile striking force, leaving them with only a single squadron of older, slower line of battle ships." The Fleet Admiral stood up. "No, we must not waste this opportunity to gut their fleet. I order plan Backstop to be executed."