The Cairo Saga, book 4: Operation Chindit
Part 5: Renegades

CNS Spirit Sight
Pirate jump-point
Tharkad system
District of Donegal
Lyran Alliance

Cairo had just made it through the docking hatch when a klaxon sounded twice, alerting everyone of an imminent hyperspace jump. He grabbed the nearest handrail for support and closed his eyes as space and time distorted.

ComStar Compound
Tharkad City
Tharkad
District of Donegal
Lyran Alliance

"Something I can help you with, Precenter Martail?" Clearwater didn't even look up as an enraged Victor Davion pushed his way through the door into the office he had appropriated, "Or is this a social call?"

"He's escaped!" Davion slammed his fists down on the desk.

"Who: Santa Claws?"

"Steven Cairo: he escaped during transport to his Court Marshal. At the same time, an ExplorerCorps DropShip blasted through the CAP and ran hell-for-leather past to warships in orbit to what is believed to be a pirate-point. The same pirate-point, in fact, that the Solaris Irregulars used to arrive here."

"I always said that man was resourceful."

"Yes, so resourceful that he was able to change the patrol schedule so that the CNS Spirit Sight was at the pirate-point the same time the DropShip arrived. We have yet to make contact with the Spirit Sight and find out what is going on."

"Sounds like you have a busy day ahead of you then, Precenter Martail. Don't let me keep you."

"Stop playing games Simon…"

"Silence." Clearwater didn't raise his voice at all, but Davion stopped mid sentence. The Precenter ROM narrowed his eyes, "Your predecessor chose you because he felt that you were just the person ComStar needed. This is true. You were once First Prince of the Federated Commonwealth, the largest empire man has ever known, and as such you know about the necessary evils of leadership. You are an experienced General in the field, and as such you know about he necessities of war."

"I…"

"I didn't give you permission to speak." Clearwater shot Davion a glance that could have melted steal, "But you have no real training or experience with intelligence or counter-intelligence operations. I have recently put a plan into motion that may shorten this war exponentially. If it succeeds, that is."

"Are you saying that you planed this?"

"I am saying that I have recently put a plan into motion that may shorten this war exponentially. I am Precenter ROM: I handle intelligence, counter- intelligence and internal security for ComStar. You are Precenter Martail: your job is to protect and defend ComStar and our allies and protectorates through force of arms as needs be. Our methods differ, but in the end, our goals are the same."

"Cairo and those under his command will be declared outlaws, their ship as rouge. Any coalition forces that encounter them will be ordered to fire on sight. No one will offer them safe haven or support. They are cut off from society, outcasts, bandits, and mutineers. They will be hunted down and brought to justice."

"Steven Cairo has survived the better part of a decade of travel and fighting throughout known space by having the devils own luck, making more than a few friends along the way. He will surprise you."

"Be very careful of the games you chose t play against me Simon: I'm a very fast learner."

"I have been playing these 'games' since before you were born, and I always play for keeps. The fact that I am still alive is testament to how good I am at them. If you want to take this to the next level, and pit ROM and the ComsGuard against each other, then so be it. But I have neither the time nor inclination to pull my punches: you want a war, I'll give you one like you've never seen."

"I will not play into Word of Blake's hands by splitting ComStar."

"Neither will I. Is there anything else?"

"No, but the orders will still go out: Steven Cairo is renegade, and will be treated as such."

"As you wish, Precenter Martail. As you wish…"

CNS Spirit Sight
Interstellar space
District of Donegal
Lyran Alliance

Cairo's head span as the Warship reappeared in normal space, having left the Lyran capital world far behind. He felt his stomach lurch violently, and he had to restrain the urge to vomit as his body extracted the toll for faster-than-light travel.

"Man that was fun!" A joyful voice came from behind Cairo, "Let's do it again!"

"Are you crazy?" Cairo turned and got his first good look at his new DropShip pilot: the man stood a little under two meters tall, and had the willowy build of a long-term spacer. His face and head was covered in a thick layer of rust-red hair that framed a pair of wild eyes and a tooth filled mouth sat at a permanent grin. He war a set of tattered overalls and an old leather bomber jacket that looked like it had seen better days. A Nakajama laser pistol hung in a holster low down on his left hip. Cairo raised an eyebrow, "Commander Serv Augusta, I presume?"

"Hey, just call me Serv: everyone dose." The man offered his hand, and Cairo shook it, deciding he was going to like the pilot Clearwater had found him. "So, we're we headed?"

"That's still classified: only myself, Star-Commodore Ivan Leroux and Precenter Clearwater know." Cairo turned and headed for the bridge, "But it's sure to be a fun ride."

The Corvettes bride was its usual hive of activity; dispute the fact that they were deep in interstellar space, light-years away from anything bigger than a spec of dust.

"Officer on deck." Star-Commodore Leroux came to attention as Cairo drifted through the hatch, followed by an inquisitive Serv, "We are ready to perform our next jump, sir."

"Very good." Cairo grabbed a headset from an empty workstation, "Give my ship-wide, including the Wildfire."

Leroux flipped a switch and a buzzer sounded throughout the two ships, calling everyone to attention.

"All crew: attention to orders." Cairo's voice sounded throughout the Warship, "As you are all no doubt aware, we have completed our first hyperspace jump, and have left the Tharkad system far behind. You all volunteered for this mission because you understand that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I regret that I am still not at liberty to tell you the true nature of our mission, but I can tell you that, if successful, it will have far-reaching consequences."

"We will be traversing silent with no outgoing communications what so ever. By now we will have been declared reneged, and our former allies will have orders to shot us on sight. Only by succeeding will we clear our names, but failure will result in our names forever been branded as traitors who deserted our post at time of war."

"We will be fighting a gorilla campaign far behind enemy lines, using tactics and weapons that we would normally never even consider. You may have already heard rumours that we are carrying a large number of Alamo anti-ship nuclear-missiles and Siva anti-ship nuclear-mines. These are both true: we have orders to use them against targets of opportunity after we have completed our main assignment. That is all." Cairo cut the link.

"Our next destination?" Leroux asked.

"Second star to the right and strait on till mourning…"

TBC…