“Tango one 200 yards astern, sir.”
Nikki hung her head and bit her top lip. Come on, move.
“He’s passing astern, sir; range 400 yards.”
She felt a rivulet of sweat roll down her forehead. How does Nathan cope with this?
“Tango one is now 400 yards south of us,” said Benson. “No aspect change… tracking… tracking. Now 800 yards, no aspect change.”
Nikki held her breath. Wait… Wait.
Time to move. She looked at the Planesman.
“Hold it, Nikki,” said Nathan. “Let him get over a mile away before you move.”
She smiled and nodded. She waited until he was one point five miles away.
“Planesman, resume course, 12 knots.”
“Twelve knots, aye sir.”
The boat continued on her way to the edge and free water. She looked at the power readings. Batteries at 30 %, a reasonable margin she knew.
“Nikki, hand the conn to Weaps. I’ll get coffees and see you in the wardroom.”
“Sir.”
Several minutes later, he entered the Wardroom with two coffees and set them down on the table.
“Anything else, Miss Kaminski? A jam and cream doughnut maybe?”
Nikki grinned.
Nathan sat down. “When we get up there, I’ll call 73 Easting; he’ll be well south of us. We have Stanley and his SSNs down there, running a flank attack. I’d like to do the same.”
“Squeeze ’em,” said Nikki. “Should work.”
“I was thinking that if the nukes flank them, they should gather in the middle, and we pair come in behind them. We’d be better joining up with 73 Easting by running north and south on the surface.”
Nikki set her cup down and scowled.
“There’s a problem with that, Nathan. Enemy air. He’s bound to have good radar where we have a photonic mast system based on the AN/BPS 16. Ok, but inferior to his. We must expect Russian maritime patrol birds and they’ll be packing the Kh-35 GRAU missile.”
“Yeah, I know, we might have to keep diving. But this way we can stay near the ice edge and that means power top-ups. I’ll ask Kamov to call the SSNs to stay back, while Easting backs us up to get under, and then we clean up from behind.”
Nikki took a sip of coffee, held it, and stared at Nathan. “I don’t like it. They could make sneak attacks. We’ll have to be ready to dive quickly. It’ll be a dangerous run to meet up with Easting.”
“That’s true, but it’s the quickest way to catch the SSNs in a fore and aft pincer.”
They both returned to the control room, and an hour later they were under clear water.
“Planesman, up angle 15, trim fore and aft, make for periscope depth.”
“Aye, sir, come to periscope depth.”
The deck tilted up by the bow, then shortly after levelled.
“Periscope depth, sir.”
Nathan touched menus on his screen and the scope raised above the waves, did a 360 and retracted. He looked at the photo and spun it around. It was mostly ice flows, but some clear water. He looked at the horizon and the sky, checked the radar, and all was clear. “XO, inform the Chief Engineer that he can run his diesels for a charge. Lemineux, try to raise 73 Easting.”
The Communications Officer operated options on his screen. A minute later, he responded.
“Sir, 73 Easting isn’t responding to satellite prompts. She must be submerged. Wait, sir… I’m receiving a message for your eyes only from COMSUBPAC.”
“Very good, send it to my terminal. I’ll read it in my cabin.”
Nathan walked aft to his cabin where he accessed his wall screen. He read and listened to the message. He sighed, rubbed his temples, and then sat back and closed his eyes to think.
Finally, he sat up. “Thanks, Kamov. It’s not much to ask I suppose.” He smiled and picked up the intercom.
Nikki was in the galley, drinking a coffee with Kate LeDonns from Engineering.
“Really? You must have been knocked out with that, Nikki?”
Nikki leaned close. “It was worse, he…”
The intercom sounded. “XO to my cabin. XO to my cabin. Captain ends.”
Kate grinned. “Off you go, Nikki.” She waved her hand toward the door.
“I don’t…”
“You’re summoned to his cabin.” Kate laughed. “You just behave yourself, girl,” she said with a wink.
Nikki shook her head and left the galley. She knocked and then entered Nathan’s cabin. He was sat on his bunk and he patted a patch next to him. She sat.
“We’ve just got a message from Kamov. You need to see it.” He brought up the screen.
PRIORITY RED
R 231347Z MAR 96 ZY12
COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HAWAII//N1//
TO STONEWALL JACKSON
PACFLT// ID S072RQ81//
NAVAL OPS/02
MSGID/PACOPS 6735/CNO ACTUAL//
MSG BEGINS://
COMMUNICATIONS AUDIO BROADCAST FOR YOU AND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER KAMINSKI. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. CNO KAMOV.
MSG END://
“I’ve watched it already, Nikki.”
He set the screen playing, and the Naval crest appeared with the Bald Eagle carrying a gold anchor. It was followed by Admiral Kamov’s head and shoulders.
“Blake, Kaminski. I know you’re at the edge of the ice, probably replenishing your power. You’ll no doubt be in contact with the USS 73 Easting soon. We’ve received some communications from Minnesota’s trailing wire and the battle under the ice seems to be having some success.
“Blake, I have some new orders for you. It’s vital that we deny the enemy domination of the Arctic. We mounted a large airstrike against the Northern Fleet with some success but heavy casualties. Unfortunately, it wasn’t decisive.
“USS Stonewall Jackson’s task is simple but difficult: sink the Northern Fleet’s flagship Pyotr Velikiy, Peter the Great. I know this is an awesome task, but it will have an effect beyond the Cruiser’s capabilities as a warship. It will drive a dagger into the leadership’s heart.
“We are sending our best. It’s our Achilles against their Hector. Good hunting, Commander Blake.”
The screen faded.
He turned to Nikki. “What do you think?”
She shut her open mouth and shook her head. “Holy fuck. He may as well have said, ‘Oh, and just sneak into the Kremlin and take out the leadership.’” She put her head in her hands.
“Can we do it, Nik?”
“She’ll have the mother of all ASW screens. Destroyers, Frigates, the air will be thick with Helix Helicopters, probably an SSN down below too.”
“I know, we’ll be one boat against that lot.” Nathan frowned.
“Ah,” Nikki looked up grinning, “remember the Swedish boat Gotland took out the carrier Ronald Reagan in an exercise.” The Gotland was a diesel-electric boat. She laughed. “We just have to do it for real.”
Nathan smiled for her, but inwardly he knew he carried a heavy burden. Ironically, the blow he’d deal the enemy, if successful, was as much political as military. If Peter the Great couldn’t face down the Americans, who could?
Nikki was right: its ASW screen would be the best. But she’d face the best; it was what his boat was designed and built for. Nathan knew he had to take the fight to where the enemy didn’t want it.
The plaque in the main companionway carried General Jackson’s words: “… but to find the enemy, and strike him; to invade his country, and do him all possible damage in the shortest possible time.”
That was it, Nathan knew; they needed to get in close and give him the bayonet.
17
“Lemineux, tell USS 73 Easting to travel north for 70 miles and then go under the ice and join Stanley’s Minnesota and the other SSNs hunting the Russian boats down. Make sure he has the under-ice tactical situation as far as we understand it. Oh, and let COMSUBPAC know what he’s doing.”