“Well, not that I wouldn't want to,”
“Of course you'd want to.”
“I mean, maybe someday.”
“I'm sure she'd agree.”
“We did just have our first date.”
“That's right. How did that go?”
“Great, didn't get a chance to stay for dessert, but great.”
“Well, you two have been sharing dessert in your off time anyway,” Oz whispered while looking through the duty roster.
“Nope. Things haven't gone quite that far.”
“Really? What have you been doing all this time?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.
“Getting incarcerated. Shot by bounty hunters. You know, busy busy. The surprise I have planned involves something I picked up at Larsen's. You'll see.” I checked the status of the shields and shook my head. “Take it slow with the shields.”
“We are. If we were charging them at the normal rate they'd be at maximum by now and building a power reserve with the extra energy,” Laura responded. “Shields are the only thing Vindyne does well.”
“Thank you Sergeant, next time we'll charge them at your pace,” I acknowledged with a nod in her direction. “By the way, did you relocate Captain Grays?” I asked Oz in a whisper.
“Security escorted her off the ship during our meeting this morning. They said she was pretty happy, actually. Then again, she should be. We paid her as a captain for the time she was here.”
“That was generous.”
“Well, considering she left us with all her access codes, her knowledge of fleet deployments, known colonies and major Vindyne ports, I think it'll be worth it. Ask Jason about the info she dropped on us some time. He was speechless for at least ten minutes when he saw it.”
“Ten minutes? That is something.”
“One minute before we're far enough from the gravity well to enter hyperspace sir,” reported Derek from navigation.
I checked the ship status and saw that our shields were fully charged, our power reserves were at maximum, weapon systems were ready but still completely hidden and our primary power plants were running at just under fifty percent.
I brought an exterior image of the ship up on the main holographic display, just as it would be seen if we were looking at her from somewhere outside. The lights of the distant station, the outer posts, other ships and the distant stars reflected off of her silver hull, and her long smooth curves shimmered under the distortion of our many layered shields.
Oz whistled quietly. “Well don't we do amazing work. If there's a ship more beautiful than ours out there I don't need to know her.”
The ship's engines were flaring blue and accelerating the ship out towards empty space. “There's nothing else like her.” I said quietly.
“How close are the engines to maximum tolerance levels?”
“I can give you twice the thrust, then the inertial dampeners will start to strain.”
“Did you say double? We're at maximum burn now according to my readings.”
“We haven't had time to update the control systems to reflect the ship's new capabilities. We can move a lot faster using the antimatter intermix.”
“Where everyone finds the time to make all this happen I'll never know,” Oz said, shaking his head.
“It's all about sleep, sir. Some of us just don't,” Laura commented.
“Helm, switch to manual thrust control and give us an extra forty percent. I want us in hyperspace before we meet whatever ship those bounty hunters call home.”
“Aye, sir.” I could hear the smile on the pilot's face as I watched him release the controls to manual and start pushing the engines.
The holographic representation in front of us left a light trail behind as the engines propelled the ship into less congested space.
“Thirty seconds to safe hyperspace distance,” The helm reported.
“All right, if there's anything out here hating us they don't have long to show it,” Oz muttered as he checked his own tactical display.
I switched the main holographic display back to tactical and looked for myself. There was the distant asteroid belt, a few slowly drifting rocks, but no ships in too near a trajectory or ahead that could pose a threat or even get within reasonable firing range in time.
I stood and walked up to the hologram, it was a meter taller than me and four meters wide in the middle of the bridge. “I think we're all a bit paranoid. If things keep up this way I'll draw my sidearm on my own shadow before the day's out.”
“We're ten seconds out from our safe jump point.”
“Keep counting Sergeant.” Oz replied to the helmsman.
I walked through the main holographic display and stared out into the open space displayed all around us on the walls. I wasn't looking for enemy ships. Anything that big or close enough to see with the naked eye would be far more obvious on a tactical display. No, I took a deep breath and decided to do what I could to ease my mind, try to shake the feeling that there was something out there waiting for us. “Oz, full systems and crew report. Have all departments do a cursory check, head count and report in. They have five minutes.”
“Yes sir.”
“Entering hyperspace,” announced the helm. I stood there, looking at the distorted star field, new nebulae of dark matter and gravitational eddies visible thanks to the haze of our hyperspace field. I relaxed and let myself sigh in relief. I couldn't help but just stare at the artificial view ahead as we accelerated past the speed of light and faster. It really was like being surrounded by windows, I didn't feel trapped even though we were in the centre of the ship.
“All reports are in and we check out fine. All crew accounted for, all departments confirm a smooth entry into hyperspace.”
“Ayan, how is engineering?”
“Everything's fine, we're shutting the particle accelerator down though, there's something causing it to misalign. Nothing serious.”
“Sounds almost like a gravity problem.”
“You could be right, but we've already accounted for all the artificial gravity and the mass of the ship.”
“It must be something outside,” I said as I sat down in the command chair. I brought a gravity overlay up on the tactical display and everyone could immediately see that there was something emitting an artificially generated field ahead.
“Battle stations!” Oz commanded.
Emergency deceleration kicked in, pitching everyone forward and as soon as we were at a safe speed the hyperspace field around the ship dissipated. We had managed to remain in our seats, but just barely.
“Sir, there's something generating enough gravity to keep us out of hyperspace,” came the report from navigation.
“Find the source, fast,” I started checking as half the bridge crew did the same.
“Got it! Small, high powered emitters. Five of them.”
“Open up one beam emplacement and fire high density pulse shots. Only use half the energy intensity, I get the feeling we're being watched.”
“Sir, I have a thought.”
“Hold fire. What is it Jason?”
“They could be waiting for us to destroy them so they could attack us legally. In neutral space they would be fully justified if we destroyed their property.”
“You've got to be kidding me,” Oz sighed.
I stared at the tactical display in front of me and shrugged. “It's the strangest thing I've heard all week, but I think you might be right. That sounds like a typical corporate plan A, even though I'm sure we have the right to remove an obstruction. If I were up for a legal battle, I'd stick around and fight one, but I don't have the patience.”
“Thank God,” Jason said as he monitored his station for any incoming communications.
“Helm, plot a course to the nearest edge of the gravity field and start setting up a course that will take us past Zingara. We'll decelerate after a few hours and resume course to Starfree Port.”
We turned with a quick lurch and our engines
started accelerating in the other direction, away from the gravitational obstruction. “We're accelerating at full speed according to instrumentation sir.”
“Ayan, have your team adjust the throttle control to reflect the correct engine tolerances. We need bridge navigation stations to reflect the actual capabilities of our thrusters.”
“Yes sir,” she replied with a nod.
“The new engine profile is on our panels now sir,” reported Derek from the pilot's station. “Increasing speed.”
A moment later I was pressed into my seat a little as the inertial dampeners fought to keep up with the sudden acceleration.
“Any minute now they'll realize we're not going for it and put plan B into play.” Oz said quietly. “We just have to find out how they knew our exact course.”
“Plan B won't be as elaborate.”
“Sir, new mass incoming dead ahead,” tactical reported.
Before I had a chance to say anything a three kilometre wide star shaped carrier appeared right in front of us. Derek turned the ship and I could hear the engines strain to counter our inertia.
“Message from the carrier sir. She's named the Viceroy and belongs to the Archness Confederation,” Jason said.
“They're part of the Triad. What're they doing here?” Oz pondered as he checked the tactical display and sent orders to all departments to stand ready.
“Put it up Sergeant,” I said to Jason.
“First Light and crew, you are to bring your ship to a halt and prepare to be boarded. We are assisting Vindyne in pursuit of a ship that matches your description and designation. Your cooperation will be taken into consideration during legal proceedings.”
I stood up and looked the hologram right in the eye. The commander of the carrier was a woman about my age with her hair in a tight bun. “Can I have your name?”
“I am Major Warren.”
“No, your full name.”
She hesitated for a moment, “Major Victoria Warren.”
“Good to meet you Victoria. My name is Jonas Valent. Now, we only just started to get to know each other so I'll be kind. You and whatever ships you brought with you -- and I'm assuming there are others cloaked nearby -- should take this opportunity to quietly leave.”
She smiled and nodded. “I'm afraid that's not an option, Captain.”
I turned to Laura. “What are the defences on that ship like? Do you think a few thousand antimatter rounds could punch through?”
She took a moment to scan and looked back at me, uneasy at being overheard by the commander of the carrier, who's holographic image was looking less self assured by the second. “It would only take about a hundred. Their shields aren't made to counter antimatter,” she said quietly.
I looked back at Major Warren. “Last chance,” I stopped for a moment, looked into her holographic eye and continued. “I'm not taking prisoners today and we're not interested in leaving anything intact for salvage,” I said flatly, slowly, seriously.
The bridge was deathly silent, so much so that the sounds coming across Major Warren's command deck through the communication were perfectly clear. I gave her a mental count of three and nodded. “Expose all weapon emplacements. All rail cannons, fire on that carrier until it is reduced to slag. Beam emplacements, fire bursts in a three hundred sixty degree spread, let's find those cloaked ships. Torpedo turrets, ready antimatter load and await my order.” I got a little closer to the holographic representation of the Major as she commanded shields at the ready and to prepare to return fire. “Helm, get close, damn close, to that carrier and don't pull away until there's nothing left. I want to make this kill eye to eye.”
She looked back at me, her confidence and self assurance had turned into regret and fear.
“I warned you,” I said before making a slashing motion across my throat so Jason knew it was time to cut communications. “Sergeant Everin, start jamming every frequency. No one is allowed to hear themselves think but us.”
We started taking particle beam weapons fire right away, but the energy was being refracted and our impact shields were stopping all the particles that the beams carried along with them. “How are our shields holding up?”
“We're recharging as fast as we're taking damage sir. They only have a few small rail gun turrets and they're meant for point defence. The rest is beam technology and they can't breach our refractive fields.”
“How are theirs?”
“Almost gone. My estimate was off, their shields are detonating the antimatter rounds as they pass through, causing explosions across their outer hull. Our refractive shielding is redirecting their beam fire right at them.”
I looked at the tactical display and saw they were launching a dozen fighters every ten seconds, using each of the five different launch bays in turn. “As soon as their shields are down fire five antimatter torpedoes right into the core of the ship. The best way to kill a hydra is by tearing out it's heart.”
“Yes sir,” came the response from tactical.
“Sir! Five destroyers just uncloaked in firing range. They're all Vindyne.”
“Don't panic. Remember, we have three times the power and twice the shielding per meter than they do. Use the carrier as cover, get behind it but keep a minimum safe distance. We don't want to get caught in the fireball when that thing goes.”
“Where do you want us Jonas?” Minh asked through the communicator on my arm.
“I want to get out of here quickly, so have some of your crew stand by. The rest should get to automation so they can control a few computerized turrets.”
“Yes sir,” Minh replied, I could hear him grinning. “You heard him! Get to the automation bay. Let's shred some Vindyne!” I heard before he closed the channel.
“Fifteen torpedoes incoming sir.”
“Have our rail guns target them with standard explosive rounds. Launch our antimatter torpedoes into that carrier.”
“Their shields are down. That's going to hurt,” Oz said quietly.
“That's the idea,” our antimatter torpedoes launched and less than two seconds later they impacted right in the center of their ship. The antimatter struck matter and the two annihilated each other, causing a shock wave and explosion that was fully absorbed by the carrier. The centre opened up like a flower of blue and white flame, leaving a charred opening, flinging huge chunks of hull drifting off in all directions. I took the opportunity to send a message. “Stop jamming signals and broadcast on all channels.”
“Yes sir, broadcasting.”
I stood and looked straight ahead. “Vindyne destroyer group. You are outmatched. Leave the area immediately. We will not allow ourselves to be harassed by Vindyne forces or any of their allies. This will be your only warning,” I cut the communication with my arm unit and turned to helm control. “Set a course for the nearest destroyer. Resume jamming. All tactical and gunnery stations, fire at will, maximum intensity. Gunnery stations are to use high explosive rounds for anti-fighter fire, and antimatter rounds for destroyer class. Let's go hunting.”
Oz brought up a holographic representation of the First Light on the secondary holographic display and shook his head. Light traced the rounds fired from our thirty eight rail cannon turrets. Our torpedo turrets were chain firing towards the nearest pair of destroyers. One of them looked like it was turning to run, but the others were coming straight at us. Our refractive shielding was redirecting the energy from their beam weapons right back and our own beam emplacements were firing hundreds of pulses of white energy, depleting the shields on three destroyers fast. “We are damn scary,” Oz said quietly.
The destroyers were returning fire, but all of their torpedoes were destroyed before they made it within harmful range. “How are our shields holding up?”
“Ninety seven percent sir, redirecting energy to compensate.”
“How is the ship Ayan?”
“She's fine. Nothing has touched the hull yet. All generators are working at peak efficiency. We really do outmatch
them.”
“The benefits of putting all your eggs in one basket,” I said to myself. “We're also spending millions of credits worth of antimatter, good thing we're not out here for the money.”
“Sir, three of the destroyers are making full burn out of the area.”
“Good. Let's make an example of the other two. Beam control, target one destroyer with all emplacements and drain the capacitors using the antimatter intermix. Let's cut them in half.”
“Yes sir.”
A moment later all six of our beam emplacements stopped firing pulses of energy and started sweeping across the nearest destroyer in a solid stream of white energy. After a few seconds our beam attacks started breaking through the other side of the enemy ship, and as we stopped firing I could see that we nearly had cut the ship in two. “Give chase to the other destroyer. Target it with all turrets and fire until it's destroyed. I want to send a message to the Vindyne.”
“Oh, I think they'll hear us loud and clear,” Oz said with a nod. “There will be a warning beside our profile saying; 'too expensive to pursue, avoid if at all possible.”
Our rail cannons pulverized the second destroyer as our torpedo turrets and the conventional launchers sent volley after volley. Only a minute passed and one or more of our torpedoes struck their reactor. It must have been antimatter based, judging from the explosion. The ship was obliterated, leaving only the front third behind as a mangled mess drifting at great speed through space. I nodded to myself and looked over the tactical display.
“Someday someone is going to do a psyche profile on you and discover what's behind that switch that allows you to go from the personable Captain we all know to a cold tactician in an instant,” Oz said quietly.
“I don't enjoy getting into one firefight after another, but when some Corporate marionette tells me to surrender my crew and all their freedoms, I get a little irritated.”
“Course sir?” asked Lieutenant Derek Gregor from navigation.
“We can't stay for salvage or rescue. Jason, cease jamming. Start scanning for emergency beacons.”
Jason scanned and several blips appeared on the tactical display. “There are several.”
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins Page 41
