Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer)

by Larry Roberts

  Jack had not noticed that little fact but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “Why not? All they have to do is hesitate and we will be through them.”

  “Bullshit. As tightly packed as they are on my screen, we aren’t going to just zip through them. This passageway is completely blocked.”

  Jack took a closer look at the screen. Enlarging the section around the battleships themselves. “Something looks damn strange about those ships Winslow. What do you think it is?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to know Turner? I am just a fucking sensor operator. You’re the one that is supposed to have all the brains.”

  Jack started to say something about her insolence but bit his tongue. “Well Winslow, why don’t you try checking for signs of life and power and damage on all those ships? That is your job. Now do it. Something is wrong up there and I need to know what it is before we get there.”

  Jack ducked into the edge of the cloud to get around a couple of ships tumbling in the middle of a corner. He had seen that too many times already and was used to it. He had not seen anything like what the screen was showing just before the last turn to the open entrance basin of the Maze and that worried him.

  “I am getting readings I think on these new sensors of life on the middle 4 ships sitting butt to butt with their armored bows pointing out, but nothing on the half dozen ships to each side of them in the passageway which show massive damage all through them with no lifeboats left that I can see. I think the middle ships are using the outer hulks to hide behind Turner.”

  “Now that makes sense Winslow. I will make a decent sensor operator out of you yet.” Jack pushed the throttles forward again. Now he knew what he had to do. He continued up the corridor for a few minutes and then realized that ships had finally stopped dying in the cloud around him. The message had gotten through.

  Passing the last hulk in the corner before the group of ships just inside and around the last corner before the exit at the end of the maze, Jacks tactical screen lit up with everything the Red Pepper knew as a Recon torpedo identified Jack’s TB and opened a tactical channel with it. Jack stayed in the center of the corridor using the hulks to hide behind as he slowed down to a stop just short of the first hulk. The live Battle ships were just down 5 hulks trying to hide using the others for protection.

  “Red Actual, Red Home here. It is good to see you again but a little surprising where you are. But I see your Scoops have been destroyed so that answers that question. I will send a fighter down to bring you out past the remaining Battleships in that cluster. We were just getting ready to take them out when we got your recall orders.” With the TB sitting backward against the hull of the first derelict, Jack’s main screen with the new sensors showed The Rock and the Staging Station at the other end of the Maze. Shaking his head. “I am sorry to report that the 6 TB’s that reached the other end a half hour ago did not do very well against something like several thousand fighters that some 10 Carriers managed to flood the area with. Only 4 of them survived and are on their way back. Two of them do not look like they are doing well. We may need to send a shuttle around to help if the slow one stops completely.”

  “Aaa Admiral I do not know how you know this but we have all our surviving TBs’ what you must be seeing are the 6 Shuttles we packed and armed and sent to attack the Staging area. Or what is left of them. If they faced a thousand fighters I am surprised that any are left intact let alone returning. I would send a transport boat around but we have no way of finding them in the cloud. Though you know that sir.”

  “I am sorry I forgot this tech is not yet installed in any of the other ships. As soon as I get back we will take care of that but if they have to stop I will forward the coordinates to you for the rescue shuttle.” Taking a deep breath. Not really believing that 4 of the big hundred foot long shuttles managed to survive a couple thousand fighters. He should have had them out picking up survivors with the other 2 medical shuttles instead of attacking even if he thought it was a cake walk. Rapid 16/12 inch and 8/5inch gunfire with most of the shots stopping after only a short distance laced an area deep in the cloud and then a good 10 seconds later massive amounts of 24 inch gunfire shot back in the general direction the DD gunfire had come from that continued on without stopping for hundreds of thousands of miles.

  The Battleships only a few hulks away started firing out into the Cloud at what Jacks’ tactical screen said were shadows of wreckage from destroyed Battleships tumbling through the cloud. Bringing him back to the problem at hand. Shaking his head he took a deep breath. “Congressional Battleships Yamamoto, Hurst, New London and Iraq. This is Admiral Turner of the Republic Navy. You are surrounded and about to die. I give you this one chance to surrender under honorable conditions and live. Save your crews and your ships from becoming what the hulks around you have become… Dead. You have 10 minutes to reply.” Jack ignored the fact that most of the life pods on the surrounding hulks were missing in his speech but glad most of the crews were probably safe.

  “This is Captain Transkei. I surrender my ship to you.”

  “No you don’t you coward. I am ranking Captain now with the Admiral dead. I will blow you out of space if you even try to eject your lifeboats let alone surrender. Turner you can go fuck yourself. We are not surrendering.”

  Talk about yourself Dicksley. I am not giving my life for the stupid crap I have been listening to for years now. This is Nodonkov of the New Iraq. I surrender as well.

  “I am Captain Jackson of the new London. I surrender my ship as well mate. Try to stop us Dicksley and I will open fire on you.”

  Jack shook his head. “Now slow down everyone. No one fires at anyone. Except me. All of you just stand down and let’s talk this over while you all return your guns to travel and lock them down. Dicksley what is your problem? Don’t you want to live as well? You open fire on either of the other ships and you will only get in one salvo before I destroy your ship and if you manage to eject and survive I will execute you for being stupid. So talk some sense to me.” Jack watched the turrets of 3 of the ships center up fore and aft on the hull from the Sensor torpedo locked onto them.

  “You are just a damn colony hick trying take over Earth Turner.”

  One of the Captains came on the line. “Damn it Dicksley, most of our training has been bombarding innocent Republic planets to force them to accept Congressional Democratic Communist control and all of Earth’s laws and regulations for their own good. The Colonies are not trying to take over Earth. They are living in paradise from what I can see from my visits with no reason to even want anything to do with Earth except for trading. I Joined to fight Spiders not Republic ships even if I am a full fledge card carrying Democrat. I believe in Communism for the good of the people as much as the rest but I don’t believe we should shove it down their throats while the Spiders are beating down and raping Republic systems. Time for that later.”

  Dicksley spat back. “Just how stupid are you Jackson? The damn Spider invasion is just a ruse to allow us to take control of the Navy so we can force the rest of the Republic to see the why things should be. That it is in their best interests to allow Democratic Communism to rule the Republic and to exterminate those that do not agree. All for the Good of the People, Minorities, the Environment and social justice for all Democrats. Everyone must be made equal and told what to do for their own good. Like I am telling you that if you surrender I will execute you as a traitor to the people and see to it that your families pay with their lives.”

  “Sounds more like a Dictatorship to me.” Jack said shaking his head as he tapped onto a private channel to the Red Pepper. “Number One. Do you think you could get a few marines down here in the next half hour so we can take care of this ideate before he gets a lot more people killed. I don’t detect much of a marine presence and no armor and only a crew of 6 or 7 hundred. Shouldn’t be too hard and if we are lucky no casualties with our armor.”

  The First Officer of the Red Pepper came on Jacks private cha
nnel. “We have full details of their ships from the life pods and boats we have picked up from the other ships. We have assaulted several ships already through hatches they don’t even bother to lock. Our transports are already on their way and will be there in 10 minutes. I am ordering them to return you to the ship whether you want to or not, Admiral. Our marines can take care of this pipsqueak Dictator want to be. We need you here now. Over and Out Admiral.”

  Jack knew his First Officer was right but damn, he was starting to look forward to assaulting that damn ass hole Dicksley and putting his Communist Ass in a ringer. And then it hit him. They had assaulted several Battleships already. Jack suddenly felt out of touch and unneeded. Sounded like they were doing just fine without him.

  Jack tapped the comm back to the enemy ships. “Ok Gentlemen just hold tight for now. I am going to give Dicksley some time to think about this and see if you guys can talk some sense into him while I go and kill a few more ships that refuse to surrender. Those of you that do want to surrender don’t worry about the moron that doesn’t. We will take care of him. You guys just sit tight and keep your crew safe in your armored core hull with your fusion power core shut down cold until we get done with him. A stray shot could set if off. Your ships biggest and stupidest weakness. Though I do hope you can talk some sense into him for his crew’s sake. Vice Admiral Turner Out.”

  “Wait Turner! You cesspool low life moron.” What if I agree to turn over my ship after you let me leave in a shuttle?”

  “Sorry old shit. We are not quite that stupid. Too easy for you to set the self-destruct on the fusion core or torpedoes to blow when you are safe. Taking out the other ships with yours. No you stay put until we board and secure your ship and if you want to leave then I will agree to that and let anyone on your crew that wish to go with you, safe passage to the nearest Congressional Communist ship. But I must warn you that we still have the right of destroying that ship which could very well happen so you might be better off going on down to the Staging Station.”

  “No! How can I trust you Turner? Your kind have no honor and lie every chance you low life scums get. You are brought up to lie. Let me go and I promise I won’t set off the self-destructs. You can trust me. I am a highly Educated Communist Democrat and we never lie. You can trust me.”

  “Excuse me while I puke at such bull shit.” Jack turned to the tactical screen. “You guys get elected telling lies and seeding discontent where there is none. By the looks of my tactical screen, we have already destroyed or incapacitated a hundred Congressional Communist Battleships or half your fleet. Though I will tell you this much. As long as the rest of the battleships that have or are returning to the Staging area remain there, we will no longer attack so you could be safe. As far as the families of the crewmen that remain with us. Any families you have at The Rock will remain safe and under guard from any retaliation from your liberal supposedly loving, forgiving, peaceful Communist Democrat union thug friends. Ooops, I am sorry. I should not have called them thugs. I know how upset you democrats get when someone calls you names even when every other word out of your mouths is name calling and insults and half truth lies when talking about someone you don’t approve of. We will also take steps to insure the same for families on Earth. We need loyal Republic crews to defeat the Spiders before they take all our planets including Earth. I hope you all will join us. What say you Dicksley?”

  “Fuck you Turner! Everything you say is lies. Lies that are taught in your, none government approved schools before you can even read. But then you are all so inbred I am surprised you can even walk without dragging your knuckles. Everyone like you morons are going to die in our education camps as soon as the fleet takes the rest of the low life Colonies. Something these traitors are not going to live long enough to enjoy.”

  “As always you people degenerate into name calling when you are called on your lies. Trying to denigrate, sidetrack and obfuscate anyone that tells the truth. After all if you can assassinate with lies the ones telling the truth, who will listen to them.” Taking a deep breath and sighing. “So you were lying and planed on blowing up your ship to kill your fellow Captains and their crews after you left. That is some plan but then typical for Democrats. Don’t leave anyone alive that resists or objects to your rules. That doesn’t sound very Democratic to me. But it does sound very Communist. Shame on you. My Grandfather was a stanch Democrat at one time until he said the Liberal Communists took the Party over and started to slowly take control of everything and everyone for their own good no matter how many lies it took. The End Justifying any Means including Lies. But usually, though not always, only resulted in the good for a few elites while everyone else suffered. I never understood what that meant until now. Vice Admiral Turner Out.”

  A Dozen transport boats flew out of the cloud a ways behind the hulks. They quickly pulled up next to Jack and his TB sitting against the hulk’s hull and unloaded their marines. Jack’s TB with its wings folded after a mechanic pulled an inspection cover and dropped its gear, (even though Jack tried to stop him as his controls went dead) and was shoved into the back of one of the large transports.

  The TB with its gear already squatting to just below its belly, fit nicely into the Transport with no room to get out of the bomb bay hatch underneath. Jack popped open his Canopy and jumped out. Dropping to the deck in front of 2 bigger than normal Armored Marines. “Ok guys were is my weapons. Time to go kick some butt.”

  One looked down at Jack and said. “Sorry sir. We are here to make sure you remain on the transport.”

  Jack looked around the Marines and back at the hatch that was closing on the Air Curtain as squads of Marines rushed across the hulk toward the ship beyond that was threatening to kill its Comrades in the distance. “Come on guys. You are needed to take that ship. They need all the help they can get. Let’s go already. I can fight in a flight suit. Just give me a weapon.” Jack held out his hand and the Marines ignored him. One held out an arm when Jack tried to go around him.

  “Now isn’t that a sight. The Famous Admiral Turner being told by a couple of marines he can’t go out and play. What is this Navy coming too?” Winslow started laughing as she threw a duffle bag over the lip of the cockpit and down to the deck. As soon as you boys get done waltzing and the hatch is closed, I need help getting everything out of this bucket so I can mount it in the Red Pepper. That means you too Turner. Some of this is fragile and takes someone that knows what he is doing to pull it without dropping it. At least you are good for something.”

  Chapter 27; Enemy Reinforcements

  Jack walked onto the bridge to the announcement of. “Admiral on the Bridge.” Jack’s lip started to curl as he turned to chew out the Marine at the hatch when the Lieutenant interrupted him. “There the hell you are!” She hit him with her flight helmet. “Fucking Captains are supposed to stay with their Godstar Ships. Not fly damn TB’s to the other end of the Maze to torpedo a fucking Battleship and a few transports. The Admiral gave strict instructions not to let you do anything dangerous and what the hell do you do the first time I turn by back on you, again!”

  Jack grabbed her arm as it started to swing toward him again. “You’re the one that had to go off and fly a fucking fighter Patrol. That’s your fault you were not here when I had to take a little joy ride to find out what was going on in the Staging area.”

  “Having your Transport Bomber towed in because you blew the Scoop playing fucking dodge ship with a bunch of Battleships is not Joyriding. I heard you almost got your ass blown off when you lost one of the Transport Bombers.”

  “Well they missed me, at least I didn’t have two fighters shot out from under me.”

  Ya at least I made it back under my own power and I got three damn Battleships on top of that and the Chief said the fighters could probably be fixed.”

  “So what! You almost got your ass shot off twice.”

  “Enough kiddies.” Winslow stood up from a console she was working on and then said to the bridge. �
�You will have to excuse the little ones, they haven’t had their nap.” She walked up to Jack and the Lieutenant still nose to nose and whispered. “Will you two shut up and save it for the bedroom tonight when you can finish it properly with a good fuck. We have work to do.” Grabbing Jack she turned him around and shoved him toward the Command Chair and then turned to the Lieutenant. “I will make sure he stays on the ship like a good Captain and doesn’t try to kill himself again while you get out of that stinking flight suit and shower.” As the Lieutenant left she hit the comm. “Ensign Doctor Truitt, I hear you are a good sensor operator. Get your butt up here and I will show you my new toy. It’s Christmas already.”

  The First Officer finally spoke up trying not to smile too much. “Admiral. We have finished taking the 4 Battleships that surrendered to you. And they are now coming along side to off load their crews. The marines are reporting that most of the crews heard your speech and want to join you to fight the Spiders. Do you want to leave the volunteers on the ships or move them in with the rest of the prisoners in our holds Admiral?”

  “No. I want them off their ships and then completely searched, but we best separate the Volunteers from the Prisoners. Put the Volunteers in separate holds from the general prisoners. At least we now have enough crews to man out ships.”

  “Ahh. About that Admiral.” The First Officer said shaking his head. His face turning half pained and half disgusted. “The problem is the prisoners are mostly civilians and were virtually pressganged into service by their unions with most of them having no idea what or where the job was even if the union made sure they were on what amounted to cruise ships with two weeks of training in some kind of boot camp in San Diego and Norfolk on Earth that sounded more like a summer camp with a few days at sea on Cruise Ships. They don’t know shit about manning a Battleship or the Military and have been working under Earths Union Rules of 4 hour work days, 3 day weeks, where most of the 4 hours is put in listening to Union propaganda with rules that limit them to supervising a robot around the automated ship for a couple hours a day instead of getting their hands dirty. Though after a year, most of them have learned something about weightless, open space and ships, but even then, in order to use any of them as crewmen we are going to have to put them through at least 12 weeks on one of our Bootships. With months in A-schools learning how to do their jobs on a real ship. The only good thing is that they have been trained for years as union workers in all the trades we need for ship yards or building domes even if the training is totally myopic and narrow for specific trades with no cross training. Requiring a half dozen Earth crewmen to do most Navel jobs one spaceman or yard worker from the Colonies could do by himself. No, the hardest part is going to be driving the damn Union crap out of them using Bootships and A-Schools as a recovery program that may require extending both to months instead of weeks. Until then most of them are worthless to us no matter how enthusiastic they are now.”