As Jack left the bridge Winslow was on her Comm. Her nose still wrinkling at the smell.
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The Lieutenant raced across the long walkway tube from the Station to the Quarterdeck. The rows of DD’s docked to the rails flanking both sides of the clear tube. DD 1701 pulling up to the dock across from the gangplank tube. She met Jack as he staggered down the passageway to the Quarter deck. Cutting off the Whistle announcement for the Admiral leaving the ship. “You are not going anywhere Mr.”
“I… I am toooo.” Jack grabbed the podium as he looked down at his empty class. “Opps I need to call for a remass here.” Jack tried to set the tumbler down on the podium but missed as he let go of it and it fell to the deck and shattered. “Oh my. Someone call damage control. I just killed another ship.” Looking down at the shattered glass, holding onto the podium for dear life as tears came to his eyes. No life boats again. Sorry guys.”
The Captain for 1701 came across the gangway as the Lieutenant turned to the sensor tech with two large cases next to her. Go with 1701’s Captain and make sure you have a secure isolated compartment when you set up and don’t leave the equipment unguarded for anything. Not even to pee.” Then turning to the Captain as he stopped and she dragged him back down the tube and started whispering. “The Lieutenant has top secrete Comms. Follow her instructions in their use and make sure they and her are destroyed if anything happens. You should already have your new tactical orders and the new Comm will give you the latest tactical in real time. Your orders are to find our reinforcements and supply them with the latest tactical situation and orders to save as much of TF-58 as possible and keep the secret of the New Home passageway and not fight the Enemy fleet. Is that understood Captain.”
Let me repeat that last. You are not to engage the enemy fleet unless you have no other option. It may be all over by the time you get there and if it is and they have found the passageway to New Home, your squadron orders will be to dig ahead of the enemy and destroy the passageway and lead them off toward the Gama 13 blow hole. The Admiral designed the passageway to head in that direction and make it easy to do that at turn 23. You just have to get to it first. Dismissed Captain.” The Lieutenant hurrying back toward the Quarter deck.
The Captain turned to look up the gangplank back toward the Quarter deck as he heard a horrendous sound to watch Jack puke across the front of the podium as the Lieutenant grabbed the lieutenant with the cases and shoved her down the gangplank telling her to get her ass in gear. The Captain shook his head remembering the DD’s neck breaking dash across the cloud with the Admiral piloting what had earned the DD’s crew accolades across the fleet. Turning, the Captain hurried back to DD-1701grabbing one of the cases out of the lumbering tech’s hand to speed her up. The DD pulled away from the dock as soon as the Captain with the Comm Tech was through the hatch.
The Lieutenant looking on in disgust as the medics showed up and flopped an obviously drunk Admiral trying to get to a DD that had already left onto their gurney. She was going to enjoy the Admiral’s hangover, especially since he would not be drunk 10 minutes after he got to Sickbay but still have one hell of a hangover. Made worse since he would not have the alcohol in his system any long to dull the pain. Then as she walked beside the gurney on the way to the Sickbay Jack started mumbling about the ships he was responsible for destroying and the crews he had killed. He was certain that he had fucked up and gotten both TF-58 and New Home destroyed and wanted another drink, another ten drinks as he tried to get up but the straps held him tight. Jack going from issuing garbled orders to let him up so he could go and do something to save the Fleet and Station even if it was simply taking a fighter against the enemy Battleships to tears of despair at all the wasted lives and back again.
By the time they got to Sickbay she had forgotten about the Gold rings around their necks and taken Jack’s hand into hers trying to sooth him but knowing until he was sober again she could do little to help. Blaming herself for not being there when he needed her. To stop him from doing something as stupid as taking straight shots from a bottle so expensive that it was smooth enough to go down like water until it hit bottom when his body could not even handle a couple of beers.
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Jack dragged his head up off the cabins desk as the screen lit up. He felt like shit with his head pounding but he was no longer drunk. The Rear Admiral on the screen looked a bit bent out of shape to Jack but he really did not care as it started to speak. “You are Vice Admiral Turner according to my staff’s facial recognition program but we don’t have you listed for any fleet postings. Your ship is not answering IFF pings. Just who are you, what ship and why are you here?”
Jack rubbed his eyes and then his temples as he grimaced. “Well Rear Admiral. Since I out rank you, I don’t have to tell you shit. Out.” Slapping the comm off, the tactical of the Battleship squadrons approaching the head of the Maze came back up on the screen.
The five squadrons converged into the head of the Maze and suddenly specks started spreading out from the beacons as the two ships still there started falling apart with big hunks falling off of the ends facing the enemy. “Winslow! Why are we not seeing any of the ships firing their guns?”
Sorry Admiral but the sensors only show solid objects and not energy. They are too far away for our energy sensors to detect exactly which ships the flashes are coming from. Though we can detect a difference between the gun fire from the improved guns hotter beams and the fleet attacking them. Just a moment Admiral I think I can program the computer to add false images to the tactical using data from the energy sensors.
Specks labeled as fighters converged on the life boat specks racing away from the beacons and then the life boat specks started disappearing into little smudges. Larger specks labeled as the Medical boats and Assault Shuttles surrounded by life boats pulled away as solid fighter pin points started turning into smudges around them as the shuttles headed deeper into the cloud. Fighters attacking the 2 ships also started turning into smudges as well but the Battleships with their armored decks toward the enemy and being systematically destroyed could not move without exposing their vulnerable sides as each were being pounded by squadrons of Battleships entering the Head of the Maze.
Jack noticed that the two ships icons were displaying the new names the crews had given the ships making him shake his head thinking that if they had left the Battleships with their Congressional fleet names on their IFF’s they probably would not have been attacked by the Fleet. But he had not seen any reason not to let each ship change their names if they wanted to at the time, which meant it was another fuck up by him that cost lives.
A few seconds later the screen filled with hair line yellow beams appearing between most of the fleet and the two captured ships while blue beams streaked back out to concentrate on only a couple of the attacking ships at a time. With the enemy fleet having to pull into the open area before turning to face their armored decks at their targets, the captured Battleships were able to hit the broadsides of many of them before they turned. One of the attacking ships blew up into a fireball on the screen leaving the armored end to start tumbling away. Jack noticed that several of the little ships icons were tumbling already. That did not last long even though a dozen Congressional Battleships blew up before all the attacking ships were facing the trapped captured Republic Battleships that could not face them all with the enemy coming in from so many different corridor passageways.
The blue lines going back from the trapped ships started thinning as the attacking fleet started finding the range. Though it took a good 10 minutes, the captured ships finally went silent as small dots started streaking away from them racing deeper into the cloud. The fighters had been driven off far to the sides by both the ships point defenses and the incredible amount of beams streaking past the Republic Battleships. But now the fighters had run out of easy life boat targets including shredding the long emergency habitat inflatable
tubes attached into a large static station that was easy to find as it squawked its medical emergency beacon for all to see. The fighters gave chase to the rapidly retreating lifeboats but it soon became evident that the fighters could not catch most of the medium sized boats that had been altered to run in the cloud and the fighters finely flooded back in around the now dead ships trying to keep anymore lifeboats from escaping as the fleets Battleships stopped firing.
Hundreds of fighters continued to swarm in strafing the hulks even as the lifeboats stopped appearing. The fighters getting their two licks in. Then 4 stars appeared streaking from the 4 sides of each ship. Some fighters tried to intercept them while most ignored them for some 10 seconds and then they all detonated at the same time into huge fusion core balls of flaming plasma taking out hundreds of fighters and washing the remains of the hulks clean as they were gutted. The few remaining fighters far enough away to avoid destruction turned and slowly staggered back toward the fleet, suddenly losing interest in the hulks and the fleeing boats including the shuttles now deep inside the cloud.
The Congressional communist fleet spent the next half hour massing into one hug fleet as fighters sped back down the central corridors that had seen all the fighting only a few hours before and the remaining hulks in too bad of shape to be worth retrieving, spread out along them. Jack noticing that a group of fighters seemed to pause for a few minutes at each hulk before following the rest. Jack hit his comm. “Winslow, what are those fighters pausing at the hulks doing?”
“I will see what we can pick up from here Admiral but if it is a simple black box, we are not likely to get anything at this range.”
The DD’s, God fighters and Torpedo bombers Jack had sent up that way where still a good 15 minutes from the battle as Jack walked back onto the Flag Bridge a minute later. “Comm, get me DD-1701 please.” Turning to Winslow. “Your portable L-comm better damn well work Lieutenant.”
The Captain of 1701 appeared on the main screen. “Yes Admiral, we are 12 minutes away from the Head of the Maze.”
“Do not attack. The Congressional Fleet has taken the head and massed. You are to intercept the relief forces that are still a half hour away and give the Commander my order packet I am down loading to you know. Under no circumstances are you to engage that fleet or make your presence known. We cannot risk them discovering the New Home corridor. One of the ships has escaped the head making it up the freeway and around the corner during the battle without them noticing or caring hopefully. I want you to send the scouts up to get that ship out of the freeway as soon as possible. It is not to enter the New Home corridor under any circumstances until it is cleared to by me. Burry it deep in the cloud as far away from the corridor entrance as time allows but get it out of the damn freeway just in case they decide to send a squadron or god forbid the whole damn fleet up the freeway. Though I am hoping that with the destruction of the ships that were still in the Head, they will blame the destruction of the squadrons on them and continue on with their mission to Delta-7 where they think TF-58 is. Any questions?”
The Captain studied the up to date tactical of the Maze’s Head Jack had included with the packet. “I think I can make it up to the Battleship in time to save it if they only send a few battleships after it Admiral.”
Jack was not in the mood to suffer gung-hoe fools. “And all you would do is draw the entire Fucking fleet up there into a battle that would insure that the Corridor to New Home and the survivors to TF-58 are found. You will let that ship die with all aboard her if the scouts cannot keep it from being found. That order goes for the scouts as well. The enemy can’t even now they are there even if it costs the ship. You just get your butt to the Relief fleet before they stumble into a fucking battle that will doom millions. Got that Captain. Once we get these DD’s operational, we will take on the fucking fleet when and where we won’t doom millions or get our butts shot off in the process. Now follow orders Captain. I will send you a tactical update every 15 minutes. Admiral Turner, Out.”
Turning to the Comm officer. “Send DD-1701 a tactical update every 15 minutes.”
“Zoote, get me Cain now!”
Zoot appeared on her carpet in front of Jack. “You really do not need me to summon the Construction Ai. Jack.” As a rugged working man appeared next to her. “He is part of the ships systems now. And my I add you look terrible.”
“How can I help you, Admiral Turner?” A Construction worker complete with helmet and a hammer at his belt appeared in front of Jack.
“We need to get out of here now. How long before the DD’s are ready to power up?”
“Most will be ready in a half hour Admiral. As soon as we finish installing the fusion initiation system in the Cores. We will be ready to start tapping plasma off the Red Peppers Cores in 10 minutes.”
“All right. Better than I had hoped… Wait, why do you need to tap off the Red Peppers cores? Use the station’s.”
“I must report that the fusion tap on the Station’s core has been disabled and would take shutting it down to repair it. The two ships will have to supply the plasma to charge the plasma batteries and start the ships. The DD batteries should have enough plasma in them by the time the fusion initiators have finished installation and testing to start the cores in all the ships.”
Jack did some quick calculations in his head in spite of the pain and shook his head. “That is if they all start on the first try and I can remember it taking a dozen tries on the Turner Joy a few times.”
“Please have confidence in my abilities Admiral. Ninety-eight % of the cores should start on the first try. Recharging the plasma batteries on the few that do not should only take a few minutes as I make the proper adjustments.” Cain smiled at Jack. “You should have all the DD’s that are left on the station operational at that time with the ones on the Red Pepper transport rails an hour after that. May I suggest that you start transferring the crews back to their ships on the Red Pepper?”
“Damn good Cain. I am shocked and yes. Zoot, do you want to do the honors since you made up the lists of who goes where. Tell me when every DD on the station and ship is manned.”
Jack tapped the icon for the bridge. “Captain Clancy, the DD’s should be ready to leave in 45 minutes. How is the ship doing? Will we be ready to leave?”
“All cargo is now loaded and the last DD has been locked down on the cargo rails. We can depart at any time. Though we are still supplying quite a stream of Plasma to the Station at this time, it will only take a few minutes to shut it down when you give the order Admiral.”
“Keep the plasma flowing Captain. The DD’s need it for lighting off their Cores with the Station’s Tap down. Turner out.”
Still with a hangover Jack was still basking in the glow at being able to get all 100 DD’s off the Station when the Comm officer bellowed across the Bridge driving a spike through his head again. “Admiral, the station Commander is on the Comm.”
Jack waited for the dagger to slowly back out of his head. The last thing he wanted was to talk to that blow hard again. “Very well. On the main.”
Two Admirals popped up on the screen. The Rear Admiral Jack was familiar with and a 3 star Admiral that was so fat he was still falling out of the huge Command chair he was in. The roles of fat under his chin flapping as he talked. “So you are the Captain Turner I sent Vice Admiral Ditzen to kill and yet you are still alive but with fucking Temp Vice Admiral Stars on your collar. The fighter patrol recorded your old original Battletransport and a badly damaged Battleship attached to the station. I don’t know why you think you need some worthless DD’s but… No you must be making repairs. Too bad that station is only a damn storage sight. But thanks for dividing your forces after ambushing some 30 of my Battleships and sending the chicken shit coward squadrons fleeing back down the Corridors using the same tactics you destroyed those Spider ships 7 months ago. But now that I have destroyed half of your little squadron and made it impossible for you to ambush anyone, I will give you a chance to su
rrender so I can parade you in front of the cameras to show the Republic the traitor you really are. Surrender your vessels immediately or I will send a squadron from the Station to destroy you.”
“Damn Admiral, you caught me red handed trying to make repairs. I thought this would be the last place you would look for me. Well I guess I better surrender before all those Battleships I sent back through the Maze get here. They may not be as nice as you after destroying their buddies.”
“Good call boy. Rear Admiral Shitsu will send a squadron over to take you into custody. Do not resist or your ships will be destroyed and any life boats hunted down and vaporized.” The Fat Admiral smiled as he cut the connection.
“We are receiving a low band long range transmission Admiral between the two Admirals. Do you want to listen in on the screen Admiral?”
“Sure why not. I am surprised that you can get it Winslow. The reason it is limited to stations and planets is its size and power usage.”
“After reducing the high wave comm back down to a suitcase Admiral, the low band is now a hand held or simple an addition to the console.”
The screen filled again with the two Admirals talking to each other. “…don’t want a piece of scrap big enough to identify of either the ships or the station when your squadron gets done. Mack sure you get every life boat and fighter that son of a bitch has destroyed. Nothing lives over there period. Destroy the recordings the fighter section made and then execute the pilots so they can’t tell tales. Tell the crews of your ships it is just a training exorcise destroying a navigation hazard. Call me back when it is done. I am headed for Delta 7 to Destroy TF 58.” The 3 star Admiral leaned forward as his chins swung out from his neck. “And while you are at it, you execute every captain and admiral that comes back down out of that Maze as Cowards. Then send their ships back out with new Commanders to Delta 7 as reinforcements just in case TF-58 is more trouble than I think it can be after starving them for 6 months. Hell the damn nutrition pills should have thinned out half the crew and reduced the survivors down to skeletons by now.” The Admiral started laughing. “Skeletons for Skeleton crews.” Finely taking a couple of breaths as he stopped laughing. Wiping the spittle off his chins. “You just get those reinforcements to me just in case they have some life left so I can use them to give the survivors something to shoot at before my good ships clean up the mess like this time.” The fat Admiral cut the connection again.
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 120
