Moments later, Lucille announced, "All stations ready and suited up." She then removed her headset and put her helmet on, plugging it into the panel.
Captain Palmer said, "Launch fighter! Helm, take us into action!"
The destroyer Barker sped away from the small convoy of freighters and skirted the asteroid field. As soon as she moved into range for a clear shot, her gunners fired at the hidden warships. Lucille immediately broadcasted the events as the reports came into her from the gun stations.
"This is Union of Planets' destroyer Barker. We are engaging a hidden force of Galan warships. They are in clear violation of the trade agreements not to post any warships within the trade routes. There are seven of them, no nine! We just spotted two more hidden behind some rather large asteroids. We're scoring hits on them and leading them away from the freighters. It appears that we're trying to force some of them to retreat into the asteroid field, but they're standing their ground despite the punishment our gunners are inflicting on them. One of them just ruptured and is destroyed for sure. We just took a slight hit. I could feel the vibration under my feet."
***
Admiral Oden sat beside Annie, her dead hand still clasped in his. Sergeant George Clark had already ushered the children out of the room, having come over when he heard the dreadful news about Annie being rushed into intensive care. He stayed outside with the kids, letting Admiral Oden get himself back under control.
***
"Our fighter just took a massive number of hits from several Galan warships. They're drifting helplessly. I can't contact them. They appear to be dead."
Lucille felt the bridge take the hit and heard someone scream briefly through her headset. Then there was silence. She resumed broadcasting, "We've just taken a hit on the bridge. I'm looking around now. The Captain is down. So is the Navigation officer and the First Officer. The sergeant at the Helm is still with me, thank god. I think the Lieutenant in Gunnery is now in charge. . ."
She noticed the panel light wasn't responding with her voice. Quickly, she checked to see if she was transmitting. She wasn't. She tried the intercom and was surprised a moment later when it worked. "This is Ensign Wrigley on the bridge. Let me speak to Lieutenant Patrike."
"Gunner Jonnes, ma'am. I'm sorry. He just got hit. He's dead. Can I help you? I'm taking his place, I guess."
"Okay, Gunner Jonnes. Notify all the gunners to get ready for a Dust Bunny spin. Almost the whole bridge crew is down and I'm in charge now. We've got to get these ships off our ass now."
"Yes ma'am. I'll let them all know."
"Helm! Prepare for a Dust Bunny spin on my command!" she said through the intercom.
"Affirmative. My choice of course, ma'am?" the sergeant asked.
"Yes, Sergeant. Still your choice of tactical course. Execute!"
The Barker rolled as it moved forward, its hull peppered with holes from hits where Galan ships managed to hit it from ambush behind some of the asteroids.
***
"Patch me through to the Barker," Admiral Oden said.
"I'm sorry sir, we lost contact with the Barker a few minutes ago. I think they're engaged in combat with a small force of Galan warships that are after one of the trading convoys. I reckon that they're too busy to reply or something. I can keep trying if you'd like."
"Yes, that would be fine. I'll wait until you can get through."
***
The sergeant at the Helm shouted, "We're breaking up! We can't keep on spinning!"
Lucille said, "We don't have a choice! It's the only thing keeping them away from us! Keep up the Dust Bunny spin! Gunners, maintain our fire!"
***
"I'm sorry, Admiral, but there's still no reply. Do you want to wait any longer or would you like me to give them a message when I get through?"
Dave said, "Yes, please advise Ensign Lucille Wrigley that Annie Oden passed away today. Ask her to please radio me back so I can let her know about the funeral arrangements in case she's available to attend."
***
"Hi George, thanks for helping with the kids. Are they taking it okay?" asked Dave as he entered his home and saw Sergeant George Clark sitting on a sofa.
"Yes, they're taking everything okay so far. How about yourself?" asked George.
"Well, Annie did her best to prepare me for her death. I guess I'm going to be all right. I just came from the base where I put through a message to Lucille, advising her of Annie's death. Maybe she'll manage to attend the funeral. Regardless, I know that she'll want to know about this," said Dave.
"You haven't heard yet?" asked George.
"Heard what?" asked Dave.
George stood up and went over to Dave. He placed his hand on Dave's shoulder and softly said, "I'm sorry, Dave, but Lucille is gone, too. The Barker was just destroyed a short while ago. Everyone on board her was killed in action. I received a call here just before it came over the news that Congress considers the Galan violation of the neutral trade routes to be an act of war. The Barker is our first casualty. The rest of the Vampire Squadron is already proceeding on course to recover the ship and bodies."
George eased Dave onto the sofa and continued speaking, "We only know what happened because one of the freighters took a chance and broke away from the convoy to report on the fight when the Barker ceased broadcasting. They reported seeing the Barker in a Dust Bunny spin. The Barker apparently took out the last of the Galan warships before her structure tore apart and caused her to go spinning into an asteroid. The freighter got as close as it could and checked for survivors. The crew of the freighter couldn't find anyone alive inside. They're standing by waiting for the squadron to take over."
***
Dave stared numbly at the report given him by Admiral Heavywolf. He read it again, misty-eyed and still dazed. The recovery team found Lucille's body seated in the captain's chair where she died after taking over the ship. She had gone down fighting. Her body, escorted by an honor guard, would arrive in a few days for burial beside Annie. However, Dave wouldn't be home to attend Lucille's funeral. Dave would already be on his way to join the Vampire Squadron along with several other squadrons being formed into an attack force to end the foolish war that the Galan Council of Planets had started.
END
Addendum:
Universal Rights Bill of the Union of Planets
1. All individuals have equal rights under the law.
2. All individuals have the right to regulate their own bodies according to their own wishes and beliefs.
- parents of minor children will be presumed to have the right to guide their children in such functions until substantial proof is furnished showing inability or unwillingness on the parents' behalf.
3. All individuals have the right to pursue a lifestyle of their own choosing in private and public so long as it does not:
- cause physical harm to another individual, business, or government.
- cause outstanding physical harm to the environment, unless the individual erases such harm to the environment afterwards through restoration.
- prevent the ordinary conduct of other individuals, business, and government.
- government may not support nor restrict any particular lifestyle so long as it does not violate the rights of others.
4. All individuals have the right to worship or not as they choose:
- the government at all levels may not support nor restrict any religion so long as the religion does not violate the rights of individuals.
- businesses may not support, be associated with, nor restrict any religion.
- religions may not support nor operate any businesses in competition with ordinary business nor interfere with the conduct of ordinary legal business or the rights of individual citizens.
5. All individuals have the right to move about freely without restriction except in such cases where the government is acting to protect vital interests by establishing a defense base or other facility where security is required in orde
r to protect the government and its people.
6. All individuals have the right to communicate with other individuals.
7. All individuals have the right to associate with whomever they choose in whatever numbers they may choose so long as they are peaceful.
8. All individuals have the right to own and carry personal weapons in any manner as well as use them for defense.
9. All individuals have the right to freely elect any and all public officials who represent them:
- elections cannot be postponed nor cancelled by action of the individuals elected into public office.
- election districts cannot be designed to keep any political group in or out of power and shall be as compact in design as is possible taking topography into account.
10. All individuals have the right to address their concerns to the government.
11. All individuals have the right to know all charges being placed against them at the time of arrest for all criminal cases.
- an arrest warrant shall be issued only on the oath or affirmation of a named individual or on an indictment by grand jury giving probable grounds indicating an offense has been committed.
- all individuals have the right to due process under the law and to a speedy trial with competent legal representation equal to the abilities of the prosecution.
- all individuals subject to arrest for criminal acts are entitled to trial by an impartial jury in the governing district in which the crime occurred.
- all individuals have the right to not self-incriminate themselves with testimony.
- all individuals have the right to confront their accusers and witnesses.
- all individuals have the right of compulsory testimony by witnesses in his favor.
- all individuals are protected against being tried twice for the same offense, even under a different charge, such other charges for the same offense either being tried at the same time or being forfeited by the prosecution.
12. All individuals have the right to privacy against illegal intrusion.
13. All individuals have the right to own property and to be secure in their possessions and effects against illegal search or seizure:
- a legal search warrant shall be issued only on the oath or affirmation of a named individual giving probable cause.
- the search warrant shall list specifically what or who is being searched for.
- the search warrant shall list what place or individual is to be searched.
14. All individuals have the right to fair compensation for work, products, and property.
- private property taken for public use shall be returned at the soonest opportunity, when possible, and justly compensated for without placing requirements on the individual to apply for such.
15. All individuals have the right to use their work, products, and property in a manner that they see most fitting:
- provided that such use does not deprive others of their rights.
- provided that such use does not cause outstanding physical harm to the environment, unless the individual erases such harm to the environment afterwards through restoration.
- provided that such use does not cause physical harm to another individual, business, or government.
- provided that such use does not prevent the ordinary conduct of other individuals, business, and government.
16. All individuals have the right to seek redress against any government, business, or other individual.
- the individual shall have the right to seek civil suit to recover just compensation or their work, products, property, and reputation along with punitive awards in either case.
- a jury may be demanded in such civil cases where the value exceeds one percent of the individual's yearly income or affect's the individual's reputation and ability to earn such income.
17. The press shall have the freedom to gather and distribute news without intervention by individuals, businesses, and government:
- provided the press does not disrupt the lawful activities of others nor otherwise violate the law or rights of individuals, businesses, and religions.
- members of the press shall not be subject to arrest without such arrest being announced to the public by warrant followed by public trial.
- the press shall not be subject to any form of censorship unless such censorship is to protect the interests of the government against powers seeking its violent overthrow.
- the press shall be issued a license upon simple application for the sole purpose of identification to the public and not for the purpose of restricting viewpoints, such license being capable of revocation only for criminal behavior determined by conviction by proper trial.
- the press may be required to pool its resources when availing itself of its right to access aboard government warships or on government installations, such pooling to be by lottery and not by the decision of any warship or installation commander.
- the press may be required to remove only such classified information from its reporting which would be detrimental to the preservation of the government by powers seeking its violent overthrow and not to suppress opinion or opposition.
18. Any rights or powers not listed nor specified in the Constitution as belonging to the government belong to the individual and may not be taken by the government at any level without a free election by the people by which they vote by overwhelming majority to give such rights or powers to the government:
- the rights enumerated in this document cannot be voted away, waived, or modified by the individual or government.
- any political entity desiring membership in the Union of Planets must ascribe to these rights in their entirety.
Paravoid (Rust Bucket Universe) Page 23
