“What’s wrong?” Richards inquired seeing the pained expression on his face.
“Nothing sir, just a little shrapnel,” Collins said trying to make it sound like a joke. He then changed the subject. “Sir, there is another Confederation ship in this system. It is the ISS Raven. She is a stealth cruiser under the command of Commander Jake Bannon. They helped us out at the very end of the battle and have been aiding us since. They went into stealth mode as your ships bended into the system.”
“Bannon?” Richards exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes sir, do you know him?” Mike asked.
“No, but the family is pretty famous. His father led a rebellion on a Vorooshin slave planet during the Reds War and was part of the group under the Black Prince to steal the first starships for Earth,” the Commander shared.
Richards then turned away from the screen and ordered his comm. officer to send out a message for the Raven to report in.
It was at that moment that Mike realized two things. The first was that he too knew a member of the Bannon family having trained for a summer with the old hero from the Vorooshin Occupation of Earth. His father had arranged it and he had stayed with Robert ‘the Bane’ Bannon for three months until he had to leave to go to Austro Prime and enter into Harper’s Military Academy. That old warrior was oddly fast, super strong and was the best instructor in personal combat he had ever had. He had wanted to stay and learn more but his off world schooling came first.
The second thing he realized was that the Black Prince that the Richards mentioned as being part of the Slave Rebellion was now the current Emperor of the Confederation. The Black Prince was a title for the crown prince that was given to the first American prince by the media as he seemed to always wear black at social gatherings. Some say it was due to his foul mood that he was given the moniker and not by his choice in clothes.
Looking to his tactical holo map he saw that the ISS Raven had suddenly reappeared.
“We are right here,” Bannon said somehow breaking into their transmission.
“I’m Commander Richards, captain of the Agamemnon and commander of this flying squadron,” he said and then asked “I have to ask, what is a stealth cruiser doing out here and what is your mission?”
“Commander, I’m not at liberty to answer those questions for you,” Commander Bannon replied impassively.
Cmdr. Richards didn't rank him as they were both full navy commanders. Though Richards did have the added authority of having multiple ships under his command but that didn’t really matter depending on Bannon’s orders from the Confederation Admiralty and his own command discretion.
“Then I suggest you come back with us to the Star Wolf and speak to Captain Hope,” he recommended.
“Sorry Commander, but getting enlisted into a guerrilla war with the Karduans is not part of my mission,” Bannon said shaking his head. “Though, I wish you luck! I will let Confederation Command know that your out here and what you are doing when we get back but for now I have to follow my orders.”
“Very well, if you need any help fall back to the Templar base at Blue Rock,” Richards offered with a nod while understanding that having orders and being on a specific mission usually took precedence over other issues.
“Commander Bannon, thanks again for your assistance,” Mike said.
“My pleasure, we didn’t do much it was all you kid,” Jake remarked with a smile. “That was one hell of battle maybe even one for the history books.”
The Raven’s channel then closed and Mike was left looking at Richards’ questioning face.
“You’ll have to give us a full report as soon as possible,” he said with a slight grin.
“Aye sir,” Collins replied as the link terminated.
The five ships then moved into formation for the bend as they polarized their hulls and enter into the gravity well.
Behind them they left the broken remains of the rear half of a Karduan squadron.
Coming out of the well, the Nathaniel Green immediately scanned the area and found not only several Confederation ships but also the broken remains of the front half of a Karduan squadron.
There was a half dozen enemy ships in the area and all but two of them were fragged. One of them was an enemy destroyer and the other was the same human express freighter that had escaped from Mike’s battle. Both had been captured and were now under their Task Force’s control.
The freighter was a mercury class express freighter of the same type as the Randori. Though it was just a freighter having minimal armaments and no armor to speak of. Her transponder identified her as the SS Grey Hound which was once owned by the Ameri-Corp Company. She like the San Quintin had one deck modified for prisoner transportation with the rest of her decks filled with supplies, replacement parts and armaments.
The Grey Hound’s crew was mostly made up of human personnel each fitted with a pain collar to insure obedience. There was a young Karduan ship mistress in command and an armed contingent of Blue female soldiers to help monitor the human crew. The ship mistress had waited and watched the battle with the Randori until it was clear that the Q-ship had won. Rather than risk her unarmed vessel she escaped and fell into the hands of the Confederation ships helping the Star Wolf.
Captain Hope freed the human crew and used the ship’s prison deck to house the Karduan captives from his battle. He also had the ship mistress interviewed and the freighter’s computer files downloaded to the Wolf.
Upon his return Commander Richards sent over a file that Commander Bannon had recorded of the Randori’s fight.
Mike sat in his captain’s chair of his new ship feeling a little light headed. It had been eight hours since they had first bended into the system where they fought their battle with the enemy. He and his surviving crew were simply exhausted. They had fought, made repairs, fought some more, did more repairs and prepared to fight again. They had transferred ships, collected supplies, recovered life pods, processed prisoners and made more repairs to their new ships. They all needed a hot meal, a hot shower and a cold bed.
He was still thinking this when he realized he had been unconsciously gripping his side where he had been wounded. His med kit had run out of pain killers and Heal-X hours ago. He had finally turned his med computer off after it kept alerting him of his condition. He didn’t have time to deal with a slight injury not with his ship and crew still in danger.
“Sir, incoming call from the Star Wolf,” Jansen said.
Collins had been expecting a call and had waited for his old commander to contact him.
“On screen,” he said.
Captain Hope’s weathered face filled the screen for moment until the image pulled back and showed the entire bridge of the Star Wolf. Though the Wolf had taken battle damage her bridge looked the same to him.
“So you left with a Q-ship and a Vanguard sloop, and your return with an escort carrier and freighter?” his former headmaster questioned.
“Yes sir,” Mike replied fighting a sudden shooting pain in his side.
Fortunately, Hope hadn’t noticed as he continued his questioning.
“And what do you have to say for yourself Mister Collins?”
“I guess we were just lucky,” he replied and added, “very lucky.”
The old captain looked at him for moment with a stone like expression, not saying a word for a moment.
“I’ve been reviewing a cry-crystal recording of your battle that Commander Bannon sent to Commander Richards. That is why I didn’t contact you right away.”
Collins nodded unsure how to respond.
“Mike, that was one very fine defense and you should be proud of your actions. I know I am proud of you,” he said sounding like a father speaking to a son.
“Sir, I lost half of my crew and both of our ships,” he answered feeling the guilt of surviving.
Captain Hope shook his head.
“Nonsense, all of your crewmen could have been killed or enslaved. You saved many of them and in the process you
destroyed five enemy ships and captured two more,” he justified.
“Yes sir, I know you are right but I just don’t feel like celebrating just yet,” Mike explained.
“I understand, when you come over to the Wolf we’ll talk it out over a glass of whiskey,” the Captain said having once been where the young officer was now.
“Come over to the Wolf?” he questioned feeling a little confused. “Are you relieving me of command, sir?”
“Of course not,” Hope remarked in surprise. “Commander Hutton sent over the computer file from the Nathaniel Green that you copied before the NIA boys wiped them clean. I want you over here to help go through the data.”
“Yes sir, right away,” Collins said and leaped to his feet.
At that moment his head spun and he felt extremely dizzy. His side hurt like there was a hot poker stabbing him. He fell to his knees and threw up before falling to side and passing out. His last thought was that he hoped he hadn’t landed in his is own puke.
When he awoke he heard people walking around him and saw only the white ceiling of the Star Wolf’s sickbay. He knew that ceiling well from when he had been confined to his bed after his hardwire had been implanted.
He didn’t ask where he was instead he asked, “What happened?”
Someone moved to his bedside and a beautiful, almost angelic face looked down at him.
“I will tell you what happened. My fool of a lover nearly died from internal bleeding!” Dr. Duarte exclaimed smacking him on the shoulder.
Some how he could tell she was mad but was also relieved that he was still among the living.
“Come here darling and give me a kiss,” he said reaching out for her.
An old and wrinkled hand grabbed his and pushed his arm back down to his bedside.
“That is enough of that,” Doc Beilor said interposing herself between the two lovers.
“So what happened?” Mike inquired pulling his arm back and using his elbow to push himself up into a sitting positon. He felt fine and the pain in his side was gone. Hell, someone had even given him a bath while he was knocked out.
“You had a nasty piece of shrapnel imbedded in your side and its point was sticking into your spleen. Your medical kit’s pain meds masked the pain and the Heal-X sealed the outer wound but with the shrapnel still in you it just kept reinjuring you. When that happened your med computer would diagnosis the injury, hit you with another dose of pain meds and inject you with a dose of Heal-X. That is until your med kit ran out of drugs.”
“Well, I feel fine now,” he said tilting his head a little with a slight smile.
“You should have been dead hours ago,” Angelique revealed shaking her head is disbelief.
Mike shook his head and made a frown.
“My med kit did its job and kept me alive,” he said easily explaining his survival.
This time it was Dr. Beilor’s turn to shake her head.
“No my dear boy it didn’t,” she argued “your kit ran out of meds hours before your collapse and in fact someone shut it off so they wouldn’t hear the medical alert. Shock and blood loss should have killed you.”
“What can I say I’m tough,” he joked pulling his legs up and swinging them over the edge of the bed.
“You are stupid!” Angelique said her French accent sounding thicker than normal.
Mike shrugged and held out his arms, “Maybe, but you still love me.”
She sighed and nodded, wiping the tears rolling down her porcelain cheeks. He then took her in his arms and gave her a long and passionate kiss.
Edie cleared her throat after a moment reminding them that they were not alone.
“Your enhanced genetics is probably the reason that you are still alive,” she commented.
Mike released his lady doctor and turned his head toward the old physician and stuck his tongue out at her.
“I’ve heard enough about that subject,” he replied looking around the room for his clothes, combat armor and equipment.
Dr. Duarte released her hold on him knowing exactly what he was doing.
“You need more rest - not clothing,” she scolded.
Mike nodded in agreement as he scanned the room.
“You are absolutely correct but I feel fine and I need to report to Captain Hope. After I do that I will rest as much as you want under your expert supervision,” he said with a big smile as his blue eyes seem to flare at her.
“Mon dieu!” she exclaimed and slapped his arm.
Collins glanced over to Dr. Beilor who was softly chuckling at them.
“Is there any medical reason for me to remain in sickbay?” he asked.
She shook her gray head at him, “No, you are all healed up. Once we removed the shrapnel the Heal-X did its job and closed up all of your injuries.”
“Great! Now someone get me some clothes,” he said looking to his French lady.
She shook her head but left to get him a clean uniform and his personal effects. His combat armored space suit had been sent to the ordinance techs to be repaired and he would have to get it or a replacement before he left the Star Wolf.
After dressing he gave his love a long kiss while promising more after she was off duty. On his way out he walked past Edie and gave her a quick peck on the cheek just managing to jump away from her before she could backhand the young rascal. From across the sickbay a third woman watched him as she tended to the menial task before her. Lady Seil-Ca let out a little sigh as she returned to folding the pile of freshly laundered bed sheets for storage.
Mike hurried through the halls greeting old shipmates with a nod or a quick hello but resisted the urge to stop and chat with them. He really wanted to catch up with them but he had to report in with Captain Hope and then after that he needed to pay his favorite doctor a house call.
Making his way to the lift to the bridge he found the elevator empty and took it to the bridge level. Stepping into the corridor he quickly walked to the end of the hall and punched in his security code to access the CIC or command and control center aka the bridge.
It looked the same to him since the last time he was here, full of busy people manning their various stations. It was the one place on the ship that never slept. The one thing that was a slight surprise was that Captain Hope wasn’t here. Sitting in the captain’s chair in the center of the room was his good friend Alistair Dover. Lt. Dover, who had once been the helmsmen had move up to second officer after Collins and Hutton had left for their own commands. He then was made first officer when Cmdr. Richards took command of the Agamemnon.
Dover must have heard the door slide open as he rotated the command chair to face him.
“Well old man, finally up from your nap?” he joked with a broad smile.
“I wouldn’t say having a jagged piece of shrapnel poking into your spleen for six hours was much of a nap,” Mike countered also smiling.
“I suppose not,” he said and asked “Looking for the boss?”
“Yes, do you know where he is?”
Dover nodded, “When he heard you were awake he turned the bridge over to me and went to his ready room.”
Mike looked towards the bridge’s access door to the captain’s day cabin. It was the commanding officer’s lounge, office, planning and sometimes conference room. On the Randori it was a bare bones office with a steel desk bolted to the floor. On the Star Wolf it was a gentleman’s study that always reminded him of a place where fine cigars and aged brandy would be served.
“Thanks,” he replied glancing back to his friend before he turned towards that door.
“Mike?” Dover said stopping him from leaving.
Collins looked back and saw that Alistair had gotten up from the captain’s chair and had stepped towards him.
He stopped gave him the “what’s up?” look.
“I just wanted to say that you and the crew of the Randori put up one marvelous fight,” Dover commented extending his hand as he smiled from ear to ear.
Mike took
his hand and returned his strong grip.
“I heard that’s you guys also kicked some ass,” he remarked looking past his friend’s shoulder to the main viewer.
“It was a bit sticky but we did our share,” Dover said in all humility.
It was at that moment Collins saw that they were no longer at the Star Wolf’s last battle site. In fact, it looked as if they were back at the Templar base at Blue Rock. The ships of the 12th Defense Fleet were displayed on the viewer as well as a planet that he recognized from his earlier visit.
“We’re back at Blue Rock,” he said out loud.
“Yes, after salvaging what we could from the Karduan wrecks we returned here to make repairs as well as reorganize.”
Mike nodded understanding that his own command on the Nathaniel Green was made up of members from three different crews and various freed Blues. Hell, the San Quintin was being commanded by an officer with no legs.
At that moment the comm. link on the captain’s chair went off.
“Go ahead,” Lt. Dover said activating the voice interface.
“Mister Dover, if you should happen to see Lt. Collins please be good enough to send him to see me at his earliest convenience,” Captain Hope’s gruff voice instructed.
“Aye sir,” Alistair replied not revealing that his friend was standing right here.
“Thanks, I got this,” Mike said and walked over to the door to the captain’s ready room and knocked.
A moment later the door slid open as a voice called out “enter” and he went in.
The room was the same as he last seen it: throw rugs, a large hard wood desk, bookcases with worn looking paper books and pictures of famous warships. Captain Hope was sitting behind his desk sipping from a coffee mug. Two other officers were also in the room. Commander Richards was seated to his left and surprisingly Commander Hutton was on his right. Richards looked comfortable in one of the old leather armchairs and looked up from a palm pad report he was reading as Mike entered. Commander Hutton was sitting in a grav chair. Designed to replace a wheel chair it operated on the same anti gravity principles that a grav car or even a grav tank used.
Wolf's Run: The Chase of War (Star Wolf Sqaudron Book 2) Page 36
