Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane

by Chris Hechtl

  It had seemed arrogant and suicidal to jump in like they had planned, Commander Firefly had argued briefly against the mission parameters. The Captain had argued that to date the Horathians hadn't fielded anything larger than a destroyer group. Apparently that was no longer the case.

  The plan had changed the instant the sensors had reported the ongoing battle. The Captain had muttered something to the effect of 'no plan survives contact with the enemy' and then had elected to wade in, dropping their stealth after they processed the tactical plot. She had picked up speed to aid the unknown destroyer fighting the hopeless battle against the battle cruiser. It seemed suicidal, there was no way a destroyer should have been able to fight a battlecruiser, but they were doing it anyway.

  “It looks like we missed the party,” Captain Mayweather said dryly. She frowned, looking around as CIC updated the plot. The space around the jump point was quite the mess, dotted with drifting ships and wreckage.

  Four IFF's lit off as friendlies which surprised her. One was the destroyer, an Arboth class, the same class as Damocles and the ship they had recently captured in Antigua. She was exchanging fire with a battlecruiser, a ludicrous sight.

  “What's going on?” the Captain asked mildly.

  “Looks like the party isn't quite over Captain,” Commander Logan replied, pointing her index finger to the ships. “Bearing ten mark sixty is an Apollo class. Disabled. It's reading as ours. Two Cobra class fighters are headed to it, one is tractoring the other.

  “Ours? Did they forget to change their IFF?” Purple Thorn asked.

  “No, ours. Fleet Friend or Foe beacon checks out. We've got a few surviving gunships and a corvette on a different IFF frequency. They are fleeing the battle space now,” Firefly reported. “The IFF's have the Admiral's signature. I am sending you the sitrep from the ship AI, a Lieutenant Bounty now.”

  “Interesting,” the Captain replied scanning the document quickly. Apparently the Admiral had recruited some friends and taken over several pirate ships and then had performed his own spoiler raid. She smiled wolfishly. From the looks of it, he hadn't done half bad. “Guns do you have the range on the BC?”

  “Yes. We're at extreme range,” she reported.

  “Then give them a send off. Fire forward missile tubes. A single broadside,” she ordered. “Target her engines and weapons. Let's try to take her alive,” she ordered. "Firefly, CIC, tie us into Bounty's tactical net. We need to coordinate our fire."

  "Aye aye ma'am."

  <----*----*----*---->

  “Missiles incoming one eighty mark ten astern!” the tactical officer said, looking up. “We don't have any point defense covering that angle anymore Admiral!”

  Rico held on as the ship bucked like an angry mule. Panels fell from the ceiling. Wiring sparked as they hit bits of metal and shorted out. He frowned, brushing away a glowing fiber optic line and staring. The plot blinked and then went out.

  “Stern sensors are down. We've lost half our drive. We can't out run them sir,” his Chief of staff said softly.

  “Only one duty left,” the Admiral said, pulling out his pistol.

  <----*----*----*---->

  “Captain, we've received a communication from the Arboth. She's the Bounty. Admiral Irons is confirmed on board,” Firefly reported, updating the main plot and then the plot on their individual HUDS.

  Commander Logan and her Captain exchanged looks and grins. “Figures he'd be at the bottom of all this,” the Captain said wickedly. Shelby nodded.

  “He sent an updated sitrep. The damaged Apollo on our Y axis is also one of ours, the Echo. Fighters as well. His courier ship Phoenix, Collier Lassie, and many enemy ships are adrift, damaged, disabled, or destroyed.”

  That sobered a few of the crew, but not the Captain. She had more important things to worry about now. “Away the gig on search and rescue. Marines to boarding party duties. Suit them up and get them ready to fly,” she ordered Firefly.

  “Aye aye ma'am,” Firefly replied, sending out the alert. The Marines were already suited up, but half were in skinsuits, not armor. 'Major' Pendeckle could decide if he wanted to fit other squads with armor.

  "Be advised, a Marine boarding party is on the BC captain."

  "What are they..." She shook her head. "Suicide."

  "As close as it gets it seems. Even for the Admiral this is insane."

  "I..."

  “Captain, we've got her!” the Purple Thorn said excitedly. “She's locked up. But attempting to maneuver! We've got one shot right up her sweet spot!”

  Captain Mayweather smiled wolfishly. “Then by all means Lieutenant, fire! Take her down guns!”

  Grasers and Force beams ripped into the wounded ship, tearing through her already weakened shields and armor to rip and gouge. With precision fire she disabled the wounded battlecruiser in one pass with her guns. The giant ship drifted helpless.

  Chapter 26

  Aftermath

  “Talk about a last minute save!” Sprite said in wonder as the battlecruiser spat debris and atmosphere and then drifted, her engines out. Firefly passed the mammoth ship and then came back around.

  Irons checked the board and then slumped. Firefly's fighters had dealt with all but the one remaining corvette. She had her tail firmly tucked between her legs and was hauling ass for the B103c5 jump point. A stern chase was nigh on impossible, the fighters chasing the ship came about after a few minutes and went to other tasks. That corvette was most likely doomed anyway. There were nothing but empty systems for three jumps beyond 103. After the third was New Horizon, but they would have exhausted their limited fuel long before getting there. They were dead, they were just going to die tired and out of hope.

  He returned his attention to the system. Fighters were holding station on the cowed Horathian fleet train. There was no more fighting in the system, just the drifting wreckage or disabled ships left to deal with. And his own ghosts. He was surprised that they had won.

  “Yeah I know,” the Admiral replied, wondering about the timing. It seemed improbable that Firefly would arrive in the nick of time. That only happened in bad movies. Still, he wasn't going to complain about how fate had worked out. Maybe the Spirits of Space were finally smiling on them.

  “The gods of fate must be smiling on us. Or just fools in general,” Sprite said.

  “Whatever works. I'll take it,” the Admiral said, staring at the plot and then checking the damage control reports.

  “Right, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I am curious as to why they are here,” Sprite said.

  “You and me both. Let's give them a call and find out,” the Admiral said.

  “Yeah, communications? Let's do that before curiosity puts some of us in an early grave,” Sprite said. The Admiral smiled, feeling his tension over the battle bleed off. He sat back, relaxing for the first time in all too many hours. He knew they still had a lot to do, but right now, he treasured the release.

  <----*----*----*---->

  “Incoming call from Bounty. It's the Admiral ma'am,” Firefly said.

  “Put him on the main vid,” the Captain said, getting out of her couch and standing at parade rest. She noted motion out of the corner of her eye and turned enough to see Commander Logan stand as well. She turned and noted her entire crew were now standing.

  When the image of the Admiral came on the bridge crew saluted as one. Irons blinked briefly and then something passed through his face. Respect and thanks before he schooled his features and returned the salute.

  Irons looked good; in his skin suit and no worse for wear the Captain noted in approval as he struck the salute. She followed suit. “Small universe Admiral,” the Captain said grinning and cocking her head.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” the Admiral replied with a chuckle. “Good to see you. All of you.”

  “I see you've made some friends and enemies Admiral,” Firefly said.

  “True to both Commander. It's a long story,” the Admiral replied, sounding a
mused and thoughtful. "How did you end up in the nick of time?"

  "Again, long story sir. We received intel of this fleet and well..." the Captain smiled.

  "I see."

  "It looks like you did a good job taking care of it ahead of us."

  "Well, almost," Irons replied wryly.

  “Biting off more than you can chew Admiral?” Captain Mayweather asked. “Even for you this is a bit much. I know engineer's think they are miracle workers and all...” she said smiling. He chuckled. “Didn't anyone tell you using a tin can and a couple corvettes against a cruiser task force is suicide?”

  “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” the Admiral replied with a Gallic shrug and smile. “The idea was to hit them hard and fast, then get past them to jump to Pyrax and warn you folks. That part we were got hung up on,” he admitted.

  “Well, it almost worked. Emphasis on almost,” the Captain reminded him with a smile.

  “Well, not to brag or anything, but with you here it did indeed work. So all's well that ended well. At least for our side. Again though, why are you here? Not that I'm not grateful, but the timing...”

  “We heard about the imminent attack when we were in Antigua and convinced Commander Logan to let us take a look,” Mayweather replied dryly. “It took a lot of convincing though.”

  The Admiral nodded, face a bit stern. He was surprised they had been in Antigua, obviously like the Captain had said, there was a story there. If he knew Horatio it had taken quite a bit of convincing to let his most powerful asset go in alone. He was surprised Horatio had let them go to Antigua. “Good. A reconnaissance in force. Me too. Glad you aren't standing on the defensive. Thanks for the rescue.”

  “It was a pleasure Admiral,” Captain Mayweather replied, sounding bemused. She looked to her side, off camera. Commander Logan was frowning over a tablet. “Admiral, I've got some post battle chores...”

  The Admiral nodded. “Repairing battle damage and such, I know Commander. Get on it. We'll be in touch soon. Coordinate your efforts in the captures and the marines through Commander Sprite and Lieutenant Gustov.”

  “Aye sir. Glad you are back.”

  “That... remains to be seen,” the Admiral replied, then waved as she looked at him curiously. “A matter for a later moment. Duty calls.” She nodded as he disconnected.

  <----*----*----*---->

  “What did you mean Admiral? That remains to be seen?” Sprite asked.

  “Get a sitrep from them. Have Firefly dump the log. She said they were in Antigua recently. I want to know what happened when I have the time. I think you'll get part of your answer there Commander,” Irons replied. He turned to an engineering rating. “Sitrep?”

  “We're still getting reports from damage control Admiral.”

  “Get me a report from engineering. I can do some key work for any ship replicators from here.”

  “Aye sir.”

  “We've got the fires out in the stern. Vacuum sucks, but it's the best fire fighting tool we've got to work with.”

  “Works. Well, most of the time. The engines?”

  “We red lined a few times. There is a disharmonic in our shields; we're trying to sort it out now. We may need to drop the shields and switch them to standby if we can't get it sorted out soon. It's sending feedback into some of the nodes. If we can't get a handle on it we're going to overload one.”

  The Admiral nodded. “Keep me posted.”

  <----*----*----*---->

  Marty and his staff had their hands full dealing with the wounded, but at least they had help from Firefly. Bounty had taken moderate casualties, fortunately only a handful of fatalities. Triage was handled quickly and professionally. Those with critical injuries were stabilized and then placed in stasis for later repair.

  He looked down when he felt a bump, the ship's cyborg bulldog mascot looked up at him briefly, wagging its tail. He snorted and shook his head. The dog whined and then went off to find someone else to play with.

  Marty wiped his brow with the back of his arm and then went back to trying to save lives.

  <----*----*----*---->

  Marines from all the ships joined Gustov in boarding and securing the battlecruiser. Admiral Rico and most of the senior officers had committed suicide rather than be captured.

  The bridge had been torn apart in the last bit of fighting. The senior officers there were all dead. With their officers dead the fight in the Horathians was gone. Small pockets held out defiantly, but most of the exhausted crew surrendered rather than eat a bullet or breathe vacuum.

  Once Adrienne was secure the Marines shifted to the other disabled enemy ships. Firefly's marines were fresh, fully trained veterans and numbering near a hundred. They had Warhawks as well as two pinnaces. Half also had powered combat armor.

  Once they secured the bridge, engineering, and armory of each ship there was little the surviving crew could do to fight back. Most were too busy either trying to survive or falling all over themselves surrendering anyway.

  <----*----*----*---->

  Jethro rubbed the small of his back. He'd helped take the bridge of the battlecruiser a few hours ago with his armor and stealth ability before he'd been kicked off to board and take the Antelope with his squad.

  The ship had surrendered after light fighting. Fortunately none of the squad had been killed. He frowned as his IFF pinged an incoming officer. He turned in confusion; he didn't recognize this Lieutenant Gustov. “Sir?” he asked.

  “Um, Sergeant Jethro right?” the bluff human asked. He had a healing cut on his chin and smelled of disinfectant. Most likely he'd just sprung himself from the medic's clutches.

  “Yes sir. Sir, I don't recognize you,” Jethro said.

  The human looked him up and down, studying him briefly before he turned to the bridge of the captured destroyer. “I'm new. Aren't you supposed to salute officers?” Gustov asked mildly.

  “Um sir, not in the field sir,” Jethro said, flicking a look to Gusterson who was working on a Horathian casualty. All the Horathians were handcuffed with their hands in front. Lieutenant Valenko had just left to take a lot to the brig.

  The greyhound medic flicked his ears and then returned his attention to his patient. “This one's stable,” he said, moving on to the next.

  “Oh, must have missed that lesson then,” Lieutenant Gustov said with a frown. He shook it off with a brief shrug. “Sitrep?”

  “Stable sir. We have secured the bridge, engineering, power rooms, drive rooms one and three, and the armory.”

  “Why not two?”

  “Two is in vacuum sir,” the panther replied. He sent a schematic to the new officer.

  Gustov studied the schematic and then nodded. “You're superior officer is Lieutenant Valenko?” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” Jethro replied.

  Gustov nodded again. “Very well. Carry on sergeant,” he said, exiting the compartment. Jethro turned briefly to watch him go.

  “Wonder what that was about?” Ox asked through the squad link. The squad had an open channel to all compartments. Ox was in main engineering, keeping an eye on things there.

  “No idea,” Jethro replied and then flicked his ears. “Hopefully, not my problem,” Jethro said.

  <----*----*----*---->

  Post battle clean up allowed them to recover Meia and Dita, as well as Echo and the life pods of Horathian ships. Lieutenant Apple was dead. Sindri and McGuyver had been injured. Fortunately lightly, both men had been burned and tossed about. “We've had worse beatings from the Horathian's,” Ian coughed.

  “You're still getting checked out by the doc first,” the Admiral said. Doctor Standish and Firefly's sickbay was working tirelessly with Doctor Glenn and his crew to save those they could. The worst injured were being shipped to Firefly since she had the better sickbay. She had quickly been overwhelmed with wounded Fleet and Horathians. They spilled out into the companionways and compartments. The decks shivered with their helpless groans.

  “Ay
e aye sir.”

  They made contact with Phoenix. The AI was down, but three of her four crew were still alive. One however was severely injured. Irons looked her over briefly before he looked away. She was a horrible mess, a colander. Her nacelles were gone, her main hull was barely held together. She was only good for scrap. Reluctantly he made a note to get what parts they could off of her and then feed her to the factory ship.

  He turned his attention to the collier. There were no survivors on Lassie. She was even more of a mess than Phoenix, barely recognizable as something that had once been manmade. Again, he marked her down for salvage.

  Most of the Horathian fleet train were in respectable shape. A few of the ships were prizes, one had been outfitted as an 'entertainment ship'. He would have gone with something like a hospital ship, but knowing the Horathains, that was normal for them. He didn't even want to know what passed as entertainment for them. He left that task to the investigators from Firefly.

  Over a thousand slaves were found in the fleet train. Some were battered, little more than skeletons. Most were human or Neo, there were no surviving alien species in the sad group. A few bodies were also found, slaves who had been put to death in rage by their masters. Irons ordered investigations. Those who had taken and abused slaves were tried and executed.

  Medics made their way through each of the unarmed ships, picking over the former slaves. Most were submissive, pathetic in their desire to survive. A crew of survivors from Bounty went over to help them restore a semblance to their shattered lives.

  <----*----*----*---->

  When things finally slowed down Admiral Irons was piped on board Firefly. He saluted the flag and deck officer and asked to come aboard. "Permission granted," the deck officer replied with a grin.

  Once protocol was satisfied, he shook hands and exchanged smiles with the captain and crew. His smile and appearance brought spontaneous cheers from the crew who had come to see him.

  "Good to have you aboard once more Admiral," Firefly said.