The Hope Island Chronicles Boxed Set

by PJ Strebor

  Ahead a patrolling E boat crossed their flight path. Moe had to use a tiny push from her upper mag plating to avoid colliding with it. She held her breath as the two boats passed one another. So far that had been the only near contact with an enemy warship. It occurred to Moe that the enemy’s unimaginable lack of preparedness was due to an old failing. So massive a fleet had been assembled that they feared nothing. After all, who would dare to attack such an formidable armada?

  In time they passed through the patrolling E boats, under the destroyers and were currently slipping past the heavy cruisers. Ahead, their primary target grew in size as they closed the range. Disable the battleships and Cimmeria stood a chance of surviving. Swoop in, take out their engines then run for the I-M. That was the plan, but in the pandemonium of combat plans change.

  “Captain,” Grace said from the tactical station, “you’re not going to believe this, but the battleships are on alert three. Their shields are at minimal.”

  Yeah, plans change.

  ***

  “Captain,” Kamora ten’s T-O said, “the battleships shields are at minimal.”

  “Really?” Captain Garner whispered. They’re at the hub of a huge armada surround by squadrons of covering ships. An attack of this audacity wouldn’t enter to their square head minds. “First Officer, flash feed comm to all squadrons. Slow to one-half speed on my mark.”

  Telford’s boats should almost be on top of them by now. I won’t alert the enemy by commencing my attack just yet.

  “Standing by, Captain,” her first officer said.

  “Mark.”

  ***

  The attacking force were surrounded by enemy vessels, some so close Moe swore she’d be able to reach out and touch them. At this range Moe couldn’t risk using the comms even on flash feed. The battleships loomed ahead, a standard line-abreast formation. With tiny increments of mag maneuvering, she positioned her boat to attack the outermost ship in the formation’s port side.

  To her starboard the E boat positioned itself to the far end of the formation readying to attack the starboard-most battleship. Yes, Ryden knew his stuff. Both stealth vessels had been steadily dropping speed for the attack.

  The enemy warship’s keel looked mightily inviting to Moe. Her armor would be thick but not strong enough to repel six, sixty-megatonne pulsar warheads. Moe didn’t wish to announce her presence so would take the shot without a proper lock on. She knew the location of her engineering section and only one pulsar head needed to hit the ship’s reactor.

  Closing range Adroit bucked as the six torpedoes tore from her tubes. Moe grinned as she saw Ryden firing at the same time. The allied vessels broke away and fled from the blast zone. The chain reaction was as they had hoped for. The outer most capital ships exploded with spectacular force. Then, one after another, the other three heavy units exploded, taking a few nearby cruisers with them.

  ***

  Nathan gasped as he emerged from his self-imposed prison and back to consciousness. His head ached through to the back of his eyes. He rolled onto his back and just wanted to sleep. The boat lurched to port so violently that Doctor Jahn was thrown against a bulkhead. He recovered and hovered over the rack as Nathan stood. As agreed, Jahn had revived him as soon as the first shot had been fired.

  “Name, rank,” Doctor Jahn asked.

  “Nelson, Admiral,” Nathan replied irritably.

  Jahn sucked his cheeks in and frowned. “I need to examine you.”

  “Later. Get your helmet on, doctor.”

  Nathan took his position on the bridge dropping into the vacant captain’s chair. He scrolled through the images washing across his screen and grinned.

  “What the hell happen, Werner?”

  “They had their shields at station-keeping, so,” his X-O’s grin matched Nathan’s. “The Cimmerians are giving the cruisers a fearsome time.”

  Nathan examined his readouts and shook his head in wonder. No sight of the E boats but the destroyers were slowly getting organized. Nathan keyed his comm.

  “Allied vessels, this is Vogel. An outstanding day’s work people, but it’s time to skedaddle before the destroyers get our range.”

  “Acknowledged, Captain Vogel,” Garner said.

  “Disengaging now,” Moe said.

  The rout was complete. Six battleships destroyed and most of the heavy cruisers destroyed or badly damaged. The attacking force had not sustained a single casualty. Still they had to get out of range of the destroyers or that could change. He stepped to the helm.

  “I see you’ve managed to struggle by without my assistance,” Nathan said.

  “We got lucky,” Ryden said. “The boat is yours, Captain.”

  “Acknowledged. Do you mind?” Nathan indicated the helm.

  “Now I have nothing to do again.”

  “You’ve done more than enough for one day, Ernst.”

  Nathan could have sat in the captain’s chair but something didn’t feel right and when that happened he preferred to be at the helm. Saxon lingered at the edge of his consciousness. Nathan had learned to detect that much at least.

  Through his view hood he saw Adroit come about smartly and head for the I-M. Destroyers couldn’t match their speed. As soon as they cleared their range nothing could stop them from safely escaping.

  Nathan reached out tentatively with his senses. Yes, Saxon was there but appeared to be in a passive state. He put Saxon out of his mind and followed the other warships toward the inner marker.

  ***

  “I have him,” Orson said. “Captain Coppins, we are the closest boat to him so order all E boats to follow our lead.”

  “Not necessary, Commander,” Coppins said. “When our destroyers get his range he’s dead.”

  “No Coppins, I want him alive,” he hissed into the captain’s face. “Those are my orders and now they’re yours. Now, Captain, or I’ll get someone who can.”

  “Very well, sir, but the rest of my boats are spread out all around the fleet. If those other enemy ships turn back to assist him, we’ll be on our own against sixteen heavily-armed warships.”

  “Good,” Orson said. “Then after we capture him the destroyers can deal with them.”

  Coppins sighed. “Heading, sir?”

  “That way,” he said, pointing forward and off to port.

  “Helm, all ahead flank on course one four seven. Tactical we’re looking for a rogue E boat. Find it.”

  ***

  Nathan needed flank speed to escape with the other allied warships. He had both throttles pushed to the red line but the boat didn’t respond.

  “Damage control,” Nathan said.

  “Lieutenant Schenk here, Captain.”

  “I’m not getting flank speed,” Nathan said.

  “Sorry sir, I’ve just checked it out and was about to contact you,” the DCO said. “The starboard engine took a hit during the battle. It’s working but I can only give you two-thirds on that engine.”

  “Any chance of repairing it?”

  “Not without a repair facility, sir.”

  “Very well. Bridge out.”

  “Skipper,” Willet said from the tactical station, “I have a ghost image closing fast from astern. It’s there one second, gone the next. It could be an E boat, sir.”

  “Understood.” Nathan had been sensing the danger for the last minute. From the strength of the sensation it wasn’t a standard Pruessen attack boat. Saxon was on that boat but not Reinhardt. Nathan wanted to kill him so badly he ached. Would they launch fighters? Did they still want him alive? The enemy boat, probably a light carrier, was larger so less maneuverable, but faster. If he continued to flee it would run him down, disable his boat and send marines aboard.

  He worked the problem but even the most optimistic tactics involved great risk. Time to take a chance on them still wanting me in one piece. He keyed his comm.

  “Senior Engineer, Captain.”

  “
Bessel.”

  “Commander, shortly I’m going to ask you to scram the reactor. Don’t ask why, just do it.”

  “Yes, Captain. Whatever you’re planning I hope it works.”

  “Yeah, me too. Bridge out.”

  “Krause, Captain.”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Shortly, Werner, I’m going to order you to drop our shields. Except for our stern shields. Understood.”

  “Understood, Captain.” His tone indicated an overpowering urge to ask the obvious question. Nathan cut the comm.

  “Kellerman, Captain.”

  “Aye, skipper.”

  “Are you and Hoppe ready to party.”

  “Hoppe’s just about foaming at the mouth. Just give the word, skip.”

  “Very well.”

  Right, hot shot, try not to get this crew killed.

  ***

  “He’s coming about, Captain,” E 778’s T-O said. “I think he’s attacking us.”

  “Then he’s a damn fool,” Captain Coppins said. “Helm, take out his weapons.”

  “Pulsar fire only,” Orson insisted.

  The helmsman checked with Coppins, who nodded. The captain knew what would happen to him and his crew if he disobeyed.

  “I can’t get a lock-on, sir,” the helm said. “His IFF transponder is blocking me. Switching to manual.”

  E 778 raked the charging enemy warship tearing her from bow to stern. The enemy fired back adopting the same tactic.

  Then Telford made a mistake. He passed directly over E 788’s weapons, exposing his keel. Pulsar fire ripped into his boat. She fell past, bleeding a trail of detritus and vapor.

  “Got him!” the helm shouted.

  “T-O, scan him,” Coppins ordered.

  “Scanning, Captain. Most of his shields are down and his reactor has scrammed. He looks to be dead in the water.”

  “Prepare marines to take her in one piece,” Coppins told his first officer. “And launch fighters to keep an eye on her.”

  Orson smiled.

  ***

  “Schenk,” Nathan said, “how badly are we hurt?”

  “The keel is punctured in twenty-three places,” he said, grunting as he worked on repairs. “The boat’s open to space in sections five through thirty-eight. Good thing we’re all using the officer’s mess, the enlisted mess is fried. Cargo bay three is also open to space.”

  “Very well.”

  “Captain,” Willet said, “the E boat has opened their boat bay hatch. I think they’re preparing to launch fighters. Their shields are still up. Hold. A fighter is moving into launch position.”

  “Very well.” Nathan cut his comm and brought up his stern feeds. “That’s right, fuckers, fighters first then send in the marines.”

  “SMC, give me an open channel to the boat.”

  “Yes, Captain. Channel open.”

  “Everyone stand ready,” Nathan said. They were a good, hard, experienced crew. They knew what he expected of them.

  Nathan reached out with his senses. Any second now. He squared up the boat, the fighter squarely in his stern gun sights.

  “Now,” Nathan said.

  Nathan followed the action on his board. Krause, raised the shields and opened the landing bay hatch. Kellerman and Hoppe were waiting. So were their two heavy duty L 50 pulsars. They fired twin beams of destruction into the enemy landing bay and the waiting fighter. It exploded ripping the stern of the carrier open to space.

  In the few seconds of frantic combat, his bow weapons came back online as well as the reactor.

  “Come on, come on.” Nathan rapped his knuckles against his console.

  “That should have taken out her engineering deck,” Ryden said.

  The landing bay sat directly above engineering. Somehow the explosion blew out rather than in.

  “Oh, for god’s sake,” Ryden said. “The reinforced landing bay must have saved her.”

  “Captain,” Willett said, “we have another enemy boat coming into range.”

  Nathan shook his head. “X-O, close the hatch.”

  He set course for the I-M.

  ***

  Orson couldn’t believe what just happened. Telford had gotten the better of him again.

  “Captain Coppins,” Orson said, “continue the pursuit.”

  Coppins stared at him with contempt distorting his features.

  “Continue? This boat isn’t going anywhere.”

  “Are you disobeying my order, Coppins?” he asked coldly.

  “No Commander, I’m not disobeying your order,” Coppins answered. “This boat is severely damaged and it’s a miracle we’re not scrap metal floating in space. We aren’t moving because we can’t move. We’re out of the game.”

  ***

  Nathan fled toward the inner marker in his battered boat. The battle with the enemy E boat had cost him time that he could ill-afford.

  “Skipper,” Willet said, “a destroyer squadron is moving into in range. They are Halle class ships. Each have multiple batteries of pulsars and twenty-four forward torpedo tubes.”

  Not good. Not good.

  “Their weapons are hot. Firing. Over a hundred torpedoes inbound.”

  Nathan stood a chance of survival if the weapons read his IFF transponder. However, if the enemy fired a mighty salvo without lock-on some of them, by sheer weight of numbers, would have to hit him.

  For the first time in the engagement a familiar pop between his ears. His knack had finally kicked in.

  Focusing on the torpedoes he isolated the ones most likely to find him. He read the most danger, focused on it, cut engine power, rolled the boat over and fired a single torpedo. A high grade nuke with a proximity detonator. He counted down the seconds to impact. It flew straight and true before detonating in a blinding wave. The hot spot on his spine cooled as the remaining torpedoes read his transponder and ignored him.

  Swinging the boat about he resumed his run to safety. At any moment the destroyers would reload and fire again, and again. This was a losing proposition but he could think of no clever ploy to get him out of this mess.

  “Firing,” Willet said. “Same as before, but this time they’re closer.”

  Nathan maintained his forward speed while he identified the danger zone. Yes, as before the danger lay in the center of the salvo. Waiting until the last possible moment he cut engine power, rolled the boat over and fired at the sector of most probable danger. The remainder of the enemy salvo which could not lock onto him passed harmlessly by. He resumed his flight to safety.

  “Captain,” the weapons officer said, “two more rounds and we’re out of nukes.”

  “Understood. Do we have pulsar heads?”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  “Good, load them after the nukes are expended.”

  Again he repelled the attack and with each engagement he crawled slowly away from the slower capital ships. With only one more nuke in his arsenal he doubted he could get clear of their torpedo envelop.

  The sound of clamps locking onto his topside startled him. His internal comm beeped.

  “Looks like you could use a hand, Nate.”

  “Moe?” Nathan said. “Get the hell out of here.”

  “Not without you.”

  With Adroit clamped onto his boat the speed slowly increased.

  “Torpedoes launched,” Willet yelled.

  “Moe cut power on my mark.”

  “Roger.”

  Again Nathan waited until the last possible moment to fire.

  “Mark.”

  Again he rolled over, fired his last nuke, then rolled over and imposed the E boat between him and Adroit. After the salvo passed, they resumed their flight to freedom.

  “Almost out of range,” Moe said. “Just a few more minutes.”

  “You should leave now,” Nathan said. “I can make it the rest of the way on my own. Remember, I have enemy IFF, but you don’t.”
>
  “Hey, hotshot, what are you going do, throw rocks at the next salvo? You have to be out of nukes by now. I have six tubes loaded with nukes set with proximity detonators. Give me the target coordinates and I can hold them off for the few minutes we need.”

  “That’s a hell of a sales pitch.”

  “Torpedoes fired,” Willet yelled.

  “Same as before,” Moe said.

  He waited.

  “Mark.” Both boats cut thrust and rolled over. “Fire, two seven three true.”

  Moe was only fractionally off target but it was enough for three enemy weapons to get through. Nathan focused and fired, until all three were destroyed. Again he imposed his keel between the enemy fire and the monitor. Again the torpedoes failed to detect Adroit. Rolling over, the two boats resumed their flight to escape.

  They continued the tactic for the few precious minutes they needed.

  “We’re clear of their torpedo envelope, Skipper,” Willet said.

  Over the five years since Nathan had discovered his knack, he’d become better at recovering from its effects. Now with the battle behind him his knack receded to wherever it hid, until the next time he desperately needed it.

  Nathan’s fatigue wasn’t crushing, as it had been in the past, but he could feel it steadily pressing down on him. Removing his helmet he lay his head onto his console.

  He sensed Ryden standing beside him. “I can relieve you if you like, Captain. After what you just did, you deserve to take a break.”

  Nathan felt tempted to take the offer, but they were too close to the enemy to risk it. He rubbed his hands over his face.

  “I’ll rest when we reach the I-M. But thanks for the offer. I just need to put my head down for a few minutes.”

  “Okay,” Ryden said.

  Nathan rested his head on the console and closed his eyes. Just a few minutes. Fighting the urge to drift into unconsciousness, Nathan allowed his fatigued mind to slip into a state of dreamy limbo. Seven hours till they reached the inner marker. Just seven hours.

  Sometime later he began to feel partly human again. Still he drifted in twilight.

  His Prep screamed. Nathan sat up and keyed his L-M.