“It looks like artifact, Sir,” reported the Tech trepidation in her voice as she spoke hesitantly.
The Officer in charge of the sensor section glared daggers at the tech causing her shoulders to hunch in.
“I am asking of you to report anything that looks suspicious. I’m certain this qualifies,” Ivan rumbled soothingly in an accented voice.
Her shoulders eased slightly.
“What have you got?” he asked exercising captain’s prerogative and ignoring the warrant officer nominally in charge of the section.
The technician turned back to her screen and started pointing.
“At first blush it looks like a non-repeating sensor artifact. But if you run a pattern analysis over an eight and a half hour period it looks like there is a pattern and it repeats itself twice, Sir,” she reported, showing the pattern using a time compressed graph.
“A more than eight hour period?” the Sensor Warrant leaned forward to take a look and then scoffed. “These reading don’t match any pattern in our Imperial stealth techniques database.”
“Then you are disputing the technician’s findings, Warrant?” asked Captain Ivan.
“Oh I’m not denying that she found a pattern, Sir,” the Warrant said straightening, “but if you go randomly looking for repeating patterns you’ll find them. That doesn’t mean that you’ve found a stealthed Imperial warship, though, because there are any number of repeatable interactions between a star systems planetary bodies and the surrounding stars. There are even more that only appear to repeat but over a course of time don’t. Honestly, Sir, eight hours is too long for a pattern like this and like I said there’s nothing similar in the database,” he repeated.
“Your concerns are valid and noted, Warrant Officer,” the Captain nodded in polite but it was a clear dismissal before turning back to the Tech.
“Using these readings as a reference, can you isolate where the enemy ship might be located, as well as anything about its size or armament?” asked the Captain.
The Tech looked at him blankly.
“Well?” he prompted impatiently while behind him the Warrant Officer in command of the Sensor Section on this shift shook his head, practically radiating disapproval.
“I-I-I’m sorry, Sir. But as of right now nothing can be determined as to size or weapons capabilities from these sensor readings. I’d need to get closer,” she said hesitantly and then her eyes widened with alarm, “much closer,” she added hastily.
Ivan’s eyes dimmed with disappointment before lowering his brow and pointing to the screen. “Where?” he asked sharply, his meaning clear.
The Tech gulped. “Just one moment, Captain,” she said immediately pulling up a program with a few quick taps of the screen and then migrating the sensor results into the program, “I’ll have those results for you as soon as this program finishes compiling the raw data.”
“Take your time,” Ivan said, laying a hand on the tech’s shoulder before taking several steps back.
Visibly relieved, the technician continued to work.
“Sir I must protest,” the Warrant Officer came over and spoke in a lowered voice so that the female sensor tech and the rest of the bridge crew couldn’t understand his words.
“What is your problem, Warrant?” Ivan asked, turning his deep brown eyes on the other man.
“Sir! I understand that you specifically asked for any anomalous readings but Tech Jannice clearly overstepped her bounds when she started you on this wild goose chase with her spurious findings,” he said stiffly.
“I asked for any anomalous readings, Warrant,” Ivan said.
“And you received every potentially relevant one. But I don’t know where she and the other transferees from the Lucky Clover get this from, but they are far too willing to jump the chain of command. Their adherence to protocol was also strictly lacking until after they received remedial training,” said the Warrant.
Commander Ivan Dimitiri stared at the Chief through narrowed eyes.
“Look I understand your desire for quick results. I’m frustrated too and patrolling an empty star system…” the Warrant trailed off shaking his head, “but Sir—”
“Enough, Officer Palmateer,” Ivan cut him off, “I am the captain of this ship, not you.”
“Why…I never said otherwise, Sir!” exclaimed the Warrant Officer in dismay.
“No, but you implied it,” Commander Ivan shook his head, “frankly I don’t care what star system a man, or woman, comes from. Nor do I care if they like to jump up and down in their chairs. What I want is competence. Flair. Dedication perhaps. Not blind obedience. That can take a back seat to true competence.”
“You’re the Captain, Sir,” the Warrant Officer said looking hurt.
“You’re a new addition to the crew, Warrant. You only transferred six months ago. The Ivan isn’t like an SDF ship or even other ships in the Patrol Fleet for that matter. This is your chance to learn our ways. Don’t squander it,” said the Captain.
“Sir,” the Warrant said backing away.
“I’ve got it!” the sensor tech said, waving her fist in the air.
The Commander’s head swiveled like a laser turret tracking on target. “Where are they, Jannice?” he demanded.
The Sensor Tech quailed and then rallied. “Best estimates put our last known location here,” the Sensor Tech said, pulling up a plot, “and projected course and speed puts them right about…here.”
Captain Ivan looked at the projected course and speed. “They’re slow,” he said.
“Moving under stealth they can’t be fast, Sir,” she replied promptly, “Imperial protocol limits show there is a maximum top speed. Even allowing for improvements in stealth speed limits it can’t be too much faster than this,” she ended confidently.
“Now she takes into consideration standard Imperial stealth protocols,” grumbled the Warrant.
“Helm, new course and maintain current speed,” instructed Captain Ivan.
For a moment the entire bridge seemed to hold its breath until the new course was uploaded onto the screen and then released them with sighs of disappointment. The course barely shifted from the original.
“Steady, Bridge,” said Ivan Dimitri, “the wise hunter does not startle prey in the brush.”
“Sir?” asked the ship’s Executive Officer.
“We have an Imperial ship with Imperial engines. But so did Captain Laurent. I want to make certain we are able to enter attack range before we startle this rabbit,” said the Captain.
“Aye-aye, Captain,” said the First Officer.
Over the next several hours, the Crazy Ivan altered its patrol pattern minutely until finally, with the assistance of Tech Jannice, they were projected to be in the vicinity of the suspected Imperial warship.
“Well, Jannice?” asked Ivan Dimitri.
“If there’s an Imperial warship inside this star system, she’s somewhere right around here, Sir,” the Sensor Tech said confidently, “I can’t narrow it down any further though.”
“XO, take the ship to battle stations; Sensors, prepare to blast this region of space with active sensors. If there’s so much as a chunk of ice or space debris, let alone an Imperial warship operating under stealth I want you to find it,” he ordered.
“Aye-aye, Captain,” said the Executive Officer.
Like turning on a light switch, the Crazy Ivan went active and lit up the surrounding space like a Christmas tree.
“All initial scans are negative, Sir,” the Warrant Officer reported neutrally.
“Continue your search and increase the intensity, Sensors,” instructed the Captain who then turned slightly, “and tell Gunnery to stay on their toes. At the first sign of the enemy they are to fire first and ask for permission later,” he said to Tactical.
“Increasing intensity and still no response…sir” the Warrant Officer said patiently.
The Captain waited a beat. “Helm, I want you to simultaneously increase our speed to full mi
litary power while making a 90 degree change in course,” instructed the Commander Ivan.
“Sir?” blinked the Helmsman. The Crazy Ivan’s Executive Officer quickly stepped up to the captain, but Ivan ignored him. “Now, Helm,” grunted the Captain impatiently.
The Helmsman’s face stiffened as he quickly thumbed his controls to life.
“Is there a problem, Number One?” asked Ivan.
“I just wanted to know if I should be ready to break out the shots later, Sir?” the XO said seriously.
“What kind of question is this, Petrov? Either way, we’ll need the vodka,” Ivan demanded.
The XO opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a scream from the sensor section.
“Contact! There she is. I knew it all along!” screamed Jannice, looking relieved as a new data point appeared on the main plot.
“Yes! We flushed her out! You won’t be transferring to the quartermaster’s department after all, Jannice,” Ivan said, pounding a fist into his other hand. “What have we got?”
“What?” Jannice asked, looking alarmed.
“I said the contact. What is she?” demanded Ivan brusquely, striding back to his captain’s chair and perching forward on it like a hawk about to strike. “And get after her, Helm!”
“Initiating full speed pursuit!” said the Helm.
“Instruct the gunners they’re going to be busy today,” said Ivan.
“Sensor contact is tentatively classed as…there she goes,” said the Warrant Officer the stealthed warship suddenly went to full power, “it’s clearly a Destroyer class of some kind, Captain. Probably Imperial,” he reported.
As the MSP Destroyer finished its radical course change and went to full burn the Imperial Destroyer went from a speed so slow that for the purposes of this combat she’d almost been moving at a dead stop to full military power while simultaneously trying to charging her shields.
The Imperial warship was only 38 degrees off the Crazy Ivan’s previous course and the newly entered into service MSP Destroyer was easily able to overtake the enemy warship before she could escape.
Realizing she couldn’t get away the Imperial warship flared her engines and her maneuvering jets firing for all they were worth she rapidly turned, presenting her broadside to the Crazy Ivan.
“Sir! We’re being hailed by the Fighting Badger, her captain says he needs to speak with you urgently,” reported a Com-Tech.
“Because we’re having difficulty with our com-system it is…regrettable that I won’t be able to speak with him until after the engagement,” said the Captain turning back to the main-screen.
“Helm, we’re going to pass on our starboard side. Shields! Supercharge the generators on that same side,” he ordered.
“Sir our communications array and computer systems are working at full—” said the Com-Tech.
“If the Captain says you have a problem with the system then you have a problem with the system, Technician,” scolded the First Officer, “especially if it’s a local officer in an System Defense Force calling.”
“Aye-aye, Sir,” cowered the Tech hunching her shoulders.
“Chin up,” the First Officer said, shaking his head as he turned away.
“Entering firing range in ten seconds,” the Tactical Officer said with a big grin.
“Get ready for a blizzard,” warned the Captain.
Several moments later, the former Imperial Destroyer met the current Imperial Destroyer for the first time, and a predictable batch of fire and fury was the result.
The Imperial Destroyer was well positioned to strike the first blow and her broadside followed suit slamming into the forward starboard side shields of the Crazy Ivan. In a show of Imperial superiority the Imperial Destroyer’s gunnery section landed every laser strike within a ten meter area on the MSP Destroyer forward starboard hull and as a result punching into the hull beneath.
The Crazy Ivan’s gunnery section not to be outdone returned fire, every laser on target as they unleashed a unified broadside that knocked out the still forming Imperial shields and raked the Imperial Destroyers mono-locsium hull.
As the Ivan’s blast doors isolated the hole now present in the forward crew compartments and super heated crystal fragments flew from both warships from the multiple laser strikes each side had received, both captains gave the order to immediately roll their warships.
“Imperial warship is coming about—hard!” reported First Officer Petrov.
“Be faster, Helm,” Ivan ordered with an excited expression.
“I’ll do my best,” said the Helmsman.
“Emergency Protocol 3,” commanded the Captain with a crazy gleam in his eye.
The helmsman’s eyes flashed and a split second later jets of fire lanced out all in more than a dozen places along the hull of the Crazy Ivan.
“Utilizing disposable thruster packs now,” said the Lieutenant.
With more than a dozen extra thruster packs igniting at the same time, in addition to the Destroyer’s regular thrusters, Crazy Ivan competed its roll faster than its Imperial counterpart and its gunners once again opened fire.
Only this time, because the Imperial warship had not yet completed its roll, this broadside landed on an unprotected hull.
Laser after laser struck the enemy Destroyer, with the light lasers destroying sensor arrays, communication towers and shield nodes across bottom of the hull and three of the medium lasers completely punching through the hull, causing out-gassing. In addition, several space-suited figures were sucked out, flailing for a purchase they would never find, into cold space.
Not to be outdone, the Imperial Destroyer launched a pair of drones and completed its roll broadside smashing into the Crazy Ivan the moment their gun mounts gained line of sight.
“Full power to the shields!” yelled Captain Ivan right before the enemy lasers struck.
“We’ve just lost a light laser to counter fire and another medium laser scored the hull around our gun mounts,” reported Tactical as the Ivan shot past the Imperial Destroyer at high speed.
“Turn and bring us around wide and then cross back in front for another pass. This time we’ll cross her T,” said Ivan.
“If they’ll let us,” said the First Officer.
As the Ivan first turned wide and then swung back around the Imperial Destroyer continued to gain speed before also turning in the same direction so that instead of meeting side to front both warships met side to side.
“I’m getting increasing interference, the closer we get to the Imperial ship the harder it is to cut through the interference,” reported the Warrant Officer in charge of sensors.
“Our targeting sensors are experiencing interference and our shot-to-hit ratio is going to drop,” warned Tactical.
Dimitri Ivan glowered at the main screen before the corner of his mouth turned up.
“Not if we get in close. Real close,” he said with satisfaction and a crazy gleam in his eye.
“To get in close enough to overcome their interference we’d have to be almost right on top of them,” said First Officer Petrov.
“Exactly the point! Helm, take us in,” ordered the Captain.
A few members of the bridge shared knowing looks before turning back to their console. Captain Ivan had made his reputation back in first battle against the Imperial Reclamation Fleet through his use of unorthodox tactics and crazy maneuvers. To them this was just par for the course.
Of course for those newer members of the bridge crew things were not quite so sanguine. But despite their unease he was still the captain and this was the middle of a battle. They had no choice but to hope that their unconventional captain would once again rise to the occasion… without getting any of them killed.
As if sensing the wavering thoughts of some of his crew Captain Dimitri glare suddenly swept the room causing spines to straighten and wandering attentions to immediately fixate back on their consoles.
As the MSP Crazy Ivan approached the Imperial warsh
ip the other struck out with punishing force as it again showed the superior skill of trained Imperial gunnery. As a swarm of laser fire all struck within a fifteen meter section, breaking through the Crazy Ivan’s shielding and punching through the hull.
“How are they doing so much more damage than last time?” demanded Captain Ivan.
“They’re focusing on the same spot!” reported Engineering.
“Saint Murphy howled! Put this ship into a spin, I want to get close enough to see the back of their teeth,” snapped the Captain.
“Aye-aye, Sir!” said the Helmsman and sent the Destroyer spinning.
As the MSP Crazy Ivan continued to close with the Imperial Destroyer the enemy attacked with focused broadsides but with the Ivan now spinning it was much harder for them to target their lasers all on the same hull section.
“The rotation is throwing off their targeting computers, that last broadside struck near but not on the same area as the last attack. No hull penetration,” reported Tactical.
“I believe their own jamming field is also effecting their targeting. Even if they know the exact frequency shifts, they’re still pumping out a lot of radiation. That has to be jamming up their targeting,” said Sensors.
“Not enough so you could tell,” growled the XO, “how much longer are we going to be stuck taking broadsides and not dishing them back out, Helm?” the XO demanded glaring at the screen.
“Not that much longer, Petrov,” observed Ivan as the MSP Destroyer entered close range, “stand ready with those emergency thruster packs.”
“Entering close range approach…now!” said the Helmsman excitedly.
“That’s not good enough,” roared Ivan, “bump their shields. Now!”
“All gunners are to hold fire until we have achieved closest approach,” instructed tactical, “and that means until either their shields go down or we start pulling away!”
Realizing the danger of the close approach the helm team on the Imperial Destroyer tried to pull away to gain a safe separation but MSP Crazy Ivan didn’t shake.
Beam after laser beam hit the MSP Destroyer as the deadly Imperial gunnery took its toll punching through shields and striking the hull repeatedly.
Admiral's Nemesis Part II Page 27
