Kitanna racing to keep up with the data reports, "Six hundred ninety-four Heavy Cruisers, one Dreadnought, and three hundred Medium Cruisers. Unfortunately sir, they have started to break off into several groups." She pauses, as she reviews the latest data then continues, "We have two larger groups, roughly one hundred and forty each moving out to our flanks, and scattered throughout the rest of their fleet. They have numerous formations spread apart, all bearing straight ahead."
Jackson curious asks, "Any Light Cruisers?" He thinks to himself. Why are they breaking up now, do they know our position, and how?
Kitanna still studying the data replies, "No sir, none that I can detect."
Jackson sits in his seat thinking. They must have them cloaked, and out amongst them is another gateway, just waiting to do what they did before.
Mulvey cautiously asks, "Sir, should we tighten up the Carrier fleet sir? You have us spread pretty far apart, and with no Battleship support, we are sitting ducks."
Jackson annoyed answers, "Captain Mulvey, do you think if we were close together, we would make a good target, should they come at us again with another gateway trap just like before?" Jackson pauses, as he waits for a response. Mulvey has potential to be a good officer, but he’s too by the book and in this war, and there is no book written. Mulvey stands silently as Jackson continues, "No Captain Mulvey, we will maintain our current position, but have every support fighter launch, and remain cloaked. I want them to attack the approaching T-Challa fleet’s extended flanks."
Mulvey looking of the tactical board reports, "Anders and his fleet will not be able to reach the battlefield for eighteen minutes. The T-Challa fleet will be here in less than ten minutes, and General, sir, he is risking detection."
Jackson boldly says, "Uncloak the Yorktown now, and have the rest of the fleet circle out to the flanks at the edge of their weapons range. Tell them to remain cloaked, but to remain mobile, and not to fire until the T-Challa fleet is in optimum firing range. Have all of their support fighters launch and remain cloaked as well. I want them to attack the outer flanks with our fighters, but leave the main body alone. I want them to assist in funneling them into a tight group, so they hit that minefield. Captain Mulvey, I want you to send in the four nuclear-armed wings, to hit these other flanking fleets here." Jackson uses the tactical holoscreen to indicate his targeted areas. He continues, "We need to pack them into an even tighter grouping, so we can get them into that minefield for maximum effect."
The com officer yells out, "Sir, I have Captain Anders on the holocom, he seems upset."
Jackson looks up and says, "Patch him through."
Anders appears, asking, "General, you just made yourself visible. The T-Challa fleet has increased their speed, and Jacks it’s going to take us at least seven more minutes to close in from behind if we stay cloaked. I can be there in far less if you let us go in uncloaked?"
Jackson says, "I know the situation Scott, don’t worry about us. We are hundred ships against a thousand, just another day in the park for us. I need you to locate and destroy that gateway before they can activate it. That is your main mission."
The com officer says, "General, I have the transport shuttle requesting permission to launch."
Jackson realizes he hasn’t had the chance to say goodbye to his wife. He quickly says, "Mulvey watch the bridge, I’ll be right back." Damn it, she so …so... ah hell, I don’t what she is, but she sure knows how to get under my skin...
Jackson makes his way to the flight deck as fast as possible. He orders them to open the shuttle transport doors. Jackson hastily enters, seeing Qui Shi sitting with her back to him. He asks, "Trying to leave without saying goodbye?"
Qui Shi doesn’t turn around, but is easily discernible that she is upset, saying, "I didn’t want to bother you Andrew. I know how busy you are."
Jackson sadden says, "Qui Shi, it’s going to be Ok. I promise you, I’ll be back."
Qui Shi turns around, and Jackson immediately sees that she is crying, she angrily replies, "Then why send us away? Why not let us stay with you?"
Jackson holds Qui Shi and says, "Ok then, you can stay, but you'll have to deal with our father. He’s not going to like this."
Carla yells, "Yeah!" As she runs off the shuttle at her top speed, racing back to med bay.
Jackson sighs, saying, "Qui Shi, just keep her under control please." I can’t believe I let her stay. I have to be out of my mind. Wei is going to go ballistic that I didn't send her home.
Jackson quickly rushes back to the bridge, where he sees Klaus wrapping tape around the flight controls.
Mulvey concerned says, "General, the T-Challa fleet is exiting hyperspace and is closing fast on our position. The four fighter wings with the nukes are ready to engage."
Jackson looks over the tactical holoscreens. He studies the approaching fleet as they attempt to circle him, thinking that the Yorktown is all alone. He smiles as he stares out the view port, realizing this time everything truly depends on him, and that no one can come to their rescue. He alone is now responsible for the continued existence of the human race.
Jackson feeling the euphoria of his confidence smiles and yells, "Attack now!"
With that single order, the four nuclear-armed fighter wings jump out of hyperspace and launch over a dozen well-placed nuke strikes. They destroy over one hundred T-Challa ships, and causes the T-Challa fleet to rapidly close ranks. Nonetheless, the T-Challa fleet keeps accelerating, even faster, and right into the heart of their minefield. Yet another hundred ships are effortlessly destroyed or crippled, but the T-Challa keep charging forward still.
Mulvey shocked yells, "Sir, they are closing at top speed without any regard for their ships! We now show over six hundred eighty-four ships combat ready and still they are heading right at us! Don’t they have any fear at all?"
Jackson unconcerned at Mulvey’s babble says, "Tell all the fighter wings to attack now, prepare all ships guns to fire at will.” This is going to be close.
The support fighters, over a thousand ships fly directly into the heart of the T-Challa fleet, attacking at anything that moves. They successfully destroy hundreds of ships in the first assault. The T-Challa return fire destroying over fifty of the support fighters.
Kitanna, overwhelmed says, "We have ships everywhere sir, it’s impossible for me to track them all."
Jackson focused says, "Just try and locate that gateway, don’t worry about the fleet." I’m guessing in the alternate reality, I must have sent Carla and Qui Shi home. So let’s see if Caleb's plan to change the future will work.
The fighter wings makes yet another assault on the T-Challa fleet decimating yet another sixty ships, while damaging over hundred more.
Then suddenly a hundred T-Challa Light Cruisers appear all around the Yorktown firing.
Kitanna surprised screams, "They're everywhere! We have shields down to forty eight percent! We lost twenty more support fighters, shields are recharging!"
Jackson yells out, "ALL SHIPS FIRE AND RAISE SHIELDS NOW!"
The Earth fleet fires, and immediately uncloaks. Five more Super Carriers, forty-nine Destroyers, and twenty-eight Cruisers all appear from behind their cloaking fields, decimating the T-Challa Light Cruiser fleet in just a single salvo.
Finally, the Earth fleet is in range of the approaching T-Challa main fleet. The main guns and torpedo launchers of the Earth fleet lock onto multiple targets. Each of the Super Carrier’s has over a dozen main gun turrets with three plasma cannons each. With over four dozen Medium turrets with two cannons each, located on its upper deck. Both flight decks are just below and well protected. The Cruisers have only two main turrets with three individual cannons and only four Medium turrets on each side, with two cannons each and hundreds of Light cannons. While the Destroyers only have three Medium turrets, one cannon each, with multiple torpedo launchers, and only a dozen Light cannons.
Val calls up on the com cold and impersonal, "Sir, I have us at near Paladin p
ower levels, but I don’t know how long I can keep this level of control, I also have our shields back up to full strength."
Weapons officer says, "Sir, I have multiple targets awaiting orders."
Jackson frowns looking at Mulvey, who immediately turns and yells, "The General gave the fire at will order crewmen, now fire!"
The Yorktown fires along with the rest of fleet. The effect of so many plasma cannons firing all at once is beyond description, as the energy of hundreds of plasma charges fire across the battlefield, and directly into the heart of the T-Challa fleet, cutting through the fleet like daylight breaking through the darkness of night. Over eighty ships are utterly destroyed, while a dozen others take heavy to severe damage. A split second later, over hundred torpedoes strike deep into the fleet, further decimating the T-Challa fleet, and bringing its number just fewer than three hundred operational ships. Finally, the Dreadnought, which has a longer range than the other T-Challa ships, locks on to the Yorktown and fires all her guns.
Klaus tries as best he can, to turn the massive ship, but the Yorktown is just too big to maneuver like Paladin. The Carrier is hit by dozens plasma charges, and multiple torpedo strikes.
Kitanna yells, "Shields are back down to fifty-three percent, and most of the Heavies are closing into firing range with us, the others are turning toward the other Carriers."
Jackson yells, "Fire all guns at that Dreadnought!"
The Yorktown focuses all its guns at the Dreadnought striking dead on target, obliterating it in a single volley. The support fighters dive in on the scattering T-Challa fleet launching their last volley of torpedoes as they quickly turn and head back to the Carrier fleet to reload. They successfully destroy thirty more ships, but still the T-Challa blindly charge on.
Mulvey panicked and confused yells out, asking, "Why don’t they retreat? Don’t they have any fear?"
Klaus simply answers, "They cannot die Captain, so they don’t fear death. Their conscience will just be reborn in a new body."
Kitanna yells, "The rest of T-Challa fleet is in their effective firing range!"
Hundreds of torpedoes and plasma charges course through space as they hit the Super Carriers and the Earth support fleet. The Yorktown is hit hard, taking significant damage. Her shields are destroyed, as it takes heavy damage to its weapons platform and partial damage to its upper most flight deck and super structure. The rest of the Earth fleet also suffer multiple strikes, as four Destroyer and one Cruiser class ships are crippled.
The Yorktown’s bridge is in shambles, as Jackson yells out, "Status!"
Kitanna dazed answers, "We have multiple hull breaches across the super structure. We have major damage to some of our heavy and medium cannons, but we have all torpedo bays loaded and ready."
Jackson says, "Let them have it."
Over a two hundred torpedoes launch from every Carrier, destroying over hundred ships, leaving just one hundred T-Challa ships left.
Kitanna shocked yells, "Sir! Ander’s and the Battleship fleet just exited hyperspace. They're right behind the T-Challa fleet."
Mulvey surprised yells, "How the hell did they do that? They were over eight minutes away?"
Jackson smiles, saying, "That’s Scott, always making an entrance."
The Paladin class Battleships launch a devastating assault on the remaining T-Challa fleet. Within seven minutes, the battle is over.
Kitanna reports, "The overall fleet lost over two hundred support fighters, six Destroyers are crippled and one Cruiser looks to be a total loss. We also have two Paladin class Battleships that took moderate damage. The Yorktown took heavy damage, but we are still operational. The Essex is also heavily damaged. It appears she won’t be able to enter hyperspace. The St. Petersburg is near crippled, and may not be able to return to Earth under its own power. We are still tallying the human casualties."
Jackson overly concerned says, "Kitanna, I need you to find that gateway now! I know it’s still out there."
As if on cue, Kitanna yells in panic, "Sir! It’s powering up, just off to the port side. It’s just out of the firing range of our weapons. Only the Yorktown, and the Hood, are close enough to attack."
Jackson immediately realizes this is what he was forewarned about, he yells out over the holocom, "Ander’s, do what you have too, but destroy that gateway before it fully activates!"
Ander’s doesn’t hesitate. He takes the HMS Hood on an intercept course, as Jackson orders a full retreat. The gateway instantly begins to power up, as Anders locks onto it and without hesitation fires all his weapons. In a single volley, he strikes the gateway on all of its four main access points. The gateway is destroyed in a massive detonation before it can fully activate. However, the Hood is critically damaged by the blast field created through the gateway’s destruction. Even the Yorktown and the rest of the fleet are shaken by the blast.
Jackson sees the damage to the Yorktown, shocked he yells, "Damn it, Scott NO!" Jackson thinks. What did I do? Damn you Scott. He orders, “Send out all emergency medical teams. Klaus get us over there now!”
The Yorktown, still heavily damaged slowly maneuvers over to the Hood, quickly sending over their own emergency medical teams. They attempt to rescue as many people as they can.
Jackson boards the ship with Qui Shi and with help from Mohammed and Carla. They make their way to the bridge of the Hood. Mohammed muscles his way through the debris quickly, and allows them to enter the bridge of the devastated Hood.
As they enter, they’re immediately surprised to see bodies everywhere. Emergency force fields are activated keeping the atmosphere intact. Qui Shi’s scanner picks up one life form still alive on the bridge. It's Anders.
Anders sits in the command chair as a large steel rod is perforated through his body. He is alive, but just barely.
Jackson distraught yells, "Scott! You crazy bastard, you better not die on me! You crazy son of a bitch, I’m going to kick your ass!"
Scott coughs blood and says, "Sorry Jacks. I don’t think I’m going to make it to the anniversary party."
Qui Shi, who is looking over her readings, looks up to Jackson in tears. She shakes her head no, as she begins to weep to herself.
Jackson emotional yells, "Why did you do it like that! You could’ve jumped into hyperspace."
Anders weakly coughs answering, "Sorry Jacks. The fleet was in no condition to jump… and we got too close. I couldn’t jump… we were too close to the gravitational field…It was already causing the hyperspace distortion. My only choice was to fire… and pray our shield would hold, or let us all die."
Anders starts to cough up more blood, as Carla screams. Anders head suddenly slumps down as he gasps his very last breath.
Qui Shi yells, grabbing Carla, and, asking, "Carla! Did you look in his head when he died?"
Carla is surprised and upset, but answers, "Yes Mama Qui Shi. He was happy, he saw someone that made him smile. It felt very warm."
Qui Shi now very upset says, "Carla, don’t ever do that again. You don’t know what could happen to you."
Carla looks up confused, and answers, "Ok Mama Qui Shi.” Jackson stares at Anders and wonders to himself. That was supposed to be me. I’m sorry Scott.
Two days pass without incident, Jackson calls for a full command staff meeting. All ship’s Captain meet in Jackson’s ready room, via holocom images. He starts the meeting, saying, "First off I’d like to personally congratulate you all on a great job. We have decimated two T-Challa fleets, but unless we destroy that gateway, they will just keep coming at us tougher and stronger each time."
The Russian Captain speaks up, "My Carrier is barely able to move. We are in no condition to continue an offensive action."
Jackson annoyed answers, "Well then you have seven days to complete repairs, and take your place with us, or limp your busted ass home Captain."
Mulvey concerned says, "Sir, we took the brunt of the assault, we really need to return for repairs first."
Jackson agi
tated asks, "Does our flight deck still work?"
Mulvey cautiously replies, "Yes sir."
Jackson says again "Does anyone else want to whine, or cry they’re too beat up to fight?"
The room is silent as Jackson pauses, looking over the chamber, he continues, "Too many people have died for this mission, and we have only done half the job. The T-Challa have billions of slaves rebuilding their fleets as we speak. They will continue to keep building, and rebuilding their forces until they defeat us. We must attack that base and finish it off, once and for all."
Val uncharacteristically interrupts, adding, "We will have most of the ships hyper drives operational in just a few days. However, they are a few ships that will need to have extensive repairs done. I think I may have a way to speed up the process. I’m working on automating repairs...”
Jackson interrupts Val, saying, "Val, if you can do something, do it, and I’ll deal with the fallout from it." I know Caleb expects me to be Val's conscience, to use his knowledge responsibly, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to use everything at my disposal to beat these monsters back to the hell they came from. I just wished I knew what was going on with his head.
The room clears, as Qui Shi, Kitanna and Val remain. Qui Shi asks, "Andrew, why are you pushing yourself so much? Is it because you have to, or because you feel you need to?"
Jackson takes in a deep breath replying, "We need that base destroyed Qui Shi, and until it’s gone, they have an open window to keep coming at us again and again."
Kitanna troubled says, "General, sir, the fleet is pretty beat up, we took a serious pounding on the Yorktown, we really should return to Earth for proper repairs."
Jackson answers, "Not an option Lieutenant. If that base isn’t shutdown, they will just come at us again, stronger than before, but if we can shut it down it gives us four more years to build up our forces. More importantly, that base also gives them the ability to launch more of their gateway traps at us. Perhaps even more important, if we don’t shutdown that base, and they can get close enough to Earth with one of those hidden gateways. We all know the end result of that scenario."
The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes Page 6
