He Who Dares: Book Two (The Gray Chronicals 2) (45 page)

“Can you tell if the Skipper and the fighters got away yet?”

“No, sir, the scope is too cluttered, I have ships going every which way.”

“Helm - belay the last order, bring us to a position at Solar North of the Star base.”  Pete ordered.  He had a hunch the Mike and his people might need a little help.  “Start ‘pinging.  I doubt anyone will take any notice with all this confusion.”

They watched as several upper decks of the base rocked by explosions, and it wasn’t long before they saw fire through the view ports.  Then things really got wild as an assortment of ship started departing, with no effort to follow traffic rules.

“Two of the picket ship have left their stations, sir.”

“Any indication where they are going?”

“None yet, sir.”  Everyone watched the battle screen as the two red dots of the picket ships began checking on the fleeing ships, trying, but failing to restore some sort of order by the lack of response.

“I have a rock hopper exiting the launch bay, sir - hold - two smaller ships exiting as well - and they are definitely fighters.”

“Ours, I hope.”

“Could be, sir, they are taking up stations on each side and just ahead of the rock hopper.”

“That’s them, and it looks as if the Skipper managed to get the fighters away.”

“Good God!”

“What?”  Pete flicked his eye to the long-range view screen just in time to witness flame and debris vomited out the launch tubes.  A moment later this was followed by two more explosions, the second literally blowing the side out of the Star base.

“Yea gods!  The Skipper is having fun, isn’t he.”  Pete chuckled.  “No wonder he wouldn’t let me go.”

“Sir, those picket ships has broken off and are now in pursuit of the three ships.”

“Helm, bring us round and tuck us in behind those two, just in case.  Watch out for their big brothers breaking formation.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

“Bridge, this is the Engine room.”

“Bridge, aye.”

“One of the drive plates is definitely damaged, Pete, and I doubt that I can get more than half power out of it.”

“Not good.”

“I know, and before you even ask, there is no way I can go ex-ship and fix it, this needs a dockyard and a new drive plate.”

“Thanks, Adam.”  They swung round and dropped relative to the Star base, falling in one hundred and fifty miles behind the picket ships.  For a while nothing happened, other than all five picking up speed. Cindy nudged the controls forward to match them.

“Weapons, target those picket ship's engine rooms, and give me a firing solution the moment you have it.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”  Without even realizing he done it, Pate touched the key pad and started the stopwatch, counting down to the three minutes training time he’d clocked before.

“Have a solution, sir.”

“Good, hold it and be ready to launch two torpedoes on my mark.”  His eyes flicked down to the readout, 2.4 minutes flat.  He smiled to himself.  There was nothing like actual combat to sharpen the senses.

“Sir, the two smaller ships had taken off ahead of the mining scout.”

“Bet the Skipper sent them off to warp point Zulu to rendezvous with us.”

“Detecting an energy build up in the picket ships, weapons, sir!”

“Warning shot across the bow, so to speak, I’ll bet.”  A moment later twin streaks of blue/white lightening seemed to flicker across space, missing the scout ship, but putting them on notice they’d better stop.

“Weapons?”

“Still have a firing solution, sir, targets acquired and locked on.”

“Set safeties at five thousand yards - Fire!”  Other than the green light on the battle board, there was no indication that they lunched two Mark 42 radar guided torpedoes.  Bright yellow pips tracked across the three dimensional screen, showing their progress.

“Contact in five - safeties off - four - three - two - contact!”

At the last moment, both picket ships tried taking evasive maneuvers, but it was far too late.  The Mark 42 homing torps were locked on, and a moment later, they detonated in the engine rooms of both ships.

“Good - helm, Max speed, let's pick up our lame ducks and get out of here before something big turns up.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

The ship pulled ahead of the scout ship, and the rear landing bay doors opened to receive it.  Pete kept a nervous eye on the battle screen as he watched it come in and land.  Some of the bigger ships were definitely taking an interest and moving to intercept the two damaged picket ships.  It wouldn’t be long gone before they arrived, and if Gable’s coating work as well as they hope, the big boys wouldn’t even pick them up on long-range radar.

“Scout ship aboard, sir, and the Captain sent his compliments for a job well done.”

“Three Sirrien Cruisers breaking formation, sir, and heading this way at flank speed.”

“So are we, in the opposite direction - helm, flank speed as soon as you can.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

The moment Cindy received the signal that the scout ship was locked down and the bay doors were close she opened up the engines.  Even so, the ships were close, within the seven light second range.  It was clear they spotted something, but what Janice didn’t know, probably their drive trail.  She hoped this ship was faster than they were even with their damaged drive plate.  At flank speed, they were, by a small margin, and gradually the gap between them widened.  They didn’t fire anything at them, for which she was thankful, probably because they couldn’t get a lock or a firing solution.  No Skipper in his right mind wants torp or missiles running around without a target to lock onto.  No matter what, she swore to herself, she was going to kiss Gable Bushman the first chance she got.  He was a genius coming up with that coating.

“Welcome aboard, Captain.”  Pete, said, standing up and moving aside as Mike came on the Bridge.

“Thanks, Pete.  I have the con,” Mike announced formally, “that was nicely timed, I thought they had us.”  Mike sat down in the command chair with a sigh, wanting nothing more than to go take a shower and sleep for twelve hours.

“What’s the status of the two fighters?”

“Way ahead of us, Skipper, heading for warp point Zulu.”

“ As we came over the stern, I noticed that you dented my nice new ship, Number One.”

“Yes, sir, had a little encounter with an asteroid.”

“Damage?”

“Yes, sir, one of the drive plates is damaged and we can only make half speed on it.”

“Ouch!  That means we can’t outrun those Sirrien ships.  They still following us Jan?”

“Yes, sir.  They’ve managed to lock onto something so I doubt they will just give up.”

“Not good.”

“I doubt their lock on us is good enough for a weapons solution.”

“Not yet, but if they get closer they might be able to, Janice, what are our options?”

“Nothing much to hide in around here, Skipper, but I do have a large dust cloud at the edge of the Oort cloud.  About an hour away at this speed.”

“Helm - head for it, and make the best speed you can.”

Cindy altered course, and much to Mike disgust the three ships changed course as well.  It was clear the asteroid had stripped part of their shielding away.  Not sufficiently for the Sirriens to get a lock on them, but enough to follow.  He was betting they could see his drive trail as at this distance it didn’t have a chance to dissipate.  If they could squeeze a little more out of their drive units, they’d eventually catch up, that’s what he would do.  He wasn’t about to underestimate the Sirrien Captains in that regard.  The dust cloud offered a chance to hide, but from what he could see of it, it wasn’t large.  He couldn’t hide in there forever, so what then.  The Sirrien ship Captains, did exactly as he’d predicted, pushing their engines over the limits.  In the end, it was touch and go whether they reach the dust cloud or not.

“Sound action station, Number One, and beat to quarters.”

“Aye-aye, sir, beating to quarters.”  He keyed the inter-ship comm system.  “This is not a drill, I say again, this is not a drill, all standby Bridge personal into battle armor.”

Even as he spoke, green ready light began popping up on his board, showing which department was manned and ready.  The standby Bridge personnel run to their assigned lockers and quickly climbed into their battle armor, including Pete Standish.  All rushed back to their station, clamping helmets into place as they relieve the their partners.  Mike waited until everyone else was dressed before he moved, waiting until the entire board was green.  Two armed Marines in full battle armor entered the Bridge, one taking up station by the main hatch, the other opening the Captain’s suit locker.  He helped Mike into his, then took up his position by the hatch.  One Marine was an electronic and communication tech; the other a medic, and both could act as backup Bridge personnel in case of emergencies.

“All stations reporting man and ready, Captain.”  Pete reported, Mike hearing it more on his helmet comm set than in the air.

“Acknowledged, Number One, stand by for course change.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

“Load all torpedo tubes and arm external missiles.”

“Aye, sir loading and arming, sir.”

“Release all weapons.”

“Weapons released, sir.”

“Good, we are as ready as we’ll ever be, now let’s see how she fights - helm, bring us to port South, twenty-five degrees.”

“Port South twenty-five it is, sir.” The ship turned and dropped the moment it passed through the outer fringes of the dust cloud, and Mike timed it so the Sirriens would see it.

“Starboard, north eighty, helm, smartly.”

“Starboard, North eighty it is.” Cindy intoned, and bought the nose of the ship up sharply.

“Tactical?”

“They are coming in after us, Skipper, on our original course, Port South twenty-five.”

“Any clear idea what we are dealing with?”

“The closest is definitely a destroyer, and from the readout, I’d say the other one as well.”

“And the third?”

“Can’t tell at this range, sir, could be a third destroyer or a Cruiser.”

“Good, slow ahead and bring us round to Port - tactical, sing out where they are and keep the nose pointed at them.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”  Janice began relaying the position of the Destroyers to the helm, and Cindy kept the nose pointed right at them, thereby presenting the smallest radar cross section.

“Two of the ships have gone completely off my scope, sir, the other has slowed and is turning towards us.”

“They’ve split their forces!”  Pete sounded surprised.

“The other two have gone to take up station on the other side of the cloud, “Pete murmured, “just in case we fly straight through.”

“Yes, logical.”

“Weapons, give me a firing solution on the Sirrien Destroyers.”

“Aye, sir, coming up.”  Both Pete and Mike counted down the seconds as Gable worked out the solution.  “Firing solution worked out and loaded, sir.”  Two minutes flat.