Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer)

by Larry Roberts

  “Vice Admiral Turner.” A General got up from the chair he was sitting in. “I am General Meyers. I wish to apologize for falling for Vice Admiral Ditzen’s crap. I would like to offer you my division as a whole unit.”

  “What about The Rock, General?”

  “Not staying with Vice Admiral Ditzen will make me so many enemies with staff that my career will be dead but I cannot condone what he has done not to mention the lies he has told me. I and my men signed up to fight the enemy and I think you are the only one doing or planning any fighting the Spiders not the Colonies. Besides I never wanted to be anything more than a General leading men into Combat and I am already that. Well minus the combat so far. Will you have me and my men?”

  Jack looked at the General and held up his hand. “Sure General Meyers but one moment please. Who are the Captains of your transports?”

  “Captain’s Renalds and Nolen Admiral.”

  “If you would please ask them to come front and center.”

  The General went down to the very end of the line of chairs and spoke with a couple of Captains and then returned with them behind him. “Captain’s Renalds and Nolen Admiral.”

  Jack looked at the men for a few seconds without saying anything. Then smiling. “Will you join me Captain Renalds, Captain Nolen?”

  Nolen smiled and immediately said. “I was thinking of asking if you would have me but thought I would wait until you got around to the Ship Captains, Admiral.”

  “Good to have you Captain Nolen.” Turning to Renalds. “And how about you Captain. Marines are not as good when they don’t have their Assault Transports. I have read your records and I would be honored to have you on my team.”

  “What you have read my records. How? Well Admiral. I would love to but I have a family and I will have to Contact Commandant…”

  Jack leaned closer to the Captain and whispered so only the two Captains could hear him. “Captain Renalds, I already have your ship and I am willing to bet he did not authorize this mission outside of The Rock. What I need to know is that if I promise to bring your family to be with you at our hidden secret staging base, will you join my little operation?”

  “Aaa. Yes sir. That is affirmative. I am in whole heartedly Admiral.”

  “Very good. Please take your crews and immediately return to your ships. General Meyers and his division will be returning as soon as you are ready for them.” Jack switched channels again. “Your attention please. General Meyers and his Marine Division have just joined my little family. Captain Renalds and Captain Nolen would like their crew to report immediately to their ships. If you are in the process of transferring from either of those two Assault Transport please return to your ship and prepare to take on marines. The same goes for any marines from the 107th division, please return to your Assault Carrier.” Turning back to General Meyers. “Any marines that do not want to transfer with the rest of your division can be returned to the station at any time General. I only want volunteers. The assignments you will be deploying on are going to be very risky. I can only use the best motivated people. Conscripts are not only not welcome but they are a detriment to the rest of the teams and the Division. They must also understand that this return offer is only valid until you leave the Station. After that, death is the only way anyone is getting out. Security has to be maintained at all costs.”

  “Yes Admiral, I know my men. There will be no deserters.”

  “General. What did I just say? No Conscripts.”

  “Admiral. Please I only meant that my men will… I will make it clear that anyone that wishes not to fight with their brothers are free to leave. With no coercion.”

  “Thank you General.” Jack returned the Generals salute and then walked to the other end of the stage where the other two Assault Transport Captains were sitting.

  Stopping in front of them about 6 feet away facing them with his hands behind his back, Jack just stood braced and stared at them with a stern unemotional look on his face. The two Captains were talking amongst themselves about the other two Assault Transport Captains and what was going on. Taking several minutes before either of them noticed Jack standing a few feet away in his Bright red stripped Battle Armor. After trying to look around the big suit of armor and then looking up. “Aaa. Can I help you Admiral?”

  Jack just stared at them without moving a muscle.

  The two Captains looked at each other and then at Jack again still staring at them.

  One turned to the other. “What the hell does he want?”

  “God, I don’t know. Probably to enlist us in his little navy.”

  “Well at least it sounds like we would be doing something besides sitting around playing with ourselves waiting to haul a load of marines to attack something that resembles civilians on Republic planets instead of enemy troops like our last two practice assaults.”

  “Hell, it would be our luck he would stick us transporting crap all over the damn cloud.”

  “Well it would be a lot more interesting than sitting on our butts at The Rock playing with ourselves and polishing the pole. This is the first time I have been out of the hanger in 2 months. The hookers are getting boring.”

  “I have been reduced to playing The Damn Game just to keep from killing myself.”

  “Yap me too. You try out those new Destroyers yet?”

  “You mean the ones that look like the ones sitting over your head? Ya they are some damn fine ships. Especially the new ones with 6 fucking 24 inch guns as a main armament.”

  “Yes. I would give my right nut for one of those.”

  “You said it. Think we should ask the Admiral if he could use us.”

  “Aaa. I don’t know. He looks kind of pissed for some reason. What did you do?”

  “Nothing I swear.”

  “Then ask him.”

  “But what do we do with our Transports? We can’t just leave them.”

  “Well I am sure he needs Transports Even Assault Transports. He transferred the bulk Carrier and took the other Assault transports.”

  “Ok well Good because I really did not like the idea of just leaving mine behind. But shouldn’t we contact the Commandant first?”

  “Hell he is an Admiral. That is his job.”

  “So let’s ask him.”

  “Ok let’s ask him.”

  Jack let his hands fall from behind him as he bellowed. “It is about time. Welcome to the family. Now get our butts back to your ships with your crews and prepare to take your marines back aboard.” Jack smiled. “Lieutenant.” Jack turned to the Lieutenant still sitting in the sleds driver’s seat at the edge of the stage only a few feet away. “Make the announcements recalling these ships crews please. As well as all the marines that belong to them.”

  “Yes Admiral.” The Lieutenant said still baffled about what was going on and why jack had not simply asked the two Captains to join instead of waiting for them to babble on to each other.

  Jack walked up to stand in front of the sole remaining General and again he just stood there looking at the General who was trying to ignore him. Jack did not stare this time as he kept track of what was going on around the Cargo deck with his arms crossed in front of him. A much more relaxed posture. Not in the least bit of a hurry.

  Half the crews seemed to be gone from most of the anemic ship formations to Jack surprise. Yet a trickle continued to leave the emaciated formations. Even the remaining marine Division was starting to look thin. Shaking his head Jack turned back to the General taking a deep breath and sighed.

  “Damn Turner.” The Vice Admiral said from down the line of chairs. “The General is not going to join your little party. We have been friends for 30 years. Give it up and sign the damn orders.”

  “Sorry Ditzen but I know the General is your friend. Which is a shame and waste of a damn fine General.” Taking a breath. “No I am just hoping I can figure out something to say to him to make him realize that he loves his troops more than he loves you. No matter how misplaced that lo
ve is.”

  “What do you mean?” The General said. “Love has nothing to do with my friendship with Vice Admiral Ditzen.”

  “Listen General, I know you would die for your men. You can’t get better than that. Something I know you wouldn’t do for Ditzen but you just don’t realize it yet. Loyalty is admirable in any man General and I respect you because of that loyalty and will never hold your association with the Vice Admiral against you or belittle it in anyway. But tell me this. Who would you leave in Command of your Division if you were no longer able to Command them?”

  “The Table of organization states that…”

  “I know what your table of organization is General. I need to know that if you knew your Division was going into a horrific battle against the Spiders tomorrow and you… say, you had to have an operation that would keep you out until after the battle. Who would you want taking your division into a meat Grinder Combat say against a hundred thousand screaming Apes carrying weapons like this.” Jack flipped the cannon off of his back and after transmitting, “Test fire in the Hole. Fired a long burst out the open sides of the cargo docking bay. Then laid it on the General’s lap so the General could get a good whiff of the burning hot barrel and its weight. “Your Division is going to get shit on and buried alive until the last body is mincemeat if you do not leave your Division in the best hands it could possibly be General. Who do you want commanding it?”

  “You wouldn’t. You couldn’t. You can’t be serious.”

  Now Jack stared daggers through the General as he bent over him. “Your Division is going to die without you in Command General unless you assign the very best you have to Command them. The absolute very best or the Black Apes are going to eat them alive for lunch, dinner and then breakfast. And they do love their human meat cooked rare.”

  “They are cannibals?”

  “No General, they don’t eat their own but they love livestock and humans are especially sweat and tasty. Your men will feed a hundred thousand Ape army for a week.” Jack whispered in his ear. Tell me who will save your men from the stew pots of the enemy and put them in the ground instead.”

  Turning white as much as an Asian can, the General swallowed. “Major… Major Sherman. He is my best Commander. He won’t let anything happen to the men and play hell with the enemy.”

  “He is a brigade Commander General. Why don’t you have him on your staff?”

  “He is too good a Brigade Commander to waste on my staff.”

  “Damn it General Shitsu, he is too damn far down the pecking order for me to appoint him to take Command of your Division when you are gone without gutting the staff. But even The Game agrees with you as do I but I was hopping.” Taking a deep breath. “You are going to have to promote him either high enough for me to place him in Command or you are going to appoint him as temporary Division Commander in your place. A much better option concerning the cohesion of the Division. That would also leave the Staff intact and functioning. The last thing your division needs is to go into Combat next week against an enemy that will chew them up and shit them out their asses while your division is still trying to put and train a staff to work together.”

  “You have got to be shitting me. You cannot replace me.”

  “Look General, the 107th is already in its Transport. Your Division Transports are now crewed and waiting for the rest of your Division but you are not going to be commanding them. Now do you think I could do all of this without the marine Commandant’s approval and orders.”

  “Then show me your orders Admiral.”

  “You left The Rock without orders from the Commandant or you would have had those orders in your hands when you left. But we were not expecting things to be hitting the fan so soon. If you had stayed, you probably would have gotten such orders about now. The shame is that you are the one that is AWOL. Your career is over General, Dead. Let your division live on with the best Commander you can give it.”

  Ditzen walked up as Jack stepped back. “I don’t know what you are talking about but you are not going to get away with whatever it is.” Looking at Jack and then back at the General. “What is he trying to pull Lee? Whatever it is my people back at the Rock will take care of it.”

  “Jesus Ditzen, your people couldn’t fix a wooden dildo for an 80 year old whore.” The General got up and left the stage walking back toward Major Sherman’s Brigade Command group.”

  Ditzen turned on Jack pulling his pistol. “Time is up Turner. You are going to sign those orders now or I will kill you so you don’t have to.”

  Jack smiled at Ditzen. “I would be very careful if I were you. If you had actually gotten your pistol barrel even close to pointing at my head instead of my chest, you would already be dead.” Jack tapped Ditzen’s Chest were several laser spots danced around. “As it is, if you pull the trigger now, the nice shiny coating on my armor will reflect your laser beam back into you someplace around your head. Give yourself an instant lobotomy. Fried brains is a delicacy I am told but a waste if you are dead and can’t enjoy the delicate taste. You know Apes just love fried brains. I don’t know if they would like yours or not. But I don’t think they are that picky.”

  Ditzen’s gun slowly lowered as the Lieutenant reached in between them and took it. “Is that what you were talking about with Shitsu? How did you know he is terrified of being eaten alive?”

  Jack smiled. “Why you told me Ditzen. Couldn’t keep your mouth shut you were so disgusted with your friend. But then you probably don’t remember getting drunk that night. It was a long time ago.”

  Jack turned, grabbed a chair and walked back to the podium. After looking at the ever shrinking Ranks Jack turned and studied the 8 Captains and executive officers left on the stage. Shaking his head he sat down facing the officers of the 8 Battleships and just ran his eyes across their faces one at a time.

  One of the Captains finally spoke. “As soon as you sign those Orders. We are going to go and get our crews back.”

  “Oh really. Have you ever been aboard that Bulk Carrier?” Jack shook his head and chuckled. “The Vice Admiral spent a lot of money making sure that no one would every escape from his prison ship or break into it. It could hold off an army of Apes. What are you going to assault it with?” Jack jerked his thumb over his shoulder. It does not look like you have much of an army left.” Jack sat looking up and down the line of chairs with a noncommittal smile. Neither gloating or funny or pessimistic or even wry. Just a small bit of a confident smile. And the longer Jack sat with the small smile, the more nervous the officers became both female and males. Tapping his extended command screen on his forearm and mumbling once in a while.

  A while later General Shitsu came up followed by Major Sherman. “Vice Admiral Turner. I would like to introduce you to the new Commander of the 82 Spaceborn Assault Division.”

  Jack stood and shook Major Sherman’s hand. “Very good General. Shall we make this official? Pan have you got the documents I asked you for?”

  Pan came up on the stage with a large screen in her arms and showed what was on it to Jack as a couple of marines placed a table next to Jack. Pan placed the screen on the table. Turning to Jack and the General. “This is the promotion orders for Major Sherman to Lieutenant General with a temporary promotion to full General.” Holding out a stylists. If you would be so kind General. Please include your bio prints as well.”

  The General signed and thumbed his print where marked and then the Major signed. Along with several other pages.

  Jack turned to the Captains, pointing at the most nervous one he had been watching. “Will you please sign as a witness Captain so we can get this mess over with?”

  Trying to keep his dignity he stood and stepped to the table and signed the several offered pages without looking at them.

  Jack smiled as he turned to the rest. “Please Gentlemen sign next to your names.”

  “I am not signing anything Admiral.” Said the closest Captain that had always had a disgusted look on his face
as well as his mind every time Jack looked at him, as several others started to get up but then sat down.

  “So we add refusing orders to your crimes.” Turning to Ditzen still pacing back and forth at the front of the stage. “They say they will not sign the orders giving you command of the station Ditzen. Too bad without their signatures the orders are not valid. Abstaining is considered none approval of the new Commander and said orders putting you in question as the Commander.”

  “They can sign my orders without signing that pile of shit.”

  “Sorry Ditzen. But I have already ordered them to sign and even though they are only orders promoting Major Sherman to Lieutenant General. Not signing promotion orders as witnesses when ordered and authorized by the Commanding officer of the unit under the Commanding Officers name can only be excused by the said officer’s lack of ability or fitness to witness said orders or simple insubordination. After all the said officer is not attesting to the promoted officer’s fitness or ability but only that both the Commanding Officer and the promoted Officer having signed the promotion orders.” Jack looked at Ditzen. “Don’t look at me. They maybe old regulations but it is in black and white with no uncertain terms. Witnessing is a very serious duty. I am down loading the specific file now. Both are reasons to forbid the Captains from signing your Station Transfer orders. Without the signatures of all attending Captains signing your orders, you do not become the stations Commander though Captain’s under charges of any kind disqualifies them from sighing but does not rid you of the requirement for them to sign.” Smiling. “Sorry. You are the one that insisted that they all attend.”

  “Jesus stupid Crist. Sign the damn orders.” Ditzen practically screamed.

  All 7 remaining Captain’s signed the orders one after the other. Signing several pages after the first without even glancing at them.

  As the Lieutenant walked away leaving the screen behind, Jack returned to the podium. “Will the remaining officers of all the ships please come forward in front of the stage?” It was not a request. It took a few minutes for some to walk the distance but without the officers in front of the formations another bunch of crewmen quickly left and headed for the ships. R-bots dropping down again to join each of them.