“Thank you, Sir,” the Lieutenant Colonel Riggs, said gesturing to the lift.
“The ship is yours for the moment, Lieutenant Colonel,” said Jean Luc as a pair of marine privates ran a sensor wand over him and then physically patted him down for weapons, “although I am curious about one thing.”
“And that would be,” inquired Riggs, indicating the lift door now that both pirate men had been announced cleared of hidden weapons.
“You say you act at the behest of Parliament, and not this…Admiral Montagne,” he snorted mockingly before continuing, “or even our new sovereign, this Vekna King, long may he reign?”
“Jason Montagne is no Admiral of mine,” Riggs said fiercely, “as for King James—”
The Marine Sergeant growled again.
“Muzzle your dog or put it down, Lieutenant Colonel,” Jean Luc said mildly.
The Sergeant started to bring around his rifle, but the Lieutenant Colonel was faster and a shot from his heavy blaster rifle blew a hole clear through the sergeants head. “My apologies, your Highness,” Riggs said with a nod of his head, “the Sergeant was a recent addition who joined us on the way up here. Men from other regiments have been scattered all over the place, including a regrettable few mixed in with mine.”
“Quite understandable,” said Jean Luc, toeing the dead marine out of the lift so the doors could close.
“Now that your ship has been secured, I’ll retain a full Battalion of the 3rd Regiment to secure the ship, and send the orphans and stragglers from other units off to help with securing the other ships,” he said with a twist of the mouth.
“A wise decision,” Jean Luc agreed, “please lead the way to way to the shuttle bay, I am eager to meet this Admiral of yours.”
“Not mine, never mine,” Riggs growled again deep in his throat, before detailing two fire-teams to secure the bridge while the others joined him in the lift.
As soon as the doors closed he then activated the communicator built into his battle armor.
“Major Gaspard here,” hacked the man on the other end of newly opened the channel.
“The package is in hand and the bridge secured, the former crew has been neutralized,” Riggs said without delay.
“Excellent news, Sar,” growled Gaspard in that thick Stonelander accent of his.
“Engineering and the Gundeck should be lightly defended if they’re defended at all. If this is the case, my orders are to turn control of the 1st battalion to Captain Kwan. He can continue securing the ship with the loyal 1st,” Riggs said evenly, “any remaining resistance should be light if any is still present.”
“What am I supposed to do in the meantime, stand around twiddling my thumbs,” grunted Gaspard.
“As the senior surviving Marine Officer in the field I am placing you in command of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of 1st Regiment,” said Riggs.
“Major Capucine might have objections to my taking over his battalion,” there followed the sound of Gaspard opening his helmet and spitting off to the side, “what you want I should do if he doesn’t accept these orders? The man has some starch in him.”
“I don’t care if he’s so loaded with starch his battlesuit automatically polishes itself, I want a man with loyalties I trust in control of 2nd,” Riggs said derisively.
“And once I’ve assumed command?” said Gaspard.
“Why then, my good Major, you are to jump your men from the Vineyard over to the old Armor Prince and secure her in the name of Capria and her glorious Parliament,” instructed Riggs, “although you are to use your discretion as it regards informing any men outside of the loyalist 1st Regiment as it regards the second half of that statement.”
“My pleasure, Sar,” replied Gaspard with gusto.
Chapter 20: On The Bridge
“The Vineyard’s fire is fading away,” reported one of the tactical operators, then there was a pause followed by a hurried consultation in the tactical pit.
The ship lurched under our feet.
On the main screen the weight of fire from the Vineyard slowly faded to half its former number of beams. Then it stopped entirely, except for one heavy laser mount that continued to fire on the Clover.
“Then why are we still taking hits,” I demanded angrily.
“It’s the old Armor Prince, Admiral, they’re still going strong,” snapped Laurent, then there was a pause.
“The Marines must have seized control of their Gundeck, Admiral,” announced Warrant Officer Laurent, “I’m ordering counter battery fire on that single outlaying heavy laser.” A moment later, what looked like every single remaining weapon that could be brought to bear unloaded on that heavy laser mount. With a flash it exploded, and then the Vineyard fell entirely silent.
“Excellent news,” I exclaimed turning to the Communications Section, “please instruct Colonel Suffic to send the majority of his Lancers over to assist in the securing that ship!” I instructed. If we could just get our hands on another battleship, and the pirate flagship that! Why, we might just be able to pull a win out of this thing after all!
“Yes, Admiral,” acknowledged the Communications Operator jumping in his seat before opening a channel.
“Just a second, Admiral…” There was a pause as the External Communications Technician received a message, with a face flushed with excitement he turned back, “We just received a message from a Lieutenant Colonel Brian Riggs, Admiral! He’s assumed overall command of the entire Marine Brigade and says his regiment has just seized near total control of the Vineyard. He advises that any reinforcements should be sent elsewhere in the theater!”
“As long as Jean Luc is still at large on that ship, we can take no chances,” I barked, shaking my head vigorously, “My orders stand: Suffic is to personally lead his men onto the Vineyard, and then and only ‘when’ we have Jean Luc’s head on a pike and the ship totally under our control are the Lancers to move over to assist in the Capture of the Armor Prince! We will…” I slammed my fist into the arm of my Throne, “we must cut the head off this snake before we dare to turn out attention elsewhere!”
As the External Communications Tech relayed my instructions and the main screen flashed with updates, I turned to face the bridge, “This is going to be a fight to the finish, people. Nay, the fight of our lives! Stay focused, stay on task. For the MSP and the Clover!!!” I roared, and if I wasn’t still bruised from head to toe from the last time I jumped out of my seat I would have done so again right now. As it was I settled for pumping my fist in the air.
All around me the Bridge gave a cheer. Even if it was more a thankful to be alive shout-out, and less a rousing yell of triumph, I’d take what I could get.
“But, Sir, wait!” protested the Ex-Com Operator.
I made a throwaway motion with both hands, “My decision is final,” I replied with ringing finality.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” the Communications Officer all but shouted, “Lieutenant Colonel Riggs reports that he’s just captured Jean Luc and he plans to personally escort the Pirate Traitor back to the Clover while his men finish mopping up the last few hold outs!”
For a moment I sat there stunned. Then a slow smile crept over my face.
“Excellent news, Operator,” Tremblay interjected, sounding deeply satisfied with this turn of events.
But even Tremblay and his little maneuvers for advantage couldn’t dampen the satisfaction I was feeling.
“Sweet Murphy Triumphant,” I said, clenching my fists down at my side to hide just how wonderful this news was to me. I then turned back to the Communications Technician, “You are to instruct the Lieutenant Colonel that he is to take no chances; if it looks like my Dread Uncle is about to escape, he is to shoot him until he’s dead and then cut off his head for good measure,” I instructed shaking my fist at him. “Only then he may neutralize him as he sees fit,” I added dryly.
“Relaying now, Admiral Montagne,” said Comm-tech, his back stiffening.
“You
can’t trust a Montagne for spit!” I declared, then realized what I’d just said, “An old school piratical Montagne of that generation is what I meant to say,” I added hastily, and unconsciously started to smooth my uniform only to remember I was now in a battlesuit right about the same time my gauntleted hands started screeching up and down my duralloy armored flanks.
“Hrm,” I coughed out loud. I was amazed. Things were finally going our way; I’d rolled the dice and come up double sixes, and the thought brought me up short. Things never went this easy for me. I mean, my guys actually managed to capture the Vineyard and Jean Luc while the Clover was still in one piece?
The Ship rocked underneath my feet and a red alarm started flashing. “Decompression in decks 5-8 and 13 and 14,” shrilled the automated warning system.
Well, more or less in one piece. I hastily knocked on a piece of wood strategically placed on the side of the Throne, no doubt left there by some superstitious former Admiral.
“Get those ruptures under control,” Barked Tremblay, striding over to the Damage Control section.
“Right away, First Offi— make that Chief of Staff,” the Damage Control Officer corrected himself after a brief hesitation over Tremblay’s current title.
“We’re down to less than half our broadside still operational,” reported Laurent speaking over the top of a number of other chattering officers and system operators, “The Armor Prince is still servicing over two thirds of her guns right into our hull armor!”
“Roll the Blasted Ship,” I snapped.
Laurent looked at me in surprise.
“Haven’t you heard, Mr. Laurent?” I said with a shark-like grin, “We’ve all but captured the Vineyard, and to top it off she’s no longer firing so much as a spit ball at us. Roll us and get that other broadside back into the fight and do it now!”I snarled.
“Mr. DuPont,” yelled Warrant Officer Laurent.
“Already on it, Tactical Officer,” acknowledged DuPont, sounding on the ball and full of energy.
On the main screen the ship began to rotate in place.
The Lucky Clover rocked violently and enough of her rolled above the cover provided by the two pirate battleships to give the station a good shot at our bow.
“Shields down to 13%,” yelped the Shield Operator, “and dropping!”
“Keep us below those Turbo-Lasers, Mr. DuPont, if you please!” screamed the ship’s Tactical Officer. “We can’t go head to head exchanging broadsides with the Omicron at this time.”
“Sorry, Sir,” said DuPont, lunging around in his chair as he all but crawled over his consol in an attempt to keep the Pirate Battleships between us and the Pirate Super Station, “Several of our close maneuvering jets were destroyed in the exchange. It won’t happen again,” he added grimly, prior to slapping a button on his console. A joy stick popped out to either side of him and our Helmsman abandoned the buttons and dials on his console in favor of working with twin joysticks.
I was about to jump in with both micromanaging feet, when I felt my shoulder being shaken. That took strength when you factored in that I was sheathed in power armor.
My head whipped around. My angry rebuke of whoever it was that thought it was a great idea to interrupt the Admiral at a time like this going unuttered.
“Jason,” Akantha said her eyes lit with an inner fire, “we cannot win this battle if we continue exchanging strength for strength.”
“We’ll tear them apart,” I snapped, letting her see the hungry determination in my eyes.
“Yes, we will,” she said meeting my eye and giving my arm a shake, “but they have too many weapons for us to beat them…broadside to broadside,” she finished, speaking the last two words awkwardly.
I started to shake my head in an angry negation. We were winning, blast it all.
“We can take ‘em,” I flared, whipping an arm around to point at the main screen, but not breaking her gaze for a moment.
“Think,” she said, this time placing both her hands on my cheeks, “with your head and not the fire in your belly. There is still Fortress Omicron to take, and our ship is no longer fresh and unwounded!”
I clenched my jaw and then skinned my lips up over my teeth.
“What would you advise,” I asked after taking a deep breath.
“Suffic is to board an already taken ship,” she began smoothly. “If we cannot take these Star Bandits in a duel of citadels, then let us change the game. We can storm ship after ship until we are strong enough to match them blow for blow!”
I leaned back, unconsciously shaking my head. Seeing her start to pull back at this reaction, I quickly grabbed her hand.
Using my power-armored strength I pulled her back in close.
“You’re right, but we’re already doing everything we can,” I said meeting her eyes.
Still holding her in place, I turned my head over my shoulder.
“Tell Suffic there’s been a change of plans; he’s to jump his men over to the Armor Prince and that piecer they’ve stripped for parts. Victory or death, he’s to seize those ships and turn their main guns on the Omicron,” I said harshly.
I turned back to her. She opened her mouth but I interjected before she had a chance.
“What am I missing,” I asked quietly, seeing she still had more to add.
Her mouth closed and the fire in her eyes rekindled into a furious blaze. “Our men need the inspiration of personal leadership at a time like this,” she said fiercely.
“I can’t leave here while there are still pirate warships running around,” I protested, knowing she was right. “We could have a Corvette moving to shoot off our hind end at anytime,” I added, feeling a surge of reluctance at these words.
“Yes,” she said, “but that is not all.”
I gave her a penetrating look.
“I have spoken with the Primarch,” she continued, her smile taking on a triumphant edge as she realized I wasn’t trying to shut her down and was instead seeking her opinion.
“You spoke with,” I gnashed my teeth with frustration, I’d given specific orders that no one was to have access to the Primarch between the time he appeared in our command meeting and the attack on the Omicron. I took two breaths to settle myself. I knew we didn’t have time for another marital blow up right now.
“Go on,” I prompted, instead of any number of other replies I would have preferred. I didn’t like where this was going, not one little bit.
She flashed me a victorious grin, letting me know that she knew that I knew she’d successfully circumvented my authority and there was nothing I could do about it.
“I believe there is much to be gained from an Alliance with his people,” she said triumphantly.
“I don’t follow,” I replied blankly.
“His people wander the stars in broken ships, homeless and alone. A number of them have even settled on the Omicron,” she explained, giving me a significant look, “as have several other strains of…demonkind.”
“I see,” I nodded, not really getting the full picture, but with the glimmerings of an idea beginning to form.
“In their thousands and tens of thousands, Jason,” she continued, grabbing the hilt of Bandersnatch in her excitement and giving it a white knuckled squeeze, “these mighty warrior peoples are an untapped asset, if only as a distraction; one which these Star Bandits have foolishly squandered.”
“An interesting hypothesis, but I don’t see how we can make any such plan work in the time frame we have available to us,” I said shortly…then I closed my eyes. She’d obviously thought things through and thought she could do it. I didn’t have time to argue every little detail with her until I understood her entire plan. I was just going to have to shut her down now or trust her.
“You have my permission, Akantha,” I relented, keeping my eyes closed.
She paused and waited until I opened my eyes and then met my gaze a touch hesitantly, “If necessary, I will make a Pact with the Demons.”
“You can go, Akantha,” I reiterated with a sigh at this latest bit of superstitious drama. I was agreeing to send my wife into danger and the thought of it sent a stab of pain through my heart, “Just return to me, my love,” I added, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing her.
“Always,” she said, leaning down to give me a deep kiss, “thank you,” she whispered before pulling back, already turning to the blast doors.
On impulse I caught the sleeve of her blaster resistant clothes. She looked back at me quizzically.
Fishing around in the space between my neck and the armor, with clumsy gauntlets I eventually pulled out a neck pouch holding two command crystals and a data chip.
Still using my overlarge power-armored gauntlets I clumsily pulled out the larger of the two crystals and the data chip.
I pressed the crystal and the chip into her hand and as gently as I could, folded her fingers over them.
“If things go against us or I die,” I said as I met her at the blast doors, “do not despair. The Lucky Clover has another Bridge, the Command Bridge, and this crystal will let you unlock any console on the ship including the hyper drive. It’s the Admiral’s Key, the very one I received from Janeski when I took command. Don’t worry, since I’ll still have the Captain’s Key on me,” I explained at her look of alarm, “but if you ever find yourself needing a miracle, just follow the instructions on this data chip. I promise you’ll be surprised with the results.”
“What have you done this time, Jason,” she asked, giving me a wary look.
I quirked a cocky grin, “I still have a few aces in the hole, unplayed as it were. Just because they made me an Admiral in spite of myself and against my very best efforts to the contrary, well…let’s just say that just because I don’t want the job, that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t take a few basic and elementary steps to secure our position. Both for this ship and for Tracto,” I finished with a smirk.
Spineward Sectors 03 Admiral's Tribulation Page 14