by Chris Hechtl
“Just picking us up I wonder?”
“Captain, we're getting something,” Sharif said, looking up with her hand to her ear again.
“What?”
“Incoming signal. Radio,” Sharif reported. “Coming from the ship. She's returning our hail as Kiev 221.”
They received a broken contact a few minutes later. The ships were creeping ever closer together. The radio signal itself was odd; the ship could send a whisker laser but chose an antiquated method instead. “The signal is broken up, audio only. We're trying to clean it up, ma'am,” Sharif said, frowning as she concentrated on her instruments.
“Do what you can,” the Captain said with a nod.
“Kiev 221, it is good to see you. You were reported overdue for Pyrax several months ago.”
“Sorry about...worry. We were...engineering... but...covered. Fixed I mean. We're on...way now.”
“Repeat that?” The Captain asked patiently. It took several passes before they got more of the story. Captain Chambers had decided to make a stop at New Andres to see what was available for trade and to refuel since Centennial was no longer available. However, the ship had suffered an engineering casualty when they had arrived in the system and had only recently gotten it fixed.
“Anything we can do to help?”
“No. We've got it covered,” the Kiev answered two minutes later, sounding hasty. Something rang a warning bell in the back of Renee's mind, which had come through crystal clear. Either both ships had managed to clean up their act or something else was going on.
“Okay, well, we have replicators and experienced engineers on board who are practically bored to tears. I can send some over to lend a hand. Maybe do some updates and upgrades while we're at it.”
“No need. We're good,” the voice replied a minute and a half later. Something about the hasty statement again sounded off to the Renee.
The Captain muted the signal and then looked at her exec. “When have you ever heard a ship turn down free replicated parts and an experienced engineering crew?”
The XO frowned thoughtfully. He knew where she was going with this, but it was his job to play obstinate devil's advocate to keep her honest. “Well, they may think we'll board them and take them, Captain.”
Renee shook her head. “Not likely. This is Kiev. The Admiral told them about us.”
“Com, can you do a voice print comparison?”
Sharif looked up and shook her head. “No, Captain, we don't have Captain Chamber's voice to compare it to, if that is even him. I doubt it is. He sounds...younger. Nervous.”
“It could be someone new. And we are a warship. They are an unarmed bulk freighter,” the XO reminded them. “I'd be nervous in their shoes too.”
“True,” Renee murmured, crossing her arms and tucking her chin on her fist as she thought.
“Kiev, our primary mission is to locate you and escort you back to Pyrax. We'll come about. Slow your speed and we'll match course for the jump,” Mayweather said.
“No need Firefly, we'll just slow...you...down. We'll get there under our own power. Thank you.”
“My, he sounds testy.”
“Probably doesn't want a babysitter. Though why he wouldn't want protection with pirates about...” The navigator said and then shrugged.
“Captain, their mass readings are way off,” Lieutenant Leo, the sensor officer on watch said.
The exec and Captain turned to his station. “How way off is off are we talking here?” Renee demanded.
The sensor officer didn't look up, just kept staring at his screens. He checked and then rechecked them. “Very. Nearly double what they should be. I compared them to what we have on file which doesn't make any sense.”
“Show me.” Leo pulled up a grainy image of the ship. The two senior officers came over and stood behind him. The mass readings blinked red. A comparison line was next to it. From those readings Kiev was double her baseline mass. “Is this the best we have? Are you sure?”
“I've spent years doing mass readings, Captain,” Leo said with a hint of pride in his voice.
Renee shook her head. “That wasn't an insult. I don't need your life story, just how certain you are of your facts.”
“Very Captain, I've checked it three times.”
“Ah. Spectrographic?”
Leo shook his head. “Very little data with the star behind it. It is washing out the view. Same for our radar, lidar, neutrino, gravitronic, and even visual sensors.”
“Odd. Odd indeed.”
“It's...I was going to say, it's almost intentional. It is an interesting problem, Captain,” Leo said hesitantly.
“For you, yes. I don't like surprises. Do an overlay with the various time chops. Get the computer to combine them if necessary. Power output?”
“We can't get a clear neutrino reading with the star behind them. Same for some of our other advanced sensors skipper.”
“What about an inversion?” The XO suggested.
“I've tried that. I've also tried comparing all our sensor readings to build a 3D profile. But they are keeping the one side to us. Her port side.”
“Which is odd. One side you say?”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Very odd, but there could be a reason,” the XO said. “She could have stronger starboard shields.”
“Odd indeed. I've seen a similar trick, but the Xenos pulled it,” Firefly said, interjecting himself into the conversation.
“Oh?” The Captain turned and quirked an eyebrow up to the ship AI's avatar.
“A Trojan horse. The Xeno's used a captured freighter as a mask,” Firefly reported.
The Captain frowned thoughtfully. One finger played with her lip as her mind turned that idea over. She didn't like it or the implications. They could be jumping at shadows, but something just didn't add up. It didn't feel right, and she trusted her gut. “I don't like the sound of that. Boat bay,” the Captain said, opening a communications channel.
“Boat bay, Chief Qui'lay here.”
The Captain sat in her chair and leaned over the pickup. “Chief, rustle up some fighters. I want a pair out ahead of us to give the Kiev a look over. And put a couple up, one outside and another on alert.”
“We have one fighter on alert now, Captain, do you want her to launch?”
“Yes...” Firefly shook his head silently no. She frowned. “No, hold off. Wait. Get them out together,” she said, remembering that they needed to keep their fuel supplies in synch so they would have the same range and flight time if needed.
“Aye, Captain.”
“Taking precautions, skipper?” The XO asked, still standing behind Leo.
“It never pays to be too careful. Besides, they could use the stick and training time.”
The XO nodded. He knew it would be a good precaution, and the Captain was right. Besides, it would keep the lazy louts in the boat bay busy as well. “Aye, Captain.”
---(<=>)---
The ships were set to pass each other about one million kilometers apart. In order to meet up, Kiev 221 would have to slow and Firefly would have to pass the larger ship and then come back around to match her course and speed. The bulk freighter didn't change her speed, however. She did give Firefly and her escorts as wide a berth as possible while staying on course for the jump point.
---(<=>)---
As the two Cobra fighters arched over the side of Kiev the bulk freighter attempted to maneuver to keep both them and Firefly from seeing around her. “Lieutenant, is that what I think it is?” Ensign Ver'c asked just as the ship in the middle opened fire.
“Don't tal;, get the hell out of dodge!” Lieutenant Hang ordered, jinking the weapons fire. The black sky was lighting up with weapons fire his sensors painted on his HUD.
“Firefly, Firefly, this is recon one; there is a Tango on the other side of the Kiev. Repeat, Tango on the other side of the Kiev.” He noted the second ship and swallowed.
“Make that two pair! And they are launch
ing fighters!” He said, flipping his implant link to send the fighter's telemetry to the mother ship. He knew in seconds it would be too hard to talk.
Unfortunately, he couldn't get in closer to pick the launching fighters off before they stabilized. They were at their most vulnerable as they launched; he yearned to get a missile into that damn boat bay, but the weapons fire from what had to be a destroyer was keeping him and Ver'c on the defensive.
---(<=>)---
Firefly put the telemetry feed up on the main plot. The AI dispassionately passed on CIC's update; they tentatively identified the destroyer as a Cutlass class destroyer. Apparently, the warship and another freighter tentatively ID'ed as a Clydesdale had linked to the larger ship in a line abreast, using Kiev's bulk as a mask against Firefly's sensors. With their ploy unmasked all hell broke loose.
“Battle stations!” The XO called. The lighting changed to red.
“She's a Cutlass class destroyer, Captain, a Cutlass and a Clydesdale. Both were attached in line using the bulk freighter as cover,” Leo said. “Sometimes I hate being right,” he muttered softly.
“Chief Steward, we need our skinsuits. XO, you first,” Renee ordered. “Use my wardroom,” she ordered, looking over her shoulder to him.
“Aye, Captain,” the XO said, voice picking up a bit with tension. For him this would be his first taste of combat.
“What you expected?” the Captain asked.
“Not by a long shot, ma'am. But it will do.”
“Goddess of space I hope not. I think a lot of innocent people are going to get hurt before this is all over,” Renee replied with a bleak scowl. She noted the steward coming in with the suits over one arm. She jerked her head to the door to her wardroom. “Go on then.”
“Aye aye, Captain. I'll just be a moment.”
---(<=>)---
The Cutlass launched her own fighters, nine of them, a motley mix of fighter classes and sizes. They tangled with the scouts who went on the defensive since they were so heavily outnumbered. One navy fighter was destroyed in the first seconds of surprise.
The sudden launch of enemy fighters sent what had been a seemingly easy milk run assignment into chaos fast. The Cutlass and freighter blew clear of Kiev, roaring past the lumbering freighter. All three ships split up on divergent vectors.
“Guns, label Kiev Tango three. The other two Tango one and two.”
“Aye aye, ma’am. We're not getting much of a read on Tango two, she's a Clydesdale, but we're getting a lot of plasma from her drive blocking us. I want to know how the hell they tucked nine fighters into Tango one?” She asked.
“Who knows. She just doesn't have the same shuttle compliment we do. Besides, she's big. Almost an LC? Is she a Light Cruiser?” the Captain asked. She turned to look at Leo.
“We're getting mass readings from each ship skipper. Tango one is a destroyer of some sort. Class has been tentatively identified by silhouette as a Cutlass class,” Leo reported, voice tense but professional.
Renee sat back with a frown as she pondered the Cutlass on her HUD. The image spun as its capabilities were shown. She was an ancient warhorse, massive, almost a cruiser in size. She had a big midships boat bay and heavy engines and armor. She was a turtle though.
“Captain, the scout fighters are being chased back to us. The enemy fighters may be forming up for an anti-shipping strike,” the JTO warned, her voice rising in excitement.
“I doubt it,” the sensory officer said. “I'm not getting enough mass readings on the fighters for something like that. If they are carrying missiles they are short ranged, definitely no torpedoes. They are also moving too fast to be carrying a full load.”
“An anti-fighter mission to keep our people at bay,” the XO said with a nod. “Most likely while the big boys escape.”
Renee scowled. She hated leaving people, but she had no choice. Her finger stabbed down on the com channel to the boat bay. “Launch the alert fighters. Send in the defensive fighter to back up the remaining scout.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“The ships though. We can't catch all of them,” Commander Dart warned.
“I intend to try anyway. Launch remaining fighters on the two freighters. Orders are to disable them only. Repeat, disable. They are probably hostages.”
“Aye, Captain. What about the enemy fighters?”
“The two we've got left will have their hands full. Launch a defense drone and see if we can lend them a hand.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
Firefly went after the destroyer. The enemy fighters broke up into three flights, three tangling with the two navy fighters while two groups of three went after the navy fighters that were chasing the freighters. Soon a fighter furball erupted in the battle space, a chaos of ships bobbing, weaving, and climbing all in a rough cylinder as the Horathian ships creeped ever closer to the jump point.
The Cutlass launched missiles. “Captain, they are firing on the ship and planet. We don't have anything in position to intercept!”
“Damn it,” Mayweather growled, eyes flashing. Hitting the helpless. Typical pirates. “Launch missiles! Target the enemy missiles!”
“It...we can try with capital missiles Skipper, but it will be tough,” Purple Thorn warned.
“Send a double spread. Fire as soon as you get a resolution.”
“Missiles away,” the elf reported. “We're not going to get them all, ma'am. Stern chase,” Purple Thorn warned. “Our missiles have only a slight edge in speed, but they've got a head start.”
Renee nodded curtly. “Targets?”
“CIC update ma'am, three missiles headed to Kiev, two for the planet... we're also getting scatter, a lot of mass readings headed in a broad cone. Kinetic strike inbound on us and the planet!” A rating said from the overhead.
“Helm, get us out of the cone of fire. Guns hit those missiles with whatever you've got! Communications, raise the planet and warn them!”
---(<=>)---
Captain Chambers saw the explosions of fire, like blinding white puffballs but knew it wouldn't be enough to save his ship. No, he saw the traces of incoming missiles and bowed his head, eyes closed. He sighed, all life seemingly leaving him. There was nothing he could do, he was locked in his cabin and chained to the wall. All he had was the one-way feed to the ship's sensors on his tablet. At least it would soon be over for him and his tortured crew. Those that had survived this long.
His lovely wife, Cora, and most of the bridge crew were dead. They had spent months under the hands of the bastard Horathians, being used as slave labor or tortured for their sick amusement. The bastards had taken vicious pleasure in torturing nonhumans like Bert, and making the others watch.
The Captain had been kept alive out of some form of twisted bond with his captor, Captain Opal. Opal had thought of himself as sophisticated and cultured; the paintings and draperies Cora had collected in their quarters had apparently kindled an interest in Chambers. He'd dined with Chambers several times over the past several months, and they had played chess almost weekly. The man was brilliant, but his cold eyes told Chambers he was also ruthless and without pity. What he had allowed his pirates to do to Kiev's crew had proven that. The missiles were just his way of yanking a yearning hope of freedom from them. At least in a way, they would finally be free of them, Chambers thought.
“Well baby, at least you’re safe in Antigua. Live large kiddo,” he murmured to Toni as the missiles struck. There was a brief flash and then a sense of peace. He knew nothing more after that.
---(<=>)---
The helpless Kiev 221 was hammered by the three missiles fired on her. The cunning act of betrayal was shocking and ruthless. What surprised Mayweather was that anything of the ship survived at all. Her tactical department had fired dozens of missiles into the swarm of kinetic weapons with the intent of vaporizing or knocking as many off course as possible. The nuclear fireballs blotted out their sensors and unfortunately all their communications to the planet.
&n
bsp; What also bothered her was that they'd just fired nearly half their missiles. If this engagement continued as it was going she'd shoot herself dry in no time. All to swat a pissant tin can and an unarmed freighter.
“Kiev 221 is down; sensor reading shows her drive is dead. She's been holed in her habitat section as well. There is a cloud of debris around her,” Leo reported quietly.
“She's screaming for help,” Sharif added, voice tight with concern.
“One thing at a time,” the Captain muttered.
“Captain, we can dispatch shuttles to help them and run the other freighter down or help the planet,” Firefly suggested.
The Captain's eyes cut to the AI. She studied him and then nodded. “Make it so,” she said, eyes briefly looking to the ops officer.
“Aye, Captain,” the ops officer said.
“Keep at least one shuttle and a squad of Marines back for our own use.” the Captain ordered, voice firm.
“Aye, Captain.”
Firefly's crew watched helplessly as kinetic strikes headed to the inner system. Some were ten-meter long tungsten poles, no doubt they would hammer the towns and cities on the planet when they arrived in three agonizing days. Most of the kinetic strike was unguided but moving at point one C; they still would do tremendous damage to anything nearby.
The missiles split apart into sub-munitions, four warheads each. The warheads were nukes moving at close to point six C. Mayweather's face went white when she saw them go off in her mind's eye, bright flashes on the surface followed by a disturbing mushroom cloud. Sick dread twisted her gut. She closed her eyes, knowing what would follow, but entirely too helpless to prevent it. Then has to clutch at seat as the ship bucked, going past her limits in inertial dampeners. Her eyes flew open, and she bit her lip. She had to survive to help. To help and get revenge.
---(<=>)---
“We're coming back into extreme missile range now, ma'am,” the tactical officer said quietly but professionally.
“Thank you, Guns. I see it,” Renee said. “Prepare a spread of missiles. We'll test their defenses.”