Her eyes implored and I started to lose myself in their depths. By way of answer, I shifted my fatigues back to a belt. She pulled my briefs off and pushed me back onto the bed. Angel meowed at the unexpected interruption to her sleep, and looked at us accusingly. When we ignored her, she changed position and went back to sleep. I cancelled my arousal override as she ripped my socks off, and climbed on top of me. Her (still) hard nipples rubbed against my chest, generating a similar reaction from my body. She kissed me again.
I don’t know if it was the threat of impending death, but our lovemaking was frantic, and much more intense than I'd experienced before.
Thirty Six
Take care of Angel.
What?
Do it now.
I woke suddenly and jerked upright. Alison slept on beside me.
I slid out of bed and into the bathroom.
"Jane, time please," I said quietly.
"Four thirty."
"Thanks."
What does Angel need? I'd always listened to this voice, and I wasn’t stopping now.
Belt.
Is that even possible?
Silence.
I pulled on briefs and socks from the dispenser and shifted into fatigues. I hurried downstairs to the Armoury, looking for the belts I'd taken off the Mercs. I found the pile in one corner, somewhat surprised they hadn't been stored somewhere by a butler droid. I picked one up and linked my PC to it. It refused the connection. I tossed it aside and tried another. Five later, I found one that accepted the connection. I hung it from my middle finger on my left hand, and instructed it to fit snugly. It rapidly shrank in size until it was a small black band around my finger, almost like a thick ring. I set it back to normal size.
I retraced my steps back up to the bedroom. Alison was still asleep. Angel wasn’t on the bed, or in her cat bed. I went looking for her. I finally found her on her cat pad on the Bridge. I patted her awake and told her to stand still for me. I held up the belt and looped it around her neck. I gave it the command to fit. It shrank down to a snug but comfortable fit around Angel's neck. She looked at me as if I was about to torture her. I reassured her this was something she needed to have. She tentatively pawed at it, trying to get it off. I pushed her paw down and patted her across the belt, which now looked like a black collar. In fact, I told her it was a collar. Her mum had worn one I told her, not remembering if she had or not. I explained that it was to keep her safe, in case she needed protection. I set my suit back to a belt, showed it to her, and pointed to hers. I set mine to 'slinky red', and after she watched mine change, set hers to the same. The suit covered her from the neck down, including her tail.
MEOW!
She tied to claw it off, but her claws would not come through. I picked her up and cuddled her, before setting her back on her pad. I changed my suit to a full space suit, and then hers to the same. She stood there glaring at me. I picked her up again and bumped our space suited heads together, laughing. I could see her meowing, but couldn’t hear her. I set her suit back to a collar.
Mwow merow mow memeow!
"I know, sweetie. I don’t like it either. But in case we lose air today in battle, we both need these. I don’t want to lose you. Please don’t try to take it off. You'll get used to it. I did."
She looked at me doubtfully. I sat in my chair, and she curled up on her pad again. I went through the settings on Angel's collar and made sure it was on hair-trigger to any danger.
"Jane, sitrep please."
"Ready and waiting. We'll know if they're coming very soon now."
"What's our missile load out?"
"About time you thought about that!"
"Fine. I had to forget something, didn’t I? I've been focused on the big picture, not Gunbus' part in it."
"That’s ok. I forgive you."
An AI was forgiving me? I wondered for a moment if I was still asleep and dreaming this.
"So what have you done?"
"I had the repair droids do some modifications. It was mainly a reorganization of space. We now have five reloads for the forward launcher, and an extra reload of torpedoes."
That made six magazines of fifty missiles and three magazines of one hundred torpedoes, forward. Three magazines of fifty missiles, aft.
"How are the magazines made up?"
"All the front magazines are IR's. All the rear are FF's. If you command it, I can pump out the IR's as fast as they'll launch, aimed at missiles."
"Did the new missile defense get installed on the station?"
"Yes, Janet and I have been discussing the best way of using them. They can fire singly or in batches of one hundred. The latter means dedicating a second to tasking them. That’s a long time for an AI. If something happens during that time, you won't get a response from her."
"Worth the risk. The more missiles we can take out the better. How's the targeting? Are you allowing for explosions taking out the ones nearby, so as not to waste missiles?"
She snorted.
"Please don’t teach an AI to suck eggs."
I laughed at the absurdity of that statement.
"Did we get anything from Slice about where we'll fit into the battle line?"
"Yes. We'll be center of the Repulse line. I'll be flying the last six drones as a mini-cluster. As soon as Gunbus leaves the station, I'm going to attach the cluster to the hanger doors and until needed, it will act as an extension of the ship. So if you fire a torpedo, you will be firing seven at once."
"Is that a good idea?"
"I can't see you firing torpedoes at Talons."
"Good point."
"Behind us will be arrayed the five Sabres and eight Epees. They were repaired and have been assigned pilots. They'll fire over the top of us. We need to protect them as much as possible, as well as Repulse. At the moment, I've tasked the cluster's twelve turrets, and Gunbus' lower turrets to capital ship missiles, and the rest of the turrets to anti-fighter missiles."
"Sounds good. What else have I missed?"
"Some sleep."
I chuckled. Yes I had, but as it happened, it was necessary. And now I was up, there was no point in going back to sleep.
I padded back to the bedroom. Alison was still asleep. I went into the bathroom, stripped off and dropped into the spa. My bruises were aching already, so taking some time to calm them down seemed appropriate. A few minutes later, Alison walked in sleepily.
"Why are you up this early Jon?"
"A little voice told me to get up and see to a few things. And since we're nearly due to find out if they're coming this morning, it wasn’t worth going back to bed."
She slipped into the spa next to me and cuddled up.
"I have a bad feeling about this one Jon. It's never happened to me before. I've always gone in feeling everything was fine."
I needed to hear this like a hole in the head. I was still trying to figure out if those dreams I'd had were anything to do with the coming battle. Something started niggling at me. It was like an itch I couldn’t scratch.
I kissed her, and we hugged.
On a whim, I said, "Take an extra rifle with you, just in case."
"I will. Thanks."
We sat there silently, limbs intertwined.
"Ten minutes Jon," said Jane.
I sighed, gently disentangled myself from Alison, and stepped out of the spa, into the shower. Alison joined me and we washed and dried each other. Back in fatigues, with Alison in 'slinky red', I headed for Vonda's office. Alison followed me down, and kept going.
Vonda was already in her office. I sat at the conference table. We waited in silence. Alsop joined us.
At precisely five thirty, Alsop stiffened.
"They're here. The scout spotted six Cruisers and fifteen squadrons of Talons a minute ago. Extreme range, so they look to be on time for a seven thirty jump."
"Commander, get everyone up," said Vonda.
"Yes sir."
"GOOD MORNING AVON! Two hours to Midgard incursion
," broadcast Jane.
"Not exactly subtle," I said. "I assume the station received the same from Janet."
"Yes," he said. "Seemed the easiest way."
"I'm not sure it was a good idea from a long term standpoint."
There was a chuckle from Jane in the background.
"Where will you be during the battle General?" I asked.
"Here."
"No, sorry. Gunbus will be in the thick of it. As the two senior officers, we can't be together in one place. I'd suggest the new CCC on the station."
"Alright Admiral, we'll go there. But first, breakfast."
We all trooped down to the Common room.
The rest of the team were drifting in from their bathroom.
Of everyone there, BA was the most cheerful. That figured. Combat was where she lived.
I sat with them as they ate. I didn’t eat myself. I remembered the books I'd read as a small kid, about Biggles and the dawn patrol. Biggles hadn't eaten breakfast either. I think I knew how they felt, in the minutes leading up to them climbing into their cockpits, ready to fly into the dawn air.
After everyone had eaten, we had a group hug. Alsop was embarrassed, but he wasn’t allowed to wimp out. Before I could head back upstairs, Alison and the twins gave me a more private group hug. We separated, looked each other in the eyes, and went to where we needed to be.
Thirty Seven
Jane's avatar was on the Bridge when I arrived there. She was sitting at the XO's position. Angel was nowhere to be seen. I called her, and she ran in, up her ramp and took her place on her pad. Her collar was still in place.
I called out to Jeeves to bring me a bottle of water. He dropped it in its holder on the side of my chair as I was checking emails.
I opened a vid.
"Hey Miriam. The curtain goes up here very shortly."
I stopped dead, suddenly thinking about what Alison and I had been doing last night, and what that meant. I cancelled the vid.
Instead I opened a text only email, with multiple addresses.
I stopped again. What really was there to say?
But there was something that had to be said.
I opened a vid again.
"Hi Mum. Hi Dad. I'm here in the Avon system. Believe it or not but I'm a full Rear Admiral in command of the defense of this system from Retro invaders bent on destroying all space travel to prevent some disaster they call Ragnarok. No, this isn’t one of my games, this is real. It sounds a lot like the darkness the Keepers go on about. In an hour or so, I'll be in battle. If I don’t make it, please tell the Keepers about Ragnarok. They can't ask the Midgard people about it as they don’t speak any known language, but the legends might be of use if they can dig them up."
"I'm in that lull before battle time, trying to think what else could have been done to make victory more likely. As it is, we're going to be evenly matched, with different strengths. I'm in the best ship there is."
"I wish you could meet Angel, my little Lilac point kitten. And Jane, my AI."
I changed the camera views so both Angel and Jane could be seen in the vid, and put it back on myself.
"By now you should have heard that Uncle died on down jump into Sydney. I was injured and spent a week in hospital. Since then, I've met some wonderful people who taught me how to stay alive, and how to live. I wish you could meet them too. The journey I started when I left home with Uncle, led me here, to the eve of a battle the likes there has never been before."
"I'm ok. I've been in a lot of combat, but this is the first battle I've had to wait for. I don’t know why it's taken me so long to do this vid. I'm sorry if it’s the last one you get from me."
"I love you both. I regret I didn’t tell you that before I left. I'm saying it now. I love you both. If the worst comes to the worst, remember. No goodbyes, just good memories."
I gave them my best grin, and closed the vid.
I attached it to an email to David Tollin, the family agent on Outback Orbital, asking him to forward it on in the event of my death. I sent it off, knowing he wouldn’t get it until coms across Cobol were re-established. Until then, the Avon server would store it until it could be sent.
Thirty eight.
Jane backed Gunbus away from the station. The partial cluster joined to the underside of the hanger.
"Jane, connect General Wellington, Admiral Bentley and Wing Commander Slice to the team coms please. Then activate it."
"Confirmed."
"Hunter to team. Team coms are now activated. We are one hour to show time. General Wellington, Admiral Bentley and Wing Commander Slice have joined us. Wing Commander and Admiral, this is like squadron coms, but much better. Someone explain it to the General please. Everything you say will be heard by everyone else. I'll have team, squadron and station coms on all the time from now on. Everyone check in please."
They did, one by one.
Jane opened squadron coms and I threw it to the left side. Team coms I threw to the front. Station coms I threw to the right side. In this way, I could tell by where the sound came from, where the origin was. The chatter started, as people moved into their starting positions. Annabelle was telling Vonda about what she was hearing.
Jane eased Gunbus into place, above and slightly behind the middle of Repulse. Slice eased his 'Apricot One' to my right. George, in Excalibur, came in to my left. The six Mustangs split into two lots of three and joined the line on each end. The nine Apricot Explorers settled into and slightly above our kill slots, giving them a line of fire above us. Behind and above Eric, who was in the Apricot Explorer behind me, formed up the eight Epees. The five Sabres formed up behind Slice. Each flight was staggered upward to have a clear line of fire. Behind the other seven lead ships, the Shade's arranged themselves in flights.
Jane had the tactical plot on a side screen, on my right, where she and Angel wouldn’t obscure my view.
Above and slightly behind Warspite, were lined up the twelve drone clusters.
In the gaps between the Battleships on the sides, and the station in the middle, were the two Cruisers. Below and behind Warspite, were the four Destroyers. Below and behind Repulse were the six Corvettes.
The fighters completed forming up.
Everyone was targeted in on the jump point.
Everyone knew what to do.
We waited.
Thirty nine
Never in my whole short life had I endured a wait as torturous as this one.
The seconds dragged by.
I checked the straps holding me into my seat.
I drank from my water bottle.
I had the sudden urgent need to visit the toilet. I disconnected myself, jumped up and ran. I ran even faster back. I reconnected. I checked the straps again.
The seconds dragged by.
Very.
Very.
Slowly.
Finally, it was time.
"Thirty seconds," I said.
I counted them down in my head.
At ten seconds I said…
"Engage."
Forty
Every ship fired its main guns. Those who had them, started firing off FF missiles. Jane reached out and redirected the ones going backwards, around towards the jump point.
Eight seconds.
Guns that had recharge rates sufficiently fast, fired a second time. More missiles followed.
Six seconds.
More guns fired a second time and some fired their third time.
I idly wondered how stupid we were going to look if nothing came through.
Four seconds.
Space in front of us was almost solid looking, filled with energy pulses and missiles.
Two seconds.
The first red dots appeared.
Forty One
The first Midgard ships were vaporized. The concentrated fire of so many ships timed to arrive two seconds after the first expected down jump ensured maximum hitting power.
The next group through fared better. B
y necessity, the pulses now became more ragged, as recharge rates dictated speed of fire. All the same, the second group of Talons all died together.
The third download group were Cruisers. Three shrugged their way through the remains of their smaller comrades, to make room for those coming behind them, and to give themselves room to turn to fire at us. Each Battleship group took one each. The station took the middle one. The Cruiser's shields were soon taking a beating.
The next down jump group were Talons. They escaped serious harm and began to launch missiles at our fighters. The clusters coordinated to launch two IR missiles at each Talon.
As the shields fell on the first three Cruisers, three more jumped in.
Moments before they died, the first three Cruisers launched their barrages. Each Battleship, including the station, was the target.
Priorities changed. Fighter fire was now directed at the missiles. Point Defense opened up from those who had it, even though their targets weren't yet in range. More Point Defense opened up targeting missiles from the Talons.
The Battleship groups changed targets. The station concentrated on the next wave's middle Cruiser, and the Battleships on their nearest Cruiser.
Jane emptied the first magazine of IR missiles and reloaded. The station fired off three full magazines of the new Mosquito missiles, and all but went silent for three long seconds, as Janet worked on targeting. No-one noticed but me, as her Battleship guns needed longer to recharge, and the missiles were mid-way between pulses.
Time seemed to slow down. Pulses and Missiles going one way crossed with Missiles coming back the other. In my mind, everything stopped and I saw the battlespace clearly.
This was going to work, I thought.
Talons were still jumping in. The scanner was divided into three colours. Green, Yellow and Red.
Missiles started exploding short of our ships, as main guns, Point Defense, Mosquitos and IR's found targets.
Send in the Hero (The Hunter Legacy Book 3) Page 24