The Log of the Gray Wolf (Star Wolf Squadron Book 1)

by Shane VanAulen

  Hope leaned back in his chair and looked to the main viewer.

  "As you can see, we have defeated the capital ships of this fleet. The remaining vanguard ship has retrieved the crew from the damaged vanguard and is even now racing towards the remaining destroyer escort. That ship is currently with two disabled freighters and has not made a move towards us."

  Lady Seil-Ca looked to the screen and understood what was happening.

  "You plan on destroying them," she stated.

  Hope simply nodded his agreement. "Unless you can convince them to surrender, I will have no choice."

  "You must be mad! I would never aid you in capturing two of our warships!"

  The Hawk narrowed his eyes in a menacing squint, "You can read my thoughts, so you know I will hunt them down and destroy them."

  "They would rather die than face such dishonor!” she countered.

  "Easy for you to say," an officer standing nearby commented.

  Facing him she saw that he was a full Confederation commander, about forty years old with short brown hair and a strong jaw line. One look told her his true meaning. He was thinking that it was easy for a civilian who had never seen combat to say that it is better to die than to live to fight another day.

  As she was preparing to debate this smelly man she felt the touch of the one she could not read and again a shiver of electricity passed through her.

  "Couldn't you just tell them what you know and let them decide?" He who was called Collins suggested.

  She thought this over and finally nodded.

  "Open a channel to the Karduan ships," Richards quickly ordered before she could change her mind.

  “To the captains of the Karduan vanguard sloop and destroyer escort, we have defeated your fellow ships and have control of this system. Any attempt to escape will be met by force and we ask for your immediate surrender. Your crews will be treated with respect and will be given every courtesy of war. Failure to surrender will result in the certain and total destruction of your ships." Hope then looked to the Blue ambassador.

  She nodded once and stepped closer to the view screen.

  "I'm Lady Seil-Ca of the House of Seil. I was taken prisoner by these humans and have been their captive for many weeks. I will not ask you to surrender, but tell you that the captain of this ship is intent on destroying any ship that does not surrender.” She stepped back and then added, "May the Bright Lady guide you."

  "Any response?" Richards asked as the captain took a sip from his now bitter coffee.

  CPO Parker scratched his balding forehead and then shook his head.

  "They are probably discussing it," Hope said softly.

  Chief Parker held up a hand, drawing their attention as he reached up to his earpiece.

  "Sir, message coming in, no picture, audio only."

  "This is Ship Mistress Wan-Too of the KED 2010, we have two human crews numbering sixty-five men onboard the freighters. If you try to approach us we will blow up both of the cargo ships along with their crews."

  Hope didn't hesitate before he replied.

  "Go ahead blow them up and we'll hunt you down and kill everyone of you blue ladies."

  Richards looked to the captain who saw his nod and then looked back to the view screen.

  "Helm, full impulse towards the enemy ships, all guns prepare to fire, arm all batteries, missiles launch when in range."

  "Sir, sensors are detecting small craft activity to and from the freighters."

  Mike leaned over the sensors station’s panel.

  "If they had humans crewing those ships, then they probably also have Karduan guards onboard. They might be pulling their people off."

  Hutton looked worried and turned towards the captain. "If I was them, I would rig those ships to blow."

  The words of the commando officer rang true and filled the crew with dread for the innocent human crews trapped on the freighters.

  Hope's frown deepened, "Time to intercept?"

  "Fifteen minutes, sir," answered the helm station.

  Mike realized that they wouldn't be able to get there in time.

  "Sir, what if we launch fighters and missiles? We could put added pressure on them and maybe throw a monkey wrench into their plans."

  The old captain paused for moment in thought and then nodded his head in agreement.

  "Agreed, Mister Richards lock onto the warships and launch a full salvo of missiles on each vessel."

  "Come on, Mister Collins," Hutton said making for the door. Looking back he added "Bring the prisoner along and we'll drop her off at the brig."

  Mike took the Karduan lady's hand and guided her after him as he followed the commander's lead. As they left he heard Richards order the fighters to prepare for launch and that he and Hutton were on their way.

  Collins wanted to drag her and give her a good tug to hurry along, but refrained as she squeezed his hand and rushed to keep up. Entering the lift, he looked to the front doors as they dropped to the security level. The whole time in the lift he felt not only Hutton's and his own anxiety to get to their fighters, but also the pale eyes of the Karduan female on him.

  Almost jumping off the lift he hurried her to the security section and then into her cell.

  "Sorry about this," he commented as he moved to leave.

  On impulse she grabbed him and quickly kissed him. The move took him by surprise and surprisingly the young officer found himself kissing her back. Without another word he stepped back and quickly shut her cell door.

  Pausing for a moment he shook his head and took three steps before stopping dead in his tracks. Patting himself down he reassured himself that she hadn't swiped any of his belongings.

  It wouldn't have mattered, as his weapons and his security identification were DNA coded to him and wouldn't work for a Karduan. Still, it was both odd and strangely nice to think she kissed him for her own reasons.

  They locked on course and streaked across open space towards the DE and the vanguard sloop. Mike followed behind the first wave pushing his little Wasp to fly as fast as it could. The Sabers were faster still and they led their squadron as the enemy ships started to open fire with point-defense lasers and EM cannons.

  Missiles burst ahead of them as they dove their fighters downward, hoping to hit the underbellies of the warships. Behind them a second salvo of missiles was fired from the Wolf as they continued their long-range assault.

  "Wolf Pups Three and Four, target those defense lasers. Wolf Pups Five and Six focus on the lower engine ports as we pass." Hutton ordered as the two Sabers attacked the belly of the DE.

  Their fighter attack was timed with the second wave of missiles, which were intended to draw off some of the enemy's point defense guns.

  Mike and Rufo's Wasps dodged their way through the laser fire. Twice his tiny fighter was grazed by the searing beams, but continued on without complaint. Feeling that he was already too close, he fired his missiles and then hit his thrusters.

  Mike didn't wait around or even glance to his scope to see if he had hit. Looking to his left he saw that Rufo's fighter was also a little scorched but the smiling Italian tipped his wings in a friendly wave indicating that he was Ok.

  The other fighters had also taken some heat but all four had gotten through and had delivered their payloads.

  "Well done Wolf Pups! Between our hits and the missiles that got through, the DE has to be thinking twice about trying to run," Hutton said as they moved on to hit the second ship.

  The vanguard sloop hadn't waited around for the fighters and had already started on an escape course away from the battle. The Wolf had signaled to the fighters that the DE had been busily transferring its crew to the vanguard.

  Hope had guessed that the DE was going to try to block the cruiser while the sloop escaped. The fighters were setting a pursuit course intent on running the faster ship down. They would be like a pack of wolves on a bear. Maybe they'd take the bear down or maybe the bear would get away. There was no way to tell
until the race was run.

  The DE headed right to its doom as she advanced all guns blazing at the cruiser. The Karduan ship had already taken moderate damage from the fighters as well as hits from the two missile salvos that had been fired at her. The ship’s normal speed had already been halved from the damage. The cruiser now came within gun range and opened up with her forward two batteries of long-range particle turrets.

  As Mike and the other fighters were starting after the sloop a distress call came in over the comm. channel.

  "Mayday! Mayday! This is the Star Freighter Jillian. Confederation Cruiser, please respond!"

  "This is the ISS Star Wolf," Chief Parker said over the link, "Go ahead Jillian and caller please identify yourself."

  "This is First Officer Cowley, our captain is dead and we are trying to retake our ship. There are still armed Karduan guards onboard. Be advised that they are trying to set our engines to explode," the merchant officer reported.

  He knew that the cruiser might not respond if the freighter was about to blow up, but he felt that it was only right to warn them of the danger to their ship.

  "Wolf Pup One, should we turn back to help?" Rufo asked.

  "Negative, continue on pursuit course," Hutton replied his voice sounding hard and serious.

  A moment later Commander Richards voice cut in. "Wolf Pups Three and Four break off pursuit and head to the freighters. All other Wolf Pups continue on primary mission target."

  Mike and Rufo peeled off as the other fighters slowly narrowed the gap to the sloop.

  "Wolf Pups Three and Four get to the second freighter, the SS Brittany, ASAP. Dock at her lower shuttle bay and get to the engine room. Enemy forces are onboard and caution is advice. This is an explosive situation," he added, without stating the obvious.

  "Roger that! What about the SS Jillian?" Collins asked, wondering if one of them should try to get to her engine room as well.

  "The Jillian's crew has regained control of their engine room and bridge. Once the DE is destroyed we will drop off the Carronade with a boarding party before setting a pursuit course after the sloop," the first officer explained ad then added. "You and Wolf Pup Four are the only ones who can save the Brittany."

  It was a crazy plan - one pitting two men’s lives against the lives of the freighter's crew. It was a real gamble if the two of them could even get inside the ship and then fight their way to the engine room. All before the Karduans blew the freighter to Kingdom Come.

  "Roger that Wolf, we’re on it!" Mike said, without further comment.

  "Wolf Pup Four - lets try to take out any point defense guns as we go in. Maybe they'll think were trying to finish them off. As we clear the far side, I'll go in first and dock in the shuttle bay. Wait for my signal that it is safe," Mike instructed while firing his remaining missiles at the freighter's turrets. Switching to his pulse cannons he continued to fire as he passed under the freighter's stern.

  "Right behind you," Rufo replied with child like enthusiasm. He had also fired the last of his missiles and was now pelting the ship with pulse cannon fire.

  In the distance, the defiant DE crew met an inglorious end as the attack cruiser pulverized them. By the time the destroyer escort got within her gun range, she had nothing left to shoot having had her turrets silenced by the cruiser’s longer-range particle turrets. The Wolf fired a final coup de grace volley from her fusion turrets as she passed leaving the warship a broken hulk of molten metal.

  Moving on, the Wolf performed an emergency turn, coming about 180 degrees as an armored shuttle was launched from her lower fighter bay.

  The Carronade proceed towards the closest freighter, the SS Jillian. She was to drop off a twelve man boarding party commanded by Mister Rabb and Chief Bell. The shuttle would then continue on to the SS Brittany and with any luck, the second twelve man boarding team under Gunny Masters would be able to support Mister Collins and Cappilo's efforts.

  Once clear the Wolf accelerated to full impulse, trying to catch up to the running gun battle between her remaining fighters and the escaping vanguard sloop. Captain Hope had mixed feeling about risking his men on the freighters, but if they didn't try to save them then the ships and their human crews would be doomed.

  Mike had expected the doors to the aft shuttle bay to be closed tight. He was prepared to try an invasion program, sent from the Wolf to open the doors and if failing that to blow them open with his pulse cannons. To his surprise the doors were wide open and the shuttle bay was empty. It was a large bay used for heavy transport haulers. The heavy shuttles were used for moving large cargo containers as well as heavy equipment.

  Normally, there would have been a heavy cargo shuttle as well as a standard transport shuttle inside. Instead the bay was completely empty. Landing his fighter he saw that there was a standard airlock to his left as well as a larger panel on the back wall. The large air lock controls were able to rise upward to allow easy access to the cargo bay beyond.

  "It looks clear, but there aren't any shuttles in here?"

  "They used them to ferry the Blues to the vanguard," Rufo informed, making him feel stupid for a moment.

  "Thanks Einstein, now get your butt in here so I can shut the doors and pressurize the bay," he ordered as he depressurized his cockpit and then popped his canopy. Climbing out he drew his Krager and moved to the shuttle bay's control panel.

  Hitting his breaking thrusters, the second Wasp fighter came to a halt next to Mike's. Cappilo opened his canopy and jumped to the deck. Drawing his Browning Star-Master gauss pistol he rushed to his wingman's side.

  As soon as the Wasp had landed Mike shut the outer doors to start pressurizing the bay. Looking at the panel it said that it would take fifteen minutes to pressurize the entire bay.

  "Shit! We'll have to use the standard airlock," he said, realizing it would take too long to get in using the cargo door. He would have preferred to open the bay’s back wall, feeling that there would be less of a chance of getting ambushed.

  Cappilo followed and the pair entered the airlock. Closing the heavy door behind them Mike moved to the inner door and looked through the door’s small window. Behind him, Rufo started the airlock sequence to equalize the air pressure with the interior of the ship.

  "It looks clear," Mike reported as his head moved back and forth scanning the hall. The interior was dimly lit having lost power from the earlier attacks. Emergency lights were casting a red glow to the hallway as they illuminated the corridor.

  "One minute until we can enter," his partner reported and then added, "The Wolf sent me a download of the freighter's floor plans. The engine room is to the left and then we take a right at the end of the corridor."

  The airlock's safety light went from red to green and then the door made a swooshing sound as the seals released.

  Stepping out into the hallway, Mike faced right and Rufo turned left. Each man held his gauss pistol at the ready as they waited a second for something to happen.

  "Weird? They should have hit us here," Cappilo commented.

  "Agreed, let's go anyway!" Mike said, throwing caution to the wind. Running to the left he then turned down the hallway. There he stopped and quickly ducked his head around the corner and glanced down the corridor. The hall was empty and clear of personnel.

  Rufo still had his gauss pistol in his shooting hand, but he had also pulled out his palm pad and was scanning the area ahead of them.

  "I don't detect anything."

  Mike’s helmeted head nodded and then he ran to the bulkhead at the end of the hall. There a set of heavy double sliding doors was indicated on their plans. Instead they found that the bulkhead had been blown open leaving only jagged edges along its perimeter.

  "It looks as if it happened a while back," he said in a whisper as they closed in on the opening.

  From inside the engine room they could just make out the sound of voices. Popping his helmet's faceplate, Mike stepped into the dimly lit engine room.

  "Listen you Blu
e fucking bitches, I can't invert the fusion core and I wouldn't even if I could!" a man's voice said in American accented English.

  Two clearly Karduan female voices started to speak rapidly. Mike and as well as most of the Wolf’s crew had been learning Karduan from Bre-Nan, but the two guard women were talking too fast for him to catch more than a little of what they were saying.

  Collins and Rufo then separated and worked their way around the machinery on either side of the room to get to the rear control room.

  "Set the engines to explode or we will kill you very slowly!" One of the women threatened almost shouting her demands.

  Mike had hurried to clear the obstacles blocking his view. Once clear, he saw that two Karduan guards had thrown a human merchantman onto his knees. One of the pair had her rifle pointed at the back of his head. Both Blues were equipped in full body armor and were armed with pistols, grenades and gauss rifles. The human was a male in his late forties or fifties with gray temples and dark brown hair.

  "Do what we ask of you and we will take you with us when we leave," the other Karduan female promised as she reached down and grabbed his chin, pulling his face up to look at her.

  "Fuck You Bitch!" he said defiantly and was quickly rewarded with a vicious slap across his face with the back of her armored hand.

  Across the room a loud bang sounded. Mike immediately guessed that Cappilo had tripped over something.

  The noise was also heard by the enemy soldiers and caused an immediate reaction from the two Blues. The one on Mike's right pushed the merchant spaceman to the floor with her booted foot and kept him pinned by putting a foot on his back. Both women then aimed their assault rifles towards the noise.

  "Who goes there?" called the one on Mike's left in Karduan.

  "Identify yourself or we will shoot!" the second Blue threatened gripping her rifle nervously.

  From behind a bank of control panel a voice replied in broken Karduan.

  "It is Ship Mistress Too-Na. I have come to die with you in honor!"