“With the taking of the Burgh ships, we reorganized Flot 1. I thought I would put Bandit in my squadron along with two other older corvettes. I was going to give the three Burgh corvettes to Killian O’Hare. Emily made it clear she wanted to go to a different squadron. We had a little spat about it. Em always thought I did too much to protect her and spare her from tough decisions and situations while she was on my ship. So as her squadron commander, I would probably spare her from the tough missions. I suppose it was a valid concern. Finally, it was Tactical who convinced me Emily should be out on her own in another squadron. Looking back on it, they were right. All captains have to have their own trial by fire. What they learn on the way up prepares them for that. I’m not sure I did Emily any favors while she was on my ship in that regard. Of course, the destruction of Charlie house didn’t help matters. As you know, it was Emily who scouted and recommended the site for the house. Nobody blamed her for what happened, but she blamed herself.” Raferty looked off into the distance, memory flowing back from the far reaches of his mind where he had exiled Emily Legrand. “With her taking Bandit and being in a different squadron, our affair ended by mutual silent consent. I think I was a little hurt she didn’t want to be with me, and she was a little hurt she had to fight with me to get a ship command. Consequently, over the last two years, I’ve had very little contact with her. She had her share of fights like any Flot 1 ship, and I never gave it much thought except to be glad she pulled though. Her death should have very little effect on the day-to-day process of getting through life, but it bothers me she will not be out patrolling in the Badlands, and I know I will miss her a little each day for the rest of my life.”
Hawkins fell silent. He brought his focus back to the present and his guest. “I need a bit more time to feel sorry for myself and for her, and then I will be back on the bridge.”
Sky leaned back in her seat and nodded. “In your line of work, if that is your only ghost, then you’re very lucky, very committed to your cause, or very crazy. Maybe all three.”
Rafe smiled. “I have a lot more ghosts than that. I just happen to be dancing with this particular one at the moment. Dance will be over soon, and I’ll stick the spirit back in a locked trunk.”
“The fact is, this is war, and in war people die. Sometimes they are close to us, but that doesn’t change that simple fact. People die.”
Rafe nodded and drank.
Mallory continued. “I hope you never get used to losing shipmates and friends. It would mean you have changed.” She leaned forward now. “And I think you’re alright just the way you are.” With that, she abruptly stood up, drank her beer in one last gulp, and placed the empty bottle on the desk. “See you out front.” She turned and departed the way she had come in. After five minutes, Raferty drained his drink and rose. He smiled to himself as he regarded Emily Legrand for one last time for the present. He then went to the head, washed his face and hands, and followed in Mallory’s wake.
He moved out to the bridge and Tactical vacated the captain’s chair. Rafe sat down and reviewed all the floating screens. He brought up his ship-wide comm channel. “We got six hours of subspace travel ahead of us, and then we will hit the bastards one more time before calling it a mission well done. I want crews rotated so everyone gets plenty of rest and gets some food in them so department heads will see to that.” He paused now and then smiled. “Oh yeah, one more thing. Helluva job today. I guarantee you that nobody, and I mean nobody, thought that what you have accomplished here was even possible. I’m proud to serve with each of you. The Orion Confederation will never forget this day, or forget who served it to them on a plate.”
He clicked off and turned to Tactical and Baby Doll. “You both hold the bridge for a few more minutes. I got to visit sickbay and engineering. When I get back, you both will get some rest, too. I’ll take the bridge then.”
Rafe visited the fifteen wounded in sickbay and discussed the disposition of the dead with Doc Windsor. He stopped in engineering and then toured the ship quickly before getting back to the bridge. By the time he got there, the crew had rotated shifts and settled into a quiet routine for a few hours. They would be back in harm’s way soon enough. There was time enough to get a fitful nap and some food. As well as having time to consider what was coming.
Chapter 35
The Orion pursuit of four ships had sniffed around the outer moon for several hours. Leaving one destroyer to assist the wounded Citadel and the escape pods from the destroyed ships, three ships moved toward the nearest planet, Miresa, as it seemed a likely destination for the raiders. As they closed on the planet, their sensors picked up the noisemakers dropped there by Flicker. They sped toward the planet and, in the process, away from their quarry.
The three pirate vessels moved through subspace toward Murmansk a second time. The time was much shorter due to the shorter distance. It passed quickly. Twice they had heard engines passing from Murmansk toward the inner moon. Everyone assumed it was shuttles or repair craft pressed into service to assist Citadel and the other ship crews stranded on the far side of the inner moon. No engines were heard coming back. There was a big job to be done over there. Predator’s battle staff was back at their stations as the pirate vessels approached the space harbor. They would be moving around the planet as the second attack would be taking place approximately seven hours after the first attack, and the planet would have rotated one quarter through its twenty-eight hour day.
As with most military space harbors, everything was self-powered so all equipment stayed in a synchronized orbit with the planet, and so remained above the surface base. This made transportation and communication easier and simplified the defense requirements, as only one site had to be protected vice worrying about a stationary space harbor and a surface base on the spinning planet below the harbor. Now, after the attack, the damaged defense units, wrecked convoy ships, and other derelicts or powerless equipment were left behind as they dropped out of synchronized orbit and the planet kept spinning below them. There were two sites now, the wreckage from the first attack floating stationary above the planet, and the surface base and what was still in synchronized orbit above it. The pirates would hit the surface base, and then pull off that target and pass by the wreckage site looking for targets of opportunity.
“All clear,” Madison Hopkins reported as she manned white phones. She made this same report every thirty seconds as the pirates closed on the surface base. She had reported engines earlier but they had faded. Rafe suspected they were orbital vehicles moving between the wreckage site at first attack and the surface base, and what was left of the space harbor above the surface base. As the attackers closed on the surface base, Hawkins was hoping to pick up sound activity that would indicate how the new defenses were set up.
The bridge crew was calm on this pass. They knew they had severely damaged the defenses in the first attack. They knew they still had the element of surprise. With the loss of Bandit, they also knew they had a score to settle. The enemy had managed to get one of their comrades. The remaining three pirate ships needed to address that to ensure the enemy knew it had been sheer luck and not due to any skill on their part.
The raiders knew the defense forces would be thin, but there was no cover to hide behind now. They would come out of subspace close to the planet in between the wreckage site from the first attack and the surface base. The plan was to emerge along the shuttle traffic path in hopes the defenses would have the lock out protocols engaged for that particular sector so as not to accidently fire on their own units. The plan was for all three ships to provide immediate defense and then Vindictive would protect the attacking force while the other two ships carried the battle to the enemy. The attackers would have to fight the defenses on one side of the surface base immediately, but the other side would be a distance away. Hawkins hoped the OrCons had moved several of their close-in floaters to the outer limits to replace the defense floaters destroyed in the first fight. He also hoped they would ov
er compensate the outer edges, as that was the place of the first attack. He hoped, but wasn’t counting on it. Rafe gathered the battle staff in a corner of the bridge for a short review of the plan.
“We took out approximately one-third of the harbor floaters and other defenses in space.” Baby Doll spoke up. She had not rested since the attack, but had spent her time with Blondie going over all the attack tapes to analyze results and predict the future enemy moves to adjust for the damage. “We did not hit anything on the surface. The OrCons would have to leave several floaters to protect their damaged ships and equipment at the first site. We should face less than half of their original harbor defenses. They will have to redeploy their assets to get coverage, and they should have no ships available. We should have somewhere close to fifty floaters over the base with eight to ten being in our immediate vicinity of ten seconds flight time as we emerge near the surface on one side of the base.”
Tactical continued the impromptu briefing. “I’ve updated the target list and set up threat parameters in the computers. We should be good when we come out. I hope with the traffic going back and forth between the two sites, they have engaged lock-out protocols, but after watching them shoot the hell out of their own convoy, I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Rafe took the last turn at talking. “I’m not convinced they will either, but it has been a bad day for them and everyone is jumpy. I think they put the protocols in effect but you never know. Let’s try to get in behind some of the shuttles, or whatever vehicles are going back and forth between the two sites. The other two ships will be in trail of us so we have some room to maneuver, and we need to seek cover as we come out. The others will do the same. Priority is defense first, then switch over to attacking surface targets. Those targets will be labs, assembly plants, testing facilities, and anything else that helps build ships, especially engines. We need to make this count.” He didn’t add “for Bandit” but everyone knew that was what he meant.
“I assume the other force chasing us would have left at least one destroyer to assist Citadel and the three wrecks, so we have to be prepared for her to coming running to the rescue when the second attack starts. We need to put a spanking on her because if she shadows us as we depart, the OrCons will run us down. We have to bring her to battle and ensure nobody else can shadow us from here. Let’s turn to.”
With that, the short staff meeting broke up and everyone took their stations.
The ship moved through subspace toward the planet. Noise was reported to starboard. This was the surface base and what remained of the spaceport above it. They were on course. Noise was detected ahead. It was the sound of the shuttles and repair craft moving back and forth between the two sites. Rafe had Predator slow down to ease in the traffic lane behind a craft moving to the surface base destination. Predator turned to starboard to follow the craft to her firing point. The other two attackers would do the same, if the opportunity were available.
Tactical took up the count. “Five… four… three… two… one.”
Predator surfaced. Nemesis was to her starboard and Vindictive on the other side of her. A few seconds ticked by as they emerged. Then a few more. They were clear of subspace and shields went up as missiles impacted the newly erected shields. There had been a lockout in place. A human being had been in the loop and the computers needed permission to fire the weapons. The watch operators took a few seconds to verify a target and press the firing button. Those few seconds were all the pirates needed. Sky Mallory smiled from her station. Hawkins had bet on the human element again and had won again.
There was no timeline for this attack. The three ships were methodical in dealing out their destruction. The immediate threat from nearby floaters was dealt with. Lasers and guns took on the nearest batteries, and missiles dealt with the ones further out. Incoming fires were intercepted by the lasers, decoys, or absorbed on the shields. The ships rotated positions and hits were taken by the shuttles used for cover before they scattered.
“Base is calling for help on all frequencies,” Hyatt Renaldo reported from comm. That would bring reinforcements if any were nearby.
With the immediate threat handled, Predator and Nemesis went on the offense. The near side of the base was hit with guns and lasers as the far side came under missile fire. Surface defenses were struck first and then buildings were leveled, hangars destroyed, and storage tanks holed. The two ships systematically worked across the target. Predator targeted any structure that could build, assemble, or calibrate engines. With the engines destroyed on the ships being built, now it was necessary to destroy the methods to build more engines. Three minutes passed.
“Ship coming around the inner moon. Destroyer.” Maddie reported from sensors. “Coming hard.”
“Good,” Rafe replied. He spoke on the command net. “Killian, your date’s here.”
Her image turned and smiled at him. “I saw, but wasn’t sure you would let me go out with him.”
“Only if you take Shane with you to chaperon. We got a schedule to keep so hit him hard. No time for fun.”
“Oh, it will be fun.” She smiled a cold, cold smile. “At least for two of us.”
Neither ship moved but continued to engage their targets. The destroyer closed and began firing as it picked the pirates out of the clutter. Vindictive took on the incoming rounds as Nemesis rotated and moved to a wrecked, drifting shuttle behind their formation. She took up a position and waited. The enemy destroyer continued to close, but then took up a position behind a knocked out floater. The enemy clearly expected a shootout from cover and was content to sit and trade fire with the three pirates. O’Hare burst out and rushed toward the destroyer with Vindictive providing covering fire. The enemy ship responded by retreating. He clearly did not intend to get in a close-in fight to the death.
Hawkins frowned. The destroyer was going to do exactly what he dreaded. It was going to shadow his small force while continuously sending out position reports. If that was allowed to happen, his people were already dead. He talked over his command net. “Return to force. We can’t afford to spread out. We still have to cover each other. We’ll get him later.”
Nemesis returned to her place and the pirates proceeded to wrap up the attack. The surface base was hit hard and several empty space docks that had been ignored in the initial attack were shredded now. The attack lasted five minutes. All three attackers took damage as several projectiles got through the defenses and the shields. All ships had more dead crewmembers.
The trio now backed off while continuing to fire at targets. They pivoted together and rushed toward the site of the first battle and the wreckage drifting there. The enemy destroyer turned with them and flew a parallel course. He was within missile range, but any exchange of fire would have little chance of inflicting significant damage and would only force him to widen the range. The raiders couldn’t afford the missile expenditure at this point.
“We do guns and lasers only in this re-attack unless something really ripe pops up, or to eliminate a threat,” Raferty directed to all ships. The missile supply was limited and they had a long trip home.
The ships began firing as soon as they were within range. Two missile batteries opened fire in response. The floaters were quickly silenced with eight missiles. Rapid-fire 125 mm guns put rounds in anything that looked salvageable. As the distance closed, 75 mm guns joined in. The formation swept toward the damaged space docks holding damaged powerless ships. There were sixteen ships, all at least half completed. These had been shot up in the first attack, but now was the time to make certain of their damage. This was a rare opportunity and one not to be squandered. The pirates slowed down to ensure time to engage and destroy the targets. Any defensive floater, regardless of appearance, was hit several times. The OrCons should have left some defenses with these ships. The ships had been hit hard, but would not be declared a loss until an inspection was done.
The pirates hit anything vaguely functional. One floating gun mount took up the fight a
nd was quickly silenced. Gun rounds were poured into the ships and their docks as the range closed. The ships and docks were dark with no work parties around most of them. Two ships, both heavy cruisers, had lights and equipment clustered around them. Nemesis and Vindictive each took one of the ships under fire. Rounds blew into the repair parties and then focused on the ships. These two were less damaged than the other ships and that needed to be corrected. The lights blew out as the portable power units were struck.
Pirate guns continued to fire into the engines and engineering spaces of all ships. There would be no salvaging of parts and trying to build one good ship out of three or four damaged vessels. Without engines, there was no repairing to be done. Vindictive shifted to the far side to take two floating gun batteries there under fire. Missiles went down range at each and knocked them out. Predator took ships close to the surface under fire. These four ships were barely in the construction phase and had no engines mounted, but Predator laced them with cannon fire. Nemesis hit any shuttle moving and some that weren’t. Tough to repair things with no transportation.
Guns continued to fire and lasers to dance among the wreckage. Anything slightly damaged was now much more broken than that. Any repair machines, floating storage lockers, or powered movers were hit. Lasers slashed in a frenzy at anything within range. The pass-through by the pirates was too quick for target identification and laser fire cost nothing so everything was hit.
Payback Is a Given: Pirates of the Badlands Series Book 2 Page 28