“If not we’ll come along behind and finish them,” Laurent said coldly.
“Of course, Sir,” said the XO.
As Laurent and the bridge of the Furious Phoenix watched the remaining Corvettes of the squadron formed up in a staggered line.
The first ship to pass the Destroyer fired everything including five light laser beams and a swarm of anti-fighter missiles at the Destroyer which shrugged off everything thrown at it like it wasn’t even effected and returned fire. A medium laser from the Destroyer punched through the Corvette’s shields sending it reeling away spewing atmosphere.
The second and third Corvettes then entered the fray splitting to either side of the Destroyer as the enemy Destroyer slewed around to present a fresh broadside. Light lasers crashed back and forth weakening each side’s shields as the delayed anti-fighter missiles started impacting the Destroyer’s shields.
The fifth Corvettes seemed to be on a collision course with the Destroyer taking light laser and then chain gun fire on its shields and shrugging them off as it bore in toward the Imperial Destroyer without responding before finally firing at point blank range with the single medium laser welded to the front of its hull.
After repeated strikes the Imperial warship’s shields flared and then collapsed as the medium laser punched through their outer armor and deep into the Destroyer’s hull.
Spewing atmosphere the Destroyer struggled to turn and present its other side as the Corvette and its expended medium laser started to fly past it. They were just starting to move their injured side away from the still oncoming sixth Corvette when a shuttle, that must have been attached to the back of the 5th MSP Corvette and recently separated, left the shadow of its mother ship and blasted toward the weakened Imperial Destroyer.
“I don’t think that shuttle will be able to send its marines to board. Even with the extreme gees she’s pulling there’s no way it will be able to achieve an intercept,” remarked the First Officer.
“Then you haven’t been paying attention,” Laurent said tightly, “because while that shuttle is trying for an intercept she’s not slowing down.”
“What?!” exclaimed the First Officer as the shuttle just managed to adjust its course enough to punch through the small shieldless area already cleared by its mothership’s medium laser and slam into the side of the Imperial Destroyer.
A massive explosion rocked the Destroyer as fire and atmo spewed from the giant new opening in its hull.
“For 4th Easy Haven and the Mini-Surprise!” the Captain of the 5th Corvette, Captain Cutler’s, voice screamed out over an unencrypted open com-channel.
“I hope for Cutler’s sake that there was no one onboard that shuttle of his or I’ll have him up on charges so hard he’ll never fly a ship of any kind again,” Laurent said direly.
“He succeeded though,” said the Phoenix’s First Officer.
“Which is why, if no one died in that stunt, I’ll let it pass,” Laurent said.
By the time the sixth Corvette was approaching attack range, the Destroyer had ejected its primary fusion core and the damage that finally crippled it and sent its second and final fusion generator out into space was almost anti-climactic.
Soon escape pods started to leave the Imperial Destroyer, and the other warship finally signaled its surrender.
“Dang, and here I was hoping we’d have a chance to get a few licks in,” said the Tactical Officer before seeming to realize he was still in the dog house and quickly turning back to his console with hunched shoulders.
“That will be all, Tactical,” Laurent said with a hint of a smile on his face. Eager to fight Tactical Officers chomping at the bit he could use, ones that were openly disrespectful of losses from their own side he could do without.
“Tell the Lancers that while it won’t be the kind of mission they may have been hoping for I’m going to need them anyway. I want that ship secured and any electronic intel that still remains secured,” said the Captain before shrugging, “who knows there might even be a few Imperial marines on that ship who haven’t got the message and they may even see combat yet.”
“I’m sure that will be some consolation for them,” said the First Officer.
“I’m sure that it won’t,” Laurent snorted before turning back to his plot, “but we all live to serve anyway. Relay my orders and Tactical,” he said raising his voice as he spoke to catch that officer’s attention, “eagle eyes on that imp Destroyer out there. I won’t have us suckered in on a wild goose chase. We’ll make good and Sweet Murphy sure not to get within blast radius of that Destroyer. Let the Lancers go out there to risk their lives, that’s what they signed up for.” He then stopped and muttered “crazy bucket-heads,” under his breath.
“With both fusion generators gone will they even be able to blow up that Destroyer?” asked the First Officer who then seemed to have another idea, “or will the Lancers even be able to identify it if they are?”
“Good point,” said Laurent, “attach an engineering team to the Lancers and send them over with them.”
The XO nodded.
“Alright people you heard the, Captain. Slow approach not close approach and we’ll wait for the Lancer/engineering teams to recon first. In the mean time standard escape pod retrieval policy for potentially hostile pods,” said the First Officer.
“Speaking of which,” he turned to Laurent.
“What are we going to do for escape pod search teams if you’re sending all of our Lancers off the ship? You want me to issue arms to ship security?” he asked.
“One of the shuttle loads of Lancers will just have to forgo the honor. We can move the engineers in with them. As for security have them standing by at critical points throughout the ship while the Lancers are saying hi to our newly arriving guests before they are escorted to the brig,” said Laurent.
“I’ll make it so,” said the First Officer.
Chapter 22: The Pressure is On
“I have another staffer on the line requesting to speak with you or to set up another date for a meeting with the armed services war sub-committee, Grand Admiral,” said Chief of Staff Lisa Steiner.
“Another staffer? Give him the usual response and just plain regular Admiral without the ‘grand’ part will be fine, Lisa,” I said shaking my head and turning back to the latest report. Apparently Laurent and the Furious Phoenix were on the hunt for Imperial scouts and thought they had a lead. For all I knew they’d either found them or come up bust and moved on to the next likely spot by now.
Wishing them a silent prayer of success I went back to the full time job of keeping up with my paperwork. Although thankfully now that I had a full staff I was spared most of the inane boring stuff and got to focus more fully on the more critical life and death stuff…joy.
“So give him the run around before telling him you’re indisposed and unavailable for anything before letting him go,” she said with a suppressed sigh.
I cracked a smile.
“Exactly right,” I said turning to cut the channel.
“You’ve been unavailable for the past three days and you’ve missed numerous committee appointments,” she reminded me.
“Have you seen Cosmic News lately?” I asked.
She hesitated.
“Just in case you missed it here’s a link,” I said forwarding her the most popularly viewed news article of this week and if it kept trending like it was the entire month. It was titled the Tyrant-in-the-Assembly.
She closed her eyes briefly before opening them working to meet my eyes without looking away.
“I’m aware of the video, Sir. In fact I think the whole fleet is aware of it by now, at least every ship here is,” she said before visibly steeling herself and taking the plunge, “and no one in the fleet is taking this lightly. Believe me on this. However we’re here to fight the Empire, not each other; aren’t we? What is the alternative? We can’t just sit here forever.”
“Are you saying I’m acting like a spoiled child
and need to grow up, Lieutenant?” I asked blanking my face.
“That’s not how I would put it at all, Sir,” Steiner said looking embarrassed, “but either we’re here to defend these people or we’re not. We all understood when you were going to meetings, making strategy with the assembly and getting more ships for the Amalgamated Fleet or whatever they’re calling it now but standing around in orbit doing nothing while you sit in your office refusing to take calls is pointless.”
“Is that your expert opinion, Chief of Staff?” I asked wryly.
“I know you don’t want to hear it right now but it is…, Sir,” she belatedly added my military courtesy.
“You know what you’re right. Or at least you would be if this was a fit of pique,” I admitted and then pursed my lips, “or ‘just’ a fit of pique actually. I can’t deny that this is part of it. But there’s more at stake here than my fragile ego, I recognize that.”
“Then could you help me understand what you’re trying to accomplish here, Admiral? I think as your chief of staff I need to know at this point. If only so I can tell our own people with a straight face that there’s a real plan, even if I can’t tell them anything about what it is,” she said.
“I’m going to be honest here. After my treatment by Assembly Security there is a small but real possibility that I could be assassinated the next time I go onto the Grand Assembly Floor,” I said frankly.
“What?” she looked shocked.
“One of the guards stabbed me through my uniform with combat heal after they knocked me down and pummeled me, and I believe it was the same one who later told me he wasn’t afraid to speak truth to tyranny. Maybe the next time he doesn’t use a vial of healing solution but a knife or a vial laced with delayed acting poison? Until I’ve received certain assurances there’s no way I can risk myself, let alone Akantha down there in that kind of situation,” I said.
“I didn’t realize that was a real possibility,” Steiner looked alarmed, “if even their best security is compromised to that degree…should we even be here, Sir?”
“Like I said it’s small but real, seeing as how they haven’t fired or even reassigned that specific guard to another area of their security service for my next visit,” I said again, “the other factor is that if I’m the head of the military I can’t just let them push the entire Confederation military around.”
Steiner nodded and then looked at me questioningly.
“I get the first part but doesn’t the military serve the government not the other way around. We’re supposed to answer the call of our elected government…” her eyes widened and then she coughed, “be they elected, appointed or hereditary I meant no disrespect to the royal family back home, Sir.”
“Well since I feel quite a lot of disrespect towards King James and House Montagne right now, I’ll let it pass,” I smirked before turning serious. “But let’s ignore the fact that most of the Grand Assembly right now is appointed and just go with the elected part. As Grand Admiral of the Confederation I maintain that, when summoned by an assembly member representing a Grand Assembly committee, I probably have the duty and obligation to show up. But as of right now no member of the Grand Assembly, elected or appointed, has bothered to so much as give me a call.”
There was a pause.
“I see your point even if I’m not sure I agree with it, at least in theory. In practice I can see where you’re going with it. We have received written instructions though, Sir,” she said finally, “and aren’t written orders considered the most important orders a fleet officer can receive?”
“A captain and, by extension, Admiral, has to have a great deal of leeway when he’s with his ship and I realize that doesn’t answer your question. Let’s just say that this is real politic and there’s a reason I’m Grand Admiral and your not, Lieutenant,” I said spinning my chair from side to side, before coming to an abrupt stop. I gave her a penetrating look, “the fact is that this government is still very new. It could break apart in the face of a stiff wind. I refuse to be that wind but at the same time after everything everyone in the Multi-Sector Patrol Fleet and me personally have given up for these people I’m not going to open myself up to mistreatment on the Assembly Floor and potential assassination over a point of protocol.”
“I understand better now, Admiral. Still, this can’t go on indefinitely,” she said.
At this I leaned back in my chair with a smile.
“They’ve had their chance to revel in my misfortune and spread it all over the Sector. But it’s been days and my sitting up here brooding in stony silence. Meanwhile I orbit over their heads with two squadrons of Battleships; I could do literally anything at all. That's got to have an impact sooner or later,” I said.
“You mean you’re threatening the Grand Assembly,” Lisa said not looking nearly as shocked or surprised as I’d thought she would.
“Threaten is such an ugly word, when in fact I have no intention whatsoever to attack or otherwise coerce them,” I said righteously.
“Right,” she said pertly, “and while you’re not threatening them what is it exactly you hope to achieve? The punishment of those security guards for striking you, additional security measures the next time you’re there, personal guarantees? That sounds like coercion to me, remember we’re not the government here we’re the military that’s supposed to protect the government,” she said.
I pursed my lips and gave her a level look.
“Nothing would please me more than to continue being part of a Confederation military that protects the Spine. But let’s take a look at not only how they’ve treated us so far but also who are taking up high level positions within the new Confederation government. Governor Isaak has no love for us, he’s tried to kill me and end this Fleet multiple times and for our part I recently declared him a rebel and was ready to take him down as soon as our new Battleships were repaired, crewed up and ready to go,” I said pointedly.
Then there is the Grand Assemblyman from Aegis, a former member of the Sector Security Council and current influential member on the Armed Services Committee, he’s always been a strong ally of Isaak and don’t tell me that even if I wanted to, he’ll think for an instant that I’ve forgotten how he was voting with Isaak to have me executed back when I was on trial. I can think of half a dozen other members off the top of my head that voted along with them or entire star systems that have grudges against us due to the outcome of the last war,” I continued blithely.
Lisa Steiner winced.
“Praxis comes to mind,” she admitted.
“That’s just the most obvious and for the record it’s all Nuttal’s fault. I would have preferred Veraxiam alive but Admiral Nuttal executed him before I could put him on trial,” I seethed pounding the table for emphasis, “as it is we made a lot of enemies when we didn’t need there and well here we are.”
“Now having listed all of that let’s stop and ask ourselves for just how long they’re going to want to keep me in their Confederation? Right now they need us that’s a fact even they can’t deny, they need our warships, especially after the way they tried to screw us over and we decided to take the whole lot of captures home with us as punishment. Sure they made me Grand Admiral, they had no choice, but as of right now we’ve got the former High Captain, Manning, to one side as one of my Vice-Commanders, representing Sector 23 and 24 interests and we’ve got that tool of Governor Isaak on the other. Both of them are waiting in the wings ready for me to screw up the next battle or the MSP to weaken and woosh!” I said slapping my hands together. “You can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be out on some trumped up charge and out of the Grand Admiral business for good.”
“If that’s the case then why are we even working with this bunch of snakes, Sir?” Lisa Steiner asked her lower lip thrust out in a way that she probably meant she was serious but in fact just tended to make her look cute like a brown pixie.
I gave myself a shake. There was no time for this sort of wool gathering I was a marri
ed man with a dozen kids. Not to mention an Admiral…Grand Admiral now in fact, although for how long was anybody’s guess. Especially if I couldn’t stay focused like this. What were we talking about again, I briefly spent a moment recalling, ah yes it was ‘snakes’.
“The sad fact of the matter is that the best way to defend this Sector and even this Region of space, meaning the Spineward Sectors as a whole, is by joining forces with the politicians,” I said distastefully, “that and I honestly have no desire to become some kind of cold space warlord,” I could feel my nose wrinkle at the thought, “I mean could you imagine it? Me? Running around making everyone bow and scrape to me? No, my Montagne ancestors had their chance to fully exercise the despotic genes, leaving me quite content where I’m at, defending the people of this Sector and the Spine from dangers beyond our borders both on the sides that touches unknown space as well those fronting more civilized space such as the Overton Expanse.”
“Those of us from Capria, the original crew who have been there from the beginning at least, are very happy you are who and what you are, Admiral,” she said seriously.
“I appreciate that,” I said seriously, “I know it can’t have been easy. Turning what was meant to be a nine month to a yearlong cruise into a more than five year odyssey. Not being able to go home or take leave must have been rough.”
Lisa gave me a pained smile.
“Most of us understood what was waiting for us if we went home after it was explained to us. Better to be out here fighting for our families back home than stuck in a prison cell being interrogated,” she said.
Then she brightened.
“Besides, the Station and city of Messene down on Tracto are nice enough,” she said putting on a smile for my consumption, “it’s not like we’ve never had any leave at all.”
“Still not being able to go home because you were serving some benighted Montagne…” I trailed off leadingly.
Admiral's Nemesis Part II Page 22