Stone crept out of the med-bay and into the lower deck corridor. A short way along was a small weapons locker. Stone pulled open the locker. Inside was a pistol rack. He picked one of the pulse pistols off the rack. He checked the power cell and then slipped the weapon into his waistband. Then he grabbed two more and returned to the med-bay.
Entering the med-bay, Stone handed one of the small, black pistols to Bale. Bale looked at the chief skeptically as he took the pistol.
Stone handed the last to Ripa. She took it from Stone, checked it, and then slipped it in the pocket of her jacket.
Drawing his pistol from his waistband, Stone stepped back out into the corridor. He glanced back at Bale and Ripa. “Okay,” he said, “let’s go and meet our rescuers.”
Jack tried again to get the drive room access hatch to open. Again, he failed. The door control sparked and crackled. Jack pulled his hand away. He sensed someone standing behind him and looked around to see Chief Stone standing in the corridor.
“What are you doing up, Chief?” Jack asked, turning back to the control panel. “You should be resting.”
“Command deck, now.” Stone’s voice was stern.
Jack turned and looked up at the chief. He noticed the pistol, set ready to fire.
“This door won’t open,” Jack said calmly. “We need to get your drive up and running.” Jack looked back at the door panel. “We’ve got an energy transfer active. You should be able to restart your reactor now.”
“Later,” Stone said darkly.
Jack turned and looked up at the chief, concerned by the pistol and the threatening tone. He stood up.
Stone held his arm out and showed Jack the way.
“How’s the arm?” Jack asked as he stepped away from the closed drive room door.
“Good. Let’s go. I will deal with the drive system later.”
Jack started walking along the main deck. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”
The main deck was long and wide. Jack could see the command deck entrance at the end of the corridor. And there waiting for him, with a pistol tucked in the front of his waistband, was Commander Bale.
Jack walked in. Sam was sitting casually against a broken console, his left hand toying with the short composite strands that protruded from the cap that covered the end of what remained of his right arm.
“You okay?” Jack asked to Sam.
Sam nodded briskly.
“Names?” Stone said with a threatening tone.
“Jack Forge and Sam Torent. We were with the Fleet Marines, Scorpio Battalion. Monarch Group. We saw you were in distress.”
“You are flying a Fleet corvette.” Stone was strutting about the command deck. “What are a couple of Marines doing in command of a Fleet vessel?”
“Saving your kravin’ neck,” Sam said forcefully.
Jack calmed Sam with a gentle wave of his hand. “Commander,” Jack began, looking over to Bale, “I think we’ve got our lines crossed here.”
“I just want you to be clear about who is in command here, Marine,” Stone said.
“Who do you think is in command, Chief?” Jack asked.
Stone pointed his pistol toward Bale. “Commander Gerat Bale. He has command.”
“You don’t have to listen to this, Jack.” Sam said. Turning on Bale, he added, “Jack outranks you, Commander. He’s a major in the Fleet Marines and a hero of the Chitin War. Jack is in command here.”
“Not if he’s in a Fleet vessel, he’s not.” Stone stepped in front of Sam. “In this situation, superiority goes to the more powerful craft and the one with a Fleet officer commanding. That is Commander Bale, Marine. Our two boats now constitute a flotilla, and Bale has authority over both ships. If you want to check the Fleet articles, please do, but time is short, and I would rather we work on getting underway. If you are going to have a problem with that, Marine—” Stone fixed Sam with a fierce look. “—then I will have you restrained.”
Jack looked over to Sam and calmed him again with a light wave. Jack could see the fire in Sam, and it was rising fast. “Commander Torent is one of the best Marines I have ever served with and he will not be a problem. Isn’t that right, Sam?”
Sam nodded stiffly. “Copy that, Jack.”
Turning back to Bale, Jack spoke gently. “If we are going to succeed here, we will need Sam. We will all have to work together. Commander,” Jack said with a calming tone, “we have the same objective and we are just trying to help.”
Jack looked at Lieutenant Ripa. She was quivering.
“I think your lieutenant could do with a sit-down, Commander,” Jack said. “She’s got a broken rib.”
“She’s just fine. You are just fine, aren’t you, Lieutenant?” Stone said casually.
“She doesn’t look fine,” Sam said.
“I say she is fine,” Stone said again. “Now, this is how it’s going to work. As chief of the boat, I will survey your corvette and assess its status. Meanwhile, you Marines will stay here on the command deck with the commander and the lieutenant. Clear?” Stone glowered at Bale.
Bale nodded and avoided Jack’s quizzical stare.
“Is that your order, Commander?” Jack asked, looking at Bale.
Bale avoided Jack’s stare. He glanced briefly toward Stone. “Yes, Major. That is my order. Chief Stone will survey your boat. My ship is now the command vessel of our little flotilla. Once we have finished the power transfer, we will get under way and you can follow me back to the fleet. Clear?”
Bale finished with a glance toward Stone.
“We can work together, Commander,” Jack said calmly.
“Yes, we can, if you will follow my orders.”
Jack looked at Sam. He was furious. Jack nodded slowly.
“We will comply. I think we both want the same thing, Commander. We want to get back to the fleet. We can do that best if we work together. You will have my cooperation. Okay?” Jack said.
Ripa slumped against the console next to her. Jack took a step toward her, eager to offer support.
“I think we should take her back to the med-bay, Commander,” Jack said.
“Commander?” Sam said sarcastically. “He has a fleet all of his own now.” Sam took a step toward Bale. “Doesn’t that make you an admiral?”
Jack saw Bale rise to the insulting tone. He stepped in between the pair. “Stand down, Sam,” Jack ordered.
Stone smiled a thin, mirthless smile. “I hope you Marines can fight as well as you talk,” Stone said, looking Sam up and down.
Jack nodded at Stone. “You can count on us to do our part.”
Stone nodded. “With your permission, Commander,” Stone said, “I’ll begin my survey of your new vessel.”
Bale nodded, and then he found his voice. “Yes, Chief. Begin your survey.”
“And you will entertain our guests here,” Stone added.
Bale climbed up into the command chair. Stone backed out of the command deck and sealed the door behind him.
9
After an hour of sitting around the command deck trying unsuccessfully to engage with Commander Bale, Stone returned and sent Jack and Sam back to the corvette. It was good to be back on the corvette. Jack went straight to the flight deck. Sam was furious.
“That scroat pulled down my dividing wall,” he said. He kicked the blankets on the floor that had previously been hanging across the gun deck. “I can’t believe you let him come in here, Jack.” Sam pulled open the ration store. Only two blue bars remained. Sam roared in fury. “They just robbed us. They are nothing but pirates. I’m going over there right now and get those blue rations back.”
“Negative, Sam,” Jack said as he worked at the flight deck. He deployed his drones in a surveillance net spread out in a ring a hundred thousand kilometers in each direction. “I don’t want either of us over there again. Command has failed on that boat, Sam. It’s toxic. But we can’t abandon them either. Just get those guns ready. We need every available gun ready for action.
If what they say is correct, those Mechs will be here again.”
“Why help them?” Sam said, still furious.
“They’ve got all the rations now,” Jack said. “Unless you want to go back to that blue valley, we had better stick with them.”
“For now,” Sam said.
“Until we get back to the fleet,” Jack corrected, “and then we will probably be posted to a destroyer and we won’t have to mix with frigate crews again.”
The console alerted them that the drone net had detected a flight of five Mech attack ships. They were in the same formation as the last group and were all the same type, a flattened sphere with a wide, flat leading edge. They were racing in at speed from above and astern.
“Mechs,” Jack said. “I’m recalling the drones and alerting Commander Bale now.”
Jack opened a channel to the frigate. “Incoming Mech attack ships, Commander. Distance and location are a little over one hundred thousand kilometers above and astern.”
Jack moved his hands to the drive and navigation panels on the flight deck, ready to input the speed and heading as instructed by the frigate.
“Copy that, Forge,” Bale said. “Hold position and wait for my order to fire.”
“Did I just hear that scroat correctly?” Sam said. “Hold position? Why don’t we just get out of here, Jack?”
“Steady, Sam,” Jack said. “It’s better if we concentrate our fire. There are only five of them. We should be able to finish them off pretty quickly. They don’t have the capabilities of our little fleet.”
Jack watched the active scanner readout. He activated the holostage on the flight console. The incoming targets were closing fast. Although Jack thought it was strange decision to hold position and not attempt some sort of tactical maneuver, he did as he was instructed.
And then the first round struck.
The corvette lurched as the rounds struck home, slamming into the upper hull. And then the second and third blasts struck.
“They are evading our hail cannon fire, Jack,” Sam said. “Out of range of our laser. Bring us about so I can give them a salvo of kinetic hail.”
Jack hovered over the maneuvering thrusters. It seemed so obvious that both boats should turn and give fire, but Jack was operating in a combined strategy. An unexpected maneuver could spoil Bale’s attack plan.
“For krav’s sake, Jack,” Sam said as another series of blasts struck the hull.
Jack looked at the frigate on the holostage. It was not taking any fire and was turning to present its starboard hail cannon to the oncoming Mechs.
“He’s getting ready to fire,” Jack said. Another series of blasts struck the upper hull, causing the power to fluctuate across the flight console.
“I’ve been ready to fire for some time,” Sam shouted. “If you could just get us in position.”
Jack watched the image of Bale’s frigate on the holostage. The upper laser assembly fired a blast of energy that slammed into the lead Mech attack ship. The target boat burst open and spun off course, spewing fire and gas into the void of space.
Another round of fire from the Mech attack ships slammed into the hull of the corvette. The flight console lit up with orange warning lights and a red malfunction alert for one of the maneuvering thrusters.
Jack opened a channel to Bale.
“This is Forge. I am maneuvering to position to return fire. Acknowledge.”
Jack watched the holostage and listened for the reply. The channel remained silent.
Bale leaned forward in his command chair and looked at the image of the Mech attack ships converging on the smaller corvette. He watched and waited.
“Major Forge is requesting permission to maneuver, sir,” Ripa said.
Bale ignored her and watched the holostage and the damaged Mech attack ship spinning out of control. The ship exploded.
“Commander,” Ripa said. “Forge is on the line again. He wants to return fire.”
Bale stared at the holostage. The Mechs were swooping in on Jack’s Corvette, ignoring the frigate entirely.
The holoimage of Chief Stone appeared on the holostage, inset on the lower right of the display, the Mech attack on the Jack and Sam playing out above him in flickering holographic lights.
“Engaging the drive,” Stone said. Then his image disappeared.
Ripa moved to the drive console as it gave a drive activation alert.
“He’s routed drive and navigation to the drive room consoles.” Ripa turned to Bale. Her voice full of surprise and anger. “We’re moving away at high speed. We’re leaving them behind.”
“Just do it, Jack,” Sam shouted to the flight deck, but Jack was already activating the maneuvering thrusters. He brought the port-side battery around for a salvo.
“Fire when ready, Sam,” Jack said. He watched the second Mech attack ship explode on the holostage and as the debris and gas expanded around the remains, Jack saw the frigate moving away.
“Firing again,” Sam said.
Jack heard the quiet thump of the hail cannon discharging a mass of hail and then the cheer from Sam as another target was destroyed.
The remaining Mech ships moved in on the corvette and fired. Then Jack saw the rear section of the frigate light up as the drive systems were pushed to full power.
Sam cheered again as he destroyed another Mech attack ship, leaving only one remaining.
The remaining Mech ship held its position and fired at the corvette. A conduit along the gun deck ruptured, a red warning light appearing on the flight console.
“Sam, are you alright?”
“I’m okay. Firing on the final target.”
Jack watched as the remaining Mech ship was destroyed with a blast of kinetic hail from the cannon.
“What the krav is wrong with Bale?” Sam said, climbing up the steps to the flight deck. He dropped into his seat at the console and deployed the drone net. “I said, what’s wrong with that guy? We could have taken out those Mechs without taking any damage.”
Jack watched as the frigate powered away, putting distance between the site of the battle and the corvette.
Sam stood up in fury as the frigate raced away, fists clenching. “What the krav is Bale up to, Jack?”
“I don’t know, but I think we might have to take command of this little fleet.”
“Copy that, Jack,” Sam said.
“Try and get him in the targeting scanners of the hail cannon as soon as you can.”
Jack opened a channel to the frigate’s command deck. “Bale, this is Forge. Do you want to tell me where you are going?”
Bale looked at the image of the corvette on the holostage. It was venting gas from a small fracture on the upper hull.
“Major Forge on the line again, sir,” Ripa said. “He wants a status report.”
Ignoring Ripa, Bale sat in his command char and watched the image of Jack’s corvette shrinking to a distant speck, lost in the dark.
“Commander,” Ripa said. “We can’t leave them.”
Stone stepped onto the command deck. “Not your concern, Lieutenant.”
“I think it is,” Ripa said. She felt the nervous energy from confronting the chief. “We are going back for them, right now.”
Stone stepped close to Ripa. She could smell the sweat and drive room dust on him. “Request a change of course from your commander,” Stone said with calm menace.
Ripa looked over to Bale. He avoided her gaze.
“We need to get back to the fleet. Hold course and speed, Lieutenant.” Bale tapped the controls on his armrest and avoided looking at Ripa.
“Commander,” Ripa pleaded.
“You heard the commander,” Stone said, moving his face close to Ripa’s.
Bale looked up to the holostage and the holoimage of the frigate in the black of space, the distant star field spectrum shifting as the frigate raced on. He stared at the holoimage and avoided Ripa’s eyes.
Stone stepped away from Ripa and walked off the command
deck. “Keep me informed, Commander. I’ll be in my cabin.”
Bale stood up and stepped down from his command chair. He walked up to the flight console. The course was already laid in, a course that would take them to the fleet’s last-known location.
Bale looked around the command deck. He knew he was in command in name only. He walked to the entrance to the command deck and looked out at the main deck. Chief Stone was walking away.
“Sir,” Ripa said in a harsh whisper. “We can’t let the chief take control.”
Bale nodded. “He just fixes the boat, Lieutenant,” Bale said. “I am in command here.” He climbed up into his command chair and felt dizzy and sick with worry as he thought of Chief Stone.
Jack watched in surprise as the frigate leaped away. It vanished into the far distance with a flash. The frigate was a fast and maneuverable craft, but it was no match for the corvette’s speed.
“Bale really did just run out on us. Let’s go and get some answers,” Jack said.
“Yeah, and our blue rations.”
Jack couldn’t understand the logic in abandoning a second craft. Together, they would have had a much better chance of locating the fleet. He activated the corvette’s drive and prepared to follow Bale.
“Drive systems unresponsive,” Jack said. “Maneuvering thrusters only. And we’ve got a minor hull breach on the upper hull.” Jack leaned back in his chair.
“He’s getting away,” Sam said, trying to keep a scanner lock on the receding frigate.
“No, Sam,” Jack said with a heavy breath. “He has gotten away. We can’t follow him. Not yet.”
“When I get my hands on him…” Sam said. He punched the bulkhead.
“Calm down, Sam. One thing at a time. First, I’ll go and see what the problem is with our drive. You get a drone prepped and get it to patch that hull fracture. Let’s get this old boat up and running. Then we can get after Bale.”
Lost Marine Page 5