Gray Panthers Captain Short Blade (28 page)

The Nike, en route to the Jangwa system

8 May 2129

Commander Adams was excited to be the captain of her own ship. Though the crew was rusty, she didn’t foresee any problems. Her only concern for the moment was exiting the Hades Wormhole and getting through the Hades Nebula, which she had read was a challenge at best for small ships.

“Captain, we’re only a couple minutes out from regular space. What are your orders, ma’am?” the pilot asked anxiously as the ship closed in on the end of the wormhole.

“Nike, I want you to take us out of the wormhole and then navigate us through the nebula. Once we’re clear of the nebula, jump us to the Jangwa system.”
I’m glad we have an AI for this portion of the trip,
she thought.
“The FTL time will be nine hours, is that correct, Nike?”

“Yes, Captain.”

Adams figured it would be wise to throw a battle drill into that time.

“Two hours into FTL, sound general quarters. If the response time is good, we’ll only have the one drill. If not, then we’ll have another, maybe two.”

She watched as the ship began to exit the wormhole and was amazed at the range of colors that swirled around the ship. Looking down at the navigation display, she became alarmed at the different gravity wells the ship was passing close to and through. The risk indicator spent as much time in the yellow level as it did in the green, but only once did it brush close to the red. She let go of her grip on the chair as the ship exited the nebula, drew in a long, deep breath, and let it out with a sigh.

“Pilot, you have the flight deck. I’m going for a walk.”
Yeah, a walk right to my cabin to take a shower. My pits are drenched,
she thought.
I’m not looking forward to going back through the nebula again. They should change its name to Thread the Needle
.

The Bia was making good time, much to Erickson’s delight, and was closing the gap between it and the Nike.

“Captain, as we exited the wormhole, sensors caught a ship seconds before it jumped. It was the Nike,” the ship’s AI reported.

“Excellent, Bia. The nebula is beautiful, with all these colors. Is there any serious risk to the ship from any of the planetary bodies, or possibly from radiation? Are they creating any problems for navigation?”

“The gravity wells and radiation from some of the planetary bodies do create certain risks, but sensible navigation is all that’s necessary. The solar winds are a greater threat. We just left the Hades Nebula. Should I engage the FTL drive, or would you like to study the nebula further?”

“Let’s get moving, Bia. I’ve had a bad feeling about this mission from the beginning.”

The Beater, en route to the Tupu system

9 May 2129

Short Blade couldn’t remember feeling this anxious before potential combat before.
This must be what they mean when they talk about the burden of command,
he thought.

Poland was respectful and supportive of his captain, and he felt ill at ease giving suggestions, but he felt it was important to leave behind a message buoy containing a coded message of their destination in both Gray Panthers code and Fire fleet code, provided by Superior Captain Thrust, in case they didn’t come back.

“Captain, we’re five minutes from our destination,” Beater cautioned.

“Bring hull polarization to one hundred percent and raise shields. Ensure all weapon safeties are off. Let’s do this!” His doubt and anxiety were gone as Short Blade gave the order to transition to normal space.

As the Beater dropped out of FTL, Vengeance provided Thrust with an update.

“Superior Captain, we are receiving a message from sensors that two ships have dropped from FTL.”

Caught off guard, Thrust replied, “Where are they? Bear all weapons on the ships and prepare to fire on my mark.”

“Sir, we haven’t deployed any sensors. The message is most likely from the pirates. We use the same equipment and ships, so we’re also receiving the message. I will scan for any additional communications.”

“Very good. Pass the message we received on to the Beater. All stations, we’re on condition code one. They know we’re here and could attack at any time. Find that sensor and destroy it,” Thrust ordered.

“Captain Short Blade, passive scanners have detected a group of four Libra patrol ships one hour out at current speed,” Beater reported.

“Since our friends know we’re here, engage active scanners and targeting systems. I don’t want any surprises,” Short Blade replied.

Thrust had Vengeance initiate direct contact with the Beater. “Beater, we’re going to engage the four ships before any more appear. Do you wish to stay here or join us?”

Short Blade felt hot and slightly lightheaded, now that the decision had to be made. He could feel his adrenaline pumping. “We’ll join you as your wing man. May we both have glory.”

“Spread out ten miles to my right and hold position there. Prepare to jump to the halfway point to the enemy in three, two, one, engage,” Thrust instructed.

The Beater jumped in formation with the cruiser. Both were in weapons’ range and the Beater drew first blood, firing all beamers and cannons at once. The second Libra patrol ship exploded as the first banked to the right. The cruiser let go a full volley, tearing the patrol ship in half. The remaining patrol ships split up and jumped. One dropped between the Beater and the Vengeance, and Short Blade ordered Beater to jump five miles directly backward to avoid hitting the Vengeance. The patrol ship fired into empty space where the Beater had been, then changed targets, firing at the Vengeance. The Beater fired from its new location, and the cruiser returned fire as well. Their combined fire vaporized the patrol ship, and the remaining Libra ship took a serious hit from the Vengeance as Short Blade tried to contact the cruiser.

“Vengeance, do not destroy the ship. We need—” Short Blade cursed as he watched the cruiser fire all weapons, destroying the last patrol ship.

“Beater, they fought well. More important, they died well,” Thrust said. “They attacked us to create a delay. We must be close. I’m proceeding on the heading they came from. Assume the same position alongside us. You fought well today.”

Short Blade was still high from battle and almost fired on the Vengeance in his adrenaline-fueled anger.

Harve watched his captain with both renewed admiration and disgust for not taking prisoners who could lead them to his family. He still held out hope that they would soon be able to rescue them.

The Nike, en route to the Jangwa system

9 May 2129

After two battle drills, Captain Adams was feeling supremely confident as she prepared to drop from FTL.

“Increase hull polarization to one hundred percent. Bring all weapons online. Drop now!” she ordered.

She was getting ready to launch sensor drones after initial scans of the system when Nike received a transmission from a message buoy.

“This is Captain Short Blade of the Beater. We have discovered the partial remains of a human drifting in space, which we assume are from a missing Dixie ship that possibly was attacked by pirates. We are proceeding with the Fire fleet cruiser Vengeance to the Tupu system. It is my greatest desire that we do not run into Captain Johnson there. End transmission.”

“Captain Adams, what are your orders?” the pilot asked, noticing that she seemed to be frozen.

I have complied with my orders,
Adams thought
. The Beater is no longer in the system. I should return to Earth to report this.

“Prepare to jump for—”

“Captain, a ship is dropping from FTL. It’s the Bia.

“Bia, this is the Nike. It looks like our mission is over. The Beater has left the system.”

Erickson listened to the message from the buoy, realizing that the gallows humor at the end was intended to authenticate the message.

“Nike, prepare to follow the Bia to the Tupu system,” Erickson advised. “We’ll locate the Beater and then return home. Acknowledge.”

“Nike acknowledges. Prepared to follow you to the Tupu system.”

“Bia is jumping in, three, two, one.”

As Adams watched the ship disappear, she thought about heading back to Earth. The flight deck crew watched her with confusion.

“Nike, jump us to the Tupu system,” she ordered. The command seemed to drain the last of her strength.

Why am I thinking about running?
she asked herself.
I know I’m damn good, and I have the best ship in the fleet. Screw it. That’s enough pussy talk. We’re winners, dammit!

After her little pep talk to herself, Adams began to perk up. She sat up straighter in her seat and smiled.

“Boys, we are going to kick some serious ass in two hours. Let’s remind the Bia that we’re the best ship in the fleet.”

The Beater and the Vengeance in formation, in the Tupu system

9 May 2129

Short Blade wanted to ask for another report from sensors but instinctively knew it would just work on the crew’s nerves and make them think he was nervous. The ship’s AI would report anything it detected out there. He opened the screen at his station and began performing his own scans, in addition to the others already being done. Then he had an idea.

“Beater, drop a sensor buoy as soon as possible, and set it so it holds its position here.” The additional information from the buoy would make him feel more secure, knowing that no one was sneaking up from behind.

“Captain, we’re being scanned,” Beater reported. “The scanner is—disregard. The scanner was ten thousand miles ahead of us. The Vengeance has destroyed it.”

This is feeling like a trap,
Short Blade thought
. The patrol ships lured us this way, and now we’re following sensors like a trail of breadcrumbs.

Thrust knew he was being played for a sucker.
The best we can do is draw blood and then return with the fleet to finish the job,
he thought.

“Captain Short Blade, I believe we’re being led into a trap. When the enemy engages, we’ll draw blood and then jump ten minutes to our rear to evaluate the situation,” Thrust advised.

“A wise plan, Superior Captain Thrust. We may not be eating our evening meal with our revered ancestors after all.”

Smartass pup,
Thrust thought.
If we survive, I want to have a drink with him.

“Sir, we’re getting ghosts on the sensor buoy we dropped. Targets are still too far out to identify either number or size,” Beater reported.

Well, the noose tightens,
Short Blade said to himself. “Beater, inform the Vengeance about the buoy and the results.”
I wonder what Thrust will think of this new development?

“Beater,” Thrust ordered, “prepare to jump directly under the enemy force in one minute. I’ll drop to their starboard side. If they’re too large a force, we’ll retreat as planned.”

“Understood, Superior Captain.” Short Blade looked at his crew and said, “Time to earn the big money, in thirty seconds.”

The jump took the Beater slightly behind and below the enemy force, which consisted of two obsolete destroyers and three small cargo ships that had been converted to warships.

“Port weapons, fire on the small ship to port. Starboard weapons, fire on the small ship to starboard,” Short Blade commanded.

The converted cargo ships were only slightly bigger than shuttles. They didn’t return fire before being demolished. The destroyers concentrated their fire on the cruiser and incurred heavy damage in return. The starboard destroyer was the first to drop out. It came to a stop, venting atmosphere. As the Beater began to take hits from the remaining cargo ship and the destroyer that was no longer moving, Short Blade felt his heart pounding in his chest. It seemed to scream at him to kill those who would hurt his ship and crew. He had all gunners fire on the smaller ship. It was reduced to vapor as a full volley from starboard and port weapons connected on target at the same time.

“Concentrate on the disabled destroyer until it stops firing or signals to surrender,” Short Blade ordered. He was beginning to pant from adrenaline overload.
I need to kill someone,
he thought.
This feeling is what the warriors have always spoken of. I am a warrior!

“The Vengeance has taken a serious hit, Captain,” Beater announced.

“Redirect all fire on the other destroyer,” Short Blade instructed.
How the hell did a destroyer draw blood from a cruiser?
His shock turned to pleasure as he watched the destroyer begin to explode, parts flying in all directions. The first destroyer also began to explode as scuttling charges were fired.

“Vengeance, this is the Beater. May we offer our assistance?”

“Beater, we have things under control. Repairs will be completed in under an hour.”

“Sensors have detected a new group of ships approaching from heading two hundred ten degrees,” Beater announced. “If they stay on their current heading and speed, they’ll be here in ten minutes. Force consists of three cruisers and four destroyers.”

“Vengeance, do you see the new threat approaching?” 

“Confirmed. We won’t be able to engage our FTL for ten minutes.”

“Vengeance, we’ll try to play with them to give you the time you need,” Short Blade replied. He felt as if he were being called by his ancestors when he gave his new order. “Beater, I want you to take control of the ship and jump us into the middle of the enemy formation. My hope is that will prevent them from firing on us. If they do fire on us, proceed to jump randomly within their formation, firing a volley and then jumping and firing again. Any questions?”

“I’ll jump now, Captain,” Beater replied.

Short Blade held no illusions. It would only be a matter of minutes before a lucky shot took out the Beater.

Short Blade looked around at his crew as they watched the monitors to see who they would draw first blood from. No fear showed on any of their faces.
These are the true warriors,
he thought.
It will be my honor to die with them. I hope I’ll be found worthy in the afterlife to continue to associate with such warriors.

“New targets approaching, sir,” Beater reported. “Approximately seventy Gray Panthers medium-range shuttles. They’re transmitting an urgent message to us: ‘Beater, get the hell out of our way so we can attack!’”

“Beater, jump back to the Vengeance,” Short Blade ordered. His face felt as though it must be on fire from the anger and embarrassment of being told to leave the battle.

Once the Beater was clear, the shuttles divided into seven ten-shuttle formations and each attacked an enemy ship. Their heavy beamers made easy work of the thin-skinned, lightly armed destroyers. The cruisers reformed into a tight wedge formation and returned fire, knocking out several shuttles. One of the shuttles jumped and purposely rematerialized inside the cruiser it was attacking. As the cruiser split in half, bodies and parts floated free of the dead ship’s wreckage. A second shuttle copied the first shuttle’s attack, jumping so that it would merge with another of the cruisers. The shuttle rematerialized completely inside its target before self-destructing, causing the cruiser to explode in a brilliant flash of light. leaving only a cloud in its place. The last cruiser continued to fight against the shuttles but soon found itself dead and venting atmosphere. The cruiser capitulated, sending out an SOS.

Short Blade and his crew had watched it all, amazed at how quickly and viciously the shuttles had attacked the enemy formation. They were in awe of the two shuttles that had sacrificed themselves during the attack.

The forty surviving shuttles went from attack mode to rescue operations, lining up at the last cruiser’s hatchways to evacuate survivors.

“Shuttle fleet commander, this is the Beater,” Short Blade began. Among the many questions swirling around in his head, he wanted to know where the formation had come from and why the shuttles had been sent.

“Beater, remain where you are and observe communication silence.”

Short Blade’s anger swelled and he felt more hostility toward the shuttles than he had toward the pirates.

Additional shuttles dropped from FTL. One went to the disabled cruiser and set down on its hull. A small army of droids emerged. External data ports and nodes were quickly connected and the cruiser’s databanks were transferred. The other shuttles joined the queue to rescue the survivors from the stricken ship. Fifteen minutes later, all of the shuttles had departed.

As Short Blade wondered what to do next, Thrust contacted him from the Vengeance.

“Beater, what should we do next?” Thrust asked, sounding confused and agitated at the same time.

“Beater and Vengeance, this is your final warning to maintain communication silence.”