Homeworld (Odyssey One) (63 page)

N.A.C.S.
ODYSSEY

“WE’RE COUNTING EIGHT hundred destroyed ships, and the number is still rising Captain!” Winger managed to gasp out, as though she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

The entire bridge was caught between shock and cheering, and Eric didn’t quite blame them. The arrival of the
Weifang
had been all he could hope for and more. Even knowing what was coming, he was in a similar state as his crew.

Going to have to make sure R&D looks into a way of shielding against this, assuming we live to open new projects.

It was pretty clear that the Block now had access to a weapon of mass destruction that made their own transition cannons look like pea-shooters. Eric was trying very hard not to think about the fact that he had, for all practical purposes,
given
it to them. He consoled himself with the idea that sooner or later they’d have certainly worked it out for themselves anyway, and right now the whole damned planet needed as many WMDs as it could lay its grubby mitts on.

Even that thought didn’t quite quell the feelings deep down that he had just betrayed the Confederation, though, so
he distracted himself with the fact that this fight wasn’t even remotely over.

Still have just short of fifteen hundred of those damned things left, and there’s nothing remaining up my sleeves to match that little show.

“Signal to
Enterprise
,” he called. “Captain Carrow, split the difference and cover the
Weifang
.”

“
Enterprise
acknowledges, Captain.”

The two big ships of the Confederacy surged forward, flanking and passing the stricken
Weifang
as it plowed through flaming debris that had once been an enemy vessel. They criss-crossed ahead of the Block ship’s prow,
Odyssey
taking port and the
Enterprise
turned to starboard, and brought the t-cannons to bear.

P.L.A.S.F.
WEIFANG

“CM GENERATORS ARE melted into slag, Captain. Engineering reports no chance of repairs.”

Sun swore at length, but wasn’t really surprised. It was the sort of day he was having, after all. “Understood. Signal the
Odyssey
, inform them that we are disabled.”

“Not entirely,” Shi offered from his station. “Weapon systems are unaffected, and many of them
are
still in range.”

Sun smiled slowly, nodding. “Very good point, Shi Ang Fae. Exchange targeting data with the Confederation ship. We wouldn’t want to waste missiles on flotsam after all, and open fire when ready.”

“With pleasure, Captain.”

Even stricken in space, able only to limp at speeds that would require months to reach the
Earth
only a few light-minutes away, the
Weifang
wasn’t toothless. A wounded tiger was still a tiger, after all, and more pity to you if you were within the reach of its claws and teeth.

N.A.C.S.
ENTERPRISE

“TARGETING DATA COMING in from the Block ship, Captain.”

Carrow blinked, mildly surprised. “Are they intending to engage?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alright, exclude their targets from our lists,” he ordered. “What we have here is a target-rich environment. No need to double up.”

“No, sir. Excluding data,” Parker agreed, making the command happen. “Apparently this Sun fellow wasn’t running after all.”

“Apparently not,” Carrow agreed. “Didn’t figure him for it, as I said, but it’s also pretty clear that he and Weston hatched this little plot up together.”

“I told you Weston was a loose cannon,” Parker said sourly, “and if I ever find the person who thought it was a good idea to load him with antimatter, I’ll….”

Carrow chuckled easily. “Calmly, Andrea. He’s on our side and pointed away from us. Just be happy with that.”

She snorted derisively, making him smile a little wider.

“What I’d like to know is how in the hell Eric ‘Raziel’ Weston, one of the few men in the entire war who had a bounty put on his head, managed to chat up a Block captain long enough to plot
this
out,” he admitted a moment later. “I would have half expected any Block military officer to shoot him on sight, not settle in to plan an ambush like this.”

Andrea inclined her head. The captain had a strong point. “I’m not sure. He and his bunch never seemed the sort to have anything to do with
talking
to the enemy.”