Scout Force (60 page)

 
      
Chief Watson just scratched his head.
 
“Sir, if we have no real alternatives, why don’t we just take out as many as we can and go down swinging?”

      
“Chief, we may get to that, but I want to expend all other options first.”

      
Kelly finished chewing a bite of his steak and said, “I wonder if there are any missiles we could borrow from the two frigates in here?
 
If we could pull some out and rig them for firing, even if they don’t hit anything, they may distract the K’Rang enough for us to get a head start to the frontier.”

      
“Nice idea, Exec, but I don’t think we have the time or expertise to make that happen.”

      
“Captain, I’m kind of out of ideas, then.”

      
“I know, so am I.
 
I want us all to get some rest.
 
Nothing is going to happen for a while.
 
If we get some shut eye and approach this with clear heads, we might come up with some options.
 
Go to your quarters.
 
Chief Billings will take the conn.
 
Chief, have the other chiefs get some rest.”

      
The three of them finished their steaks and retired to their quarters for some rest.
 
When there are no better options, sleep is a good course of action.

      
In three hours, Kelly hadn’t slept or come up with a viable course of action.
 
He saw no other option than to try and battle it out.
 
No tricky moves came to mind.
 
It would be a slug fest.
 
He couldn’t see how the Vigilant could survive battle with three frigates, even with as much damage as they had already inflicted.
 
They still had more firepower, shielding, and as much speed as the Vigilant.

      
Kelly gave up on sleep.
 
If he couldn’t get rest, he would at least be clean, so he stripped down and took a shower.
 
He didn’t come out better rested, but at least the grit was out of his eyes.
 
Dressed, he sat down at his terminal to review the tactical situation.
 
It was no better than three hours ago.

      
The three frigates were patrolling the perimeter of the nebula.
 
The support ship was part of the screen and all avenues of escape were being watched.
 
Sneaking out was not an option.
 
No matter what he considered, it kept coming back to a brawl.
 
Well, if that were the only option, he would need to look at the best way to do it.
 
He studied the tactical situation again, and was sorting through the options when LCDR Timmons called him over to his ready room.
 
Chief Watson was already there.

      
“Kelly, have you come up with any ideas?”

      
“I can’t find any better option than a slugfest with our buddies out there.
 
I have been looking at the tactical situation.”

      
Kelly pointed at the tactical situation on the captain’s large monitor.
 
“The first guy we should take out is this frigate up on top.
 
He's weakest in the stern.
 
If we can jump in behind him, we can tear him up.
 
We’ve taken out both his gun turrets and his rear missile launcher.
 
The next guy to take out is the support ship.
 
He only has short range defensive guns and missiles good for fighters, but ineffective against us.”

      
“This guy here on the frontier side of the nebula is next.
 
He's weakest to the front.
 
My gun run took out his missile launcher and damaged the bridge.
 
We’d need to come in on his forward port quarter.
 
The shrapnel from our flinging the debris at them knocked out most of his port side defensive guns.”

      
“The last guy is here on the K’Rang side of the nebula.
 
He is slow, because we damaged his engines earlier, but he is the best armed.
 
He still has all his weaponry.
 
We may be able to avoid combat with him.
 
If we knock out the first two frigates, we could make a run for it.
 
This guy is on the wrong side of the nebula and his engines may not be up to snuff.
 
The support ship probably won’t try to run us down.
 
Its engines are in bad shape also, and it’s not armed to really do us any damage.”

      
“Good assessment, Exec.
 
If we have to go out after them, that’s probably the best plan.
 
Chief, what do you think?”

      
“I agree with the Exec.
 
I’ve looked at the situation and came to the same conclusion.”

      
The captain looked down at the floor and said, “So did I.”

      
“Chief, is there anything we need to do before we go out there and try to take on these guys?”

      
“Well, Captain, I can’t think of anything.
 
We are about as prepared as we are ever going to get.”

      
“Okay, I want to speak to the crew first.
 
They deserve to know what we are going up against.
 
Take your posts.”

      
Chief Watson and Kelly exited the ready room and took their places on the bridge.
 
The captain followed a few seconds behind.
 
He took his seat and keyed the ship-wide intercom.
 
“This is the captain.
 
We have fought a good fight.
 
We have accomplished our mission far beyond expectations.
 
In this patrol we have destroyed a K’Rang command ship, four battlecruisers, four missile cruisers, four destroyers, seven frigates, and a support ship.”

      
“Now we have to face our strongest challenge.
 
There are three K’Rang frigates and an armed support ship outside the nebula waiting for us.
 
They won’t come in to try and get us.
 
They won’t get close enough where our weapons can hit them from in here.
 
We are going to have to go out and engage them.
 
We can’t stay here, because eventually K’Rang reinforcements will arrive, and they will flush us out and destroy us.”

      
“We are going to go out and take as many of them out as we can.
 
I won’t kid you.
 
We have been incredibly lucky up to this point.
 
The odds of us carrying this off are not spectacular.
 
We will make our first attack in fifteen minutes.
 
I know we will all do our duty.
 
All hands to your battle stations.”

      
“Chief Watson, plot a jump course to place us immediately behind the first frigate.
 
Gunner, when we jump in, line us up and take your shots quickly.
 
Do as much damage as you can.
 
Overheat the guns if you have to.
 
They can always be cooled down when we jump back in here.
 
Make sure you take out his engines.”

      
The gunner looked back, gulped, and responded, “Aye aye, Captain.”
 
A drip of sweat fell off his nose onto the console.
 
He nervously wiped it off with his sleeve.

      
Chief Watson finished his calculations and sent them to the helmsman and navigator.

      
“Chief, Kelly, we back up the bridge crew like before.
 
Kelly, if anything happens get us out of there quickly and back into the nebula.
 
That is your first priority.”

      
“Helm, take us to the first jump off point.”

      
The Vigilant moved to a position that would put it at a 45 degree angle to the K’Rang frigate.
 
When they were in position, the helm signaled readiness to jump.

      
The captain keyed up the intercom and said, “Engine room, are you ready?”

      
“Engine room, aye.”

      
“Sensors, are you ready?”

      
“Sensors, aye.
 
Captain, we just received a recall notice from the 1st Combined Fleet.
 
If we could go home, we could now.”

      
“Thanks, Chief, log it.
 
Prepare a message pod with all our logs.
 
We’ll launch it if things get too ugly out there.
 
Weapons, are you ready?”

      
“Weapons, aye.”

      
Helm, jump when you are ready.
 
Gunner, get ready.”

      
The helmsman punched a few buttons and the ship started moving.

      
Chief Blankenship practically screamed over the intercom, “Bridge, Sensors!
 
Hold your position!”

      
“Helm, all stop!”

      
The captain stabbed at the intercom button and shouted, “Chief B, what is it?”

      
“Captain, I have comms with the Voracious.
 
They want to know if we need any assistance.”

      
A look of relief washed across LCDR Timmons’ face.
 
“Chief, put him through.”

      
“Ed, this is Clint.
 
I'm coming your way.
 
You look like you could use some help.”

      
“I sure could, Clint.
 
If you have any missiles left, would you brush these guys off for me?
 
I’ll have my Sensor Chief send you the plot.”

      
“Sure, Ed, send me the plot.
 
I’ll need about five minutes to get in range.”

* * * * *

      
Through the frigate’s long-range communications, the Shadow Leader learned of the destruction of the entire 27th Combat Fleet.
 
They were destroyed by a massive and totally unexpected Human presence.
 
How could they have brought such a force to bear?
 
They outnumbered the 27th Fleet by close to 100 to 1.

      
Shadow Leader M’Trang prepared himself to face the Elders.
 
He would, undoubtedly, be drummed out of the Shadow Force.
 
If he were fortunate, he would be sentenced to a quick and merciful execution.
 
If not, he would have to live in shame and take his own life.
 
His honor was past.

      
If he were to be disgraced, he would at least take this Human ship with him.
 
A small reinforcement force was headed his way.
 
They would be sufficient to conduct a proper cordon and search to flush out this troublesome Human ship.
 
He knew it was the last act he would ever command.

      
Alarms sounded on the K’Rang ship.
 
M’Trang scanned his sensors and saw a second Human ship appear at the far edge of his sensor field, closing in fast.
 
He ordered his small fleet to move to intercept this new threat.
 
They were all too slow and too damaged to respond effectively.
 
When four missiles appeared on the screen, M’Trang knew they were doomed.
 

      
He watched helplessly as ineffective defensive fire failed to stop the inbound missiles.
 
To their credit, M’Trang and the bridge crew stayed at their posts and continued fighting their ship.
 
The missiles flew unimpeded into the four ships and obliterated them in massive matter/antimatter explosions.
 
M’Trang’s last thought was that at least he would die a hero, not live as a disgraced commander.

* * * * *

      
“Clint, I owe you a beer or fifty for that.
 
You pulled our fat out of the fire with that.
 
Thank you,” responded an obviously elated Edgar Timmons.

      
“You’re welcome, Ed.
 
I had all these extra missiles left over and just didn’t know what else to do with them.
 
Come on, I’ll race you back to the frontier.”

      
“Helm, bring us alongside the Voracious and take us to the frontier.
 
I think we have worn out our welcome here.”

      
As the Vigilant broke out of the nebula they got a full view of the carnage they had wreaked.
 
Broken and burnt out hulls of K’Rang warships were everywhere.
 
They joined up with the Voracious, and the two ships sped out of the area and off to the frontier.
 
Sensors activated a secure laser link between the two ships so that they could exchange data with a low probability of detection.
 
It was a common procedure when two ships were returning from hostile territory.
 
If one ship didn’t make it the data still could get out.