Battleship Destroyer (116 page)

The portside Spider was able to launch a spread of the huge ship killing torpedoes
before it died that immediately targeted the Red Pepper and without a pause streaked toward it. The Quad 3(2)s already firing sending quad streams at the monsters baring down from point blank range. The 18 mounts able to target the 12 torpedoes, started taking them on before they had traveled a mile from their launching ship. Each gun had a separate torpedo targeted with the closer ones in line each getting one of the extra mounts. Not one of the still accelerating torpedo’s survived past 5 miles from the launching ship.

A minute after retargeting the guns Jack whistled then. "Number One, come about and make for target trap Charley." The ship whipped around and the engine
s roared sending the ship streaking down the clear passageway to disappear into a cloud bank. The guns firing until it entered the cloud and then a second later a pair of guns fired one last time crossing their beams next to the tunnel entrance the ship had carved sending cloud matter sealing up the tunnel again like it had never been there.

The ship slid to a halt
inside a tunnel bored hours before far short of the corner Jack had already set up as a trap and then started slowly forward out of the end of the tunnel into the cloud. Using the cloud mater to cool the ship's hull as they slowly slid forward toward the point Jack had picked to hide at next to a big moon sized rock that happened to be there. The enemy Spiders still 10 minutes away, the Red Pepper came to a stop. "Attention, this is Captain Turner. Cool running. Shut down all none essential systems, stand by weapons and engines. Enemy 10 minutes away."

Again the Spider squadron slid up around the bend and then another decoy came to life on down the passageway. Jack studied the sensors a second time and started hitting keys trying to get a better look
through the clouds. "Damn. The trailing ship is turned around with its shield pointing back at us. Damn the engines on those pylons being able to point any direction they needed."  Shaking his head sadly. "Stand down weapons. Number One we will be getting out of here as soon as they finish going around the next corner out of sight."  The lead ship fired its guns taking out the decoy as it slipped around the corner. The other Spider ships followed shortly after.

The Red Pepper slid out into the corner
, turned and shot down the passageway to disappear into a cloud as the rear Spider rushed back around the corner after detecting something. Its guns ready. It sat there for 5 minutes trying to figure out what had set off its alarms but finding nothing it returned to the squadron.

Again the Red Pepper sat just down from a corner in the fold of 2 clouds as a squadron of 2 ships slid past and then at point blank range sent half its guns up the asses of each of them before racing off to another preset trap.
The hundreds of torpedoes left over set up as mines acting now as recon torpedoes under the Red Peppers control keeping Jack informed of the fleets every move.

For
hours Jack slowly whittled the fleet down until only 6 ships remained. Five Battlecruisers were now clustered around the 10 deck, 12 Godguned fleet Command Battleship. Three of the Battlecruisers were the squadron Jack had let pass when he found the trailing ship had its shield and weapons pointed right at him. Kicking himself for not attacking then even if it had been under the guns. But then he told himself, under another enemy commander he could be facing 9 or 10 Battlecruisers along with the Command Battleship. Another commander may not have spread his fleet out so far not allowing him to pick the squadrons off even after they started to regroup. Jack silently thanked the enemy commander for allowing him to only be facing the recombined closely grouped fleet's six ships that was slowly making its way up the center of the maze. Though to Jack's consternation, somehow it was managing to follow the transport squadrons trail in spite of all the false leads Jack had laid.

Jack stopped the ship sort of another corner and waited for the fleet to slowly make its way past
and into a bubble this time instead of just another passageway. The Spider ships spread out, trying to cover the entire bubble looking for clues of tell tail remnants of ships gone by. Jack was expecting the tailing ship he had designated target Frick (simply because it was such a pain in the ass) to again have its shield decks and guns reversed protecting the squadrons back side and was not disappointed. He watched the Command ship sail through the center of the bubble with its ass toward him providing a wonderfully juicy target but the damn rear guard ship (Frick) had its shields decks and guns pointed close enough at them to make it suicidal to fire. Shaking his head Jack kept trying to talk himself into firing anyway. Finally the  outrider ships headed back from checking the surrounding dead ends as the two lead ships started up one of the smaller shafts (that the transports had taken), followed by the Command ship. Then the Spider ship (Frick) that Jack had started to believe could not fly right with its guns and decks facing the rear, turned its armored deck and guns around forward to follow close behind the Command ship, leaving the two remaining ships to bring up the rear. The Battlecruiser (Frick) followed to close to leave the clear shot at the Command ship Jack would have preferred but at least he could take out the pain in his butt and maybe if they got lucky even the Command ship.

"Number One, Quarter forward 15 seconds then reverse, stop and be ready to run. Weapons, take out target Frick with the 16(8
)s and the Command ship with the mains crossed in pairs if you can. I think we should see enough of it as it is going around the corner if it stays behind the leads. Be ready to split the 16(8)s onto the other targets Lima and Mama approaching from the sides if we get time." Jack thought for a second and smiled. "You can target the 5(3)s on the side to, Lima and Mama so they don't feel left out.  Should be interesting to see what they can do on their own."

The ship came to
a stop peaking around the corner a ways down the passageway the enemy fleet had entered through a half hour before, tail toward the fleet entering the passageway on the other side of the bubble from them. "Weapons, fire. Decoys full spread now."

The 16(8) beams
poured into target Frick as the 5(3)s targeted the side ships making their way to rejoin the fleet. The Weapons Officer held his finger above the firing key for the Godguns waiting for the best shot at the Command ship as target Frick slowly disintegrated in front of the Command ship but with its intact shields providing protection for the Command ship.

The
ships on the flanks taking a pummeling from the 5(3)s into their sides, fired torpedoes as they seemed to be searching for targets around their side of the bubble. Their guns slowly waving randomly around that side before finally started to turn toward the incoming fire across the bubble. The enemy’s monster torpedoes making wide meandering rings as they worked their way down the bubble looking for the Red Pepper as the Quad 3(2)s started destroying them.  One by one the survivors started finding and targeting the ship. Usually just before they died. Another wave of torpedoes was launched from every ship in the bubble with several of the 5(3)s targeting the launchers on the sides of the spider ships, destroying many as they came out the armored tubes before taking out the tubes now that they knew where they were.

"Weapons, Retarg
et the 16-8s on Lima and Mama." Jack said wondering why the Weapons officer had not fired the main Godguns yet as he watched the targeting blip of the big Godguns move from the weapons section that was still hidden to the shield decks sticking out the side as the ship already turning to go around the corner, continued to turn to face its shields toward the enemy attacking them. The Red Pepper.             

The Godguns
suddenly fired hitting the Command ships shield decks from the side just forward of the still hidden weapons section. The 4 beams crossed at the edge of the shield decks and the resulting explosion blew a huge section out of the side of the shield decks forward of the Weapons section knocking the ship around into a spin.

The 16(8
)s started hitting the two ships coming in from the sides just as their guns finally got close to lining up on the Red Pepper. Jack shaking his head said. "Go!" The ship seemed to disappear from sight as the engines kicked in sending it back into the cloud long before the first enemy shot streaked in their general direction. A hand full of torpedoes chasing behind them as the 5(3) joined in helping to take them out.

Jack studied the feed from the recon missiles they had launched around the bubble long before they left.
He could tell that target Frick was definitely dead while the two ships to the sides that were rejoining the fleet looked heavily damaged but still operational while the Command Ship only had a large chunk knocked out of its shield decks forward of the weapons section as it regained control and came back out into the bubble looking for a target. Shaking his head mad at himself for calling for retreat several seconds too soon. They could have gotten another good dozen shot off with the 16(8)s that just may have been enough to take Lima and Mama out. If the spiders had given them time which he could not be certain of.

The Ensign tapped their private line. "And another few second
s would have allowed them to hit us with at least one shot by either of those Battlecruisers or even the Battleship that would have killed hundreds if not thousands aboard ship. Quit second guessing yourself Jack."

"How the hell did you know what I was thinking?"

"I know you and your expressions. I know exactly what you were thinking. I just did not have to wait for you to tell me later after you had built up a hate for yourself or done something stupid in our next encounter in an hour or so like jumping out and daring them to kill us while you take your time to make sure you killed something. Fact is, it is time to take a break. Let's go and rescue the trapped transport before this enemy follows their tracks to them."

"Ok. It has been a long day. Time for a break. Nav, plot us a
course around these ass holes to the passageway outside the lost transports' tunnel.  Exec, get the two Assault shuttles ready to jump down that tunnel and retrieve the crew. That is an unusually dense section of cloud and I don't want to take the ship down it with our cooling fins already damaged."  Tapping the ship wide comm. "Your attention please, we are going to take an hour’s break. Set condition 2. Rotate all crews into the core to get out of their suits for a while and a hot meal. Port section first. We are going to rescue the stranded crew of the Cinnamon."

The Red Pepper made its
way tunneling to a passageway far ahead of the enemy fleet and then ran up the passageways and tunnels made hours before and slid up to the mouth of the small tunnel made by the supposedly doomed transport's hull as it slowed down melting the ships stern off. Jack wondered at first if the shuttles could make it up such a small tunnel that was only a little over 300 ft. across, size of the battle transports hull.

"Well I
suppose we should see if anyone is alive up there still before I worry about sending a shuttle up it." Comm, see if you can raise the hulk."

The Comm Officer started calling the transport. After 5 minutes Jack was about to give up as he debated if he should send a boat up anyway just
in case their comm was out with someone still alive trapped.

"Red Pepper, where are you at?"

Jack smiled. "Just outside your tunnel. I watched you make it as your engine section destroy itself. I am sorry for your losses but impressed. I am sending a pair of shuttles to pick you up. How many survivors and do you need medical help?"

"Thanks Red Pepper, I pulled the crew out of the engineering section
knowing that would be the Spider's primary target and all of my crew is alive with none critical. Fact is except for engineering and half then tank decks, the ship is still in good shape. We will be waiting for your boats."

Jack sent the shuttles up the tunnel and sat back relaxing. His helmet sitting behind the chair
, studying the tactical screen. Watching the Spider fleet making its way up the maze of passageways. Winding their way around clouds slowly getting closer to them but still hours away. Plenty of time to finish retrieving the crew. He started running plans through his mind to pick the remaining ships off as they made their way through the maze.

Estimating how far the fleet would work its way up the maze Jack picked a spot
where several passageways met creating an intersection with 7 fingers taking off in as many directions. Jack smiled and started planning the trap to end all traps. Zeroing in on that section. A half hour later he had plans on top of plans that put doom to what was left of the enemy fleet. He would punch holes between most of the fingers allowing him to get behind their shields no matter what direction they faced or where they were. They simply did not have enough ships to cover all the fingers with a shield. He was starting to believe he would have some fun taking out the last of the fleet, especially the Battleship. Thinking he just may hit it hard from one direction taking out its engines and some of its guns. Then running around to get it from a different direction to take more of its guns and engines out.

"Captain, ah, you need to see this."
The Ensign little more than whispered.

"Yes just a minute. Let me finish this
...” Jack was having all too much fun planning to have fun.