Federation Reborn 2: Pirate Rage (101 page)

“Aye aye, sir. A pity we don't have ground troops to invest the planets though,” Sedrick said.

“I didn't want to get bogged down,” the admiral said dismissively. He turned to the princess. “You said you are plugging the numbers into the sims?”

“I am working on that now, sir,” she admitted, nodding to the intelligence officer. “I thought a dose of realism would be a good wake-up call.”

The admiral studied her and then nodded. “Good. If I can't take my ire out on them yet, I might as well do so virtually,” he said. “Set up the next exercise,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Catherine murmured, passing the orders on.

“Since the enemy is turtling, we have time fortunately,” the admiral stated, staring at the plot. “But I don't know for how much longer. Emphasize that we need to get underway and not to doddle,” he said, turning to the ops officer. The man nodded.

---<>))))

“Sir, we're ready for downward translation,” the navigator said, turning to Captain Vargess. The captain nodded. “Begin the translation but hold at Alpha octave one for the moment,” he said.

He turned to the admiral's image. “Sir?”

“SITREP?”

“We're as ready as we will be, sir. Fleet reports green across the board,” the captain said as they completed the final translation sequence down to Alpha and then began to slip through the octaves. They had traveled the 12.4 light years in six and a half weeks to Nuevo Madrid in the Gamma band's 6th (sweet) octave.

The plan was to jump in well short of the normal zone, approximately a million kilometers outside the normal zone and low to avoid any defenses and ships near the jump point.

“Begin the final translation, Captain. We have a date to keep,” the Neochimp flag officer said with a nod.

“Aye aye, sir. Nav, helm, you heard the man. Take us in,” he ordered.

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Our turn now you bastards,” Garfield growled, ears back.

The admiral turned to him, nodded once, then turned back to the plot as they began to make the final translation. The bright lights and blue streaks began to fade as the void started to return.

---<>))))

Captain Kelso of the frigate
TGIF
saw the massive hyperspace translation. A sense of almost orgasmic relief permeated every bit of his body but then caution came into his mind. “Spool the hyperdrive up,” he ordered.

“Sir? That's not in our orders,” the XO warned.

“Screw our orders,” the captain growled. “It's a cautionary order. Send the IFF challenge,” he ordered.

“Sir, there aren't enough ships there, it's … it's not the Retribution Fleet, is it?” the sensor rating asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Damn it,” the captain muttered. “Get that hyperdrive up now! Order the other ships to do the same. We are so out of here! There is
no
way we can fight that!”

“Sir, what about the other ships?”

“They are on their own. Send a signal warning them, then get us the hell out of here,” the captain growled, one hand on his pistol.

The XO saw the set resolution on his skipper's face and nodded. He turned back to the Con team. “You heard the skipper. Nav, plot us a course. Comm, get that contact report off before we lose transmission ability,” he ordered.

A chorus of “Aye aye, sir,” came in. If there was a hint of relief in the voices, the XO didn't say anything.

---<>))))

“They are going to do
what
?” Admiral Frost demanded, small eyes wide in surprise at being caught so far off guard.

“Sir, we detected a hyper translation at the jump point. A big one. But … it looks like the four frigates have spooled up their own hyperdrives. They are only moments away from jumping,” Captain Post stated.

“Order them to stand down, damn it!”

“We can't, sir. By the time the signal gets to them, they will be long gone,” the captain said. “But I'm more concerned with their reasoning. They are jumping …”

“He's saying it's not the Retribution Fleet,” Captain Mueller said, cutting in.

“So …”

“So it's the Federation,” Captain Bordou stated flatly.

“It looks that way,” Captain Mueller said quietly.

“We are in trouble,” the Apache captain stated. “I'm ordering all hands to battle stations, and we'll do what we can to get underway.”

“Do your best,” Captain Post stated as the admiral gaped at them.

“Your orders, sir?” Captain Mueller asked, looking into the camera.

“I'll be up there in a few minutes. Don't do anything stupid,” the admiral growled, rising hastily to his feet.

“I wouldn't dream of it, sir,” Captain Post said, turning a slight glower to his partner.

Chapter
60

“Sir, ships are attempting jumping out at Y plus four by zero one. Range ten million kilometers. At least three, make that four ships have spooled up their hyperdrives to jump out,” a female CIC rating intoned coolly.

“Damn,” Jojo said mildly.

“IFF challenge coming in,” the comm rating stated.

“Ignore it,” Kyle stated.

“Like rats deserting a sinking ship. No matter. We'll catch up to them eventually,” Amadeus growled as the ships jumped out. “Let's do this people.”

Kyle rubbed his hands together. “Finally! We've got some payback to dish out.”

“Long overdue payback,” Garfield agreed with a nod and ear flick.

“Definitely long overdue,” Kyle said, rubbing his hands together some more before he flexed his fingers as if to grapple. “Time to kick some pirate booty,” he said.

Jojo snorted.

Twelve point four light years to Nuevo Madrid. Six point five weeks of transit time to do their final preparations. On top of that, they'd had to endure a three-week wait in B95a3 before the
Prowler
returned with the intelligence they'd needed. It had all come to this Amadeus thought.

The fleet had jumped in with the eight-ship battle cruiser squadron arrayed in an octagon in the center, with the CEVs in the pocket at the exact center but slightly back, and the three DD squadrons arrayed around them in a picket sphere. The fleet train would arrive behind them in three days so they had their work cut out for them clearing the jump point for their safe arrival.

---<>))))

“Sir, it's going to take time for our visual sensors to come in due to the light speed limit. But we've got some readings from the neutrino detectors. We're looking at least eight large ships, most likely cruisers or battle cruisers, with another twenty-seven other warships of destroyer size,” the CIC rating said.

“Eight ships?”

“Wanna bet we're seeing more than the two battle cruisers we saw in Protodon?” Captain Mueller asked bitterly. “They might have picked up those two cruisers picketing B95a3 but I don't know. Somehow I doubt it. The readings are too uniform for the eight large ships.” She shook her head. “I'm betting we're seeing a full squadron of
Newmans
here.”

“Well that certainly is a pisser,” Captain Post stated. “If it is true that is.”

“We can't fight off that!” Admiral Frost yelped in dismay. “Those bastards! They just left us!” he snarled when he realized the frigates had left them high and dry. “When I get my hands on them …”

“They are only doing what you intended, sir,” Dutch stated.

“Shut up! If I wanted your opinion, I would have given it to you!” the admiral snarled, near hysterical in rage.

“They won't get far. If the enemy left forces on the other side of the jump point, they will walk right into their fire,” Captain Mueller growled.

“
If
,” Captain Bordou said. “Big if there,” she said sourly. “I for one wouldn't mind it, mind you, but …”

“Something tells me I'm not going to worry about their fate too much. We've got our own hides to worry about right now,” Captain Mueller stated.

“True,” Captain Bordou barked, laughing mirthlessly. “How the hell did they get that many in such a short period of time?” she demanded.

“Does it matter?” Captain Post stated. “They are here. We can't face that. So, ergo, we need to be somewhere else.”

“It could be ECM,” Mueller said sounding doubtful.

“I doubt it. We're stuck in orbit, and they are on the only jump point out of the star system. This is going to get ugly,” Captain Post growled.

“And they've got more than enough firepower to ruin our day,” Mueller said.

“Definitely. We need to get underway, sir. The longer we linger, the higher the risk of them having sent in a KEW shot to hit us,” Captain Bordou warned.

“They won't risk hitting the planet,” Captain Post growled. “It's not in their white-hat nature. They are the liberators in this scenario,” he said with a slightly curled lip. “But I agree, we do need to get underway quickly, sir.”

“I'm in transit to the space port now. You will not move until I give the order,” the admiral snarled. “You read me?”

“Yes, sir,” Captain Post replied tonelessly. He caught Shantell glancing at his image but didn't react to it.

“Damn traffic. Use the sidewalk if you have to! I don't care if the school is getting out! Damn you man, get me to that space port
pronto
!” the admiral raged. “I don't care about the kids! Run them over if you have to!” He roared.

Captain Post wasn't the only one to wince.

---<>))))

Captain Post was all too aware of how thin the nominal minefield was to block an immediate march on the planet. The mines were contact nukes, which also made them almost useless. Decoys were set off remotely to draw them off but failed to do their jobs. In desperation the captains ordered their ships to go to silent running. “We're going to break into pairs. Make way to the jump point; if you have to go ballistic, do so. If you feel like going for deep space and just sitting it out, fine,” Arnold growled.

“Sir, the admiral's shuttle is rising from the planet now.”

“Great,” the captain said in disgust.

“They are going to take the star system; there is no doubt about it. We've got to accept it and do what we can to preserve our commands.”

“Live to fight another day,” Captain Bordou replied with a nod. “Well, some of us I suppose.”

“Yes,” Captain Post said, just as bright flashes went off on the ground below. One, then two, then three, then more. A total of six bright flashes marked the death of untold thousands.

“Damn him!” he snarled, clenching his fists in rage. Had Frost left it to the colonel, the colonel might have been able to hold off, even use the planets as bargaining chips. No longer he thought.

“He set them off early. They'll focus on that, but we can't get off. We're stuck. The least time course …”

“Sir, CIC reporting that the enemy ships got enough of a whiff of our location to orient on us. They are sweeping the minefield now with fighters and headed this way.”

The captain's lip curled as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair stubble. “Damn it.”

“Somehow I think Frost's plan of repeating Protodon and jumping out of here is coming apart,” Captain Mueller replied dryly. “Speaking of the devil, his shuttle is on final approach to
my
ship,” she said in disgust. “Why me?”

Captain Post didn't have anything to say in reply. He knew she was right.

---<>))))

Since there was no more opposition on the jump point, Amadeus opted to hold in place as a picket at the jump point as the CEVs and BCs launched their parasite forces and sent them cautiously outward. Bombers, drones, and fighters cleared the mine field for them. Bright flashes of light occasionally pocketed the star field around them. “It is so thin; I almost wonder why they bothered at all,” Captain Vargess said.

“The rock debris is more of a challenge. We're sweeping it now, sir,” Kyle reported.

“Good. Let me know when we're prepared to get underway. Do we have a lock on those remaining ships?” Admiral White asked.

“Yes … no, sir,” the tactical officer corrected, sounding a bit rueful. “At this distance not a hard one on a few of them now that they are trying to run silent, sir, the freighter of course,” Garfield stated. “But the cruisers are a mixed bag. It looks like they are going into stealth, sir. We're running a plot cone on where we think they are based on their past readings and course projection.”

“No matter. They have only one place to go.”

“So we're going to wait for them to come to us, sir?”

“Some of us are. The fighters and bombers will serve as our beaters and attack dogs. They'll run them right into our arms or tear them apart.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Keep the fighters on the destroyers as our reserve for now. Move us out slow; I don't want to miss anything. We'll break into smaller groups to run each contact down as needed.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

“Should we ask them to surrender, sir?” Kyle asked, looking at him.

“I suppose we should, considering it is in the book,” the admiral said. “Comm,” he turned to look over his shoulder to the comm rating. “Put out an order to surrender on the channels we know they use. Keep it open, don't use any of their encryption that we've gotten.”

“Aye aye, sir,” the rating replied with a dutiful nod.

“Not that I expect a reply, but you never know,” the admiral murmured, turning back to the plot. Shaded red cones marked the probable locations of some of the ship courses. As he watched a pair of fighters ran the freighter down. She refused to heave to when they ordered her to do so. The fighters fired into her stern, tearing into her sublight drive.

Something gave way and her bright blue engines flared and then snuffed out. She pitched and rolled like a wounded whale. The fighters broke off to do a loop; their job completed for the moment. He opened his mouth to order a boarding party to be launched, but the ship exploded.

“Did they suicide?” Kyle demanded, eyes wide.

“Possible. More likely she had those mines on board and something set one off. Or the engines and reactor let go,” the admiral stated. “Order the boarding party to stand down. Launch a SAR and intel team to do a quick sweep for survivors and computers. Tell them I don't expect much.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

---<>))))

“SITREP,” Admiral Frost demanded when he charged onto Captain Mueller's bridge. “Someone give me a SITREP, damn it,” he snarled, clearly winded from the journey.

Shantell wondered if that had been the most exercise the man had endured in some time. Quite possibly. She wished now that she'd taken her ship's lift cars off line. It might have given the fat man a heart attack and saved her some angst.

“Sir, all ships under way. We're scattered in divisions and headed in a general direction for the jump point,” the XO said.

“Scattered? Not concentrated?”

“In your absence Captain Post ordered all ships go to silent running. Some may have a better chance of escaping that way, sir,” Captain Mueller stated, looking at him as he waddled over to her chair.

“I'm waiting, Captain,” the admiral said, looking down at her.

“Sir?” she asked in confusion.

“I am senior officer here.”

“Yes, sir. But this is my ship,” she said, looking up to him with defiant eyes. “You are the commander of the fleet, sir. Such as it is.”

“Ma'am, um, sir, we're still tied into the fleet network with the lasers,” A comm rating said. Both senior officers turned to him. “We're getting chatter from the other ship captains,” he said.

“Put it through,” the admiral ordered.

“You know we don't have much of a chance. We're leaking too much,” Captain Bordou said.

“Leaking …” the admiral frowned in confusion.

“She means radiation, sir. In this case heat and most likely neutrino radiation since her ship's neutrino baffles were damaged,” the XO stated helpfully.

“I knew that,” the admiral snarled.

“And we can't jump far anyway,” Captain Bordou said in self-loathing. “We're screwed. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.”

“So you want to surrender?” Captain Post's voice came over the net. That made more than one person on the bridge stiffen in alarm and indignation.

“Oh hell no!” she replied, eyes flashing. “I know we're SOL once they get their hands on us. I heard about the genocide charges. No, we're going to fight if we have to.”

“Well then, let's hope none of us have to. Drop to your slowest speed. Go ballistic. If it takes a week or more …”

“Understood,” Captain Bordou replied. “See you in hell,” she growled.

“Let's hope not,” Captain Post replied, cutting the circuit.

The admiral stared at the blank screen then his eyes cut down to Captain Mueller. She looked up to him and then pointed to the XO chair. “Our flag bridge is offline, sir. Have a seat. We're not moving very fast, but you look tired,” she said.

The XO hastily got out of his chair and presented it to the flag officer. The admiral grunted, and then went over to the chair and sat down in it.

---<>))))

Amadeus smirked as a thought came to him. He couldn't help it. “Marco …,” he said, pitching his voice as he studied the plot. A few of the officers and enlisted on the flag bridge glanced up, but since they didn't recognize the name they went back to their duties.

But not all of them. Jojo wasn't in the room so it seemed the Ops officer was left to ask what was going through his boss's mind. “Sir?” Kyle asked, clearly confused.

“Sorry,” the rear admiral said with a slight smile. “Old game. It's like hide and seek. Like the game we played in Protodon with the
Prowler
I suppose. One person closes his eyes and says 'Marco' and the other hides and says 'Polo.' Usually you play the game in water or in null G.”