Chapter 4: Paying the Price

Flames flickered throughout the giant ship. Medical personal fought to save the wounded as the firefighting details tried to put out the flames to save the ship. On the bridge, and argument was underway.

"Captain, enemy terms coming in right now."

"Thank you, Commander. What are their terms?" Captain Ibelis asked.

"Sir, unconditional surrender and we are ordered not to destroy the ship. We cannot possibly follow these terms. We cannot allow them to get a hold of this ship, again.

"We have no choice, but to comply with them. Tell them we agree to their terms, and contact the Venger. Tell them we have no choice but to surrender. Tell them to get the hell out of here. There is no sense loosing more ships then necessary. Send the damage report and the sensor scans as well."

"Aye, aye, Sir. Sending all available data to them."

With those orders sent, Captain Ibelis turned to his computer and started typing commands into it. Soon important documents and files were being destroyed. The last command into the computer was to wipe the memory core, shutting down all computer functions throughout the ship. If the Alderian's wanted the ship they can have her back, but first they will have to install a new computer core.

On board the battlecruiser Venger, the battle was not going well. It seemed that the Alderian's had, had one super-dreadnought left in fighting trim, and she was tearing the hell out of the battlecruisers. Four have been destroyed in the last three minutes and now she was tearing into the Bathler, who would not last long against her. "Sir, we are receiving a communication from the Intolerable."

"It's about time, what do they say?"

"Sir, Captain Ibelis is ordering us to get the hell out of here, and he is being forced to surrendering to the enemy."

"What? How much damage can one cruiser fleet do to a dreadnought?"

"Sir, I have their damage assessment from the first barrage of enemy fire, and a sensor scan of the enemy cruisers. They apparently caught her just as her shields were coming on line."

He was not sure he wanted to hear this, but ordered Commander Fetterman to continue, "Let's hear the damage commander!"

"Right away, Sir," Commander Fetterman turned and started reading the damage report from his computer screen, "Heavy damage to propulsion, communications, life boats, and heavy damage to missile bays thirty through forty-two. Laser's seven, eight, ten, eleven, and thirteen destroyed. All other lasers in the stern have taking collateral damage. Shield generators to the stern have been destroyed or damaged. Hull breaches on decks thirty to thirty-nine, heavy casualties in those areas. She reported one Rose class destroyer escort destroyed."

"That's way to much damage for a heavy cruiser squadron to inflict."

"Sir, not true. If all the missiles or lasers impacted on the same point, or a magazine explodes then damage like that can be obtained. I did it when I had command of the old Fire Fly, I took out an Alderian heavy cruiser, and the Fire Fly was just a destroyer escort, Sir."

"Commander I know your combat record. Okay order the fleet to withdraw and hyper out of here. All ships will rendezvous at point Victory."

"Right away, Sir," Commander Fetterman turned to his communications board where he has just received a damage report from the battlecruiser Bathler and the cruisers Ginveria and Johnston they report that they could not hyper out, "Sir, battlecruiser Bathler, and cruisers Ginveria and Johnston report they cannot hyper out."

"Order all three ships to abandon ship, and have the crews head for the nearest friendly ship so they will not be left behind when we hyper out."

Just as he started to send the orders out, a new report came in from the Bathler, "Sir, new report from the Bathler, she reported that all her boat bays have been destroyed or have suffered heavy damage."

"Tell her she is on her own, and order the cruisers to back her up while the fleet hypers out, then to surrender. Helmsmen get us out of here. Course is 344 Mark 16."

"Right away, Sir." The orders go out to the ships of the Gormarian fleet, and they turn and started to hyper out of the system. Just as the last cruiser started to hyper out she was targeted by several ships, and disappeared in a fiery explosion.

On board the space station Queen Ann.

"Your Majesty I think it is almost over, the Gormarian dreadnought cannot last much longer," Admiral Kincaide said as he started pointing at various spots on the Gormarian ship, "This was a magazine explosion, and if my memory does not fail me, on the other side of the magazine is main engineering. Even if no hyper generators are destroyed they have to be heavily damaged. Their return fire is sporadic, and point defense is almost nonexistent, cruiser division three is tearing the hell out of her."

With a gasp of his breath, he watched as one of his ships disappears from the screen, with a silent cry of pain he knows that these men and woman have just died for him.

"We just lost another ship Admiral! What about the rest of their fleet?"

"We have lost several ships sire. The loss of a destroyer escort dose not matter as much as a loss of a dreadnought. I would estimate heavy damage to half of their battlecruisers. There they go sire, of those that have escaped I estimate a third have taken heavy damage. They will not be back for a long while, and when they return we will have the first Battle Wing back up to full strength, and in three more months, the second and third Battle Wings will be restored to full fighting strength. The problem is sire, we don't know what ships have been repaired in the Gormarian battle fleets."

"Admiral Kincaide, you may not think a loss a destroyer escort is very significance, but to me it means the loss of three hundred men and woman."

With a glance at his Sire's face, he said, "Sir, I am sorry, I may seem heartless to you, I morn their loss too. But from a military standpoint an eight thousand ton destroyer escort doesn't balance against a seven million ton battlecruiser. Pardon me for a second sire," With a sudden flick of a switch, Admiral Kincaide was talking with the communications officer of the H.M.S. Queen Ann. "This is Admiral Kincaide. I want a communications opened to the Swiftshire. I want to speak to her captain."

"Right away, Sir."

On board the heavy cruiser H.M.S. Swiftshire. The crew was standing down from combat, as the adrenalin drained from their body they realized they were still alive, their ship undamaged.

"Sir, the enemy captain agrees to your terms, and Admiral Kincaide wants to speak to you."

"Thank you, Midshipmen get me Colonel Harris, and put the Admiral on the main screen after I speak with him."

"Sir, I have Colonel Harris."

"Thank you, main screen please."

The image of Colonel Harris appears on the screen, behind him, marines were donning their combat assault armor. "Colonel, take your marines and board the enemy ship. Separate all officers from the crew, and bring all senior surviving officers to me."

"Yes Sir. We are suiting up now and will be leaving in less then three minutes."

Steven nodded to the colonel, and in an instant, Admiral Kincaide's image replaces him on the main screen.

Back aboard the Queen Ann, Admiral Kincaide was just making contact with the Swiftshire. Captain Tallfeather stood in his armor and saluted and started making his report.

"Admiral, I wish to report the surrender of the Gormarian super dreadnought Intolerable, the former H.M.S. Flying Star, and the loss of the destroyer escort Flower with all hands."

"Well done Captain. Just one question how did you figure out where the enemy dreadnought was going to hyper in at?"

"Sir, at first I fell for the Gormarian lure. I assumed that it was a raid to destroy the space stations or fleet units, but when I reached the bridge and looked at my tactical board I noticed that the enemy was way to far out to be a strike mission. I then realized all of the naval units were heading towards the King Harold to help her, leaving the repair facilities unprotected. I then had my computer extrapolate where a ship would have to be to destroy all three-repair bases. I then took my division to that point." With a silent gesture from the King, "Captain I will be right back." The image of Captain Tallfeather disappeared from the screen, Admiral Kincaide turned to the King, and asked, "You wished to say something to me your Majesty."

"Yes Admiral, please have him come to your office I wish to met this exemplary man."

"As you command, Sire." With those words, he reestablished contact with the Swiftshire, and Captain Tallfeather's face appeared on the screen.

"Captain."

"Yes Admiral."

"Get your ships back to your parking orbits, and report to my office, I wish to talk to you in person."

"Sir, my marines are now returning to the ship with all surviving senior officers. Soon as they are onboard, we will head for our berth. I will report to your office as soon as possible."

With a slight movement of his hand, the screen fades out. "Sire he is on his way."

"Thank you, Admiral."

Steven waited for the admiral to get back to him, Commander Verik stepped forward, "Sir, I have the damage report for all ships of the squadron, and missile expenditure."

"Okay Commander Verik lets hear it."

"Sir, besides the loss of the Flower, the only other ship damaged was the H.M.S. Ajax. Her forward shield generator took a glancing blow and her number two laser turret was destroyed. We expended seven hundred and thirty-two missiles. Of the missiles one hundred and three of the ECM birds are recoverable."

As he digested this shocking news, Admiral Kincaide's face re-appears on the view screen.

"Captain."

"Yes Admiral."

"Get your ships back to your parking orbits, and report to my office, I wish to talk to you in person."

"Sir, my marines are now returning to the ship with all surviving senior officers. Soon as they are onboard we will head for our berth. I will report to your office as soon as possible."

The image of Admiral Kincaide faded out to be replaced by a view of the planet Alderia.

"Helmsman take us back to our parking orbit I will be changing clothes, also order up my pinnace."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

Steven left the bridge and walked down to the elevator, he was shortly on the way to his room. He walked into his quarters, and pressed a switch on his left forearm. A chemical was quickly introduced into the joints of his armor, the sealant started to dissolve and he was able to remove it.

"Here Sir, let me help you with that." Jaren knelt down and started to unfasten the armor plates on Steven's legs, "Sir, I have laid out your dress uniform on your bed.

"Thank you, Jaren. While I am taking a shower would you get me something to eat."

"Yes Sir," the last piece of the armor dropped to the carpeted floor with a soft thump, and Jaren said, "There you go, Sir."

"Thank you, Jaren," Steven said and walked into the bathroom and removed his remaining clothes. He soon stepped into the shower and turned the water on as hot as he could stand. The water splashed over his body, the tension escaped his body like the steam that started to fill the room.

Jaren picked up the armor and carried it into the pantry, so he could clean it after he cooked something for the captain to eat. Within minutes, the smell of baking fish and chips is drifting around the room. Jaren carried the meal in to the other room, and placed it on the desk. With a knock on the door to the bathroom he waited for an answer, the captain quickly answered it.

"Yes, what is it."

"Captain your food is ready, and I have placed it on your desk."

"Thank you, Jaren. I will be right out."

Steven quickly dried off, and with the towel wrapped around his waist, he left the bathroom and went into his bedroom. On his bed was his dress uniform, laying beside it are fresh undergarments, beside it were his holster and disrupter, at the foot of the bed are his dress shoes. He quickly dressed in his naval whites, strapped his holster around his waist and slipped his shoes on. He was soon at his desk eating his meal, when Jaren suddenly walked in.

"Sir, sorry to intrude, but Colonel Harris is on line one."

"Thank you Jaren," setting his food aside he turned and activated his communication board, Colonel Harris face appeared on the screen, "Yes Colonel?"

"Sir, I have the captain of the Intolerable, his name is Captain Richard Ibelis. Also only four senior officers survived the attack."

"Very good Colonel, give them something to eat, and have them placed in my pinnace. They will go with me to the Queen Ann, also have the rest of the prisoners sent to the prison moon."

With a snappy salute, the image disappeared. Soon he was finished eating and on his way to boat bay one. He boarded the pinnace and found four marine guards were waiting with the prisoners. Their nine-pound plasma rifle held at port arms. Seeing the gold bars of a captain, he came to attention and saluted the gentleman.