Chapter 9: New Hope

On board the Alderian ships, life was settling down for the long trip. Several fights had broken out, and the offenders were quickly given extra duties. The enlisted crew complained about the duties, food and about the officers, but that was normal. Unknown to any of the captains of the Alderian ships, a secret meeting was about to take place on board the Swiftshire, twenty of her crewmen were playing basketball or using the weight benches in one of the gyms. They were waiting for their leader to arrive so they could start the meeting. As the game hit the midway point of the court Midshipmen Anthony Rickers walked in.

"Gentleman, gather around."

The men quickly join their cohorts by the weight benches.

"I have just received a transmission from Scar, and he has given us our orders. On the twenty-third of this month, he will have assembled the largest bands of pirates in this quadrant since the fall of Safehome. He will then attack this fleet when we go through Algerian system. When he attacks we will need to move quickly to disable the weapons and engine systems." Turning to one of his men wearing the uniform of the Imperial Marines, he continued, "Greg, you need to kill the marines on duty and destroy the assault armor in the armory."

"I will try, but what about the marines stationed around the ship?"

With anger in is voice he snarled, "No! You don't fucken try! You volunteer for guard duty now, so when you are needed, you can be there, and don't worry about the duty shift they will be a piece of cake without their assault armor." Rubbing his hands in anticipation, he continued, "It will be my job to kill the captain and that bitch of a second in command. Mike, you job is to kill Colonel Harris, and Commander Verik. With these four officers out of the way, the ship will be ours. Along with all the money stored in the boat bay, and as a bonus we will get to have our way with the women. Remember with this haul we can retire to a life of luxury, and leave this war far behind us. Any questions?" He waited a few seconds and then continued, once more, "Okay lets get back to our game of playing good little solder boys, just remember do not get on report or thrown into the brig, if you do I will kill you." The men scattered to various parts of the ship. Some continued their ball game while others left, heading for the galley or to their rooms.

Later that day on board the Gormarian destroyer Vindicator Commodore Harvey Christian was watching the Confederation of Power's ships flee on his screen. Soon they will be forced to surrender. On the speakers, the voice of one of the captain was sending out a frantic call for help, "Damn it I said to target their communications, I want them destroyed."

"We are trying, Sir, but the helmsman of the Catamaran is an excellent pilot, and I can't get a lock with my lasers." Even as he said these words, the two forward laser cannons belched forth more beams of death and missed.

On the bridge, Lieutenant Barlow was sitting at his post watching the sensor panels, looking for any signal that could betray an enemy trap. On a side screen, he was playing a game of chess against the main computer, and loosing. As the computer made its move that placed his king in danger, the sensor panel lit up, for it has detected explosions directly ahead. Very quickly, they start detecting ships and they are identified as two merchant ships being chased by four warships. He immediately contacted the captain, "Captain Tallfeather, please come to the bridge." Just as he made his request to the captain the communications board lit up as it picked ups the plea for help.

A week into the voyage Steven was relaxing in the officer's gym. He stood on the five-meter diving board, and focused on his dive into the warm water below. He moved into his dive stepping quickly to the edge of the board and prepared to dive in. Suddenly the com unit blared to life.

"Captain Tallfeather, please come to the bridge." Quickly diving into the water and swimming to the edge of the pool he climbed out, and activated the wall mounted com unit.

"Captain here. What is it?"

"Sir, Lieutenant Barlow here. Sorry to bother you, but long range sensors have detected two merchantmen being chased by four warships. We are now receiving a distress call from them."

"Let's hear it, Lieutenant!"

"Right away, Sir."

"This is the merchant ship Catamaran, we are under attack by four Gormarian destroyers. If anyone can read this, help us, we are under attack. I repeat we are under attack by four..." The sound of high-pitched squeal replaced the voice as it went dead.

"Sir, transmission has been severed. It looked like they hit her communications array. The merchant ships are slowing down"

Swearing silently to himself. This is all we need, "Sound general quarters. I will be up as soon as I dress, activate the stealth field, and notify the rest of the fleet and start bringing us out of hyper."

"Aye, aye, Sir," The wail of general quarters blared throughout the great ship, "Attention all hands. Man, your battlestations, this is not a drill. Stealth system is now operational and dropping out of hyper, Sir." Steven left the gym and headed down the hallway to his room. Passing crew personal as they rush to man their battle stations.

"Sir, got it!" Even as the Ensign notified his commanding officer the speaker went silent, and the Confederation ships continued to try to escape.

"Very good Ensign Chang, but it looks as they are not going to stop. Target their engines and damage them, but do not destroy them."

"Yes Sir. Targeting their engines now!" The Ensign started issuing new commands to his laser targeting scopes, and soon got a lock on them, as he replied, "Locked on target, Sir."

"Then open fire." The energy beams once more reach out, searching for the fleeing ships. The Confederation ships dodged from side to side, trying to avoid the beams.

In his cabin, Steven hurried to get into his combat armor on, while his fleet continued to close with the Gormarian's. He fastened the last strap of his breastplate, and the sealant was quickly released. He was soon stepping on to the bridge where he saw Commander Verik at his post, "Status report Commander."

"Sir! All ships are at general quarters, all crews at combat readiness. One of the merchant ships has just taken a direct hit to her engine room, and is being forced to stop. Her sister ship has done the same."

"Put it on main viewer."

"Aye, aye, Sir. On main screen now," The screen flared to life, and the bulky shape of a fifty million ton freighter filled the screen. Plasma fires flickers along her damaged flank as lasers continued to pound her. Suddenly an explosion detonated from the hull of the ship, and they knew the cold void of space had been allowed into several compartments.

The air rushed out of the ship as internal force fields snapped on and failed. Plasma fires flared up in the damaged compartments burning everyone and everything to a crisp. With the failure of the internal shields, the suction of escaping air pulled the burned and mangled bodies out through the hull breach. On the tactical screen, one of the merchant ships went from yellow to purple indicating severe damage.

With a silent curse as the explosion detonated out of the merchant ship, Steven issued his orders, "Okay! Here is how we will do this. I want the cruisers Ajax, Dallas, and the Reflex, along with the destroyers Chamberland, Justin, San Juan, to hit the far side of the enemy ships. While we, the Storm, Glory and the destroyers Portland, London, and Admiral Gallant will hit them on this side. All ships will open fire when the flagship does."

"Sir, sensors have identified the Gormarian ships as Vickers class heavy destroyers, I have also scanned the system. None of the seven planets are habitable and there is a large asteroid field six hundred thousand miles away on a heading of 444 mark 8.

Steven digested this information very quickly. Vickers were the equivalent of an Alderian light cruiser, but without the cruisers armor, as he replied, "Thank you, Commander."

"Sir, the destroyers have ceased firing on the merchant ships. They are now closing with them, and it looks as they intend to board them."

"Okay helmsman. Take us in as close as you can." The ships continued to close with the enemy. The fleet split apart and half the fleet changed course to swing around to the far side of the destroyers.

"Sir, Minister Korlan, wants to know why you are helping these merchant ships."

"Tell Minister Korlan, that I will not allow the slaughter of innocent people if I can help it. Range to Gormarian ships?"

"Sir we are at three point five million miles and closing. We are closing at three hundred thousand miles per minute. We will be in missile range in less then five minutes."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You better start setting up your launch vectors, and try to avoid hitting the merchant ships like you did in the simulations."

"Aye, aye, Sir," even as he replied to his captain, the ships on the scanners started to come to a dead stop. "Sir, the merchantmen and the enemy ships have come to a complete stop. They have split up, two destroyers per ship." While he was reporting this information, the ships scanners have identified the merchants ships, "Sir, scanners have identified the merchant ships. They are Confederation of Power!"

"Thank you, Mister Barlow. I don't know what they are doing out here, but we will offer all assistance possible."

Soon the time has fled and the ships have closed to maximum firing range.

"Sir, we are within range now."

"Hold fire, lets see how close we can get, and slow us to one hundred and fifty thousand mpm," the orders go out to the weapons bays and turrets, as the fleet continued to close.

"Checking fire, Sir. All batteries report they are standing by to open fire. Range to enemy ships is two point nine million kilometer and closing. Slowing to one hundred and fifty thousand mpm."

"Let's wait and try to get down under two million miles before we fire. The closer we can get the less time they have to respond to our missiles."

"Yes, Sir," even as he replied the Gormarian and the Confederation ships have come to a full stop and combat assault ships have been launched from the destroyers.

"Sir, enemy ships have launched several combat assault shuttles. They are closing fast with the merchies."

"Thank you, Midshipmen. What is the range to enemy ships?"

"Sir, the range is down to two point four million miles and closing."

"Very well at two million miles all ships will open fire on the Gormarian ships."

"Yes, Sir. We will be in range in two minutes, fifteen seconds."

"Very well. Are all weapons locked on target?"

With a glance at his weapons board, he replied, "Yes, Sir. Locked on and waiting for you to give the command to open fire."

With a quick look around the bridge, "Mister Rickers, seal your helmet."

Startled Midshipman Rickers reached up, snapped the collar brace down, and sealed his helmet. "Sorry, Sir, I thought I had sealed it."

"No problem, Mister Rickers, that is my job. Mister Barlow. What's the range?"

"Sir, we are at two million twenty thousand miles and closing."

With a smile on his face, he said, "All ships open fire." Steven said.

Sitting back in his command chair and watched one hundred and five missiles of the first wave erupted from the forward missile tubes of his fleet. The second wave followed less the fifteen seconds later followed by a third and fourth wave. In one minute, four hundred and twenty missiles were streaking towards the doomed Gormarian ships. Not all his missiles would find targets thirty-seven percent were destroyed by counter fire. While ECM and point defense would account for another thirty-eight percent including twenty percent of the electronic counter measure birds, but one hundred and five missiles would lock onto the enemy ships and detonate. The enemy ships lurched and heaved in their death agonies, taking two destroyers with them.

Aboard the destroyer Vindicator, Commander Boris Mangrove was watching the pinnaces race to the Confederation ships. "God! I cannot wait until this deployment is over. What do you think Ensign Chang? Wouldn't you like to see your home again? I know I would!"

"Yes, Sir, I would. It's been along time since I walked the fields of Shang-la and ... What the hell? Sir, sensors have enemy ships detected on ... Oh my God! I have inbound missile tracks!"

"What? Where from?"

"Sir, I have missiles inbound from a heading of 233 mark 14 and 53 mark 17. First wave is one hundred plus birds."

"All batteries open fire. Contact the Commodore and tell him we are under attack," he shouted as the anti-missile batteries came online, and the closest missiles started detonating.

From the missiles defense station, a voice cried out. "Sir, they are getting through. I can't stop them." just then, the ship lurched as several lasers hit the ship.

"Damage control. This is Commander Mangrove. What's the damage?"

"Sir, this is Ensign Anderson in damage control. We have taken hits in engineering, medical one, and compartments alpha one-fourteen through one-thirty-six. Portside pulse cannons one and three destroyed, damage to shield generators three and four. Minor damage to landing bay one," just then, the ship was hit again. This caused a cloud of debris to shoot out of engineering. "Sir, we have damage to the fusion reactor!"

Commander Mangroves face went white as he pressed the alarms to abandon ship. "All hands abandon ship. I repeat all hands abandon ship!" Suddenly the ship went dark as the power went out. The flash of flames belched out of the sensor panel as it explodes in Ensign Chang face. Sharp debris flew outward and imbedded themselves into her body. She flipped out of her chair and dropped to the command deck. The medic raced to her but all could see she was dead for a sliver of steel has been driven through her faceplate and into her left eye. She is just one of the many casualties in a long drawn out war.

Commodore Harvey Christian was leading the first wave of pinnaces and shuttles towards the Confederation ships.

"Pilot, how long until we dock?"

"Sir, we will be docked in two minutes." Even as he is telling the Commodore this news, his headset flared with news that was more important.

"This is the Vindicator enemy ships detected ... They have incoming missiles!" Turning to his captain, he relayed the message, "Sir, I have received a transmission from the Vindicator. She reports enemy ships have been detected and missiles launched."

"What! Where are they? Who are they? Find out damn it, and get me back to the Vindicator now."

"Yes, Sir, turning back towards the Vindicator it will take two minutes to get back to her, Sir" he said even as he was telling the Commodore the news. He received more information on the enemy fleet. "Sir, the Vindicator reports that the enemy is the Alderian navy. They consist of six heavy cruisers and six destroyers."

At this news; Commodore Christian face went white and in his gut, he knew his ships were done for. He was forced to watch from the pinnace as the Vindicator engine room blew up and the ship cracked in half. The momentum from the explosion forces the two halves apart. The stern disintegrated as six more laser warheads detonate less the twenty miles away from her. Soon the Orjen followed her sister as forty missiles detonate and she disintegrated under the bombardment.

"Order the Fire Storm and Terrible to surrender. Then head for the Fire Storm I will surrender to the Alderians from there." The pilot sent the difficult orders out as he watched the last missile detonate. The pinnace banked and headed towards the Fire Storm and her fate. Soon they were docking in the shattered remains of her landing bay.

"Sir, incoming fire from the enemy ships has been destroyed! I report no damage to any ships. I am receiving a communication from the Gormarian ships. Sir, they wish to surrender. All they ask, is we hold our fire." Midshipmen Rickers said and then turned back to his sensors and communications gear.

"Get me Colonel Harris on line, and notify all ships to hold fire."

"Right away Sir," Within seconds he has notified the fleet to hold fire. The ships stand down, as one of the destroyed ships, bow continued to drift away, even as he was contacting Colonel Harris, "Colonel Harris on line one, Sir."

"Thank you Midshipmen Rickers. Colonel, get your troops on board the pinnaces. I want those two destroyers captured. Also if the captains are alive I want to speak with them. Order SAR units to head for the remains of the destroyer that is drifting away I won't leave anyone to die like that."

"Sir, I am already loading my men aboard the pinnaces. We lift of in less the thirty seconds, and I am dispatching SAR units to the remains of the enemy destroyer."

"Very good Colonel and God speed to you. Helmsman, best course to bring us to a stop directly behind the nearest enemy destroyer, after we capture them let's tow them to the edge of the asteroid field."