Chapter 3: The Shepherd and her flock

H.M.S. Devastator cut through hyperspace, her remaining charges behind her. Ahead of them, the planet New Mexico awaited the military supplies they were bringing to the garrisons. Joan looked at her scan recordings of the pirate ship, and her two missing wards. Tapping the keys on the sensor pad, she watched the energy field burst from the Q-ship, and then the two freighters just disappeared.

"That's weird."

Leaning back, she picked up her fork, stabbed another slice of cheesecake, and ate it slowly as she watched the screen.

"Now what the hell could cause that?"

Turning on the computer, she entered the search parameters for any type of device that could knock a ship out of hyperspace.

Eating another slice of the cake, she replayed the engagement for the fiftieth time. The computer beeped for her attention. Turning the screen to her, she started reading as she lifts the fork to her mouth, it came to a stop, and she dropped it on the plate. Reaching over, she turned on her intercom.

"Commander Mendel, Chief O'Doul, report to the Captain's day cabin at once."

Cutting the connection, she sent the scans to the large viewer on her wall. She got up, and walked over to it.

James sipped his coffee, and set it down. Picking up his sandwich, he took a bite of it as the ship's com came on.

"Commander Mendel, Chief O'Doul report to the Captain's day cabin at once."

Setting the food down he gulped some coffee to clear his mouth, and looked to his sandwich.

"Damn, it's a good Ruben sandwich, too."

Corporal Judy Henderson walked over to the table.

"Sir, I will put it away for you, you can finish it when you get back."

Taking his napkin, he wiped his lips.

"Thank you Judy. I will be back in a few minutes if possible."

Turning he left the mess hall, and went towards the elevator.

Chief O'Doul came out of the DC room, reading his datapad.

"Hey, Chief, how go the repairs?" he asked.

Looking up from his datapad, he saw Commander Mendel. "Commander, laser one is a write off, we cannot get the software to communicate to the mount. We can fire it in local control, but only to twenty degrees to Port and Starboard. We have to replace the whole bearing casing and to do that, we need a barge crane to lift the laser assembly."

"Damn, I was hoping we could get it fixed before we got to Mexico," he said. Pressing the elevator button, he continued, "What about making a crane?"

"We can do that, but we need to be at a dead stop to set it up. If we do that, we will be at Mexico by then, and we can use the fleet repair ship."

The doors opened and they stepped inside.

"Command deck two," the Chief said.

Turning, he looked at Shawn

"That's true about Mexico," he said. With a small sigh, he continued, "Okay then, let's get the rest of the inner hull patched up. I want every inch of that patch checked on the tower. We don't need it going out on us."

A few seconds later, the doors opened, and the two men walked down to the captain's day cabin.

Corporal Tina Grizzlyhorse watched the two men come towards her. Her armored visor down and her battle armor sealed to all types of attacks, her Mark 12 laser rifle was at port arms.

Coming to a stop in front of the guard, "Commander Mendel and Chief O'Doul, reporting as ordered."

Activating her armor's com system she said, "Ma'am, Commander Mendel and Chief O'Doul are here."

The captain's clear crisp voice came back over the com system, "Send them in, Corporal."

Stepping to the side, "You may go in, Sirs," she said as she pressed the door pad for them.

"Thank you, Corporal Grizzlyhorse," Commander Mendel said as he stepped in.

The chief was at his heels, as they come to a stop, and he said, "Reporting as ordered, Ma'am."

Joan turned from the vidscreen and said as the doors closed, "What do you two know of a device called: hyper-scrammer?"

James went white at the name.

"Ma'am it was a planetary device. It was invented by our home world to knock ships out of hyperspace, about nine hundred years ago, so they could be then looted. It scrambled the ships computers and shut down their hyper-generators."

"And it was outlawed, all plans, working models, and the main installations were destroyed. The scientists who invented them were mind wiped," Joan said. "So how is it that these pirates have one?"

Shocked, James looked at his commanding officer and replied, "I don't know, Ma'am. You don't think we were involved in the attacks?"

Joan blinked her eyes in surprise, and then realized what James was thinking.

She replied, "No, James, I don't think you or Shawn had anything to do with it. But, your planet did invent it."

Looking once more at the vidscreen image of the freighter Amsterdam and the pulse, she felt her anger building as she smacked the wall beside the screen, with the palm of her hand.

"Damn it! We do not need this crap, now. Whoever invented this one, has gone one-step further than your home world ever did. This one is ship based. That means they have beaten the energy requirements on them. That means it's going to be a cold hearted bitch, to find them."

James looked at the pulse radius, and then at the energy signature of the ship. "Ma'am, whatever they have done, they have tripled the power supply of the Dove. Therefore, I am assuming they have added more fusion plants to the ship. With her being a merchant, I bet they have converted one of her cargo holds into a new engine room. What do you think, Chief?"

Shawn looked up from his datapad.

"Not one, but two of the holds. That's just as bad, though. Just think of what one of these freighters, with a scrammer, could do to a battlewing. Set it off, and poof, half your attack wing is gone. Unless you have replacement computer cores, you're fucked ... Sorry, Ma'am."

Smiling at the Irishman's language, she looked over at him.

"I agree. We are fucked. These bastards must be stopped before they can do any more damage. I want you to make two backups of the computer core. Store them in Faraday cages. In fact, make four, just in case. Can do?"

Shawn's fingers fly over the datapad.

"Can do, Ma'am. I can have them ready in about an hour."

Looking once more as the two freighters disappeared, she hoped her friend Vickie was okay, but she feared the worst as she started issuing her orders.

"Get on it Chief. You are dismissed. Commander, what is the status of repairs?"

As Chief O'Doul left the room, James delivered his report.

"All repairs are finished except for Laser One. It needs a crane to do the repairs. We can fire her but she is limited to the forward arc. I also have the Chief going over the external patch. We don't want a blowout." Suddenly the chime sounding for the captain interrupted him, and he watched Joan walk over to her desk.

Joan reached over and activated her com on her desk, "Captain, here. Go."

"Captain, we will be emerging from hyperspace in the New Mexico system in ten minutes. You asked to be notified."

"Thank you, Ensign Whitecloud, bring all hands to condition Red. I want a system scan going, as soon as we drop. Captain out," she said. Shutting the com off, she turned and looked at her XO. "James, as soon as we come out, I am going to be sending a sitrep to the Admiral. You know what they are going to think. So be prepared to be interrogated by fleet intelligence, I will stand with you. You haven't done anything wrong."

Looking up into Joan's face, "Ma'am, I should be safe, since my family immigrated there when I was fourteen. I am more worried about the chief. He was born on Tortuga."

"I know, and I am worried, too. But he does have an exemplary record, and his father was the recipient of the Alderian Medal of Honor four years ago, at New Hong Kong. His family has given a lot for His Majesty. I pray they will take that into consideration." Walking towards the door, she continued, "Well, let's get up on the bridge."