Chapter 6: The Fleet

Planet New Mexico

Commodore Joan Louisa Wade walked into the new command room of the H.M.S. Devastator. The massive room had enough space for ten bridges the size of her old command. Looking around the room, she saw some of her old crew manning the ships stations.

"ATTENTION ON DECK!" shouted the Marine guard.

"As you were," Joan said, which allowed the crew to get back to work. She walked over to the center seat and pressed the icon for ships intercom.

"Attention crew of the H.M.S. Devastator, this is your commander speaking. My name is Commodore Joan Wade. I have been transferred to the Devastator to take command of the squadron. Our mission is named 'Pirate Hunter'. That will be our designation in the fleet review as well. Let's make this a successful pirate hunt, for this ship and for the squadron. We will be joined by nine Flash class destroyers, the cruiser Rex. I know the Rex is forty years old, and no more powerful than one of the modern Flash destroyers, but she is a heavy cruiser. We also have a surprise joining us, the carrier Eagle has been assigned to us, as well. Now as you know the Ark was badly damaged two years ago. They have just finished restoring her to fighting trim.

"The Eagle is captained by former CAG officer Kyla Hall. Kyla is the winner of the gold star with clusters for gallantry medal. As you know the Victory Medal can only be won in combat against severe odds. She earned that medal at New Singapore when her squadron faced the invading enemy and crippled their landing forces. "Now with people like her, and all of you, I know we will track these bastards to whatever hole they are living in, and bury them. So for King and country, let's no one fail in our mission. All Hands, man your stations for getting underway," Joan said as she shut the intercom down.

Turning to the captain of the Devastator, she continued, "Captain Mendel, get us underway."

"As you command Commodore," James said and turned to his crew and started issuing his orders.

The crew jumped to their duties, reports were called out, orders sent as systems were tested. Finally, the last tractor beam was released and thrusters pushed the five million ton ship away from the space dock. Tugs latched onto her massive bulk and pulled her away from the dock, so she could fire her main engines without damaging any part of the lower station.

"James, send to all captains to repair onboard at sixteen hundred hours. We will be meeting in my day cabin," Joan said as she walked off the deck.

"Yes, Ma'am," James replied and turned to Ensign Ai Sung and gave her the order.

Ensign Sung sent the orders to the fleet. Two hours later, the ships of the fleet joined up together and headed for the hyper limit. Around the fleet, the men and women went through their systems to make sure everything was in working order. Weapons were checked, fighters checked, missiles were checked. The last ship to join them was the hospital ship Hope.

The Hope was built on a super-dreadnaught hull. Over two miles long, and double the armor of a normal SD, but only defensive weapons as armaments. Seventy percent of the interior were hospital units. With over five hundred doctors, and three thousand nurses. The ships ten thousand beds could handle any major battle.

Ninety minutes after the fleet formed up, they approached the hyper limit, came to a stop. After the fleet was at full stop, shuttles dropped from the landing bays of the fleet ships and headed towards the flagship.

Travelling through hyperspace, the fleet worked up its battle line. The Devastator was in the center of the fleet with the Eagle behind her with the cruiser Rex in the lead. Behind the Eagle was the hospital ship Hope with her massive defensive armaments. Three of the Flash destroyers were on each flank with two more fifty thousand meters ahead of the Rex in a stacked formation. Bringing up the drag was the last Flash class destroyer.

The plan was set up so the Rex, Devastator and eight of the Flash destroyers would lead the attack in while the Eagle would stand off with the Hope and one destroyer as escort. But as everyone knows, all plans go out the window when the first shot is fired.

Salina Nebula

On the edge of the Salina Nebula, hundreds of small asteroids floated, forming a ring around the gasses clouds. Some passed through the edges while some never touched it. On one lone hunk of rock, a small base was built. Inside the base, Commander Jason Black of the New Tortuga navy and his five man crew watched their sensor stations, slept, ate and waited for their thirty day shift to end.

The bases' sensors watched the hyper channels for signals. They were looking for the slightest hiccup of a hyper wave that would denounce a ship or ships that were close to the system.

"Sir, I have a contact coming towards the nebula. Sensors are detecting at least fifteen signals..."

"Rick, how far out?" Jason asked.

"Ninety-five light ... shit their slowing down ... yes dropping out at the edge of normal sensor range," Rick Anderson reported, "Damn they're warships ... at least two major capital ships."

"Fuck, get me a ship disposition, spool up the drone for automatic update. Bring all defense stations on line. Arm all heavy plasma cannons," Jason snapped as he hit the alarm.

Around the small station, a signal was sent. On the larger asteroid, plasma cannons came online as their heavily shielded plasma reactors energized to full power as well as the heavy missile batteries. While on the smaller asteroids, defensive lasers and missile batteries powered up to help defend the offensive batteries.

"Sir, I have nine destroyers of unknown design, one old Galloway cruiser, id confirmed as the Alderian cruiser Rex. One ship is at least a super dreadnaught design, unknown class; the other is a battle cruiser of the Black Talon class ... Oh my god! It's the Eagle!" Rick reported in shock.

"The Eagle? Oh fuck. Target all batteries on the carrier. She must not be allowed to get into the system intact..."

"Sir, no we should target the smaller ships. We have no chance against those shields or against the super dreadnaught. The more escorts we take out, the better our fleet will be. Remember, as soon as they enter the nebula, it will affect their shields. As they leave the nebula it will take at least five minutes for them to restabilize to fully protect them. Tortuga's defenses should rip them apart in those five minutes since they will know they are coming," Sergeant Isaiah Hopkins shouted as his fingers flew over the keys of his station which was sending out orders to the heavy missile batteries.