Chapter 23: Space Docks

American Space Navy

Near Space Dock One: 1-17-05, 11:29 A.M.

American battle cruiser America

Captain Richard Potter watched the Federation cruiser he was firing on, her shields had collapsed and now internal explosions were ripping through her hull. He knew that inside it was becoming a death trap and with the ship crippled he made his decision. "Ensign Wilcox, break lock, and target the next ship," he said as he watched two heavy cruisers coming to the Federation ship's rescue.

Ensign David Wilcox's hands flew over the target board, and targeted the Federation cruiser Gettysburg. "Sir, I'm targeting the cruiser Gettysburg. Estimate thirty seconds to take her out," he reported as the enemy status came up on his boards.

Their weapons switched to the cruiser and opened up on her. Explosions danced on her shields as the pulse cannons tried to punch through while the railguns targeted and opened fire. Sixty rounds of antimatter detonated on the shields as they locked onto the same point of attack.

Gettysburg whipped around as she tried to avoid the incoming fire, but the enemy ship's fire tracked her every move. Her shields flared bright white as she tried to elude the incoming fire.

Federation Fleet

USS Gettysburg

Captain Laura Billings watched the shield indicator and she shouted out her orders over the alarms, "Roll the ship! Don't let them keep hitting the same quadrant. Return fire on that fucking ship!"

"Aye-aye, Ma'am, rolling ship now," replied Lieutenant Gina Wyatt as her hands danced over the helm control while her sister on the weapons panel returned fire.

"Returning fire now," Lieutenant Virginia Wyatt said as she hit the fire control icon and every pulse laser and rail gun opened up.

The five million ton cruiser started rolling, her weapons firing at the enemy ship. Her shield energy started climbing as they shield generators started recycling the power. By this time, the rest of the fleet was in range and they opened up as well.

American Space Navy

Richard Potter lurched in his seat as his ship took hit after hit from the ten ships of the Federation navy. Keeping an eye on the shield energy level, he stood up and walked to the CIC board and said, "Transfer all starboard shield power to port. Continue to engage the nearest ship."

"Transferring power now," Ensign Wilcox said as he targeted one of the nearby destroyers and his weapons went to continuous burn. The bow of the destroyer blew off, when her shields went down.

Federation Space Navy

The Bulldog charged in towards the space dock. Her shuttles were ready to launch when she came under fire from the American battlecruiser. Twenty pulse lasers hit her bow shield followed by ten antimatter railgun rounds and the shield crashed down. Before the ship could react, ten more pulse lasers ripped deep into the bow, and the first two hundred feet of the ship disintegrated as the main magazine for the railguns went up. Captain Mary Hannon screamed as energy exploded from the CIC holographic board and she hit the deck, barley moving.

Flames blossomed throughout the ship as it was hit thirty more times by the pulse cannons. Compartments ruptured and explosions blossomed from her hull as her hydrogen reactor scrammed. Ninety seconds after the first hit, the rest of the ship vanished into a huge fireball, taking all but a hundred of the crew and the seven hundred marines who had already launched in their assault shuttles.

The four shuttles turned and headed for the space docks, which opened fire on them as they came in. Soon the rest of the fleet started launching their shuttles and sixty shuttles carrying twenty-four thousand marines and naval personal darted in to free the first of the two massive stations.

The Federation assault cruiser USS Orca turned towards Space Dock One. Her shields were glowing from the incoming fire from the station and the American battlecruiser America. Captain Isaac Henderson watched the shield indicator and said, "Ensign Copper, increase shield power to one hundred and twenty percent. Lieutenant Miller, fire all main weapons on that defense tower and take out those pulse cannons."

"Yes, Sir, I am increasing shield strength to one hundred and twenty percent," Ensign Lori Cooper said, as her hands danced over the command console in front of her.

"Right away, Sir. Targeting the tower, now," Lieutenant Frank Miller said as he sent his orders to the weapon pods...

"Hard to port! All weapons, fire when you have a solution," Captain Henderson ordered.

Deep in the ship, the generators started pumping additional energy as the last two hydrogen reactors came fully online. On both sides of the ship, the shields increased as the explosions started to make the ship rock.

"Aye-aye Captain, I am turning us hard to port, now," replied Ensign Hatch Madison, and the ship turned away from the dock.

The Orca turned and unleashed every weapon she had at the defense tower. Even the four hundred mechs that were attached to the main deck with their magnetic clamps added their firepower. Hundreds of missiles belched from the one hundred ton vehicles and flew across the narrow three-mile gap.

Lieutenant Jamie O'Bannon of the Queen Elizabeth and Lieutenant Jonathan Cutter of the Leonardo Da Vinci were in communication with each other after making the main American fleet run.

"Jamie, we need to help the fleet take the docks," Jonathan said as he watched the Orca come under the heavy fire.

"I know," Jamie replied as he watched the ship and checked the damage his ship had taken. Turning he looked at her lover and said, "Jonathan, I love you. I will see you in heaven or hell."

"What? Jamie..." the screen went black as it was cut off. Looking back at the CIC screen, he saw the Queen Elizabeth shimmer and fade away. Suddenly a bright light flared across space as the battleship reformed inside the American battlecruiser. The two ships exploded as their hydrogen reactors, antimatter warheads, and fifty million tons of ships all went critical at the same time.

"JAMIE!" Jonathan screamed and then the Da Vinci shut down and started coasting through the battlefield.

Explosions detonated out of her hull as her shields collapsed, her weapons silent as she came to a stop between the two stations. Explosions detonating out of both sides of the ship, as the two space stations switched their attacks to her, and started ripping her apart. Plasma fires ignited in various compartments, weapons stations were smashed to ruins, the main hanger exploded as dozens of her fighters disintegrated as two heavy pulse lasers ripped through the hull and shattered the fighters. Their onboard fusion reactors go critical and the resulting explosions gut the surrounding compartments.

"What the hell is going on with the Da Vinci?" Ken asked as he watched the ship taking a pounding.

"Ken, I don't know. I am trying to contact Lieutenant Cutter, but he is not answering," Jessica said as she watched her sister ship being smashed to ruins.

Walking over to the com station, Ken reached down past Lieutenant Maria Kessler and pressed the send command, "This is President Thompson to the USS Leonardo Da Vinci's AI or to Lieutenant Jonathan Cutter please respond."

A feminine voice came back over the fleet com before he could release the icon on the panel.

"This is the Da Vinci. What can I do for you Mister President?" replied the Da Vinci's AI.

"Why are you not fighting? Why are your shields down?" Ken asked.

"Sir, the ship's human interface has suffered a severe emotional shock and has gone catatonic. He has manual command of both helm and shield control and I have been unable to get him to release them."

"Can you fold?"

"Yes I can Mister President," the AI said.

"Then do so, fold to the safest area you can and initiate repairs," Ken ordered.

"Sir, I am sorry, but you cannot issue those orders."

"This is Admiral Tammy Thompson, I order the USS Leonardo Da Vinci to initiate an emergency fold," Tammy said as she walked over.

"Initiating now," said the AI of the crippled battleship.

On the screen, the ship vanished and reappeared over the moon. Explosions and plasma fires continued to race out of control as the ships AI tried to save her.

With the battlecruiser gone, the Orca darted in and came to a stop next to the space dock. The four hundred mechs jumped from the cruiser and came down onto the dock of the station as boarding tubes shot out from her hull and slammed into the side of the station. Explosions detonated from the side of the station and hundreds of marines poured into the huge base.

Captain Elizabeth Wright led her squad of marines down the ramp. Her pulse carbine up and firing at the American defenders.

Marines rushed into the huge hanger they had gained access to and were instantly taken under fire by their American counterparts. The marines new body armor deflected some of the hits while the suits shields stopped others, but even the new suits couldn't stop the miniature railgun rounds that sliced through a squad of marines that were rushing across an open area to more cover. One-second fourteen marines were there, and then they were gone as the rounds punched right through their armor and their bodies.

Elizabeth watched her squad of marines being wiped out and she pulled out a pair of fragmentation grenades. Hurling both grenades, they flew through the weakened gravity and rolled next to a stand of drums sitting against the wall. The explosion hurled the American gunner away from his twin-mounted railguns. Before he could get back to the weapon, he was hit by shots from ten different marines and his body was vaporized.

"Come on let's move it," Elizabeth shouted and three hundred marines rushed the American lines. Using the jump jets built into their body armor, they landed amongst the survivors and a vicious hand-to-hand battle ensued.

Elizabeth Chang and Jim Stone, reporters for Sol News Network, walked in with General Jeremiah Anderson. Clutched in Jim's hand was a portable camera. Jeremiah looked around and then jumped up to the top of the stack of missiles, lifted his bullhorn, and shouted, "This is General Jeremiah Anderson of the former United States Army. All American forces and Federation forces stand down. That is a direct order. This insanity will stop this instant."

Around the huge cargo hold, Marines of both armies stopped and looked at the man standing on the cargo pallet of missiles.

"I want each and every one of you to look at the men and women you have been fighting. Now why are you fighting each other? Because some idiotic President in the United States, issued illegal orders after he killed anyone who would or could resist him. Yes, I am talking about the Supreme Court Justices and the members of Congress. Now, I want you all to think of this, when the Crytherian bomb went off outside of Reno. Who came to the cities rescue? Who rescued two hundred thousand humans before they could perish from the poisons from the radiation? Who just rescued ten million humans taken as slaves and are transporting them back to the planet Earth?" Jeremiah said as he looked out at the room and then continued, "Well, who was it? I want every one of you to say who did it?"

The Federation Marines looked at each, other and shouted, "Admiral Thompson."

While the American Marines looked at each other and lowered their weapons, several helped up their opponents but didn't say anything else.

"I asked you a fucking question. NOW WHO HELPED FREE FELLOW HUMANS FROM A LIFE OF SLAVERY?"

An American marine Captain came to attention and shouted, "Sir, it was Admiral Thompson and the Federation."

"Who are you?"

"Sir, I know you. I trained under you for long-range recon training. I am Captain David Jackson, United States Marine Corps," shouted David.

"That's right, now I want all of you to drop your weapons and file over here in front of me. Captain Jackson, I remember you, you broke your left arm during the training, but you finished the mission."

The marines and army personal filed out in front of the man and stood there looking at him. They were wondering what was going to happen to them. Would they be shot, sent to prison or even allowed to go home. Some were even wondering what was going to happen to their families back on earth.

Jeremiah looked down at the three hundred plus soldiers and said, "Gentleman, I want you to really look at the men and women of the Federation. Then I want you to think on one thing. We can go forward from here, and make our world strong or we can continue to destroy our very future and be food when the T'Lari come here. Then you can watch as they herd your families and friends into their feeding pits. The choice is yours. And just so you know, I have seen the enemy and they scare the hell out of me, but I would rather meet them with a weapon in my hand and my companions behind me then not have a chance to fight them at all. What about you? Do you need proof they exist?"

The American forces looked at each other and started mumbling among themselves.

"I SAID DO YOU NEED PROOF?" Jeremiah yelled loudly into the bullhorn.

"YES I DO. I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, SIR!" shouted Sergeant Mike Wallace as he looked at the three star general.

"Then I will show you proof, and once I've shown it to you, I want you to be the first to enlist. Do we have a deal?" Jeremiah asked as he looked down at the beefy looking man wearing tiger colored armor.

"If you can prove what you are saying. Then I will be the first to sign up. But if you cannot, every one of you will surrender to us," Mike said with a conviction that he was right.

"You have a deal," Jeremiah replied as he lifted up his com unit and said, "Bring that son of a bitch in here!"

Everyone was confused by what the General was talking about and then they heard movement and a large platform was carried into the room on an anti-gravity sled. On the platform was a twelve-foot tall T'Lari warrior secured by force fields. Its body was covered in body paint and it was missing one of its arms. As the Federation marines raised their weapons at it in case it was to get free a second sled was brought in containing a Brahma bull.

"Gentleman, I give you the enemy. This is a T'Lari warrior that was captured on the ruins of the enemy ship that destroyed Earth five hundred years from now. Thirty nine marines died capturing this sorry piece of crap..." Jeremiah stopped talking as the warrior lunged towards him and bounced off the force field, and then he continued, "So what do you say now Sergeant?"