Shipping Mishaps Chapter 19

The pirate fleet slowly coasted towards the dockyards of the inner Oanov system. It was easy, as long as they avoided the impulse to attack mining ships that covered the outer system like ants at a baby's picnic. They slid past planetoids with clusters of dwarf moons, asteroid belts littered with dead ships and more raw materials than should be in any one system, and the outermost defense grid from the war. Even if the Death of Fleets never showed up, this would be a good trip.

*-*-*

“Admiral, this is Sparkle , according to our com spike we have a ship coming in on the hyperspace lane from Gregen. You think it’s the ship we're waiting for?” Captain Hadels said into the comm.

“They are four days late, but it probably is.” Admiral Vulflim said with a yawn. “All ships, attack speed. The target is inbound. I want everyone up and running in . I repeat EVERYONE GET READY!”

*-*-*

The Nautilus dropped out of hyperspace with a jolt. A few minutes passed and the ship shook. Then it shook again. The engine warning symbols started flashing across screens on the bridge and engineering. Souga, standing at the engineering station on the bridge shook his head, “Now what?”

‘Vnyu, sitting at the sensors station looked up, “Um, I think we are under attack?”

Surprised, Geo looked up from her chair (to the right of the captain), “What? Say again? I thought this was supposed to be a 'Secure' system?” She put down the astrogation flash cards she’d had Campy make, and looked around the bridge, “Sound ! Shields, full power! Weapons, charge all batteries!”

Nr'Foik, the head gunnery officer, and only gunner currently on the bridge looked at Geo, “Just to confirm, you said 'ALL' batteries?”

“Yes, Nr'Foik, ALL batteries. Grand Admiral what's-it can bite me. NO ONE SHOOTS AT MY HOME!” Geo growled out.

“Yes Ma'am.” Nr'Foik saluted.

The ship shook a bit more. One of the thrusters shifted from green to yellow on the engineering console.

“Are you sure it isn't a meteor storm?” Grug asked, waiving his mouth tendrils in vague confusion, “I would have thought an actual attack would be more damaging.”

The shields spun up to full power, “Shields up and holding at 33%.” said shields officer Smedrk.

“Good. Sensors, put all contacts up on screen.” Geo said.

“Yes Admiral,” responded ‘Vnyu.

The main view screen switched over to a tactical view of the system. From rimward to star center there were hundreds upon hundreds of ships in the system. The only ones of note though, were coming in at high speed from the outer rim and making a beeline for the Nautilus. “142 mixed parasite craft and converted freighters identified. 5 Destroyers also in the mix, but hanging in the rear.”

“Well that answers that.” Geo said, then “How are the rear batteries doing?”

“All warmed up and ready to say HI.” Nr'Foik answered, giving his species equivalent of a smile. “Permission to fire?”

“Not the MK3's, but fire at will with the rest.” Geo replied.

“Thank you Ma'am!” said Nr'Foik, fingers flying over the controls, assigning targets. “Targeting solutions in place, firing now.”

All across the rear section of the ship, hull plates receded and massive barrels emerged. Some sparked and lay dormant, but most came to life. They began to fire, laying down an almost impenetrable wall of projectiles.

*-*-*

The pirate fleet had spread out into a crescent behind their target and started firing. Most of the lasers fired from the parasite craft and converted freighters had found targets in an engine thrust cluster, doing minimal damage. The destroyers were in the midst of launching missiles when the Nautilus finally spun up it's shields, and then the point defense cannons opened fire.

The front line of attackers took the brunt of the damage, most exploding on contact with the heavy high-speed projectiles. Some only took “glancing” hits that ripped open hulls in long lines, venting atmosphere and crew members alike into the cold of space. The advancing fleet scattered.

“Break off the attack, and regroup at points and !” Admiral Vulflim yelled into the comm. His own ship as yet to be hit by the cannons. “Gunnery, how do we get through those shields?”

Head gunner Asak looked up from his targeting computer, “The only thing we can do is coordinate fire with the rest of the destroyers on a single point of the shields, and hope to make a breach!”

“Then do it.” Admiral Vulflim responded.

A few moments of communication with the other capital ships and Asak looked up again, “We have a firing solution. Permission to fire?”

“Fire at will!”

A tap and a digit swipe later, “Firing all weapons at point on his rear shields!”

A truly massive amount of missiles and energy weapons fire lanced out from the small cluster of capital ships toward the Nautilus' rear shields.

“Order the fleet to attack the strike zone!” Admiral Vulflim yelled at the comm officer.

*-*-*

“Captain! We have taken a massive hit to our port rear shields, shield strength has dropped to 29% ship wide while we compensate.”

Captain Lod looked only a little worried as he absorbed the news. “Keep it up. Nr'Foik! Target those Destroyers! Have the aft port and starboard guns deploy those 'Mine' munitions that you liked so much last time to keep the parasites off of us.”

“Yes Sir!”

“And Nr'Foik? After you have deployed the mines, put full power to the aft port top MK 3 cannon. I want you to fire ONE and only ONE shot directly into those Destroyers.” Geo said.

The bridge went silent for a moment. “Admiral? Are you certain?” Nr'Foik asked, a sudden cold feeling welling up inside him.

“I realize it is distasteful. I realize it is abhorrent. I also realize that in our current state, we are unable to properly defend ourselves from this kind of onslaught. If they follow up that attack with another, or the rest of their fleet coordinates fire at the same point, we may lose our shields, and then who knows what may happen.” Geo looked up to the ceiling, “Campy, take note! I, Admiral Georgia-Ann McConner, take full responsibility for what is about to happen. And may have mercy on my soul!”

Geo looked at Nr'Foik, “Fire.”

*-*-*

“Admiral? That ball turret is aiming straight at us. What is that?” Asak asked.

“Oh. Oh shit. OH Shit! OH SHI---” Admiral Vulflim didn't have time to finish his sentence as space time bent and tore around him and his cluster of ships.

*-*-*

A wrend in space, full of sparkles and black lightning nearly 2000 miles across and stretching 3 AU in length, appeared in the dark cold confines of space, then slowly dissipated. Everything within 7 light hours of the full power blast from the Capital Class MK III weapon shook from the unbridled gravitational energy, then stilled.

*-*-*

Geo stared at the gap in reality as it slowly closed. She felt cold and nauseous as the bottom dropped out of her stomach. The Nautilus shook, ringing like a bell. The artificial gravity had shut off, she realized, half floating out of her seat. It kicked back on with a thunk. Everyone fell.

“And may have mercy on their souls.” she said quietly.

*-*-*

Shipping Mishaps - Epilogue - an Interlude on Earth (14045AD)

Gentle reader, again I must ask you to imagine something. In the bowels of a non-existent government building, surrounded by extra empty space, and the most up to date counter-surveillance devices in existence, a Miss Jenna (one of the slug like Gurgmisk) has just burst into the very plain and outdated office of her superior, a human known as Mr. Johnson.

“Sir! It's been found!” Miss Jenna almost shouted as ‘she’ quickly stepped into her boss's spartan office.

“What has been found, Jenna?” Her boss, Mr. Johnson asked.

“The Death of Fleets!” Jenna breathlessly replied.

“Really? It's been 12000 years. Where did it turn up?” Mr. Johnson, not usually excited, turned his ancient office chair towards the door.

“Back in its original theatre of operation.” Jenna responded.

“What do we know?” asked Mr. Johnson.

“Apparently it was masquerading as part of a shipping fleet.” Jenna gave a smile equivalent, “That's not the big news.”

“Then what is?” Mr. Johnson asked, his curiosity truly piqued.

“SHE is still alive!” Jenna squealed in excitement.

Allowing surprise and shock to show on his face, Mr. Johnson exclaimed, “WHAT?!? Seriously? That is amazing. How?”

“I don’t know, but our spy drones sent back a video.” Jenna responded.

“Bring up the file.” Mr. Johnson ordered.

“Yes sir!” Jenna said, bringing up the file on the holographic projector.

The two watch the silent video of Geo signing papers.

“It was broadcast on their news networks, with a lot of pomp and circumstance.” Jenna said after the video was over.

“Where's the audio?” Mr. Johnson asked.

“It was corrupted.” Jenna said, disapproval thick in her voice.

Mr. Johnson then asked, “So, by the look of things, it seems that Miss Georgia-ann is being forced at gunpoint to surrender?”

“That is what Military Intelligence believes.” Replied Jenna.

After a few moments of thought, Mr. Johnson replied, “Then I think it is finally time to pay them a visit. Prepare a fleet, we are going on a rescue mission.”

“Yes sir!” Jenna happily responded.

Yes, gentle readers, trouble is afoot.

End of Book 1.