Rust Bucket (10 page)

      I said, "Navigation, set a course for their home planet. This ought to be a surprise for them to see us back so quickly. They probably saw us lose our water supply and think we went home. They won't be expecting us back for a week."

      I went to my cabin and turned in for some more rest. Even though I was just sitting in the command chair, I was still using energy. I couldn't afford to become so tired that I was useless to my ship. I got about six hours of rest before Frank knocked on my door and woke me up.

      Frank said, "We're approaching the enemy home planet, Dave."

      "Thanks," I said. I got up, dressed in my overslicks, and then made my way to the bridge. When I got to the bridge, one of our cooks was there with a meal for me and some hot coffee to help me really wake up. "Status?" I asked.

      My First Officer replied, "One enemy ship just disappeared behind the planet. No other ships in range of sensor equipment."

      Navigation replied, "Ship on course for the planet as instructed."

      "Okay," I answered, "plot a course to come around the planet head on at the enemy ship with a slingshot effect. I want to surprise him at high speed. Battle stations!"

      All the bridge functions turned to their tasks. Frank slid into the pilot's seat because he was coming on duty as scheduled. He took the course corrections and applied them, keeping the enemy home planet between us and the other ship for as long as possible until we were finally close enough two hours later to start the maneuver I asked for.

      Our ship plunged into the atmosphere, using the planet's gravity to increase our speed. Frank brought us up under the enemy ship. It wasn't expecting to be attacked from below. Our gunners caught the enemy ship completely by surprise and blasted her out of orbit. Our ship then shot away from the enemy planet. We took our time in adjusting our speed before returning to the planet to establish an orbit. Then we resumed where we left off from our last attack of the enemy planet.

      The communications officer said, "Sir, just got a communication from Headquarters. They say whatever it is we're doing, to keep it up. It's helping them a lot."

      I said, "Put that on the internal communications and repeat it to the whole crew. They deserve to know how well they're doing."

      The communications officer smiled, then switched over to the intercom and repeated the message again to the crew. Even though the bulkheads were sealed, I could have sworn that I was able to hear cheering.

***

It didn't take as long for the enemy to respond to our bombardment of their home planet that time. We had barely been at the task for six hours when long range sensors picked up incoming enemy vessels.

      "Christ almighty!" exclaimed the sensors officer. "We've got incoming at us. It looks like there's about twenty of them!"

      I ordered, "Navigation, set up a course for the nearest large planet from here. Jean, I want a slingshot around that planet when you get to it."

      "Where to?" she asked.

      I replied, "Back to their home planet. I want to create a traffic jam. They're nice enough to provide enough ships to make one. I'm going to take advantage of it."

      "Right sir," she responded.

      A few minutes later, navigation provided the course to the pilot. We peeled off from the enemy planet and took off with twenty enemy ships changing course to pursue us.

      I didn't really have to do that. After all, we had successfully destroyed or disabled seven enemy ships already on that mission. That was more than whole squadrons had managed up to that time in the war. However, the message from Headquarters inspired me to take the extra chance and risk that came with it. If I could get another enemy ship or two and get away, then the odds would continue to improve. If nothing else, the enemy might start leaving a sizable force around his home planet. That would also improve the odds for our Navy. At least, it would buy them more time to get some worthy officers into the right positions where we could start winning major battles. It was at that moment that I decided that Headquarters could use a morale lift as much as my crew.

      I ordered, "Communications, inform Headquarters of the score so far. Tell them we have verifying combat videos."

      Instantly, the communications officer went ahead and sent a message to Headquarters letting them know of the damage and destruction we had dealt out to the enemy so far. I could tell there was a lot of pride in his voice as he listed the tonnage of the ships disabled or destroyed followed by the types of ground targets that we bombarded from orbit.

      They might not believe our report back at Headquarters, but I doubted that. After all, they knew we were doing something since we were relieving the pressure on them. Also, it didn't matter that we were giving away our position since the enemy home planet and twenty enemy ships could track or see us directly. We certainly weren't giving away any information to the enemy unless he was trying to keep his own losses secret from his own military for their morale benefit. For that reason, I didn't instruct Communications to send the information encrypted. That was information I wanted everyone to know about. It would also give our position to our forces, so they would be able to determine that we were actually in the area of space right next to the enemy home planet. That would be another reason not to doubt us before the combat videos could be seen.

***

Within an hour, we approached the planet where Jean would do the slingshot maneuver. We went into a U-turn and went back at the pursuing enemy ships head on. They couldn't fire at us effectively, but we had lots of time to fire at them until we reached them. Already, their force was confused as we headed at them in what must have seemed like a suicide charge to them. I was playing inter-galactic chicken and banking on them backing off for fear of losing more than I could. Before the
Thurman
reached the enemy ships, the traffic jam I envisioned started to become a reality. As we carefully flashed by within the center of their large formation, our guns were free to shoot everywhere. They had to hold off on their own fire for fear of missing us and hitting one of their own ships at almost point blank range. They were still getting themselves reorganized when we passed out of their formation on a direct course for their home planet.

      Sensors reported, "One ship hit by our weapons and disabled. It's crashed into another ship of theirs and caused heavy damage!"

      I said, "Let everyone know that. Communications, pipe that out to both crew and Headquarters. Give them a running commentary on the battle until we get clear."

      "Yes sir!" he responded as he started to give a description of what just transpired.

      I added hastily, "Oh, make sure you don't say what we're going to do before we do it. Turn off the transmitter when I'm giving orders. No sense in sharing our plans, is there?"

      "No sir," he said as he beamed a bright smile at me.

      I was going to make the enemy wish he had left some more of those twenty ships of his back at his planet. We were well out in front of the enemy ships that still chased us. I saw the opportunity to embarrass them by making another quick bombardment sweep of the enemy home planet before passing the planet into space on the other side. That would be enough to shake up their entire command structure.

      "Navigation," I said, watching to see if Communications shut down the broadcasting before I continued, "plot a course to take us into the atmosphere and then straight out the other side. No slingshot this time. They'll be expecting that. Gunners, be ready to bombard military ground targets as we pass."

      The Communications officer didn't say a word until we entered the enemy planet atmosphere. Then he did his best to keep up with the targets our gunners were firing on and give a running commentary on them. Then almost as quickly as it began, we zipped back into space and continued on past the planet. The Sensors department picked up the enemy ships trying to execute a turn to catch us in a broadside with the most weapons possible. Only problem for them was that we weren't there. By the time they figured out that we had gone straight, they were too far behind to do more than follow at long range sensor distance.

      "Communications, get ready to send the following message in code.
Thurman
to Headquarters. Have eighteen enemy vessels in pursuit at long range sensor distance. Will lead on merry chase to your choice of ambush site. End message. Get that off right away. Let me know when they decide where and when to do it. Send our position every hour as long as we're still within visual or sensor range of the enemy."

      "Right away, sir!" the communications officer replied.

      The message was sent a few moments later. Then we continued to lead the enemy ships away from their home planet. I figured that their own command wanted our hides badly for attacking their planet three times and disabling or destroying nine ships. I had little doubt about whether those ships would follow me to the ends of space. I knew we'd hit them in their pride. They also couldn't afford to let us get away or we might be able to influence the rest of our Navy to do better against them by our example. Even rich kids can learn to overcome their disadvantages, I knew.

***

It was almost five hours later when we received the message from Headquarters that an ambush was impractical at the time due to operational considerations. I accepted the news calmly, having expected that as a possible reply. It was solely up to us to take care of the eighteen ships chasing us. Even if I could split them, there would be too many of them to take on in a slugfest. Three, I felt was worth an attempt, but not more. I knew both my ship's limitations and mine. We weren't immortals who could shrug off whatever the enemy dished out.

      "Okay, staff meeting in five minutes. Come there with ideas," I said before I went to the Dining Facility and got myself something to drink. Then I made my way to the Planning Room where some of the officers were already seated. A few started to stand up when I arrived, only I motioned them to keep their seats. We would have enough to go through without wasting energy on politeness at that time. I waited until the last of my officers showed up.

      I said, "You all know our problem. The odds are eighteen to one. If we keep on this course, there's a chance that sooner or later, they'll manage to notify someone ahead of us to form a welcoming committee. I need ideas, no matter how wild they are. This is the time to speak freely. We're not concerned with careers here, we're concerned with our lives."

      Lieutenant Sorenson suggested, "We could pull another slingshot maneuver to get more speed."

      "Hold on a moment, I want our off-duty pilots here too. They'll have ideas to add." I pressed the intercom switch and said, "Off-duty pilots to the Planning Room." Then we waited for another minute or two for three pilots to show up and join the meeting. Then I gave them the purpose of the meeting as they found seats. Then I motioned to Lieutenant Sorenson to repeat his idea.

      "No good," said Frank as the other pilots nodded in agreement. "They'll actually be able to cut the distance to within firing range when we perform the maneuver. We might be moving faster than them and eventually out distance them again, but we run the risk of having them cut our engines and steering to ribbons during that brief moment. Then they'll be able to maneuver until we're at their mercy."

      I asked, "What's our chances of pulling a stunt like we did to that last ship? By that, I mean we could dive into the atmosphere of a planet, circle the globe, come up under them, and exit behind them while we try to shoot their asses off?"

      "Depends on how far behind they are when we circle the globe and how long it takes us to do it inside the atmosphere. With the right size planet, it could be done, but they'll have the advantage of being in space already and probably be able to turn and keep up with us," Frank answered.

      "What if we stay in the atmosphere for more than one spin around the globe? Would that do any good?" I asked.

      Frank looked at me for a moment and appeared to be in deep thought as if something was occurring to him. I decided not to rush him for an answer. He finally looked up and gave his answer. "I looked at the repairs we made on the atmospheric steering. We should have enough maneuverability in an atmosphere to fight them like an aircraft. I think our craft is more airworthy than theirs are. We might just have enough of an advantage to do something there, but we really need to reduce the odds before we attempt such a maneuver. I can't sign on to that idea with eighteen of them on our tail."

      I nodded as I accepted his judgment.

      Jean spoke up and said, "I'd like to take them into an asteroid field. There's too many of them to hold a formation and dodge asteroids at the same time."

      Frank was already nodding in agreement.

      I asked, "Can we make it ourselves?"

      Frank was the one to speak on that issue. "Yes, provided our gunners help us dodge some of them by keeping our path clear."

      Lieutenant Kruler asked, "Won't the enemy be able to use our trail to follow us?"

      "Nope," replied Frank. "The asteroids will be shifting behind us. They'll have to blaze their own trail if they want to keep up with us. That or dodge at an even slower speed."

      I asked, "What about the chances of one of them leaping around the asteroid field to meet us on the other side?"