Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (47 page)

The Admiral nodded. “Yes. And alert Commander Sindri to step down
our reactor to match the previous settings. The same for the rest of the ship.
We're going to play the excited comrade in arms ready to and eager to take on
supplies and fuel,” he said.

“Aye sir,” Commander McGuyver replied with a chuckle. He nodded
to the Ssilli and then to the helm.

“Commander Sindri grumbled but he's implementing Trojan horse now
Admiral,” Sprite reported. The Admiral smiled.

“Let's go then folks,” he said, sitting back and rubbing the arm
rests of his couch. “We've got some flies to catch.”

<----*----*----*---->

A day later the crew was getting excited and nervous. They had
another eleven hours before their ship and the three enemy ships made
rendezvous.

“The convoy arrived a day after the five week estimate.  That is
pretty good, getting it that close to a
scheduled date,” Sprite said.

“Good for them, bad for us,” the Admiral said.

“Oh, how so?” she asked.

“If they are getting their logistics in order, and getting their
timing this good... it bodes bad for us,” he replied absently. “Something else
to think about.”

“Yes.”

“But later. Right now we have to focus on the here and now,” he
said, intent on the system plot. The ships were slowly moving to his location.
So far so good, he thought. He was glad he hadn't changed the IFF and hadn't
gotten rid of all the uniforms. They would be needed soon.

“Is the hologram ready?”

“As it ever will be. Hopefully we won't get tripped up by someone
that knows Hathaway,” Sprite said. “Or sees through the hologram.”

“If we have to, you could use the scans to alter my face,” Irons
said.

“Oh, that's a thought,” Sprite said. “A disturbing one,” she said.

“Very. But if it gets the job done and it's temporary,” Irons
trialed off.

“Let's see how the hologram works,” Sprite replied. “Somehow I
don't picture you in leather chaps. It's just not your style Admiral.”

“Definitely not,” Irons agreed.

They had hard numbers on the three incoming ships now. The lead
ship was a corvette, an Apollo class. She seemed in good condition. The Apollo
class was large for the class, pushing the envelope. She was also old, but a
well-worn and proven design used at one time by thousands of star systems as
militia or police forces.

The warship had two rail guns; six point defense lasers, which
doubled as energy weapons, two torpedo bays and twenty-four external hard
points for missiles or missile packs. She was a very capable shooter against
anything in her class or smaller. She had a nominal crew of fourteen and was
normally supported by a class two dumb AI.

She also sported eight frigate drives in four nacelle pods and a
class two hyperdrive. She had speed, but her powerful sublight drives and low
grade inertial dampeners tended to force her to take wide turns so she wasn't
as maneuverable as smaller ships were normally known for.

The Admiral reminded himself not to take the ship lightly. The
rail guns and lasers were optimized for short-range combat. If the enemy
smelled a rat at close quarters, it could get very ugly very quickly.

The middle ship was a medium freighter, a Clydesdale from her
silhouette and mass readings. Most likely pressed into service as a collier.
She was rather slow though, and from the looks of her, one of her port engines
was at half power. Instead of the ships slowing so she could stay in balance
the ship was using her RCS to keep her course, a wasteful use of fuel.

The final ship was definitely a tanker. Her class wasn't in the
known database either, and the Admiral didn't recognize her. She was a series
of beads, three massive spherical fuel tanks with just enough superstructure
wrapped around them to keep them together. A small habitat was on top, the rear
had three sublight drives and four drive nacelles. She might be a mutt or a
Frankenstein. They would know more when they got closer.

What the enemy didn't know was that Irons didn't need the fuel.
Bounty and the other ships had tanked up from his gas giant refinery before
their arrival.

<----*----*----*---->

“They accepted the recognition signal?” the Admiral asked.

Sprite rolled her eyes. “You've asked that before Admiral. The
answer is the same, yes. As far as we know.”

“As far as we know,” he said, echoing the qualifier. "Signal
to noise ratio? Any issues?"

“Admiral, they are still coming to the rendezvous. Had they been
spooked they would have broken off and shaped a course back to the jump point.
That isn't the case here,” the AI reminded him patiently.

“True,” he said.

“Opening night jitters?” Sprite asked.

“Something like that,” he answered, picking up a tablet and
checking it over. Bounty had been overhauled, but her crew was far from what he
would consider ideal. They were however eager, and sometimes spirit made up for
training deficiencies. Or covered them over. They would find out in a day.

“We'll get it done Admiral. One way or another. We've got some
good people here Admiral,” Sprite said. Now that the ship's were all online and
the crews taking up the slack she was taking a step back to her proper role as
the Admiral's Chief of staff.

“Bounty, any issues?” the Admiral asked?”

“You mean with the crew?” the ship AI asked, coming into the
conversation. The Admiral leaned against his right hand, quirking an eyebrow.
“Since I know very well you are looking at the ship's status on that tablet,”
the AI responded. “I refreshed it three seconds ago. No change there. And the
crew is fine. Excited, a bit nervous, but as ready as they ever will be.”

“You are never ready enough for combat. But we'll get it done,”
Sprite responded, turning to the ship AI as Defender opened a port in the Admiral's
firewall so it could project his avatar on his HUD. “What is your opinion on
this plan?” she asked.

“I think it's risky letting the corvette into our range, let
alone dock with it. But if she's docked she won't put up that much of an
external fight if things go bad,” the AI replied.

The Admiral frowned and then nodded. The corvette, which went by
an alpha numeric string he didn't even bother to remember, had transmitted it's
crew list. They were packed to the deck heads with six additional crew, all
destined for Bounty. Another thirty were on the freighter turned collier.

“The hologram is ready?”

“Yes Admiral. As you said, we'll get it done,” Sprite replied
primly.

“Very well. I'll stop being a pest.”

“For now,” Sprite teased with a roguish smile.

“For now,” the Admiral replied with a nod. “I'm going walk
about,” he said, setting the tablet down. “If you need me...”

“Give me a break, I'm built into you sir,” Sprite said, laughing.

“Yeah,” Irons said with a nod. “Dismissed,” he ordered, adjusting
his jacket and then picking up his cover. He put it on and then went to check
the crew.

<----*----*----*---->

“How are you today sir?” Lieutenant Commander Alverez asked
formally. The younger man was clean-shaven, with a professional haircut and
look about him. The black uniform was the only thing out of place on him. That
and the gold skull and cross bones earring in his right ear.

The corvette had come to drift off their port bow, with the
collier and tanker just beyond. All three ships were supine, with their
sublight drives offline.

The more he looked at them the more the Admiral was both
impressed and disturbed by how clean and efficient looking they were. Sure all
had a mix of components on them, but they seemed to function as a whole all too
well. As an engineer he could appreciate that. As a Federation Admiral looking
at an enemy force he didn't like the implications of what he was seeing.

“Better now that you are here,” Captain Hathaway's image
responded a moment later. “I'm down to my last liter of ice cream and my last
two cigars,” he growled. Irons smiled ever so slightly in approval. Sprite was
keeping in character.

“Got them here for you and a replacement draft so you won't be so
short handed,” the Commander replied with a smile. “We'll take some of your
prisoners off your hands to relieve the crowding,” he said.

“I could care less about them,” Hathaway's character said
indifferently. A few of the bridge crew bristled indignantly and glared at the
AI.

Sprite shrugged to the crew. “Just keeping in character,” she
said in an aside through their implants.

“Did you make any progress restoring any of the ships? I see you
have a new capture,” the Commander said.

“We have a bit,” the false Captain replied and then shrugged. “Mister
Blye has been his usual efficient self in motivating the crew and prisoners. We
found a pair of replicators on the yacht and put them too good use. Our use,”
he said smiling.

That got a slight chuckle from the bridge crew. The Horathian had
no idea what that statement truly meant.

“We'd appreciate permission to dock first sir, we need to get
your warm bodies off to relieve the crowding here,” the Commander said. “I know
it's not protocol and you need to refuel, but sir, my engineer said we're
pushing it pretty close. We're going to need a resupply ourselves.”

Hathaway's image nodded. He turned as if to look off to one side.
“Very well. Make it so,” he said.

<----*----*----*---->

A few minutes later the corvette's force field dropped. “This is
the moment of truth,” Bounty said. Enric held his crossed fingers up.

Irons snorted. “Drop shields,” he ordered. “Prepare for docking.
Are the marines ready?” he asked.

“Ready and waiting impatiently,” Gustov replied through his
implants. The Admiral grunted.

“Closing velocity twenty four, now twenty three meters per second
and falling. Range one forty meters. Corvette's speed down to nine meters,
four, now three meters per second. We are one meter away. Corvette is extending
its docking arm. We have capture. They are pulling themselves in.” the OPS
officer said. He tapped his board and then looked up. “Docking clamps are
fixed.”

“You hear that Mister Gustov?”

<----*----*----*---->

“Got it sir,” the Marine replied. He turned to his men.
“Remember, bridge, engineering then the other compartments. No shooting. Use
the stunners if you have to,” he said. A few faces worked and he shrugged. “But
I'm not going to complain about any bruises or shed any crocodile tears if
anyone is limping,” he said.

A few grim smiles flashed briefly. “Seriously people, keep your
heads on straight and don’t shoot the ship up. You might hit something vital
and we'll all be in for a world of hurt. Keep your heads while you kick some
ass. Oorah!” he growled.

“Ooorah!” the marines returned, pumping fists or fist bumping.

The locks cycled open and a Horathian came through; before he had
a chance to look around the marine on the left of the lock grabbed him. The
Horathian was struck in the solar plexus and hit with a stunner before he could
open his mouth to get a sound out. He crumpled to the deck with his space bag.
A second Horathian came through and was also grabbed and similarly stunned.

One by one the relief crew was grabbed, then the marines moved
in.

Lewis on point raised his stunner and hit the man standing at the
lock as he turned in surprise and confusion. Lewis vaulted the body and then
used hand signs to move his people out.

<----*----*----*---->

It was a tense five minutes of waiting on the Bounty as they
waited with bated breath for news. “We've got them sir,” Gustov said through
his implants. “She's ours,” he said. The bridge crew broke into cheers.

“But...” Gustov waved urgently. Irons shushed the crew. “But,
they got word off with a communication laser to the other two ships.”

“Crap,” Sprite said. “I can't get into her systems to confirm Admiral.
I'm sending in a bot now,” she said.

“Sir, the collier and tanker have energy spikes. The collier is
moving,” Enric said.

“I think they got the message,” Irina said.

“Collier is doing a Z axis flip Admiral. They are definitely
trying to run for it. The tanker is still trying to get her engines warmed,”
Enric said. “I'd estimate they have about five minutes to get them online.”

“Then let's keep them from doing that,” the Admiral said. “Bring
us about helm. Tactical,” he turned to Irina. “Hit the tender with a force
beam.”

“Sir, incoming transmission from the tanker. She's demanding to
know what is going on and if it's a joke,” Bounty said.

“
Nope, no
joke,” the Admiral replied.

He had been tempted to let the tanker dock first and then hit
corvette, but hadn't wanted a tanker filled with fuel attached to ship if
things went south and they entered combat.